click on photo The Los Angeles Marathon March 19, 2006
The City of Los Angeles Marathon….
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McAlpins Vs.The Streets of Los Angeles
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Los Angeles Marathon- March 5, 2000 Photos Exercise is the key in defeating obesity! Finishing is fun! But not this time! (March 19, 2006: I'm somewhere near the front of Marathon 21! Below) Read my story of Marathon 21....below...it is very interesting! Check out my T-Shirt!
March 16, 2006: Finally: March 19th is upon me. I have prepared myself: weight = 198 pounds, down from 265!; physical condition, good.( Slight hamstring injury will be taken care of with a brace). State of Mind...I can do anything...but fail, as God has told me....Excellent!
I will go down to Exposition Hall at the Convention Center on tomorrow and obtain my shoe sensor, bib, cap, shirt and a lot of "goodies" as marathoners call them. There will be thousands upon thousands of future marathoners present, and one is sure to feel the energy that will emanate from all of them on this upcoming Sunday Morning!
I have laid out my marathon equipment; There is the digital camera, stopwatch, 2-IPODs, Miniature Speaker System, adequate supply of AAA and AA batteries, knee brace, aspirin, power bars, sun glasses, back pack to carry everything, jogging shorts, and a few other essentials.
This is to be an "inspirational- speed-aerobics- walk". I will twist, spin, jump and skip the entire length of the 26.2 miles before me! I will sing praises to God as I walk at a 11.0 minute/mile pace; a pace that will see me pass many joggers.
I have committed myself to finishing. I can see the Medal hanging around my neck as I take a stand on the podium to have my picture taken. I will feel that same sense of exhilaration that I have felt during the completion of the previous 7 or 8 marathons before this one. See Previous Pages.
March 19,2006: Marathon 21....My Story..by Cleophas Mike McAlpin
Time Line:
4:00 AM...Arise to eat Power Bars and drink protein drink. I am extremely full of energy and ready to go. I pace the living room floor while listening to religious songs. I thank God for this day....a day that I will speed-walk the streets of Los Angeles with a T-Shirt done by Vanessa (click) that has a collage of pictures from "A Free Tutoring Service" imprinted on front and back. I have laid out all of my marathon paraphernalia and I am ready. My leg is not as it should be, and I make sure that my knee brace is on the good leg, at the bottom.
At last, it is time to go downtown to 5th and Figueroa; Jarrell arises to take me downtown.
7:00 AM..The crowd has gathered, all 25, 000 of them. They are pushing to get to the front of the throng and I allow each and every one to go in front of me. I carry on several conservations with the participants and it is a lot of fun to compare marathon stories. The excitement is building as 8:10 rolls around!
8:30 AM...With the song, "I love LA" booming in my ears over the IPOD music, I speed walk down Figueroa for the first 2 miles. I give hi- fives to the youngsters that line the street. I dance and wave my arms in victory.
9:30 AM....I have crossed mile 4 and am feeling good. I take one of my Power Bars out and have a little breakfast. I stop by each water station to sip Gator Aid and water. I feel mighty good!
11:00 AM...The weather is warm and the runners are beginning to slow down. I pass many, many of them with my aerobics walk. My IPOD is booming and I don't have time to hook up my speaker system in my granny pack.
11:15 AM....Hamstring injury.....Front and Center! There it was, but I ignored it. Then I placed my knee-bracelet on the bad leg...then I walked another mile...then I took off the knee bracelet.
11:30 AM...I have made Mile #10 (click) and I stop to ponder my situation. My leg is extremely painful, but I try and go a bit farther.
12:00 Noon...I have called Gayle to come and pick me up. I can no longer raise by bad leg. I feel triumphant that I have made the 10 mile mark on a bad hamstring and knee. But, I realize that I have 16.2 miles to go and there would be no way my leg would hold out.
2:00 PM...I am back at home...feeling fulfilled and triumphant. I thank God for keeping me safe. I thank God for giving me the determination to fight against body pain to reach the 10 mile mark that I had set before me.
God answers prayers and He smiled on me. I cried, as usual, to thank Him.
3:00 PM, after a very hot, hot shower. I fell fast asleep. My leg had recuperated enough to allow me movement. I slept for 2 hours.
10:00 PM....I will allow at least 6 months for my injury to completely heal, and then I will begin preparations for the Marathon of 2007!
