2nd Tacoma City - Full Report

Really, the marathon started on Friday afternoon. This is our new hometown marathon, 2nd annual. Rob is the volunteer director, and Maniacs and Y Run Club runners fill his ranks. Eric and I had the afternoon shift at the expo, taking in late registrations. It is a fun way to start the weekend, hanging out with friends and runners, chatting with out-of-towners, answering questions, strolling the expo and soaking up the atmosphere of race day.

Since we were planning to head south to see Web, I opted for the early start. Eric and I got to town right around 5:30 am. There were already lots of people around and I had fun hanging out with the other early starters. It wasn't long till Paul started the countdown and the air horn blew. We were off.

Early start.

Rick jumped in at one of the intersections to get his morning run in before his volunteer stint. I was worried about getting lost at the beginning of the race - which turned out not to be a worry. The course was very well marked, and there were volunteers out for the early start. We played a little leapfrog with other early starters, including Ray and Jane. The run winds through some of Tacoma's not-so-nice areas, through a wonderful local park, past old and stately houses, past the famous Stadium High School and finally begins the drop to the waterfront. This was where Rick turned back to town and I began to run alone.

I was feeling good and strong. We rolled along the water and out to Ruston Way, which is lined with restaurants and parks for two miles. This was to be the last flat section of the course for a long, long time. I continued to leapfrog Ray and Jane, plus met a local runner (I invited him to join the Run Club). The front runner passed me just on the other side of the tunnel (remember, I was an early starter) about ten miles into the run. After the tunnel, there is a long climb up to the park.

Point Defiance is all hills, but again, I felt strong and kept moving. Annie, the lead woman and eventual first place woman, passed me a little ways into the park. She had time to call out a "hello" on her way by though. Actually, all the runners who were passing were saying "hi" or "good job" on their way by. Many of the pace groups passed me in the park too - it was strange...a herd of runners would come thundering up, always led by a Maniac with a sign, they'd surround me, then leave in a rush. Usually, I knew several of them and there would be lots of greetings too. I found Steve course marshaling as I came off the trail and got the first hug of the day. I had already seen other course marshals and water stop volunteers I knew - this turned out to be the theme of the day, finding someone familiar at almost every turn.

At one point I remember thinking that Point Defiance is the greenest place on Earth. The day was cloudy, sending murky green light through the trees. Everywhere around me were giant trees, covered with moss, arching over the road. There is no clear space under the trees - instead, there is brush, again, dense and oh-so-green. I love running through that park.

As I was leaving the park, I could hear another pace group coming behind me, then someone ran by and said "your man is just behind me!" I thought it was funny, to have Eric called my man. Sure enough, I could hear his voice and seconds later he swooped me up in a hug, told me he adored me, and planted a kiss on my ear, then he was off. We were just coming around the corner on a short up hill and I felt my first pangs of tired legs, so I slowed to a walk. I only walked a few steps, then picked it up again. This was mile 15.

Often, in a marathon, I find myself fighting my way to 13, then kind of coasting through the middle, then fighting from 20 on. This time, I found myself at 15 miles, kind of mildly surprised that I was there already, and no aches or pains. Ray caught up to me somewhere around 17 or 18 miles and I ran with him a bit. I was feeling tired, but pretty good still. I left him behind at a water stop again, and found myself running strong. About mile 20 I started feeling my energy drain. I began looking forward to seeing Sonya at the stadium, looking forward to her cheerful voice and a chance to gather some energy from seeing her. As I came into her station, I heard her calling out to me, and then I heard Patch, and when I got there discovered Mark as well. I told them I was tired, and I don't even remember what they said back, but I went on feeling more cheerful from the encounter.

A while later I ran up beside a guy who was walking. He was from New York and he said he was cramping bad. He said he desperately needed a salt tablet. I had just taken one, and I had one left that I knew I wouldn't use, because we only had two miles to go, so I gave it to him. He was so shocked! It made me happy, because it felt like paying it forward - taking the good mojo of the guy who ran with me on the track at Peterson Ridge and passing it along. I kept running, leaving the NY runner walking. In the next mile, he caught up and passed me by, telling me that the s-cap had made all the difference.

I saw Rich on his bike in that last couple miles, then Linda came flying past me, and then I saw Eric in the distance, and I knew I was home free. He ran in beside me, and I could hear my name being shouted, and then announced, and then, there was Rick waiting to put my medal around my neck.


Photo by Emily

I was done. I feel great about this race. It was a PR for the course, by a good 27 minutes, (or probably 20, if you discount that half mile wrong turn last year). I did it running solo. I crossed that finish line knowing I had nothing left, not another ounce to give.


Photo by Emily.

We didn't hang around long after. I had time to sit with some of the Y Runners while Eric went and got the car. We didn't go to the Expo and awards ceremony, so I was surprised to get a message from Barb telling me I had won the raffle and an age group award. She thought third, but it was really fifth. I am thrilled with that - my first award

If you've read this far, then you are amazing! I'll finish by saying that our visit with Web was short. 798 miles round trip, for a four hour visit, but worth every minute of it. Our young man is following the path less travelled. Sometimes that is a difficult thing for parents to accept, but our visit confirmed our faith in who he is, in the choices he makes and our love for him. All in all, this was a weekend well spent.


Web and I on the steps of his cabin.


Web in his garden.


The creek on the farm.


The valley on the farm.


Web playing a song for us.