Shofar… So Good!

Beginning 10 minutes after a really (really) uncomfortable downpour -- after all, this is Portland -- the race started wet and sloppy on a rather narrow downtown street with deep splashy puddles. It was feeling rather like a trail race! Anyway, having hidden out in a local Starbucks until the rain had subsided to a steady shower, I wasn't able to make it through the crowd precisely to my proper position in the lineup, so the first three miles were spent overtaking other runners until I was with people whose pace I matched.

By then, I had seen a spectator with a mylar sun balloon once and heard a woman blowing a shofar along the route (it was the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and what's more spiritual than running 26.2 miles? Shanah tovah); and, although I wasn't any drier, I was comfortable, happy, and moving well.

Along an out-and-back section bordering the Willamette River, the rain ceased and those of us on the "out" section cheered on our faster compatriots who were coming back from the turnaround at mile 9. The sun balloon guy reappeared near the halfway point (I was only two minutes behind my time at Skunk Cabbage April 2000), and shortly afterward his efforts were rewarded: bright rays appeared through the clouds as I ascended the only true hill, which came at mile 16 (150 feet -- no big deal to those of us from the Finger Lakes :-) and traversed the St. John's Bridge drinking in the beautiful city view up and down the river. Just across the bridge was again Mr. Sun who received my warming thanks, and I witnessed the shofar once again near mile 20. Surprisingly, I was not yet tiring -- this phenomenon didn't strike until mile 23, but wasn't debilitating even then. Crossing the river into the wind over the Steel Bridge into downtown nearing mile 25, I knew that I was going to make the time I had hoped for -- or even beat it. Indeed, I crossed the finish line at 3:41:36, whereas my goal was 3:45 and my previous best time was 3:47:30 (at both Wineglass 1999 and Las Vegas 2000).Although my Smartsocks and Saucony Jazz Supremes were still wet from the start, I collected my medal, rose, pin, shirt, and snacks without even a blister, and met my husband Bob (a Portland resident -- we'll be bicoastal for years to come until all the kids are grown) at the pre-designated statue with a big smile and kissAt home, we viewed the results (which were being posted in real time as runners and walkers crossed the 10K, 1/2M, and finish mats) and saw that I achieved 21st in my age group (40-44) and 179th overall -- both showings well within the top 10% of those running (as opposed to walking), numbers that I can barely believe. Now, the day following the race, my body feels terrific, and I'm looking forward to New York in five weeks and Boston next April -- with perhaps another race in between (Charlotte? Las Vegas? New Orleans? any suggestions?)-- Nancy Kleinrock