Terwilliger Backwards

There's a chance that I'm biased but I'm beginning to think that Portland might be the best place in the world to run.  Our run started off a little late due to a pick-up snafu that I won't go into.  We ended up starting only 20 minutes late and, since it was around 51 degrees, the extra waiting time wasn't a big deal.  If anything, it made me stretch more than normal and probably helped since we immediately started going uphill.  

We met at the Terwilliger Fred Meyer to run distances ranging from 9 to 20 miles.  We started by running Terwilliger, up past the Chart House and then down to Duniway park where we did a partial lap on the track before heading down to the Waterfront.  The 9 milers turned around before we made it all the way to the Waterfront and then it was just the two of us.  We made a quick pit stop under the Morrison Bridge and then continued past the Steel Bridge for four miles along Naito Parkway...  just us and the semis barreling past!  It started sprinkling some around the turn around point but it wasn't too bad.  We cruised back and were at Duniway Park again before we knew it...  but then the big uphill and the heavier rain started.  

I think we were both a little anxious about how tough it was going to be to have that kind of uphill at the end of a 20 miler.  I must say, though, that we both exceeded our expectations so that was a very pleasant surprise.  As we finally only had one more mile, I felt that drive to hurry up kick in and I somehow managed to make that my fastest mile of the day at 9:54.  It is always nice to finish a tough, long run feeling as though you kicked it's ass.  

Overall, we finished in 3:33:34 for an overall pace of 10:41.  This is right where we should be at this point and I'm incredibly optimistic that I can rock Austin in under 4:30.