It appears that all the fretting about excessive heat during the Los Angeles Marathon has turned into something every runner must guard against as race day approaches: wasted energy.

Mild temperatures are forecast for Monday, alleviating the anxiety about runner safety that has percolated since organizers moved the date of the marathon from its customary balmy Sunday in March to a potentially scorching Memorial Day.

"It's awesome," said Peter Abraham, the race's creative director. "That is great news."

There will be water stations erected every mile and Gatorade offered every two miles along the route. But with a high of 72 degrees expected in downtown Los Angeles, where the 26.2-mile race begins and ends, emergency plans for handling waves of heat-exhausted runners can be shelved.

"I know a lot of people are worried about the heat," said Pat Connelly, the former longtime L.A. Roadrunners coach and current Valencia High running coach. "If it stays that cool, that's fantastic. That's great."

The scheduled start time for the non-elite members of the field is 7:25 a.m., with a forecast starting-time temperature of 60 degrees. That means the day will be as pleasant as one could have expected for a road race run in March, let alone the weekend that unofficially kicks off summer.

"You have to be prepared for warm weather any month of the year," Abraham said. "The first Sunday of March was 83 (degrees). Even in January this year, there were a lot of hot days. We're always prepared for warm weather."

Abraham said the calendar change has not kept the elite runners from joining the field - he cited entrants from Morocco, Ethiopia and Kenya - but he was unable to say if the total number of runners was impacted by the switch.

The men's elite field is highlighted by Tariku Jufar of Ethiopia, who set his personal best of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 10 seconds, at last year's Hamburg Marathon. Kenya's Fred Mogaka, the 2007 L.A. Marathon champion, is also among the favorites. In the women's division, Romania's Nuta Olaro enters with the best personal time (2:24:33).

Approximately 14,000 runners have signed up for the race, Abraham said, with registration closing Sunday night. Last year, 16,941 finished the race, but that was down from the 20,000-plus who finished the race in each of the prior two years.

"All things considered, with the economy and the change in date and everything else, if we're between 15,000 and 18,000, that would be terrific," Abraham said

The calendar could cause a smaller field in another way.

San Diego is hosting its annual marathon on May 31, and runners may have decided to travel there and run a picturesque course with a history of mild temperatures.

"San Diego is a very nice marathon, and has always been better than L.A. There's no question about it," Connelly said. "They're losing a lot to San Diego. They really are. People are afraid of the heat (in Los Angeles), and others planned to go out of town for the holiday, or they want to celebrate Memorial Day by not going out and running a marathon. I've heard all kinds of reasons why."

The possibility of moving the marathon back to March is being considered by the Los Angeles City Council, but Abraham said a bigger issue is the day of the week the race is staged.

Most runners train for a marathon by staging their long runs on the same day the race will be run, and Sunday is a natural day to do so because many of the runners do not work that day.

"The runner would clearly prefer to run on a Sunday in March," Abraham said. "That's been established, and we're supportive of anything that creates a better runner's experience."

Read more...

Here's what L.A. Marathon participants should do to recover after running the race.

On your marks . . . get set . . . hang on a second.

If you're running in Monday's Los Angeles Marathon, or watching someone run, there are a few things to catch up on before the gun goes off.

First, if you have thoughts of dashing to the starting line early and registering just before the 26.2-mile-long race or the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, you're out of luck. (This was to be allowed over the weekend only at the race expo. Go to www.lamarathon.com "> www.lamarathon.com for more information.) Registration is still available on race day for the 5K run/walk, which begins at 8:30 a.m. at 11th and Figueroa streets and is great for beginning runners as well as families. Registration opens at 7 a.m. at the Gil Lindsay Plaza in front of the Los Angeles Convention Center near Pico Boulevard and Figueroa Street.

This year's course is different from last year's -- it follows the loop course from 2005 and 2006, which begins at 6th and Figueroa streets and ends at 5th and Flower streets. It is reported to be the fastest course in the marathon's history, meandering as far west as La Cienega Boulevard. Along the route will be various bands and performance groups, cheerleaders, plus water stations, assuring that runners as well as spectators won't be bored. Spectators who plan to meet runners along the course should be familiar with street closures before heading out.

Most marathoners probably have prepared adequately for the race (we hope), either by training on their own or in groups. Even first-timers probably have their food and water schedule worked out and are ready for various weather conditions. But for participants, the race doesn't exactly end when they cross the finish line -- euphoric though that experience can be.

They need a recovery plan.

Marathon veterans recommend eating carbs that can be digested easily. Although the Finish Line Festival awaits runners, they should stick with tried-and-true basics such as sports gels, sports drinks, energy bars and fruit, at least at first. If possible, they should have someone meet them at the family reunion area (where friends and family are asked to join runners) with proper provisions in hand. Those will replace glycogen supplies depleted during the race. Later, eating foods high in protein will help repair muscles broken down while running.

Runners will probably be sore in the days after the marathon, so they should give their bodies a couple of days of rest and recovery before going out for even a light jog. They should also ease back into training and pay attention to how they feel. That may stave off the mild depression that often follows such an enormous undertaking.

Angelenos won't be the only ones pounding the pavement Monday. This year's race has inspired a shadow marathon being run by servicemen and women in Iraq. At noon Pacific Daylight Time on race day, about 400 troops will run the Camp Taji Memorial Day marathon and half-marathon in Al-Taji. They'll run at 10 p.m. in Iraq, since daytime temperatures can reach over 100. The race is on a loop course, and entry fees are being donated to the family members of the 56th Stryker Brigade Fallen Soldiers Fund. Runners are stocked with race bibs, T-shirts and medals and ready to go.

All runners who finish the race are entitled to bragging rights, so make sure to tote that medal around for a while. It's well-earned bling.

Read more...