Catalina Marathon Race Report – Special Wedding Proposal Edition

Doug proposing to Mina at mile 23 of the Catalina Marathon

March 17th 2007, St Patrick’s Day, the Catalina Marathon. Sounds like enough for one day, doesn’t it? When I woke up at 4AM to catch the ferry that would take me to the start line of the Catalina Marathon, I had no idea how much more meaningful this day would become.

When my boyfriend and fellow Beach Runner proposed that we run the Catalina Marathon, I thought he was crazy. 26 miles of grueling trail with 4,300 feet total elevation gain?!? But after doing several runs through the mountains of Palos Verdes with the Beach Runners, I actually got kind of excited for the beautiful scenery and the chance of running into a buffalo during my race.

4 AM is very, very early in the morning. But seeing friends and sharing the excitement and anticipation of the race motivated me to shake off the morning grogginess. The ferry left Avalon at 5AM and took us to the start line at Two Harbors. It was still so dark as we waited in the long lines for the bathroom. We were actually lucky enough to have a little surprise at the start line. A big, brown buffalo was grazing near the start line to wish us all good luck. Then a few minutes later, I heard a little ruckus behind me and saw the buffalo charging across the path toward some runners. Wouldn’t you know it was Steve that was right in the middle of the trouble! (I still wonder what he did to provoke the peaceful creature!)

The race was just as beautiful as I envisioned it would be. It was overcast for a good part of the morning which actually made some of the steep uphills a little easier since you could never really see how much further you still had to ascend. It was amazing to feel like you were running deep into the clouds above you. I saw runner after runner ahead of me disappear into the thick white haze.

After reaching the top of the first peak and back down to sea level, the slow ascent to the final peak was a challenge. A long 15 mile, 1600 foot uphill challenge. But luckily, I still had my Doug (and another good friend Tucker) by my side to keep my spirits up and make me giggle as we pushed onward and upward. As we started approaching the highest peak, the clouds began to clear and show us a view that made you forget the fatigue, tired muscles, and leg cramps. At Mile 23, we had reached the highest point of the marathon. What a feeling of accomplishment to look out from the top of the mountain and see the boats of Avalon Bay and the ever expansive Pacific Ocean. And in the far distance, I could see the Casino, a beautiful historic ballroom from the 1920’s, which meant the end was in sight. The finish line was still teeny from my vantage point, but so much closer than where we were hours ago.

As Doug and I enjoyed the view from the top of our conquered mountain, we decided to take a picture. My friend Tucker was ready for the heroic shot. Off comes Doug’s hat, his Halo headband, and even the Fuel Belt! Wondering why he cared to look nice for a picture in the middle of a marathon, I also shed the Fuel Belt and smiled for the camera. Then the next thing I see is Doug down on one knee, saying something to me, and holding something in his hand. I couldn’t understand his words, all I could do was cry. And cry, and cry. And apparently, I ran away a little too. (I blame it on dehydration and delirium from the preceding 23 miles!) Eventually, Doug caught up to me, got back down on his knee again, and proposed a second time. I still didn’t understand the words that were coming out of his mouth, but I didn’t run away this time. As he put the ring on my finger, it all suddenly became clear. I was at Mile 23, in the middle of the Catalina Marathon, with a view of the vast blue ocean behind me, and the love of my life is asking me to marry him. It was surreal. And I even had an audience of runners that stopped and cheered and shared their joy for us.

Little did I know I had another surprise waiting for me a little further down the mountain. A Beach Runners cheering squad at Mile 24! Kristin, Alexis, Lani, and John (who all had run the 10K race) hiked up the mountain to share their hugs and congratulations. (Apparently, I was the last to know about Doug’s special plans…)

The last three miles were all downhill—very fast, even faster for me since I had a renewed burst of energy from the shiny bling on my finger! Finally, I could see the glorious vision that I waited 26 miles to see. The big banner that bears the words ‘Finish Line’. As I inched nearer and nearer, I heard Steve yelling from the crowd, “Are you engaged?” So excited to be able to share my happy news again, I ran toward Steve and Gary, yelling “Yes! Yes!” while pointing at the ring. Onlookers and fans waiting at the finish line must have caught onto the engagement news because I felt like the crowd erupted into joyful Congratulations! What an unbelievable feeling! Hand in hand with my new fiancée, I triumphantly crossed the Finish Line. No more tears—just a big smile.

The rest of the day was one big party. All day, I had random people hug me and tell me that they ran by me during the proposal and were so excited for us. It was like a whole island of people that were happy to be part of my special moment. The after-race partying began with burritos with Lani, Kristin, and John. Then another burrito (and tequila shots!) with my friends Tucker and Elizabeth. Then over to Steve and Gary’s house for champagne (and gossip!) with Beach Runners Sandy, AJ, Sindy, and Sindy’s fabulous daughter. I never would have thought that after a marathon, I would be out until 1:30 AM, but our Beach Runners group had such a close family feeling to it, that it felt so natural to be sharing my engagement evening with these happy faces. We did a mini bar crawl (Sandy’s first!) complete with kamakazi shots, green beer (St Patrick’s Day, remember?), and dancing until the wee hours of the morning.

I will admit that for months, I was secretly frightened that the mountains of Catalina would kick my butt and that I would suffer through every uphill step of the 26 mile course. But truthfully, we were all so well trained (especially for the downhills!) that the marathon was not nearly as painful as I had originally feared. When I look back on March 17th 2007, I don’t think about the calf cramps, sweat, and sore toes. I remember my friends at Mile 24, Steve and Gary at the finish line, giggling about territorial garibaldi fish, laughing at Steve leaping into every picture, and dancing at the Chi Chi Club until my quads burned. And of course, I remember an extraordinary man kneeling on bended knee with a ring in his hand, wanting to spend the rest of his life with me.

Mina Oh, Beach Runner

June 5, 2007 | Filed Under Marathon Training, Race Reports, Steve's Posts 

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