State #28 Portland, Maine

Double Marathon Weekend

October 1st and 2nd

The great thing about small marathons is the ease of getting back to the car. We are literally parked less than five feet from the finish line. Making it easy to drive over to the middle school and change into dry clothes before making the two hour drive to Portland. We elect to take the scenic route which is pretty, but not as spectacular as usual due to the lateness of the changing leaves. The drive is slow with no passing lanes. I drive  and my husband is unwilling to take pictures. We capture only a few pictures of the trees.

It will be left to the imagination as to just how magical it must be...maybe it looks something like this photo...I stole from the internet!

Once we make it to the state line, I want to be there already. Luckily, the heated seats provide heat to the hamstrings and lower back!

We are looking forward to soaking in the pool and spa, but first a quick stop at bib and packet pick-up. The people at the expo are super nice. I see snacks...yes!  I munch my way through the tables. Unfortunately, they only have large women's shirts left~bummer~and the shirts are nice looking too. On a side note, with all the shirts I have obtained over the years, only a very few fit properly, I actually only wear a small percentage of them.  I think it is time to make a blanket or quilt. 

Now that I am no longer hungry there is no rush to eat and we are able to relax our muscles in the pool for awhile. We chat with a lady from Maine in the spa about the winter weather.  These east coast states are so appealing in the spring, summer and fall, but I have to keep in mind the winters.

There is so much to do and see in every new state, but limited time and energy seems to lead us to early bedtimes.  After a quick dinner we are back in the room getting organized for day two. I am pacing this one and I am required to be there by 6:45 even though the race starts at 7:45. The pacers take a quick photo...then it is hurry up and wait. 

The potties are great.  This is the first race ever where there is a guy with a megaphone yelling "one line for EACH STALL," making it a faster and much more efficient system~LOVE IT.

The extra time gives us time to chat with people. We meet two young bubbly ladies who are ready to run their first half-marathon. Their excitement is contagious and gets us excited too. They tell us to try the lobster truck at the light house. We also meet the race director who tells us it is his last year after 18 years. We tell him how impressed we are with the course, shirts and medals. When we tell him we ran in New Hampshire the day before, he says, "Oh one of those crazy types that limp around!" I tell him I am walking fine and he agreed.

Once we find our place in the corral we talk with others that ran the day before and with a few runners that plan to run with me for a sub five hour finish. Taking it easy in New Hampshire, surprisingly, leaves me feeling no soreness. I feel ready to run another one.   

I have three ladies that run and talk with me from the beginning and a few others that are back just far enough to be spared my nonstop babbling. My husband is out in front, but after a few mile rejoins the group and starts talking with one of the ladies and off they go. We see them at the turn around and then again in the final miles.

My other two ladies are solid, running strong and we have a gentleman join in with the conversation too. He lived in Ventura for awhile which is twenty minutes from Santa Barbara, a city I know well. I even paced there. It never fails during every marathon I find someone from my area. His goal is to break the five hour mark. In his previous attempts he has been unable to go under five. He takes breaks from the group, but manages to catch up. 

View at Mile 24

I am thrilled to report he caught up with me at mile 24 and off he went. I am ecstatic to report he finishes under five with a 4:57. When the people I run with reach their goals it is more exciting than getting a P.R. for myself. The pacing experience is a continual learning process for me.  I learn something each time to improve for the next time.

I am so thrilled that the lady who ran her first marathon also finished under five hours (4:57). She stayed with me until mile 23 when she pushed ahead to a strong finish. I stop to walk with the lady my husband was running with from the early miles, but she hit the dreaded wall at mile sixteen. I walk with her trying to encourage her, but she feels dizzy and everyone has to run their own race. 

She fought her way to the finish. I wait to see her finish and she is running so hard for the finish line. She is only fifteen seconds over the five hour mark.  The course is long at 26.55 and on any other course she definitely would have been under five. It makes we wonder if I had walked longer with her would it have made a difference. It is easy to second guess ourselves and reflect on what do to better next time.

Even though I have been pacing for several years now, I still see ways that I can improve and do a better job. The third gal ran most of the way with me but dropped back at the dreaded twenty-mile mark.  

She still gets a P.R. and is happy with her finish. A marathon is such a crazy experience; it is a fun and emotional road enhanced when it is shared with other runners. I feel honored when runners put their trust in me and I do my best to get them through it in a positive way. Overall it is a happy day, but I definitely will implement some things to improve for the next time.

The medals are very cool. In honor of the 25th year, the medals have blinking lighthouses. We are lucky enough to snatch up a slice of pizza before it is all gone. I get a chance to talk to the ladies I ran with the day before in New Hampshire . 

An amazing 50 Stater who will complete her 50th in Maui Jan. 17

We find the recovery food tent with an endless supply of Fig Newtons, not one of my favorites, but during or after a marathon, they are simply delicious. I will admit I consumed too many and this is why I am a chubby runner~It's all the darn cookies and pizza!  "You can't outrun a bad diet, believe me I have tried!"

All in all, it is a fun double marathon weekend. Time to go back to the spa and pool before checking out the lobster truck and lighthouse.

We get there just in time! They are almost out of lobster for the day...good thing we ate before checking out the lighthouse.

I hate to admit just down the road from...the same lighthouse, we found another seafood restaurant and sampled the seafood there, as well. Stuffed and exhausted there is no way we can stay out any longer. The muscles feel fine, it is the achy joints and soft tissue tears that make laying down the best option. Time to take our old worn out bodies back to the motel.

After a good night's sleep we are ready to explore on the way back to Boston. We stop in the touristy Kennebunk Port. It is nearly impossible to find parking in the quaint little town. We drive by the Bush Compound and see some gorgeous homes and waterways.

The Bush Compound

After getting on the turnpike in the wrong direction and having to pay tolls in both directions my husband is hesitant to make anymore detours, but I suggest one final lighthouse before heading to the airport.

I think my husband is actually happy about my little detour. He climbs down to the water and puts his hands in the Atlantic Ocean and I get double bonus points for finding a little ice cream stand.

Can you tell the purple one is mine with that death grip I have on it. In my defense I had no idea they were so large when we ordered. I did however eat the whole thing, but it counts as dinner. They actually warn us as we go through security that there are absolutely no food places in our wing of the airport. We also get busted for the baked beans included in the goodie bags. The poor security person has to go through all our dirty clothes to find the cans and swab them for explosives. I knew we should have left those baked beans behind. Once we are safely in the airport and behind our entertainment screens on the plane, it is smooth sailing all the way home.

Until Next time!!!