The Run Through Hell
There are may ways to prepare for a marathon. It is an event which many spend their entire lives working toward s one day achieving. Some run every day for a year, diligently training, adhering to a strict eating plan and mentally preparing themselves for the 26.2 miles trek ahead of them. This is what smart people do before a marathon. Unfortunately, this story is about two guys who likely do everything your not suppose to do to prepare for a marathon. David Maldonado and myself are lovers of life, we enjoy pizza on Friday nights, mimosas at Sunday brunches and sleeping in at every opportunity that we get a chance too. Upon completing the marathon last year, we both vowed to each other that we would continue our streak of athletic achievements by running various other marathons throughout the year. Needless to say it was a goal which we did not stay truthful too. We however did manage to commit to running the Los Angeles Marathon once again. For the low low price of $140, you can subject yourself to bloody toenails, broken kneecaps, asthma attacks AND if your lucky and ACT NOW, you’ll even get torrential rains thrown in to help you during your 26.2 mile trek throughout greater part of LA. Sound fun? Well in a twisted way if you asked me that question, I would say ABSOLUTELY. I have always been quite a masochist ever since I was a little boy. Whether it was burn my hair off with matches or cracking my head open a record setting 4 times before the age of 10. I’m also a fond believer in all cheesy inspiration quotes containing the word PAIN. “No pain, no game” “Pain is weakness leaving the body” etc..etc….Therefore if you were to ask David Maldonado why he was subjected to running the marathon two years in a row, I would likely be the cause of it. So let’s fast forward a bit.
Two weeks before the marathon I have this spur of the moment idea which comes to me at 4am. I had this vision of me filming my entire marathon experience from start to finish. I immediately when to my brother Adam and asked whether it was something which was even possible, he being the inspiration person that he is responded with “Anythings possible.” So for days and days I fantasized what the film would be like. I finally settled on an idea which was glued to my mind. The video would be created like a day in the life segment, the camera would be attached to the same angle the entire time and would start off with me getting out of my bed, then follow me as I brushed my teeth, got dressed, ate breakfast then the car ride to the marathon. It follow me throughout the marathon and then capture the moment as I gloriously crossed the finished line with my hands in the air. Once I cross the finish line I fall to my knees sobbing as I call my mom to tell her the exciting news. Still lots of tears. Upon getting my gold metal, I head to the beach where I slowly making my way into the Pacific Ocean as the hot California sun makes my skin sizzle. I look into the camera triumphantly than fall back into the ocean as the camera because submerged in the ocean walk. I then wake up and get out of my bed and you realize that it was all a dream. Or was it?
So I mapped out this entire idea, scene by scene, beat by beat, line by line. Everything was set………except for the actual camera rig which was going to capture it all. Two days before the marathon, Adam, Dave and I worked simultaneously to create a harness out of scratch which would help document the entire experience. The final rig turned out to be a crazy pool hose contraption from Home Depot, lots of towels and five different kinds of straps. Adam and I began doing a series of test shoots the day before the marathon. Our initial footage was rocky but looked good. At 1am, the night before the marathon we continued our camera tests. Everything which went well during our initial tests ended up backfiring during the new tests. The harnesses holding the rig together would loosen after a couple minutes then would become flimsy and troublesome. Our solutions to all of the problems we face were either add more towels or tighten the straps. Both of these would seem impractical but it was our only choice. So we settle on the rig and it was time to go to sleep.
I went to lie in bed at 2 am and began to toss and turn. There are two things which give me massive anxiety, the first being the night before the marathon. This was going to be my 5th marathon and each of the 4 nights prior to the other marathon involved me tossing and turn in a anxiety ridden rage. The second thing which gives me massive anxiety is the night before I shoot a huge project. Therefore you can imagine how bad my anxiety was when it was not only the night before the marathon but I had a huge shoot to do simultaneously. I spent the night watching Bethany Ever After until the sun rose. I ended up sleeping for a total of 15 minutes.
During the morning of the race, we rushed out of my place to get to the start line on time. Whereas every weatherman in Los Angeles had predicted rain, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky to fulfill their prophecy. I felt as though we had dodged a bullet. As Dave and I walked from the car drop-off area to the start line, I icy wind ran through our veins. It was about 40 degrees outside and we sprinted to find any kind of shelter. As we made our way into a holding tent, we began to assemble the rig. Within seconds of putting it on, I began getting looks from people all around me. Some in disgust. Some in support. Some took photos of me without my consent for a blog post somewhere on the internet which must read “Look at this idiot!” As we began to line up, I began to get focused. I have been so stressed about making this film that I completely forgot I was about to run 26.2 miles. Before I know it they’re blasting “I Love LA” by Randy Newman and the marathon is underway.
Less than 20 seconds after passing the start line, I feel something wet fall on my arm. Paranoid at all the dirty looks I was getting earlier, I turn to Dave and exclaim “I think someone just spit on me.” Before he can answer, it happens again…and again…..and again. It begins raining progressively harder. We were not even half a mile into the race and I began doubting whether I was able to make it or not. As I was holding the rig to my chest, I felt my arm going numb and mentally I was not ready for the next 25.8 miles. What was I thinking? As if my own mind calling me an idiot wasn’t enough, every 30 seconds I’d get a Legacy Runner coming up to me saying “You really think your gonna make it to the end WITH THAT?” Or the occasional, “You know this race is 26.2 miles?” I was bombard with condescending remarks left and right. I kept wanting to retaliate with a snide remark but instead politely responded with a smile. I took all of that negative energy that was being thrown my way and decided I was going to use it as my fuel. I’ve always done well with negativity because it gives me all the more reason to succeed. I love beating the odds and that is exactly what I was planning to do. Not only was I going to make it to the finish line but I’d have a video blog to document every step of the way. Finally, my head was back in the game and I was determined.
The marathon is a very interesting thing. Though Dave and I hadn’t more than a few miles leading up to the marathon, we were at mile 9 and going strong. There’s an adrenaline that you when running amongst 20,000+ people. You are literally carried with the waves of people through the streets of LA from mile to mile. I decided that there was no way I was going to be able to have the camera rig stay attached on its own, the only way I’d get a good shot was if I held it tightly in place against my chest. So what I would do is switch off hands each mile. Each hand would be so numb that I would have to shake it violently just to get the slightest bit of feeling back into it. I didn’t care if my hands were going to have to be amputated at the end of the finish line, I was determined to get my film made. I fight for my art.
By the time we got to Hollywood, we faced rain would can only accurately be described as torrential. There was a point where it began to hail for a mile. My clothes were drenched but worst of all I had run through so many puddles that my shoes were soaked to their core. Is there anything worse than running with wet socks? Nope. As their rains got harder and harder, the only thing that Dave and I could do was laugh. We laugh hysterically throughout the entire race, not a genuine this is so much fun laugh but more of a CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS type laugh. We may have become slightly delusional but once again we were determined to finish. I’m pretty sure the one reason we wanted to make it to the end was because we needed to get our moneys worth. $140 is no small amount especially for two unemployed college students. As we made our way through Beverly Hills, the marathon course began looking like a war zone. People were dropping like flies and being carted away in ambulances. The most disturbing image I saw was by an abandoned house across the street from the Four Seasons. Dozens had run to the boarded up house to unload their water filled bladders but I froze in my place when I saw a 60 year old woman with her running shorts and underwear down at her feet as she squatted butt-naked in the pouring rain. It took me awhile for me to regain my composure and it provided laughs for at least the next 10 miles. As if that wasn’t fuel enough, Dave with all infinite luck looks down and finds a pair of sunglasses Not any sunglasses but Tom Fords. Who wears Tom Ford sunglasses is the pouring rain? People from Beverly Hills that’s who. There portions of the course which were completely flooded so we had to climb mud hills or subject our pruned feet to even more puddles. By the last 5 miles, Dave and I had become complete wrecks. We resorted to singing covers of Adele’s song substituted the lyrics to apply to the miserable situation. Once day we’ll have to perform some of the covers live.
Throughout the entire run, I was listening to music on my iPhone but any time I got a phone call, I could hear nothing. Rain had seeped into my phone and slowly destroyed my one source of energy. At mile 24, my phone shut off for good. I was crazed by this point and I told Dave in all seriousness, next up is mile 24, after 24 is 25, 26 comes after 25. Without any knowledge whatsoever I had quote the seminal classic “Friday” by Rebecca Black. As we approach mile 26, the wind on Ocean Ave. was into hurricane mode. We were being knocked over by the wind but the finish line was so close that we didn’t even care. Usually the last mile of any marathon is packed with family members, marathon supporters and neighborhood members but for this marathon it was a complete ghost town. As we crossed the finish line and picked up our metals we were in complete shock. I think its safe to say by this point Dave and I had lost our minds. I picked up my gold metal put it around my neck but it didn’t fall onto my chest as it was suppose to. Instead it was being blocked by the giant camera rig made from scratch that stayed on my chest from start to finish. The same camera rig that dozens and dozens avidly said would never make it to the finish. In a very literal sense, my dreams had come true. The vision I had and carried with me a month prior had come true. The energy and positive thinking I had sent into the universe to guide me on my journey had provided me with all that I had asked for and more. The funny part is the vision I had for the film didn’t turn out quite as I expected but its safe to say I didn’t need to fall back into the ocean to submerge the camera in vast amount of water, Mother Nature had saved me the trip and brought the ocean to me. Such a kind lady! My mom surprised me at the finis line along with my brother. Seeing my mom at the finish line was worth more than any metal. It validated my journey. As I ran to her, she embraced me with her loving words, “You two are idiots! You’re both crazy…CRAZY!” Finally, I was back home.