My friend Shaun picked us to take us to the airport (seriously, MVP status). The flight was easy..and memorable n. Right before takeoff, the pilot casually strolled into our section and said, “If it looks like a piece is missing from the plane, that’s because there is. Maintenance knows. I know. It’s fine. It just needs 23 screws, and we don’t have the screws.” Comforting? Maybe not. Entertaining? Absolutely.
We landed in Portland and grabbed some Stumptown coffee (a must) before hitting the road for the 2.5-hour drive to Eugene. Quick lunch stop at Jimmy John’s on the way, then straight to the race expo for our bibs. Afterward, we swung by Whole Foods for groceries before heading to our VRBO..though for a brief moment, we weren’t sure we’d actually get into the house due to not hearing back from the host on how to get into the house (cue minor panic).
Once we settled in, we attempted our 7 p.m. dinner reservation at Old Spaghetti Factory. Long story short: by 7:30 there were still 15 parties ahead of us, and we didn’t get a seating text until 8. We bailed and went back to Whole Foods for a take-and-bake pizza, lasagna, and hot bar goodies. Minor crisis when the oven wouldn’t open (broken lock), but Tony and I wrestled with it and triumphed. Dinner could happen!
I was the first to crash, reading in bed with no toddler interruptions. Glorious sleep.
Race morning: woke up a little before 5 a.m. (blessed by the time difference), caffeinated, and got dropped off at the start. After a porta-potty stop, we joined the back corral and started about 8 minutes after the gun.
The first mile felt rough, and I worried it would be a slog, but things improved fast. One race highlight: at the first porta-potty stop, a woman loudly counted how long someone was in there. Tony, Cristina, and I turned it into a running joke for the rest of the race. We saw Jesse and Chris cheering multiple times, which gave me such a boost. (I always spotted them first, which I’m pretty proud of.)
Finishing in the stadium was incredible! The medal was beautiful, and the finisher bags were reusable totes with water bottles already filled. We reunited with Jesse and Chris, grabbed post-race beer, a can of wine, a whole loaf of bread (yes, really), and the most delicious grilled cheese from a food truck. Skipped the pancakes..the line was wild.
Back at the house: showers, naps, and a solo shakeout walk in the hills for me with my audiobook – so pretty! We lounged in the sun, and Cristina’s friend surprised her with a delivery of Insomnia Cookies. For dinner, we ordered Indian food, watched Napoleon Dynamite, and had a chill night. I went to bed early to read and recover.
The next morning was slow and cozy…coffee, chats, reading. Later, some of us went for a walk while others had to work. I wandered solo for a bit, made a pit stop at a grocery store bathroom, and got picked up from a coffee shop. The sun came out, and the day was just lovely.
In the afternoon, I joined Chris and Cristina for a drink at a cute bar, then tacos and another drink across the street. We picked Jesse up from the gym..well, technically from his post-gym pizza snack. A woman nearby was waiting for his crust to eat. We grabbed Tony and headed to explore by the river. Lots of detours, little walking, lots of sunshine.
Dinner was at Eugene Burger Company in a charming indoor market. The owner was super chatty and kind. We explored a bit, stopped at Nike, grabbed ice cream, and ended the night watching The Heat back at the house. I forgot how funny that movie is!
Tuesday morning: more coffee with Cristina (can this be my every morning?). Then I walked to meet Colleen, who had just finished Big Sur and flew in to explore Eugene. We had coffee and caught up. It was so good to see her. She’s one of my OG running friends, and I can’t wait to see her again at Grandma’s in June.
After that, I got picked up, finished packing, and we began the long drive back to Portland. I popped in The Blue Bistro audiobook and zoned out until we reached the airport. Security was quick, and we grabbed a surprisingly great pasta lunch in the terminal.. and some super duper good cookies too. I wish we had that place closer because it was quite yummy.
The flight home was uneventful. Joel had changed his flight to land at the same time, so we got to ride home together, which was such a sweet surprise. Shaun picked us up (again, rockstar!) – she’s raising money for Homes for Our Troops by running the Tokyo Marathon. Love her heart.
And the best part? Walking in the door to two wide-awake, squealing kids who were so excited to see us, even though it was way passed their bedtime!
It was such an amazing trip: great friends, lots of laughs, relaxed vibes, and the perfect mix of race weekend energy and downtime. Already counting down to the next one.
