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 🙂 ! !