As you already know, I made it through the marathon. It’s actually kind of weird now not thinking about the run I have to do tomorrow. I could actually just run for fun! But I won’t :). I’m still relatively sore and we’re starting our trip to Cleveland tomorrow so the running will have to wait!
We had a great trip. We flew into Portland (where my brother in law and his wife live) and stayed there until Saturday. We all drove to Eugene on Saturday and were also met by my husband’s parents who drove up from Northern California. I have to say, Oregon is beautiful. I really enjoyed Portland. When we got there it was pretty chilly (about 45, yikes!), but the sun did end up coming out so it was pretty perfect. The weather in Eugene couldn’t have been better. It was about 50-55 and sunny on race day!
Portland has such a cool vibe. I love the emphasis on “city farming” (I guess I would call it?). So many people have their own chickens, some have goats, and the gardens are out of control! It’s such a beautiful place it’s obvious you can grow anything there!
Here’s a couple pictures of Portland and Eugene:
Mmm steel cut oats and fresh fruit at a local cafe.
My sister in law took us on a tour of all the neat little neighborhoods in Portland including the running path along the river.
I could definitely see us living in Portland. Who knows, maybe after Cleveland?
Alright, on to Eugene! We drove straight to the Expo. I became super nervous as we drove to Eugene. Having that goal in mind totally psyched me up. I would go between excitement and nervousness. Mostly excitement :).
The end of the marathon was pretty cool. It ended in Hayward Stadium at the University of Oregon. It doesn’t seem that cool I guess but when I was actually running, the track course gave me the extra motivation I needed to finish strong! After all this is where Steve Prefontaine ran!
And now…the race!
Gettin’ ready in the hotel room!
We got up 5:30 and fueled up with a banana. I did not sleep the night before. I was so psyched up and nervous I could not silence my mind. I kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong in the morning. At one point I thought my stomach hurt and became super paranoid I was going to have food poisoning. It was a rough night!
This was right before the start!
It was a little chilly! It was about 35 at 7 am so I was ready to start running just to warm up!
No, I was not lined up here…
And…. I’m off!
That’s me in the white long sleeved shirt and high black socks!
Around mile 16 I ran into my hubby and his parents! His Dad ran with me a little to keep me motivated. It actually really does lift your spirits when you see people you know during a race, so it was fun!
I never thought I’d see it…but finally I got to the stadium! I was soo happy! I think just because I knew it was almost over, I pushed it hard towards the finish line.
Only 3 hours, 35 minutes, and 46 seconds later!!! I finally saw the wonderful sight of the finish line. I was exhausted. I mean, I guess that’s pretty obvious, but this time was way worse than I’ve ever felt before. I think I went out too fast at the beginning. That mixed with a couple hills ( I hate hills) took it out of me. My feet were killing me! Right when I stopped I had a super sharp pain go up my left thigh, I thought I was gonna fall over. But it was all good…I got my medal and found the family.
Here were my official results:
- Time: 3:35:46 hr/min/sec
- Pace: 8:15 min/sec
- Overall Place: 588 out of (I think) around 8,000
- Division Place: 38/ 198
- Sex Place: 134/1083
It was a fun race and I’m definitely glad I did it. On the other hand, I’m relieved it’s over. I was struggling quite a bit towards the end of the race, I wasn’t sure I could finish. I just think I’ve burned myself out training for this race so I definitely need a break. But right after I crossed the finish line, like I knew I would, I teared up because I was so proud of myself. It really is an incredible feeling.
I wouldn’t say I have the post-marathon blues though! I’m looking forward to getting back to the gym and taking classes. I can’t wait until working out is fun again!!
Thanks for all the support! I really appreciate it! 🙂
Awesome recap – for someone who was toast by the end of the race, you kept on smiling in all of the late-race pics, I don’t know if I’d have it in me at that point! ha! Awesome job!
thanks!! it was NOT easy but its over now yay!!
Congrats, Amy!! Time for a break, but not too long… Heartbreak hill, here you come! PS. I like the black socks!
i knew youd like those….they actually serve a purpose..hah they’re compression socks. im not just rockin’ tall black socks. although those would be lovely too
That is so sweet that your father in law ran a bit with you! You ran so fast but you look so relaxed! And that is definitely super cool that the you ran on the U of O track- I think that’s every runner’s dream. 🙂
So proud of you, Amy! What an incredible time. And so lucky that you had perfect weather. I hate hills, too! I can only imagine how your feet must feel after 26.2 because mine hurt after 13.1. I hope the move to Cleveland goes well. Excited to stay in touch with you through the blog. xo