Portland Marathon!

Pre-race with my number 1 fan!

My corral - the slow one, right in front of the walkers!

In the crowd!

The start!

Jay is a great photographer. This is me giving Presley a high five around mile 4 . She is sitting on his shoulders!

Are those really my calves? Sweet!

Hustling towards the finish!



Have you ran a marathon? You should!
But train for it, okay!

Sunday, October 9th, I became a marathoner! Woohoo! After following a 28 week marathon training plan, I did it!

I was surrounded by 11,998 people I didn't know and my dad, all trying to do the same thing!


The day started at about 5:00am with oatmeal, peanut butter and banana. Add in a little coffee and water and you have a great marathon morning breakfast. We headed to Lloyd Center to take advantage of the free parking and then squeezed ourselves into a MAX train for the free but overfull ride to downtown.

We got dropped off two blocks from the start and Dad and I hugged and parted ways towards our separate starting corrals. Dad was hoping for a 3:30 - 3:45 finish when he signed up and if his knees weren't bothering him, he would have been right there.

I took my private cheering section (Jay and Presley) and headed to the F corral. This is where the slowpokes start. When I signed up, I was 6 months postpartum and put in a conservative 4:30 for a finish time. I was a little disappointed with the corral when I picked up my packet but realized this should actually help my race plan of starting off a little slower to warm up and then ease into a quicker pace about mile 5 or 6.

I skipped the in corral port a potties in favor of a little diners restrooms right around the corner. At about 6:45, I started stripping off my outer layers and putting on the extras. I was a little nervous when I put my iphone armband on the for the first time in two weeks and found out it was too big! No music, no big deal for a short run, but almost four hours? Oh well, I shook it off and decided I was going to enjoy the course, the scenery and the people watching!

It was very cool to watch all the other corrals being marched and paraded down the road towards the starting line and when it was finally our turn, I got goosebumps! Across the start line and bobbing and weaving. The bad news starting so far back is there was a ton of people walking or barely jogging even in the first mile! I started to bob and weave and keep on moving. Let me tell you, passing people was great for the ego!

I felt really great, very relaxed and ready to go. I skipped the first aid station but hit up almost all the rest until the last two. I carried four Clif Shot blocks and ate three of them on the course.

I started the marathon with the 4:45 pacer right behind me and I ended with the 4:00 pacer behind me. I was constantly chasing my Dad, who I don't think finished too many minutes in front of me!

The course felt great until the St. Johns Bridge, but that was what I was really looking forward to! I love hills and am able to keep my pace pretty consistent up them. So, I charged and passed and passed and passed people! And after the bridge it was 9.5 miles to the finish!

The last hour, my legs got a little numb and a little crampy. I kept telling myself holding twin boys IN during an ambulance ride was way more painful then this feeling and I just needed to keep moving. I walked the water stations to get the fluids I needed in.

Down across the last bridges to downtown, we only had 1.7 miles to go. They were the longest 1.7 miles ever. But, I kept my pace steady and when I realized I was so close to the finish line. I let loose! It was great passing people on that slight uphill finish! I was exhilarated to see the clock read 4:07! I knew that I didn't start with the clock start and was confident I might have an 4 hour marathon. I looked down at my Nike watch and realized it said 3:46. With three bathroom breaks to add to that, I knew I was under four hours by way more than I thought I could achieve.

I got my space blanket and finishers medal and then looked up and my Dad was right there!!! It was awesome to be able to hug him and fight the crowds with someone I loved!

We got our finisher's photo together and then met up with Mom, Jay and Presley! The best cheering crew around! Starbucks, tomato soup and a hot shower was in order to help make Dad and I feel human again!

I started out thinking a four hour marathon was in order. I also had it in the back of my mind that if I was really close, I would have to do another one to break four hours. But with an unofficial time of 3:49:23, I am only 14 minutes off Boston Qualifying. Dare I say, it's been on my mind. But that is for another day or maybe another summer.

Next up, search for a couple maintenance mode races for the winter. Train and run the inaugural Portland Rock and Roll Half Marathon next May with Anna and possibly train to beat Sarah Palin's half marathon time of 1:46. It sounds like speed work is going to be added to the mix! First up, get through the winter!

If you are looking for a solid marathon training plan, take a look at Nike's 28 week plan. Yes, it is long. But, it has a ton of middle distance mileage to make it feel really easy and manageable right up until the end!