Oregon Marathon Race Recap

The Oregon Summer Marathon route is very similar to the Vernonia Marathon that I ran back in April.  The marathons have different locations for the start and finish, but about 21 of the 26.2 miles are run on the Banks-Vernonia State Trail in both races.  A couple of my running friends, Terry and Joe, decided to do the Oregon Summer Marathon, so I decided to give the course another try.

I have had posterior tibial tendonitis in my left foot for the last couple of months and my ever problematic piriformis (weak heinie) issues.  I did take a couple of steps (well . . . at least one step) to try to fix my problem areas. I went to the physical therapist.  He gave me some strengthening exercises.  He also DID NOT tell me I COULDN'T run the Oregon Summer Marathon, so I decided to tape up my foot and give it my best shot.

Logical people (my entire family) told me I should not run this race because of my aches and pains. Nyah looked at me on Friday when I told her I was still planning to run and said, "Mom, you are crazy!" 

My response was, "I prefer to say that I'm dedicated!"

I actually did a couple of things that I THOUGHT were RIGHT in preparation for this race.  I ate really clean for days before the run.  I did not slip up and eat Thai food for my pre race meal this time.  (I am still having nightmares about the repercussions of the Pad Thai during the Vernonia Marathon.) I wore a newish pair of shoes without many miles on them that I had broken in on a couple of previous short runs.  I purchased all my favorite GU flavors to enjoy during the race (peanut butter chocolate and salted caramel).  I also bought a "new"robe from the Salvation Army to keep me warm before the race. So, besides my nagging injuries, I felt like I was ready to go.


Terry, Joe, and I got on the first bus at 5:30 am.   While on the bus, I gagged down a banana which I despise, but I ate it anyways because that's what runners are "supposed to eat" before a race.  The bus took us up to Vernonia High School where we were blessed with INDOOR FLUSHING TOILETS! This is the 2nd time I have been blessed with the gift of flushing toilets before a race.  There is just something special about being able to flush a toilet vs. shutting the lid on a porta potty.  I did notice something curious while in the restroom line.  The line for the women's restroom was VERY short compared to the men's line.  That never happens!  My mind was racing; either the women running this race had strong bladders OR there weren't many women running the race!  I used the bathroom seven times and then decided I'd better head to the starting line.  Ready or not!  When I got to the starting line I looked around and realized it was a VERY small race.  (I found out later there were only 29 women that ran the full marathon.) I chit chatted with a woman beside me and found out she was visiting from Utah!  What a small world!   I waited until the last minute, kissed my "new" Salvation Army robe goodbye, and started running.

I decided to start out a little slower this time in hopes that I'd have something left for the last six miles.  There were quite a few people in front of me.  I kept my eye on one girl that was about a half mile ahead on the path.  My goal was just to keep her in my sights.  I ran in silence, listening to my breathing.  Aaron had spent 3 hours loading my iPOD with new music the night before as a special treat.  Running for me is all about mental games and tricks to make it through the miles, so I told myself that I couldn't turn on my iPOD until mile 4.   I saw the mile 4 marker and pushed play.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard music playing! I really needed a boost.  It was an Eminem rap song.  Very motivational!  Next mental trick:  I forced myself to listen to that SAME Eminem song over and over again until I caught up to the girl in front of me.  I pushed "repeat" many times as I ran along. Finally, at mile 7, I caught up to her and quickly pushed the fast forward button on my iPOD to a new song.  Mile after mile ticked away with music playing in my ears.  A couple men passed me.  I took a GU.  A couple more men passed me.  I took another GU.  Then I threw up at Mile 17. Chocolate peanut butter GU is no longer my favorite flavor.  I smelled really gross.  I kept on running.  I could feel a huge blister forming on the bottom of my left foot.  I guess my newish shoes were a little too new.  Run, run, run . . .

Then there was an out and back at around Mile 20 or 21.  The volunteers handed me a cold wet towel. It was a nice reprieve from the heat.  However, during the last five miles, I really wanted to quit.  My Aleve had worn off.  My ankle was aching.  My new blister was throbbing.  My butt hurt.  "Why am I doing this?!" kept running through my mind.  Then I remembered . . .



I needed another mental game.  I imagined myself doing a tempo run on the Springwater Corridor. "It's only one mile to the stoplight from Johnson Creek," I thought to myself.  I ran a mile.  Then, "It's only one mile to the food carts!"  I ran another mile.  "It's one more mile to the overpass where the nice homeless man lives who always waves at me." I ran another mile.  I talked to myself, listened to music, and just slogged out the rest of the race.

When I crossed the finish line, I heard the announcer say, "Vanessa Heber . . . first female finisher."  I couldn't believe it! I won?!  3:24:33 was fast enough to be female and cross the line first that day.  A nice volunteer at the finish line brought me a cardboard box filled with ice cubes as a special treat for my bum foot.  Best reward ever!  I also treated myself to a Diet Pepsi from a local food mart and then headed home to tell my family that their crazy mom had survived another race and lost another robe.

PR in Eugene

Jill and Marisa flew in from Utah on Friday to run the Eugene Marathon.  

We drove to Eugene on Saturday morning, stopped by the Expo to get our race bibs and stumbled upon a new product called Run Gum, a caffeinated chewing gum.  The co-founder of Run Gum, Coach Sam Lapray, was the nicest guy and gave us lots of training tips for the future.  We explored the other booths, took some photos, and then headed off to Eugene's Saturday Market.  The booths were filled with wares being sold by artists, bakers, and a wide variety of other entrepreneurs. After exploring beautiful Eugene, we ate our pre-race meal, laid out our running outfits, and watched the movie, Creed, to help us get pumped up for the race!  I may or may not have hummed the Rocky theme song multiple times during the race the next day.

The next morning, we woke up with plenty of time to "prep" for the race.  I was lucky enough to stumble upon a women's restroom in the hotel lobby that had an abnormally high toilet seat that no one else in the hotel seemed to want to use.  It was really quite odd to sit on a toilet without having to bend my legs much. I don't think I will be installing tall toilet seats in our house any time soon.




I was forced to wear my grey monogrammed bathrobe (not pictured) on the short shuttle ride to the starting line because I lost my favorite purple robe at the last race.  Old grey kept me nice and toasty during our pre race rotations through the porta potties.  I'm pretty sure that some of the other runners thought that I was homeless.  I have a slightly pained expression in the picture above as I was quite chilly after disrobing.  Unfortunately, old grey was not at the finish line.  I hope someone with the initials VH is enjoying it.

The starting line was jam packed with runners and didn't thin out for miles.  I'm really not sure where the race took us because I don't know the city of Eugene at all yet, but I DO know that we ran over and along the beautiful Willamette River for a majority of the run. The views were spectacular and the company was even better.  It had been six months since I'd been able to run with Jill and Marisa, and I enjoyed every step of the race.  I tried to smile at the people cheering us on.  The spectators in Eugene were fabulous!  They handed out jelly beans and what appeared to be warm beer.  They held up motivational signs.  Lots of kids held signs that read, "Power Up!" that I punched for a boost of extra energy.  Jill, Marisa, and I all agreed that our favorite sign on the course was a poster board that read, "If Donald Trump can run, so can you!"  That one made us chuckle.













Now, I don't want you to think I am getting cocky, but I have to brag for just a moment about my big accomplishment in Eugene.  I actually ran a PR - a Poofree Race!  I know.  I know.  I can hear the rounds of applause from the two people that are reading this.  Thanks, Mom and Dad for believing in me!  The picture above is at Mile 26.1, and I am frantically scouring the area for a porta potty, but I managed to cross the finish line with a PR.


Side note:  Jill and I are pictured above preparing for the 2016 Summer Olympics in the new event called Synchronized Running.

The Eugene Marathon is a race I will never forget!  Thanks to these two girls for making the long trip out and for helping me remember why I love to run!  P.S.  I'm hoping there is another PR in my future!

Sandy and the Tram

The kids were off of school today because the teachers had to finish up 3rd quarter grades.  We decided to head to the city of Sandy, Oregon, to explore.  The big draw for us to Sandy was . . .   
We have heard great things about Joe's Donut Shop.  Supposedly, everyone that skis at Mt. Hood stops here on their way home for some delicious sugary goodness.  We decided to see if Joe's really deserves a 5 star rating from us on Yelp.  Ian ordered the cinnamon sugar and old fashioned, Nyah decided on the cronut and a blueberry fritter, and Carson stuck with his favorites the applesauce and chocolate glazed.  We sat down at a table to enjoy the tasty treats and noticed a sign on our table that read, "These are the most famous donuts in the world because they are the best in the world!"

Ian bit into his cinnamon sugar donut, moaned, and said, "These taste just like the donuts at the Red Barn!"  The Red Barn makes cinnamon donuts in Santaquin, Utah, and they are Ian's absolute favorite donuts in the whole world.   Sixty seconds later, he bit into his old fashioned donut, moaned again, and said, "So moist and soft." Personally, I don't appreciate the word "moist," especially when describing a donut, but this was a huge compliment coming from Ian.

The kids' verdict is that Joe's Donut Shop is indeed a 5 star business.  We will make the drive to Sandy often just for these tasty treats.

After we consumed our donuts, we wandered through the parking lot and noticed a beautiful park just steps away.  It is called Meinig Memorial Park and is filled with pine trees, steams, and wooden structures for the kids to play on.  Most of the kids we saw playing there were between 3 and 5 years old, but that didn't stop the elderly Heber kids from having a blast.

During our time at the park we took some Senior photos of Ian. (He cracks me up!)

Some Senior photos of Carson. (He yelled about getting this picture taken but smiled for the camera.)

And some family photos for our wall at home. (Really?!)

Can you guess who the baby of the family is?!

The trails that run through the park are absolutely gorgeous.  I would highly recommend this park as a place for a family picnic or even a double date for a couple of the kids pictured above.

We still had some hours left in the day, so we decided to head into Portland to ride the Tram.  The OHSU Tram runs between the South Waterfront district and the OHSU campus.  Ian dreams of going to OHSU someday to earn a Nursing degree and thought it would be a good idea for us all to check it out.  It cost us each $4.50 for the 4 minute Tram ride, but it was totally worth it.  The views of the city from the Tram are breathtaking.



Ian made a wish and threw a penny into the fountain at OHSU for good luck in his future endeavors at the school.


It was a great day!  We are excited for Aaron to get home from his week in Dublin, so we can give him his apple fritter from Joe's Donut Shop.  It may or may not be here for him when he gets back.

Pad Thai and Mile 9 of the Vernonia Marathon

I ran the Vernonia Marathon on Sunday morning.  I have been training for the Eugene Marathon coming up on May 1st.  My training schedule called for a 20 miler this weekend, so I figured the Vernonia Marathon could count for my 20 miles (+6) with the added bonus of aid stations and cheering sections.

I tapered this week in preparation for Sunday (taper = rest days and less mileage). My hamstrings/glutes have been bothering me for about a year now, and unfortunately my calves and feet started to hurt more than usual on Friday and Saturday.  I was really worried about putting my body through the 26.2 miles, but I decided to give it a shot.

I ate pretty clean throughout the week in preparation for race day, but on Saturday, the day before the race, I had a momentary lapse in judgement.  I ate Pad Thai as my pre-race meal at about 4:30 in the afternoon.  The Pad Thai tasted fantastic and sat well in my stomach, so I tried not to think about any future repercussions.

Sunday morning, I woke up at 3:45 am to prep for the race.  "Prep" basically means I put on my running clothes and try to go to the bathroom for an hour.  Exciting stuff.

I left the house promptly at 4:45 am and drove to Banks Middle School to pick up my running bib. I saw Ben, a member of a running group here in Portland, the moment I walked into the middle school. I was so grateful to see a familiar face.  The bus ride up to the starting line was uneventful though I did get some strange looks from fellow runners when they saw my purple robe.  I always freeze at the starting line of races (a combination of nerves and air temperature) and like to have a blanket or robe with me for warmth.  This particular purple robe has seen me through the start of many races.

The bus dropped us off at a campground where I found plenty of INDOOR restrooms for more race prep.  I am used to rotating through porta potties before the race, so as you can imagine, the flushing toilets, sinks, and soap were a true gift.

At precisely 8 am I dropped my purple robe in the grass, and the race began.  My goal was to hold a 7:15 pace for as many miles as possible.  I knew there was a bit of uphill starting at Mile 9, so my original goal was to hold pace until then.  Well,  I held pace for the first 5 miles, and then my legs started to feel tired.  I took a GU hoping I would feel reenergized.  The GU helped a bit, but my pace continued to slow.  At this point in the race, I saw a lady on the path that cheered me on and told me that I was the first woman coming through.  I couldn't believe it.  I kept running and looked behind me to see where the next woman was.  I tripped over my feet and decided not to look back again.

Somewhere between Miles 5 and 9, I saw my friend, Diane, cheering all the marathoners on.  I was so happy to see Diane!  I got a high five from her, got an extra boost of energy, and kept running. Then Mile 9 happened.  The dreaded uphill.  I was fading fast, so I took another GU.  During my next few steps, I "realized" that something unfortunate had just occurred.  My stomach no longer held the Pad Thai or the GU. I will not horrify you with any of the details.

Side note:  I think the man pictured below may have eaten Pad Thai as his pre-race meal.  He is my hero.  What a trooper!



I continued plowing through the miles.  I could feel myself slowing down with each and every step.  I started playing mind games with myself by dedicating each mile to a family member or friend.  For example, Mile 11 was dedicated to my brother, Caleb, whose birthday is in November, the eleventh month of the year.  Makes perfect sense, right?!  He is running the Salt Lake City Marathon next weekend, so during Mile 11 I kept saying, "Caleb, this one's for you! Caleb, you are going to rock your marathon next week at Mile 11!"  I know.  I sound crazy.  Maybe I am.  I certainly felt like it at that point.  I continued clocking off the miles one by one.  I saw Diane again at Mile 13.  She cheered me on and motivated me to run up the last big hill.  Suddenly, at Mile 18, I had to stop to stretch my hamstring.  I glanced back and saw a group of two men and two women running towards me.  They looked fresh and strong.  I started running again.  At Mile 19, the two men passed me.  At Mile 20 the two women passed me.  All I could do was take another GU.  Or two. And I kept on running.

The last six miles were brutal.  I needed to finish the marathon soon because I needed to get back home to take the kids to church.  I sang, "Get Me to the Church on Time."  I sang a myriad of other songs.  I said, "Hello!" to runners that were finishing the 1/2 marathon.  I prayed for it to be over soon.  The course ended at Banks Middle School.  I ran through the parking lot, I ran to the stadium, and then . . . I had to run a lap around the track.  A lap has never felt so long.

I completed the marathon in 3:20:19.  I ended up being the 2nd woman to cross the finish line.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I could place in a race.  It was an amazingly beautiful course, and one I will not soon forget.  One of the things I love most about running races is the comradery felt amongst the runners.  We are all there to cheer each other on and motivate each other to finish even when it gets difficult, and sometimes messy.














The only thing missing from this race was the man with the pink sign above and my purple robe which was not returned at the finish line.  (It's probably for the best.  It was a very unattractive robe.)



A huge shoutout to the race director and all the volunteers that worked countless hours to put on a fantastic race.  Thank you!

Laughter is the Best Medicine

     Yesterday, Dad took our entire family to The Texas Roadhouse for lunch.  The rolls were drenched in honey butter, the dinner salads tasted divine, and the steaks and chicken melted in our mouths.  Our waiter's name was Boston Rob.  I am a Survivor fan, so I love Boston Rob, but our waiter was not THE Boston Rob.  He was a great waiter though.  After Boston Rob brought us our bill, Dad took the bill and with a very serious look on his face said, "Rob, our family is actually a group of food critics. We have rated your service on a scale of 1-5.  What score do you think you deserve today?"

     Boston Rob looked a bit horrified.  He paused for just a moment and then said, "Well, I think I did pretty well, but definitely could have done better.  I am just coming back to work after being pretty sick, so . . . I'd only give myself a 3.5."  

     Hypochondriac Vanessa started to come out.  I desperately wanted to ask Boston Rob what terrible illness had kept him from work.  Was it typhoid fever?  Was it the mumps?  I just knew I was going to catch whatever illness he'd had.  However, I held it together and simply said, "We gave you a perfect '5', Rob.  You did a great job!" I have not had any strange symptoms of illness as of yet.  I am hoping Boston Rob was completely recovered when he touched our food. :)

     After lunch, I took Ian and Nyah shopping for new pants.  They have both grown a couple of inches in the past few months and have been wearing high water trousers to school.  Ian hates to shop for clothes, so I was dreading the experience.

     H&M opened up at The University Mall in Orem.  We found some great deals there on corduroys.  I sent Ian into a dressing room with piles of clothes, and plopped myself on a stool to wait.  Two important notes:  1) Nyah was in the dressing room beside Ian and 2) there were other mothers sitting outside the dressing rooms around us waiting for their own daughters to model clothing.

     After a few minutes in the dressing room, Ian emerged in a good looking pair of cords.  He did a few dance moves and then turned around to show me how they fit his bum.  I said, "They look great!" not thinking anything of the bum shot.  The same thing happened with the next two pairs of pants.  Ian did a little jig and then turned around to show me the rear shot.  I happened to turn my head sideways at some point during this process and noticed another mom chuckling at us.  I guess it is a bit strange for a 15 year old boy to ask his mom's opinion about how pants fit his bum.  

     At one point in the process, Nyah walked out of her dressing room to model a skirt for me while Ian was back in his room dressing.  Suddenly, we both heard Ian muttering in a weird voice, "Oh, these pants feel so good." 

     Nyah looked at me aghast.  "Mom, tell him to stop!" 

     "Ian, stop it!" I whisper-yelled.

     I heard Ian chuckle and say again, "Ooh, these feel great!"

     Nyah looked like she was going to pass out from embarrassment.  Teenage boys know how to torture their sisters and their mothers!

       I am so grateful for my children.  They make me laugh daily!  I think they got their sense of humor from their dad.  He is pretty funny too!

     A couple other memories from the past month:  Nyah had a fantastic time running cross country this season.  She made some terrific friends and developed a love for running.

      Carson and I attended a wonderful Mother/Son Pack Night this month.  My amazingly talented neighbor planned the night and we enjoyed it so much.  I am so grateful that Carson and I got to spend some one-on-one time together learning more about each other.

     One thing I learned about Carson this month:  he wants to be an artist when he grows up!  He said I shouldn't show this picture to Grandpa because he will think Caron is going to be a gangster when he grows up!

     When Cali came home for her birthday a while back, we gave her a ring we had made that is inscribed with her Instagram name, "floralfoxx".  I am so thankful that she and her sister are the best of friends.

     Marisa, Donna, Jill, and I headed down to St. George to run the Snow Canyon Half earlier this month.   I am so lucky to have such wonderful running friends.  The weather was beautiful and it was so fun to run into Jeff during the race.  He wasn't even breathing hard when he sprinted past me. :)

     Last, but not least, Caleb had a birthday this month!  He and his beautiful girlfriend, Emily, came over to our house for dinner.  This picture makes it look like he got applesauce for his birthday, but his real gift was actually a baggy of banana muffins.  What a jokester!

      November is a month of gratitude.  I am so grateful for a family that laughs together.

St. George Marathon 2013

Training for a marathon is never easy, but this year, it was tougher than usual.  Trying to fit the mileage in around school and family was tricky.  4 a.m. runs became the norm instead of the exception.

As the St. George marathon got closer, I started wondering, "Did I do enough?  Is my body going to break down?  Is my brain going to break down?"

Luckily, Nyah drove down with me to St. George so I was forced to keep my nervous energy in check. We had a fabulous time talking and laughing the whole way there.  Nyah ate 3 tacos from Taco Bell and 2 orders of nachos.  I ate a bag of Kettle Cooked potato chips.  (great pre-race food)

The next morning, I woke up at 3 a.m.  Shockingly, that is a "normal" time with my new schedule.  I was nervous.  I went to the bathroom 4 times.  I gagged two pieces of peanut butter toast down in the car. I felt sick. Why is race day filled with such anxiety?

We stood by the porta potties for 1 1/2 hours.  It was cold.  I ate a banana.   I felt sick.  The lines for the bathroom got extremely long, so I decided to brave the outdoors.  I really would have been a great pioneer. :)

When the starting gun went off, I had trouble hitting pace.  I couldn't get around people.  I was worried about tripping on blankets and clothes that fellow runners were dropping everywhere.  At about Mile 2 I was able to hit pace.  I drank every 2 miles and ate GU every 4 miles.

I didn't listen to music at all during the race.  I found myself talking out loud to myself:  "Vanessa, you can do this.  This hill looks just like Center St.  After you get up the hill, there is bound to be some downhill.  Nyah is going to be at the finish line.  Just keep going."

In any other situation, I think I would probably be put into a mental facility.  Talking to oneself is not normal.  Is it?

The last 3 miles were extremely difficult.  I pretended I was out for a regular run around my neighborhood and talked myself through different landmarks that I see on a normal day.  It really seemed to help.

The last .2 miles was glorious.  Seeing all the people standing along the sides of the road gave me just the boost I needed to finish.

It was a great race.  I got a PR:  3:06:36.  The best news though:  I ended the race without any gloves, but it was because my hands got hot.  No potty stops during the run!

Off to College

This was one of the hardest days of my life.  Saying "goodbye" to my eldest . . .

We loaded the Pathfinder up to the brim with Cali's clothing collection.  Before we drove to Utah State, we had to make a pitstop in Salt Lake to watch Carson play in a soccer tournament.

Carson, Ian, and Aaron had to stay in Salt Lake to play another game.  Nyah, Cali, and I drove to Logan, shopped at WalMart for much needed apartment items, and then carried every single item that Cali owns up 3 stairwells to her unairconditioned broiling hot apartment.  I had sweat dripping from every inch of my body.  It was disgusting.  The boys showed up just in time for photos.

It was heart wrenching to see the girls walking side-by-side . . . one last time.

Ian spent hundreds of hours learning to make a quilt.  He made the quilt for his sister, Cali  It was the best going away present in the universe!

Luckily, Cali is only a couple of hours away, but oh, how I miss my girl!