Sarah Gilbert, reporting "live" from the race's start! Given my sort-of-in-labor status, Larissa and my husband both thought it best that I not live blog actually from the real race, but Larissa is reporting by phone and I'll be updating throughout the race to say where she should be by now. The Forest Park course is a lovely one, and a course that I've run a few times -- very cool, with gentle breezes, and lined with all kinds of native Oregon flora and the occasional fauna.
Her course starts at the Pittock Mansion, a local landmark that looks over the city. She will wind through the park on the Wildwood Trail to the Vietnam Memorial, where the race ends.
Larissa reports that, even though it's a lovely day today, the start is chilly, and she's eaten a cookie and (finally!) had some water. She sounds energetic and excited, and expects to sponsor one woman about every 17 minutes. I'll update when the starting gun sounds...
11:30 a.m. And, she's off! The first part of the race is downhill from Pittock Mansion, but windy. It will be good training for the Hood-to-Coast...
11:47 a.m. One woman sponsored!
12:04 a.m. Two woman sponsored! Larissa should be more than half-way done with her race by now... Go Larissa!
12:21 a.m. Three women sponsored! Larissa is almost done.
12:52 a.m. Larissa is done! Despite getting lost (the trail is very windy with lots of intersections -- she followed someone she thought was in the race), she had a lovely run. She thinks her time would have been about 52 minutes had she not gotten lost. She encourages everyone to do it next time! (Ok, I'm sold...) If you're in Portland and reading this now with some time on your hands, you should go to the Vietnam Memorial (just a bit up the windy road from the Oregon Zoo), where the atmosphere is very celebratory. The finish party lasts until 3 p.m.
Yay Larissa! Great job! Congrats on the run and helping so.many.people.
Posted by: KT | June 23, 2007 at 14:39
Hooray! Great job Larissa!
Posted by: Mama Urchin | June 23, 2007 at 14:40
Yay, congratulations! What a big accomplishment and a great cause!
Posted by: Nonnahs | June 25, 2007 at 20:46
Congrats, Larissa! Well done. Remember that running is to you is what knitting is to me ;-)
Posted by: urbanMamas | July 05, 2007 at 07:14
Grr...that was me commenting in the previous post!
Posted by: Hau | July 05, 2007 at 07:16