The OC Marathon Weekend - Part I

The May 6, 2012 OC Marathon was the last chance to start the Beach Cities Challenge. 

What is the Beach Cities Challenge? Basically, you complete, in consecutive order, any combo of full or half marathons at the Surf City Marathon, OC Marathon and the Long Beach International City Bank Marathon and you get the fabulous medal posted above.

I saw this medal at the Tinkerbell Half Marathon Expo last January. It was big, heavy and very appealing to my eyes :) Oh, love at first sight. Yeahhh, it's all about the bling bling!! Unfortunately, the OC Half Marathon was taking place on May 6th, just two weeks after my RnR Madrid (Full) Marathon (April 22nd) so I decided to give up on this challenge. I can't run a full and then 2 weeks later a half. It's too much!  That's what I thought.

Then came Cinco De Mayo-Supermoon Saturday, 3 days ago.

My family and I were invited to a big party in San Diego but all I could think about was OC. "I'd rather be running tomorrow", I thought. I posted about it in Facebook and a friend replied back with "come with us! I am driving up in 2 hours". I read this message to my hubby. He said "Do it! It's your mother's day present". I quickly checked online but registration was no longer available. However, they mentioned on their site that you could buy a bib at the Expo. "OK, I am going. Crossing my fingers".

Next, I called the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel & Spa. It was sold out. I called the Hilton OC Costa Mesa. It was sold out. My husband proposed we all go together with the kids and stay at a different Marriott, instead of the official one. The plan was to run the OC Half early Sun and party with the gang at Disneyland afterwards. Everyone was excited!

We left San Diego around 2:30 p.m, I think. We arrived at the expo at 4:00 p.m. There was a lot of traffic. My husband dropped me off at the expo.

I ran to the registration table. It was still open. Yahoooo!

Me: I want to sign up for the half marathon
Staff: It is CLOSED!
Me: Noooo, it can't be!
Staff: We sold out at 10:00 this morning.
Me: But in the website ...
Staff: Sorry ...

My thoughts "OM F#$%^& goodness, I can't believe this is happening to me!!!"

I almost cried. I called my hubby:

Me: It's too late. The half is sold out.
Hubby: Do the full then!
Me: Whaaaat?
Hubby: Do it! You can!
Me: That's crazy!
H: It's your last chance! If you don't run OC, you can't complete the challenge!
Me: 2 marathons within 14 days!!
H: yes! you will be a member of the marathon maniac after this one!
Me: *big smile on my face* ... or maybe it was a grin. I don't know I was so nervous!!!

15 seconds later, I had signed up for the OC (Full) Marathon. How crazy! I was not feeling 100%. My legs were fine but I had laryngitis and bronchitis about a week ago and I was just recovering from a bad cold.  I called my hubby back. I did it! OMG, I am freaking out! I received lots of text messages within the next half hour. Did you get in? Did you get in? Did you get in? I couldn't reply to any of the messages right away. I was freaking out! This is probably the craziest thing I've ever done in my life. To my hubby, thanks for encouraging me!

I can't recall what I did at the expo after I signed up for the full. I was eager to get to the hotel to study the race course. I didn't know absolutely anything about it, except that it was coastal. OMG!!!    

Race Recap Coming Up ...