I realized that with NYCM weekend being over, I need to complete part 2 of 2 for Portland! When I left you last, I was just passing the 10k mark in the marathon and realizing my paces were too fast. With the inability to slow down (or was it sheer stupidity that kept me from dropping my pace to a more appropriate 12:30 min/mile?), I knew the back half of the race might prove to be more difficult than the first half. Took my first set of salt tabs and realized I really needed to pee. Really??? I solve the OTHER bathroom issue and my body rebels by saying "haha...you are STILL going to have to stop". Sigh. I thought maybe, just maybe I could wait until after the race. I am a nurse, after all. We have bladders of steel! So in the first six miles, I cruised past the port a potties I saw figuring I could wait it out. As I crossed over the 10k marker, I realized there was no way I could keep running comfortably unless I stopped. I was afraid of missing Cherie on the out and back portion - I really wanted to see a familiar face and offer her a smile since I knew her goal was a tough one. But I needed to stop. So I pulled up the first set of port a potties I saw - two lonely ones sitting by the side of the road. I figured how long could it take? Well, three minutes later and with nobody exiting from either one, I became frustrated and starting looking for a bush somewhere. Unfortunately, there was nothing but parking lots on the side of the road and time was ticking. So with a heavy sigh, I left and decided I would just hold it until I came across more bathrooms.
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| This sign came at the perfect moment. Just beyond it is where I stopped to fix a blister before heading up to the bridge. |
This portion of the Portland Marathon is my least favorite. It's a long out and back that is B-O-R-I-N-G. They try to spice it up with pirates and DJ's but it's still long and boring. The only thing that kept me interested was scanning the faces of the runners coming back in hopes of catching a glimpse of Cherie. I passed the 4:30 pace group so I knew she wouldn't be too far behind that. Several minutes later, I saw her and waved furiously...she smiled and waved back, yelling out some encouraging
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| This is just before the half runners split off |
words. I then turned my attention to the search for a port a potty. And like I remembered from last year, there was a group of them just before the turn around. I hopped into line and within about 3 minutes, I was back on course. After finishing the long out and back, where the course also splits from the half as they make their way back to the finish, I did a quick check of how I felt. So far, so good. My legs felt great, none of my tendons were angry yet and my hamstring wasn't even bothering me. It was starting to warm up a little but there was a cool breeze that helped offset the temps. I popped my second set of salt tabs; I was being very careful to keep on top of my Tailwind and the salt tabs. I knew from training this would set me up for a successful GI experience....lol.
We headed into a little bit of a hilly area and then it was time to start the approach to the bridge. This part is my second least favorite. It doesn't last very long - maybe 2 miles? But it's along a busy road and it's ugly. The only thing that kept me smiling here was seeing all the Team in Training runners and thanking them for running. I also saw a lady who had to been 70-80 years old, trucking along at a speedy pace and told her she was amazing. Just before the hill up to the bridge, the hot spot on my right foot that had been in the back of my mind came to a head and I needed to stop to fix whatever was developing. I didn't want to stop because I knew taking off my shoe would cost me precious minutes. But I also knew if I didn't fix this impending blister, I may not be able to walk come mile 20. I sat down, proceeded to take off the shoe and sock while pulling some moleskin out of my skirt pocket. Fixed the blossoming blister (or so I thought; more on that later) and got back to running. Hit the hill that leads up the gorgeous St. John's bridge and decided I was going to run the entire thing. It's a very steep hill about 1/2 mile long and it sucks. But I'm proud to say I ran up the entire thing, albeit slowly. That made my day! As I started across the bridge, I was thinking in the back of my head that this is around where the wheels started to come off last year and there was some apprehension as I waited for my legs to start failing. That moment didn't come and in fact, never came.
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| The gorgeous St. John's Bridge that you get to run over - it's breathtaking |
I headed down the other side of the bridge and into the slightly hilly neighborhood that would take me up into mile 20. Last year, this is where I became nauseous and by mile 22, was texting my husband that I wanted to quit. Not so this year....I was running and smiling, waving at the spectators and thanking the volunteers. I had taken another set of salt tabs just after the bridge and it would be time for the last two of the race in a few miles. No nausea, no pain anywhere and my legs still felt fresh. I was slowing down a bit and I expected that since I went out too fast in the first half. But I still felt REALLY good. So good, in fact, that I was suspicious. Haha. I had no idea if this was the calm before the storm but I decided to embrace it and enjoy the moment. Stopped briefly to fix my foot as the moleskin had slipped off the blister. I lost a couple minutes but imagine I saved many more as I prevented a bigger and more painful problem. As I headed down the long stretch of miles 22-23, I remember vividly how I felt last year. I was so done, so hot and so miserable. I felt terrible that I was making Cherie walk so much and guilty that I had ruined her first marathon experience. It was a really disgusting way to feel and I am so grateful at this moment that it's the polar opposite this year. I hit the aid station at mile 23 and that was a turning point for me. Last year, our spouses and kids met us there with ice and I wanted to be done. I wanted to stop and hang out with them, not continue running. I cruised through it this year, thanking the volunteers handing out water.
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| Coming off the St. John's Bridge around mile 16-17 |
As I passed the spot where I had told Cherie to go on without me last year, I was overcome with emotion. I was going to do this thing. I was going to finish and finish strong. It was then that my left calf decided it was done and seized up. OMG. Such pain. I started hobbling, then decided I would just walk and stretch for a bit. I was coming up on the second bridge - the bridge I have NO recollection of from last year....hahaha. I decided I would walk across the bridge and after that, since I would have about two miles to go, I could run. I mean, two miles. I can do anything for two freakin' miles. Got over the bridge and picked up the pace while being mindful of my calf. It seemed to be okay and it hit me that even if I had to walk these last two miles, I was going to have a great PR and probably be close to my B goal of 5:30. This realization put a huge smile on my face and I picked up the pace as much as I could. I was definitely feeling the faster first half of the marathon and in retrospect, that is the only thing I would change about this race - I would slow my ass down in the first 18 miles. But all in all, I couldn't believe that things didn't get hard until well after mile 20. I mean, I didn't even run 20 in training and was a little nervous that everything would fall apart after I hit 18 miles. They didn't and even though these last 2-3 miles were tough, they weren't painful and they didn't make me want to quit.
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| Nobody should look this happy in mile 26 |
I came out onto Nato street, which would be the last long stretch of the course until I would make a right, then a left and hit the finish. This is where I ran into Kara last year. It was her first marathon as well and she was struggling with severe ITB pain. I had stopped to help her stretch then kept her hobbling that last mile to the finish. While it cost me my B goal last year of finishing under 6 hours (my official time was 6:00:07), I don't regret it for a minute. Part of running is being supportive to your fellow runners. Having her for company in those last minutes of the race helped me across the finish and it was a bright moment in what was an otherwise disappointing end to the race. So when I passed by the very spot where I met Kara, I glanced at my Garmin and did some quick math. Not only was I going to hit my B goal of 5:30, but I may just go under that! With this in mind, I picked up the pace and headed in for the finish. This year, there was no almost throwing up, no peeing my pants (yes, I will admit to this being the case last year!). Instead, I was feeling ah-mazing. Which was very strange. I thought I should have been dragging ass and feeling like I was hit by a bus. Nope. As I crossed the finish, I looked at the clock and it said 5:41. Since I didn't start until after a few other corrals had done, I knew it was well under that but had no idea of the exact time. I would post on FB a little later "hey, does anyone know my finish time"....lol. All I knew is that I had reached my B goal and that was enough for me.
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| And it's a wrap! The finish line! |
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| My hard earned medal |
Found Cherie and we sat on the sidewalk for a while, stuffing our faces with chips and checking our Facebook. And I found out that not only had I accomplished my goal of 5:30 but I had gone under that by almost 4 minutes! OMG. Seriously. How could I have taken 34 minutes off my time from last year and feel so GREAT??? This made me so very happy. I needed to rewrite the Portland Marathon chapter of my life and I did. This is what you are supposed to feel like after your first marathon. I am very lucky - I got to have two first marathon experiences in a way. Very grateful. The test would be in a month when I run New York. How well would my legs hold up? Would I even be able to finish it? Would I get to the starting line without injuries? Who really knew as this was totally unprecedented. I don't even think I've run two half marathons within a few weeks of each other, let alone two marathons. Only time will tell how I hold up but I think things are in my favor. I've got a great coach who knows her stuff and as long as I do what she tells me to do, I think I will cross the finish line of New York. At least, I hope :-)
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| Yep, I am a two time marathoner with a 34 min PR! |
