 posted May-02-2007 09:26 PM
   
tetsujin
  I
ntrepid summary - Eugene Marathon (4/29/07)
temperature - 48 degrees to 64 degrees
goal time, if any - 5:40:00; actual - 5:34:53
FR - green cap, yellow singlet, green mesh tri-trunks.
Excuse note to rcg - tardy as tried to keep to 20 pages.With fond memories of Eugene, Oregon firmly fixed in my mind forever from occasional weekend visits back in college days to carouse with, . . . I mean study with hometown college buddies when the thought of running 26.2 miles for fun would have been about as ridiculous as landing a man on the moon, I was one of the first to sign up when econo goddess invited boomers to the reinstituted inaugural Eugene Marathon. I usually don’t have any particular goals in my marathons except to get a bunch of good exercise and run all the way as much as possible to the finish line. However, this one could be special if I beat my February Valentine time (6:09) because it would be the first time to take longer to get to where I'm doing it than do it. From the Eugene Station, it was but a four block walk to the Hilton Hotel Expo headquarters where I got together with Econo, Tammy, Rinda (Live&Learn) and Gentleman John 2635 whose schedule didn't permit him to run in the races so he had driven the several hours over from Grants Pass just to partake in the afternoon/evening’s festivities. John and I had talked about our mutual interests in running barefoot when we first met at the Portland Marathon last year so I was honored that he would come all the way to Eugene just to run with me. I only hoped he wouldn’t be too bored but I knew that he was going to get to make up for it at next weekend’s Avenue of the Giants’ races with Econo and Tammy and the contingent of SoCal goddesses and a couple of gods. I hope all will tease him mercilessly, . . . I mean be especially kind to him. Also saving herself for the Avenue Half, Tammy would be cheerleading this week for Econo and Rindie in the 5K, rlemert in the half, and the rest of us in the marathon. In particular, local host Econo needed a fast finish not only to have time for the labduck goddess aid station but also to get back to her place to get ready for the post race party. Based in the “Running Capital of the U.S,” University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman (1948-1972) believed that “if you have a body, you are an athlete” and, with the help of his wife’s waffle iron, had developed wide-heeled running shoes providing stability for the running masses back in the seventies. I'm still glad I'm was one of 'em. For some reason, I’ve only owned about six running shoes in 30 years of running marathons so was able to bring the original Nike’s waffles I used for four years from 1977 - 1980 to Eugene’s famed Hayward Field track for a pre-marathon lap on Sunday morning in the shadow of the legends of running who had performed there over the years including among those I remember being Washington State University runners Gerry Lindgren and Henry Rono, fourth-place Olympic marathoners Don Kardong and Kenny Moore, Bill Dellinger, fast ladies Mary Decker Slaney, Joan Benoit, Marla Runyan, Cathy Freeman, Mariel Hemingway, world marathon record holder Alberto Salazar (breaking Derek Clayton’s 12 yr old then 2:08:33 standard), Steve Prefontaine, econo’s friend Joe Henderson (who had a number of runners in his Marathon & Beyond singlets) and, I guess, anyone who’s ever excelled at running most any distance in the United States. In addition to running with the legends, the Hayward Field laps were also in awe with goddesses Mariposai, Tammy and Rindy as we joined dozens of other pre-marathon warmer-uppers around the famed track that prides itself in never closing or keeping out anyone who wants to run. But running wasn’t the only reason I was attracted to Eugene as Econogoddess is one of the, . . . I mean made our every dream come true starting with a tour to the site along a narrow residential connecting road in the Oregon trees where, at the top of a circling crest, UO standout Steve Prefontaine had been killed when his car failed to negotiate the swooping right turn as the narrow road turned downward. At the time, he held all U.S. distance records from 2,000 meters to 10K.
Stupid me thought it would be hard for econo to find the overgrown site anymore. However, she drove us through residential areas to a permanent memorial at the very edge of the road in front of a rock outcropping. It wasn’t just an historical relic either as recent admirers had left fresh flowers, two race bibs with the runners’ times’, a monthly training log, a professor’s request for personal stories of Pre’s impact, “I love you” notes, and other memorabilia. In fact, during the marathon, it seemed that there were a lot of runners with moustaches to look like Pre too. On the way to the Italian restaurant for the evening’s carbo-feeding, John and I took off our shoes and thongs for a relaxing run with the goddesses on the softest, pulpy wood chip surface my soles had ever experienced. John was just recovering from some lingering injuries and getting ready to see the SoCal goddesses too, . . . I mean run in the next weekend’s Avenue of the Giants’ runs so it was all I could do to keep him from running too fast and getting back to the car ahead of me to get the back seat between Tammy and Rindy again. I dared John to take it easy and get a PW in his Giants’ half so as not to get injured again and be in good health for this summer’s runs. Since it sounded like the boomer reunion will be scattered between hotels and campgrounds, I also bet him to try to get a photo of him squished in between as many goddesses as possible too.  It was boomer heaven awaiting for us at the carbo-feed. Hometown boy rlemert (who had flown in from North Carolina and got a PR) and his cooperative parents were saving our spots at the head of the line awaiting the 5pm opening to make sure we got one of the long tables therein. Others joining us came to include Wine Junky and lovely Canadian fresh from their Boston Marathons, MikeR and Runrwife fresh from a cross country move and the morning’s drive from Bremerton, Washington, duckgeek and dw, Live/Learn and Mariposai conquering asthma and hoping to keep injuries at bay, organizer extraordinaire Econo with cheerleader Tammy assisting, and John and me. Not that I have any particular interest in footwear or anything like that but my feet enjoyed the whole evening between Tammy’s pink thongs and Econo’s red stillettos. The sun was still out as we walked back to our motel to bask next to the pool in conversation and refreshments about the fast and slow, eccentrics and weirdos, divas and studs on the boom...., I mean talked about our morrow’s running strategies, footwear, attire, hydration and nutrition needs, goddess aid station requests, etc. After the morning’s Hayward laps, the marathon started out with Tammy joining me right away as my chip beeped over the starting mat. Since I mostly just run for exercise, fun, and enjoying beautiful scenery, I’m not too much into precise pacing but she ensured we arrived at the five mile mark just less than a minute under the hour I had requested. She then turned towards Hayward Field again to Rindi and Econo’s 5K so they could all go out to marathon mile 20 where LightningLab was setting up his famed goddess aid station as he had for us in the Portland Marathon after his 5K race there. However, this time, the long drive from Portland didn’t permit a run for him but just standing around all day to make sure our runners’ energies and spirits got replenished for the final six miles. Somehow, though, it didn’t look like he was bored. He is one fine fellow and I wish I could be at the Avenue and for his pleasure with the goddesses too. I didn’t want to miss the goddess stop and was elated to see Tammy running toward me just past the 19 mile marker on a footbridge over the Willamette River. She held out a cooling, refreshing Gatorade in her hand. In fact, she had me feeling so good by the time I got to the goddess station I was worried I might have to just keep on running but labduck insisted I stop for further refreshments and some photo opportunities as Rindi suggested a The Stick massage while she quenched my thirst with an exotic elixir. Then, with some Swedish fish gummy candy to nibble on, it didn’t seem that anything could stop me for the remaining six miles so I gave Rindi my fanny pack with thongs (along with certain other essentials) and, hoping everyone was looking, accelerated down the boulevard like lightening to connecting bike paths envisioning a glorious finish. Unfortunately, though I hadn’t needed them for the first 20 miles, I was kind of wishing I hadn’t given my thongs to Linda as some of the course deteriorated a little too much for my early season sensitivities. Fortunately, I’d kept some small fabric bandages with me and put a couple of strips over the most sensitive parts that the thongs would have covered so was able to finish without any unnecessary wear or tear. Someone remarked that it was ironic to be running a marathon in bare feet in the very town where popular-for-the-masses running shoes were invented. Among the masses of runners returning to their cars as the UO’s Austin Stadium came into view, the Texas Flash waved me on and a friend from Japan called out, “ganbare, ganbare tetsujin!” It all worked and I was delighted with beating my Valentine Marathon time by 35 minutes. After partaking of the Grandma’s soft chocolate chip/fudge/oatmeal cookies and beer-flavored potato chips at the finish, the shuttle bus dropped me off at the race headquarters Hilton Hotel where I was treated like a visiting dignitary and had a memorable chance to experience the generosity and kindness of an anonymous stranger from Texas. Though my blunder in ending up at the Hilton lobby instead of in the econotub made me miss the best part of what-are-becoming-our-boomer-marathon-reunions but maybe will help me decide which of four popular area races all on the same last weekend in April every year I’ll be wanting to do next year too. Thank you econo goddess.
[This message has been edited by Tetsujin30 (edited May-04-2007).]
IP: Logged |
You know what they say, live and learn... (or is that just me)
nice job. 
