What’s my Race Plan and You Can Guess Where I’ll Be…

Andrew, Brooke, Skye and I went out for about a mile after I got home from my run.  Brooke was determined to beat me and sure enough, she did.

Brooke’s favorite type of running= fartleks.  She loves to sprint as fast as she can and then walk and then sprint again.  Whatever floats her boat, I will happily join her.

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When Brooke got tired she joined the stroller with Skye but Skye wasn’t too thrilled with sharing her stroller with anybody.

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Before our group run—> 8 miles by myself at an 8:35 average pace.  I listened to this episode for part of the run.  I love that through podcasts we get peaks into these elite athletes lives.

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How is my baby carrying my other baby?  Brooke is going to be in 1st grade next month which means she will be at school for 7 hours (kindergarten was 1/2 day).  I cannot believe it.

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Andrew has a few days off in between some classes so he has been hard at work tiling our bathrooms.  We had some very old linoleum in there that has seen it’s day so we are pretty excited about this.  We just have a few more little house projects after this and then our house will be all done.  We’ve done everything from painting the entire house (every wall… and even every ceiling), new baseboards, new floors/carpets, new counter tops/back splash and now the bathrooms over the last two years.  My sister is proud of us.  My sister is also the best for letting us borrow her awesome tools to do everything which has made it so much cheaper.

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The next important part of our day was going to the dentist for a teeth cleaning.

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The rest of our day was filled with house stuff.  Here is how the tile is looking so far!

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I went through Skye’s closet to put away the things that were too small for her now.  I can’t believe she used to fit in these onesies!

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Cantaloupe is Skye’s current favorite food.

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An oreo milkshake is currently mine;)

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My brother and his family were in town again last night before they leave tomorrow to go home so they invited everyone to meet up for dinner.

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Also, Skye started clapping yesterday for her first time!

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PS I bet you can guess where I’ll be on July 27th.  The fact that our new TJ’s is located right next to Costco = too good to be true.

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Let’s talk about race plans for a second!  So far I have three races that I am planning on doing in the near future.  The first race is a 5k that is one week from today!  July 24th is a huge holiday in Utah and there is a race in my area that runs from one LDS temple to another temple and I’ve always wanted to do this race.  The race is FREE (come do it if you live here) and the first mile is downhill so this should be really fun (and I’m sure painful:).  We have someone to watch the girls so Andrew and I will both be able to do it.

The second race I’ll be doing is a half next Saturday!  But for this race, I won’t be racing it because I’ll be racing the 5k a few days before and I don’t really have time to recover (the older I get, the harder it is for me to recover after I race a half) because my marathon is not that far away.  My coach will give me a workout/paces to get done during the race so I’m pretty excited about it.  Hopefully, I won’t look as tired as I did when I finished it a few years ago ha:

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Third, the St. George Marathon is happening!  For a while there it wasn’t going to happen but now it is back on.  My coach was wanting me to do a marathon that was different than what I usually do but we decided to do that in 2019 instead.  There weren’t any other races for me to do this fall besides St. George that fit in with Andrew’s school schedule/our kid schedule and this way, my parents can come be at the race too.  St. George it is… October 6th, I’m coming for you.  2 months 19 days.

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The marathon I am REALLY wanting to do next year—>  Grandma’s Marathon!  My coach is excited about this one for me and I’ve heard amazing things about it!  Part of my research for different races is you telling me about it.  Who has done this race?  What did you think?

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Do you run races to get in your long runs?  Run a bit before and after and use the race to get in some miles with a bunch of other runners and the amazing aid stations?  If not, I highly recommend it!

What races are on your plan?  WHO HAS DONE GRANDMA’S?  There are a bunch of random reasons I want to do it—>  #1 being = it’s a lot closer to sea level!  Coming from 4700ish feet, I am hoping this will feel nice.  The timing works really great for us and you get to run next to water:)  

Anyone hate going to the dentist?

What is your next running goal?

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77 comments

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Haven’t run Grandma’s, but used to do my long runs on that stretch. Absolutely amazing. You will love it. Race weekend is amazing in Duluth. I used to live there. Make sure to go to Pizza Luce when you’re in Duluth!!!!! Grandma’s is on my list.

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This is so good to hear… I cannot wait! Come do Grandma’s next year with me:) I will definitely check out Pizza Luce, THANK YOU and have a wonderful day Jade!

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YAY! I am hoping to run Grandmas next year too! I live in MN, but this will be my first time. I hope to meet you! I talk about you like you are my best friend to my fiance.. If I get a new amazon package (or Lulu), I always hear “Friday Favorites?” HA!

I have a 10 Mile race next Saturday. In 2017 I had two hip surgeries so this will be my first race back! No plan but to enjoy myself and be grateful I get to run!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

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Lol! I call her “my imaginary Internet friend” to Mr. North Anon.
Good luck, nice work coming back after surgery.

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This makes me so happy… we will get to meet! HAHAH Friday Favorites, that made me laugh so hard. Please let me know how your race goes next Saturday. You are amazing Emily, coming back from TWO hip surgeries. Wow. Thank you and I am so excited to meet you next year!

HAHA imaginary internet friends… that made me so happy!

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I love the idea of you running Grandma’s.
Burns’ 2019 road trip to watch you run!!!!!!!!

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No. Way.

Add this to the list of reasons I am going to do this race. I cannot wait.

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Let me know if you decide on Grandmas? I’m looking for races next year and that one looks like fun.
HRG destination race!
5k on Saturday for me. Then looking for an October half. That fits my crazy schedule. Today, thankfully, is rest day.
Have fun today!

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COME DO IT!!! So I am pretty positive it is going to happen! I would LOVE to meet you! Enjoy your rest day and please let me know how your 5k goes on Saturday… You’ve got this!

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I haven’t done Grandma’s Marathon but my friend Cris has. She loves it and has done the marathon or half I think 4 times?

http://wellimtryingtorun.blogspot.com/2018/06/race-report-grandmas-marathon-june-16.html

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THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.. off to read her race report. I hope your Tuesday is amazing Victoria!

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Love your sunglasses, girl! Also, are you going to make sure you’re at the lei-cutting ceremony the morning that Trader Joe’s opens??! ;)

SO excited for you and your upcoming races!! (And I LOVE the stickers you added to your planner on the race date!) I’m training for a race in October (my first in a REALLY long time), but I was thinking about doing a 5K in August or September just for kicks. Can’t wait to hear how yours goes. I know you’re going to OWN it!!

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I am sure going to try… I can’t wait! Which race are you going to do in October? SO excited for you Natalie!

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Yes – I usually do at least one race to sub in a long run. I do run those races at Long Run pace. I ran a half marathon in the spring for a long run for marathon training. I ran 5K before the race and then the 21.1KM with a few friends who were practicing their pace bunny pace. We were almost last (that might have been one of our goals lol) but we had the best time. It is nice to have a change of scenery and not have to worry about carrying water.

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That sounds like the perfect race…running with friends is the best. I totally agree, it will make my fueling/hydration so easy for a long run ha. I hope your Tuesday is a great one Rebecca!

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Racing at sea level is a great idea! Minnesota will be fun

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I can’t wait! Have a wonderful day Emma!

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I used to enjoy going to the dentist because my mom worked at the office but now I have major teeth anxiety as an adult — I chipped a tooth a couple times and had to get them fixed but ever since, it’s caused so much anxiety, lol!

If the Grandma’s marathon that you’re referring to is the one in Duluth, MN — you will LOVE it! The city of Duluth is right on the shore of Lake Superior and it’s so pretty up there! Lots of fun restaurants, too.

We used to live right by a TJ’s and now the closest one is 25 min away — which isn’t that far, but we no longer shop there weekly! I’m hoping they open one up near our new house, soon!

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YES, that is the one… I cannot wait!! So good to hear it is amazing there. I hope they open one by you soon too… it’s the best. Enjoy your day Laura and I hope your teeth are perfect forever:)

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I’ve heard so MANY great things about Grandma’s Marathon–I think you will have so much fun! I love that you’re running a half just to run it and as part of your training. :)

So 2018 is still “the year of one 5K per month” for me. But 2019–I am running a 10K down on St. Pete Beach in January! I am planning on running a 10K every 3 months in 2019…with the hopes that things will stabilize with my knee by 2020 so I can approach half-marathon training (which also means I hope that professional stability–and the kind of salary that will allow me to afford specialized orthopedic care for my knee in a way that’s really beneficial to me–will happen by 2020). That’s my plan. That’s my hope. That’s my goal. :)

I love that you did a family fun run after your run yesterday morning–an I hope Brooke enjoys the fartleks! Liking those now can lead to liking increasing distances. And that’s a good thing! :)

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HEY GIRL!! I love that you are doing the 5k per month and I’m so excited for your 10k challenge in 2019! Thanks Stephanie and I hope the rest of your Tuesday is perfect!

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My friend has done Grandma’s Marathon the last two years and loves it!!

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This makes me so happy! I cannot wait, thanks so much Heather!

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We need Trader Joes in Canada! I definitely use races as long runs. I just have to remember to have fun and not go all out. This past weekend I used a race as a training run. My next race is this upcoming weekend – a trail race in Rossland, BC called Broken Goat 50km (training race). We will make a camping vacation/road trip out of it:). Leaving on Thursday I am so excited. And then I have a two day trail race in August in Squamish.

I am not a fan of going to the dentist. Before she retired, my mom was my dentist!

Have a super day

Kristine

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I love that you race for your training runs, you inspire me to do that more often. TWO DAY TRAIL RACE—> WOW! Hahah I would love it if my mom was my dentist too! Have a beautiful day Kristine!

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Grandma’s is seriously my favorite marathon. I loved all the races that I did while in Minnesota…they were all beautiful and so well organized. But definitely Grandma’s was the best. It’s absolutely beautiful there, the weather was perfect for running, the course grade/elevation was great for a marathon, everyone was so nice, the last couple miles were so fun…I just loved everything about it. And it was the first time I broke 4 hours in a race which also made it special. I think you will love that one!!!

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AHHH thanks Julia! Hearing that it is your favorite marathon makes me even more excited. Way to go on breaking four hours there, you are amazing! Send me any tips when the race gets closer please:) Have a wonderful day!

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Do I spy an Erin Condren planner? ;)

I have no races on the plan right now… race season doesn’t really happen in Florida between July-August. I will probably run a 5k at the end of September. But by 8am its 95 degrees here and high humidity, so all my Saturday runs have to be done before 6 ;) (because its already 85+).

I dont really have a running goal right now and I”m enjoying that. Me and my running group kind of have this summer motto of…keep moving, dont worry about the pace, and get through the summer. It’s too hot here to worry about any of that. So I’m just running 4 days a week and doing what I can.

I would like to run a 2 hour half as my next big running goal but I dont know when that will be or when I’ll start training…for now just enjoying the ride!!

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You have a good eye… YES. I am obsessed with it. I LOVE your goal right now and you are building an incredible base. You inspire me running throughout the summer there… I think that your summer weather is way harder than my winter weather. Keep enjoying the ride and come do a half in Utah! Have a beautiful day Eleanor!

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I’ve run Grandma’s three times and it’s a fun one! The crowd support for the last six miles as you run into downtown Duluth is AMAZING. Running by Lake Superior is awesome and beautiful too. Just watch the forecast in the days leading up to the race and dress accordingly. One year it was in the 40’s and raining and I nearly froze and the next year it was warm and humid and I melted. Anyway, it’s probably my favorite marathon and I hope you love it too!!!!! :-)

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This is so so good to hear… thanks Lesley! I am a bit worried about the humidity but the lower elevation will make up for it right?! I love that it is your favorite marathon, I can’t wait! Have a wonderful day Lesley!

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My dad is my dentist so I love it :) but once he retires I might hate it. Haha

I’ll have to see if I can get the temple to temple race to work for me! I’ve wanted to do it but since it’s on a week day I’ve always figured I wouldn’t be able to. I’ll have to see what happens this year.

Your tile is looking awesome.

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That is awesome that your dad is a dentist Jenny! COME DO THE TEMPLE RACE!!!! I can’t wait. Thanks girl!

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omg…is that an Erin COndren vertical life planner you have there?!

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It is!! THE BEST!

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I have run Grandma’s Marathon! It is beautiful! The year I ran it….it was 40’s and raining (in the middle of June!) but it turned out to be pretty great to run in! I did it with my sisters which was the best part! It is a very flat course along lake superior! Duluth is a great town and a fun race atmosphere! I would highly recommend it! :)

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So I’m kind of hoping that I get a 40’s and raining race too:) I love that temperature. How cool that you did it with your sisters! I can’t wait… thanks for letting me know your experience! I really appreciate it. Have an amazing day Tiffinie!

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I ran Grandma’s 2 years ago. It was so HOT that day, which is unusual for there in June. However, it is a beautiful course and I will do it again!

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Lame that it was such a hot day for you guys! Do it next year and we will all meet up! Thanks Jessica!

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I live in Duluth and I’ve run the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon (which runs at the same time as Grandma’s Marathon) 5 times. It’s an amazing course, the crowd support along the course is amazing and it’s absolutely beautiful. You’ll love it! Like others have mentioned the weather can be fickle, but that’s part of the fun of this race! I’d love to see you when you’re in town and if you need any recommendations on places to stay, eat, or things to do (especially with the kids) then let me know!

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This is so so good to hear! I will definitely be doing a meet-up and can’t wait to meet you! I would love to hear about places to stay… I need to book soon! Thank you so much Randi! Have a wonderful day!

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The picture of Brook holding Skye is the cutest!!!

Have you tried out Rachel Hollis’ podcast?! It’s amazing!!

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YES YES YES. I absolutely love her and talk to Andrew about her like she is my real life friend! Thanks so much Catie and I hope you have a wonderful day!

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I’ve had the opportunity to race Grandma’s Marathon 5 times (06, 11, 13, 16, 17)!! This year my husband and I ran the half together and had a blast! No matter how the race goes for me I always enjoy my time in Duluth. Be sure to book your hotel/dorm early so you can get the best deal. Housing is a bit pricey. Hope you get to experience this epic race next year!

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FIVE TIMES… that is awesome! This makes me so happy! I love that you ran the half with your husband too. I am going to start looking up things now, thank you! Are you doing it this next year!?

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Yay for your marathon!! Mine is Oct 7th EEK! I’m currently working with my coach to figure out fueling because I stink at it. :)

I HATE the dentist. HATE. But thank you for the reminder, I need to make an appt for my son LOL.

Have a wonderful day!

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October 7th… wahooo! Which marathon is it? I want all of the details. Let me know what you are figuring out with your fueling, I need to keep perfecting mine. Haha have fun at the dentist soon:) Thanks, YOU TOO!

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Mine is the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. Little smaller, point to point. I’ve never done it before (never done a point to point race either!, but heard great things about it!)
My coach told me by the time you’ve been running for 2 hours you are out of carbs…which is usually about the time the thought of eating anything sounds awful. I am going to try to front load a little. Take the gels/chews while I feel good (and usually tell myself I don’t need it) so that i’m all stocked up for later in the race when it gets tougher to get anything down! We’ll see. My fueling for all my marathons has been sub par to this point, and I know its critical to a successful race! (So is the weather, but I can’t control that ;))

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That sounds like an awesome race Meg! I love the idea of front loading a bit… I’ve got to try that! We will keep controlling the things we can control:) Keep me updated on all of your training!

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Grandma’s Marathon is the best! I’ve done it 3 times and the 1/2 Marathon 5 times! It is a beautiful course and the town is so supportive of all the runners! Make sure you pack a variety of running outfits as the weather can be hard to predict up until the night before the run. I’ve had rainy races and HOT races there! Also – running the tangents is HUGE on this course. Someone I know was invited to run as an elite runner and got a private tour of the course. The course guide told her that not running the tangents can add a full mile on to the course!

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No way… Holly, that is awesome! You made me even more excited for this. Good to know about the tangents too… a full mile?!? WOW! I’ve gotta learn how to do this! Will you be there this year?

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So, from a midwesterner- find your hotel for Grandma’s now. The housing options are very limited. If you can reserve now, you will be very happy later. It’s a great race, though. Duluth is really pretty, too. The weather is the big if- the wind changes the course dramatically. You’ll have so much fun!

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This is so good to know… thank you! Crossing my fingers already that the wind and weather is on my side:) Thank you SO much Kathy! I’ll start looking now. Have a wonderful day!

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I have run Grandma’s! I had my second fastest marathon there. It’s a very flat course with one hill around mile 21 (lemon drop hill), crowd support is spotty until the end. Very well organized. The weather is hit or miss, it’s either cold and rainy or hot and humid. When I ran it it was cold and rained until about mile 15, then was 70 degrees and humid the last half. But, you can’t control the weather. It’s a great place to try to PR or BQ. Best wishes when you run it!
PS The half is a great as well!

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THANK YOU HILARY!!! That is crazy how much the weather differed between those two years! Thanks for letting me know your thoughts, it sounds awesome! Have a wonderful day:)

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So jealous that you’re running St George. I’ve ran 20 marathons, and that one is my favorite (well right there with Boston)! It was also my first Boston Qualifier so that might make me a little biased. :) Since I live in MN, Grandmas was my very first full marathon, and I just ran it for the 7th time last month. Love the course and the atmosphere. There are some gentle rolling hills but the view of Lake Superior is always so beautiful and a great distraction. The weather can be crazy as it can be both hot or cold conditions. Excited for you to visit and run in our great state of MN!!

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SEVENTH TIME running Grandmas and 20 marathons total! Sounds like I’m getting in two of your very favorite. Thank you so much Jen, I can’t wait! I hope your day is a great one!

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Your girls are just precious!!! I can’t believe Brooke is big enough to carry Skye! Time sure does fly!! I love going to the dentist, which reminds me I am due for a cleaning!! Have a great day Janae!!!

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I don’t know that I can add anything to the information you have already received, but I do believe you are going to LOVE Grandma’s. I have done the Half the last two years, which is the exact same course (minus a few miles, ha), and a ton of my friends have done the marathon many times over the years. Everything posted about the weather is completely true…plan for anything and everything.

Typically the hotels around Duluth work together and don’t allow reservations until January. Here is more info: https://grandmasmarathon.com/marathon-weekend/lodging/

BUT there are a variety of options, and the area is beautiful. Canal Park is the area surrounding the finish line…very convenient, but not the best if you don’t like crowds. If you aren’t bringing the family, the local colleges have dorm rooms available, too.

Good stuff!

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Oh thanks for letting me know about the hotel/race situation… good to know! I will be bringing the family but the dorms sound fun ha! I can’t wait to come out, I hope you will be there this next year!

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I love the Temple to temple run, but if you are going to race it make sure you get in the VERY front. There are SOOOOO many runners of varied abilites + stollers + walkers, it gets hard to do anything but dodge people if you aren’t leading the pack!!

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SOOOOO good to know! I think I might actually pay for the timing chip so that I can go in the first wave. Have you tried that?

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There’s a whole crew of runners from my group here in East Texas coming out to race St. George! A few are hoping to BQ! I’m cheering as loud as I can for them!

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AHHHHHHHHHH that is awesome. How about you come with them and we can do a meet up:) I hope you have a great day Whitney!

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I’ve ran the half (Garry Bjorkjund’s Half Marathon) at Grandma’s a couple of times…great course! I’ve ran Twin Cities Marathon and Boston, but I am super chicken to run Grandma’s:( It is really hot or raining it seems…I am also not good at running spring/summer marathons…training is hard to do indoors (being from MN…a lot of snow)! Not to talk you out of it…you are probably so much more used to heat than I am! Good luck!

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Yes do Grandma’s!! I’m from Duluth and it’s such an awesome race. It was my first ever marathon and I’m hoping it’ll be my first post-baby marathon next year!!

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I just ran Grandmas last month! It was the best race ever! The troll dolls were hilarious! So many fun touches in the race.
Also spectating is manageable! I saw my husband 5-6 times!
Pro tip: book your hotel or lodge ASAP!

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I just did grandma’s this year and I love the course. I train at altitude and doing to 700ft above sea level was a huge benefit. The course is rolling hills with two steep ones at the end. But I trained hills upon hills and it felt like nothing. The weather was perfect and the crowds were great. 11 min pr and a BQ by 10 min for me. All in all- a great race! Went over to grandmas saloon right after for a burger and fries! After party is pretty rockin too!

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I LOVE the Temple to Temple run! My fave 5k! I haven’t done it for a couple years though. But when I have done it, the bus situation back up the hill is a pain. So if you go out first/early (highly recommend whatever it takes to do this…timing chip, line up early, whatever), you can pretty much jump on a bus right after the run through the finish line. If not or if you want to linger at the finish, just walk back to your car…the bus will take the same amount of time.

Still, a fantastic race with great energy. The downhill isn’t too bad, only a couple spots where I would just let my legs take me at whatever pace kept me upright. :) But it does make the 2nd mile a bit of a bummer when you level out and negative split, haha! Have a blast running it with Andrew!

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Exciting plans! LOVE seeing it written in your planner;) LOL.
I love my dentist, but hate dental work. I had to get a crown this morning and it was a real problem molar with a HUGE very old inlay filing. Needless to say I was in the chair for 2 full hours and feel so spent. But I think the money I had to spend on it was much more painful than the work!

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I teach 4th grade and do an after school running club with 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. They all run like Brooke — sprint, walk, sprint, walk. That must be such a kid thing! I try to get them to slow down a little so they can run longer before they have to stop and walk, but sometimes you just gotta take off and go full force!

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The dentist isn’t my favorite place. My mouth hurts for days after a cleaning.
My next running goal is to run. It feels like I haven’t run in forever but it’s only been 12 days. I got an MRI today and go back to the doctor Monday. I’ve never been so excited to see a doctor.
On the upside, I bought a garmin vivoactive 3 on primeday. It was 199.99….I’m very pleased. And I found Pittsburgh marathon Brooks launch. I told my husband we’re toad tripping next may so I can run Pittsburgh in black and gold.

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Grandma’s is AMAZING! I’m from MN and that was my first marathon I’ve ever done so its super nostalgic. It’s such a fun weekend and Duluth is a very kid-friendly city. You’ll have a blast! And they have tons of good restaurants/activities like hiking, the aquarium, etc. Totally do it!

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I did grandma’s this year and it was great!! Id love to do it again next year!! Definitely a great one!!

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This makes me so happy! I cannot wait, thanks so much Heather!

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First grade is the absolute best! I’ve taught in the public schools for the last 13 years and 8 of those have been first grade. Biggest piece of advice… read, read,read,read :) But keep it fun for her. Let her guide the book choices and adventures. She has her whole life ahead of her to love reading :)

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Good luck with your 5K and all your races! You will do awesome.

P.S. I take my good luck back, the bathroom looks awesome! Well done!

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