PR for Portland!

Portland Marathon 2013

October 6, 2013 

 with Elizabeth at the start this morning bright and early 

Portland had a tribute to Boston today and it was poignant for many reasons. In many ways, it was a chance to redeem that run back in April and push the reset button. And what a gift to be healthy and able to run and celebrate today in this way.. 

many thanks to Anna for our sign 

I had these little feet tokens that I used to remind me to pray for some friends at different mile markers. It was my own version of having rosary beads for a run and I am grateful for this way to focus and to offer prayers and thanks through the course of the race... 

our cheering squad! 

(Anna and Taylor are pictured with their own heads.  

Jeremy & Noah Clark holding fun faces up of Liam and Micah 

since they could not be there to cheer Elizabeth on..) 

I get by with a little help from my friends!!!!!

Such a gift to have Elizabeth running with me today! 

She helped me have a strong race and to finish in good spirits for sure...

running toward the finish... 

after the finish where I set the best time I've had in a marathon!

WHOOHOO for a PR in Portland!! 

My official time was 3:40:39 

(3 minutes faster than my time that I qualified for Boston when I ran in Knoxville in 2012)... 

a poster at the finish Portland runners are taking to Boston 2014.... 

more bobbleheads... 

our amazing cheering squad 

A favorite sign that I saw today was 

"OH MY QUAD!" 

Indeed, these legs were feeling those 26.2 miles at the end... 

so thankful for this crew who came to help me run today... 

as a tribute to 4/15/13.... 

we are pictured here with Toto who came along to cheer today too... 

(Toto was also in Boston cheering for me when I was dressed up as Dorothy -- thanks to Kim Kredich who sent it along back in April to a friend of hers there to cheer for me.) 

Whites, Clarks and Huffs at a celebratory brunch after the race 

my two favorite running buddies here in Seattle