The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early...
(from "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", by Gordon Lightfoot)
There's your earworm while reading this story.
It's fitting, since practically the entire marathon course runs along lake Superior, and
since this song was in my head during much of the marathon!
We'd been educated on the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald during our Duluth harbor boat tour, which lead us on a Google search for the corresponding lyrics. It's actually fun to sing, but it is a very very long song...
This will be brief, because like I said, the majority of the course ran along Lake Superior with no change in scenery for a good nineteen or more miles. As Texans I think we appreciated the pine trees and occasional views of the lake, but the eventual turn into the town of Duluth was welcome. My fellow runners Jamie, Laura S-P, and I didn't run together at all, as we were all in different places for race goals. We gave each other pep talks (which translates to "suck it up princess", "put your big girl panties on", and "we are tough bitches") prior to the race, and would not see each other again until the finish line for a teary reunion!
As for the weather, well it was interesting. It started off with full sun, not a cloud in the sky, so for the first half of the race it was HOT. Luckily, it was at our backs and we would catch an occasional breeze off the lake, but by mile ten the joviality of the runners had ceased. I think everyone was beginning to realize that if the weather didn't change we were headed for trouble. Amazingly enough, clouds rolled in about halfway through the race, and we never saw the sun again! Still, I had never sweated so much before in a marathon. I blew through all my electrolyte pills early on and walked the water stops, taking two cups of water each time! This seemed to work for me--I only had one slight calf cramp towards the end. My only real issue was a side stitch and the need to burp a lot from all the fluids I was taking in. The last 10K came alive with people, who crammed the sidelines, cheering for us all the way to the finish. The gauntlet of people downtown for mile 25 was the true highlight of the race. I had to fight back tears! The people of Duluth really support their run. The last stretch seemed to round a giant ship for an eternity until finally crossing the finish line. When we rejoined we each expressed how much we loved this race.
This race exceeded my expectations in many ways. First of all, Duluth itself is a fun town with plenty to do, especially if you stay in the Canal Park area. We never had to drive anywhere, as our hotel was next to the convention center (for the expo and buses to start) and the finish line. Additionally, there were plenty of shops and restaurants to keep us busy, as well as the boat ride in the harbor. Secondly, Grandma's marathon draws a lot of elite runners. Grandma's Saloon has murals of all the past winners and race photos from all the races dating back thirty-five years on their walls. They are fascinating to see. But what really struck me was the big heart of Duluth. Everyone was so friendly and so welcoming. Even more so than Boston!
If I had anything negative to say, I would say I wish they would start sooner than 7:45, as the sun was already up by 5:30. Also, their finish area was a tricky mess of several different areas you had to traverse via multiple entrances and exits. It was maddening! I'm not crazy about the medal. It's pretty generic and the letters "Grandmas" are really small, but hey, it's a medal. Everything else about this race was excellent! Great expo, fly-over at the start, a tech finisher's shirt, the water stops were huge and had it all, and the course was pretty "easy" with very small rollers. Their one "hill", called "Lemon Drop Hill" is not a hill worth naming, seriously, not a hill.
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early...
(from "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", by Gordon Lightfoot)
There's your earworm while reading this story.
It's fitting, since practically the entire marathon course runs along lake Superior, and
since this song was in my head during much of the marathon!
We'd been educated on the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald during our Duluth harbor boat tour, which lead us on a Google search for the corresponding lyrics. It's actually fun to sing, but it is a very very long song...
This will be brief, because like I said, the majority of the course ran along Lake Superior with no change in scenery for a good nineteen or more miles. As Texans I think we appreciated the pine trees and occasional views of the lake, but the eventual turn into the town of Duluth was welcome. My fellow runners Jamie, Laura S-P, and I didn't run together at all, as we were all in different places for race goals. We gave each other pep talks (which translates to "suck it up princess", "put your big girl panties on", and "we are tough bitches") prior to the race, and would not see each other again until the finish line for a teary reunion!
As for the weather, well it was interesting. It started off with full sun, not a cloud in the sky, so for the first half of the race it was HOT. Luckily, it was at our backs and we would catch an occasional breeze off the lake, but by mile ten the joviality of the runners had ceased. I think everyone was beginning to realize that if the weather didn't change we were headed for trouble. Amazingly enough, clouds rolled in about halfway through the race, and we never saw the sun again! Still, I had never sweated so much before in a marathon. I blew through all my electrolyte pills early on and walked the water stops, taking two cups of water each time! This seemed to work for me--I only had one slight calf cramp towards the end. My only real issue was a side stitch and the need to burp a lot from all the fluids I was taking in. The last 10K came alive with people, who crammed the sidelines, cheering for us all the way to the finish. The gauntlet of people downtown for mile 25 was the true highlight of the race. I had to fight back tears! The people of Duluth really support their run. The last stretch seemed to round a giant ship for an eternity until finally crossing the finish line. When we rejoined we each expressed how much we loved this race.
This race exceeded my expectations in many ways. First of all, Duluth itself is a fun town with plenty to do, especially if you stay in the Canal Park area. We never had to drive anywhere, as our hotel was next to the convention center (for the expo and buses to start) and the finish line. Additionally, there were plenty of shops and restaurants to keep us busy, as well as the boat ride in the harbor. Secondly, Grandma's marathon draws a lot of elite runners. Grandma's Saloon has murals of all the past winners and race photos from all the races dating back thirty-five years on their walls. They are fascinating to see. But what really struck me was the big heart of Duluth. Everyone was so friendly and so welcoming. Even more so than Boston!
If I had anything negative to say, I would say I wish they would start sooner than 7:45, as the sun was already up by 5:30. Also, their finish area was a tricky mess of several different areas you had to traverse via multiple entrances and exits. It was maddening! I'm not crazy about the medal. It's pretty generic and the letters "Grandmas" are really small, but hey, it's a medal. Everything else about this race was excellent! Great expo, fly-over at the start, a tech finisher's shirt, the water stops were huge and had it all, and the course was pretty "easy" with very small rollers. Their one "hill", called "Lemon Drop Hill" is not a hill worth naming, seriously, not a hill.
 |
| Great finish! |
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early
 |
| I love our running adventures together! |
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