We recently returned from a fabulous five days in Portland, Maine. It was both my husband's and my first time in that state, so we were very much looking forward to a city right on the ocean in autumn that is known for good food and, of course, a running race. Our trip out there was fairly uneventful other than a mixup at the airport shuttle service. Fortunately, their online system had us book a shuttle that gave more than enough time to get there, so that delay was ok other than I would have rather set my alarm for 1:15am instead of 12:10am to get there. We arrived in Portland at 12:30 Eastern (11:30 Central) excited to start our vacation and a little sleepy. Being up through the night does tricks with a person's appetite but I was sure if I got a good solid lunch once we got to our hotel I would feel just fine. We opted to eat our first meal right in the hotel restaurant. I tried haddock which is a white fish with lobster sauce and my husband opted for a lobster roll which is essentially a sub roll with lobster stuffed inside. Then we were ready to venture out to get my race packet. The hotel suggested we use Uber to get over there. Neither of us had ever tried Uber before, but once we had downloaded the app and figured out the address of where we wanted to go, our driver arrived in mere minutes. One Uber ride and we were both glad we had decided against renting a car. Portlanders drive more aggressively than we thought and parking was sparse. Once inside the expo, it was super easy to get my race packet and shirt. They even allowed people to try them on to be sure the size was correct. I met some nice women while trying on my shirt and we advised one another if we thought they were choosing the right one. The gal right in front of me was running her very first half and was pretty nervous. After the race gear, we proceeded around the expo which I would classify as medium sized. There were some vendors with a variety of wares. If someone needed to purchase something to wear or use at the race, they could probably find it at this expo. We bought my husband an Illuminite jacket. In case you've never seen their products, they sell items that are super reflective without looking like you have escaped from a construction site. He doesn't run, but it will be a nice jacket to walk Charlie or even stepping out into a parking lot. Don't be a Ninja! Our last stop was at the Maine Marathon gear table where everything was super reasonably priced and the customer service was top notch. Consequently, we purchased...a tank top, coffee mug, steel travel cup, last year's race shirt and some logo stickers for about $50. Their logo is super cute, so I was excited about the gear. And, the very friendly woman who helped us designed the travel cup. With her endorsement, of course we needed one :-) On the way out, we stopped a nice couple headed for the parking lot to ask where we should have our Uber drop us off on race morning for best access to the starting area. They gave us great advice and wanted to know where we were from and how we ended up at the race. Then the man gave me his card...he happened to be Bob Dunfey, the Race Director. I guess if we needed some direction, we went straight to the top! The next morning we managed to get another Uber and arrived at the starting area of the race in only a few minutes. I'd have to say, this race had the BEST porta-potty to runner ratio of any event I've been to for a long time. Having a bit of a nervous tummy, I think I got in line four times in the hour before the start and had zero trouble being in the starting area with time to spare. I also walked out on the course a bit before the race. The scenery was beautiful. The weather was nearly perfect--about 45 and sunny. There was a light wind that was only noticeable for a few stretches on the way back, especially over a very large bridge. I started out with a guy running the marathon dressed as a bottle of mustard. He completed another marathon the day before in New Hampshire dressed as ketchup. More than a few people asked if he had a relish costume which he did not...but he does own a hotdog costume! The run itself went really well. The RaceJoy app was encouraging. Each mile, I'd hear how much time had passed since Mile 1, pace for the current mile, average pace and projected finish time. I think Mom and Stephanie were pushing the Cheer button back in MN because shortly after each mile, I'd get one or more "Woo Hoo!" in my ear. With one mile to go, I got a Halleluia chorus. The only disappointing thing was that the app was telling me that my projected finish time was around 1:55:30 and when I finished, it was actually 1:57:12, not a bad time, but I'd have liked the faster one more. The course itself was very nice and lived up to the video I watched with the first five miles being quite flat and then picking up some hills. Ironically, we passed a cemetery right around mile 6 and mile 7 (out and back) and we were really feeling it about then that perhaps we were dead meat on this hill. I really wished I could have gotten a picture at about that point. We had just climbed a giant hill and were headed down a giant hill only to go right back up a second one. The sight of all of the runners, many going my way and a few coming back the other way was a colorful inspiring view and a good diversion to the thought of running the hill. When we got nearly to the top of that second hill, there were signs that the turnaround for the half was coming soon and to go to the last cone to turn. As promised, we turned around at the top, then of course went down the giant hill and then up a giant hill in reverse of where we had just been. According to my Garmin, I only exceeded 9:00 for two miles on the race on Miles 8 and 10. My overall pace per mile was 8:51. For that, I was very pleased. The beauty of running a half marathon is the ability to still do fun stuff the rest of the day afterward. We were back to the hotel and showered in time for a GF lobster roll of my own at Luke's Lobster on the pier and a trolley tour of the city. I chose the tour that included a 1/2 hour stop at Portland Head Lighthouse. I love lighthouses which I'll put into another post, but the trolley/bus/boat tours in a new city are a fun way to learn the history and see where any particular locations are that you'd still like to visit. Plus, you get a ride; I did run 13.1 miles and can still have fun, not necessarily looking to rock climb for the afternoon! I was rocking my race shirt when we went to the Flatbread Company for a GF flatbread topped with roasted beets, kale and yellow pepper. Yumm! This restaurant also had an authentic Maine dessert, the Whoopie Pie in a GF version made into a sundae. I might have had one on three different nights while we were there... Aren't those race shirts super cute?!? You are forgiven if you didn't notice my new orange shirt because of the Whoopie Pie Sundae. Definitely consider incorporating a race into your next vacation. It's a great way to see a new city, meet locals as well as visitors and come home with a few souvenirs. Plus, if the food is super in your destination city, you know you will get a little exercise to burn those calories. Happy running! Missee
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AuthorMissee and Stephanie are two Minnesota sisters and moms who love to run. We are not experts in running, parenting or anything else, but we do have years of experiences that may be helpful or entertaining to others. Archives
May 2020
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