Grandma's Marathon Recap: A Journey Back to Racing and Lessons Along the Way

Disclaimer: I received an entry to Grandma's Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro ambassador, and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews! 

If you read my earlier blog about my initial Grandma's Marathon ambitions you might have noticed how I was headstrong and ready to commit to setting a new PR and redeeming myself from my failed attempt at 3:20 during the Milwaukee Marathon. I was ready to go until life set in and I just didn't have the heart to put into the training that I needed to make 3:20 a reality. Before I go into that journey I'd like to recap my race weekend for anyone interested in how it actually went!

I had the opportunity to run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN through BibRave. This was my FIRST in person race with the team and I was so excited to have the opportunity to do so. I joined BibRave in the winter of 2019 planning my first race with them to be in Milwaukee in the spring of 2020, and well, I don't really need to tell you what happened there, right? Ready to represent BibRave, Chad and I set out on the five hour drive to Duluth.

Packet Pickup is always a little hectic at the DECC in Duluth but once you get through the parking and the traffic then the pickup and expo are very easy to navigate and very well laid out. The expo was a bit smaller than when I was there in 2017 (probably due to Covid) but there still was a good showing and plenty to look at. I grabbed my packet, bib and t shirt (which was a perfect fit and awesome design!) and made my way through the expo stopping and trying out all sorts of things from the vendors. We stayed at an air bnb flat across the bridge in Superior, found a grocery store, had a nice picnic by the lake and called it a day. 

Race morning is always so well organized by the race. They make it so easy and have so many different busses to shuttle you to the start line. There were multiple pick up locations in Duluth and outside areas including Superior. I loaded the bus at 6:30 AM and arrived to the starting line with plenty of time to settle in. I found and met some BibRave pros in the porta potty line (where else?) and before I knew it the national anthem played, the jets flew over and it was time to go. 

My race strategy for the day was to not crash and burn at the end. I really have been trying to dial in on proper fueling during the race and was focused on getting that done with 3 SiS isotonic gels, 2 maple syrup fuel packs and the water and Powerade on course. I had planned to break up the race into four sections of  6 miles where I would gear change and drop pace just a little for each section. The plan for the last 2 miles was just to finish with whatever I had left. With that in mind, I started out with fellow pro, Chris, and we chatted the first 6 miles before parting ways. It was such a great way to start out the race and really took my mind off of what was coming ahead. The first 6 just flew by. Thanks Chris!

From 6 to 12 miles I was ready to drop pace a little. I had a slight gear change and was able to fall into about 8:30 pace very comfortably for this next section. Fueling was going well, and the sun had gone behind the clouds which made a big difference. There were so many people out on the course cheering and encouraging runners to keep going. At 12 I was feeling alright but noticing my legs were getting just a bit fatigued which is never a good sign when you are less than halfway. Either way I cruised through the 12 mile mark.

From 12 to 18 I was able to have a nice gear change again. I started passing a lot of runners which was a big difference from my normal strategy of just hang on for dear life. I felt strong dropping my pace and going by people and encouraging them along the way. Passing through the halfway point there was a huge crowd of people with music, signs and encouragement. I really channeled that energy into this section. Coming up to mile 18 I really started to feel the fatigue in my legs. I was feeling good and able to hold onto my pace but it started to feel more strained than effortless. I really wanted to make that final gear change at mile 18 so I hung on.

Miles 18 to 24 really had a story of their own for each mile. I could feel my heart rate really going up and was doing everything I could to keep it down. Fueling, deep breaths, easing up on pace, you name it, I tried it! I was able to get myself composed and made my way up lemon drop hill with plenty of control. I think I got 1 or 2 more miles in the 7's before I really started to hurt. The miles that were previously ticking by started to feel like eternity. The grind set in with about 4 miles to go. I was still passing people but my pace was all over the place...8:25, 7:56, 8:11...I would get little surges of motivation but then the self doubt would creep in. You're not built for marathons, it's not worth the effort of trying to finish strong, why are you doing this anyway, etc. I saw Chad at mile 24 which gave me a little boost and a group of women came in strong with 1 mile to go so I fed off of their pacing and let them bring me along to the finish. They didn't know it but they really got me through that last mile to the finish (thanks Crystal wherever you are!)

I crossed the finish line in a time of 3 hours and 41 minutes. I was expecting to finish around a time of about 3:45 but once I had a glimpse of the last 10 miles I really thought I could hold off and finish under 3:40. It's funny how your expectations of yourself change within a couple of hours. Overall the race course was so well stocked with aid stations, medical, bathrooms and people. Anything I could possibly need was somewhere on the course. The route definitely isn't flat but has nice and moderate rolling hills along the scenic highway next to beautiful Lake Superior. The largest hill, lemon drop hill, really isn't that bad; it's just poorly timed around mile 22 and can be a soul crusher if you're already hurting. I would say that with some good strength training along with a good 18 week program, this would be an optimal PR course.

So now as I sit here reflecting on the weekend I can think of some lessons I learned along the way. I started my training cycle with big goals and had to adjust them along the way. Having a training plan isn't something that should be carved in stone and pushing yourself to get your plan in at any cost is really just going to add stress into your life and set you back. If your heart isn't in it, then maybe just back off and ease the pressure on yourself. Stress is stress whether it's from training or from life, you can only handle so much stress so if your non running life is busy and crazy then that gets reflected into your running. Having extra stressors of a new job in a new school, adding in coaching with a crazy packed schedule due to Covid took up a lot more time than originally anticipated, buying a house, fixing up the house, moving and then losing access in February to a treadmill all set me back for some time. About 8 weeks into training I just called it and backed off to a minimal training schedule just to get through the race.

I also have to reflect on that I did achieve what I set out to do and should be very happy with my execution of a race plan. I always have that 3:20 lingering in the back of my mind along with the self doubt if I actually can hit that but I have to just drop it and give myself a thumbs up. Just shut up and take the win for the day! If I were coaching someone else that would be easy, I would have lots of good things to point out and know that this is just a marking point of current fitness with a minimal training plan. I have to respect the marathon distance, it still scares me and I always wonder if I'm going to make it to the end. I've done five of these now and I still am scared when I show up to that start line! So I think my biggest takeaway is this; that you can not run your fastest time and still be proud of where you are and for showing up that day.