by milesflyby

Detroit Free Press Marathon Weekend Recap

*My collection of medals after the completion of the Wonder Challenge*

Somehow I didn’t get in on the fun of the Detroit Free Press Marathon weekend until last year. It’s fair to say it lived up to all of the hype and now I’m hooked. I went big for my first Freep experience, completing the Supreme Challenge by running the mile, 5K, and marathon. I plan to run the California International Marathon in December for my (late) fall marathon, so I opted to sign up for the Wonder Challenge this time, swapping the marathon for the international half marathon.

Participating last year made things easy this year because I was already comfortable with all of the logistics. Because I opted to do one of the challenges again, it meant driving down to Detroit three days in a row. I’m about 30 miles north of the city so it was a lot of driving, but other than battling traffic on the way to the expo on Friday afternoon, it wasn’t too bad. I got to the expo at Huntington Place (formerly Cobo) by 4:00 and had used an app to reserve parking in a deck right across the street. I went straight to the back to pick up my packet with help from some great volunteers.

*This year’s Freep weekend took place October 17-18*

*An area specifically for the challenge runners*

Brooks had a large area with some awesome official merchandise but I was determined to limit myself to a hat. I already have way too much stuff and my packet came with a long sleeve race shirt plus a challenge jacket. I continued to browse the rest of the expo and chatted with a few friends I know through Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club. I was just about to leave when a sweatshirt at the ASICS booth caught my attention. The design was a clever play on the logo for Buddy’s Pizza, which is well-known in the area for their Detroit-style pizza. ASICS had a bunch of iron-on designs that they could add to any of their shirts or jackets. They had a really nice jacket that I knew I could use so I broke down and bought that too.

*I had planned on buying a hat at the expo*

*I didn’t plan on buying a jacket but I couldn’t resist*

*A closer look at the Buddy’s-style design*

*The front and back of this year’s long sleeve shirt*

*A “Detroit Challenge Series” jacket that I received for signing up to do the Wonder Challenge*

*The full collection of things I brought home from the expo*

I picked up pre-race sandwiches to enjoy with my mom, then I had to get home and actually organize all of my stuff so I’d be ready to race the next morning.

Things went smoothly enough last year that I followed the same routine for the Saturday morning races down by the Detroit riverfront. There’s a deck right by the start that’s probably the busiest spot because parking is free that morning. I got there at 7:00 with lots of time to spare before the mile race started at 8:25. It was a clear morning around 40° but it felt like the 30s so I wore several layers when I headed out. I made a bathroom stop then ran a couple miles along the beautiful riverfront to warm up.

*A view of the RenCen and Ambassador Bridge*

*Such pretty views first thing in the morning*

My legs felt warmed up enough to try to run fast and my body stayed warm enough to leave my stuff at gear check and go line up in the starting corral for the mile. I was able to get up to the front without any problem.

Earlier that morning I had studied the course maps and realized that both races would make the first turn a block sooner than last year. That meant we’d avoid climbing a quick, steep hill just after the start which felt brutal last year. I was SO thankful for that change! The mile was more of a rectangular route this year with longer straightaways that were ideal for trying to run a fast time.

With a marathon on the line last year, I tried to stay disciplined and not push too hard for the mile or 5K because I didn’t want to risk doing something that could possibly screw up my marathon. I placed pretty well last year despite that and wondered how I might do if I truly ran hard. Since I would “just” be running a half marathon this time, I thought I’d go for it during the shorter races. However, it was only going to be the third time I’d ever raced a mile and I really don’t know how to pace myself for something so short. At least I did a few interval sessions of faster running leading up to this race, but I certainly hadn’t done anything specific to prepare for the mile.

I started really fast as I was swept up in the crowd and was thrown off for a second when I had to quickly dodge a woman who was WALKING. Although we were assigned starting corrals based on our paces for the 5K, we didn’t have that for the mile. If there were any announcements suggesting that slower people should start further back I missed it. That would have been extremely helpful guidance for people who may not have known any better!

After the quick start I settled down for the first long stretch, going fast but not killing myself. After I turned and hit the long straightaway to the finish, I picked it up and gave everything I had. By that point the cold got to me and my nose was so stuffed up that it made it more challenging to breathe. It was way colder than any temps I’ve run in this season! I hung on and kept pushing, finishing in 6:36.

*Working hard during the mile*. *Thanks to the race for providing free photos!*

Last year I finished in 6:54 when I gave it some effort but didn’t push myself all-out. I knew I should end up quite a bit faster this time yet still questioned if I REALLY went all-out. My heart rate probably should have been higher and maybe I could have suffered a bit more. I think I probably have more potential but don’t really know how to pace myself for something that short. I went hard but don’t love pushing myself to that red line. I didn’t really have a goal time in mind and my main thought was that I had won $40 last year for placing as the third female masters runner when I didn’t even “try.” What could I do if I really tried? The lead women in my category ran 5:55 and 6:27 and I placed third in the female masters category again! It took about a month to receive that surprise prize money check last year so now I’m anxious to see if I get one again. It would cover the cost of the new hat I bought at the expo!

Aside from getting rid of that hill, another nice thing about the course changes this year is that the start and finish were in the same spot. Last year the finish line for the mile was just a short walk away but I didn’t really think about how I ought to get into the 5K corral early. I lined up too late and was stuck way too far back in the crowd for the pace I was going to run. I knew better this time around and just stayed right there until the announcer told us to line up. With an 8:25 start for the mile and 8:50 for the 5K, I had about 18 minutes to kill in between. Some of that was spent catching my breath, stretching, and posing with my medal.

I had packed a heat sheet in my running belt and wrapped that around myself to stay warm as I waited. I was very grateful that people were assigned to corrals based on pace for the 5K. That really would have helped me last year and made a big difference this year. I was in the first corral and started amongst other people who planned to run fast.

It was around 40° and still cold, but I don’t think the congestion hit my nose as bad as it did during the mile. I’m sure it helped that my pace was a little slower. I enjoyed the course which gave us a chunk of time running along the Detroit River and several long straightaways.

I even managed to run a negative split, getting faster as I went! My fastest 5Ks have been somewhere in the 21-minute range, so I was very happy with a sub-22 finish. The brand new pair of Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 shoes that I got from Hanson’s Running Shop earlier in the week served me well, and I decided that I’d definitely use them for the half the next day as well.

*I didn’t take pictures during the mile but captured a few during the 5K*

*The woman behind me did a better job of smiling for the photographer, and also kindly cheered me on as I passed, saying, “Get it girl!”*

*It’s always nice to get faster throughout the race*

*My second medal of the day…and my silly shirt*

I wandered over to a backdrop to get pictures with my medals when I noticed a woman with an Infinite Multisport hat. We started to chat and I got a picture with Laurie and Bill so we could share it with our Infinite teammates.

*With Laurie and Bill, who were also doing the Wonder Challenge*

I walked the riverfront a bit before heading out, and as expected, it took a little time to get out of parking deck because it was the main place everyone used. When I got home I relaxed and had a quiet day as I prepared my stuff to go out and race again the next day.

Once again, my race-day routine had worked well enough last year to do the same thing on Sunday this year. Many people recommend parking in the MGM Casino parking deck because it’s large, free, and a fairly reasonable walk to the starting line. The half and full marathons started at 7:00 so I got to MGM at 5:30. It only took me a couple minutes of creeping along through traffic to get in. However, traffic increased a lot after that. It helped justify my early arrival which was stress-free! I heard plenty of stories later about really bad backups.

While I had walked all the way to the finish area last year to drop a bag at gear check, this time I went straight to a building near the starting corrals where RUNdetroit had a VIP area. I had earned a VIP pass by making a large purchase at the store back in the spring. It’s all the more reason to shop local. When we support the local businesses, they can give back to the community! Owner Justin Craig and other awesome people from the store made it a great experience. They had a really large space with tables and chairs, our own gear check, foam rollers and mats for stretching, and real bathrooms.

*It was a nice touch to have mats and foam rollers* *available to the runners*

I hung out for a good half hour or 45 minutes and happened to run into Jon, my friend Kristin’s husband. It was nice to chat with him for a few minutes as he got ready to run the marathon.

It was another cold morning hovering around 40° at start time and I opted to wear long sleeves for both days of racing. I’d be done with the half before 9:00 and it still wouldn’t be very warm by that point. I had a “throwaway” sweatshirt that I honestly could have saved because once I jogged a mile to warm up, I was fine as I waited to start. Like the previous day, I was in the first corral and had no problem getting where I wanted to be, even 10 minutes before the start! I was worried that I pushed it a little too close with my timing but it all worked out. I saw a pace group for a 1:40 half, and since I’ve run that time for a couple races in the past month, I figured it was a good place to line up.

*Near the 1:40 pacer in the starting corral*

It was still dark when we got going right at 7:00. At first I got a little impatient because I felt too locked in as I was surrounded by runners and I wanted to get moving a little bit faster. Yet the 1:40 pace group started to drift away even though I ran a 7:37 mile and their goal was 7:38. This is why it’s always so hard for me to actually stick with pace groups!

*It was going to be a climb to get up that bridge!*

It took about two miles to get to the ramp up to the Ambassador Bridge. I couldn’t help but look up as we ran under and realized that we had quite a climb to get up there! By that point we got some nice color as the sun began to rise.

I thought about how it didn’t really matter what time I ran because I was just grateful that I got to do something so cool. Both that I am physically capable of it, and that we are given this unique opportunity to run in two countries. It’s the only time pedestrians get to cross that bridge between Detroit and Canada, and to do so with a big group of like-minded people during a beautiful sunrise? It was definitely something special and I enjoyed taking it all in, even as I slowed down during the climb. Last year it was windy and I got pelted by rain, so this year’s experience on the bridge was MUCH more enjoyable. We passed plenty of border guards along the way who were watching everyone to make sure their race bibs were visible. Some runners thanked them, and some guards cheered us on.

*Running across the bridge was one of my favorite parts of the race*

While my pace had been in the 7:30s for the first couple miles, I slowed down to 7:57 during the climb up the bridge. When the bridge went DOWN, my pace balanced out as I flew through a 7:19 mile. I love milking that downhill momentum!

I enjoyed our stretch of running along the riverfront in Windsor which was lined with lots of spectators who had some great signs. Once again, I was grateful for the beautiful day as I continued to admire the sunrise with the Detroit skyline off in the distance.

*A view of the Detroit skyline across the Detroit River*

As we got close to the tunnel, someone behind me said, “Go Bees!” A guy in an Infinite Multisport shirt ran past me and I rooted for him too. It’s fun when people from the team wear some kind of gear so we can recognize and cheer for each other.

*I feel proud when I see myself hanging with a pack of fit guys!*

I know some people complain about the tunnel because it can get warm, but I think it’s a cool experience. There’s no other time when people get to run through there for the “underwater mile.” A DJ from 89X was just inside the entrance with a megaphone to psych us up as we entered. We had a nice downhill stretch to start, and eventually I got pretty sweaty. I told myself it was only for a mile. There was a climb on the way out and I was ready to be done with the tunnel. I looked forward to the cool air when we’d exit. My Garmin map shows that the tracking was a bit off, but I think it still tracked the distance fairly accurately.

*Crossing from Canada back to the United States*

It was energizing when we came out of the tunnel and were welcomed back to Detroit by plenty of spectators.

*A loud stretch thanks to lots of spectators*

My coworker Cam was one of the official photographers and told me he’d be located just outside of the tunnel. I kept scanning the road and eventually I saw photographers who were bundled up on each side of the road. I finally determined that Cam was on the opposite side so I ran over there and yelled, “Cam! Hey!” He captured the moment perfectly, slapped my hand, and I was off. It made me so happy to see him out there.

We ran past the statue of the Joe Louis fist, Hart Plaza, and headed toward the expo center.

*Approaching an aid station and the statue of Joe Louis’ fist*

We made a turn there that sent us up a hill that definitely slowed me down and reminded me that as flat as the course may be, it’s not ALL flat. We headed toward the part of downtown that I’m most familiar with as we ran past the Fillmore, the Fox, and Comerica Park on Woodward. We saw a few of the half marathon leaders heading back on the opposite side of the road by that point.

*Some of the half marathon leaders heading the opposite direction*

*Enjoying my time on the streets of Detroit*

Shortly after that I hit the 10-mile mark and knew it was probably time to pick it up for the last 5K. I managed to do so pretty successfully, dropping from a 7:43 mile to 7:22 for mile 11. I glanced at my watch when that mile split popped up and laughed when I saw that I was at 1:23:45. At that point we had split off from the full marathon runners and turned back south. I felt like I was on the straightaway to the finish. Not exactly though, because I had two miles to go and we had a few short turns to make. Still, I was motivated to keep pushing. When we got back to Woodward, there was a continuous flow of runners to watch on the other side of the road on their way out.

I dropped to 7:06 for the 12th mile which made me feel really strong. I slowed down a slight bit for the final mile because I couldn’t quite maintain that but I gave it everything I had. Cheering spectators lined the street on the way into the finish, where we had a bit of a straightaway before hitting a final turn with the finish line just around the corner.

*Around the corner into the finishing chute*

I could see that the 1:40 pacer had finished and the race clock was just over 1:40, but my chip time was 1:39:38, so I was very happy to sneak under 1:40. Out of four half marathons in the past four weeks, this was my fastest and only one under 1:40.

I enjoyed running the full marathon last year and it was one of my fastest marathons, but it sure was nice to run the international half this time around. I feel like it covered nearly all of the best parts of the course and obviously it didn’t beat me up as much as the marathon.

I funneled through the post-race area, collecting my medal, a heat sheet, chocolate milk, and a bag of food, which I think just consisted of a bag of pretzels and a couple Oreos. Pretty much the same options we’d had the day before for the shorter races. There was some fruit plus water and Gatorade along the way as well. When I exited that area I saw a sign for the post-race celebration and went that way. There was a line of food trucks, a tent with race merchandise, and a few places for photos. There was also a tent for Stone House Bread where they handed out warm slices of buttered sourdough bread.

I browsed around quickly before heading back to RUNdetroit’s VIP area. I was so thankful that I could get out of the cold because while it was great for running, I got cold pretty fast once I stopped. There was a pop-up changing area where I swapped to a dry shirt, plus there was a massage therapist and compression boots for recovery. Justin from RUNdetroit even brought homemade chili and other food. He really made sure we had a great experience!

I hung out for a bit as I ate and tried to warm up, then I got a text from my friend Lisa who came downtown to support some friends running the marathon. I went back to the celebration area to catch up with her for a few minutes before she went off to spectate.

I wanted to take some photos by the Spirit of Detroit but quickly realized it was so close to the finish that the roads were lined with gates and I couldn’t get there easily. I was ready to give up and started to head back toward the casino when my friend Susy spotted me. She had also run the half and it was fun that we happened to cross paths. She was trying to find someone on the marathon course and I explained how she’d have to find an opening to get around the gates. We made it far enough down the course to find a point where we could cross the road, and helping her get back there would get me to the Spirit of Detroit after all.

I had several Infinite Multisport friends in my tracker and it looked like some were nearing the end of the half and I was able to cheer for them on my way back to the car. It’s always fun to see and root for each other out there.

It was a little slow to get out of the area by the casino because it was such a popular parking spot. As I drove away I realized that the MotorCity Casino was pretty close and had no backups, so that could be a good alternative.

After participating in the fun of the Freep weekend two years in a row, I totally understand why so many of my local friends return year after year. I got to spend the weekend doing what I love and it felt extra special doing so in my territory where everything is so familiar. Even though I’m from the suburbs, there’s still a sense of pride when I get to see the hometown city shine. The marathon has been voted the best in the country in a USA TODAY survey two years in a row for good reason. This isn’t just our local race – it’s a big deal and it’s done extremely well. I love that people come from all over while also getting to share it with SO many friends and familiar faces.

I typically plan races a year ahead and have been questioning what I want to do for a fall marathon next year. I already have plenty of travel plans in the first half of the year so I’m thinking maybe I ought to watch the spending and stay local rather than travel for a fall race. Freep will celebrate 50 years of races next year which will be a big deal. I had so much fun the past couple years that I will strongly consider running the full marathon a second time next year.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

*Just thinking about that much running made Rusty feel tired*

10.08.26

by milesflyby

Ann Arbor Half Marathon Recap

*A beautiful day for the Ann Arbor Marathon. Photo courtesy of Brian Jones/Greg Sadler Photography*

The Ann Arbor Marathon is such a great race that I returned to run the half marathon for my fifth year in a row on Sunday, October 4. The course seems to change a little bit each year depending on where construction is taking place around Ann Arbor. That just keeps things fresh and interesting! I’m glad Epic Races manages to adapt each year to keep the race going strong. As usual, the course was challenging but also very scenic and enjoyable.

The last couple years I went to a concert the night before the race which isn’t very ideal for getting enough sleep. This year I got a little more sleep, but instead of a concert the day before, I ran a half marathon. I’m not very good about coming into this race fresh and rested! Somehow I continue to pull it off fairly successfully though. The day before, I tried to take it easy and keep my pace under control at the Running Between the Vines half marathon in hopes of running fast in Ann Arbor. Still, I wasn’t sure how my back-to-back half marathon plan would play out.

When I signed up for this race I hadn’t planned on running the other race yet. I didn’t realize I’d be driving from Jackson right through Ann Arbor on my way home and that it could have worked to stop by the expo. I normally wouldn’t want to make the hour drive each way to go to the expo, so I opted to have my packet mailed to me for an extra fee because race day pickup was not an option. I received my shirt and bib in the mail a few days before the race.

I left home just before 6am on race day and was able to find free street parking (a perk of a Sunday race) a few blocks east of the start. There was a Throne public restroom without a wait that was close by. It’s a step up from using a porta potty so the morning was already off to a smooth start. I also lucked out and happened to run into a guy from work who was running his first marathon. I’m glad I got a chance to chat with him and wish him good luck.

Half an hour before the start I left my warm clothes at gear check and went out for a mile warm up jog. I thought I might get a little cold during the downtime between my warm up and the start, but it was in the high 40s and I actually felt just right. It was going to be a great day for racing.

*A rainbow before a race should be a good omen!*

There was a rainbow in one direction and a glowing orange sky in the other as I made my way out to a turnaround point at the Michigan Theatre. We got some pretty great scenery before even starting the race.

In past years I’ve lined up in the corral a little too late and got caught up in a mob of slower-moving people. This year I was there 20 minutes early and entered the corral right as it opened, allowing me to get closer to the front where I wanted to be. There were about 300 people running the full marathon and 1,000 running the half all starting at the same time. I figured I should be able to run under an 8:00 pace so I stood just in front of that pacer.

*We’re off! Thanks to Epic Races and Greg Sadler Photography for all of the great race photos.*

*I’m off to the right side of the photo*

Some years we’ve made a quick left turn onto Liberty where we’ve run east past the stores and theaters downtown, but construction prevented that this year. Instead, we began with a straight stretch to the south. It went from flat to downhill pretty quickly and all I could think about was having to run UP that hill later on tired legs right before the finish!

There was a short out-and-back stretch that was surely there just to add a little extra distance. I got a very slight glimpse of the big block “M” of Michigan Stadium.

*A tiny glimpse of the stadium off to the right*

Soon enough we got into the heart of the University of Michigan’s central campus and back to the route the race usually takes along University, past the law quad then north past a bunch of other campus buildings.

*The law quad architecture is beautiful*

*Running past some of the classroom buildings on central campus*

A fun feature this year was running through a blow-up shark mouth that made me smile.

A little bit of rain started early into the run but it wasn’t forecast to stick around very long.

After two miles we made our way to Geddes Ave. which features a couple miles that are mostly downhill. There are stretches where I picked up some big momentum flying down those hills. The rain continued and I had to be wary of traction on the road at times. I definitely avoided wet leaves over by the curb. Even with the rain, the sky looked pretty and it didn’t take long to clear up.

When we got to Gallup Park along the Huron River, we ran a stretch on a wood chip trail that I had never run before. It was fun to see a pretty area that was new to me.

*We had a good variety of places to run*

After looping around the park, we followed the Border to Border Trail along the river for several miles as the race usually does. It’s nice and flat there and I liked admiring the beginning of some fall colors.

*I always appreciate this specific tree*

We hit the halfway point of the race while along the path and I’d been maintaining a pretty speedy pace. I guess the race the day before didn’t hold me back, but I’d have to see if I could keep hanging on for the second half.

I knew the hard part was still coming – the climb by the hospital. While I ran 7:36 for the mile before, I slowed down to 7:57 for the mile by the hospital. My pace continued to fluctuate for the rest of the race, all depending on what kind of hills popped up. I dropped back down to 7:22 for the next mile! That was a surprise because that’s when we ran through Nichols Arboretum. We normally hit the famous “Arb hill” then, one of the most difficult parts of the course. One good thing about changes in the course this year is that we didn’t climb that hill. We made up for it later though…

It was nice to spend more time running the trails through the Arb. We had lots of twisting and rolling downhills through the woods. We even got a segment of double track trail that I hadn’t run before. We came out into a neighborhood and THEN we made up for the climbing we had missed earlier. There was no break when we got out to Geddes!

*We didn’t do much climbing in the Arb, but the climb began as soon as we left it*

That area where I flew along downhill on the way out? Now we got to run UP it on the way back. I ran 7:54 and 8:10 for those miles, quite a drop off from some of my 7:20s and 7:30s miles. I’m actually surprised I was as fast as I was because I really felt like I was crawling. That climb definitely got to me.

*The elevation chart. The second half of the race had some tough stretches!*

Once I was done with the stretch on Geddes, I was able to recover and get moving again. We got back to a flat part of campus and I started cruising.

*Flying along with both feet off the ground*

I came across people doing the 5K and 10K at that point and the course got a little more congested. I had to do some weaving to make my way around walkers and slower runners.

I knew the climb just before the end was coming, and it was rough, but at least the road leveled out for a little bit of recovery just before the finish line.

*Thanks to Greg Sadler for a great series of finishing shots*

I saw my photographer buddy Greg Sadler waiting at the finish and got my usual high five from him as I passed by.

*My splits, which were all over the place depending on the hills*

I stretched for a while before heading to the post-race area to collect some food. I enjoyed the usual Epic goodies of pancakes, an egg and cheese wrap, cookies, and more!

*Always great food options at the end of an Epic race*

When I dug into my results I realized that my time was only 16 seconds slower than my race on the totally flat Belle Isle course a couple weeks earlier. For as hard as I thought the hills felt, my speedy time didn’t really reflect that. After more digging later, I found that this was actually my fastest Ann Arbor half out of the five by 20 seconds! I guess flying down the hills really helped balance out the struggles up the hills. Doing well on the challenging course just made me feel more accomplished!

Because I was third in my age group I could collect an award. I had seen a cool hat was one of the options and I’d been hoping I could run fast enough to get one. It’s definitely a prize I’ll put to use!

I was tracking my work friend Shubham in the app so I could figure out when he was due to come back to start his second loop. I went out to wait for him and was glad I could cheer him on. Doing two loops of that course is hardcore!

I walked around campus for a bit to enjoy the gorgeous day before heading home.

*Another pose with my medal by the clock tower*

I still felt fine, but by the next day I was tight enough to take a rest day after my double half marathon weekend.

Next up is an official challenge (unlike my personal back-to-back half marathons) with the Detroit mile and 5K one day, then the half marathon the following day.

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

10.05.26

by milesflyby

Running Between the Vines Half Marathon Recap

I was browsing a calendar of upcoming races when Running Between the Vines popped up and I decided to look at more info. I’ve been vaguely familiar with it but always thought it was run on grass or trails and wasn’t sure I wanted to try that. When I read the description and learned that it’s actually run on peaceful dirt roads, it got my interest. I like running the dirt roads near me during long runs and it would be a nice change of scenery. I received an email from Running Fit Events that offered a $15 discount on the race and it made me go for it. I had already signed up for the Ann Arbor half marathon the next day so it would be a little ambitious to do back-to-back half marathons, but it wouldn’t be my first time and I like a good challenge. I would just aim to keep things easy and not “race” this one.

The race took place on Saturday, October 3 at Sandhill Crane Vineyards in Jackson which is an hour and a half from me. The 9:00 start was perfect because I could leave by 6:30 – later than I leave for many races! They had us park at an elementary school half a mile down the road and I went to the race site to pick up my bib, which only took a minute.

*A short walk up the road to the winery with some pretty fall colors*

I opted out of getting a shirt this time because they gave the option to save money and I have SO many shirts. I killed some time walking around the winery and made a porta potty stop early before the line got really long.

*The walk back to the winery, which was also the starting and finishing chute*

*The race shirt was available in both short and long sleeves, but I opted out since we were given the option and my collection is out of control*

It was a cool morning in the high 40s to start so I kept warmer clothes on until I did a little warm up jog just before the race started. There was a tarp on the ground where we could leave bags – a very informal kind of gear check. After such a warm summer, it was really nice to feel cool for a change. I believe this race has taken place in August in past years and have a feeling the early October date was much more ideal for running. I needed that mile of warming up because my shoes got wet from walking around in the grass and my feet were cold.

The half marathon and 5-mile races started first with the 5K to follow a bit later. There were flags to mark expected paces which I always appreciate because it helps reduce congestion at the start. I lined up at the 8:00 pace sign and there was a small group in front of me. Suddenly the announcer said we had 15 seconds until the start, counted down from five, and we were off.

*There weren’t many people lined up in front of the 8:00 pace sign*

There was a brief stretch of grass to run through at the start and finish and we made it out to a paved road in no time. I ran around an 8:00 pace to start, but the goal was to keep things under control so I could still have a solid race in Ann Arbor the next day. I slowed down a little and tried to take it easier after that. It meant that a bunch of people came from behind and passed as I slowed down and I had to be disciplined about not going with them.

After a couple miles on paved roads we hit a dirt road that ran alongside I-94 for a few minutes, then it turned nice and peaceful. We basically had the roads to ourselves and I may have only seen a couple cars the whole time.

The early morning sun shone through the trees and gave me the kind of views I had hoped for. Some leaves were just starting to change so there were little bits of color along the way.

There wasn’t a large group running the half – only around 125 people. Once people settled into their paces I ended up mostly on my own. A few people passed then gained enough distance that I could see them up ahead. Otherwise, I didn’t really have anyone around. One guy who was close split off for the 5-mile course then I was back on my own. I enjoyed the scenery and concentrated on keeping my pace “easy” enough. It was a little faster than I would have run my typical long run but still slower than marathon pace.

Halfway through the race we had about half a mile on a paved road where there was still very minimal traffic – maybe one car. Then back to more rolling hills on the dirt roads. There were aid stations scattered throughout which provided a few little bursts of energy along the way, in addition to a few supporters out there to cheer for their people.

*Mostly running on my own while enjoying the pretty colors*

About 8 miles into the race we had an out and back stretch that added around a mile, and that’s when I saw the leaders of the race coming back the opposite way. I couldn’t help but count and find that there were six women in front of me. I didn’t think I’d catch any of them, and that stretch was a little tricky for me because I didn’t want it to motivate me to speed up! I felt like maybe I could pick up the pace for the last few miles but the hills helped keep me under control.

There was one good climb with a couple miles to go that caused one person ahead of me to walk, so I caught up even though I practically came to a crawl myself as I continued to “run” it. Then I crossed an intersection where I was trailing just behind a guy, and the cop stationed there said, “Pass him at the end.” It made me laugh then I quickly realized I wouldn’t have to wait until the end because of how fast I was gaining on him. After passing him, anyone else was a good minute and a half ahead of me. I was back on my own and didn’t have to think about “racing” to catch anyone because they were so far ahead.

Still, I picked it up for the last mile which was mostly paved. At that point I don’t think I could have run a whole lot faster even if I had really hoped to. Although most of the hills weren’t too crazy, they were challenging enough to require some work and I didn’t exactly have a ton of energy left for a speedy finish. Aside from the last quarter mile, I ran the whole thing at 8:00 pace or slower.

After collecting my medal and a glass, I appreciated what a gorgeous morning it was. I took some pictures around the vineyard, put some warm clothes on, then went to collect some food.

I don’t drink wine but we got tickets for wine tastings and I’m sure that’s one big draw for this race.

Since I had opted out getting a race shirt and saved some money on that, I chose to add on a bonus food option and could collect a wrap afterward. Between the normal post-race food and that, it was so much for me that I couldn’t eat the second wrap! Sometimes I get frustrated by races that don’t have much food after a race so that definitely wasn’t the case this time!

*The extra chicken wrap I ordered, plus a cookie hidden under the chips!*

I enjoyed my treats on the porch outside of the winery and stopped by the awards table on my way out. I had won my age group and received a coaster for my prize.

This was a nice, small race with just under 400 people between the three events. I enjoyed it so I’m glad I finally looked into it and gave it a try!

When I got home I relaxed the rest of the day, trying to stretch and use the foam roller for calves that felt a little tight. I would hope that I could pull off another half the next day at an even faster pace!

*My collection of stuff from the day’s work*

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

08.31.26

by milesflyby

Crim 5-Mile Race Recap

Leading up to this year’s Crim 10-miler I questioned how I could write another post about the race that wouldn’t be repetitive since the August 22 race would be my ninth time running it. Well, I didn’t have to worry about that because this year’s race was anything but routine!

The early wake-up on Saturday morning was especially rough this time around because I’d gone to a Brandi Carlile concert the night before and got about four hours of sleep. I do that to myself all the time though and once I got moving I was okay. As I made the 45-minute drive up to Flint, I saw lightning off in the distance. I knew that rain could be a factor but didn’t think it was supposed to storm until later. I was hopeful that it was still early and would be out of the way when it was time to race.

I parked in my usual lot to the north of the race site by 5:30 and walked down to the conference center to pick up my bib and shirt. While race morning pickup has always been fine in the past, the pre-race emails really pushed people to come to the expo a day or two before the race and only pick things up the morning of if necessary. I understand wanting people to attend the expo and avoiding long lines the morning of the race, but I went to the expo once and it really wasn’t worth the time or gas to drive 90 miles round trip to Flint two separate days.

I got to the conference center at 5:45 and breezed right through packet pickup without any wait at all. I’m glad I “risked it” and didn’t make the extra trip.

In the past I’ve usually taken the long walk back to the car to drop my shirt and relax before doing a warm up jog back down. This time I brought a bag to leave at gear check so I could stash the shirt there and save myself the extra trip. I hung out inside the conference center for a little bit and saw Infinite Multisport friend Leon. He was the first of many friends I would see throughout the morning. The race typically draws somewhere around 5,000 people for the 10-mile distance, plus there are also 5K and 5-mile options, so I always see lots of people who I know.

The race was supposed to start at 7:00 so I headed out to gear check and the porta potties about 45 minutes before that. I’ve experienced long lines in past years and know that I need to leave plenty of buffer to make sure I get to the start on time. However, as I was waiting for my turn I heard an announcement that we were going to have a half-hour weather delay and now the race was due to start at 7:30. We were told to go to our cars, parking decks, or somewhere else to take shelter.

*The start area after the first weather delay was announced*

There was some light rain at that point and I got a text from my friend Charles who said he was hanging out with friends in a parking deck across from gear check. As I headed there, I found a few more Infinite teammates!

I found Charles who was chatting with people from a Rochester running group. The rain picked up so everyone stayed dry hanging out around the parking deck. The start of the race was pushed even later, and after talking with people for so long, it didn’t even feel like I was still about to run a race.

*Another Infinite group shot* *in the parking deck*

When it seemed like we were on track to race, I thought I’d go back to the routine of trying to hit the bathroom a good 30-40 minutes before the start. I found that a lot of people had gathered under the awnings of buildings. Then another delay came and I decided I’d just go back to my car.

*Some waiting for porta potties, some sheltering under the overhang*

I happened to skip the race one year when the weather lead to a late start. A bunch of friends talked about how that messed up their fueling, so I’ve kept that in the back of my mind and try to always be prepared with enough to eat and drink in case of a delay. By this point I determined that I wanted to eat another bar and get some water, so that’s why I hiked back to the car. The rain was pretty light at that point and I wouldn’t have minded running in those conditions. Lightning was the cause of the delays though.

Thinking that the race would finally start at 8:30, I did a half mile warm up jog back from my car and lined up at the porta potties yet again, restarting my routine with every delay. I saw my friend Cristian from work who was probably one of the few people who benefited from the delay. He had called me earlier to say that he was running late and didn’t know if he was going to make it. That’s when I told him about the delay and informed him that he had plenty of time.

We were waiting in line when we learned the bad news. We were in another delay and now all of the people in the 10-mile race would run the 5-mile race instead. We would start at 9:00, which was two hours later than the original plan. I feel like I’m a better endurance runner and tend to prefer the longer distances. I wasn’t thrilled that running a 5-mile race meant that I’d feel like I should push the pace faster than I wanted to. At this point I pretty much dropped any expectations for the day and felt a bit of indifference toward the whole situation. I was thankful that we could still run and knew there wasn’t anything else we could do to work around the weather, but I still wasn’t thrilled about having to cut the distance in half.

Since there was still no rush to get to the start, I kept finding and chatting with people I knew, including Scott. It wasn’t raining at that point and clearly the lightning didn’t feel like an immediate threat because we didn’t bother to shelter anymore.

Eventually I knew I needed to do another warm up jog because it had been long enough since my first one that I was getting cool and stiff. Cristian and I went for my second half mile, made a final bathroom stop, then parted ways as I headed to my spot in the starting corral.

It’s amazing how many friends I find every year even in such a large crowd. It seems like I usually find Lindsay, and we crossed paths while waiting to start. I realized since we’d be running a shorter distance, I should probably try to run faster than my original bib assignment and moved up right by the 7:30 pacer.

The wheelers started at 9:00, then the 30-year+ racers, the elites, the first wave, and about 10 minutes later I FINALLY started the race two hours later than planned. I’m not sure how many people had originally signed up for the 5-mile race but all of those people started with the people who had planned to run 10 miles. The start is always congested so I don’t know if it really mattered. I tried to hang by the 7:30 group, but as usual, there was a combination of losing them in all of the weaving and maybe not having the speed they had either.

I really try to run the tangents the best I can because I always end up with extra distance on my watch at the end of races. It’s pretty tough when the roads are wide, it’s so congested, and there are walkers and slower runners mixed in. If they were off to the sides of the road that would be one thing, but some of them were scattered all over. I’d be flying along and come up on someone and have to dodge around real quick. It was also hard to aim for tangents when I really didn’t know where the 5-mile course would take us. Stretches of it were the same as the 10-mile so plenty of the course was still familiar.

*Runners and walkers mixed together leads to lots of weaving*

Pretty much every year I see Lee out on the course, and that still held this year. I cheered for him as I ran past and was in awe of his 39th running of the race!

I kind of arbitrarily decided that maybe I’d be good to aim for 7:30 pace even though I haven’t been doing speedwork and wasn’t sure if I could hold it. It’s been so warm and humid this summer that I’ve failed to do anything very fast. I’ve mostly maintained mileage and endurance. Within the first mile I could feel that my face was pretty warm. I think it was in the 60s which shouldn’t have been too bad but I know it was humid too. It was for the best that I didn’t have to tough it out for 10 miles. For my best Crim race I actually averaged 7:20s. Conditions and everything else came together that year though. Had I tried to hang on to 7:30s for 10 miles, it could have gotten ugly this time.

*Thanks to Crim for a shot along the course*

Since the course was a bit different I didn’t get to see some of the usual landmarks like a woman bouncing on her trampoline or a guy doing karaoke. There were still people offering Jell-O shots and other spectators along the way. No Bradley Hills this time around! We did get some rolling hills around Kettering University, a stretch we don’t hit during the 10-mile race, and I definitely slowed down during the fourth mile. That was the point when Cristian cheered for me as he cruised right by. It was great to see him running so strong!

*Some rolling hills by Kettering University*

The last mile of the course was very familiar and it was nice to see the police vehicles flashing their lights right before our final turn.

In the last straightaway, I could see Carlo, a friend from my days in the GM Running Club. Another thing that seems to be consistent about this race is that Carlo and I will end up running by each other at some point. This time it happened to be right before the finish. I didn’t have a whole lot of energy for a strong push but I just barely made it past him! We always seem to be somewhere around a similar pace.

*The final stretch before hitting the bricks*

When I hit the bricks just before the finish line, there were a couple guys doing a wheelbarrow – one guy holding the legs of the other guy who was trying to walk along with his hands. It was clear that it was pretty rough on those bricks. There’s always something entertaining to see at this race!

I also happened to see Dave from RunMichigan.com off to the side. He’s always there to cover the race and I had seen him a few days beforehand so we both knew the other would be there. I’m glad I looked over at the right time because as usual, my favorite picture from the race came from RunMichigan. They’re local runners who support the local running scene so I like to support them and purchase a shot when it turns out nice like this.

*A nice shot from Dave McCauley from RunMichigan.com*

*Crossing the finish line (with Carlo right on my heels)*

When asked how I did during this race, I didn’t really know how to respond. I’ve only done 5 miles (an 8K) once and I was coming back from an injury, so I don’t have much to compare it to. Knowing that I have run a faster pace for the full 10-mile Crim course made me feel like I should have had more potential for five miles, but it all depends on the conditions and how my training has gone.

I ended up with a time of 38:36 and was seventh in my age group, so I’ll consider that to be pretty good. Crim is one of the races that is a part of a corporate challenge between GM, Ford, and Stellantis, so my age group placing will help our team. Stellantis had a couple teams of runners and I was on the Dodge Chargers team. The top five highest ranking runners score for the team, and my team had a 1, 5, 7 (me), 14, and 14. Sometimes it takes weeks to get the final results. I did my part though!

***Update***

A little over two weeks after the race the results were updated. The people who signed up to run 5 miles were separated from the people who signed up to run 10 miles. That means I jumped up a couple spots in my age group. Hopefully the Corporate Challenge results weren’t finalized yet and will reflect these results.

I much prefer the pace my Garmin provided versus what the race recorded! My watch makes it look like I actually DID manage around 7:30 pace. I talked to a few people who ran around a quarter mile long so it wasn’t just me. In fact, when I mapped the course to find the elevation, it came up as 5.2 miles. None of it really matters that much in the end, but it still made me feel better thinking that I ran a pretty solid pace.

One thing about a 5-mile race versus a 10-mile race is that friends of all kinds of paces came in a lot sooner! I was able to catch up with a bunch of friends afterward. That really is one of my favorite parts of Crim. I happened to catch Cristian again and congratulated him on his speedy run.

I started to drink a bottle of chocolate milk and saved a granola bar for later, but opted out of pizza this year. When I went past the pizza tent at 8:00 and the pizza was already out, I decided right then that it was not for me! I don’t know how long it had already been out and knew it would be another couple hours by the time I got there. The weather may have delayed our start but probably didn’t delay the arrival of the pizzas!

I was chatting with Charles when Sue, an Infinite teammate, came over and asked if I was going to breakfast. Leon had tried to organized a meet-up and people were especially up in the air because of the delayed start. Sue, Charles, and I decided to give it a shot and headed out.

*Posing by the blue line (and a big puddle)* *on the walk back to the car*

Only the four of us made it to breakfast at the Westside Diner, which was maybe a 10-minute drive. We had fun hanging out so I’m glad we went.

This year’s race was definitely an experience. Everyone I talked to was adaptable and really didn’t complain though. What can you do when you get a crappy weather day? You just have to adjust and be glad that it wasn’t completely cancelled. It was funny that so many of the people I talked to said they’d have to do a long run the next day since we got cut short. That’s how us runners think! Next year will be the 50th running of the Crim so here’s hoping things turn out much better for that big day. I’m sure I’ll aim to be there for my 10th Crim!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

06.25.26

by milesflyby

Grandma’s Marathon Recap

Grandma’s Marathon had been on my radar for a while as a race I should get to eventually. It seems to be very popular because it’s a fast and pretty course, plus plenty of friends have said good things about it. Until 2025, I typically ran two marathons a year – one in the spring and one in the fall. That gave me around six months in between. I wasn’t sure how I could make Grandma’s work in June as long as I continued to run Boston in April. Last year I ran three marathons in a year for the first time and it was a success. Running the Dopey Challenge at Disney World then Boston a few months later (plus the Pittsburgh half marathon a couple weeks after that) gave me confidence that I’d reached a level where I could do more. With 2026’s Boston Marathon taking place on April 20 and Grandma’s Marathon on June 20, I’d only have a couple months in between but decided it was time to give it a try.

I just happened to choose the year that would be the 50th running of Grandma’s so it was especially popular. I had learned so many helpful tips about my Disney adventure from a Facebook group that I was thankful to find a similar kind of group for Grandma’s. I learned how complicated it would be to find a place to stay in Duluth. Honestly, the whole lodging situation almost kept me from registering, but I’m glad I made the snap decision and just did it. Still, plenty of stress followed.

Duluth, Minnesota is a small town and has limited hotel options for a race as large as Grandma’s. This year it brought around 20,000 runners (plus family and friends) to town between the 5K, half marathon, and marathon races. I learned that most of the hotels required phone calls and didn’t offer online reservations. The thought of having to call a bunch of hotels without having any idea how their pricing compared with others really stressed me out. Some had no availability, some hadn’t opened their blocks of rooms yet, and the price at one that did have availability was ridiculous. Staying at local college dorms could be a cheap option, but those rooms were harder to get than concert tickets and I had no luck. Fortunately people mentioned that Black Bear Casino would open rooms on March 1. When the date came I called and finally got that part of the trip figured out. I wouldn’t have the convenience of being right in town, but the casino was only about 20 minutes away. Their price of $299/night seemed like a bargain compared to the $400-500+ in Duluth!

I also learned from the Facebook group that it may be wise to fly to Minneapolis then drive a couple hours to Duluth rather than paying extra to connect to Duluth. I would probably need a rental car anyway since I was staying out of town and it would come in handy for some exploring. Once I got the flight and rental car booked, I relaxed a little bit. Other than wondering how it might go running another marathon so soon after Boston!

Boston didn’t beat me up too much so after taking it easy for a week, I went back to the final seven weeks of my Boston training plan to use as a loose guide for Grandma’s prep. I’m so used to going all-in on a training plan for four months to specifically target a marathon. This time it felt like the marathon was kind of an add-on and I didn’t know if I would truly be prepared. As marathon weekend rolled around it didn’t feel real that I was about to do another marathon…like I hadn’t taken it seriously enough. It would be interesting to see how it played out!

I was fortunate enough to have that Friday off for Juneteenth and didn’t have to use any vacation time for this adventure. I flew from Detroit to Minneapolis and arrived around 8am, got my rental car, and enjoyed a surprisingly easy and pretty drive to Duluth. When I was about five miles out, I came up over a hill on the highway and was in awe of the view of Duluth below, with Lake Superior and Wisconsin in sight as well. I opted to park across the highway from the convention center which seemed especially smart when I saw a big backup of cars lined up for the next exit.

Since it was close to 11:00, I figured I should eat before hitting the expo. I found a sandwich shop called Erbert and Gerbert’s which was perfect. As I walked a few blocks around town I realized how many crazy hills Duluth has and felt grateful that we wouldn’t run any of them along the marathon course!

I saw a bunch of runners ready to cross a bridge and realized I just had to follow them to get to the expo. There were a bunch of RVs parked in Amsoil Arena’s parking lot which was one cheap way to cope with the lodging debacle.

*A good way to dodge the crazy hotel expenses*

The expo took place at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, also known as DECC. I’d heard a lot about how the community plays such a big part in the great vibe surrounding the race and thought about that when I saw a bunch of pictures drawn by local kids to welcome the runners.

I walked past the area that was set up for the spaghetti dinner and was blown away by how large it was!

*The spaghetti dinner is a really big deal at this race!*

I got to the expo sometime before noon and it didn’t take long for me to get anxious about how many people were there. I like to browse expos, but when it’s crammed full and people inch along at a snail’s pace, it drives me crazy. I’m a fast walker and I just want to keep moving!

I browsed briefly and came across the trucks that displayed the names of all of the runners. I looked at the official race merchandise for a minute but figured I probably didn’t need more anyway and headed out pretty quickly.

*A fun way to display the names of runners*

*I had to get one selfie before leaving the expo*

I wanted to walk around the area outside to explore and didn’t let a little bit of rain stop me. There were some moody clouds that looked pretty cool over the lake. I saw the Aerial Lift Bridge, the Duluth North Pier Lighthouse, and Grandma’s Saloon & Grill, which is where the name of the race came from.

I walked along Harbor Drive where people were starting to gather for the 5K and I headed out by 1:00.

*Flags to represent all of the countries people came from for the race*

*Opening up so the boat could get through*

I had Googled some scenic spots as I ate lunch and went off to see some sights next. Amity Creek Falls was my first spot. It was peaceful, pretty, and I did a nice short hike around the area.

It was well worth the 40-minute drive to my next stop, Gooseberry Falls State Park. I’m so thankful that I just happened to come across it because it was exactly the kind of place I love. I got some quality nature and photography time in there.

*More waterfalls at Gooseberry Falls State Park*

Eventually I headed out because I knew I shouldn’t be on my feet all day and was still kind of questioning whether I’d go to Des Linden and Kara Goucher’s podcast that night. That would run from 6:00-7:00 and I wasn’t sure if it was the smartest choice since I’d still have to drive back to my hotel and get everything prepared for an early race morning. I could only squeeze so many things into the day.

It was already 5:00 when I got to the casino and they made it easier for me to decide to skip the podcast since my room wouldn’t be ready for at least half an hour. The hotel was completely slammed and I should have been able to check in at 4:00, so they offered a 10% discount. I was okay with that since it would help reduce some of the weekend’s expenses!

Grabbing dinner was a good way to kill time while I waited. I didn’t think stuffing myself at a buffet would be the smartest option so I got a chicken wrap at the deli. I finally got into my room around 5:45 and chilled for the rest of the night.

I got to bed around 9:00 and woke up by 3:45. Grandma’s is a point-to-point race so I had to take a shuttle to the start. There were a bunch of different shuttle sites and the Sports and Event Center in Proctor was an easy 15-minute drive from the casino. They recommended that marathoners in Corral A should arrive by 5:15, which I did. Half marathon runners would start their race at 6:00, so as I suspected, they had already taken up much of the parking. People had to make up their own spots along the road or in the grass by the time I got there but I managed. It only took about five minutes for me to get on a bus and I was thankful that I was on the early side. The line of cars trying to park got a whole lot longer in the 10 minutes since I’d arrived.

Like the day before when I drove into Duluth, we were greeted with an awesome view when we came over a hill on the highway. There was an amazing sunrise over Duluth. I spent much of the 45-minute bus ride admiring the gorgeous views with pretty clouds over Lake Superior.

After the bus dropped us off in Two Harbors we walked past bins used for gear check and into a very large parking area. Then I had an hour and half to go! I brought an old heat sheet to sit on as I played on my phone and ate my second Picky Bar of the morning.

*The gear drop area and walk to the starting corral*

I just happened to look right up as Martin, a fellow Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club teammate, walked by. I ran over to him and we chatted for a few minutes. It was pretty fun that we caught each other even in the big crowd.

The sun was out and I began to feel warm enough to take my extra clothes and drop them at gear check. That setup wasn’t ideal because it meant I had to go back against the crowd of people still arriving from the buses.

By then it was 7:00 and I figured I better line up for the porta potties 45 minutes before the race. Even when there are a ton of them, there are never enough because everyone wants to use them at the same time!

I got to my corral with 15 minutes to spare. Although I wanted to line up near the 3:30 pacer, it was pretty packed and I thought I’d just have to settle and stay farther back. A bunch of people started to cut through at the left so I went along behind them and made my way up to a better spot.

The elite women started at 7:45 and we were off a couple minutes later! For the first chunk of the race, much of the course was lined with trees and pretty quiet. There was mostly the sound of shoes clomping along the road and runners chatting with pockets of spectators in areas.

It was around the mid-50s to start with the sun beating down on our left sides and backs, and I noticed how sweaty some of the people were just a couple miles in. I was concerned that the sun could make things tricky. I had read that it could be smart to run on the left side of the road to get shade from the trees. That worked at times, but sometimes there was no hiding from it or it became more important to run away from that side in order to follow the tangent.

*The train was with us for part of the race*

*Thanks to MarathonFoto for the shots of me. This is one of the rare photos of me early in the race*. *All the rest came by the finish!*

We caught little glimpses of Lake Superior here and there until we were nearly 10 miles in, then the views started to get even more impressive. THAT was a big part of why this marathon is popular.

Someone pointed out a bald eagle flying over the lake which was cool to see. The sun was warm so I was thankful when it got cloudy for a little while but the sun came back eventually. I was also thankful for a headwind at times because despite any additional resistance, the chance to cool down was much-needed.

Despite concerns about getting warm, I loved taking in the gorgeous course. The course was rolling with some good momentum going downhill but nothing too overly taxing when it climbed. For the first half I consistently hovered around an 8:00 pace, with a couple miles a little faster when I probably hit more of a downhill, and slightly slower when there was a little climb.

I ran 8:12 for mile 18 which was the slowest I’d gone at that point, but dropped back to 8:06 for mile 19. Then the slowdown began. It’s not that I hit the 20 mile “wall,” but I started to run 8:20s for a few miles at that point, then crept to 8:30s for a couple miles. That would be a good pace for any of my daily runs but it felt significantly slower after I’d been so fast for so long. The course conditions were rated “green” when I started, but later in the race I noticed a flag that signaled “yellow” conditions, meaning less than ideal conditions. It doesn’t seem like the mid-60s should be bad, but with the sun beating down, it may have been one of the factors that got to me.

Starting at six miles, I was good about fueling with a Clif Blok every other mile and salt tablets in between while always grabbing water and sipping my own sports drink at times. The typical method I usually use. However, I had a couple moments where my stomach felt iffy and I stopped eating anything after 18 miles. I didn’t want to set off my stomach, but not eating probably didn’t help my energy.

While the course started out quiet, it got busier as we got to Duluth and more people lined the course to cheer us in. Lemon Drop Hill was the one place that was built up as a challenging spot. It’s an overpass and really not all that bad, but it’s intimidating because it falls 22 miles into the race. I was already going slower at that point so I’m sure it didn’t help, but I wasn’t too bothered by it.

Of course the mental game is always a part of the marathon and I tried to stay positive. I came into the race not knowing what to expect. Maybe I wasn’t as built up as I was going into Boston, or maybe everything would be great and I’d run one of my faster times. As the 8:00 pace slipped away, I didn’t regret my approach of rolling along that fast when it felt good. It’s just so hard to know how a marathon might play out. Boston was the BIG goal and this was a bonus, so my time wasn’t as big of a deal to me. It was tough but I just kept going.

After running along the same road for most of the race, the first real turn came between 23-24 miles. It was another little hill but it was pretty short. From that point on we were in downtown with pretty good crowds.

*Plenty of spectators through downtown Duluth*

By that point my stomach was iffy again and I wasn’t convinced it would fade. I kept hoping I’d find a porta potty soon and that was all I had on my mind. I only had a couple miles left to go but didn’t want to press my luck if I could find a place to stop. I finally did and added a couple minutes to my time. That happened to me at Boston as well after getting through 16 marathons prior to these two without ever having to stop! Of course I always want to run the best time that I’m capable of. However, it’s not like I’m going to win anything and I’m not trying to impress anybody with my time. It’s all self-imposed pressure. In the end, other than wishing I was a little faster, it really doesn’t matter.

I had heard people talk about how it felt like there were so many turns once we got to Duluth, but it really wasn’t that bad. We had another slight climb over the bridge I’d taken to the convention center, ran around the DECC, then by a big ship parked in the harbor.

*Doing my best to look strong for the photos*

*The photographers really had a lot of coverage near the end*

*A pretty cool backdrop for a race photo*

*Nearly all of my race photos came in the final minute or two of the race!*

We made another little loop until we finally got to the finishing stretch along Canal Park Dr. I really had nothing left to give and essentially felt like I was jogging it in.

*A little fist pump as I crossed the finish line*

*Probably the closest I’ve run to 26.2 miles in a recent marathon. I usually end up around 26.5 so the lack of turns on this course must have helped!*

I finished with a time of 3:36:17 – only four minutes slower than my time in Boston in April. I will use my Boston time to qualify for the race next year, but it always feels great to hit that landmark of running a Boston qualifier. If the 2027 cutoff stays at 3:45 for my age, I still achieved that by over eight minutes. On a day when I struggled through the end, it definitely provides some solace!

I definitely FELT like I ran a marathon this time. I was cruising at the end of Boston which felt amazing, but not this time. It was a reminder that sometimes marathons are HARD. Coming to a sudden stop did not help. I was a little short of breath so I kept finding spots to prop myself up just to play it safe. It probably took a good 15-20 minutes before I collected my finisher’s shirt and finally made my way to gear check.

*Sporting my finisher’s shirt, which we received at the end of the race*

The gear check line was insane. I was in the group of 3000-3999 which must have been based on our estimated finish times. As a result, we were all there at the same time. The volunteers were great but they were also overwhelmed when all of us had to wait for the same pickup spot. That took a good 15 minutes.

Soon after, I happened to be in the right place at the right time once again and saw another person wearing Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club gear! I hadn’t met Don before and had to go say hi. He said Martin had found him along the course and grabbed a photo. I love that the three of us from the club all found each other!

It had been a while since I finished and I knew I needed to eat something so I attempted a mini Clif protein bar I had packed. It was hard to get through it, probably because I was dehydrated and it seemed really dry. My stomach was very upset as well. I made my way to the food line and not much appealed to me other than a granola bar, half a bagel, and some chocolate milk. I found a bench to sit on then I walked out by the water a little bit. Now that I wasn’t hot from running, it was a totally beautiful day.

*Another visit to the lighthouse on a prettier day*

When I felt like maybe my stomach could handle the ride back, I caught a shuttle back to my car and made it back to the casino just in time to feel miserable again. A very angry stomach has been the norm for me after marathons lately. It may be a combination of my fueling, dehydration, and simply what a marathon does to the body. I do realize it’s a pretty harsh thing for the body to cope with! As a result, I laid around the hotel room for a while feeling pretty rough. I think meds and time finally helped enough that I could consider heading back out.

A while back the race sent an email announcing the free Rock the Bayfront concerts that would take place on Friday and Saturday. I was especially excited to see that Soul Asylum was going to headline Saturday night. I’ve seen them a number of times (going back to 1995!) and I loved that I might get both a race and concert out of my trip. I wasn’t thrilled to see that they’d start at 10:30pm because it would be a stretch to make it that late on the day I had run a marathon. Of course I was going to try though! Maybe the late start was a good thing in the end because it gave me time to recover.

*A view of the stage before people moved up from the lawn*

I made it back to Duluth around 7:30 and went to check out the food trucks. I’d been good about hydrating but knew I really needed to eat more. I got a sandwich and fries and fortunately my stomach was fine for the rest of the evening. I caught a few songs from Emily Haavik & the 35s while I sat back and ate, then made my move to the front of the stage when a few people started to gather prior to the Minneapolis Sound All Star Band. They’re essentially the New Power Generation and they celebrate the music of Prince. I was curious to check them out and they were SO much fun. They put on a great show and the park was packed with people dancing. It was a real party during their set! I love that the lineup featured some great artists from Minnesota.

There was a drone show that I couldn’t actually see from my side of the stage that was probably cool, then somehow I made it to that 10:30 start for Soul Asylum and enjoyed their rockin’ set. I got to say hi to Kimberly, a friend I made at a Semisonic show in the Twin Cities. She had run the half and I wish we could have caught up more but it was tough when bands were playing.

*With Kimberly during Soul Asylum’s set*

I could have done without the girl who bumped into me the entire time Soul Asylum played as she bounced around performatively for her friends with her back to the band. At least I had some nice fans on either side of me who were more chill.

When my back was sore all day on Sunday, it very well may have been more from standing around at the concert rather than running, but I’m glad I went. I wish I had more time to explore Duluth and the surrounding areas but it was time to head home on Sunday.

I’m glad I went for it and finally got to Grandma’s Marathon. I can confirm that the experience lived up to the hype. I had a great time exploring the area and loved the beautiful course. I squeezed a lot of fun into a couple of days!

*A beautiful medal to celebrate the 50th running of Grandma’s*

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

08.12.25

by milesflyby

Bridge to Brew Half Marathon Recap

It looks like this August’s race schedule is going to play out exactly like 2023’s – the Bridge to Brew half marathon this past weekend, the Swim to the Moon 5K this upcoming weekend, and the 10-mile race at Crim the following weekend. Just like 2023, I signed up for Bridge to Brew a couple days before the race. I originally had other plans for the weekend so the race was not on my radar this year. I caught up with my friend Amy during a run earlier in the week and when she mentioned that she had registered for it, I realized I was actually free because my plans had changed. I hesitated to register because I knew it would be warm and humid and it could be a tough day for racing. I still had to run 18 miles for marathon training either way and it would be very helpful to have water stops every couple miles at the race. I enjoyed the scenery while running through Port Huron a couple years ago and knew it would be nice to hang out with Amy too so I finally went for it. It certainly helped that it only cost $50, even at the last minute. That’s a bargain compared to most half marathons.

My routine in 2023 worked so well that I basically did the same thing this year. The race took place at 7am on Sunday, August 10 and I arrived in Port Huron at 5:30 to allow myself time to run five miles before the race. I wore my headlamp and light-up vest because I started in the dark. I wasn’t the only one out by the water that early though – plenty of people had their fishing rods set up already.

*The sun starting to rise by the Blue Water Bridge*

I was a bit early for the full-blown sunrise but still got to see some nice colors and enjoyed the view as I ran up past the Blue Water Bridge.

These views were part of my motivation for signing up for the race. It also made it much more tolerable to add five extra miles beforehand.

It’s pretty cool to run under one of the major crossings between the U.S. and Canada.

*A view that makes it worth waking up early*

Although I enjoyed the views, I knew I couldn’t stay there to observe very long because I still had to pick up my packet and get ready for the race with about half an hour to spare.

Like the first year I ran this race, I came back to find a ridiculously long line for the few porta potties they had. There were four together and one slightly further down the road. Based on the line, they really ought to add a few more. Fortunately there was no line for packet pickup so I got my bib and shirt easily.

Since it was already extremely gross with the humidity nearly maxed out and temps around 70°, I changed into a fresh hat and shirt following my warm up and swapped a bottle of water for a fresh bottle with my Skratch electrolyte drink. I also ate half of a Picky Bar figuring I needed something after running five miles while also not eating too much 20 minutes before the race.

Because I had scoped out some other porta potties during my pre-race run, I knew that I could jog out to one by the water about a quarter mile away that wouldn’t have a line. That also allowed me to get one more glimpse of the sunrise over the St. Clair River.

I still had a good 10 minutes to spare by the time I got back to the starting line. I lingered a little bit behind the arch because I didn’t plan on being one of the leaders!

Eventually people were encouraged to move closer. I stayed where I was and hoped the truly speedy people would fill in the gap.

*I left some space in hopes that the fastest people would move up front*

The half marathon had 225 finishers so I still had plenty of people behind me!

The race started with a loop through the downtown area before we worked our way toward the water. The best parts of the race were the gorgeous views along the St. Clair River. I caught a few gnats on my face and neck during my warm up and during the race, but fortunately it wasn’t very buggy out there. Sunglasses were smart for trying to keep them out of my eyes though!

I took a couple photos as I approached the Blue Water Bridge then kept my phone away for the rest of the race. It didn’t take long before I was dripping with sweat, my shorts were drenched, and I didn’t need to screw around with trying to defog my camera lenses!

We caught a little glimpse of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse and ran on sidewalks by some really nice waterfront homes. We turned away from the water for several miles and ran past a cemetery, Port Huron Northern High School, a golf course, then did a loop in a neighborhood. Since it was an out-and-back course it was fun to see the leaders of the race going by in the opposite direction. I was on the lookout for Amy and we gave each other a big high-five when we passed each other. I was able to gauge that I was probably among the top 10 or 11 women by the turnaround.

Because it was such a warm and gross morning I didn’t have big ambitions to run one of my faster times. My main goal was to see if I could aim for marathon pace – somewhere around an 8:00 average. I’m about 10 weeks out from the Detroit Free Press Marathon so if I could pull that off it would be a great training run for me. I started a little fast during the downtown stretch with a 7:49 first mile then settled into a good rhythm and consistently ran just above or below an 8:00 pace. I was thankful for the water stops every couple miles and grabbed a cup of water at nearly every one. After a couple sips I dumped the rest on my neck in hopes of cooling myself down a little bit. I ate a couple Clif Bloks during the run as well as a couple salt chews.

By the time I got back to the bridge and had a couple of miles to go, it was definitely getting harder to maintain my pace. I passed a woman somewhere around that point but then it seemed like there was a huge gap between me and other half marathon runners. It was hard not having anyone to chase or keep me in a rhythm. I often get some great race photos with a big smile but I couldn’t even fake that in the late miles of this race!

*I had to force my smile at this point!*

The 12th mile was my slowest of the race at an 8:12 pace. I did manage to drop below 8:00 for the rest of the race though. I passed a few 5K runners/walkers in the last mile or two, then gave what I had left at the finish. I thought I might manage to run 1:45:00 but I was a little over since I ended up running an extra tenth of a mile according to my Garmin. My official time was 1:45:38 which was good for first in my age group! I was especially happy when I saw that I managed to do so in a 10-year age group category rather than the more typical 5-year age groups.

There was a sprinkler after the finish line as well as bottles of water and Gatorade in a pool filled with ice. They knew people would be hot after this race so things like that were helpful. Although I had dumped some water on my neck, my shorts were completely drenched from the sweat, not from the cups of water. It was a warm and challenging day for running and I’m glad I held up so well.

Amy told me her goal pace for the day so I had a general idea when to watch for her. I was able to cheer her in by the finish.

Getting to hang out with Amy after the race was a major bonus!

Based on the first time I did this race I knew the post-race snacks might not be real substantial so I had a protein Picky Bar in the car. I also ate a couple of the granola bars, some fruit snacks, and a slice of watermelon provided by the race. There was also a place where people could purchase beer, thus the Bridge to Brew name of the race.

The awards ceremony for the half marathon runners took place an hour after I finished so I was glad to have Amy there as we waited. She was kind enough to take a little video and some photos as I collected my age group win – a hat from On Running and a Bridge to Brew glass.

Amy said she likes to take the scenic route home and make stops along the way so she inspired me. When I looked at the map to figure out what to aim for I saw Palmer Park and Boardwalk in St. Clair, about 20 minutes south. That sounded promising so I drove there and looked around for a few minutes. It was a beautiful spot!

By then I was ready to get home and get out of my shorts that were still soaking wet. It had been a pretty gross day for running but that’s been the case for a good chunk of this summer and I still need to get my runs in regardless. Even though the humidity is usually at its worst first thing in the morning it helped that the race started early enough to avoid some of the heat of the day – it climbed into the 90s later. I always seem to find some reason to neglect the speedwork in my marathon training plans and the heat has been my main excuse this summer. At least doing this race helped me pick up the pace so I can see that I’m already in shape enough to run half of a marathon at my goal pace. It gave me a nice change of scenery with a flat course plus an excuse to hang out with Amy at yet another race. It sure was a better option than slogging my way through a long run somewhere around home. I find that doing a bunch of races in the summer really helps me work on speed and gets me through those long run days. I have plans for several more as I keep working my way toward my next marathon in October!

– Janet

Follow me on Instagram @janetboltz

Miles Fly By

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Tag Archives: race recap

Detroit Free Press Marathon Weekend Recap

Ann Arbor Half Marathon Recap

Running Between the Vines Half Marathon Recap

Crim 5-Mile Race Recap

Grandma’s Marathon Recap

Bridge to Brew Half Marathon Recap