Santa Run 1/2 Marathon Report

Here I am with my Little Elf before I left.

Friday night Jason & the girls decided they would come with me to be my cheerleaders for the race.  Well, a wind storm ended that when Jason was called to work around midnight and was no where to be seen when my alarm went off in the morning.  Luckily, I was rescued and my girls were excited to be spending the day at home with Grandma.  Once she got here I was out the door but not before we took a few pics.  

I jumped in the car and headed out.  There were a few showers on the way but nothing huge.  I made it to the grange a little past 9am.  I went in to pick up my packet and they couldn't find it.  Two different women proceeded to make me feel like an idiot as they searched for it.  Very rude and horrible people skills.  It obviously didn't pay to register online.

On my way.

Finally, they just decided to scratch my name down on a piece of paper, shove a bib at me, and toss me a shirt.  Nice.  It was freezing in the building so I decided to go warm up in the car and eat a couple GU Chomps.  While I was waiting a huge rain shower went through.  I went back in the building about 9:45.  The race was supposed to start at 10.  Once inside they announce they had changed the race start to 10:30.  I felt terrible that it was going to take me that much longer to get home to rescue Grandma from babysitting the girls.  

Once 10:30 came around we lined up out in the muddy, puddle filled driveway of the grange for the start.  I puddle jumped my way to the main road and tried to settle into my pace.  I felt slow and my legs felt tired.  The 5K turn around came and went.  The wind was crazy.  It sprinkled a little off and on.  The sun even peaked out a few times.  I was hoping that was a sign of good things to come.  After the 10K turn around I started to get pretty warm so I took off my jacket and tied it around my waist.  Out to the 10 mile turn around and we were all headed back to the start.  At each turn around they had a station with water and Gatorade.  I took a GU Chomp with water each time I passed a station.  At around mile 6 I had to stop and get a rock out of my shoe.  While I was stopped I loosened up my left shoe.  I was starting to have major pressure/pain on the top of my foot.  I had a similar issue when I ran my first Portland Marathon in 2006.  It took awhile for my foot to recover that time.  Even after I loosened my shoe, my foot hurt.  I had noticed it on one of my treadmill runs earlier in the week, too.  I just kept going.  At mile 8 my left knee started to have the sharp pain issues again.  I walked a few steps and then kind of eased back into a run.  It did better if I kept my gate as smooth as possible.  I was hoping to toss my jacket in the car on my way through the parking lot but as it began to rain and turn dark I was glad I kept it.  

Mile 10 brought me back to the parking lot.  You run through the finish area and back out onto another road that is an out and back to the finish.  I swear that 3.1 miles felt like 6.  I was soaked before I made it half a mile.  The weather was getting revenge.  Heavy rain, wind, and hail was beating down on all of us.  It took forever to get to the turn around point.  I grabbed some more water and another GU Chomp.  The wind picked up even more and it felt like I wasn't even moving several times.  I couldn't feel my face which was probably good since the hail was back in force.  I made it to the final turn and was never so happy to see the finish line.

I stumbled into the grange and felt bad about going inside since I was dripping wet.  There didn't seem to be as much food this year.  Maybe a lot of it was just eaten already.  Not much happening afterwards.  I saw a guy at a table with medals.  I asked when results/awards would be.  He said there wasn't going to be anything and to just take a medal or a trophy.  They had trophies for the full and half marathoners.  I took a medal and grabbed some water.  I then went back and asked if I could have a trophy too.  He said yes, so I snatched one and was out of there.  I'd had enough.  

I took this pic quick and headed back home.  I had the heater on full blast and I couldn't quit shaking the entire way home.  I was so cold.  

A final picture of me with my medal before stripping down and melting in a hot shower.  My knee hurt once I got out of the car.  The shower helped.  I was starving so I quickly dressed in some warm fuzzy clothes and decided on some chicken noodle soup.

The website still doesn't have the official stats up yet, shocker, but here's what I have.

Final Stats

Garmin ~ 13.42 Miles

Time ~ 2:24:42

Considering there was no "real" training going on and continuing knee issues I'm pretty happy with my time.  You know the weather is bad when it makes running Portland this year look like a picnic.  I am now 4 days post race and my left foot still hurts.  It worries me that there is something more serious going on.  I'm pleased that my knee is back to normal so that's good news.  If my foot doesn't get better I might call on Monday to have it checked out.  This race was quite the adventure.  I really wish I lived closer to some of the bigger/nicer events.

Don't forget my Inperspire Sports Towel Giveaway HERE.  There will be 3 winners!!!!