As I neared the 25th year, I considered quitting. My son encouraged me to run with him in the 26th race. I planned to run 5.24 miles and stop, achieving 26.2 consecutive finishes. However, my son insisted on running the entire race with me, making it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Thus, my goal expanded to 30 straight finishes.
The 29th consecutive completion of Grandma’s marathon has been achieved. During the week leading up to the race, I initially underestimated the significance of the 5-mile training run on June 15th, as it was my first run since Grandma’s 2012 marathon. Given the poor performance of that run, I decided to resume training on Wednesday, June 19th, with a 4-mile run that left me feeling exhausted. This year, I was particularly concerned about my ability to complete the marathon and recognized the importance of mental fortitude. I believed that I had a good understanding of my body and capabilities. Consequently, I informed Shelley that I would aim to run 12:30-minute miles for the first hour, gradually slowing my pace each subsequent hour until I averaged a 15-minute mile by the end of the race.
On Friday, I left for Duluth at 12:30 PM alone. Shelley had commitments in Lincoln, Nebraska, and my sister couldn’t attend the race. I arrived at 4:30 PM (due to traffic) and retrieved my race packet. To calm my nerves, I strolled around Canal Park. After assessing my clothing, I bought gloves and sleeves, which were helpful during the race.
That night, I slept in my Smart Car for the first time. I brought five pillows, a blanket, and stuffed the area between the seats with cushions. I put my legs in the passenger area and stretched my body across the 5-foot space. Despite the challenge, I slept well, aided by two Advil PMs.
The forecast predicted a dismal race with cold, rain, and heavy winds, possibly snow. Thankfully, snow didn’t occur. We may have had sleet if the winds had come from the lake, but they were from the northeast, so there was no lake breeze.
I arrived at the train station and prepared for the race. The race went as planned. In the first hour, I averaged 12:24 minutes per mile (planned 12:30). After the second hour, I was at 12:49 minutes per mile (planned 13:00). I felt good, but I decided to avoid cramps and fatigue and stick to the plan. I held back and walked to stay on track. I finished with a 15:02 average, four minutes better than last year. I felt good and even jogged to the drop bags and car. The drive home was challenging due to fog in Duluth, which cleared when I passed Cloquet.
On April 13, 2013, I visited a nutritionist and followed her advice. I haven’t weighed myself since then, but I’m disappointed to have lost an average of 2.4 pounds a week (24 pounds). Is this a healthy rate? In 2006, I lost an average of 4.3 pounds a week for the first 10 weeks. I need to be patient.
Now, I’m recovering and hope to return to biking and taking my 18-mile commute to work in the next few days!
All you quiet dreamers, carry on!
Comments from my original blog - I merged the blogs.
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