Portland Marathon Redux

Since my Running Away extravaganza started last year, I have put in a lot of miles. I have discovered new routes, new shoes, new friends, new levels of maniacism, and new philosophies of running and living life. I have been to that place - the one where all normal human energy is gone, so gone that the illusions I normally feed my ego are gone with it, and all that is left is the pure white beauty of my soul, alone, in the pure white beauty of the planet - on several occasions. The extravaganza started last year at the Portland Marathon.

So, here it was, a year later, October, and time for the Portland tradition. I started out the day a little more nervous than usual for a race. Maybe it was the memory of last year's bonk. Maybe it was the wet-even-for-Portland-rain forecast for the entire morning. I don't know, but I was nervous. I had a vague goal for a finish time, but not enough of a goal to actually wear a watch. I had a vague race strategy in mind: start slow, feel good. I did know for sure what I wanted to wear: my Marathon Maniac singlet.

The race started pretty typically for a large race. It was dark. I was desparate to find a honey-bucket before the race. The starting area was gated off and confusing. Lots of nervous people were ambling around in their trash bags-turned rain covers. By the time I crossed the start line, I was soaked. It was crowded. I listened to my music at a mid volume level. So it's loud enough that everyone seems to be moving in a music video version of my life, but not so loud that I can't chat with other runners or hear the course-side bands.

I ended up falling in pace with a Red Lizard pacer, and felt pretty comfortable with it. It was mile 15 before the reality sunk in, that I was running a marathon, with all these crazy people. I almost laughed out loud, looking around at all the crazy fools out running in the rain, to the beat of Lady GaGa's Bad Romance. Then I figured it would make me seem crazy, so I just laughed inside my head. The music video continued, complete with some Boom Boom Pow as I ran across the St. John's bridge and enjoyed a beautiful view through a short break in the clouds up the river into downtown Portland. I had that runner's high going on, the one where I realize that my body is beautiful and amazing, that everyone is beautiful, that I love all these people, and that I am so lucky to be outside moving freely and breathing the air.

I ended up just sticking with the pacer, enjoying the company and ease of following, til I started to suffer around mile 24. I sped up a little to get it over with, and pushed forward. Around mile 25, I was pretty much done running, no one around me looked like they were having fun, and the music video party starting to feel like hip hop torture. Around then, I saw my dear husband, walking back from the finish line to cheer me on. I motioned for him to run with me, and PLEASE talk about something to take my mind off the huge wet-sock-blisters on my feet. He chatted about something as we ran down Naito and turned up Salmon. Around here, I realized I was blocks from being done, and took off a little faster. I pushed around the last left turn, past a few more runners, and across the finish line.

In the RunPix race analysis, it says I passed 433 runners in the last 6 miles. That explains why everyone looked so miserable. They were! Plus they were probably mad about being passed. I broke my own Personal Record, and took 20 minutes off last year's time. No wall, very little suffering, and not too sore this week. Overall, I would say it is a beautiful way to round out a year of running.

I can't wait til the next race!