Grandma's Marathon - Race Report

On Saturday, 19 June 2010, I participated in the 34th running of Grandma's Marathon along the north shore of Lake Superior from Two Harbors to Duluth, MN. This was my fourth consecutive year participating in this annual event that typically occurs around the summer equinox.

Grandma's will always hold a special place for me since it was here four years ago that I competed in and finished my first marathon. It is a great event, is very well- organized, is one of the largest Marathons in the upper Midwest, has some of the best post race food, and is very well supported by the community.

The weekend started off with what should have been about a two hour drive which ended taking just over 3-1/2. It is truly amazing the amount of road work going on this state right now. No matter where you drive; highway, secondary roads, back roads, it doesn't seem to matter. I left Cottage Grove @ about 09:30 Friday morning and pulled into Spirit Mountain Campground a tad after 13:00. From my house it is 157 miles and the speed limit on I35 is (suppose to be) 70 mph most of the way.

I've camped on each of my four trips and would not do it any other way. Hotel rooms are tough to come by and are way over- priced for the weekend. You can expect to pay $250+ per night with a two night minimum at most establishments. And besides, I really enjoy the laid back atmosphere of the campground. Spirit Mountain is conveniently located just off I35 about 5 miles from the convention center. The DECC, Duluth's convention center, is where packet pickup and the expo are, where the buses and train depart from race morning, and where the finish line is.

Friday, after getting the campsite set up, Gordy and I headed down to the expo. This was Gordy's 11th Grandma's (and by the way, he finished 5th in his age group, amazing, again). Packet pickup was a breeze, no lines, and plenty of helpful volunteers. I over spent @ the expo (again). I bought another pair of sunglasses, two hats, a visor, a new race belt (I forgot mine at home), and a pair of gel inserts for my shoes. The inserts were $40 (they saw me coming), but it's kind of like going grocery shopping when you're hungry. I was vulnerable, my foot hurt, and I was looking for the magic quick fix. In a brief moment of insanity I actually considered wearing them for the race, but quickly recovered knowing it would be a bad idea to try it without ever training with them.

After spending like a crazed person at a sidewalk sale, we headed over to Pizza Luce's for our traditional pre- race meal. We met up with a friend of Gordy's, Shawn, and the two gals that talked Shawn into running his first marathon, Nicole and Josephine, who in turn were running their first as well. The three of them work together at a Veterinary Clinic in St. Michael, MN. It's fun to see the anticipation and anxiety of the first timers and brings back memories of when it was me. We had a nice meal and were back at the campsite by 19:00 to call it an early night, 03:30 would come all too soon.

When the alarm went off and I crawled to my feet to head over to the showers to get ready I knew that it was going to be a rough day. My foot was not happy, it was really no worse than it had been the past few days, but the foot fairy did not pay me a visit as I had hoped.

I ate my breakfast, a couple of bananas and a cinnamon frosted pop tart (one of the great things about knowing that you will burn 4000 calories later in the day) before starting my medication treatment. I planned to take my prescription anti-inflammatory (meloxicam) and a 1000mg of Tylenol to start with, then take a 400mg of ibuprofen about 30 minutes prior to the start of the race. I was hopeful that this would provide enough relief and that the inflamed tendon would ease once it got warmed up.

We left the campground at 04:45, had no traffic issues, parked in the ramp, and were ready to board the bus by 05:15. The half-marathon started at 06:30 and the marathon at 07:30. The buses for the marathon did not start running until 05:30. Last year we made the mistake of getting on the train (new last year) and avoided the volunteers that were desperately urging this year's runners to board. Last year the train arrived at the starting line 10 minutes prior to the start of the race. We were on one of the first buses and were at the starting line in Two Harbors by 06:15. On the ride up I ate another banana and drank about 24 ounces of electrolytes.

After making a pit stop Gordy and I chatted about the day ahead. Just before 07:00 I thought it would be a good idea to warm up a bit by running up and down the starting coral before stretching out. I stripped down to my shorts and my new running top (on sale @ Kohls, $11) and dropped my clothes bag in the numbered bins. I quickly became more concerned during this warm up that maybe this was not a good idea. I could not take a full stride without wincing and found that I had to keep my stride extremely short to minimize the pain. I ran up and down a half dozen times, maybe a half mile total. After my final pit stop I made a b-line to the medical tent at took another 1000mg of Tylenol.


As the National Anthem was finishing two F16 fighter jets screamed over head, and I knew we were only minutes from the start. I positioned myself around the 4:00 hour pace group and had decided I would attempt to start out at about that pace. The race started and the 8500 runners flowed over the first few rolling hills like a giant snake towards their goal of reaching the finish line in Duluth a few hours later.

The weather on this day was about perfect. Temps were in the upper 50's with a partly cloudy sky. The forecast called for a high of around 70. There was a brief sprinkle along the way, a stiff head wind at times, and the temp at the finish was pretty close to what was predicted. The sun poked through the clouds a few times and warmed us up just enough to remind us it was there.

At the half- way point I searched out and found the first aid station and took another 1000mg of Tylenol. I knew as I swallowed the capsules that this was probably not my brightest moment, that 3000mg of Tylenol, 400mg of ibuprofen, and 7.5mg of Meloxicam was probably slightly above the recommended dose even for a guy my size. My biggest concern at that point was cramping and how my stomach would respond.

Over the first 20 miles or so I had thoughts that I might be able to bring this run in under 4 hours (still way over my lofty goals of earlier this year), but those thoughts faded and the last 10k just became a battle of wills. My body wanted to stop and I knew if I started to walk I probably would not run again. I stayed focused and pushed the thought out of my head. My pace slowed but I kept moving forward. I crossed the line 6 minutes over my best Grandma's time and about 10 minutes slower than my marathon PR, but I did finish and I did run, albeit slow, the whole 26.2 miles.

After crossing the line, I did the marathon wobble a few times, got some wide eye looks from a few of the volunteers and a couple of 'are you okay' comments. As I attempted to scarf down some food I got a head cramp. I didn't even know that was possible, it was just about at my temples, it was one of the weirdest things I think I ever felt. It subsided almost as quickly as it started. I drank several bottles of water and began the slow recovery to some semblance of normalcy.


Now a couple of days later I don't think I'm any worse for the ware but not sure exactly what I proved. Am I any better off for running this event? Will this somehow help me be better prepared for Madison? Or was this just some sort of shallow show of will? Or just plain stupidity? I'm not sure I can honestly answer that question. So, the journey of discovery continues...

Plantar Fasciitis...What?

Doc, I don't get it, I'm not a farmer, I have what? Oh, is that something you get off the shower floor at the gym? Really, there is no real cure just a variety of treatments? And you are not really sure where it comes from? or why now?

Well, I've failed to avoid the dreaded mid-season injury. In the four years that I have been training and competing in endurance sports, last year was the only year that did not produce an injury that interfered with my ability to train and race. Over the years it has been a variety of things but all associated to overuse. By far this has to be the most challenging aspect of endurance sports.

The latest is Plantar Fasciitis, a condition that affects nearly 2 million Americans each year and can be responsible for mild to even debilitating pain. In my case it started out as mild pain, an inconvenience, and has progressed over the last 6/8 weeks to something much worse. I have good days and bad, lately though, mostly bad. Last week, I had enough and went to see a podiatrist.

We have taken a four prong approach to treatment. First, a cortisone shot...ouch! If you have a fear of needles, this is not for you. The doc says, this is going to hurt a little... as he is twisting and pushing the needle into the side of my foot, spreading the Cortisone/Novocaine solution around the inflamed ligament. Sorry doc but you may need to go to confession after telling that little white lie. The second is Meloxicam, a little yellow highly effective anti-inflammatory. The third is custom orthotics and the final treatment is exercise therapy.

This is Grandma's Marathon week, and I'm planning on arriving at the starting line, but honestly I'm not sure what will happen. I had high hopes and at times was actually thinking that I might have a shot at a Boston Qualifying Time. (Probably a pipe dream) Well this is one of those times where adjusting ones goals is wise. Just finishing might be in order, actually I'm seriously considering withdrawing altogether.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been replacing rides for runs. I did complete all of my long runs, including the 20 miler three weeks ago. Actually my last two long runs were 19.5 and 19.9. But last week I hobbled through a 7-miler and this weekend could barely complete a couple of 5K+ runs.

The cortisone shot was on Thursday and the doc said that it could take 10 - 14 days before I see any real relief. He also said that it might actually feel worse during that time. On the other hand he said that I would most likely not make it any worse. He said that he advises his patients that if they can withstand the pain, go ahead and run. The biggest issue is that the pain makes me change my gait. This can lead to hurting something else, my ankle, knee, etc.

So, I'll see how the week goes. I'll probably make my way to Duluth Friday and get to the starting line but from there, I guess we will all just have to wait and see.

Buffalo Triathlon Race Report

The 7th edition of the Buffalo Triathlon was held on Sunday, 06 June, along the shores of Buffalo Lake in Buffalo, MN.

The weekend started off on Saturday in Buffalo. My son's girlfriend, Liz Abbas, had a fundraiser at her parent's Driving Range, Buffalo GolfMaster's. Liz is the current Miss City of Lakes and will be participating in the Miss Minnesota Pageant towards the end of June. The fundraiser was for the Children's Miracle Network benefiting Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. The weather for the event was less than ideal but I'd say successful regardless. Liz participated in the triathlon Sunday as well, her first solo, and she did great! She now can add Triathlete to her list of accomplishments.

This was my 4th Buffalo Triathlon. I really like this event, and it will hopefully remain on my event schedule for many years to come. The event is well organized (Dr. Brett Oden, MD is the event organizer). There are always lots of volunteers (I heard upwards of 400 this year). The Buffalo Triathlon is the second largest triathlon in the state, only Lifetime Fitness is larger. There were 1500 combined participants for the sprint and Olympic distance races.

The race has featured a pro athlete the four years that I have participated. This year Chris Legh, two time Ironman Champion, was the pro draw. I briefly spoke to Chris at packet pick- up Saturday night. He was not able to fully compete on Sunday due to injuries he sustained when
he crashed his bike on a training ride about 2-months ago and still has 6/8 weeks of additional recovery before he could fully return to training. He did participate on a relay, where he did the swim and bike, and Brett Oden's daughter did the run.

The weather ended up being spectacular. Temps at the start of the race were in the upper 50's (F) and by the end of the race were in the low 70's (F). The little bit of wind was from the NW and would provide a nice tail wind for the last 8 miles of the bike.

The Swim - 1500M
I watched as the waves before me entered the course. Chris Legh was in wave one, and I watched as he dolphined out. He continued this well beyond all other swimmers in his wave and it looked like it paid off for him. I decided to try it when my wave was up (wave 7). The water was warm. I did not hear an official temp, but it seemed comparable to Square Lake last week which was in the low 70's (F). The water was a little choppy but did not prove to be a problem. I stayed a little wide, but I'll take this over the 2500 churning bodies at Madison any day of the week. It's nice to be able to just swim. Swimming is not designed to be a full contact sport anyway. About halfway around the counter-clockwise triangular course my energy waned a little. I pushed these thoughts out and focused on the next giant yellow duck buoy that marked the course. As is now my normal routine, I swam until I could touch bottom with my hands before getting to my feet and running to shore. The night before at dinner I learned something new about my wetsuit from Liz. You can pull up on the zipper cord, and the zipper breaks away allowing you to just pull it apart. I've been using this wet suit for three years and have been traditionally unzipping it. The tip saved me a few seconds and the contortion act that I had been doing to get the zipper down. Thanks Liz!

The Bike - 40K
The bike course at Buffalo is kind of a big rectangle with a couple mile out and back about halfway around. I would describe the course as moderately hilly with no really big climbs, just some nice rollers. The roads are decent except for a mile stretch that was scheduled for repair starting on Monday. I had to work pretty hard the first 14+ miles to keep a good pace. The little bit of wind was in your face but the thought that it would be at my back on the home stretch kept me motivated. I saw several riders on the side of the road and hoped my trusty steed would get me back without incident. When I started the final 8 mile stretch with the wind at my back I found a new gear on the 08' Felt S22. I felt strong and was focused on getting to T2. I downed a gel and some water just before entering transition.

The Run - 10K
The run course is an out and back affair. There is a decent climb to the turn around. They changed the course two years ago and eliminated the run through the cemetery and added a short mini-out and back around mile 4. My heel hurt from beginning to end on the run. I've been battling what I think is plantar fasciitis for about a month or so now, since mid April actually. I have good days and bad days with it. On this day the pain was tolerable but was present. I had a decent run but had to back off a little here and there along the way. The last half mile or so back into Sturgis Park, along the shores of Lake Buffalo, is lined with spectators and makes the finish fun.

The Results
The day produced a new Buffalo PR by more than 9 minutes. It was my best swim and bike on this course yet. My run was 69 seconds slower than last year. I'll use the injury excuse even though I don't want to. My T1 and T2 times were improved and were better than my previous three attempts here. But honestly, between me, you, and the fence post, my transitions need a lot of work. I consistently leave a couple of minutes within the confines of the transition area.

I highly recommend you consider this event when planning your race schedule for next year. Whether you are a first timer or a veteran this race has a lot to offer. If you do not race but are looking for a weekend getaway, Buffalo, MN is a great place to visit.