Shamrock 15K aka My Return To Racing

All that training finally came to an end and paid off, and I had a really good time running the 40th anniversary of the Shamrock 15K in Portland this weekend. But like any true race recap blog, we first have to back up ... to the expo!

Saturday morning started early as my mom, daughter and I loaded up the mom Jeep and went north to Portland. We did have a stop in Woodburn to hit the Disney store, because why not? The baby made out like a bandit! Soon we were arriving at the expo area to find the parking was closed off and full. That was the first driving challenge for me... trying to find the overflow lot with no sort of idea where that was. We did park and happily set off on our feet to the expo. Right way I spotted my friends, and it was so rad to reunite, especially in the element that caused us to be friends. It was this race in 2011 that we all first met in person! Wow, 2011, that is so long ago. For the record, this would be my 4th running of this race... and every time I do it I say "Never again." I held to that for a few years, but Jenn easily swayed me to do it again this year! So the expo had a new thing to it that I haven't experienced. I had to show them a confirmation email, they scanned the little code in it, and then that created my bib number. Usually they are already assigned, so to get it assigned when I grab it was certainly different, although quite easy! There was no form of swag bag. Just my bib. We also had a shirt, which apparently is running large this year... normally they are super tiny, so I ordered bigger than I needed to compensate, and now I'm swimming in it. Que sera sera. We did a zig zag through the expo, scoring some free swag along the way, and some snacks! 

The next pre-race requirement... FOOD!!! I live with a toddler. I eat most meals standing up, or busy trying to get her to cooperate and have her food. So to go out to a restaurant is rare, challenging, but enjoyable. And so to get to go to Old Spaghetti Factory for my favorite spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese was a real treat! Clearly my child is my clone, as she had the same thing and really only wanted to color and have ice cream. Meanwhile my mom had an adult beverage. Not fair! It was delicious, as always, but I was ready to be done and go crash. We checked into our hotel and before 9pm I was the only one in the room NOT snoring. But I did actually get to sleep, and was up way before my alarm... thank you to pre-race nightmares of missing my start time!

The 5K was already going on, with 8,000 runners, which made for a couple games of Frogger to get to my friends and start line. But it was pretty easy to find each other, which is impressive because this race is enormous... 25,000 runners type of enormous! Before we could get in the corral, we naturally had to do some photos (and good bye kisses with my baby).

Jenn and I were both doing the 15K, and for the first time ever we lined up together!! So awesome, and a great excuse to force her to get a start line selfie with me. Say Cheese!! *Those of you that watched my wedding on YouTube or in person, you'll remember Jenn as the rad bridesmaid that pulled money out of her bra while dancing down the isle. Yeah, baby!!

It seemed like we were hardly in the corral at all and it was time to start. I had my playlist ready to go - Britney was starting me off. She is great to run to, FYI! I told Jenn I'd do my best to stay with her as long as I could, and I think I've even joked about lasting a mile.... Well... We started running and I realized I forgot to have my yummy Clif chew blocks. And then I realized I had basically NO water yet that morning, and I didn't have my bottle with me. It was in the stroller! Uh oh.

But off we were, starting out on 9.3 difficult miles. Anyone that says this race isn't hard is flat out lying to you! Of course I was dying of thirst because I realized I hadn't had any yet. Dang it. I did get lucky in that the first water stop was about 1.2 miles in ... so I told Jenn to keep going, I was going to grab some and maybe I'd see her again, maybe I wouldn't. So look at that, I lasted with her for 1.2 miles. .2 more than predicted! Go me! I got extra lucky because they had mini Power Crunch bars at the water stations. I had meant to have mine with breakfast but also forgot those. So I was saved on both accounts, and never needed to grab the gels from my belt! Clearly I'm out of race practice if I'm forgetting all these things. Hey, I did remember to charge and wear my Garmin! And yes, I've been racing, but to me 10K and shorter are just kind of a fun-run and I don't really do the same prep work. So let's get to the race itself!

One word is needed to describe this course.  

HILLS.

Scared yet? Rightfully so! The incline begins in that first mile, and it only gets worse. If you look at the photo above I tried to show where I was heading and then immediately behind me, where I had come from. There was a part with kind of a switchback and as you climb that steepest part of the hill you can see the runners going up yet another one and realizing that's about to me you doing the same thing, whether you want to or not. I used my typical Shamrock strategy where I run until it gets a little too steep, then save my legs and quickly walk up the hill. I can pass runners with my walking pace, so I don't feel bad at all about giving my legs and mind a break. It keeps them going to the end. It has worked every time, so I keep sticking with it!

When we hit mile 4 we were nearing the peak of our hills, and at an elevation of 500 feet. We did have to keep going before we went down. At the very top is the sweet relieve of bagpipes! Oh how I love that sound, especially during this race. It always signals that you have finished the hardest part and the fun will begin when you go down, down, down...

My legs were loving it. I was pretty much hauling ass and having a total blast. It felt great to just relax and run! But it was around mile 6.5 that Meniere's Disease was having its way with me and trying to make me dizzy. I used a walk break to text my mom so I could distract myself. My brain was starting to check out and I was done. It felt like 6.5 to 8 was longer than the whole race itself. I mean we were heading the opposite way from the finish line at that point!! My mom replied to turn around and come back, which was a perfect thing to say because when I got it I had just done the final turn around and was on my way back. And so there I went. I kicked it into gear and run my ass off to the end! I saw my mom and baby as I was starting my finishing sprint. I was able to get in a wave and then fly through the finish line.  And I didn't even throw up!!! 

Afterward we got to enjoy the fact that for the first time it wasn't raining during this race! There was an Irish band playing near the beer garden, and some shopping to be done. I'm sure Jenn and I will always hang out together in our new matching sweatshirts?? As we were trying to find Julie's finish line for the 8K I heard someone excitedly say my name... it was Emily! We always bump into each other in different states and different races without even trying, and it happened yet again. Too cool!

Post-post race I went to the Adidas campus to do some shopping with the employee store discount pass I managed to snag at the expo. I LOVE being able to buy my favorite running shoes 50% off!!

Overall I think I probably hated it the least this year. I never did say I won't do again this time, so that's a first! This certainly wasn't my fasted time, but also not my slowest. But I don't care. I did it. I had fun!