Before & After

There was so much to recap about the marathon itself, I didn’t have time to include what went on before or afterward. And if you missed it, you can check out Grandma’s Marathon recap here.

My mom and I drove up to Duluth and arrived around 1:30 p.m. on Friday. We first drove some of the course so I knew what the terrain was like and how steep this Lemon Drop Hill was. I thought this hill was going to be a “walk-in-the-park” and quickly put any concerns out of my mind. Well, it definitely ended up being a walk to get up it.

After picking up my race packet, it was time to watch Kara Goucher speak. Ahhh!! I was so excited to see her. Kara is a stand-out American distance runner–an olympian and world-class athlete. She was raised in Duluth, Minesota, so it only seemed natural she was one of the guest speakers. She was so down-to-earth, genuine, and nice!! I loved hearing her speak. (Sorry for the blurry picture; I had to really zoom out with my camera.)

Kara Goucher with her husband, Adam Goucher, who is also a professional runner.

Kara signing autographs after speaking. (I was too scared to get her autograph.)

By now I was starving, so it was time to grab some food. We weren’t quite sure where to go at first because so many of the restaurants were busy, and I didn’t want to eat anything heavy (i.e. pasta with cream sauces). Luckily, my mom and I found this small, intimite cafe tucked away in the basement of a building.

It was great because it was not busy, like so many of the other places, plus it had food that I knew wouldn’t make my stomach upset.

I had a delicious sandwich with turkey, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, roasted red peppers, a little mayo, and some honey mustard. It tasted so fresh and definitely hit the spot. I loved the bread–crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside.

The rest of the evening included finalizing details for the marathon and getting ready for the big day. Then it was time to hit the hay and attempt to get as much sleep as possible, which only ended up being about 4.5 hours. Oh well.

Here’s some pictures from the race that I forgot to include in my race recap.

I am not sure where this was–mile 9 possibly?? We ran along the beautiful shores of Lake Superior and had a spectacular view of downtown Duluth, which was bitter-sweet since it was our destination.

My sister running with me and probably handing me water and/or GU.

Then at mile 20 when I started to walk. 🙁

My brother, Mike; myself; and my sister, Kristy after the race.

And the thought that was going through my head for this picture, “What was I thinking when I signed up for this?”

My shoes (and orthotics) that faithfully carried me to the end.

My very sore, tender, beat-up feet. Actually, I only got two blisters, four black toenails, and one toenail that will probably fall off. Not too bad, eh?

The worst was the second toe on my right foot. There was a large blood blister under the toe nail that caused the toenail to be raised up. (It was very painful!) That toe nail has been black for a very long time and will forever be black I think.

The circle imprints on my feet are from my socks. (ha ha)

Now it was time for an ice bath. I was in the water for a while, but my toes got super cold, so I had to get out.

Sorry for another slightly gross picture, but this was the insane amount of salt on my back/armpit from sweating. Sick, huh?

Me, Kristy, and Kristy’s friend hanging out by Lake Superior.

The crowds of people relaxing after the race was over.

I was NOT hungry after racing but knew I needed to eat something.

After relaxing and showering, my sister and I went to At Sarah’s Table Chester Creek Cafe in Duluth. We got some delicious food including this pizza that contained smoked salmon, dried figs, and goat cheese. While it may have seemed like an odd combination, it was very good!! The sweetness of the figs and savory taste of the smoked salmon and goat cheese were something that was not expected but very tasty.

We then spent the rest of the evening hanging out with some of my friends from college who ran the half-marathon earlier that day. Kristy, me, Julie, and Jen.

By the way, I love my sister’s t-shirt and need to get one of my own!