Wow! What an incredible experience I had running my first half marathon! 19 year old me would have never imagined this. I am so happy I was able to participate in Grandma’s Half Marathon in 2022 for my first race.
I never took the time to reflect on Grandma’s Half Marathon Race weekend which is crazy because it truly was one of the greatest weekends of my life! For that reason, I thought writing my experience down might be beneficial. Never did I think I’d complete a race consisting of 13.1 miles in my home state of Minnesota! One of my bucket list items was checked off this weekend and I could’t be more proud.
Backing up to Friday, I headed to Duluth around 10 a.m all alone lol! This was something I wanted to do without any recognition or praise (idk I’m weird like that). The drive was particularly fun, as are most drives up to the north shore from the city. I was staying at the UMD (University of MN Duluth) dorms for the weekend, so when I arrived I got checked into my cozy dorm, and then I went to get my bib!
That night I met up with one of my old friends who was also running the half marathon. We drove around the town of Duluth exploring spots I’d never heard of and even spotted this cool rock along the shore of Lake Superior! I thought it was pretty remarkable mostly because it looked like the state of Minnesota!
We drove around for about an hour until I got hungry. I headed back to my room and snagged a cobb salad with grilled chicken from Outback Steakhouse alongside the incredible bread (you’ve got to carb load right). Admittedly, I love having a light dinner before any type of run or race. Running on an empty to mid-empty stomach is how I perform best.
Post-dinner I focused on my main 3 – stretching, hydrating, and relaxing. The night before a race is always tough in my opinion, My stomach is usually in knots, I’m restless, and anxious. With a 4:30 am wake up call I headed to bed and as I expected, woke up several times before my alarm went off. When I woke up all of the anxiousness was gone, I excitedly put my race clothes on, took a selfie, and out the door I went! I snagged a banana and granola bar from the lobby on my way to the buses. On the walk down to my ride I ran into my friend from the night before which was fantastic. A little pep talk before the big day was so incredibly beneficial!
We were dropped off about half of a mile in front of the start, so we had a bit of a ways to walk to the start corrals. This gave us about 30 minutes for a warmup. I did some dynamic stretches, a warm up jog, and used the bathroom one last time before heading to the start corral.
As I arrived to my pace corral, I gazed into the crowd hoping to spot a familiar face. To my surprise I turned around at the right time and there was my old roommate walking behind me at that moment. I had absolutely NO idea he would be here, but I was so happy a familiar face was near! We ended up chatting and learning we were in the same pace group, so of course we came up with a plan to run together. I swear this whole circumstance was the universe putting luck on my side. Having a running buddy for the day was truly one of my favorite memories from the race.
At this point we were so ready to get going. It was about 5 minutes before gun time and I chose to have a few pre-race sport beans for morning energy! I’m obsessed with these, they are a great carb source during the race when you start to “run out of gas”. I stored them in my Lululemon pant pockets for the duration of the race.
When the gun went off we were in a sea of people, it was incredible being apart of this crowd of runners. The weather was perfect for running: cooler and in the 50s, a slight overcast, and NO RAIN! We couldn’t have asked for better weather for the day! I always fear having to run in sweltering heat or a downpour, so I was grateful we had neither.
For the first 6 miles or so it’s beautiful scenery, running alongside the water with some spots where you’re able to see the Duluth Lift Bridge. There aren’t many people out cheering along the first 6 miles or so of the race so it really is just you and your pace buddies. The first 6 miles for me were a piece of cake, I really had trained and prepared for this day months in advance so I wasn’t terrified of much at this point. My longest run had been 10 miles before the actual race. For me, you get to that point of 10 miles of running and then a 5k to finish off the race isn’t that bad.
I really noticed the crowds start to pick up as we approached town. People lined the street with signs, handing out fruit, snacks, and shots of alcohol (lmao!) The instance I recall the best was near the Glensheen mansion. Someone on the sideline handed me a slice of watermelon and I kid you not this piece of fruit was the best piece of watermelon I’d ever tasted in my life. After running about 10 miles at this point the sweet taste of carbs was everything I needed.
We had reached that “I still have a 5k left” point and at this point my legs were feeling it. The aches of the 10 miles I had run and the 3.14 I still had left to accomplish. It’s an interesting thing I like to explain to others, once you hit that threshold of about 9-10 miles it almost feels like you have other muscles taking over you don’t normally use. Deep muscles that are there to help propel you to the end. It’s a whole different ballgame once you hit that point of feeling exhausted, yet knowing you still have a ways to go. That push is where you leave the old you and find the new you and what you can accomplish. It’s truly a spiritual awakening completing a half marathon, you find strength in yourself you never knew you had.
As we approached Lemon Drop Hill I was previously informed that this is the biggest challenge you will face all day. 11+ miles behind you and now a hill to take on. Well, to be honest with you I made that hill my bitch. While most people slowed down to save their strength I decided to sprint as fast as I could to make up extra time. I don’t know what happened inside of me but I made it up and kept going. As the race went on I continued with negative splits. Something about that hill really sparked a light inside of me that fueled me to the end.
The remainder of the race about 1 and 1/2 to 2 miles was along the main street in Duluth. This was where the party was at. The streets were filled with people cheering and hi-fiving and making for an incredible experience. As we approached the end of the street and turned left towards the aquarium you just knew the finish line was soooo close! I have to admit, this last mile was the toughest. My legs were so tired, I was mentally exhausted, and it was bittersweet knowing that all of this training was for this day and it was almost over. I had done it.
I rounded the corner and there it was, the finish line. I couldn’t believe it. I was almost there, so of course me being me decided to sprint to the end. It was my last chance to finish before others and really secure the goal I wanted. With every ounce of energy and grit within me I made my way to the finish line, a few tears is my eyes.
Crossing that finish line was everything to me. I had my running buddy next Lucas next to me, and we did it. We were handed our medals and excitedly hurried off to the food area to grab some snacks and our free beers. I swear food and beer tastes better after a race and these substances were 100% earned.
For the remainder of the day I headed back to my dorm room to shower and get ready to celebrate my victory! I reflected on the day, wrote down my feelings and shared them to the world which I’ve added here.
As I write this post from the UMD dorms that housed me for this unforgettable weekend, I feel inspired to be able to share this incredible memory with the Instagram world that I will never forget. 💕
A little backstory- Grandma’s half was a bucket list item of mine for 7 years when I started running. Back in 2014 I met someone who inspired the f*** out of me to get my ass moving… obviously in which I did. That changed the whole trajectory of my life – from lazy & constantly drinking, to a new life of fitness and healthy living! I am forever and ever grateful for that.
In those years of my fitness journey, I couldn’t run 1/4th of a mile without the dreaded burning lungs and pounding heart. But…..I preserved through the doubt, pain, and struggle only to find myself 8 years later and still kicking ass.
So with another ✔️ off on my bucket list of items and a early morning reflection, I am beyond grateful for an amazing weekend filled with like-minded individuals here to accomplish their goals. I’ll be back next year Duluth with a new PR to beat. 😎
And with that, I leave you with a few things I’ve learned over the past few years as a piece of wisdom:
• Nothing in life is ever given, it is earned.
• Surround yourself with people with similar goals, you’ll achieve them quicker. Remove anyone who’s blocking your view.
• Have an ego? Are you an a******? Get into fitness, sign up for a race, that’ll humble your ass real quick.
• The reality of fitness & life is that it’s you vs. you, no one can do it for you. You can ask for guidance/help but at the end of the day it’s you. Put in the work, and reap the rewards.
• What you practice in private, is what you will be rewarded for in public. If you don’t put in the work in advance, when it comes to the day of performance you realize the importance of discipline.
• Take care of yourself mentally & physically, the rest will fall into place.I leave you with this: be humble, work hard, destroy your ego, and stay hungry my friends 💕
At the end of the day, my committed training set myself up for a great race. The weekend was also so fulfilling, I went up there alone to accomplish a goal but ended up accomplishing a goal with thousands of others and one of my good friends. I can not express how cool of an experience it was to be apart of Grandma’s weekend in Duluth, I feel so lucky to have been able to participate. I will forever cherish this accomplishment in my life.
For anyone wanting to do a half marathon or a race in general, do it. You will not regret any minute of it, you will gain so much confidence in doing something you never thought you could do. It has allllll of the benefits and nothing bad. If you’re ever looking for advice or any tips when it comes to getting into running please ask me! I was once a girl who couldn’t run .25 of a mile without needing to stop, and now I can say I have ran 3 half marathons total. Always here to listen, guide, and help!
Thanks for reading!
