Tag Archives: Marathon

Marathon Madness

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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.

Minneapolis Marathon logo

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.

Post-race Rehash

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A marathon or half marathon takes only a few hours to run, but requires at least two days to dissect and re-live.  Since yesterday’s Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon my son, Erik, and I have been doing just that.  It’s best to have a family member with whom one can share this activity.  It just doesn’t have the same appeal to those who did not participate in the race.

DSC_0041The first rush comes in the finishing chute.  Erik was there waiting for me, and we quickly shared notes on our finishing times.  He clocked a fast 1:33 compared to my 1:52 finish, but we both beat our goal times and shared a common surge of accomplishment.  The cold, foggy, windy day was perfect for running, but did not encourage lingering after the race.  Basking in the afterglow soon cooled to shivering in the wind, so we headed home to continue reviewing the race.

The initial burst of analysis is focused on times.  With the aid of our Garmins GPS watches, we could quickly distill the race down to mile splits and paces.  “Here’s where I slowed down,” and “Look how I picked up my pace at the end” punctuated our detailed view of the data.  Even if we don’t remember the nuances of our progress along the course, aided by technology we could reconstruct the journey.

The instant availability of race results online takes the discussion in a whole new direction.  Suddenly we can see how we stacked up against the whole field of runners, our sex and age classification.  The topic takes on renewed energy, as we then hunt down the results for family, friends and loose acquaintances who ran the race.

IMG_0113 trimmedOnce showered, fed and sporting our new Finisher T-shirts, the intensity of our scrutiny dwindles, and we can even engage in normal conversation.  But fair warning to family members – any comment can readily trigger a return to the race route and a related comment.  Particularly over dinner that evening when congregated with spectators and supporters.

Morning brings the newspaper coverage of the race.  Admittedly it is already dated, and although we rarely read the physical print edition any more, the race requires a purchase.  There is nothing like pouring over the list of finishers in tiny print, checking the times of the top age group runners, and reading the stories of victories and personal experiences.  It not only refuels the post-race frenzy but spawns new ambitions and challenges.  “If only” in this race is converted to “next time.”

Didn’t I tell you I’d be reconsidering a return to the full marathon?  It must be catching.  Erik just signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon.  I think I need more time to rehash that decision before committing.  Maybe next year.

Full or Half Marathon?

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There’s a big difference.  After a couple of half marathons back in the early 90s, I went for my first marathon – Grandma’s Marathon.  Once you move up, it’s hard to go back.  Or is it?

IMG_0104There’s no denying that being a marathon runner carries a certain prestige.  It’s a badge of honor we runners love to wear, and after running 15 of them, I feel I’ve earned that right.  It’s such a thrill to walk into the Expo before the race, surrounded by other marathoners, going up to collect my bib.  The energy exuded by the crowd of runners is palpable, and it’s easy to IMG_0109get pumped up about the race.  At that moment, everything seems possible.  I just know I can do it, and it’s going to be a good race.  Bring it on!

Arriving for a half marathon, surrounded by marathoners, it’s hard not to feel like a second class citizen.  I can’t help but experience a tug of envy, wishing I were one of them.  It’s not as if running 13.1 miles is something to sneeze at.  It’s just not a marathon.

But it does have its advantages.  Tomorrow I’m running the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, not Grandma’s Marathon.  Were I running the full marathon, I know I’d have had a case of nerves all week.  I’m not conscious of worrying, but more often than not I haven’t felt well leading up to the race.  This week?  No problem.  I barely knew the race was coming up.  If I were running the full marathon, I wouldn’t be blogging right now, I’d be obsessing about what clothes to wear, what the weather will be, and how early to get to the starting line.  Tonight  I’m not too concerned – after all, I will only be out there for a couple of hours at most.  I think I’ll bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies instead of fussing.  To run the full marathon, I would have had to devote hours and hours to training, and would have followed my own tried and true training plan to the letter.  My half marathon training was rather haphazard.  How could it be otherwise, when I took a 500 mile bike trip in the middle of it?  No matter.  I know I’ll finish.  It’s just a matter of how fast.  Or how slow I will be.

I expect to just go out and enjoy myself tomorrow.  It will be fun, and I’ll catch the enthusiasm of the runners and spectators.  Going back is a lot easier.  But I won’t kid myself.  I’ll be thinking about returning to the full marathon as soon as I cross the finish line.

Running Grandma

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Two years ago, I ran Grandma’s IMG_5966Marathon as a grandma for the first time.  I proudly emblazoned the fact on my running top, and enjoyed the resulting cheers along the way.  It was a great – no grand – variation on a race that was otherwise an annual affair for me.  And stopping to kiss the baby at mile 21 just before Lemon Drop Hill was definitely a timely energy boost.

Yesterday I was a running Grandma as well, only this time it was behind my second grandchild.  I wasn’t chasing her, I was pushing.  What a great invention these running IMG_7953strollers are!  They glide with ease, turn on a dime (not always where I intend, however), and absorb all the curbs and bumps I might find along the way.  Best of all, they turn drivers into the most polite and accommodating citizens I’ve ever seen. Perhaps it was the wiry but distinctly gray haired runner piloting the stroller that compelled them to stop and grant me priority to proceed at every intersection.  I was fortunate that at two months, the baby wasn’t much of a payload and we managed a good pace.  But I still managed to convince myself that I was getting more workout per mile.

This grandma has plenty of good reasons to keep on running.  And maybe one day it will be with those grandchildren at my side!

Planting the Seed

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When my children were very little, I took up running to stay in shape.  As in most things I do, I jumped into it wholeheartedly, and was soon hooked on running and entering local races.  When I could, I’d bring the kids along and enter them in the kids’ Fun Runs.  They even humored me when they got older, and joined me in some 10k races.

Time marches on.  Kids grow up and become more independent, and parents have more time.  I moved up to half-marathons and then marathons.  It was Mom’s running obsession, but they were always there to cheer me on.  That was the extent of their involvement, or so I thought.

It wasn’t until they got into college that the seeds started to grow.  One by one, they took up running or cycling.  It wasn’t long before they too were reaching for extreme goals.  My daughter joined my husband and me running Grandma’s Marathon.  Two years later we added my youngest son as well!  Our middle son – always the independent thinker, no running for him, thank you – did the MS150 bike ride and the week-long RAGBRAI bike ride across Iowa.  And that was just the beginning – we have shared numerous races and events since then.

How did we become such an athletic family?  Those seeds must have germinated.