Getting to the 2014 Portland Marathon Starting Line, Taper Tantrums and All

Last year I ran the Portland Marathon for the first time.  It was a BIG DEAL, and both Erika and Ann Marie ran it with me.

It was a perfect first marathon.

This year, I decided to sign up again, to see if I could run the race on my own.  I do the majority of my training runs solo anyway, other than some long runs. This meant that I had to change my focus.

The question for last year's race was:

The question for this year's race was: 

Heavy stuff.

My training was far from perfect, but I managed to get in 60 out of 71 scheduled runs.  Last year I did 66 of them. My pace was up to 1 minute per mile slower than last year on about half the runs.

I would like to, but it's probably not the reason.

My longest training run this year was a 22 miler, which I did on my own, on the only day I forgot my earbuds.  After that run, I felt like I could likely handle the race...more or less...hopefully.

My taper was 2 weeks long this year, as opposed to 3 weeks last year, so my taper tantrums were limited to general agitation and one big freakout.

FREAKOUT REENACTMENT:

The week before the marathon Christy asked me what my bib number was.  When I looked it up I got a very disturbing message:

So I did what any sane person would do, and I tried again.  Over and over.

I decided to email the race coordinator to make sure that I was, indeed, registered.

 

That really was not comforting.

I posted my query to their facebook page and spent the next 4 hours compulsively searching the website again, and combing through my Active.com profile (since I registered through them).   Right as I was going to bed I got a message from their page letting me know that I had clicked a button that made me not searchable by name when I registered.

However, I was indeed registered.  I sent them a heartfelt thank you.

And scene.

Fast forward to race weekend, and TriGuy and I drove down to Portland.  Everything went pretty smoothly.  After an early dinner we went straight to bed.

Unfortunately, I kept dreaming that I couldn't get to the starting line on time.

I was very relieved to wake up.

I got up and started preparing my breakfast.  That was a breeze because after last year's panic over a lack of hot water,  TriGuy had bought me the perfect gift.

Guaranteed to make your race morning prep 80% less stressful!

As I was prepping, I was already getting texts from Christy and her friends that they were making their way to the start.

I grabbed TriGuy and hurried my way down to the street.  Luckily Christy and I were in the same corral and got to start together.  There were corrals A through H.  We were in G.

It's the little things.

Christy and I chatted with a couple of ladies right behind us.  One of them told us she kept toilet paper in her bra.  I suddenly realized that I had forgotten my emergency toilet paper that I always put in my shorts pocket.  The lady graciously offered to "spare a square" for Christy and I.

We graciously declined.

And then, a mere 16 minutes after the first corral started the race, we were off!

Stay tuned!! The rest of the race review is in the works!

UPCOMING POSTS: PORTLAND MARATHON PART 2, MARATHON AFTERMATH, VOLUNTEERING AT BEAT THE BLERCH, DEVICE REVIEW