I, along with 20,999 of my fellow Portlanders, participated in the city’s annual Shamrock Run yesterday. I thought the 8k run would serve as a good check point for my 1/2 marathon training.

These are the take-aways that should have come from the event:

1. I need to run more than 1 day a week if I plan to make it through a half marathon
2. Running on a track does nothing to prepare me for uneven surfaces, large crowds of people, or even the tiniest of inclines
3. One should stretch before a race, and maybe drink a glass of water or two in the days leading up to a run

These are the actual take-aways:

1. My new running hat is ok, but the one Riley ate was way better
2. I don’t want to do a half marathon

Hopefully I’ll get over point #2. Once the race was over and I was back home in my warm house drinking coffee in bed, I was happy that I did the Shamrock run. And my time was about 3.5 minutes faster than last year, which is encouraging. At the end of the day, though, I am probably just not cut out to be a runner. Ms O’Rourke, my elementary school principal, always told me I walked like duck. Which probably means I run like a duck. Which probably explains why I think this sport, in general, kind of sucks. But that is ok. It’s just a few short months of misery and then when it’s over, if I pull it off, I can gloat. And gloating rules.

Tags: shamrock run