The Portland-based official P.F. Chang's Arizona Rock and Roll Makeup Marathon was held today. Conditions were very windy and fairly icy. For the early hours of the marathon frostbite was a concern, but contestants were tough and determined.
First to finish: Me! Time: 7 hours 11 minutes.
Yikes. That's way way longer than my training times but I think doing it against icy winds and on icy trails makes a big difference. I walked the first 13 or 14 miles by myself, on pace for about a 6:36 marathon (still slow compared to our training times). Watched the sun come up, all alone, in the windy cold. The birds and ducks that live by the cove I was walking around were all hunkered down facing into the wind like these wonderful little bird balls. After 14 miles or so my friend L joined me. He was a delightful infusion of positive energy but a pretty slow walker, and after a couple of attempts to pull him into my pace I shrugged and just walked alongside him. He was with me for about 7 miles; while he was with me another friend joined us for about 3.5, and soon enough a third friend jumped into the game for seven. For a couple of miles all four of us were walking together. Slow, but so worth it for the distraction and the companionship. (Not to mention the water -- my water bottle froze solid by mile 5.)
Now feeling like a million bucks. I'm SO glad I did that. And so glad I'm not doing it right now, anymore. These legs are tired but I did not falter and I have my first marathon under my belt.
I'm going to do a quick errand and then find myself a sports bar somewhere to watch UNC play UConn. Go Tarheels!
Better yet: Go Scheherazade!
Allow me to be the first -- but I should hope not the last -- to congratulate you. Well done, indeed. Kudos to all competitors, each one of them worthy.
Posted by: George Wallace | January 17, 2004 at 05:27 PM
Congrats! I feel positively lazy, flabby, and slothsome by comparison.
Posted by: A. Rickey | January 17, 2004 at 10:30 PM
Awesome!
And hey, I think you beat my first marathon time! I can't remember exactly, but I think it was around 7h35m or so. Definitely more than yours. And I was *thrilled*.
Posted by: transmogriflaw | January 18, 2004 at 01:13 AM
What a great day for athletics! Scheherazade won the very first Portland Marathon, and North Carolina beat #1 UConn! I go to sleep knowing that all my favorites finished first today.
Posted by: AD | January 18, 2004 at 01:23 AM
Congratulations!
Posted by: LawMom | January 18, 2004 at 10:00 AM
Congrats!!
Posted by: Jeremy | January 18, 2004 at 05:42 PM
That's awesome. Have a fun recovery!
Posted by: Balasubramania | January 19, 2004 at 01:03 PM
Wow! You are incredible! I just got home from the Disney Marathon and checked up on you to find the food poisoning story and I was so sad for you. But to hear that you did it on your own in that crazy cold weather is just fantastic!
You totally rock!
Posted by: Helen | January 19, 2004 at 03:58 PM