I did it!!!

It brings me much joy to share that I successfully completed the 2013 Portland Marathon!!!  It was a surreal, amazing experience.  I think I'm still on an endorphin high.  I have so many photos and reflections to post, but it may take me some time to get everything organized. 

Therefore, for now, I'll just provide you with my stats for the race: official time = 4 hours, 10 minutes, 9 seconds; pace per mile = 9 minutes, 32 seconds; average speed = 10.1 KPH or 6.3 MPH; place in my division = 151st out of 643; place out of all female finishers = 788th out of 3,537; and place overall with all finishers = 2,254th out of 6,813.

They also provided me with information that puts this statistical information in a very ego-boosting format: I finished ahead of 77% of the women in my division; I finished ahead of 78% of all women; and I finished ahead of 67% of all finishers.  Furthermore, the website reports that I passed 223 runners (and 26 passed me) in the final 5 miles.  I certainly wasn't in the elite pack out front, but I can still feel like I didn't completely fail on the course.  My training paid off!  Many of my training partners did incredibly well, too, so we can all rejoice. Halleluiah! 

Now that the numbers are out of the way, stay tuned for a more thorough, personalized report at some point in the near future...

The Final Countdown!

It is difficult for me to fully grasp that I will be running the Portland Marathon in just 3 days and 17 hours from this very moment.   Wow!  Eek!  Yikes!  This ominous, futuristic, unknown beast is finally here.  I’ve spent the past several months building it up in my mind and envisioning what it might be like, and now I’ll get to experience it firsthand at last.  It’s time to meet the monster.

They say that you’re not supposed to set a goal time for your first marathon, as it’s impossible to know what your body will do on race day.  Your only goal should be to finish.  However, it has been very challenging for me to not play the number game.  I even have a running calculator saved to my desktop, and I often find myself crunching numbers and creating various scenarios: “What will my time be if I start out at 9-minute miles, and then slow to 10-minute miles at the half?  What if I run full-speed to 16 miles, then slow down to 11-minute miles?  What if I get completely burnt out and have to walk 3 miles near the end, then resume at a speed of 9-minute-30-second miles?”  It’s easy to make myself dizzy with so many numbers spinning in my head.  I am constantly reminding myself that the time on the clock when I cross the finish line is completely arbitrary and insignificant, but this seems to be a tough lesson for me to learn.

It’s also hard for me not to think of all of the horrible possible occurrences throughout the course.  I’ve read scary accounts of marathon runners with digestive problems (who aren’t able to make it to the portapotties-- yuck!), unforeseen injuries, bad chaffing, muscle cramps, dehydration, vomiting spells, etc.  I am coaching myself to push these negative thoughts aside and focus on all of the positive things of running these 26.2 miles.  This will be a goodtime! 

On that note, I’ve created non-numeric goal for myself: I’m going to find something “fun” on every mile of the course.  This could be an amusing sign, an enjoyable entertainment band on the side of the road, an interesting running outfit, a particularly enthusiastic supporter, an adorable child giving out high-fives, or a cute dog.  I will attempt to mentally take note of them all. The Portland Marathon is supposed to have one of the best crowds around, and this should greatly enhance my first marathon experience.  I’m going to try to appreciate every minute of it.

I also feel incredibly grateful that so many friends and family will be there to cheer me on throughout the way.  The support of my parents, aunts, friends, and co-workers (who are all traveling to the race) is very inspiring.   They will certainly make a difference for me.

I’m in the process of creating the final preparations for this event.  I have so many last-minute decisions that can stress me out (e.g.: Should I wear my water belt during the race or rely on the water stations?  What shirt should I wear?  Should I wear my heavier socks?  Should I wear rain gear?  What should I eat for breakfast before the race?  What should I eat to carbo load?), but I’m attempting to just take a deep breath and enjoy the rest of the journey.

Portland Marathon 2013, ready or not-- here I come! 

Fremont Oktoberfest 5K

Teams were in groups of four.  Our team consisted of Chris, Issac,
 myself, and Rachel.  Rachel and Issac will be running the
PDX Marathon, too! 

In the spirit of getting all of the prerace jitters out with a fun race before the big marathon, we recently took part in the Fremont Oktoberfest 5K.  It was a great event!

I will now provide you with all of my stats (just to be consistent with my previous posts): pace= 8:02 per mile, place in my division = 18 out of 199, place out of female finishers = 38 out of 557, and place overall = 148 out of 971.  I had a great time at this race, although I was just slightly disappointed my pace wasn’t just a bit faster.  My Runkeeper app had me tracking at 7:47-minute miles, so I’d led myself to believe I’d have a better time.  Oh, well!  My legs were still a bit tired from the previous day’s long run, which had included several mountainous hills.  Thus, I was still happy nonetheless.

The next time I have a race number pinned to my shirt will be in Portland!

The Enchantments

A year ago, I fell in love with the Enchantments-- an Alpine Lakes Wilderness region near Leavenworth, WA.  The area offers an amazing juxtaposition of tropical-colored waters, stark black-and-white granite geology, and rugged mountains, and it's impossible to describe the extensive color combinations and diverse panoramic scenes found within it.  Because it is such a natural treasure, the US Forest Service restricts the number of people who can stay in the Enchantments via a lottery system, and I feel very fortunate that I've been able to backpack into this natural wonderland two years in a row (thanks to Rachel's incredibly good luck!  I have never been awarded a permit myself, even though I've entered the lottery multiple times).  Both trips exposed me to different parts of the alpine basin (we entered and camped at opposite sides of the region) and reminded me of the fact that I don't need to travel far to see some of the world's most spectacular views.

I've struggled with writing an accurate trip report from our backpacking trip two weekends ago, but here are a few highlights with some of the 200+ photos we took throughout the journey:

We powered through the challenging hike-in with our heavy packs.  Although it included many obstacles and steep inclines, it was nothing compared to our scramble up Aasgard Pass last year!

We set-up camp right next to Upper Snow Lake, and Marc's  hammock provided the perfect accessory to go with our "home" for the trip.

We covered a lot of diverse terrain during our explorations, and our brightly colored outdoor apparel often contrasted with the bleak rock faces that surrounded us.

We came across lots of wildlife, including several friendly (luckily, non-aggressive) mountain goats --  as well as deer, marmots, and fish. 

We also ran into a fellow hiker who had the misfortune of injuring her leg while in this remote wilderness.  We watched as the helicopter circled around us, struggling to find the best location from which to rescue her.  (I later read in the local newspaper that she had been airlifted to a hospital and was doing well.  Thank goodness!).

The cold lake water helped soothe aching feet and legs at the end of long days.

My observations about this outdoor kingdom included the following:

The beautiful scenery of the Enchantments ranges from bright wildflowers...

... to austere peaks.

The colors of the waters range from bright greens...

... to teal blues.

                                       

In addition to the numerous lakes, the astounding water features of the area include many natural waterfalls...

... and this crazy man-made drainage created in the 1930's.  It looks like the world's largest fire hose spewing water off the top of a mountain!



Perhaps my favorite images of the Enchantments are the breathtaking, picturesque reflections often displayed on still waters.  It doesn't get more beautiful and peaceful than this!

We celebrated our successful 2013 Enchantments backpacking adventure at the Icicle Creek Brewery in Leavenworth. Unfortunately, it was then back to reality!

We have no plans to return to the Enchantments at any point in the near future, but perhaps these photos and memories will serve as my "happy place" during future times of stress or frustration.  Who could feel upset in such a majestic setting?!

Running High to Running Low

I sprinted down the home stretch.

August 3rd marked my fourth half-marathon since I ran my first one less than a year ago, and I am happy to report that it was my best time yet!  We took part in the Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon, a hilly course that began at the Tacoma Narrows Airport in Gig Harbor, crossed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, included a lap around Cheney Stadium, and finished near Tollefson Plaza in Downtown Tacoma.   

Here are my stats: overall time= 1:52:13, pace= 8:33 per mile, place out of 30-34-year-old women= 17th out of 83, place out of female runners= 67th out of 468, and place out of all male/female finishers= 206th out of 794. 



We proudly display our medals at the finish line.

I was very pleased with my pacing on this race.  Pacing has continuously been a struggle for me.  With so much adrenaline and determination pumping through me at the start line, I often start out full-force with sub-8-minute miles that are difficult for me to sustain.  By mile 10, I’ve usually run out of gas.  However, this time, I stayed very close to the 8:30 pace throughout the 13.1 miles.  I finished feeling strong and remarkably energized.

This pacing success boosted my running ego, and I was finally feeling confident about the upcoming full marathon... But that didn't last long!   Exactly one week after the Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon, I had one of my worst runs yet.

I set out for a 16-mile run early Saturday morning with a running group.  I had been dealing with an upset stomach and perhaps was already dehydrated, yet I didn't feel that crummy... until we started moving.  I struggled with keeping up with my running partners and eventually had to ask them to continue on without me.  I soon was walking (walking is the runner's ultimate shame!), and every ailment I've ever had  seemed to be conspiring against me (my foot, my hamstring, my calf, my knee, etc.).  My stomach hurt; I had horrible side aches; I urgently needed to find a restroom; and I found myself spiraling down a path of negativity. 

I got lost after attempting to trek on for several miles by myself and tried to make a collect phone call (from a pay phone) to ask Issac to come and pick me up, although I was informed that collect calls cannot be made to cell numbers.  I thought about asking strangers to use their cell phones, although I was sweating so profusely that I was certain they would want me anywhere near their fragile devices.  I ultimately pulled myself together and was able to run home-- only to discover that I was locked out.  (My keys and phone were a few miles away, where I'd parked my car to meet-up with the running group that morning).  It had been over 3.5 hours since I'd first departed for the run.  I felt the complete opposite of strong and energized; I felt fully defeated.

As I reflect about these contrasting experiences, I accept that I'll have both good and bad running days.  I can't expect that every run will be my best, and I'll need to push through all of the physical and psychological challenges to keep at it -- even when it's not pleasant to do so.  I'm just crossing my fingers that October 6, 2013 will be a "good" running day for me.  Let the mental pep talks begin!

Out and About

After running 15 miles on Saturday (my longest run yet-- yay!), we ventured out for some more fresh air on Sunday.  Here are some photos from our hike:



 

 

The weekend culminated with a Sounders game, which also seems as though it should count as physical activity-- as there is so much standing, cheering, jumping up and down, etc. involved.

  

It is now Monday, and I am dragging.  As usual, I feel like I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.  :)

Running the Ragnar Relay

Last weekend, I took part in the Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage race-- a 200-mile run that spanned from the Washington border with Canada all the way down to Whidbey Island.  I had trouble wrapping my mind around the logistical craziness of this event as we prepared for it to take place, but I had oodles of fun with my team (“The All Fun and Gamers”) as we ran and supported one another through this intense (yet enjoyable) journey.  Here is a bit of a photo montage documenting my experience:

“Ragnarians” are very spirited, and creativity is strongly encouraged.   The decorated vans were very amusing, and I was impressed with people’s originality. 

 

 

 

Materials ranged from Christmas lights to piñatas. 

 

As you can see, you can learn a lot about a Ragnar team by the outside of their van.  Do not worry-- we ran into this van many hours later in the race, and Sebo had pooped!  We heartily congratulated him.

 

People also had an assortment of themed costumes.

My first run was in the 90-degree heat of the late afternoon, and it was all uphill!  I was grateful that my team stopped to give me water at multiple points as I ran. 

 

Instead of using a baton, a slap-wrap bracelet was passed from one runner to the next at scheduled exchange locations. 

 

For obvious reasons, this bracelet was soon dripping with sweat.  There were 36 total exchanges.

 

Ragnar is very serious about safety.  Here, Luis models the proper nighttime safety gear.

 

This is what it looks like during the dark runs!  I started my second leg at 1:00AM.  It was incredibly surreal and peaceful at night, and my route led us over a bridge and along the waterfront.  This was also when I had my most “kills” (passes).  I passed 15 people on this run!  It was exhilarating to see the blinking red lights of other runners up ahead of me, then to run past them.

 

 

Mark, Rachel’s dad, was our last runner who brought us home.  We all crossed the finish line together.

 

 

Our team completed the course in 29 hours, 33 minutes.  We finished 166^th out of 373 teams.   We were very happy.

 

 

(Photo credit: Rachel)  After running my 17.7 miles and taking part in all of this nonstop excitement, I was exhausted.   I could not stay awake on the ride home.   I felt like I’d been gone for weeks and weeks!

 

I have now rested and recovered from my Ragnar 2013 experience, and I can’t wait to do it again next year.