Grandma's Marathon

This was a great race, one that would complete my year-long marathon streak.  I was really looking forward to it since I've never been to Duluth, MN.  It was a long drive to get there, about 9 hours, but the drive wasn't that bad and I got to see a lot of new scenery. 

Grandma's Marathon is in it's 36th year, and from my quick glance, they know how to organize a mega event.  Thousands of runners, and really, it covers an entire weekend.  I arrived at the packet pickup, which was crowded beyond belief, then met up with another runner friend to have dinner.  After turning in early, I slept well, with the help of Ambien of course.

I woke up at 4 am, and quickly got ready to head to the convention center to grab a train to the starting line.  There was only one train, and it sounded more fun than riding a school bus.  The train did not disappoint.  It was a scenic slow ride, with plenty of time to relax and enjoy the view.

The humidity was a little high, race start temp around 60 with a dewpoint about the same. Overall, the race was very beautiful, it's run along the shoreline of Lake Superior, with very gentle rolling hills (not really noticeable though), and awesome views of the lake.  The miles ticked off easily, although I was nearly soaked a few miles in.  The sun was also beating down, but an occasional breeze off the lake sure helped.  Thankfully, the clouds rolled in by the mid point though and that helped a lot. 

Given my crazy racing schedule, I knew I couldn't run the entire race.  By about mile 17, I started to do walk breaks every half mile, and then every third mile.  I just needed a finish today to complete the streak.  I wasn't feeling very well around mile 19, think I drank too much water, but recovered well for the finish in 4:14:29. 

Overall, this was a really nice race, with great spectators, and pleasant scenery.  I would recommend this one to anyone!  After the race, I enjoyed a celebratory beer, then headed to the car for a long drive home. 

Victory!! It was a great feeling knowing my marathon state streak was complete.