Month: February 2026

Yes, you read that correctly. I ran an 8K, and I went all the way to Key West to do it. I am not sure I have ever heard of that race distance before but back in the 90s, St. Paul had a race on St. Patrick’s Day that was slightly odd and it could have been an 8K. I know I ran that race at least once while in college, so while I can’t say with certainty I’ve never run that distance before, it has absolutely been awhile. 

So how did this race come to be? Well Dan and I wanted to find a destination run to do with our friend, Jeff. Additionally, we wanted to get out of Minnesota in January and go someplace warm. I believe it was Jeff who originally found this one a couple of years back, and we decided this was the year to do it. They offered other distances as well and initially we talked about doing the half marathon. However, Jeff and his wife, Kathy, wanted to arrive in Key West the day before the race and there was no way I could commit to a half without getting there sooner. So, if we were flying in the day before, the 8K it was. 

We left Minneapolis on Saturday morning, right at the start of a massive cold snap. To fly into Key West, we had to connect through Atlanta. We spent considerable time worrying about our flights being on time and getting to Key West that evening. While our connecting flight out of Atlanta was delayed briefly, we did arrive in Key West close to our scheduled time and thankfully, Jeff was able to pick up our bibs for us. 

After some less than quality sleep that night, we awoke bright and early at 6am in order to Uber to the start by 7:30am when our race started. It was a muggy morning, and something we were certainly not acclimated to given the climate we left behind. I was definitely not feeling 100% after a day of travel that included plenty of self medication (i.e. wine). But we were all excited to be there. We talked about what pace we were planning to run. Jeff asked me if I was going for 8 minute mile pace and I said gosh no, I am not even sure I can run that fast. The guys said they were just going to take it easy, but I never really asked what that meant. It was definitely an older crowd for this event, which I suppose makes sense. It’s not a cheap place to visit or live and I figured a lot of retirees living in Florida accounted for the demographics. Eventually we got underway. I tried running Dan and Jeff’s pace, as I wanted to make an effort to stay with them. However, it didn’t take me long to get frustrated. It seemed no matter how much I slowed down, Dan was still behind me. I figured I would leave the two of them to run their pace and I would run mine. 

I took plenty of time to enjoy the course. Dan and I honeymooned in Key West but I hadn’t been there since. Twenty five years later, I didn’t really recognize much but there were some places that looked familiar and brought a smile to my face. It wasn’t crowded on the course, which was quite nice. It just felt so good to be out running in the warmth, weaving across the island, and thinking about the fun trip we had ahead of us. As I neared the end of the race, it really started to thin out and I was slightly afraid of getting lost. Thankfully, there were plenty of volunteers directing runners where to go. An 8K should be 4.97 miles. I remember looking at my watch calculating how much more I had to go when all of sudden there was the finish line. I crossed at 4.72 miles, so the course was a little bit short (or maybe I unknowingly took a shortcut somewhere though I’m pretty confident I didn’t). I grabbed some much needed water and waited for the guys to finish. They came in shortly after and we enjoyed our post-race refreshments and got our t-shirt. 

We needed to get back to our resort but I wasn’t comfortable getting into an Uber all sweaty so we opted to walk part of the way. As we walked, we chatted about the race and talked about how much we all enjoyed it.

When I got my race results, I was quite pleased. I ended up 3rd out of 69 in my age group and 58th out of 602 overall. As previously mentioned, it seemed like an older group of participants and my age group was certainly well represented! Additionally, I managed to run an 8:21 pace after traveling and consuming wine the day before. The race organizers said they were going to mail my award to me, but so far, I haven’t gotten anything. Oh well. Regardless, this was still a really fun event to do- great course, artistic and unique finisher shirts, and nice weather. I’d certainly do it again.

Hello there! It’s been awhile! More specifically, it’s been over 3 years! Working full-time really gets in the way of a lot of things, with creative writing near the top of that list. Now that I have some extra time to devote to my hobbies, it’s time to wipe the dust off of Lifelong Runner and get back to documenting my running career. 

Since I last wrote an entry in August of 2022, I have run 27 races! That’s 9 races a year, and nearly one a month. During this time period, I decided to take some time off from marathoning and focus on shorter distances. My body was starting to feel the wear and tear from the mileage, and mentally I didn’t have the motivation to devote to training. Since there are so many local races, it was easy to always have something on the calendar- a half marathon, ten miler, even the occasional 10K. Sprinkle in a few out of town events, and it makes for a pretty active schedule. 

Races in Minneapolis typically start up in March with the Hot Dash. The first couple of years I did this event, it was a 10 miler. Last year, the longest distance available was the 10K. Spring events always seem like a good idea until the morning of. When you’re standing in the starting coral, teeth chattering and body shivering in the cold, you really tend to second guess your choices. Afterwards is often worse. You’re warm for a brief time until your sweat starts to cool and then it’s fairly miserable. The post-race food for this event has also evolved over the years from actual hot dish, to hot dogs, to I don’t even know what they served last year because I doubt that I ate it. You do get a beer though, so that makes up for the food. 

With some of the later spring races, you can typically anticipate nicer weather and an overall all more enjoyable experience. April brings the Get in Gear (half marathon) and May has the Women Run the Cities (10 mile). Like the Hot Dash, they are put on by Twin Cities in Motion. They are top notch. The race routes are usually along the river parkway and they finish at Minnehaha Falls which is a spectacular park. What’s also convenient is when I run these races, Dan can get in his run at the park and then meet me afterwards for a beer. It works out quite nicely for both of us. 

The past two years, Dan and I have both run a half marathon in Nisswa, MN called Run for the Lakes. We have a friend with a cabin nearby, so this event has become a fun new tradition. It’s a smaller race, so you can show up a half hour before, park close by, and walk to the starting line right outside the local hardware store. It’s fun to race in new places where you don’t do all your training runs. This course weaves through lovely neighborhoods with beautiful homes, along the Paul Bunyan state trail, and finishes back in town where a cold beer and yummy treats await. 

One of the two hallmark events that Dan and I participate in is in June, with the Grandma’s half marathon. This past summer, his parents were gone but my parents were able to join us in Duluth for the race. For the first time ever, we took the bus to the starting line. I was certain this was the year they would finally bust us for getting dropped off and forbid us from running. That wasn’t the case, but better to be safe than sorry. The start was delayed due to a huge thunderstorm that rolled through early in the morning. We avoided most of the rain that redeveloped that morning, though the same could not be said for the poor marathoners. I honestly think the Grandma’s events are my favorite, despite how many great races I’ve run. I love Duluth in the summer and I especially appreciate the mostly flat courses. Running along Lake Superior in the early morning is also quite magical. 

The City of Lakes Half marathon has been around for years, 60 years according to their website, but it wasn’t until 2024 that I opted to run it. Held in September, it winds around Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun, twice. Another scenic route highlighting the wonderful God-given natural resources with which this state has been blessed. I ran it with a friend in 2024 and didn’t have my best race so I signed up again this last year and had a great run. Not a PR, but I felt amazing and competitive. 

The Twin Cities 10 mile is the other hallmark event that Dan and I try to do each year. With the starting line literally outside our apartment, it’s very convenient (aside from packet pickup which is in St. Paul). This past year, it was a nice October morning; warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt but not hot enough for them to cancel it as they’ve done in the past. We both had friends running it and we managed to find them afterwards. We enjoyed our post-race beers together and listened to the coverage of the marathon. Then we hopped on the bus and got transported back home. 

In October of 2025, we ran two more races after the TC 10 mile. We did the Hot Cider Hustle in Rochester with a friend. This was a 10K event run along a nice trail in the city. The only issue is that for whatever reason, they don’t shut down the roads and have the events mostly on a trail. Now this wouldn’t really be a problem except it is out and back. It can make for some very dangerous situations and you practically have to run single file near the turnaround points. All three of us ended up placing in our age groups, so it turned out to be a lot of fun. At the end of October, we did the Halloween half marathon. I like this race because it again starts and finishes near home and goes along the parkway. It doesn’t have great post-race amenities though. This year it rained just enough to make it slightly uncomfortable but still made for a fun fall event. 

I end my racing schedule with the Reindeer Run in December. I opt for the 15K, as the longer race typically has fewer participants and makes the course less crowded. This is certainly a perk in the winter when you want to watch your footing and avoid ice and snow whenever possible. This last year, the weather was too cold and they cancelled the 15K. I had two choices, run the 5K in person or do the 15K on my own and enter my time in the virtual event. Without hesitation, I opted for the virtual run. While I am usually quite upset when my races get cancelled, the extreme cold and windchill predicted for race morning made this the only option for the race directors. And as much as I like racing, I am typically not a 5K person, especially holiday ones where most people aren’t taking it seriously. To each their own, but this isn’t my thing. So I did my 15K on Friday morning and then Dan and I went to pick up my race shirt and had a nice lunch. It all worked out quite nicely.

I take a lot of joy in running, which I guess is obvious to most people at this point. As I get older and perhaps the number of participants in my age group shrinks, I have started placing in some of the smaller events. This is quite rewarding and makes me proud that I’m still out there trying to compete. This also provides a nice segway into my next entry so please read on 🙂 ! !