2019 PORTLAND MARATHON RACE REPORT

With Katie before the start of the race! This was right before heading toward the start line, about 6:45am.

Another fall, another marathon. Five months of training all led to Sunday morning. While it was nice to have "home bed advantage" this year, I wasn't able to take advantage of it. I did get a good night of sleep on Friday night, about nine hours, so the three I got the night before the marathon didn't hurt me too much. Just tossing and turning with anxiety and nerves again. I sleep like a log before any lesser race distance, so it just goes to show you what I think about the challenge of a full marathon.

Very early on in downtown.

My alarm went off at 5am. My goal was to leave the house around 5:45 and be downtown by shortly after 6:00 as the race kicked off at 7:10. So despite my lack of sleep, I popped up and got dressed. I had a cup of coffee and bagel and cream cheese, my traditional marathon morning meal. I was also able to go to the bathroom a little, not a lot, but enough to make me feel good about that not being an issue during the race. I actually got out of the house on time and headed downtown.

Getting downtown was a breeze at that time of day and I ended up parking in my trusty SmartPark garage. It was only a few blocks to the starting area. I had some time to kill but it was nice not to be in a rush. I used a bathroom without having to wait in line and then met Katie near the bag check. We chatted for a bit, but I didn't want to get stuck back in the chute, so about 6:45 I peeled off my clothes and headed to the start line. They had big banners displaying different speeds and you were supposed to self seed. Makes sense for a race this size and I was easily able to line up near a 3:40 marathon pace.

MILES 1-7: NORTHWEST & THE ROSE QUARTER (8:13, 8:12, 8:44, 8:05, 8:09, 8:40, 8:22)

It was about 45 degrees with the race kicked off but I was never really cold and the weather was honestly just about perfect! There was basically no wind so it was very comfortable. I accidentally left my beanie on, I meant to take that off at the bag check, so I almost immediately had to put that in my pocket and carried it 26 miles. My gloves lasted about six miles before they too were in my pocket. It wasn't long before the sleeves on my long sleeve shirt were rolled up too.

Coming back from the Moda Center.

The chute actually went really well. People seemed to seed themselves appropriately and it wasn't ridiculously busy like the Marine Corp Marathon. I never had trouble hitting whatever pace I was trying for. I ended up staying with the 3:40 pacer and just following their lead. While their goal pace was 8:23/mile, they were going a little fast. Not terrible though, they have to have some cushion due to not running a perfect course. In retrospect, it might have been a little fast, but nothing too drastic.

The 8:44 mile was the climb up Burnside. It wasn't too bad, pretty similar to the start of the MCM last year, or the early hill on the old Portland Marathon course. The problem with this race though... it wasn't the first of one or two hills, it was the first of MANY hills. The 8:40 mile was the hill to get over the Broadway Bridge over to the Moda Center. Some good sights on the route. I have seen all of this a million times, but if you were from out of town it is a really great course for seeing the various parts of the city.

So how was I feeling after the hilly jaunt through Northwest and the Rose Quarter? Eh, not great. The pace felt easy, which was good, but my chest was tight, like I was about to have a side stitch. I think it was just nerves that took a long time to go away, but it was uncomfortable and annoying because my cardio wasn't labored at all. My legs felt great but it wasn't as comfortable as I was hoping due to the tightness in my chest. The atmosphere of the race was great though and the 3:40 pacers were nice and chatty.

MILES 8-13: GOOD STRETCH OVER THE SELLWOOD (8:14, 8:39, 7:57, 8:25, 8:15, 8:50)

My cardio finally relaxed and felt good about mile eight or so. Unfortunately, this part of the race was just about the only part where I was feeling good. After coming back across the Broadway Bridge from the Moda Center we headed south toward Macadam Avenue. This included a nice downhill mile where I was able to clock a 7:57. Again, probably too fast. I was sticking with the 3:40 pace in the hopes I could hang with them for a good while before slowly drifting back

Coming across the Sellwood Bridge.

I ate my first pack of Shot Bloks at mile six near the Moda Center, and then another pack once I had crested the Sellwood Bridge. By the way, that 8:50 mile was the hill up to the bridge. The amount of hills in the first half of the race was a little surprising. I knew there would be hills based on the elevation chart, but I was kind of hoping they would be the type of hill that looked big but you would barely notice them during the race. Unfortunately, all of these hills were noticeable. None of them were bad, but they added up.

This part of the race down to Macadam was probably the last scenic of the entire run but it still beat the pants off of a lot of the old course. Once to the Sellwood Bridge and into Sellwood though the sights were pretty good. As mentioned, I ate a pack of gummies at the top of the bridge, so when I swung into the neighborhoods and met Vincent around mile 13, I already had a lot of sugar in my belly.

It was at this point I made a bad mistake. Vincent had brought me KitKats as a treat and he offered me one as soon as I saw him. It sounded good, so I ate it. I then swigged some of the Gatorade he brought for me. Too much sugar. My belly almost immediately started to hurt. As I crossed the half marathon mark in 1:50:18, my stomach was in a lot of discomfort. I was hoping a few burps would get rid of it, but unfortunately the rest of the race I would be struggling with a touchy tummy.

MILES 14-20: WANTING TO RALPH NEAR REED (8:13, 8:29, 8:51, 8:53, 8:47, 8:57, 8:49)

I was able to keep pace for one more mile (I think this included some downhill) before I started to succumb to the problems in my stomach. I have no idea how much further I would have lasted if my stomach wasn't bothering me though. The first half was a lot hillier than I expected and I could feel it starting to wear on my legs. They still felt fine, but I could tell the miles and elevation were starting to take a small bit of the spring out of my step. While the new Portland Marathon doesn't have a monster hill, the many smaller hills do add up.

Eating the ill-fated Kit Kat.

As you can see, my times quickly slipped into the high 8s. At this point I knew I had started too fast and had some time banked, so the goal was to just stay under 9 as long as I possibly could. My stomach was really bothersome though. I was burping to no avail and I would let out terrible sounding greats as the indigestion would rise in my throat. Not fun! The slowdown here really wasn't due to my legs or my cardio, it was trying to keep my stomach at bay. The faster I ran the more uncomfortable it was, so I was just trying to ride the line between speed and not blowing chunks.

This part of the course is really scenic though. The hilliest part of the second half, but good sights and good crowd support. There is a nice, long portion of this part of the race where runners are running opposite directions on a tree lined avenue. That was fun because I was able to spot a couple of people faster and slower than me depending on where I was. At the top of this "lollipop" portion was a loop around Reed College, which I had never actually been to. Really pretty campus, but one of the steepest hills in the race somewhere along here. Overall though the sights were a nice distraction from everything else.

At the beginning of the race I was drinking two cups at each aid station, one water and one Nuun electrolyte drink. After the stomach issues around halfway, it took everything I had just to drink one water at each station. I was DREADING the water stations (weird flip of the normal script) because I knew I had to splash water into my stomach which was making it hurt even more. However, I knew I needed to keep my fluids up, so I powered through it. I did NOT eat at mile 18 as planned though. Just couldn't bring myself to do it. Was hoping the two packs of gummies and single fun sized KitKat would be enough.

MILES 21-26.2: GRINDING TO THE FINISH (9:17, 9:06, 9:20, 9:25, 9:28, 8:57)

One of the larger hills on the backside resulted in my first mile time above 9. I was hoping to bring the next one in below 9 and try to keep that trend going, but as you can see, it didn't work. At point point my legs were definitely starting to tire. So I think without the stomach issues I could have made it to mile 21 or so before really slowing down. About par for the course. Overall the stomach thing maybe cost me 2 or 3 minutes, nothing huge.

You could say I was ready to be done.

I was just in survival mode at this point. I wasn't in any pain or anything, I was just tired with a stomachache. Honestly this was the best my legs have ever felt in the final stretch of a marathon. While they were worn down and I was exhausted, they weren't screaming at me like most years. My feet, while a little sore, weren't too bad, unlike the MCM last year. So all told I was in pretty decent shape and I knew I could finish without walking a step, so that became my new goal. I wasn't certain if I would be able to finish below 3:50, but I knew I could beat last year and run the thing in.

While it was a little risky, I did starting drinking the Nuun again. I went to wipe my face and it was covered in dried salt and I figured I should give it a try before I cramped. My stomach felt a little better at this point and I was able to get it down. Vincent kept trying to convince me to eat something and I kept rejecting him, but around mile 24 I did decide to eat one of his SIS gels. It went down okay and gave me a little boost. The 3:50 pacer passed me around this time as well, which was kind of a downer. I looked at my watch though and was still on pace to beat 3:50, so I figured she was running a little fast. If I could keep her in sight, I should still get below 3:50.

Finally we crossed back over the Burnside Bridge and into downtown for the final mile or so. At this point I was feeling pretty good. Knowing you are almost done in a marathon is a great feeling. Alejandro surprised me by showing up and running along side me for the final mile or so along the other side of the barricade. The 3:50 pacer was still in my sights, probably only 50 feet ahead of me. After some urging from Vincent and Alejandro, and initial rejections from me, I decided to pass her. I like out a primal grunt ("aaaagggggGGGHHHHH") and started to kick. Surprisingly my legs felt good. The 26th mile was below 9 and that final quarter mile or so was probably in the low 8s! Felt good to finish strong.

FINISH AND THE AFTER PARTY

Feeling decent and pretty proud!

I tried to recreate the "airplane" finish from my first Portland Marathon for the rebirth of the new course and failed miserably. In fact, just about every photo from the race has me looking miserable. There is a not a SINGLE good picture in the lot. And they are free! Ugh. Anyways, crossing a marathon finish line is an amazing feeling! Based on the clock, I got a 3:48 something, exactly what I was expecting the last few miles based on my calculations. I tried to soak in the accomplishment before wallowing in the sure to come pain.

My legs were the best they have ever felt after a marathon. Even better than last year I think. So that's very encouraging! They hurt a little, but I could easily walk around and I didn't have the overwhelming need to sit. I was able to get through the "chute" area and out to meet Vincent without much hassle. Although I did sit down for about two minutes just to keep that tradition going. But I was able to stand up and get going again no problem.

After meeting Vincent, we found a place were I could sit down and try to eat some of the food I collected. I managed to choke down a banana but that was it. I'm never hungry right after a marathon and with my stomach the way it was, food was extra unappealing. In fact, I didn't actually get hungry until 4 that afternoon. And boy did I get hungry. I must have ate 3,000 calories and I still wasn't satisfied. Don't know why I am never hungry after a marathon but I never am. Didn't even drink my beer. Don't think I've ever drank my beer after a full.

Anyways, all told, a very successful race and training cycle! I'll have some more reflections about that coming up, but I need to get this entry over with already and posted.

OFFICIAL CHIP TIME: 3:48:14, 8:42/mile. 470/2115 overall, 365/1268 male, 69/217 M30-34.