It's happening.

Well...that was a longer break than I intended!

My Birthday + The holidays + Family Problems+Winter + Living in Minnesota = not motivated for running.

But! That is all going to *have to* change....

My youngest sister Sarah and I are going to run the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon in June (if we get in)!!!!!

This is us at happier times at the start of the race....(don't hate on my not-purchased pictures...those bad boys are way too expensive!)

Sarah and I ran this together last year. It was her first half marathon ever! I think we finished in about 1:44 or so? The course is point to point- you basically take a bus from Duluth that drops you off 13.1 miles from the finish on the highway, and go. It is a cruel design in that you can see the finish about... 4 or so miles away? (that may be totally inaccurate but certainly it seems like that). Once you get into the actual city of Duluth, you go all the way through the little downtown area, and then you think you are turning to the finish...but again! No! It is a few more turns until you finally get there and get your free beer ticket.

Towards the end, by the big boat that means you are so close!

Running story time. The first year I ran this race was my first summer out of college. Even though I had taken a month or so off to let myself recover/celebrate entering the real world I decided to run the half. My friend Meg gave me a course description, and said, " once you are in town you just turn left and then it's the finish!" in such an authoritative voice that I believed her. Never again.

I made so many mistakes that race, and the first was listening to Meg. My second was not training, my third was ignoring most of the water stations (because I am TOUGH and did I mention it was a million degrees and humid that day??), and my fourth was being overall too confident. When I did get into town and turned left, I started to increase my tempo thinking I was close to done! Well I wasn't. To make a long story short...once I staggered across the finish line I collapsed, had to get wheeled away to the medical tent, and had to get an IV to cool off my 105 degree body. My very concerned boyfriend checked on me and took my free beer.

Don't worry. I bounced back, took a nap, drank my weight in water and Gatorade and rallied enough to hit up the after party (I sat and watched people make poor decisions).

Anyway. This year I think Sarah wants to run 1:35 so that would be a good PR for her! As her pacer, I am of course obligated to get in shape to run it with her. So that is my next Big Goal.

What are you next Big Goals?
Have you ever run the Grandma's Marathon or the Gary Bjorklund 1/2 marathon in Duluth? Thoughts?