11 days until over 20,000 runners will participate in the Los Angeles Marathon. No, I am not running in this year's marathon (thank goodness). But I want to wish all of the participants luck in their endeavor.

This year's route for the marathon is different than in the past. The race used to start and end in Downtown Los Angeles. But due to the amount of traffic congestion that the race caused with street closures, organizers have changed the route to begin at Universal City and end in Downtown Los Angeles. Organizers are anticipating faster racing times as it has fewer inclines.

The irony is that many of the streets and communities that were impacted by the marathon will again be closed down on race day because of the Acura Bike Tour and the Emerald Nuts 5K, which really haven't changed their routes. Both of which are somehow affiliated with the L.A. Marathon. The street closures won't be as long as in previous years because both events start early and are much shorter than the day long marathon.

But speaking from experience, running in the marathon does let you see Los Angeles in a different light. In a city where most of our commuting is done in the comfort of a car, you miss a lot of the character and energy that this city has. It's hard to try and describe that in words. But when you consider that you are running from Downtown Los Angeles, through South Los Angeles, to the border of Beverly Hills, and then come back through Koreatown and the Mid-Wilshire area, you have an opportunity to truly appreciate how diverse this city really is.

There is also this idea that a marathon is an individual sport. This is far from the case. It would be nearly impossible for over 20,000 runners to complete a 26 mile race without help. Without the hundreds of volunteers who passed out water, Gatorade, pain spray, oranges, and provided morale support, completing this race would be much more difficult. It is nice that you can still count on the kindness of strangers. This of course doesn't include the numbers of people who were within reach on a cell phone with constant motivation.

I do have memories that I won't forget from running the 2006 marathon. They are memories of pain, accomplishment, disbelief, and pride. But that feeling that you get when you turn the corner on Flower St. on the last stretch heading to the finish line is unforgettable. You are in pain, but you know that the pain will feel much better once you cross that line and someone hangs that medal around your neck. That was an awesome feeling.

Coming a close second to that feeling was my relief and joy to see the subway train car arriving at the station to take me back home. It was a long, long day.

Good luck to all that are running the L.A. Marathon.