Our Crowdfunding Groups
LAST UPDATE (really, I promise!)
I intended last week's update to be THE last email you got from me, but Chi Chen donated at the last minute and brought the fundraising total to exactly $1,000. Thanks to you, I reached my stretch goal! Give yourselves a well-deserved pat on the back; you more than earned it.
Chi's donation also raised the team's fundraising total to $14,997. I was prepared to make the total a clean $15,000, but someone beat me to it.
All in all, $15,007 for student internships. That's a lot of money.
Before I begin, I’d like to apologize to anyone who felt I got a bit spammy with my updates. I figured that if you gave your hard-earned money to this endeavor, you should know what you “paid for” and that it didn’t just disappear into the ether.
14 MINUTES/15 SECONDS
Going into the marathon, I had doubts if I could match my previous record of 4 hours, 14 minutes. I figured if I had a good day, I could possibly improve by 5-10 minutes. After holding back to navigate the treacherous hills of the first 6 miles, I threw caution to the wind and ran as hard as I could. I wanted to give it my all, finish the race without regrets, and accept the result without wondering “what if.” All I could do was hope that my training and experience would carry me through and that the injuries that had never quite healed would hold together long enough to get me to the finish line.
I pushed myself harder than I had at any other race before, sacrificing fun and ignoring most of the sights to focus on not slowing down. Every pause for water or bathrooms was a gamble that the lost time would be made up for by more efficient running later. By the time the finish line was in sight, I could no longer feel my feet. Looking at the course clock, I knew I was within reach of doing something very special, so in the final stretch I ran well beyond my limits, throwing form out the window and half collapsing just after finishing. I would’ve ended up flat on my face had I not been caught by the staff, similar to what’s shown in this video (link). My finish line photo will not be pretty, but it will be dramatic.
The official finish time was 4 hours, 0 minutes, 15 seconds - I annihilated my previous personal record by 14 minutes (such an improvement is rare except for beginner runners), but I missed my bucket list goal by a scant 16 ticks of the clock. I accomplished more than I thought possible, and yet to come so close to absolute victory and fall short takes the joy out of it. This hurts.
It’s said that you’re not ready to run your next marathon until you’ve forgotten your last one. This is going to take awhile to forget, but I will be back next year with fresh shoes.
PERSPECTIVE I came across this coming in the New Yorker the morning after the race (link). It’s a little reminder that while the marathon was the center of my world for a morning, life goes on.
Also, if you’ve ever been to any big race like a marathon, you may have been appalled at the literal mountains of waste generated by the thousands of participants. Luckily, the LA Marathon has been diverting, donating, reusing and composting most of its waste. It’s nice to run a race with a conscience (link).
INSPIRATION
The back of another team’s shirts on the course read “What do you run for?” Normally during races, I touch the school logo on my hat for inspiration. This year, I went a bit further…
In 2014, pro runner Meb Keflezighi wrote the names of the people killed in the Boston Marathon bombings on the back of his bib for inspiration. On a whim, I followed suit and wrote “31 donors” as well as “Jack Solomon” and “Gabriel Davila” to honor the people who people donated in memory of. During the race, I came up with an impromptu routine where I tapped the corners of my bib and my school hat while saying “One, two, three, four, that’s what I run for.” Cheesy as it may sound, it definitely helped keep my legs moving in the last few miles. In a (admittedly abstract) way, you ran with me.
As promised, I donated a dollar for each donor and added a bit more on top of that for a clean fundraising total of $900, all so that students can be paid during their internships. I put my own money in because I believe in this cause, and I’m thankful you did too.
This is Alan, signing off until next year.
18 weeks of training, 231 miles of running, 66 miles of cross training and it all comes down this.
Bib #24996
I have my bib number! You can track my progress online here (link), and you can also watch the race coverage on TV @ KTLA channel 5, WGN, and streaming at KTLA.com
SPECTATORS
"In running, the sidelines are part of the playing field. If competitors require us to run faster, crowds inspire it. Nothing can galvanize greatness as much as throngs of screaming fans. Running persists on passion. It rides on emotion. Cheers can’t compensate for underprepared hearts or untrained legs, but they can make those hearts beat a little faster and those legs drive a little harder." - Mike Cassidy, writing after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing
FUNDRAISER STATUS: 86% complete, $138 remaining to stretch goal
Two more donors got in just before Race Day – Michael Nguyen and Emilio Ronquillo. They join the honor roll of Lauren, May, Roger, CL, Tina, Naveen, Jennie, Ryan, Beth, Anthony, Tiffany, Huy, Jonathan, Rick, Marlen, Wilson, Amelia, Jacqueline, and countless anonymous benefactors.
Though I didn’t raise the most money, I do have the second most number of donors. 31 people put in everything from $5 all the way up to $120. I attached a bar chart of the contributions – it’s pretty cool.
My last update will be a post-race recap. As it stands, there are 31 donors, so on that day I’ll donate $38 to get a nice clean $900.
I can’t express what a difference it makes to know that I’m “running for something.” Thanks for believing in me and this cause. Now it’s time for me to show that I’m worthy. #ThisIsPublicHealth
NEXT LONG RUN: 26.2 miles – the 2018 Los Angeles Marathon
RACE DAY COUNTDOWN: A few hours! Ahh!
RAIN
Unusual LA rain continues to fall almost exclusively on weekends. I only completed the 8 mile long run by running on Monday. Most of the weekend was spent traveling, preparing, and recovering from being a groomsman at a wedding. With an 18 hour day, that was a marathon in and of itself!
Ominously, it’s raining this week too. Right now, the forecast says there’s a 60% chance of rain Saturday morning, with the percentage dropping below 20% by the morning of Race Day. Even if nothing’s coming down, the slick roads and leftover puddles could be treacherous. Rain is something I haven’t prepared for.
MOVIES
No matter how hard a marathon is, it’s nothing compared to the Barkley Marathons. An ultrarunning event where it’s unusual for anyone to finish the race at all, it’s well above even my marathon-skewed threshold for insanity. I’ve been watching this new documentary about this one guy’s attempt to complete it. The title? “Where Dreams Go To Die (link).”
On the other hand, I’m going to a showing of the “Skid Row Marathon” this Friday night. A judge started a running club for released inmates, hoping to change lives through running. If you’re interested, tickets are about $10 for the showing in downtown LA (link).
(MAKING IT) RAIN
FUNDRAISER STATUS: 80% complete, $109 remaining to stretch goal
As some of you may have seen, I was the face of this year’s email alumni fundraising campaign. I was told last week it brought in over $1,000. Most of it went into a general account instead of my specific page, except for the contribution of new donor Jaqueline Solomon. May I run well enough to honor the memory of Jack Solomon.
NEXT LONG RUN: 26.2 miles – the 2018 Los Angeles Marathon
RACE DAY COUNTDOWN: Less than 5 days. Carbo load begins Wednesday.
RAIN
“It never rains in LA!” Following last week’s uncharacteristic cold snap, it poured over the weekend. I got soaked running to drop off mail and an attempted bike ride to the ocean was cut short when the bike path entry points were gated off (the path sometimes floods). After the rain ended, I completed this week’s long run of 12 miles.
ROGER BANNISTER
“The time is three…” The announcer was instantly drowned out by cheers. It didn’t matter. All everyone needed to know was that Roger Bannister had just become the first the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes. An acclaimed neurologist later in life, he died on Sunday (link). Nowadays, the equivalent goal is to run a sub-2 hour marathon. Last May, Nike held an elaborate exhibition to create the optimal conditions in which to break the 2:00 barrier. The hand-picked runners came up short by a scant 25 seconds (link).
FUNDRAISER STATUS: 70% complete, $291 remaining
I’ve been so successful breaking my own fundraiser barrier of $650 that I’ve been told to go after a new goal of $1,000. My offer to contribute $1 to match the total donor count still stands.
NEW DONORS SINCE LAST UPDATE: Amelia Johnson and two people who shall go unnamed.
NEXT LONG RUN: 8 miles
RACE DAY COUNTDOWN: Less than 2 weeks
DOUBT: 23.5 mile run:
It’s officially the final stretch! My training schedule peaked with this run and tapers down until Race Day. Even with 5 marathons under my belt, it still seems fundamentally impossible. True, I have past experience to draw on, but that only makes me wonder if I have another one in me. Seeing that “2” in front of my mileage reassures me that I do. In fact, after months of procrastination and compromise, I’m actually cautiously optimistic. I’m just hoping I held back enough to save my best for when it counts.
PEACE: 17 mile bike ride
This was rough. I started later than planned and fought a losing battle to salvage daylight, riding against the wind all the way to the ocean. Roaring gusts exacerbated LA's recent cold snap and threatened to push me off the asphalt. After reaching the sea and admiring the sunset, it was time to turn back. The very moment I pushed off, the wind stopped and the only thing I could hear were my pedals rhythmically slicing through the air. In fact, that was the first time I heard them all day! At long last, peace.
FUNDRAISER STATUS: 101% complete, $0 remaining
Goal ACHIEVED! When I put out the call for donations, I never imagined I would hit my goal in just 20 days! I find it fitting that there are now 26 backers – exactly the number of miles in a marathon (give or take 0.2…).
NEW DONORS SINCE LAST UPDATE: Huy Vu, Jonathan Chang, Rick Chiu, Marlen Pajcini, Wilson Hsing, and 2 anonymous contributors, one of which matched all other gifts made this week and added more on that of it! WOW! That person donated in memory of a Gabriel T. Davila. Whoever Gabriel was, I'll try to run well enough to be worthy of their legacy.
(In case you’re wondering, yes, I am still gladly accepting donations and will do so until March 25! To sweeten the pot, I will donate $1 to match the total number of donors. 30 donors = $30).
NEXT LONG RUN: 12-13 miles
RACE DAY COUNTDOWN: 2 ½ weeks
STEP BACK
Activities since last update: 3.6 mile walk, 8 mile run. This was a “step back” week where I reduced mileage to rest in preparation for the next big push. I stepped back alright, so much so that I missed a 13 miler! No excuses, I got lazy.
DEPRESSION
This news (link) hit too close to home for me. Pro runner, training for LA, just about my age and he killed himself. I’ve been slugging it out with depression since college (spring/summer 2008 was bad), and I was very, very lucky to find running. Pounding the pavement allows me to get out of my own head. Whatever is crowding out my mind when I start a run is almost always gone by mile 3, replaced through necessity by a singular focus on what is directly ahead of me. It’s hard to have an existential crisis when I’m busy looking out for uneven pavement.
SMALL BALL FUNDRAISING
On a brighter note, I made my first concerted fundraising push on Friday, tapping my network and asking for $5 (specific asks yield more results, and I kept it down hoping to reduce donor fatigue). And you responded in force! My fundraising total tripled in a single day. Although I haven’t raised the most on my team, I’m particularly pleased that I have the 2nd most contributors! It’s “small ball” – a baseball term for using lots of small hits to score instead of going after splashy home runs.
New donors since last update (THANK YOU!!): Roger, Olivia, Tina, Naveen, Jennie, Ryan, Beth, Anthony, Tiffany and many others who chose to remain anonymous.
NEXT LONG RUN: 20-22 miles
RACE DAY COUNTDOWN: exactly a month
This update's title is from an article I saw a few days ago – timely, considering today is Valentine’s Day. It’s definitely something I need to read right now. I’m at the point in my running career where I’ve completed most of the bucket list goals I set out for myself - mind-boggling, as I thought it would take a lifetime to achieve them, but it also means that, no pun intended, I’m running out of things to run for.
For now, I have race day coming up in a little over a month, but after that...I still want to run. There’s no question about that. But I’m going to need to find a fresh reason.
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This past weekend, over three days I ran 20 miles, walked 4, biked almost 23, ran almost 10, and ran a final 1.
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I leave you with this picture I took during my walk. What do you think of it?
Last Saturday, I gutted through 20 miles with the help of running buddies (see picture). I rarely run more than 13 unless I'm going for a full. Training has started in earnest!
You may notice that the average pace is a bit high - we stopped a few times for breaks. Did you know acai has 3 syllables? I didn't!
This race will be my last in my current pair of shoes. I've been pounding pavement with these sneakers since around 2016. General running wisdom says to get a new pair every year or 400 miles, and I've logged about 700 since just last year's marathon. I'd get new ones, but I'm not sure I can break them in time and I've had good success with these. I guess this will be their last hurrah.
In other news, I have my first donors. Many thanks to Lauren and May for chipping in!
$26.2 - a dollar for every mile to run. Let's get this party started!