• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Vindulge

BBQ and Grilling Recipes with Wine Pairings

  • Home
  • About
    • About Mary
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work With Me
  • Cookbook
  • Wine
    • Food and Wine Pairing
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Resources
    • Fundamentals For Learning How to Grill
    • Guide to Pellet Grills – Common Q and A
    • Best Pellet Grill – MAK Two Star General – Versatile American Made Pellet Smoker
    • Blogger Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop Wines
  • Cookbook
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wine Guides
  • Blogging Resources
  • Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Food and Drink » 2015 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon — the scoop!

    2015 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon — the scoop!

    August 12, 2015 By Mary 4 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    0 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    I knew I wasn’t entirely ready for the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon, even though it’s been on my calendar for nearly a year. Summer, work, travel, kids, they all got in the way of a perfect training schedule, or really any consistent training schedule for that matter. I hadn’t had a long run (and by “long” I mean anything over five miles) in well over a month. But then again, I’ve never really been “ready” for any major race. The one time I did feel totally prepared for a race and had completed a near perfect training schedule ended up being my worse race ever.

    So I just went into this race feeling like it was just another run. Just go with it. Worst case I could just walk a lot.

    After the grueling wake up call at 4:30am, and driving one hour down to Stoller Family Estate we arrived just in time to watch another perfect sunrise. That alone made it worth the effort. And this time the kids were there to send me off and wish me luck. Bonus!

    Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon -- sunrise over Stoller Family Estate

    The energy of this race is always so fantastic. I’m not a morning person (at all!), but there’s something about the crisp cool air and being surrounded by the scenic vineyards and energy of thousands of other runners. It’s hard to be grumpy, even if you are about to run 13.1 miles.

    While waiting for the send off I heard some pretty cool stats about this year’s event. 55% of the participants were from out of state (that’s because Oregon is fan-flippin-tastic and a great place to share vacation time with a running event!), and also 72% of the participants were women. Gooooooo girl power!

    Starting line at the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon 2015

    I started in the middle of the crowd, with low expectations of my performance. I had doubts I would beat my 2013 time, but hoped to not be too slow. I started out feeling strong. The pace of other runners was pretty fast, so I just kept up with them. After the first three miles I realized I was running a less than 9-minute mile (that’s pretty fast for me). I also realized something else. The first half of this race is hilly!

    Last year, when Sean and I decided to do the relay, I convinced him that the first part of the race was easy and hill-free. He’d be lucky to do the first part. It was the “easy part”.

    I lied.

    The first half is totally hilly. Not major inclines or anything, just non-stop rolling hills. Up and down. And just when you think it’s going to get flat again for a while…. boom, another hill. Enjoy those hills, suckas!

    In retrospect, I’m pretty sure me noticing every percentage of incline was likely due to the fact that I was a bit out of shape this year? Whatever the case I couldn’t stop thinking about those hills. It’s a good thing the scenery made up for it!

    Around mile 7 is the switch off (for the relay runners that is). This is where I began last year. It does start with a minor hill, but then flattens out for the remainder of the run. Just after the obligatory Lemelson wine tasting stop around mile 8 (I had to do it!), my knees went out. Both of them. WTF.

    Lemelson Vineyards Wine Tasting  stop at the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon

    Dear Pinot Gris, please hydrate numb me and make me forget about the shooting pain in both my knees. Please!

    I was doing so well, and feeling so strong, then my knees had to go all rogue on me. Jerks.

    To top it off from miles 9 to 12 the terrain is completely gravel. Not the easiest to run on, especially when you have two wonky knees that aren’t behaving the way you want. I had to start walking for a while (and thus killing my time), which then turned into a run-walk. Eventually my gait resembled a zombie, with me using my right leg to power forward, and the left was dragging far behind. At one point a young man actually turned around and asked me if I was okay, and I responded with a loud incomprehensible grunt. If it looks like a zombie and talks like a zombie. I think I frightened the poor guy because he quickly left my sight and jolted forward. I never saw him again.

    But the two ibuprofens I took when I first felt the pain began to kick in just before the gravel ended and I just pushed through to the finish. Time for wine!!!

    I had suddenly forgotten about the knee pain and the hills, because I had finished!

    Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon 2015 Wine Festival

    The good news about finishing with decent time is that there are no lines at the wine tents. Boom! Though I do recommend hitting up the tents you are most interested first, because the lines do quickly form (just a tip for the impatient, like myself).

    Ending the race and being rewarded with some cold rosé is worth all the aches and pains. I know what you’re thinking. Yeah yeah yeah I could easily just skip the run and go straight to the rosé, but where’s the fun in that?

    Despite my less than perfect performance this remains one of my favorite races!

    It’s a challenging run, but it’s so stinking gorgeous along the way. The energy is lively. The weather is always perfect. The post-race entertainment and wine is always a treat. And the town of Carlton is always friendly and welcoming. It also helps if you have two cute boys to cheer you on at the finish line.

    Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon 2015

    I say if you’re going to physically challenge yourself to something like a half marathon, especially your first half marathon, you should pick a race that rewards you in the end. For me, it’s great wine, great people, great scenery, and great cheerleaders.

    Future Marathon Runner

    Marathoner-in-training

    Future Marathon Runner

    Future runner, practicing his glory look the first time he takes first prize in his first race

    The Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon is the only race I’ve done through Destination Races (and I’ve done it three years in a row now), but based on all of the events they do (all lf them located in different wine country destinations throughout the country), I’m very tempted to register for more. They do an excellent job, and their theme is right up my alley.

    You can see the list of all their races here.

    I hope to see you all at next year’s Oregon event (and perhaps a race or two before that. Healdsburg anybody?).


    Coming up next, the ridiculously amazing pre-race dinner we made to power me through the 13.1 miles of running. Hint: it’s smoked!

    • For my 2014 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon re-cap, click here
    • For my 2013 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon re-cap, click here
    • And for my article on the event in Oregon Wine Press from 2013, click here

    « Friday Favorites — BBQ, breakfast, and stellar sunsets
    Pulled Pork Breakfast Hash »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Whitney Cratty says

      September 02, 2015 at 10:52 pm

      The Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon is truly a hidden gem, offering an experience unique to any of its sister events in the series. Less than an hour from Portland, this thriving wine region is a favorite of Pinot Noir lovers and romantics who desire a less hectic vacation experience.

      Reply
    2. Andrea Johnson says

      August 19, 2015 at 10:04 pm

      Kudos to completing the race and capturing great shots along the way – I’ve only done the photo part in the past, and even shooting the event I can attest to those hills but also beautiful views! Great article.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        August 20, 2015 at 2:10 pm

        Thanks so much, Andrea! And so I’m honored you said such kind things about the photos, especially coming from you!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

    Learn More...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Fire and Wine Cookbook Cover.

    Get Ready for Summer

    Smoked Brisket

    What’s on our Grill

    Smoked Beef Ribs on butcher paper

    Easy Smoked Beef Ribs Recipe – From Plate Ribs to Chuck Ribs

    Vegetarian pizza on a pizza peel with hot honey drizzle.

    Vegetarian Pizza Recipe with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

    Shredded Beef Quesadilla on a cutting board.

    Pulled Beef Quesadillas – Great Leftover Pulled Beef Recipe

    Grilled Pork Chops with Maple and Soy Marinade

    More

    As Seen On

    Products we love

    taking the temperature of a porchetta roast on the grill
    We use Thermoworks Signals BBQ Alarm to monitor the internal temperature of the meat while it’s cooking, then double check with an instant read thermometer, like the Thermapen One.

    Vindulge Wine Club

    join the wine club side bar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Vindulge

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    0 shares