Jerry Mullins

2018 REVEL Mt Hood Marathon
Published: Aug. 2, 2018, 10:24 a.m.
  1. Overall Rating

    5/5 Stars

  2. Describe your race day.

    Originally I was signed up for the half (with my wife) but in April I missed a BQ by 31 seconds, so I switched to the full in hopes of getting my BQ. Despite getting up at 1:30 am I felt pretty good. We jumped in the van and headed to the bus loading area which I would say was the only part of my race day experience that wasn't worthy of five stars, but it was a decent experience and I'm sure that's a detail that will come to together with time. (We didn't know where the different busses loaded but after a short time and some walking around we figured it out, ultimately no big deal) When we got to the mountain I was on the first bus so the porta-potty situation was great, but things got hectic real quick and unfortunately, I had some GI issues. But after three trips to the porta-potty, I was ready to go. So off we went!
    I loved the course! The volunteers at the aid stations were awesome and the view was spectacular! I felt good but was still having GI issues and I had to stop 3 times the first 15 miles and was really close to throwing the towel in on the BQ time. I was having such a great race and was really enjoying it besides the porta-potty issues. My thought was if I'm not going to make my time I want to enjoy the race and the beauty around me, so I decided to forget about the BQ and just run my race. When I got to mile 21 I realized that I was still within reach if I didn't have to stop again, and I was feeling pretty good, so I started figuring out what I need to do to get my BQ.
    My BQ time is 3:25 and my current pace was going to be either right on or I was going to miss it again by less than a minute. We drove the course so I knew that I was going to have a little uphill running, so I was thinking that how I handle mile 23-25 is going to be huge! 23 was close to flat and I finished it with a 7:46 pace, a little slower than what I wanted, but then mile 24 was back down and so I was able to pick it back up and run a 7:36 pace. This is when I started to get emotional because I knew that how I was feeling and how I was running that this was possible! This was my 6th attempt at qualifying and have never felt this good this late in the race, but now I was facing my first mile that had a net incline. It wasn't much but after running 24 miles it doesn't take much, but I was able to run a 7:54 and keep it close enough to my goal pace of 7:45 to keep my hope alive! When I reached the one mile away timing mark I looked at my watch and I had about nine minutes. I knew unless I blew up that I was going to do it! This seemed like such a long mile!!! But I was really cruising or least I felt like I was. I remember saying "where is the finish line" and a spectator heard me and said "you'll turn left right up here and then you will see it" That was needed! I get around the corner and see the finish line and things got a little blurry. Soon after I was crossing the finish line stopping my watch and then my legs totally gave out and I went to the ground. I heard "we need a medic" and then I saw my wife running toward me and yelling "YOU DID IT"!!!! What an epic moment! The tears were coming down as they put me in a wheelchair and carted me to the medical tent where they took my vitals and drank some fluids recovered a few minutes and was up and celebrating my 3:22:13 BQ!!!! My last mile was a sub 7:30! I have never run that fast that late in a race.. Thanks for such an awesome race!!!!

  3. Did you PR?

    My time was 3:23:13 which was a 2:28 PR and yes I BQ'ed

  4. How would you describe the course?

    It was awesome!!

  5. Tell us about your training.

    My focus was the long run. I ran 20 miles every weekend in June and the first week in July before I started to taper. And I trained low for most of them. Then I ran a 15-mile long run and then I did a half marathon the weekend before as a tempo run. The week of the marathon, I only ran every other day and they were just slow 4 milers.

    I would do more downhill training next time.

  6. What advice would you give future runners?

    Stay as close to the bus loading area as possible, don't overrun the first five miles (it's easy to do) Bring layers to the start and shed (if need be) right before you line up, don't try any new cool foods, stick with what you know.

  7. What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

    We went to the coast before and afterwards, we went to silver falls and walked around portland (Voodoo doughnuts, Salt and Straw, Stumptown Coffee) . We are from Oregon but my sister flew in to watch so we took her to see sights.

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