Wow, that was a tough race! I went into it not expecting to do well because my training season had been slowed by knee pain at the start and mild plantar fasciitis at the end. But for some reason, I set really high stretch goals. First, I wanted to break five hours. If I couldn’t do that, I wanted to get a new PR, which would mean finishing in under 5:17. If I couldn’t do that, I wanted to finish faster than my Chicago Marathon time of 5:34. If I couldn’t do THAT, I just wanted to finish.
If you don’t want to wade through all of the gory details, I finished in 5:27:02, slowed by a very painful IT band which locked up around Mile 22.
Still reading? Here we go!
Friday, October 2nd.
Leaving the Bay Area. I flew out early on Friday because I wanted to spend some time exploring the city when I got there and I wanted to rest as much as possible on Saturday.
Arriving in Portland. Notice how much greener it is? The funny thing is, they just legalized recreational pot the day before I arrived. I wanted so badly to buy some, but the opportunity never presented itself. It was funny seeing a TSA agent with what I assume was a drug dog as I was leaving the secure area of the airport. There was also a sign that said something like, “Please don’t try to bring recreational marijuana on the plane. Thank you, PDX.”
I got to the hotel before 11am, but they let me check in really early. Thanks, Marriott! I got settled in my room, then took a little stroll around the city.
This is the river walk. I really liked Downtown Portland and could envision living here if it got more sun.
Then I went to the expo to pick up my race stuff. It was held in the basement of the Portland Hilton and felt like a really bad combination of dank and cheesey. For starters, it was held on two basement floors. Bib pickup was held on the lower floor. You were then channeled through the race merchandise booth and the first level of expo booths. You had to go to the upper floor to get your gear backpack (and since there was no gear check at this race, it should’ve just been a shopping bag or something). I usually like to pick up a souvenir, but I didn’t like any of the official gear. I did pick up a new Flipbelt because my old one was a little loose now that I’ve lost a bit of weight. I bumped into our team manager, Lorri, and we went downstairs to do more shopping. I ended up with a decent long-sleeve t-shirt and a cool sweatshirt from an earlier Portland Marathon. Bonus: they were a lot cheaper than this year’s stuff!
After we bailed from the expo, we grabbed a bite to eat at Kat’s Crepes. I only had three things on my agenda for this trip: eat, drink and run. I ended up doing a lot of all three!
Lorri’s iPhone was acting up, so she made a Genius Bar appointment at the Portland Apple Store. So we headed over there and waited. And waited. I think I gave up after half an hour and left her to meet up with Richard, Lucy and Bree, our local host who’d moved up there last spring. They were at the expo, so I went back there, found them and walked through the dismal display of booths and merchandise a second time.
Then we headed over to the only touristy thing on my wish list: Powell’s City of Books. It’s huge! Yet, the marathon section wasn’t any bigger than you’d find at any other bookstore, and they didn’t have the one I had in mind, a book called “Fast After Forty.” But serendipity struck and I found one I really liked. It’s called “A Street Cat Named Bob.” I’d heard about it before, but it didn’t really make an impression on me at the time. But it’s a great story: a recovering drug addict adopts a cat, learns how to be responsible, and thanks to the attention he and the cat attract while busking and selling a London street magazine called “The Big Issue,” becomes internet-famous and gets off the street. It’s a quick read, which actually feels more like a blog, but I liked it so much, I bought the follow-up, “The World According to Bob.”
After walking forever, we went to the Deschutes Brew Pub. Beer and burger were delicious. We also went to a cupcake place, then I went back to the hotel.
A little later that evening, I got a message from Kimberly and Julia, who drove up from Morgan Hill and were staying at a fancy boutique hotel called the Nines. So, I met them for a drink and a game of Cards Against Humanity, which is always hilarious.
Let’s see…getting up early for my flight, walking all over Portland, eating and drinking…yup, that night, I slept pretty well.
Saturday, October 3rd.
Met up with Jen, Pete, Rich and Kimberly for breakfast at a place Bree, Richard and Lucy went the day before: Pine State Biscuits. There was a food cart version in Downtown, but we wanted a sit-down breakfast. So we took a cab across the river. The place was pretty small, and there was a line out the door. But we got our table after about 20 minutes. It was well worth it! This place had the best biscuit gravy I’ve ever had! I ordered the Reggie Deluxe, which was fried chicken, bacon & cheese topped with gravy and an egg (which was what made it “deluxe”). It was so good, I wanted another one! Everyone else thought I was kidding, but I was serious! Didn’t get one, though.
I finally tried Lyft on the way back. I hailed a “cab” (Lyft car?) and miscalculated how many were in our party because Kimberly met us at the restaurant. So, we had to split up. I think our driver was new to Lyft because he didn’t know how the app worked from a navigation standpoint and had to use Apple Maps. He also wasn’t the best driver. I think I gave him three stars, but at least we got back safely.
Met up with Paulie and her husband Harold later. I needed some food and supplies for the next day, and she needed to make her pilgrimage to Lululemon, so we hailed an Uber car and hit up the shops. Went to Whole Foods afterward, then back to the hotel for more rest before the TNT Inspiration Dinner.
Go Team!
Our awesome staff!
After dinner, it was time to prepare for the race. Pinned my bib and made sure it fit under my hydration backpack straps. I was kinda bummed because it was so large that it covered up my honorees. But I know who they are and that’s all that matters.
Then I dressed my chair and tried to get some sleep. It wasn’t easy. The Angels were fighting for a playoff spot and the game didn’t end until 11pm. Still, I set my alarm for 4am and never heard the end of the game. So I must’ve gotten at least five hours of sleep.
Sunday, October 4th.
We met in the lower lobby at 6am, got our final pep talk from Coach Meghan, and made our way to our starting corrals. I was psyched!
Blurry selfie.
Obligatory porta-potty shot.
And we’re off!
I figured that if I wanted to break five hours, I’d need to average a little under 11:30 minutes/mile. And if I reached the top of St. John’s Bridge at Mile 17 in 3:15, I’d have a good shot at achieving my stretch goal because, according to the course elevation profile, it would be all downhill from there.
Naturally, the course elevation profile is fucked up and wrong! But I’ll get to that part later.
The first part is accurate: a gentle downhill at the start, a fairly big bump, then a lot of flatness. So, my plan was to go out slow and use a 5-minute/1-minute run/walk interval, but not start my walk breaks until I got to the bump. My thinking was that I’d warm up faster if I didn’t take two walk breaks on the downhill. Not sure if it helped or hurt or didn’t make a damned bit of difference.
I felt good and chatted with some coaches at the early part of the course. They run with you for awhile, and that mileage really adds up depending on how many TNT participants are doing a race. So, around Mile 4 or 5, I told Coach Erin, “I’m good. Save your legs for after Mile 20 when I’ll really need your support!”
Portland got its name because it’s a major port. That also means there are a lot of trains that run through it. The race program even warns you that you might have to stop for one because they have the right of way. What it doesn’t tell you is that where it’s flat and easy to run, it’s also full of ugly, industrial buildings and train tracks that used to serve them. While I didn’t have to stop for any trains, I did have to watch my footing crossing all those tracks.
Along the route, there were also a few pot dispensaries. A few of us joked that a joint would’ve been really nice to have later in the race, but I didn’t take advantage of its legal status the whole weekend.
Just after the small bump at Mile 12, you start a long, gentile climb. It’s much nicer scenery than the flat part, but it never changes. You see a wooded hillside to your left and the Willamette River on your right. Forever. And ever. Here it is.
This is near Mile 15. And that’s the St. John’s Bridge, where I would see if I had a chance to reach my stretch goal or not. Shortly after taking this picture, I had my first surprise.
Here’s a closeup of the course profile. Looks like a nice, even climb for about a mile and a half, right?
Here’s what my GPS watch said it looked like. My eyes and legs concur: it is not a an even climb! You basically get to Mile 16, round a slight bend, and come face-to-face with a wall! I had to walk that beast, so it threw my time off a little. But that shocking discovery just messed with my head and my legs. Both of these things would come back to haunt me later.
For what it’s worth, that huge valley is actually where the St. John’s Bridge crosses the river. GPS data usually follows the earth, not structures, so at those coordinates, it’s like 12 feet over sea level when you’re really at 150 feet.
Anyway, I got to the bridge a little after my stretch goal marker of 3:15. I think it was 3:22 when I saw Meghan and we took the awesomest race pic ever!
I told Meghan she was a great coach and that I thought this was the marathon would teach me a lesson. She asked me what lesson had I learned and I said, “I won’t know that until it’s over.”
Okay, so I wasn’t going to run a sub-5-hour marathon. I could still get a PR. Or so I thought until I left her and ran down the other side of the bridge and got the next surprise. Instead of being a gentle decline which leads to a flat section, it’s actually a steep downhill, which taxes your legs in a different way, followed by a short, steep climb, followed by another gentle climb.
Side note: If I ever meet the person responsible for this course profile illustration, I will not be held responsible for any and all acts of violence I may or may not inflict upon him or her.
I was still feeling okay, mentally and physically, but I knew I wasn’t going to have anything left at the end of this race. I hoped I could hold on for a PR. That’s when I met my new ex-girlfriend.
This is Wendy. She’s from Calgary (no, seriously, my new ex-girlfriend lives in Canada…you wouldn’t know her). This is her 34th marathon. We met around Mile 19. She was running steadily and I was doing my run/walk, so we passed each other a lot and I finally struck up a conversation with her. Sometimes, the people you meet during a race don’t want to hear from you — or vice versa — but I could tell from the comments she was making to volunteers and other runners that she was cool. She encouraged me to keep running, but I knew our love wasn’t meant to last. We parted ways around Mile 22…after my right IT band started locking up.
This was a new problem for me. I’d never experienced an IT band problem before, but I could not start running after a walk break without feeling excruciating pain. I was also cramping at various times in my left hip flexor and both quads. I could control that by taking in more electrolytes and fluids and it wasn’t too bad. But the IT band was really bad. I had to stop a few times to massage it, only to find that I had a hard time walking with it acting up again. I found the best thing to do was to run slowly. For some reason, it didn’t feel as bad when I was running. But after running through a walk break because I was on a steep downhill (which, once again, the course profile got wrong!), my IT band stopped cooperating at Mile 22 and it was a struggle all the way to the finish line.
Still smiling, though. Even through the pain! This was taken just after crossing the Broadway Bridge. That’s Portland’s Union Station in the background.
This is the home stretch, probably a mile from the finish line. Not smiling anymore, although I bet if I’d seen the photographer before he or she got this shot, I probably would’ve. It’s my camera reflex.
And there’s the finish line! After five hours, 27 minutes and two seconds of (mostly) running, I could finally stop. But I was kind of pissed because two women holding hands jumped in front of me and held up a sign just as I was crossing the finish line. I thought they ruined my finish line pic(s). What’s worse, the two women were TNT participants, so I couldn’t even make a snide comment about race etiquette.
I’m glad I didn’t, though, because after picking up my finishers swag, I saw the photo-blockers near the TNT check-out tent. One of them broke down crying and the other was comforting her. I remember my first marathon and if this was hers — or maybe, like me, she just had a really bad race — I forgave her completely for whatever faux pas she committed. Also, unbeknownst to me, the photo company had a lot of people stationed at the finish line, including some on cherry pickers. So, they had a lot of angles to choose from.
After the race, you get a rose (Portland is the city of roses, apparently) and you’re supposed to get a cedar sapling to take home and plant. But in my run-addled, totally exhausted state, I just told the volunteer handing them out, “No thanks, I’d probably just throw it away.” I guess I’m a real jerk after running 26.2 miles 🙂
And that’s it for the race. I wandered around (staggered around, really) and was trying to make my way back to the team hotel when I encountered a barricade manned by a lone security guard. “How can I get to the Marriott?” I asked. He had a pitiful look on his face and said, “I’m really, really sorry, but you’re going to have to go up this street a few blocks and go the other way around.” I just thanked him and turned around. He was just the bearer of bad news. At least my IT band was feeling better after a little rest.
I limped back to the hotel, having already messaged teammates to have a beer waiting for me. Team in Training peeps are the best! I had a couple of beers while I recovered and swapped stories with my teammates. I found out that Paulie had a bad race and threw up right after the bridge. She was about a half hour off her PR. Jen had a bad race, but still set a new PR. She wanted to break five hours, too, but couldn’t complain about her results.
When I finally had the strength to get back to my room, I laid out my swag for this pic, then hopped in the shower. Oregon doesn’t have a drought, or water restrictions, like us Californians do, so it was a long, glorious shower indeed!
The TNT after-party was held at Kells Irish Pub. I went with Paulie and Harold and we ate and drank like there was no tomorrow. It was great! Jen had to fly back that evening. I don’t know how she did it, but she went to work the next day.
Monday, October 5th.
After a good night’s rest, I got up, finished packing and went downstairs to get coffee and maybe something to eat. I didn’t feel like walking around, so I just went to the hotel bar, which had Starbucks coffee and pastries. Combined with what was left from my Whole Foods trip, I had enough food to get me to the airport.
PDX is a weird airport in that they have a lot of shops and stuff before you get to the security area. So, I stopped at the first food place that looked good, bought a breakfast burrito and a bottle of orange juice, and devoured the burrito so fast, I didn’t have time to drink the OJ, so I stashed it in my backpack and moved on — totally forgetting that you can’t bring liquids like that through the checkpoint.
Guess who got stopped by the TSA? It wasn’t too bad. They just tested my shoes and bags for explosives residue and asked me if I wanted to keep the drink and go through security again after I’d finished it. I said, “no, thanks,” and chalked it up to experience.
There were a few teammates on my flight. I sat with Paulie and Harold.
The rest of the return trip was uneventful and after reading so much about Street Cat Bob, I was really glad to get home and see my two cats!
Epilogue.
This season has had its ups and downs, but not getting a PR was really a bummer. I’ve been getting steadily faster as a runner and to miss by ten minutes is sobering. But I now know the lessons this marathon taught me: I set an unrealistically fast stretch goal and went out way too fast trying to achieve it. Thankfully, I don’t think I did any lasting damage and probably have enough left in this old (and getting older) body to try for a new marathon PR next year. I am going to enter the NYC Marathon lottery again and hope to get in. Not sure what other fall marathons I could do if I don’t. Chicago is always a possibility. But whatever, I have to get through the post-TNT-season blues first. It’s always a let-down because you grow close to a lot of people during the season and then you kind of go your separate ways afterward. Oh well, there’s always Facebook.
Lorri also wants me to join the cycle team for AMBRR in June. I wouldn’t mind doing that one again, but I told her if I do, it’ll be as a participant because I want to see how fast I can do it. I can’t do that if I’m ride support.
I guess I should look at the bright side: I still have things to look forward to while I enjoy not training for a marathon!