Grandma's Marathon in Duluth

Runner Dude Don ran his 7th Grandma's Marathon. Sweet Pea and I sat this one out because of my knee injury the last weekend in April.

Because some school buses used in past years were not available, every bus-type vehicle within 50 miles was pressed into service. A thousand runners rode the train to the start in Two Harbors.
Every train car on wheels was utilized; some runners sat on folding chairs in baggage cars.

We 3 enjoyed the comfort of first class for the round trip train ride.
The wife of a marathon runner from Texas completed the breakfast table for four.
Below: the great Lake Superior and the Duluth historical aerial bridge.

Don joined runners getting off the train at Two Harbors.
You might be able to see him in his white visor and yellow Deadwood Marathon shirt, behind somebody in a green shirt, about a third of the way across the picture from the left side.
We were able to view the start of the race from the train.

The Irvin ore boat is a museum docked near the finish in Duluth. Here we watched half marathon finishers as we arrived back in Duluth on the train.

Statue in Canal Park area near the finish: Dad with child on shoulders... feeding a seagull.
Sweet Pea and I waited several hours for Don to finish, enjoying Caribou lattes.
Skim milk, unflavored lattes without toppings have helped me maintain exactly the same weight for nearly 2 months of limited activity with this painful swollen knee.

Here he is, coming in to the finish area.

And here is the temperature when he came in (93 degrees). When he gets it posted, you can read his blog for details of his marathon race.
minnesotadon.blogspot.com.

Best bumper sticker of the day:

Good to Run

Early Saturday morning walk.. and even a few steps of running now and then. Ouch.

Incredible injuries to knee are so slowly healing.

Summer is here. Sidewalk chalk and baseball left in a front yard the day before.

Thursday I told Therapist Sara, I want my knee back. And it is actually starting to feel like it is mine again.
I'm doing the icing, stretches, exercises, supplements, healthy eating. Thanks to those folks who are even praying for my knee!

Why did all those geese cross the road??

Today is Flag Day. Happy Birthday.

Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half Marathon

In the Black Hills of western South Dakota

RAIN!
COLD!

Severely limited speed due to knee pain, plus the unseasonable cold, and the possibility of waiting in the rain for an hour at the start equals too much possibility of hypothermia.
It was a painful decision, Saturday night, not-to-run!
I realized I was risking all the recent praise for being seriously hardcore, seriously studly, etc.

Bus loading in the rain at 5:30am

Rain and fog hanging low in the mountains (here at the finish) all day long.

On Saturday (day before the race) we drove to a few points along the beautiful Mickelson Trail.

A cloudy day, but a marvelous trail to run.

For more about the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon and Runner Don's race see
minnesotadon.blogspot.com.

Minneapolis Marathon - part 2

Starting at about mile 2 on the course Sunday, I said this pain is certainly a 9 out of 10. As the memory fades, I wonder: Maybe it was only an 8 or an 8 1/2 ?? Thanks for all the delightful, the supportive, and the empathetic comments.

Most of the pain has been in a bursa. I am contemplating a race soon. If the pain seems to be mainly in that bursa, I will probably do that race with Sweet Pea.
Pain in the MCL, however, may indicate more threat to my future running. Hmmm.
I am doing all the good things I know (previous posts). I will step lightly with care. Slow and old as I am, strangely, I seem to have a runner's heart.

One of my favorite times is after the annual trip to St. Paul Farmer's Market. Don tenderly tucks the little plants in the ground, and they respond by flourishing.