Well I successfully finished the Portland Marathon yesterday, and beat my previous marathon time in NYC! It was a beautiful day: started out chilly, but turned into a perfectly clear sunny fall day. By the end it was even hot! My running buddy Jess ran the half and we spent the weekend prepping and celebrating…
A few snaps from the run
lining up downtown
before the race
St Johns around mile 16
bringing it home on mile 26
post race bliss!
Portland is the best place to run. Last weekend I did my 20 mile run and followed suit with my recent long long runs by running a good part of the Portland Marathon course. This was the third time that I ran over the Saint Johns bridge after leaving my front door, and each time it gets easier and I find a better way to add on interesting elements to the run. This time, I found the best variation ever: I discovered that the Ridge Trail in Forest Park connects to the base of the Saint John bridge. This is an amazing discovery, because it means that I do not have to run down Highway 30, next to speeding cars and trucks and take up the bike lane that bikers need their space in to avoid traffic. On race day Highway 30 will be the course route, but when there is traffic on it, it is not fun. The Ridge Trail is a nasty .6 miles uphill, so it was hard to keep my pace up and I had to walk more than run up it. Here is a view of St Johns from a lookout just after entering the park
The Ridge Trail spits you out onto the Lief Erikson trail – my old friend for training – right around milepost 8.5, and you can proceed through cool Forest Park cruising downhill. It was such a lovely break from the pavement and hot sun. I then ran through NW Portland, and crossed the Broadway bridge, making a full loop back home. The run ended up being a bit longer than 20 miles, so I walked the rest of the loop back home. Here’s a screen grab from my map my run that my phone tracked. It amazes me how lovely that loop was and that I was able to run it from my front door!
I have been so busy…running…in the past few months that I haven’t had time to post here! Training for the Portland Marathon, which is only 2 weeks away now!
During that time some major changes in my running life have taken place:
I read the book Chi Running by Danny Dreyer, and I have now just about fully transitioned to a different running form. It has changed everything. I am now striking with my mid-foot, my gait opens up behind instead of in front, I focus on my core being engaged, and most of all my legs are able to run much further and feel so much less tired. I think it has made this training season a whole other experience for me.
After the Seattle half marathon in June, I started to feel like I was developing shin splints for the first time. This spurred my interest in finding a different approach to my running form that would put less stress on my legs. Thus, I looked into Chi Running. I also purchased a pair of CEP compression calf sleeves. They are amazing! I have barely done a single run without them since I got them. I have also been icing my legs and going to get acupuncture, which I think together has saved me from what could have easily turned into a painful adventure.
I am a gear head. You may know this about me if you follow this blog or watch me gear up for running. I guess the gear love overflows to my photography – both running and photography are gear loving sports that I indulge in. My newest acquisition which I have been meaning to write about for some time now is CamelBak’s fanny pack made for running – The Flash Flo LR.
I have been wearing this guy for over a month now, and actually ran the Seattle Rock N Roll Half with it (my first race carrying my own hydration). It is probably the most comfortable water carrying device I own. It does bounce a bit and hit my lower back sometimes, and I have to keep tightening it as I run…but it does not slosh! – and that is major. Plus, I can drink water as I run instead of having to reach behind me to grab my water bottle, open it, and chug from it. I take smaller sips more frequently and can digest it more easily. Overall, I drink more and feel better afterwards. In the Seattle Half, not stopping for water really helped cut down my time, and it was so satisfying to breeze through those water stations. (I usually have to stop and walk when I grab a cup.) Plus, the pockets fit everything else I need – I even stuffed a longsleeve in there part way through the race. I have been wearing it in Forest Park on my long weekend runs every weekend, adding ice cubes and changing the amount of water I put in there depending on how long I’ll be out.
In short: it rocks!
An awesome photo taken by my friend Greg of me running the Portland Race for the Roses 5K in early April. This answers it: I am definitely a heel striker!
Yesterday I ran my fifth half marathon: the Seattle Rock n Roll half.
The past few weeks I’ve been feeling the onset of shin splints for the first time in my running history, so the week leading up to this race came with some apprehension. I fear that they may have developed from trying to change my foot strike too suddenly and running too hard and far in my new Nike Frees. For the past two weeks I have been icing my shins and spending time stretching. The week leading up to the race I didn’t run at all and instead biked and went to yoga. That choice definitely helped my shins heal but mentally it was a bit harrowing to approach a race without running. Friday morning I went for a short run and felt absolutely no shin pain, and yesterday’s race my shins were strong and carried me through. The muscles that are now yelling at me as I ride back home to Portland are my calves – I definitely did not do enough hill training to prepare them for the course in Seattle! It is a good reality check to get me motivated to face some hills over the next few months as I prepare for the Portland marathon.
Despite those few ridiculous and classic Seattle hills, two long dark tunnels, and a final hill that brought many racers to a degrading walk as they crossed the finish line, the race was a blast. The rain held off and we even had a sunny finish. The start was much better than last years – both start and finish was at the base of the space needle! Enjoyed a great post race celebration day with co-runner Jess and our cheering team Anthony and Greg. Came in with my second best half time which I am proud of considering the difficulty of the course. All in all a great race!
start line
Jess and I with our running capes
finish line
Excited to read ultramarathoner Scott Jurek’s new book
which comes out today! I’ve been eating increasingly more of a vegetarian diet, and when I am training I start to think of food as fuel – every decision can have a huge impact on my runs, especially the long ones. He’s included some recipes at the end of each chapter that I’m excited to try out.
Teresa Runs 