Portland Half Marathon 2011

This was one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life.

On Sunday, October 9, I ran the 2nd Annual Portland Half Marathon. I ran 13.1 miles through the streets of Portland, OR. I set a new PR, with 2:17:58. I laughed, I cried, I high-fived spectators. I did it.

But this was so much more than a run.

Ray of Hope 

I ran this race to raise money for Ray of Hope, a small charity in Portland, OR. And by small, I mean small. Around $50K in operating budget a year. One part-time staff member and a few volunteers. But they change lives. Lots of lives. Through their clinics and schools in Kenya, they are making life better for people.

The night before the race, I got to attend a pasta dinner at the home of a supporter. Here, I met Dr Teresa Gipson, the woman who started it all. I met Jeska, a woman from Kenya whose life was changed by this charity, who brought me (and everyone else in the room) to tears. I met other amazing volunteers who give their time and money to help others. I could not have asked my family, friends, and colleagues to donate to a better cause. I know that every penny I raised helps these people.

Me, with a woman that will inspire and amaze me for always, Dr. Gipson

My Friends

But the best part of this adventure was, hands down, running with eight dear friends.

Nine. Nine people who have met through SQL events and Twitter. Nine people, drawn together by their love of community and running and helping others. Doug ran the 10 K Downhill Dash, and killed it in 42:00. Allen ran the full marathon, and wowed me with 5:39. I got to run the half with Erin, Yanni, Karen, Rob D, Brent, and Rob F.

i love these people. love.

Erin finished first, and was waiting for me after I got my medal and my space blanket. You know what’s better than getting your finish line photo taken? Getting it taken with one of your best friends. We ate our way down food alley (Portland has the best post-race food of all time, ever), where we met up with Rob D. We got our t-shirts, trees, and pendants (Portland also has the best post-race swage of all time, ever), then headed to the Ray of Hope booth to change into dry clothes. Then, we got to cheer Yanni across the finish line of her FIRST half marathon. Yanni, who was in chemotherapy one year ago, has now climbed a mountain and run a half marathon. She is amazing. We cheered on Karen as she powered through the race. We high-fived Rob F, who came all the way from Australia for this. We cheered on Brent, who was all smiles as he passed us.

In the end, we hugged and cheered and cried, and had an amazing lunch together. I cannot believe I was lucky enough to be part of this experience.

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