My Eugene Marathon Adventure "Finally Race Day"

Hi Friends,

Finally it is race day. Well actually race day was April 28th but it has taken me a couple weeks to get this multi part story finished. You see it sometimes takes a while for me to germinate an idea worth sharing, and this adventure was so big it is just now starting to sink in.

I was up early on race day. The Team in Training group was getting together for last minute instructions (smile, don't get lost, don't miss the bus etc.) and one last team photo. The busses picked us up at the hotel at 5:30 am and dropped us off right at the Start line. Wow, that was easy!

My first real start line. I wandered over to corral D and just took it all in. When our group arrived there were only a few hundred people waiting and I watched as more and more racers made their way to their respective corrals. It was fun to watch as runners of all sizes and shapes made their way to the start line and got ready for the starters gun. To say I was nervous was an understatement. I think my Garmin noted my pulse as about 170 just before the start, but it quickly returned to normal as we made the first turn.

My plan was to stay with the pacer for a 4:30 time so I would have less to worry about during the run. And there was so much to take in, it almost took my breath away. First I was amazed how beautiful Eugene was. It had been about 30 years between visits and I knew I loved visiting, but still the beauty of this town is breathtaking. I also enjoyed everyone that came out to cheer the runners on. Some of the most memorable folks we ran past were the Ridgeline Montessori ukulele band. They were amazing and were one of the first cheer stations that really made me smile. Bravo!
I loved the aid stations that offered a half a banana that were served by volunteers dresses in gorilla suits. All the bands that offered musical pick me ups along the route were fun too. Thanks to all, even if I don't remember exactly where you were or what type of music you played.

At the point that the half marathon runners turned back towards the finish line,  we turned right and headed down the most beautiful path. We found ourselves completely surrounded by trees with green grass and trails everywhere. It was awesome! I was so busy just checking out the surroundings and trying to take it all in, in no time at all I was completely out of range of the 4:30 pacer. Actually I had passed him sometime back but never saw him again. He must have run passes me at a restroom stop as I was about 15 minutes behind him at the finish.

We crossed the Willamette River twice, what an experience. We were warned that at about mile 18 we would be running past our Hotel. We were also cautioned about stopping to take a break or even worse a nap. I didn't but I did remember that the bed was pretty comfy the night before. Oh well, we were headed back towards the Finish line and the excitement was really starting to build. As we got nearer the finish we passed Autzen Stadium the home of the Oregon Ducks football team. Very coolio place and one of the prettiest stadiums I have ever seen. And from what I hear they are pretty proud of their sports teams around here.

At mile 22 I decided to give Brenda a call. It seemed a bit odd to get out my cell phone to make a call during a race, but just felt it was the thing to do then. And it turned out it was just the right thing to do ...
Brenda asked how I was doing and I told her I was a bit tired. Then she asked where I was and I mentioned I was just passing mile 22. When she said, just 4 miles to go, it finally started to sink in. I was just 4 miles from the finish and I was going to be a marathon finisher. We finished our call with me feeling pretty excited about the finish line.


A few more turns and then there it was, Haywood Feild,  Track Town USA! I was going to finish my first marathon and I was going to finish in the same stadium that hosted the Olympic trials.  I entered the stadium a bit overcome by the whole experience with my name being announced over the loud speakers. It was the thrill of a lifetime, a feeling I hope to be able to replicate again with all my my races. I crossed the finish line and got a beautiful medal to remember the day with.

To say I loved this run would be an understatement. I send my thanks to everyone at Team in Training and all the volunteers that made gave of their time for days or weeks preparing for us to come run in Eugene. And thank you to the town of Eugene for being so open and accomodating as we ran through your streets. You helped us make memories that will last a lifetime.

And a special thank you to Brenda for putting up with my endless chatter about Eugene and running and marathons for months. It must have been like listening to a stranger ramble on about nothing in particular. Now we can talk about something you Love for at least a few weeks, until i star chattering about The California International Marathon.

Don