Top Conejo Valley, Ventura County Finishers at the 2015 Los Angeles Marathon

The 30th Annual ACICS LA Marathon last Sunday, March 15th, took place on a day with unseasonably warm temperatures, some 15 to 20 degrees above normal. But that didn't stop 22,333 runners from crossing the finish line, led by overall winner Daniel Limo of Kenya in 2:10:36 and top female, Ogla Kimaiyo of Kenya in 2:34:10.

American runners finished 3rd overall in the race, which also represented the USATF Marathon Championships. Jared Ward finished in 2:12:56 and 39 year old Blake Russell ran a 2:34:57 in the women's race.

Liz Camy of Simi Valley was the 18th female and 61st overall finisher in the marathon in 2:46:58!

More at www.lamarathon.com. They are already taking entries for the 31st edition on Sunday, February 14, 2016.

LIZ CAMY 2:46:58 SIMI VALLEY JOSE LASTRE 3:05:32 CAMARILLO ROSS LAMB 3:16:10 WESTLAKE VILLAGE JORGE RANGEL 3:16:50 SIMI VALLEY PETER MASATANI 3:17:53 SIMI VALLEY PEDRO GARCIA 3:22:03 FILLMORE ARIANE HENDRIX-ROACH 3:22:12 OXNARD VICENTE MONROY 3:24:06 OXNARD NEIL QUACH 3:24:20 WESTLAKE VILLAGE JOSE MEZA 3:25:23 MOORPARK MICHAEL CONTRERAS 3:26:27 CAMARILLO JESUS PEREZ 3:28:35 OXNARD NICHOLAS JOHANSON 3:29:09 WESTLAKE VILLAGE PEDRO HERNANDEZ 3:30:49 OXNARD ARMANDO ONOFRE 3:32:01 OXNARD RAMON PEREZ 3:32:16 SIMI VALLEY ARMANDO CASIMIRO 3:32:23 SANTA PAULA EFRAIN GALLEGOS 3:33:17 OXNARD SCOTT SMITH 3:33:26 THOUSAND OAKS BELIA COOK 3:33:30 OXNARD ASHWIN BATRA 3:34:54 OXNARD ROSE CARLMAN 3:35:04 CAMARILLO KEVIN WILLIAMS 3:35:18 THOUSAND OAKS CASEY HAMBLY 3:36:12 THOUSAND OAKS PEDRO VILLAGRAN 3:36:12 SIMI VALLEY SCOTT HAMBLY 3:36:29 THOUSAND OAKS JUSTIN HAYWARD 3:38:01 THOUSAND OAKS SIMON MARTIN 3:39:16 NEWBURY PARK HIROSHI KAWASHIMA 3:39:22 NEWBURY PARK RUSSELL VENTURA 3:40:36 VENTURA MICHAEL SCHULHOF 3:41:18 WESTLAKE VILLAGE JIM BLANCK 3:41:20 SIMI VALLEY JUDY QUICK 3:42:18 OXNARD STEPHANIE SEIFFERT 3:43:36 WESTLAKE VILLAGE JOHN SPYKERMAN 3:43:44 MOORPARK DAVID YEUNG 3:44:44 AGOURA HILLS STACY SWANSON 3:45:22 THOUSAND OAKS RICARDO BELECHE 3:45:22 SIMI VALLEY DREW SCHUSTER 3:45:28 THOUSAND OAKS MEGHAN DAVY 3:45:43 MOORPARK OLIVER KIRSTEIN 3:46:10 NEWBURY PARK PAUL ANDREWS 3:46:16 WESTLAKE VILLAGE RAY ELLIOTT 3:46:31 VENTURA DOMINIC ANTHONY 3:47:48 OXNARD SOPHIA GRISE 3:48:22 NEWBURY PARK RAMIRO ALVAREZ 3:48:34 SIMI VALLEY BRIAN GOLD 3:48:45 AGOURA HILLS AMANDA DEEDS 3:48:46 SIMI VALLEY JASON GRIFFITH 3:49:14 THOUSAND OAKS JEFF VANNEMAN 3:51:22 SIMI VALLEY RUDY CARRASQUILLO 3:51:51 SIMI VALLEY JOE HERZOG 3:53:10 MOORPARK MARCUS HERZOG 3:53:10 MOORPARK ROBERT DUNN 3:54:09 MOORPARK MIKE MALINZAK 3:55:26 THOUSAND OAKS ISRRAEL ESTRADA 3:56:07 FILLMORE RYAN HUISENGA 3:56:32 MOORPARK AMY KUPIC 3:56:58 NEWBURY PARK JORDAN COMBE 3:57:23 NEWBURY PARK THOMAS LASAM 3:57:46 THOUSAND OAKS ROSA CAMERON 3:58:01 OXNARD DAVID MOORE 3:58:28 MOORPARK JAMES MCAFEE 3:59:02 WESTLAKE VILLAGE ANTON TALARICO 3:59:37 SIMI VALLEY LANA ALICATA 4:01:07 SIMI VALLEY ZOSIMO GELUZ 4:01:17 CAMARILLO JOSE MORA 4:02:27 SIMI VALLEY MICHAEL CONN 4:04:57 AGOURA HILLS EDGAR RIVERA 4:05:24 VENTURA JOE GUARDADO 4:06:05 SIMI VALLEY NICO GERVASONI 4:06:22 SIMI VALLEY NICOLE BLACK 4:06:43 SIMI VALLEY JAMES CHANG 4:06:45 SIMI VALLEY ROYAL DEAN 4:07:16 SIMI VALLEY RANDY KRUSE 4:08:42 SIMI VALLEY DIANA VIZCAINO 4:08:44 OXNARD, CA JAMES RICHARDSON 4:08:51 NEWBURY PARK, CA PATRICIA AMECA 4:08:59 OXNARD, CA CARLY SIMON 4:09:01 AGOURA HILLS, CA JUDITH RODRIGUEZ 4:10:32 FILLMORE, CA CALEB GUEVARA 4:11:21 VENTURA, CA VICTOR PERNVIK 4:11:49 AGOURA HILLS, CA ESTHER CALDERON 4:11:52 SIMI VALLEY, CA CONNIE GUILLEN 4:12:12 OXNARD, CA JAIKRISHNAN MURALEEDHARAN 4:12:27 CAMARILLO, CA VAUGHN SMITH 4:12:49 SIMI VALLEY, CA SAUL PENA 4:13:07 VENTURA, CA TODD GARRETT 4:13:15 OXNARD, CA STEVE ORNELLAS 4:13:20 MOORPARK, CA SHANNAN PARSONS 4:13:45 NEWBURY PARK, CA ROSY GALLEGOS 4:14:22 FILLMORE, CA BRANDON RISTA 4:15:11 NEWBURY PARK, CA ERIC KNIGHT 4:15:51 VENTURA, CA YVETTE IRONS 4:15:56 SIMI VALLEY, CA MARK GREBEN 4:16:03 CAMARILLO, CA LORI LEONARD 4:16:25 SIMI VALLEY, CA HUNTER KARDINAAL 4:16:43 THOUSAND OAKS, CA LINDA HOUSER 4:17:32 SIMI VALLEY, CA MICHAEL CERF 4:17:32 CAMARILLO, CA JAKE ANDERSON 4:17:51 AGOURA HILLS, CA REBECCA CANO 4:17:51 OXNARD, CA FLAVIO AGUILERA 4:18:02 OXNARD, CA COLLEEN HAIDEN 4:18:21 SIMI VALLEY, CA LINDSAY PALMBERG 4:18:35 SIMI VALLEY, CA MARIO SALDANA 4:18:42 SIMI VALLEY, CA BENGT JOHANSSON 4:19:35 CAMARILLO, CA EDWARD NUKI 4:19:37 THOUSAND OAKS, CA ISIDRO FIGUEROA 4:19:44 OXNARD, CA AVA BUZZELLI 4:20:24 NEWBURY PARK, CA EDELMIRA SHUMAN 4:20:39 OXNARD, CA MONICA LITTLE 4:21:33 CAMARILLO, CA JOHN JESSON 4:23:17 SIMI VALLEY, CA JONATHAN SANDOVAL 4:23:36 FILLMORE, CA VICTOR GONZALEZ 4:23:44 MOORPARK, CA NOAH SHEARER 4:24:11 AGOURA HILLS, CA JOANNE CAROLAN 4:24:42 CAMARILLO, CA DANA FLESHMAN 4:25:01 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA RACHEL MORLEY 4:25:18 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA WILLIE ROLAND 4:26:24 NEWBURY PARK, CA RYANNA GRIMALDO 4:26:58 VENTURA, CA TODD MOODY 4:27:04 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA DAN FRAYSSINET 4:27:16 CAMARILLO, CA MICHAEL KAUFMAN 4:27:30 THOUSAND OAKS, CA CESAR HERNANDEZ 4:27:34 OXNARD, CA DENNIS MURPHY 4:27:59 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA MARK GARCIA 4:27:59 OXNARD, CA NADARSHA SAINABA 4:28:55 SIMI VALLEY, CA DIANA CONTRERAS 4:28:58 SIMI VALLEY, CA DAN PETERSON 4:29:39 THOUSAND OAKS, CA CARLOS SIAN 4:30:31 SIMI VALLEY, CA THERESA DIAZ 4:30:50 THOUSAND OAKS, CA MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ 4:31:02 PORT HUENEME, CA CESAR RODRIGUEZ 4:31:24 PORT HUENEME, CA MICHELLE CARRILLO 4:31:51 THOUSAND OAKS, CA SELENE NAVARRETE 4:32:02 CAMARILLO, CA SUBIN YUVAVANICH 4:32:04 THOUSAND OAKS, CA ANDREA CLARK 4:32:31 THOUSAND OAKS, CA RAUL MELGOZA 4:32:31 OXNARD, CA NORMA SANTIAGO 4:33:21 CAMARILLO, CA STEVEN RODRIGUEZ 4:33:23 SANTA PAULA, CA LUZ RODR?GUEZ 4:33:26 FILLMORE, CA DAVID LOWE 4:33:36 SIMI VALLEY, CA MARKO MATLA 4:33:50 SIMI VALLEY, CA JASON MARKS 4:34:04 VENTURA, CA ROBIN SHEA 4:34:17 NEWBURY PARK, CA JUAN AGUILERA 4:35:12 OXNARD, CA JENNIFER MURRY 4:35:37 MOORPARK, CA DAN WALKER 4:36:00 SIMI VALLEY, CA WHITNEY WALKER 4:36:01 SIMI VALLEY, CA SCOTT HORIUCHI 4:37:38 CAMARILLO, CA MARY NELSON 4:37:43 OJAI, CA FERNANDO LOPEZ 4:38:07 OXNARD, CA KENNETH SHERMAN 4:39:21 MOORPARK, CA IGNACIO SOTO 4:39:34 SIMI VALLEY, CA NIDHAL AKL 4:39:39 SIMI VALLEY, CA DAVID YURCISIN 4:39:41 FILLMORE, CA SUSANA BAEZA 4:40:07 OXNARD, CA MICHAEL PHILIP ASUNCION 4:40:50 OXNARD, CA DUSTIN GRIFFES 4:40:58 THOUSAND OAKS, CA SERAFIN BARAJAS 4:41:47 THOUSAND OAKS, CA PAUL SCHWAKE 4:42:01 AGOURA HILLS, CA EMILY OLSZOWY 4:42:09 VENTURA, CA LARRY GREFALDA 4:42:12 OXNARD, CA MOISES BENAVIDES 4:42:18 OXNARD, CA JOSE MURILLO 4:42:46 OXNARD, CA EDVIN JAVIER LOPEZ 4:44:50 MOORPARK, CA FRANCISCO ALMAGUER 4:45:07 CAMARILLO, CA KENT FREEMAN 4:45:11 SIMI VALLEY, CA MARIA INES LEON 4:45:16 AGOURA HILLS, CA G. MARK SAINZ 4:45:21 AGOURA HILLS, CA BRETT WINSLOW 4:45:35 PORT HUENEME, CA JULIAN CASTILLO 4:45:42 NEWBURY PARK, CA JESUS MEJIA 4:45:55 OXNARD, CA ELI LABER 4:46:26 AGOURA HILLS, CA MELINDA BRODSLY 4:46:35 THOUSAND OAKS, CA ROBERT GERACE 4:46:43 THOUSAND OAKS, CA ROBERT YAN 4:46:52 CAMARILLO, CA ROBERTO ESPINOZA 4:47:00 OXNARD, CA GABRIEL COVARRUBIAS 4:47:09 CAMARILLO, CA SANDY NELSON 4:47:13 OXNARD, CA FELIPE VELASQUEZ 4:48:17 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA GARRY JENKINS 4:49:08 CAMARILLO, CA JEN WERTHEIMER 4:49:42 MOORPARK, CA ALEJANDRO ALCALA 4:49:58 OXNARD, CA ARIANNA WONG 4:50:15 SIMI VALLEY, CA CRISTINA ZAVALA 4:50:36 MOORPARK, CA VIC EVANGELISTA 4:50:46 OXNARD, CA PJ LARA 4:51:02 THOUSAND OAKS, CA CARMEN SCHORNACK 4:51:20 CAMARILLO, CA RICHARD DILLON 4:53:14 CAMARILLO, CA ANTHONY FOLI 4:53:17 THOUSAND OAKS, CA ASHLEY TESORIERO 4:53:20 THOUSAND OAKS, CA ARTURO GUTIERREZ 4:54:21 PORT HUENEME, CA RICHARD CARMAN 4:54:37 SIMI VALLEY, CA RAFAEL PRADO 4:55:30 OXNARD, CA GUSTAVO CARRANZA 4:55:53 SIMI VALLEY, CA HIROKI YAMAGUCHI 4:56:19 THOUSAND OAKS, CA CHARMAINE YAMBAO 4:56:23 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA GALINA RICHARDSON 4:56:46 VENTURA, CA RODRIGO GANDULFO 4:58:21 NEWBURY PARK, CA ALEX WEISS 4:58:48 NEWBURY PARK, CA SOLANGE WEISS 4:58:49 MOORPARK, CA OSCAR ARRIAGA 4:58:57 SANTA PAULA, CA MARK BROWN 4:59:02 MOORPARK, CA SCOTT FULKERSON 4:59:52 SIMI VALLEY, CA SARAH REINES 4:59:56 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA BOB FRYER 5:00:00 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA KRISTINA LAUINGER 5:00:04 SIMI VALLEY, CA ARTURO RIOS 5:00:07 OXNARD, CA DANIEL O'KELLEY 5:00:27 THOUSAND OAKS, CA LEAH BINGHAM 5:01:17 SIMI VALLEY, CA JEANETTE NAGAI 5:02:35 MOORPARK, CA VERA LORDAN 5:02:38 SIMI VALLEY, CA CATHLYN FOSS 5:02:47 MOORPARK, CA HOLLY MILES 5:02:48 AGOURA HILLS, CA ED HERNANDEZ 5:03:42 MOORPARK, CA STEVE TORRES 5:03:51 OXNARD, CA TIMOTHY MCDOUGAL 5:04:09 OXNARD, CA CRISTIAN GUARDADO 5:05:08 THOUSAND OAKS, CA KIM LO 5:05:12 THOUSAND OAKS, CA ALEJANDRO BENITO 5:05:15 OXNARD, TX COURTNEY KERSHAW 5:05:33 AGOURA HILLS, CA LUIS ESPINOZA 5:05:36 CAMARILLO, CA OSIRIS BARRAGAN 5:05:41 SIMI VALLEY, CA BRYAN CLARK 5:05:58 SIMI VALLEY, CA KEITH STUDLEY 5:06:16 SIMI VALLEY, CA JULIE RIEDMILLER 5:07:17 CAMARILLO, CA FRANK LAGUARDIA 5:07:39 THOUSAND OAKS, CA DAISY MELENDEZ 5:07:55 OXNARD, CA TOM FRIEL 5:08:23 CAMARILLO, CA ELIZABETH FURMAN 5:09:40 THOUSAND OAKS, CA JAMES MORROW 5:09:41 SIMI VALLEY, CA DONALD WHITE 5:09:44 THOUSAND OAKS, CA FRANK HABON 5:09:57 OXNARD, CA STEPHEN QUINN 5:10:16 VENTURA, CA JAVIER PEREZ 5:10:48 VENTURA, CA MICHAEL COGNATA 5:11:19 SIMI VALLEY, CA DANIEL MARGOLIS 5:11:23 THOUSAND OAKS, CA KIMBERLY FREEMAN 5:11:24 SIMI VALLEY, CA ROBERT GIFFIN 5:11:53 SANTA PAULA, CA JOHN LIM 5:12:09 AGOURA HILLS, CA DAVE MALAGON 5:12:20 OXNARD, CA MAUREEN FRIEDMAN 5:12:27 THOUSAND OAKS, CA MIKE TOSCH 5:12:30 THOUSAND OAKS, CA SYLVIA DEBORAH ANN KILLGORE 5:12:37 PORT HUENEME, CA WENDY WHETTON 5:12:43 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA JIM CROWFOOT 5:13:12 SIMI VALLEY, CA DEANNA HUDGINS 5:13:12 MOORPARK, CA JUANITA SUAREZ 5:13:12 OXNARD, CA BRENT CRAFTON 5:13:47 THOUSAND OAKS, CA FLAVIO LUPERCIO 5:14:10 OJAI, CA AMANDA BRUNETTE 5:14:54 VENTURA, CA BRETT GRISWOLD 5:14:55 MOORPARK, CA GERARDO DE CASAS 5:15:22 OXNARD, CA ELIZABETH ZERNIK 5:15:35 NEWBURY PARK, CA ABRAHAM MARRUFFO 5:16:24 VENTURA, CA BARBARA HARD 5:16:37 THOUSAND OAKS, CA LINDY CRAFT 5:17:23 THOUSAND OAKS, CA JORDAN LUKIEWSKI 5:17:59 CAMARILLO, CA MARIO PALOMARES 5:18:32 SIMI VALLEY, CA KRYSTAL HUISENGA 5:18:50 MOORPARK, CA ANNA IP 5:18:50 MOORPARK, CA ANDY HUISENGA 5:18:51 MOORPARK, CA KATHLEEN COVARRUBIAS 5:20:11 THOUSAND OAKS, CA PATRICIA DAWSON 5:20:37 THOUSAND OAKS, CA MARILETH NAKAGAWA 5:20:37 THOUSAND OAKS, CA RUBEN ROSALES 5:20:58 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA MELANIE SWANSON 5:21:45 CAMARILLO, CA ANDREA LIM 5:21:54 THOUSAND OAKS, CA JERRIKA BARNETT 5:23:00 CAMARILLO, CA OXIEL MARTINEZ 5:23:04 VENTURA, CA WARREN ANDERSON 5:23:07 OXNARD, CA AMY ROBBINS 5:23:11 OXNARD, CA KATHLEEN SACHA 5:23:13 THOUSAND OAKS, CA TINA KONIARES 5:23:39 THOUSAND OAKS, CA ROBIN NISHIZAKI 5:23:56 THOUSAND OAKS, CA MJ KENNEDY 5:24:05 PORT HUENEME, CA ERIC SANCHEZ 5:24:09 OXNARD, CA BECKY TAYLOR 5:24:40 SIMI VALLEY, CA NICOLE LE 5:24:56 CAMARILLO, CA LYNN MOCHIZUKI 5:25:06 OXNARD, CA ALI NADERI 5:25:12 MOORPARK, CA DAO KEMP 5:25:15 SIMI VALLEY, CA ANNMARIE WILLIAMS 5:25:20 CAMARILLO, CA SONYA LEHTO 5:25:47 NEWBURY PARK, CA NORMAN LEHTO 5:25:47 NEWBURY PARK, CA TIM PADILLA 5:27:06 MOORPARK, CA DONNA JOAQUIN 5:27:50 SIMI VALLEY, CA BRYAN CLABEAUX 5:28:08 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA MONICA FIERRO 5:28:24 OXNARD, CA ABHIJIT AGASHE 5:28:38 AGOURA HILLS, CA DAISY FERNANDEZ 5:28:46 OXNARD, CA JONATHAN LULL 5:28:54 THOUSAND OAKS, CA EDWARD BOUGHTON 5:29:12 VENTURA, CA GORDON MEEK 5:29:30 PORT HUENEME, CA TEAM CC 5:29:40 AGOURA HILLS, CA GEOFF BIGLEY 5:29:41 CAMARILLO, CA JIMMY VERITY 5:29:43 MOORPARK, CA CHUNG SEOK 5:30:31 CAMARILLO, CA JOSE OLARTE 5:31:15 OXNARD, CA JOEL CERDA 5:31:30 OXNARD, CA GINA GARCIA 5:31:30 VENTURA, CA REID CHOBANIAN 5:31:33 THOUSAND OAKS, CA JUYEA HOO 5:31:58 THOUSAND OAKS, CA SOPHIA HARGETT 5:33:19 VENTURA, CA KATRINA HOLLINS 5:33:55 MOORPARK, CA DAVE MCINTYRE 5:33:55 CAMARILLO, CA NATALIE ROBERTS 5:33:56 THOUSAND OAKS, CA CHRIS CAPARON 5:33:56 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA FLORIE PINEDA 5:33:58 SIMI VALLEY, CA MARILYN EHRMAN 5:34:40 AGOURA HILLS, CA LENA BIGELOW 5:34:50 AGOURA HILLS, CA LETTY MEJIA 5:35:18 FILLMORE, CA ANTHONY SABO 5:35:43 CAMARILLO, CA JIM MONTGOMERY 5:35:51 VENTURA, CA BETH MORROW 5:36:05 SIMI VALLEY, CA CELSO LEA?OS 5:36:16 OXNARD, CA MIKE PATTERSON 5:36:44 OXNARD, CA MALIN MCKINLEY 5:36:49 AGOURA HILLS, CA NANCY SANCHEZ 5:36:52 THOUSAND OAKS, CA YVETTE ULLOA 5:37:58 CAMARILLO, CA DAVID CHIN 5:38:04 VENTURA, CA YUKO ISHIKAWA 5:38:05 OXNARD, CA MANNY DORADO 5:38:08 OXNARD, CA GUILLERMO LOPEZ 5:38:17 OXNARD, CA NATALLY MIRANDA 5:39:17 OXNARD, CA GIGI PETERSON 5:39:31 THOUSAND OAKS, CA HEATHER TOMKA 5:39:41 VENTURA, CA JEFFERY RUGGIERI 5:40:10 SIMI VALLEY, CA CHRISTOPHER BORTHS 5:40:55 MOORPARK, CA KARLA DIDOMIZIO 5:40:55 OXNARD, CA JOHN NASH 5:41:04 OXNARD, CA BRIAN BRADBURN 5:41:31 NEWBURY PARK, CA MICHAEL DIPPERSTEIN 5:41:32 CAMARILLO, CA ROBIN FONTANA 5:41:32 CAMARILLO, CA JENNIFER SIMPSON 5:41:49 THOUSAND OAKS, CA JASMINE ALEJANDRO-MANALO 5:42:08 OXNARD, CA MADELEINE QUACKENBUSH 5:42:45 OJAI, CA DEBBIE LEVITT 5:42:46 THOUSAND OAKS, CA SARA MITCHELL 5:42:46 VENTURA, CA BRIAN CLARK 5:43:16 THOUSAND OAKS, CA DYLAN PLANTE 5:43:41 SIMI VALLEY, CA JAHANGIR MEHRKHODAVANDI 5:43:48 SIMI VALLEY, CA SHEILA GALINSKY 5:44:03 CAMARILLO, CA MARIA VELASCO 5:44:11 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA LAURIE CRAFT 5:44:30 THOUSAND OAKS, CA TRACY SAWLSVILLE 5:47:07 SIMI VALLEY, CA KAITLIN MALONE 5:47:21 THOUSAND OAKS, CA LUIS ESTRADA 5:47:23 CAMARILLO, CA JOANN HABROUN 5:47:57 SIMI VALLEY, CA STACY HABROUN 5:47:58 SIMI VALLEY, CA CHRIS SONNENBERG 5:49:34 MOORPARK, CA SAMRAH KHAN 5:49:54 SIMI VALLEY, CA DAVID GRIMMETT 5:50:21 SIMI VALLEY, CA BETSY WATSON 5:50:40 OXNARD, CA KAREN MCELFRESH 5:51:14 AGOURA HILLS, CA JOSE GUADALUPE HERNANDEZ PADILLA 5:51:23 OXNARD, CA DEREK LEUNG 5:52:16 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA STEVEN WOOD 5:52:25 NEWBURY PARK, CA KIRAN KUMAR VEERAVATNAM 5:52:26 SIMI VALLEY, CA DENISE HILL 5:53:41 OXNARD, CA AMANDA HERNANDEZ 5:53:47 SIMI VALLEY, CA MICKII HOSAKI 5:53:52 OXNARD, CA KATE CALDERON 5:53:52 VENTURA, CA CARRIE MANDEL 5:54:11 AGOURA HILLS, CA BRENT MANDEL 5:54:11 AGOURA HILLS, CA NICHOLAS MLINAC 5:54:54 PORT HUENEME, CA ANDREW SHLAPAK 5:54:57 SIMI VALLEY, CA STEVEN HAUSER 5:55:12 CAMARILLO, CA JACK NOSCO 5:56:04 NEWBURY PARK, CA UN CHONG HWANG 5:56:26 OXNARD, CA DEBBIE BURGEE 5:56:35 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA CHRIS BURGEE 5:56:36 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA AMANDA MURRY 5:57:30 MOORPARK, CA GERLY TOREJA 5:58:03 OXNARD, CA ELISABETH TRASK 5:58:19 THOUSAND OAKS, CA JIM VILLA 5:58:19 VENTURA, CA DEAN JOAQUIN 5:59:11 SIMI VALLEY, CA JOHANNA MULLEN 5:59:51 CAMARILLO, CA JULIE STAFFORD 6:00:07 SIMI VALLEY, CA TIN WAI KWAN 6:00:10 NEWBURY PARK, CA LUCIA LEMIEUX 6:00:21 THOUSAND OAKS, CA CHRISTIAN MELGAR 6:01:08 THOUSAND OAKS, CA QUOC NGO 6:02:26 CAMARILLO, CA KENNETH FONG 6:03:17 CAMARILLO, CA JACKIE WILLRODT 6:04:58 MOORPARK, CA PAUL VAUGHAN 6:04:59 THOUSAND OAKS, CA ARON FERNANDEZ 6:05:11 OXNARD, CA EDWARD POWELL 6:05:11 OJAI, CA MONICA ARAMBULA 6:05:24 MOORPARK, CA ERIKA ESTRADA 6:05:29 OXNARD, CA ROBERT STEPHENS 6:05:51 SIMI VALLEY, CA KEN CRAFT 6:06:13 THOUSAND OAKS, CA JANET GREATHOUSE 6:06:44 AGOURA HILLS, CA FRANCINE PITASSI 6:09:11 SIMI VALLEY, CA TAMIE STEWART 6:10:13 VENTURA, CA TIFFANY PHAM 6:11:16 MOORPARK, CA ALEXIS RAMIREZ 6:12:04 THOUSAND OAKS, CA LORNA WEST 6:12:38 THOUSAND OAKS, CA CJ DONALDSON 6:12:46 OXNARD, CA MIREYA RODRIGUEZ 6:13:07 OXNARD, CA LORETTA MITCHELL 6:13:10 PORT HUENEME, CA KEN TOMIMITSU 6:13:25 CAMARILLO, CA ERICK RODRIGUEZ 6:13:25 CAMARILLO, CA JEFF ROBERTS 6:13:45 VENTURA, CA SUZANNE RIGGIO 6:14:10 SIMI VALLEY, CA JAYME RIGGIO 6:14:10 SIMI VALLEY, CA CYNTHIA CONWAY 6:16:04 SIMI VALLEY, CA BOB MCQUAID 6:16:49 THOUSAND OAKS, CA KELLEY CHARLTON 6:16:55 THOUSAND OAKS, CA HARLEY JANE KOZAK 6:17:55 AGOURA HILLS, CA JENNY BARNARD 6:19:19 SIMI VALLEY, CA JAMES NEITZ 6:19:19 VENTURA, CA SELETA DOBROSKY 6:21:26 FILLMORE, CA CHRISTOPHER BORGESON 6:22:26 MOORPARK, CA RAY PELONE 6:22:42 SIMI VALLEY, CA ALFREDO OROZCO 6:22:50 MOORPARK, CA GREGORY WHITNEY 6:24:57 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA SCOTT KETELHUT 6:26:25 CAMARILLO, CA KARLA ALCARAZ 6:26:43 OXNARD, CA MEG MCCORMICK 6:27:00 OJAI, CA CAROL MCCORMICK 6:27:02 OJAI, CA JOHN COWART 6:31:09 SIMI VALLEY, CA JOHN CHUNG 6:31:20 VENTURA, CA DANIEL MESTAS 6:31:51 MOORPARK, CA MONICA AGUILAR 6:32:05 PORT HUENEME, CA MARIE STEVENSON 6:32:28 THOUSAND OAKS, CA HOMERO MAGANA 6:32:38 MOORPARK, CA WENDY MARINEZ 6:33:10 OXNARD, CA GABRIELA AGUILAR 6:33:11 OXNARD, CA MARTHA CERVANTES 6:33:11 VENTURA, CA RYAN MAYHEW 6:33:33 SIMI VALLEY, CA STEPHANIE MAYHEW 6:33:34 SIMI VALLEY, CA CLIFF HOUSEGO 6:34:29 CAMARILLO, CA KRYSTLE BUENCILLA 6:38:35 OXNARD, CA RICHARD CRATER 6:40:29 AGOURA HILLS, CA MARY JANE HUGHES 6:41:52 VENTURA, CA BEVERLY PALMBERG 6:42:49 SIMI VALLEY, CA RUDY MARIN 6:43:13 VENTURA, CA CHRISTINA POLINO 6:43:53 SIMI VALLEY, CA LARRY IRVIN 6:44:45 THOUSAND OAKS, CA MARK SUZUMOTO 6:45:51 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA FREIDRICH MUNOZ 6:46:22 SIMI VALLEY, CA JASPER TADIAMAN 6:46:45 OXNARD, CA RANDY WATKINS 6:47:58 SIMI VALLEY, CA BRUCE TAKEGUMA 6:48:57 NEWBURY PARK, CA THOMAS ENOCH GARCIA 6:50:16 PORT HUENEME, CA CORINNE LEE-TRETTEL 6:51:50 SIMI VALLEY, CA RAFAEL OCHOA 6:52:44 OXNARD, CA MIKE STEPHENS 6:53:59 SIMI VALLEY, CA NANCY CALDERONE 6:54:01 SIMI VALLEY, CA MICHELE CASTILLO 6:56:09 VENTURA, CA GUILLE ESPINOZA 6:57:24 VENTURA, CA LORRAINE CRANE 6:59:54 CAMARILLO, CA PHILIP ANKROM 7:00:57 SIMI VALLEY, CA YUYI TSAI 7:02:44 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA TOSHIKO SEKIZAWA 7:02:46 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA CHARLOTTE LEE RAMOS 7:05:19 OXNARD, CA SHARON FRANCIS 7:06:57 CAMARILLO, CA JERI WILLIAMS 7:12:25 SIMI VALLEY, CA LARRY TRAGER 7:13:00 SIMI VALLEY, CA MEGHAN RIEDMILLER 7:14:35 CAMARILLO, CA PATRICIA AYALA 7:14:40 AGOURA HILLS, CA JAMIE DAVIS 7:14:41 AGOURA HILLS, CA ERIN CARIKER 7:15:38 SIMI VALLEY, CA MICHAEL BUNCH 7:15:41 SIMI VALLEY, CA GILBERT RAMOS JR 7:16:04 OXNARD, CA AURELIO FELIX 7:18:23 SIMI VALLEY, CA YUKIO OKANO 7:19:45 OXNARD, CA STACY HARRIS 7:20:07 AGOURA HILLS, CA PHYLLIS HALLOWELL 7:20:26 MOORPARK, CA DOMENIC FOLI 7:21:07 THOUSAND OAKS, CA SHARON GELLER 7:21:16 THOUSAND OAKS, CA GERALDSON CARPO 7:21:18 PORT HUENEME, CA AMIE YAMBAO 7:21:18 PORT HUENEME, CA DAN BLEICH 7:21:50 OXNARD, CA SUSAN ADAMICH 7:25:34 VENTURA, CA JAMIE HIGGINS 7:25:53 SIMI VALLEY, CA MAURICE HIGGINS IV 7:25:54 SIMI VALLEY, CA LISA HEMENWAY 7:26:18 SIMI VALLEY, CA ANDREA KEMP 7:27:05 THOUSAND OAKS, CA KATHY NASH 7:28:24 MOORPARK, CA ROSIE GOMES 7:28:43 SIMI VALLEY, CA BRIAN SOARES 7:31:25 OXNARD, CA STACEY SOARES 7:31:27 OXNARD, CA TODD ANDERSON 7:31:56 CAMARILLO, CA VANESSA OLMOS 7:35:11 SANTA PAULA, CA JANE BROWN 7:35:15 OXNARD, CA CARYL KRISTENSEN 7:39:28 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA ESMERALDA COVARRUBIAS 7:41:56 CAMARILLO, CA RICHARD VARELA JR 7:46:58 OXNARD, CA CAROL PILKINGTON 7:50:09 OJAI, CA D TOPILTZIN SANCHEZ 7:53:41 VENTURA, CA DONALD VILLAFANA 7:54:04 OXNARD, CA JACK MILNER 7:54:29 CAMARILLO, CA CYNTHIA MONTES 7:55:16 MOORPARK, CA BRIAN MESSNER 7:58:02 MOORPARK, CA ALICIA MIRAMONTEZ 7:58:54 OXNARD, CA DESOLYN YORKE 8:01:52 SIMI VALLEY, CA TODD BEGUELIN 8:08:13 VENTURA, CA ANDREA BEGUELIN 8:08:13 VENTURA, CA MELISSA ACAYAN 8:09:02 OXNARD, CA SUSIE MCMASTER 8:11:49 NEWBURY PARK, CA LAUREN KORT 8:12:12 WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA REGINA REMOLACIO 8:21:38 SIMI VALLEY, CA GREGORY COLE 8:29:42 THOUSAND OAKS, CA

Sciatic Nerve Back to Normal Three Days After the Marathon I Didn't Run

The Channel Islands seen from Newbury Park the night of the 2014 Los Angeles Marathon.

After bailing out of running the 2014 Los Angeles Marathon due to a lingering sciatic nerve issue in my right hamstring, I thought about driving downtown to pick up my number as a momento, as well as to pick up my t-shirt and goodie bag and scope out the vendors.  I really wanted to go, but it was a Saturday, and between the several hour round-trip drive and dealing with traffic and crowds, I decided to ditch the idea and spend the day with the kids.

From an economist's standpoint the $170 entry fee was a sunk cost since the entry was non-refundable. Some would argue, how can you NOT pick up your t-shirt and goodie bag!? You PAID for it! Sure, I would have loved to get my 2014 LA Marathon t-shirt. But the cost of retrieving that t-shirt would be about $20 in cash, wear and tear on the car and about half a day's time. And my kids didn't want to go. I passed.

On Sunday, marathon morning, March 9th, I ran for about an hour. Though I was still impeded by the injury, it wasn't quite as bad that day.

I turned the TV coverage of the marathon on and, as usual, was disappointed.  There was way too little coverage of the race, tons of commercials and lots of fluff. I may not be in the majority on this, but in the rare times that a full marathon is televised, I want to see the top runners, both the elite athletes and the faster amateur runners. I'm a purist. I want to see runners and running when watching a televised marathon. There are other shows for human interest stories.

But watching the marathoners in the heat made me a bit thankful for my injury, as I would not have enjoyed running in the 80+ degree heat the runners experienced. My injury was a convenient excuse to kick back and relax that day and to steer clear of the unseasonable heat.

Three days later, on Wednesday, March 12th, I awoke, laced up my shoes, headed out the door, and....to my surprise...no annoying pain in my right hamstring. I ran cautiously down the street, thinking the respite was only temporary. But lo and behold, the pain was gone.

By the following weekend, I felt like I could run a fast marathon, but there were no other marathons to run and I had other plans. The injury gave me an extra week of taper. All rested up and nowhere to run.  This week I'm not quite 100% as the loss of an hour's sleep due to DST my body is still revolting against. But for the most part I'm running injury-free.

Time to start pondering when and where to use my current level of fitness. Or at least maintain it.

The 559 local Ventura County area runners who completed this year's L.A. Marathon is at THIS LINK.

Sciatic Nerve Issue or Hamstring Issue, Whatever It Is, I'm Out This Sunday

Today is the day of reckoning for me as today is the day I have to make the call whether I'll be running the LA Marathon or not this coming Sunday. Why today? Because the $280/night hotel that I reserved in Santa Monica at the finish line requires 72 hours notice for cancellation, and I ain't gonna spend $280 for a room I'm not gonna use.

I had a few solid training runs this training cycle and thought I had a shot at a sub-3 hour performance at age 49 (based on a recent half marathon performance), but running 26.2 miles competitively with an injury is not my idea of fun.

My chiropractor says it is a sciatic nerve issue. Since the sciatic nerve runs from the lower back to the ankle, it is easy to confuse a sciatic nerve issue with a hamstring issue. But he says the nerve is inflamed and that in the area near the hamstrings and that's causing me the problem. The pain is not present during normal activities, including walking. I can still run, and even yesterday felt ok at a decent pace for a few miles. But...the dull pain and interference with my stride in my right leg is still there.

So I'm out.  Spent $170 on the entry but that's ok, I'll drive down to the LA Marathon Expo on Saturday to retrieve my t-shirt and call it a day. The injury will run its course and I'll be back. I'll continue to run...cautiously.

Three visits to the chiropractor in the last 10 days have helped, but he can't work miracles. I also roll my hamstring/lower glute area on a roller device to help the issue but what I also need to do, is use an ice pack on the area...something I'm not particularly fond of. But I gotta do it to help ease the inflammation. Last year it took me 3 months to alleviate the same issue, though a year ago I think it was worse than it is today.

There will be more marathons in my future...just not this particular weekend. My almost-50 body is rebeling but I'm putting up a fight. Dammit!

Ran My Longest Long Run Since September 8th in Anticipation of L.A. Marathon

Training through the December holiday season is a bit of a challenge, among holiday festivities, shopping, parties, and, of course, colds. Yes, somehow I managed to catch two separate colds this month. Both of them were fairly short in duration, but as I age, I seem to encounter longer periods of chest congestion and coughiing after battling off the sore throat, runny nose and sneezing. I still wake up with a cough, but, I'm feeling pretty good at this point.

Speaking of catching colds, it was a specific Saturday lunchtime when the kids and I visited one of our favorite local restaurants, which I will leave unnamed as it is not important. The cashier, someone who I immediately recognized and said hello to from prior visits when he served the food, briefly turned away and looked like he was sneezing or wiping his nose. For a brief second I thought, this is not good. But I was in the middle of ordering and the kids were unwieldy. There was only one available table in the restaurant and it had plates on it. The cashier bussed the table. Then, minutes later, the same guy served our food.

Five days later...slight sore throat and lethargic. I KNEW that was a mistake but sometime's it's hard to steer clear of viruses. And when you're constantly getting inadequate sleep, you're more susceptable to catching a cold virus.

I digress. My training has been consistently light to moderate this month, even after I attempted to motivate myself to train more by signing up for the Los Angeles Marathon on March 9, 2014. So today, the last Saturday of 2013, I managed to get out there and run 14 miles on the roads in 1 hour, 45 minutes. Not a bad start to my training. I figure I have about 6 weeks of training before a 3 week taper. This is not an optimal amount of time, but I'm not taking this marathon particularly seriously.

I have fond memories of the LA Marathon in the mid-1990s, when I was a heck of a lot younger and able to train a lot harder in my pre-marriage, pre-kids state. My first sub-3 hour marathon was the 1995 LA Marathon in 2:48. The next year I ran my first sub-2:40 marathon at the 1996 LA Marathon. Then my PR marathon was the LA Marathon the next year in 2:35, back when the course was still a loop around Los Angeles. That was my 8th marathon. Now I've run 31 of them, with #32 hopefully happening next March.

Los Angeles Marathon "Stadium to the Sea" Course - Is It Faster Than Previous Course?

It was a lot of fun watching the LA Marathon last Sunday. Having run my PR on the LA course "back in the day" and other solid times in the late 1990s, I was kind of curious about how fast the newer "Stadium to the Sea" course was compared to previous courses that started and finished in downtown Los Angeles.

"Stadium to the Sea" saw its first running in 2010, brought about by new owner, Frank McCourt. McCourt, widely villified as Dodgers owner, only to reap a record price for the team last year, was seen after the race with LA Mayor Anthony Villaraigoza having fun congratulating the winners of the race.

I considered signing up for the race as a last minute fun run but it was sold out. Not too many years ago you could sign up last minute for the LA Marathon, but it has gained popularity, as has marathoning in general, leaving last minute signups more of a challenge.

Did about 17 miles back here since they wouldn't sell me a last minute entry to the Los Angeles Marathon. Score a win for me!

So, about this course...is it faster than previous "loop" courses?

For the "average" runner, and by average I mean the average time for all finishers, the aggregate time for the first 3 years of the course (2013 results still not available in a manageable format) was 5:18. This compares to an aggregate average time over the previous 10 years, on various loop courses, of 5:33. (Thanks to MarathonGuide.com, my favorite website for marathon information, for this data.) This would indicate the new course is faster overall, which makes sense as the course now has a net elevation drop of 430 feet.

Something that more "competitive" running types sometimes do is compare how their time on a course would have placed them in other years. While many factors are at play in making year over year comparisons, such as weather, course conditions, the competition, it is just one of those things that we like to do.

My PR marathon time was on the 1997 LA Marathon loop course, where my 2:35 got me 35th place. That same time on average would have garnered an average place of 23 to 24 over the last 14 years, as well as over the last 4 years of Stadium to Sea. I guess when I ran the race, there was simply more competition. Last Sunday, a 2:35 would have garnered 22nd. While I'm nowhere near that kind of time today, it would be fun to go back and give the Stadium to Sea course a try. Bottom line however, is that for whatever reason, the times for non-elite age runner top 100 placer times appear to have slowed over the years.

Let's get back to the aggregate numbers. The average aggregate recent times in the LA Marathon, while 15 minutes faster than on previous LA courses, are still significantly slower than other large races. For example, the previous 5-year average times at New York (excluding the cancelled 2012 race due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy) and Chicago were 4:26 and 4:37, respectively. Those are dramatically faster than the average times in Los Angeles.

Why is this? Well, I'm guessing but I suspect that we have more marathon "walkers" and fundraisers in LA that bring the average up. Also, each year the wonderful Students Run LA charity brings 3,000 at-risk teens to the marathon, including nearly 3,200 in 2013. Nearly 100% of the SRLA high school seniors graduate high school and go on to attend to attend college. I don't know the average time for SRLA runners but I suspect it does bring down overall aggregate times to a degree.

But let's digress again. how about the overall winning times at the LA Marathon? They have definitely dropped. Prior to the Stadium to the Sea route, the average Downtown LA Loop course from 1996 to 2009 was 2:11:48. Stadium to the Sea has run for 4 years now, including the unbelievable 2:06:05 course record first-time marathon performance in 2 inches of torrential rain by Markos Geneti of Ethiopia in 2011 has been 2:09:27. Three of the four Stadium to the Sea events have been sub 2:10.

So definitely, the course has made progress, though we're still not at the level of other major U.S. courses. The average winning time at Chicago over the last six years was 2:06:39. The average winning time in New York over that period (excluding 2012) was 2:08:04. Still solidly ahead of LA...but in this case, I suspect it is because they payday at those races is substantially higher than at LA.

OK, enough of this analysis paralysis. Let's get running!

Waiting Until the Last Minute to Register for a Marathon This Fall

I'm biding my time right now. At the (hopefully) tail end of a heat spell that has brought record temperatures to the Southland, I have managed to slowly but surely ramp up the length of my long runs to the point I'm comfortable I can run a full marathon in a few months.

But what marathon do I run?

That I don't know. Yet.

So awhile back I signed up for the Bulldog 25K trail run on August 25th and had a reasonable performance for where I was at in my training. That was a nice mental boost. But still no marathon plans in my mind at that point.

A week later, after a 5 month wait, I finally retrieved my 2012 Boston Marathon shirt from my friend who picked it up for me since I couldn't run the race. Yes, this shirt cost me $150 (the price tag on the shirt actually says $30...but of course the $150 includes the cost of entry into the marathon).

So I'm thinking, what's next. I haven't run a marathon since December 2010 and am not signed up for anything at this point. Then I thought, it has been many years since I ran the Los Angeles Marathon and I've never run the latest "Stadium to the Sea" course.

The L.A. Marathon is March 17, 2013. There were nearly 19,000 finishers in the 2012 race. I've run L.A. a total of 9 times over the years, about 6 times "seriously" and 3 times as a "paid training run" for another marathon. My first L.A. Marathon in 1994 was my first ever marathon, in a wet, rainy 3 hours, 3 minutes. My last L.A. Marathon was a "training run" run/walk/jog in 3 hours, 13 minutes. In between those races, 6 of the other L.A. Marathons were under 3 hours.

Due to the size of the race, organizers have 4 start corrals after the "elite" athletes. I will run L.A. only if I can manage to get into the 1st corral, which requires a sub 3:01 time no earlier than 7/1/11. Gulp. I haven't run a sub 3:01 since my 2:48 in Long Beach in October 2004. However...since then, I've only run 4 marathons, none of them with all cylinders on.

So my predicament is that, I need to run a sub 3:01 marathon this fall if I want to run L.A. But I don't want to travel far for the race. And I still need to train. That brings me back to the Malibu Marathon on November 11th. A race that in 3 years of existence, has brought a measly 14 sub-3 hour performances.  My 2010 time was 3:05 but it was unseasonably warm and I cramped up due to lack of electrolytes. I feel I can run sub-3 at Malibu if 1) the weather is reasonable...no unseasonably warm temps and Santa Ana winds and 2), I can run a 1:24 or faster half marathon prior to then.

Huh? Why 1:24? Because I use a 2.1 multiple in deriving projected marathon time from a half marathon. In my book, a 1:24 half marathon equates to a 2:56 marathon, leaving enough cushion to pull it off.

Next step? Keep doing long runs, possibly a 5K/10K or two, and run the Inaugural Marla Runyan Half Marathon in Camarillo in October. And think happy, positive thoughts to keep illness and injury at bay. Then I'll decide what should be my Fall marathon...

Inaugural Marla Runyan Classic Half Marathon, 5K in Camarillo on October 21st

Back Running After a 5 1/2 Week Hiatus and Los Angeles Marathon Results

After 5 1/2 weeks without running a step due to doc's orders after an eye surgery, I finally started pounding the pavement again on Sunday, March 18th. The next day was followed by a head cold that I've finally fought off (knock on wood) but I've been very gradually working back into it.

At age 47, I'm finding my recovery and buildup times have grown quite a bit as compared to 20 years ago. But then again, in 20 years of running, I've never taken 5 1/2 weeks off, even for a running related injury. And this latest comeback comes on the heels of 45 days taken off after my initial eye surgeries back last October. Needless to say, my fitness level has taken a hit.

1 1/2 weeks back into running, pretty much daily, an FINALLY, this morning, my body started to oblige again. The biggest sticking point for my running after taking time off seems to be my hamstrings. They get sore easily. I'm not big into stretching but a bit of hamstring stretching off and on seemed to make them feel better. Nothing fancy. Just find a wall about hip heighth, pull one foot up and start stretching.

So at this point I have no race plans but as my fitness improves I'll start planning my next event. I'm itching to run a marathon but I'll need 4 to 6 months to train.

Speaking of marathons, the Los Angeles Marathon was also on March 18th...perhaps that was my motivation.

Over 22,000 people registered for the race and 18,881 crossed the finish line. There were 660 registrant from Ventura County and Agoura Hills and of those, 546 completed the race. The average time of all local finishers was 5 hours, 8 minutes and ranged from 3:04 to 9:57.

There were eight local finishers ages 16 and under and four 75 year old runners. The average age of all 546 runners was 40.

The winning overall times were 2:12:12 (men) and 2:25:39 (women). The top 10 fastest local Ventura County area participants by chip time were:

• Michael Conoscenti of Newbury Park in 3:04:43
• Jose Garcia of Oxnard 3:05:41
• John Wheeler of Simi Valley 3:08:35
• Ramon Hernandez of Thousand Oaks 3:09:03
• Erin Chenoweth of Ventura 3:09:55 (Top Local Female! 23rd female overall in race!)
• Levi Moellering of Moorpark 3:10:13 (He's only 17 years old! Nice job Levi! 1st place overall in his age division!)
• Golan-David Danino of Ojai 3:10:36
• Jason Griffith of Thousand Oaks 3:12:04
• Jose Lastre of Camarillo 3:15:09
• Brian Pidduck of Ojai 3:18:18

Other top 10 finishers in the age divisions included:

• Katie Tapia of Ventura 3:35:05 (9th place in 45-49 age group)
• Serafin Barajas of Thousand Oaks 3:59:45 (9th place in 65-69 age group)
• Sheila Galinsky of Camarillo 5:18:57 (9th place in 65-69 age group)
• Joe Herzog, Sr  of Simi Valley 5:52:09 (10th in the 75-79 age group at age 75! This was a highly competitive age group with a winning time of 3:19:21**)
• Thomas Sullivan of Camarillo 6:17:50 (2nd in the 70-74 age group!)
• Linda Loiselle of Camarillo 7:07:11 (2nd in 55-59 age group)

**In fact, I've contacted race organizers as the 1st and 2nd place finishers in this age group appear suspect. The exact names finished the prior year event in comparable times...except their ages last year were 33, not the 77 listed in this year's event. This could just be a big coincidence...but something appears off to me.'

Congrats to all that crossed the finish line, regardless of time and place! You all accomplished something special!

Runner Eats Only McDonald's For 30 Days Leading Up To the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon!

I loved reading about this. Joe D'Amico of Palatine, Illinois finished the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon on March 20th in a personal best time of 2 hours, 36 minutes, 17 seconds. He deservingly got a lot of press across the country because as a fundraising challenge, he committed to eating ONLY McDonald's food for the 30 days leading up the marathon. He raised over $40,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Chicago and Indiana. Way to go all around, Joe!

Of course most of the press fixated on McDonalds and burgers in the headlines, with visions of Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me in mind. In Super Size Me, Spurlock had to eat EVERY ITEM on the McDonald's menu at least once. On top of that, he reduced his exercise level down to what the "average" American does. So of course he gained over 24 pounds over a month.

D'Amico, on the other hand, ate only McDonald's food for a month but ate at his own discretion. Over 30 days, he dined at 33 different McDonald's over 99 visits. Some highlights of his consumption:

• Angus Burgers: 1
• Filet-o-Fish: 3
• Hotcakes: 97
• Oatmeal: 24
• Hamburgers: 23
• Chicken Snack Wraps: 24
• Chocolate Milk: 9
• Fruit & Walnut Salads: 14
• Cookies: 63.5
• Soft Drinks: 23

This list is not complete but in general shows what I know well...that you can actually eat decent, healthful food at McDonald's. Joe appears to be a hotcake fan. Great source of carbs for the 359 miles he ran in 30 days. I think the oatmeal at McDonald's is pretty decent - he had it 24 times. 63.5 cookies seems like a lot, but not so much for a 30 day period given the number of calories he burned.

Missing from the list are Big Macs, Quarter Pounders and Sausage McMuffins. He did have fries about 17 times or so, but usually just a small bag or less.

So there is hope for you fast foodies who want to run a marathon! Read more about Joe and his training at www.mcrunner.com.

Life Happens...Training Must Go On!

As George W. Bush would say (or maybe he said it), training for a marathon is HARD WORK!

In the mid to late 1990s I was regularly running marathons in the 2:35 to 2:40 range, with a personal best of 2 hours, 35 minutes in the Los Angeles Marathon.

Back then, things were a lot less complicated for me.  Single, young, healthy, good looking (OK, maybe that's a stretch) and plenty of time to train.  And probably most importantly, plenty of time to recuperate from hard training.

Today I'm 44, turning 45 in less than a month.  Married, with 3 boys, stay-at-home wife, trying to make ends meet.  Waking up early to train.  Staying up late (after kids' bedtime) to catch up with life and blog.

Why is it that any time I start feeling GOOD about my training, something happens that interferes with it!?  I know I'm not alone on this.  It takes a lot of work to train for the marathon and to maneuver around all the obstacles in its path.

Injuries and illness of course are the typical issues we face.  Yes, we rest, we ice, we medicate, we get over it and come back.  But the everyday aspects of LIFE are what present a constant challenge in our training.

Like this Father's Day weekend.  I had planned to sleep late, train long, nap and relax.  But (slap, slap), come on, let's get real.  I've got 2 young boys who want to spend time with me.  We went camping and had a blast, but I came outta that experience with a stiff neck, 4 hours sleep and boy am I tired.

But life and training must go on.  As we drive back home I'm placing toothpicks between my eyelids to keep them open, look in the rear view mirror and see my 3 and 6 year olds pleasantly snoozing away.  I smile at how cute they look and remember how I used to be able to do that.  Then I can't help but visualize a squirt gun being reloaded under water.  These guys will be raring to go, just as I'm ever so needing a good nap.

What a week...mom calls to tell me she drove herself to the emergency room with chest pains, a very close relative diagnosed with terminal cancer, a sore left big toe, flat tire, big work deadline, broken sprinklers, 3 birthday parties, getting over a cold, the list goes on.

Yes, LIFE happens.  This is why I've revised my race goals.  I am targeting a sub-3 hour marathon in December.  As much as I really want to regain my younger glory days of hard training and fast racing, I'm keeping my goals aligned with my life's circumstances.

I will do my best and I will keep plugging away with my training (it has been 2 months now since I started).  But I will keep things in perspective.

Keep it real, keep it fun.  You're not earning a living from marathoning, so don't make it a job.  Do make running a habit, but allow for some unplanned "down time" in your training to reflect the realities of your daily life!

P.S. Last week's training for me was 40 miles as I gradually recovered from last week's cold and came back on Saturday with a 10.5 miler.