All In For LA

In some ways, registering for a race that you're already planning on running may seem a bit anticlimactic. You're already thinking about the race, already set on it, training for it and all that other good stuff. So signing up is the next logical step, and logical steps don't usually lead to excitement.

But this was not the case Tuesday.

I registered for the LA Marathon, and even though all my signs have already been pointing in that direction, I felt a surge of excitement when I did it. I didn't exactly feel a thrill when my bank account took the hit that it did (175 all told) but that's another story for another day.

I'm excited because there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light is the finish line on Ocean Blvd. in Santa Monica.

I'm thrilled because I have something tangible to point to, because on March 17 this training will pay off and I will run my ninth marathon.

I'm pumped because I get to experience the thrill of the finish line again. There's nothing like the finish line for me. Nothing. That's what keeps me coming back, feeling all the emotions and energy at the finish, the ultimate job-well-done feeling, something nobody can take away from you. Ever.

So mix all of those things together and you get pure bona fide excitement.

I'm also a bit charged because I get to run this race again. I ran it last year and had such a great time. I loved the course, the crowd support and the energy of the LA Marathon. I'm sure I'll blog a bit more about the race again, especially as the date draws near, so I won't get into all those details now but the race exceeded my expectations. And the medal was great.

With this race now firmly implanted on my 2013 race calendar, I am hopeful that I've put all the things that I struggled with in the last part of 2012 behind me. And since I'm nearly salivating at the prospect of running 26.2 miles again, I'd say that would be the case.