Marathon running.  It’s addictive.  And catching.  I’ve managed to rack up 15 of them, more than half at Grandma’s Marathon, so when my son and daughter signed up this year I couldn’t help but feel the urge to join them.  But there was a catch – we were invited to an out of town wedding that day.

By that point, I was mentally hooked.  Disappointed that I couldn’t run in the same race with them (after all, half the fun is the camaraderie), I could still run a marathon.  Enter the Minneapolis Marathon.  Never mind that it’s 3 weeks earlier than Grandma’s, and my training window was already short.  I could also ignore the never-ending winter in Duluth that wreaks havoc with getting in daily runs.  And I could justify it on the premise of adding another unique marathon to my collection.  I wrestled with the idea for weeks.  Finally, with a registration price increase looming the next day, at 11:45pm I did it.  I registered.

So far, no regrets.  I love having it out there as a goal, creating a purpose for my runs.  And admittedly, a reason for long training runs.  (I’ve always said that marathons are the perfect excuse for those obsessed with running!  Yes, that would be me.)  With just one month to go, I’m feeling good.

This is my first marathon since retiring.  What a difference – no longer do I have to shoehorn in my long runs.  If the weather doesn’t cooperate on my designated day, I just pick an alternate day or time.  I’ve also managed to time a few trips to the Cities to do a long run with my daughter.  Spending hours on the run is always much more enjoyable with company!  I know better than to try and run with my son – my goal for finishing is at least an hour longer than his.  But we still compare notes and cheer each other on in our training.  We may not all be in the same race, but we’re in this together.

Yes, I’m looking forward to toeing the start line.  Am I mad to do this?  Perhaps.  But I’ll be in good company.