Portland Marathon Recap: More than You Ever Wanted to Know

It has been over three weeks since I completed my first full marathon, and it already seems like a fuzzy memory from the distant past.  But it was such a huge milestone in my life that I’d like to preserve it in history via a comprehensive blog post!  Therefore, without further ado, here are my reflections about the entire rich experience—from start to end:

Pre-marathon excursions: 
Although the marathon wasn’t until Sunday morning, we arrived to Portland on Thursday evening.  This allowed us to take in some of the sights and sounds of this unique city, although it also meant those of us who would be running the marathon had to be extra careful about eating the right foods and not over-exerting ourselves.  I think that we found the right balance of fun and pre-race earnestness. 

Issac, Rachel, and I enjoyed picking up our
packets at the Race Exhibition.

It was very relaxing and beautiful to head to Portland's
Lan Su Chinese Gardens.  This photo features me with
my parents, Aunt Cheryl, and Auntie Kathleen.  I
loved having my family with me.

We had the best supporters ever!  Beth crafted
this very beautiful sign of encouragement.

Getting Started: 


Lots of other members of the Green Lake Running Group were there as well.

The marathon start time was 7:00AM, which meant that Rachel and I had set our alarms for the ungodly hour of 4:30AM.  This allowed me to complete all of my necessary pre-race rituals (Nettie Pot, high energy snacks, anti-chafing cream, etc.), and it also ensured that we’d make it to the race start line for a group picture with our fellow Green Lake Runners at 6:30AM. 

 



I was ready to go!

I was not set to start until Corral E.  This is because I had originally overestimated how long it would take me to run a marathon (I’d read that the average woman completed one in 4:52 last year, so that’s what I’d put as my estimated finish time on the registration), so I wasn’t able to start with other running friends in the C and D groups.  I was frustrated by this at first, yet I soon realized that it could be good for me.

Miles 1-20:

When the race officially started (after a collective rendition of the National Anthem), I was in the massive porta-potty line in Corral E.  This made me a bit nervous that I’d get left behind, but I had more than enough time to catch-up with the rest of my corral as it slowly inched toward the official start line.  I met-up with Rachel, Joanna, and Amina—yet I soon lost them as I pushed my way to the front of our corral.  I crossed the start line about 12 minutes after the gun had sounded.

My parents and aunts waved flags to help me see them along
the course.  These were very helpful and motivating.

Once we were able to start running, it was a burst of excitement.  We immediately passed a Chinese lion dance group, drum corps, and handbell choir during the first few miles.   I remembered my goal of noting something fun from every mile (which was incredibly easy to do), yet it went by so fast that the miles began blurring together.  I really focused on keeping a slow and consistent speed; I didn’t want to make the #1 marathon mistake of starting out way too fast.  

I loved giving high-fives to
friends and family along the way.



I couldn’t believe how quickly the time passed as I hit mile after mile.  I was in a groove, and my running felt fairly effortless.  I had enough distractions with the music on my radio, the constant entertainment on the road, and my fellow runners that it was easy to forget that I was even running in the first place.  The GPS watch that I had borrowed died at about mile 12, which made it slightly more difficult to continuously check my pace (although I still had the Runkeeper App on my phone, yet it was a bit off because I had somehow paused it at the beginning of the run). 

The support on the course made a huge difference as well.  Our main cheer squad --my parents, Cheryl (aunt), Kathleen (“auntie”), Matt, and Beth-- had given me a heads-up that they would be waiting for me at about mile 5, so I was on the lookout for them.   It was so exciting to spot them on the side of the course, give them high-fives, and continue on quickly with the race.   I had my first sighting of Jacob and Jenny at about mile 12, and it was also fun to catch-up and briefly run with other runners from the Green Lake Running Group throughout the first 10 miles.

I had opted to wear my water belt for hydration and electrolyte replacement, and I was very conscientious about eating/drinking every forty-five minutes.  A friend had also given me SaltSticks, which she assured me would prevent any type of muscle cramping, so I took one tablet every forty-five minutes as well.  I think these calculated snacks helped me psychologically (because they broke down the time into smaller chunks and gave me something to look forward to), although I don’t think it was necessary to wear my own water belt.  The course had very frequent water stations, and they were not very congested.  This is good to know for next time!

The hill that started at mile 16 and continued until mile 17.5 was a much bigger, longer beast than I’d anticipated, but it was certainly manageable.  I kept reminding myself of all the hill training I’d done to prepare for this obstacle, which motivated me to stay at a decent pace.  I certainly didn’t sprint up it, but I was pleased that I wasn’t tempted to walk it.  Once it was out of the way, I knew that I’d conquered the main challenge of the course.

Miles 20-26.2: 

I was soooo happy when I realized that the end was fast approaching!

Highlights of this portion of the race included spotting Beth and Matt at about mile 20 and Jacob and Jenny at about mile 22.  This gave me extra energy.  As expected, the last part was the most difficult part of the marathon experience.  I was surprised at how good I felt up until mile 20.  I kept waiting for the problems to come… And then they did!   Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as I’d previously envisioned.  My stomach was not happy at about 20, so I eagerly searched for a porta-potty.  Once I found it, the stop set me behind a couple minutes, but it was a huge relief.   Definitely worth it!

I didn’t experience any muscle cramping, but my calves got tight at about mile 23.  I wasn’t in a great deal of pain, but I came to the realization that my legs would not be able to go any faster than their current pace—no matter how much I wanted them to speed up.   I told myself, “This is when you start your final sprint to the finish!”  But it was clear that it wasn’t going to happen—no way, José.    I also had to stop for a light rail crossing at about mile 25, which made my legs very angry at me when they had to start running again after stopping for just a brief moment.  It was a horrible trick.

We did it!  Rachel, Issac, and I stopped for a photo with
Amina-- one of our Ragnar teammates. 

I finally came to the realization that I was almost there.  It was so exciting to come down the home stretch as I saw my friends and family cheering me on; it was a surreal moment.   But I was mainly glad to cross the finish line because it meant that I would be done running!   Phew. 

My pace throughout the race was fairly consistent, yet it slowed down notably during the last few miles.  Here are my split times:

• 5 Km: 28:05; pace: 9:03
• 10 Km:  55:41; pace: 8:58
• 8.9 Mi:  1:19:00; pace: 8:53
• Half: 1:59:13;  pace: 9:06
• 17.5 Mi: 2:41:44; pace: 9:15
• 21.1 Mi: 3:18:10; pace: 9:24
• 26.2 Mi: 4:10:09; pace: 9:33        



Here's a post-finish photo with my family.

Celebration:
Once I was done, it was time to celebrate!  There were all sorts of goodies for us—a finisher medal, long-sleeved technical shirt, rose, seedling, medallion, and pendant.  There were also lots of snacks and liquids.  I rushed through the vendors to meet my supporters and attempted to take in protein, carbs, and fluids to help my body to recover.  We soon met-up with additional runners (and even got to cheer some of them home to the finish) and spectators and went out for a celebratory meal.  I couldn’t believe it was over.

Recovery:

Issac and I joined a group of 10 of our supporters for a
fun and festive CELEBRATION at McMenamins!

Aside from being incredibly pale/blue-lipped (because, apparently, your body can decide to prioritize sending blood to muscles that are working hard when you’re exerting yourself for so long), sweaty, and fatigued, I wasn’t in that bad of shape afterward.  My calves remained tight for a few days, and my hips were sore as well.  Unexpectedly, the most painful part of my body was my neck (and accompanying shoulder).  I am not exactly sure how it happened (or even if I did it during the run), but I somehow managed to strain my trapezius muscle.  This caused lots of painful nights and discomfort for over a week, but I believe that I’m finally over it.  I eventually caved and went to the doctor, who prescribed a muscle relaxant.  In addition, my aunt purchased massages for both Issac and me, which certainly helped! 

All runners were provided with two Portland
Marathon shirts.  I can now wear them with
pride!

Course reflection:
I really loved the Portland Marathon and strongly believe that it was the best first full marathon that I could have chosen.  The weather was perfect; the community support was incredible; and the course entertainment was oodles of fun.  The race included the following everything from belly dancers, to pirates, to opera singers.  It was fabulous, and I highly recommend it to anyone!

Looking ahead:
Now that I’ve finished my first full marathon, I can say with some certainty that more will be in my future.  I’ve already registered for another half-marathon in a few months, and I’m contemplating signing-up for the Vancouver Marathon in May.  Who knows—I may make the Portland Marathon an annual tradition!  I am also tempted to try other athletic challenges, like triathlons or trail runs.  My main goal is just to maintain a certain level of fitness.

Whatever the future holds for me, I know that the Portland Marathon 2013 was undoubtedly one of the most special, memorable adventures of my life.   Many thanks to everyone who was a part of it!!