Portland Marathon take 2...

Got there early before the Honey Pot lines were long so I could use the facilities, took my time to stretch and get "warmed up" (or as much as I could at 6 am in 50 degrees). Bad part... had to pee again with about 20 minutes to start and the lines were huge... I can wait!

Start off real easy and conservative, cruise through the first 3 miles right on pace for 3:10 - jump into a porta-potty and take care of that pee thing and jump back into the race. I figured now was better than later.

As I catch up to the group a young guy comes along and asks if I'm Mrs. Herman-Davis husband, I recognize him from running with the Aloha team this summer (he graduated last year), so I encourage Alex to run relaxed and stay with me. He has a goal of BQ; 3:10:59...

We're doing great on the pace, within a few seconds at the 10k and I decide to pick it up a little to close that time gap. We get from 20 seconds off to less than 5 by mile 11 and we're cruising. At 11 I see Beth and Ken (Aloha head coach). Ken joins us up around 12 for a half mile and I'm feeling relaxed and also feeling like I'm really holding back the pace, but I want to help Alex and 3:10 is my goal. At the half way, he has to jump into a porta-potty and I remind him to stay relaxed and keep focused, slowly work back to the pace group.

I take off dropping from 7:14 ave to 6:54 ave and by St. John's bridge I'm 1:20 ahead of pace. I lose 20 seconds on the bridge, which is OK... that was by design to recover and take the "hill" easy. As I cross the bridge, another friend sees me and his encouragement helps me pick it back up again. By now I'm passing a lot of people that went out too fast (been there, done that). At 20 I'm about 1:40 ahead of pace and that's the largest gap I have on the pace group. Around 21, one of the other coaches joins me for about a half mile and the conversation is a nice distraction from not being able to feel my feet. By now it had rained a lot and at 50 degrees, my feet were cold and my fingers were a little numb too.

Greely was a nice feeling. I'm now past 22 and feeling good. I can relax the downhill and not work too hard for a mile or so. Up to 24 I'm back and forth with another runner and encouraging her, she's trying to get under 3:10 for BQ too. Old pharts got it good with that extra 10... I've also slowed back down some, feeling tired, but knowing all I have to do is keep running and I've got BQ.

Over the bridge, around to Front, and we're about 1.5 from the finish. I stil look good, and really, as Vera would agree, that's all that matters. I see Beth again with Karen and Malcolm Costello (at mile 1 I could hear Karen asking if he'd seen me yet right as I was passing in front of her... lol) and it's a pretty emotional moment... seriously. I tell Beth to watch for Alex becuase he's going to need the push at the end.

I cruise through the finish, tired, elated, and done... I turn in time to see the gal that had been with me make BQ, and a few seconds later Alex also crossed for is BQ. I never was in doubt about not making 3:10, it was all positive. On top of getting my BQ, I also helped a few others by encouraging them along the way.

Still have my toenails, lost a little skin, hamstrings are done... but I feel great... and I'm shipping up to Boston!