Portland Marathon

It was great to be the one racing this year!



Our AMAZING view from the hotel room



We had two walls of windows!!!




Ella looking quite serious and Will being a cheese puff

Ella and I missed each other after 4 1/2 hours of running! This is the only picture I have of myself after the race.

Early in the morning before heading out to join all of the other crazy folks!

I ran my first marathon!!! It was a success, and by that I mean I crossed the finish line in one piece! It was a pretty incredible experience. My official time was 4:34. I would have loved to have gone faster, but towards the end I was really just happy to finish. I guess that means I'll have to train for another one. What an amazing race. I couldn't believe how much support there was along the way. There were many bands and music playing to pump you up and keep you going. I had my name on my bib so people called out encouragement as if they knew me personally. That was really great and made me smile every time. Mike, the kids and my in-laws were there to cheer me on and it was exciting to spot them along the race course. It was hard not to get emotional during the beginning and end of the marathon. At the beginning, I couldn't believe that I was actually going to be doing it. I was going to run a marathon. I tried to soak all of the atmosphere in. All of the runners still happy and full of energy. Towards the end I was really pushing myself to the limit physically. I felt proud that I had trained for this race during the first year of Ella's life. I got up early in the morning to run by myself or with friends, even after sleepless nights. I also went to the gym many a late night after the kids had gone to bed and the dishes were washed (maybe) because it was the only time I could make for myself. Running helped to preserve my sanity during this past year. I always felt better after coming back from a run. It gave me time to be alone with my thoughts. I needed that time to reflect, be grateful, and to be free from the demands of other people in my life who are very dependent on me. Don't get me wrong--I am very happy in my role as mother and wife, but after I had Will I just wasn't taking the time I needed to recharge my batteries, so to speak. Caretaking is rewarding, but at the same time quite draining, I have discovered. Running gave me the time to sort out my thoughts and come home feeling renewed. It also just feels good to challenge yourself and to see how far you can push your body. I wanted to know what it felt like to run 26.2 miles. It also helped me appreciate my husband as a runner. I have a whole new respect and understanding of what it takes to run a marathon. Now I want to talk anyone I know into running one!