What big eyes you have Grandma!

Ryan, Tracy, Frank, Ursula and myself are all safely back from sunny Duluth and Grandma's Marathon. Here is our race report! I will spare you all of the details, but let me tell you it was much warmer then any of us had hoped for. We arrived in Duluth on Friday to meet up with Tracy.

Race day was the hottest day of the trip, but there was still opportunities to run a great race despite the 90 degree temps at the finish line. Ryan quickly proved this by running an amazing 3:34 shattering his previous PR. Hard work paid off as Ryan ran a near perfect race, even pulling out negative splits.

Coming in after Ryan was myself. What started as a perfect race, fell apart in the second half. The heat, plus under drinking, and too quick of a pace all caught up with me at mile 18. I ended up with a 3:50 finishing time. My second best marathon to date, but not the goal I had hoped for. After the race, I soon realized I had not taken in enough fluids. More on that later.

Ryan was not the only one with a PR. Tracy beat her previous best (also at Grandma's) by about a minute. Tracy seemed to handle the heat much better then I did, however a nagging leg problem began to rear it's head in the second half of the race. Despite pain, she gritted her way to an impressive 4:09 finishing time. Without question, faster times are in her near future!

Frank was next to arrive at the finish line. His race was very similar to my own. At the half way point Frank was laughing and smiling his way to a five hour goal time. He was dead on pace at 13.1 miles. After three plus hours of the sun beating down on his back the dehydration set in, and the leg cramps began. As Frank is known to do, he pushed through the pain and crossed the finish line at 5:30 still smiling.

Watching all of us cross the finish line was Ursula who had earlier run the half marathon. Ursula ran an impressive 2:07, while still stopping for a bathroom break, taking video clips of the course, and posing for every photographer on the course (seriously, look up her pictures).

Now, back to my dehydration topic. After roughly 20 minutes of feeling disoriented and looking for shade, I finally realized I needed medical attention, and went to the tent. I had several cramps rubbed out, and decided to head back out to watch others finish. Three minutes after that, I was back in the tent emotional, frustrated, and still cramping. Two IV fluid bags later I was feeling back to "normal". I honestly have a new respect for anyone who volunteers in the medical tent. I never dreamed I would need their help, but when the time came, I was glad they were there.

Overall, this trip was one of the best I have ever had. We truly had a blast in Duluth. The people of the town are what makes it such a special place. Tracy's family (Ken and Rose) opened their home to four strangers, but we left there given hugs to good friends. We were sad to say goodbye. While we were there we were given a great pre-race dinner including homemade deserts, we shared many stories and jokes, and we even had a few meals at Grandma's Saloon.

The race itself showcased the people of the town. We ran by Elvis, a man playing the bagpipes, 100+ mini trolls, fire breathing dinosaurs, fresh fruit (strawberries and bananas), penguins, clowns, DJs, belly dancers, countless signs, and countless inebriated fans. . . You never knew what you would see next! You can see why Grandma's is consistently rated in the top 10 by marathon runners. If you ever have a chance to make the trip you should.