detailed Portland Marathon recap

I said earlier that I'd post more race details for those who are interested. If that's not your thing, then just skip this very long post (except for Sara Z., who needs to at least read through the first few paragraphs :)!). Otherwise, read on!

I was staying at the Hilton (the race hotel, something like 3-4 blocks from the start) with my friend Leah. The night before the race, we ate at the pasta buffet at the race hotel. It was pretty good food for $21 and no fuss, which was what we wanted. We were not in the mood to tromp all over the city and/or wait an hour for a table. We were a bit tired (we'd taken a 4 hr van tour of the Columbia Gorge, which was great!) and just wanted to eat and get to bed early. I ate a moderate amount and felt just satisfied, not overly full. Perfect.

After dinner, we just went upstairs to our room and laid out all our race stuff. I'm always surprised at how long it takes to set out my clothes, pin on my bib (in this case BIBS, because racewalkers have to have one on the front and one on the back), and get out all the other stuff you need for the race: nutrition items (gels, Swedish fish, and jelly beans this time), body glide, phone, camera (yes, I do carry a camera (4 oz) when I race!), lip balm, sunscreen, gloves. By now I have set pockets in my Race Ready shorts that I tend to use for various items. The phone goes all the way to the left, the camera to the right, then the gels etc. in the middle pockets. I should have taken a photo of my pockets full of stuff :)!

I called Loren and we chatted about our days. Then I called my parents (who were last-minute packing for their move here from San Diego) to see how things were going. My sister-in-law texted me a good luck message including the words "killer instinct" :) which was to come in handy later. Finally, I got in bed and relaxed a bit by reading the rest of my friend Sara's excellent book. I was only going to read for about 5-10 min (it was 9 pm), but it was good and I didn't want to put it down! It took me about 25 min to finish the book, and it was lights out at 9:25 pm.

We had set the alarm for 5:45 am, because we were going to meet our friend Beth in the hotel lobby at 6:25, and wanted to be sure we had plenty of time. However, both Leah and I woke up around 4:45 am due to a combination of the time zone difference and nerves. I had slept well from 9:25 pm to about 3 am, and after that I woke a few times. I never sleep very well the night before a race, and it seems to be OK, so I didn't worry.

I was surprisingly calm as we got ready. I felt focused and sharp rather than anxiety ridden. When anxious thoughts crept in, I banished them and thought about the "killer instinct" and about how I was determined to WIN.

I had a nice warm fleece that I'd gotten for $1.50 at Thrift Town to wear to the start. Good thing. It was cold (about 45F, 7C) and damp, but calm. I had debated whether to wear long sleeves or short sleeves for the race, because the weather was supposed to be from 45-55F in the morning and partly cloudy. Normally below 50 I wear long sleeves and gloves. I opted for the long sleeve, because my shirt had sleeves that would stay up if I pushed them up, so I figured it would work (this was good; the sleeves were down some and up some during the race, and it was perfect). Of course, for the judged racewalk I had to wear shorts so the judges could see my knees, but I knew my legs would be all right. I did wear gloves - a cheapie pair that I wouldn't mind if I lost one or threw them out. I was glad I had them and wore them on and off until mile 18 or so, at which point I just tucked them in my shorts and left them there.

We walked over to the start and still had about 15 min before the race start at 7 am, so we chatted a bit and then I wanted to line up between the 4:30 and 4:45 pace groups, so I said goodbye to Leah and Beth (who were going to start farther back) and moved into place. I chatted with a few Team in Training participants who were lined up near me, to distract myself and avoid nerves. It was working - my heart rate was only in the upper 80s-low 90s - pretty calm for before a race. I just felt focused determination when I thought about the task ahead.

The gun went off, and we moved forward slowly. My gun time was 6:10 ahead of my watch time at the finish, so it did take a little bit to reach the starting line. But there was little congestion, and right from the start I was able to racewalk pretty close to how fast I wanted to go. There were a couple times I was slowed, but it wasn't too bad; my time was 10:43 at mile 1. My heart rate monitor was going nuts (not sure why - it never does that, and it's matched to my watch so not supposed to interfere w/others) and reading as high as 184, so I just ignored it for the moment and focused on my breathing and how I felt.

I did the second mile in 10:28. Sometime during that mile, Katie passed me. She tapped me on my left shoulder as she went by, and we wished each other good luck. She is a true competitor and a person of integrity. I have the highest respect for her racing ability (she'd beaten me twice the previous summer!). I wasn't worried that she passed me, though, because she likes to go out fast, and I knew I couldn't do that and still finish well, so I hung back and followed my race plan. I was thinking to do about 2:20 for the half marathon, and then see if I could do the same or even a minute or 2 faster for the full, for a 4:40 or less if I had a good day. I figured that Katie would slow down later and I would possibly have a chance to catch her then, if I was feeling OK at that point. I knew she would be a tough competitor and wouldn't give any ground, though. So it is with all respect for my friend that I write what I was thinking from that point on; I was doing what I had to mentally to stay tough. A quote from one of my favorite movies, Gone With The Wind, came to mind. Here's the context:

Scarlett: Atlanta!
Mammy: Savannah would be better for ya. You'd just get in trouble in Atlanta.
Scarlett: What trouble are you talking about?
Mammy: You know what trouble I's talkin' 'bout. I's talking 'bout Mr. Ashley Wilkes. He'll be comin' to Atlanta when he gets his leave, and you sittin' there waitin' for him, just like a spider. He belongs to Miss Melanie...
Scarlett: You go pack my things like Mother said.

When Mammy says "Just like a spider" it comes out "Jes' like a SPIDER" and she says spider with such a great tone in her voice. I love it. I felt like I was going to hang back in the race and wait for Katie "Jes' like a spider".

And wait I did --- for 19 long miles.

For miles 1-5 I tried to just hold my pace and relax. There was a good hill from mile 2-3; I did mile 3 in 10:51 and then the mile 4 downhill in 10:13. I think mile 5 was a little downhill, too, because I didn't push very hard and did it in 10:12. Then we settled into a flat area along the waterfront and I did mile 6 in 10:32, and reached 10K in 1:05:17 according to my chip on the website (they seem to have found my splits and have them posted; they are all correct except my finish chip time = my finish gun time, not right). OK, that was about 45 sec fast for the 10K, but I figured that was fine. I didn't want to waste myself, but I didn't want to get too far behind, either.

Entering the industrial section from miles 7-11 I stayed calm, listened to my music, and just focused. There were lots of bands and entertainment, but I was totally in my zone, so didn't pay too much attention to anything else. It was weird - you wonder what you think about for the hours of a marathon, but I basically thought about my pace (staying relaxed & even), my form (staying efficient & legal), my race strategy (not going too hard to start), and my steely determination to win the race. I sometimes thought about my music - the stuff I chose was good for keeping me going. I did enjoy the new sights of a new city, but only peripherally. It was just odd how focused I was. Splits for the next miles were 10:53 (mile 7), 10:21 (mile 8), 10:57 (mile 9), 10:29 (mile 10) and 10:26 (mile 11). I wonder if the mile markers were right, because I was trying to be steady and didn't think I got so much slower in miles 7 & 9 vs. the others.

Miles 7-11 were an out-and-back section, which was helpful. I was scanning the returning runners to try & see Katie and learn how far ahead she was. I finally saw her about mile 8.9 and noted her position; when I got there I calculated she was something like 3 minutes ahead of me. That seemed about right, I figured, because if she slowed later (which I thought she'd have to - she was on pace for a blistering first half - her chip says she did 2:15:30), 3 minutes was not too much to make up. I relaxed a bit and stayed with my plan.

Mile 12 had a long, gradual hill, but was through some interesting residential areas with some good spectators. I did it in 11:05, and then enjoyed the downhill in mile 13, which I got to in 10:20. At the 1/2 marathon, my watch said 2:18:44 (chip 2:18:45 on the website). I was slightly concerned because I was a minute faster than I'd planned, but I felt good, and didn't worry about it much - just stayed in the zone.

Miles 13-16 were along St Helens Rd, which is industrial on the right (rail yards) but pretty forest on the left. I looked at the forest and tried to keep my pace even on this flat part. I didn't feel tired yet, and my foot was feeling fine. [Oh yeah, I DID wear my orthotics --- I discovered that if I wore my largest shoes and put a bandaid on top of my foot that they did not rub much, and the orthotics really did help my foot feel better. I did NOT wear the lidocaine patch as it just slid around too much and bugged me; I figured the adrenaline would do pain relief for me]. Mile 14 was in 10:35, mile 15 in 10:22, and mile 16 in 10:58. Mile 16 was a little slower because there was a little bit of a hill before the big one started at mile 16.5.

Somewhere in here my foot started to ache a bit more, and it was noticeably achy from here until the finish, although it was never really painful and it certainly didn't hinder my race at all. I think the uphill might have bothered it a bit, as the toe push is the most difficult thing with this injury.

Thankfully for my sore foot, the course is really very flat with just 3 hills of note, but the biggest is up to St. John's Bridge at mile 16.5-17. It's not too long, but it is pretty steep. My Garmin pace was reading anywhere from 12-14 min miles heading up that hill. I kept racewalking, just with smaller steps, and enjoyed passing lots of runners who were walking up the hill. One runner commented "you're a STUD!" as I passed :). Mile 17 was 11:39; not bad for that hill.

The views from the bridge were incredible. I have pictures here. Yes, I did whip out my camera but did NOT slow down much at all - I just kept right on going while I shot pictures. Coming off the bridge there is a downhill, but not as long as the uphill, because the course goes along a bluff on the other side of the river. Here I actually talked with a runner for a little bit - the only person I really talked to during the race, as I was very focused. But he asked me something about RWing and I really wanted to promote the sport :). I did mile 18 in 10:22, with the downhill and then slight uphill to the bluff.

By this time I was really wondering where Katie was. I kept looking for her going up the bridge hill and over the bridge, thinking I might be able to spot her. But no luck. She was having a good, fast race, I figured, but I still stuck with my plan and didn't speed up too much; I just tried to hold my pace here and figured I'd do fast miles to finish, just like in my long training walks. And then...I saw her! Distinctive RW gait, blue tank top, yup, it was her! I was about 0.1 mile (or less?) behind her at mile 19, but she wasn't going very fast (about 11:00/mile?) so I caught up relatively quickly. I stayed about 20 ft behind her for a couple miles, because I didn't want her to know I was there quite yet. I don't know much about race strategy, so I was feeling a bit nervous at this point and not sure what to do. I didn't want to pass until I could pass convincingly and hold on to the finish, so I decided to wait for a bit. I did mile 19 in 10:46 and mile 20 in 10:48, staying just behind her.

Then our friend Lisa (from our Portland-to-Coast team) showed up between miles 20-21 to RW with Katie to the finish. I had no idea she was coming, and was surprised and hoped she didn't see me. But pretty soon she did see me, because I was close, and she kept getting ahead of Katie and would look back for Katie. When she saw me, she told Katie I was there, and Katie sped up right there, at the mile 21 marker. My mile 21 split was 11:00 (following Katie's pace before she spotted me).

Things got very interesting. Katie did mile 22 in 10:07 and mile 23 in 10:16, and I just stayed right with her. I was working hard, but knew I had a little more to give. Yes, I was tired (who wouldn't be at mile 23?), and my legs hurt, but I had practiced speeding up at the end of my long racewalks, and I was prepared to do it now. I kept wondering when to make my move. There was a nice downhill from mile 22-23, and it got even steeper downhill from mile 23-24. That was when I decided to go for it. I was thinking of what my sister-in-law said about "killer instinct", and since there was only 5K to go, I figured I could hold on to the finish and grit it out. So I passed her, and as I did I said something like, "You are amazing - this is a GREAT race!", meaning it with all my heart. After that, I went as hard as I possibly could for the next mile and did not look back at all. The downhill was followed by a short uphill, which felt like forever at that point. Everything was hurting - legs, obliques, lungs - but I didn't care. All I wanted to do was to win the race. I powered up the hill, hoping that if I went fast enough I could build a lead that would hold to the finish. I got to mile 24 in 10:02, my fastest split of the race.

At mile 24, there was a curve in the road and I dared to glance back. I could see back a few tenths maybe, and I could not see Katie or Lisa. But I was still scared that she would be able to catch me somehow. I didn't have much left in the tank, and pushed as hard as I could for the next 2.2 miles. It was very painful; I have never worked so hard. My ave HR ranged from 168-170 (88.5% max) at the end of the race, with a max of 173, which is less than in a 5K (where I usually see as much as 177 peak), but for the end of a marathon, those are high numbers for me. It's above lactate threshold, so the lactic acid was starting to build up in my muscles. I felt it - a lot - but kept going. I switched to breathing more frequently, and felt the soreness in every muscle. My pace did suffer at this point; the fast three miles from 21 to 24 had taken its toll. I got to mile 25 in 10:43 and mile 26 in 10:51, and the last 0.2 was the slowest of all at 2:26.

There were a ton of spectators in the last 0.5-1 mile, and they were all cheering a lot and saying my name (on my bib). It helped, but I was in such obvious agony that some of them looked as if they were wondering if I was going to make it. I just pushed through it all and was grateful for the support; as I rounded the last curve before the last 0.2 I looked back and did not see Katie. At that point I dared to think that I really might win, and as I crossed the finish line I held my hands over my head in victory. After stopping my watch, I slowed, and my legs almost buckled. They felt like Jell-O. I have never pushed that much in a race - good (and a bit scary) to know that I can push that hard. If it wasn't for how amazing Katie is and how hard she went, I would never in a million years have pushed that hard.

I received my medal & space blanket and waited for her to come. I pulled out my camera to get some photos of her crossing the finish line. After she crossed, we high-fived, hugged, and were both so glad it was over. We congratulated each other and told each other we'd never have gone so fast without the other there. She was very gracious in her congratulations to me, and showed true character in saying, "I'm just glad that if someone had to beat me that it was you". I really admire her sportsmanship and fitness; it would be a pleasure to race her again, because we are so well-matched that the outcome would never be certain, and we'd push each other to be our best. I finished in 4:38:27 (by my watch - I still do not have my official final chip time, which will be really close to that), and Katie in 4:40:45ish (the seconds might not be right on her time) by her watch. These were new PRs for both of us, and it felt great.

We had someone take our picture and then got some food and we hung out sitting on the sidewalk for a while. I guess we must have looked pretty awful, because a volunteer said "Are you guys OK?" and got us some water. The volunteers were SO kind and helpful; one of them offered to tie my space blanket around my shoulders so it would be easier to carry my food.

After we ate something, we got our T-shirts, roses, and tree seedlings (they give all that to each finisher!), and then walked to near where Katie was parked; she was going home to sleep. I found my way back to my hotel, walking slowly and painfully, and took a shower before heading over to the awards ceremony. The chief judge told me she didn't have my results at all, so I told her what my watch said; she said she'd try to find out what was going on w/my timing. She also said that the RW judging sheets wouldn't be complete for a while, so they would just mail all the RW awards.

I was fine w/that and returned to my hotel for an ice bath to soothe my tired legs. I hate ice baths, but they really do help with the inflammation. I made a few phone calls to friends and family to let them know about my new PR & the victory, and then Leah got back from the race. She and Beth had finished in 6:23 and were quite pleased. Pretty soon I had to head to the airport to catch my plane. What a truly amazing experience!