Yesterday was the Los Angeles Marathon. And unlike last year when it was sunny and warm and all the spectators wore shirts and flip flops, this year it poured rain. And hail. And it was awful. But we (sans Annie) still went out in the downpour to cheer, because my cousin Leah was running.

I won’t complain about the rain because I was in a sweatshirt and a poncho, and I had an umbrella, but if I WERE to complain I would say HOLY FREAKING BALLS IT WAS COLD. But since I’m not complaining, I will say how badly I felt for the runners. Not only were they already running 26.2 miles, but they were doing it in freezing rain that was coming in sideways.

Don’t they look thrilled?

IMG_9872

(I stuffed my camera in a garbage bag and poked a hole for the lens. The results look like I took pictures through a plastic bag. Weird.)

After cheering for the runners for twenty minutes, I spotted Leah in the crowd:

image

She came over and said, “what the hell are you doing out in the rain?!”

Like we would skip cheering her on because of some rain.

IMG_9890

Leah has been training for the marathon since JULY. Nine months. I’m pretty sure gestating a baby would be easier. A month ago, she hurt her knee and it looked like she wouldn’t be able to run. But with lots of physical therapy, her doctors gave her the OK.

It may not have been as fast as she could have finished uninjured, but….she finished!!!

finish4

photo.JPG

I am so proud of her!!!

Have any of you run a marathon? How did you feel after? Is there anyone out there training for one?

And I still have absolutely NO desire to run a marathon. Ever.