Well, I made it through! It rained for the entire 26.2 miles, but it was still a great race. It had rained the day before, and was supposed to clear up for marathon day, but what did I hear the pitter patter of outside at 5am? RAIN! Well, I wasn't about to let a little rain get me down, so off we went to Portland. I didn't have a rain jacket with me so I (in the company of many other runners) wore a trash bag through most of the race. Hey, it's a marathon, not a fashion show! Though I was glad it was a clear bag so I could still show off my Train to End Stroke singlet and let folks know about my 50 States Challenge.
Most memorable moments of the marathon:
The Start:
I didn't let myself think about the rain at the beginning, I just thought about the race. I only had a month of training under my belt after 3 months off of running (I was recovering from surgery), and so my plan was to run as I had been training, with a one-minute walking break every 5 minutes. I was ready to go, as was everyone around me who were varying levels of soaking wet. We crossed the start line to "Baby we were Born to Run" which can't help but get a runner in the right mood for the 26.2 miles ahead of them.
Somewhere between mile 3-4:
At this time, the adrenaline of the start was diminishing and the fact that it was raining pretty hard and it was not going to stop was heavy on my mind. At my next walking break, I made sure I was in the clear of any runners, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I thought of my Gram, my Pop, my Grandpa, and my Dad. My Gram was the reason I started to run in the first place, and I thought about memories of Gram and Pop when I was growing up. I thought about how if my Gram were here, she would be so mad that I was out running way too far in cold and rainy weather, and would be telling me to get inside. I thought about everyone I've met who has been touched by stroke, including all of my Tedy's Team and Train to End Stroke teammates. Before I knew it, I was off and running and mentally ready to face the rain for the next 4 hours. And you know, it wasn't so bad!
Mile 12ish
I remember this well, because we were running down the second nice big hill of the run. This was mostly an out-and-back race, and at that point runners were passing back in the other direction, and I couldn't help but think that running up the hill on the way back was certainly not going to be my favorite part of the race...
Mile 16-17
But I ran up those hills! Oh yeah, not gonna let some hill beat me! I even got some cheers from crowd members who were out braving the rain to cheer us on for not giving in and walking. I didn't care who was walking and who was running, I only cared that I was not going to give into some hill. And I didn't.
Mile 17-26.2
I have no idea how this happened or where my energy came from. I started this marathon prepared to finish well over my normal time (due to the reduced training time), with a time of 5:15-5:30. Despite my walking breaks every 5 minutes, I somehow managed to run faster during my 5 minute running time than my usual pace. I finished in 4:46:14, which is my 4th fastest time of the 8 marathons I have run. Not bad for one month of training!
Maybe I was able to make this time because of the rain, and the desire to get to the finish so I could have some food and dry clothes. I think more likely it was the cause. In all of the marathons that I have run for this cause, somewhere along the race, it hits me. I think about what I'm doing and who I am running for, and I have a moment or two when a tear will come to my eye. I usually carry a note with me that my Gram wrote, but I didn't this time because of the rain. It didn't matter though because I carried her and everyone I run for with me, and that took me to the finish line. I think it hit me around mile 25, and I took that with me to the end, and crossed the finish line of my 4th state in this challenge feeling great.
Now onto #5 at the Walt Disney World Marathon!!
Race Highlights:
In clear weather, it would have been a beautiful course, with the start and finish right along the water
Plenty of water stops with lots of great volunteers
The hills are not as bad as one might anticipate
Very well run and well organized
My favorite tech shirt so far: Maine... The Way A Marathon Should Be.
New for this race: #1 Song that got me through a tough patch
Flashdance (What a Feeling)
Love those 80s tunes.
If you are curious... yes, we were instructed to wear our numbers sideways.
