Marathon Fever!

Well, we did it. Maiya, Tony & I raised about $1,100 for Great Leap this weekend in the LA Marathon Bike Ride and 5K. I was running a fever on Saturday night through Sunday night. It was a busy & crazy weekend. Considering that I had insomnia, neverending sinus drip and a fever the night before, we did pretty well. I was up from midnight to 3:30 am, woke up at 4:30 am, woke up Maiya just after 6am, got her dressed and out of the house, through Marathon traffic, arriving at 7am, and meeting Nobuko and the other Great Leapers.

Here we are waiting for the start of the LA Marathon 5K - 7:15 am

Great Leapers walking for Great Leap at the start line

Early and in good spirits (still)

I love that we were on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Maiya eating a granola bar at Mile 1

Maiya was in good spirits for the first mile. When we went under the freeway, it was dark and people were hooting and hollering and I felt that pride of emotion that I get when I see ice skating, or a corny commercial. I didn't want to get her out of the stroller too early, because I knew that she wouldn't go back in, even if she got tired.

Finally free! I let her out of the stroller after the halfway point

So I let her out, just after 1 1/2 miles and that's when the meltdown began. She insisted on pushing the stroller, which meant going from side to side because it's too big for her to control. She was miserable, whining and refusing to get back in the stroller. Walking sideways, hanging on the stroller, pulling on my jacket, wanting to be carried...

JK: Maiya, let's sing a song, "A, B, C, D..."
MG: No song Mommy. Stop singing!

JK: Should we march? (Starting to march)
MG: No marching!!

MG: Mommy I hungry!
JK: Here's some apples I brought.
MG: No apples.
JK: Well, do you want cereal?
MG: No! No cereal!
JK: I have oranges.
MG: No! I no want oranges!!! I want bar!
JK: You've eaten 3 granola bars already. No more granola bars.
And on and on.

Can't believe we made it to Mile 3 - notice our matching sweats

Nobuko helped by pushing the stroller the last mile. Then thankfully, I could see the freeway overpass. So I told Maiya that we just had to make it under the freeway and around the corner to the finish line. That helped both of us, having a goal. Then while taking pictures at the Mile 3 marker, we ran into our friend and yoga teacher, Krishna, and the Yoga for Youth group. That was pretty exciting.

Our friends from the Black Yoga Teachers Assn - Yoga 4 Youth
Krishna on the far right

Exposition Park at the Finish Line! We did it in 1 hour 15 minutes.

Showing off our medals

Maiya showing me how she really feels

We finished at 1 hour, 15 minutes, and crossed the finish line together and stood in line to get our medals. In all, I'd say she walked about 1-1/2 miles this year. Then, Maiya had to go poo poo, so she unfortunately had her first experience in an Andy Gump--not pleasant. Anyways, by then I was drained. We got home about 9:30 am, and I was in bed shortly after that for the rest of the day and night. My fever peaked at 101.3 at about 5pm. Tony took Maiya to Jessica's Bday party for me.

So will we do it again next year? I'll have to think about it. But Maiya proudly wore her Marathon pin to preschool the next day. And, if I'm going to wake up that early, I'm going to do it for Great Leap.

BIG THANKS to all the generous friends who sponsored Kuida-Osumi in this year's Marathon.