By PAUL DANZER
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER
After five months of pounding the pavement and improving his diet, Jordan Gomez wasn't going to let a little rain and a bit of foot pain keep him from completing a marathon on Sunday.
OK, it seemed like a lot of rain.
And the blisters that began forming on his damp feet midway through the Portland Marathon were tough to ignore.
But that didn't keep the 48-year-old Vancouver man from completing the 26.2-mile course. It took him 8 hours, 16 minutes and two seconds, but Gomez made it.
"It was the greatest physical accomplishment of my life," Gomez said.
The marathon was, he said, more difficult than anticipated. The rain chilled him and soaked his socks, leading to blisters that nearly cut short his trek.
At the mile-15 aid station, he rested, wrung the water from his socks, and began to wonder how much farther his feet could carry him.
He made his way up to and over the St. Johns Bridge. Across the bridge, Jenny Gomez, Jordan's wife, delivered dry socks and his 7-year-old daughter held up a sign of love and support.
Gomez decided in May that he would tackle the Portland Marathon. For fitness, he started walking in March with a group formed by his chiropractor, Troy Dreiling. Exercise and improved nutrition helped Gomez reduce his diabetes medication, and he figured the Portland Marathon would keep him on track.
He initially planned to both run and walk his way from start to finish. But several folks suggested walking the whole course would give him the best chance of reaching the finish line.
Gomez stands 6-foot-4. He weighs 300 pounds, having dropped 25 pounds since the spring, when he began walking every day.
He described the last six miles of the Portland Marathon as grueling, but said he was determined not to quit. He was helped by having his 22-year-old daughter walk alongside for the last four miles.
"I had to will myself to keep going," he said.
He made it too late for the computer chip to record his finish, but said his time should be posted on the Portland Marathon's official Web site soon. He has his finisher's medal and pride of accomplishment.
"I feel fantastic except for the blisters," Gomez said Monday. "If it weren't for my blisters, I would have taken a 4-6 mile walk today."
One marathon, he said, won't be the end of the road.
"I'm going to come back next year 75 pounds lighter and be able to run it," he said.
posted by Dr. Troy M. Dreiling
Absolute Life Chiropractic a “Maximized Living Health Center”
Voice 360-260-6903
Fax 360-260-4849
www.maximizedlivingDrDreiling.com
