The span of my half marathon training, race day, and recovery took some very unexpected and unique turns this year. Some of those surprises were good ones, and some were downright awful.

It takes most people a couple of hours and some change to run a half marathon. A couple more hours to run a full marathon. When I saw a homemade sign that read: “You’re running faster than a Minnesota goodbye!” I had a great chuckle on the race course. So true!

Grandma’s Marathon weekend in Duluth is quite the event. 9,602 people finished the full marathon and 7,835 people finished the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. Combined with the William A. Irvin 5K, the 2026 weekend saw a record-breaking total of 19,978 race finishers This year was the 50th Grandma’s Marathon. Last year it was the 10th largest marathon in the U.S.

The very first Grandma’s Marathon in 1977 started at 11 am. 160 individuals participated and paid $3 to enter. John Naslund, 76, was one of about 160 runners when he ran the very first Grandma'sin 1977. He is now the only person that has run all 50. Local runners Garry Bjorklund and Wendy Hovland Cregg won the marathon in 1977, and were in attendance at the race weekend this year. The course is essentially the same.

Amanda and I (Bryana) have been attempting to run the half together since 2015. Through injuries, pregnancies, and life’s ups and downs, we’ve been a part of the race weekend in some format.

This year, we were thrilled to add to the festive weekend by teaching yoga at the UMD football field on Friday and Sunday. Each class was carefully planned with runners in mind. After all, we know EXACTLY what would feel great, and helpful, before and after. It was so fun to be outside on Grigg’s Field Friday night. The turf felt like the perfect amount of support under a yoga mat too. (psssttt save the dates and join us next year for this free pre and post yoga class!)

Fun fact: I actually ran my first Gary Bjorklund half marathon in 2010, at 23-years-old with my now husband. No fancy watch, training plan, no fuel or hydration on training runs. Just did my best on training, and ran like heck on the morning of the race. My PR of 2:04 is still amazing to me to this day! Everything is different at 23.

Fast forward to 39. The goal of running is completely different for me. It has to be. I’m not my 23-year-old self. I’ve had two kids and recovered from multiple minor injuries. I have so many more responsibilities. I run because I can. I make time for it because it makes me feel like a stronger, clearer version of my self. It’s a celebration of my body’s abilities. To challenge my physical edge, and expand my mental capacity.

“Your mindset is your most powerful muscle.” - Eliud Kipchoge

Training is not easy. But I have found carving out the time for it gives back to me ten-fold. It’s also made fun because I have a buddy, and now many running buddies!

Amanda and I love to connect on the ups and downs of training. We are connected on Garmin with our extended running crew as well. Encouraging each other on our paths. A couple of our crew ran the full this year, and some ran the half. We all have very different paces and goals. The thing we have in common is a dedication to our own training, and getting out there on the course to do our own personal best.

We also love to laugh together on race weekend. Amanda lives near the start line of the half. She’s gracious enough to host us and our weird onslaught of bagels, bread, peanut butter, bananas, gatorade, and nervous race rituals.

Amanda is the queen of the now declared “mom prom”. She does our hair, and whimsically encourages glitter (unicorn snot), ribbons, and temporary tattoos. We all laughed so hard at the fact that she not only stocked up on FULL SLEEVE arm tattoos, but that she was shocked we weren’t falling over each other to slap them on. The morning of the race, the excitement got the best of me and I did put one on. I can report that it was funny and fun.

We primp more for the race than we ever do in life. A race is more fun when you look slightly ridiculous. A smile and an attitude of joy is very important to having a great race day.

When we made our way to the start line, emotions were running high. Lake Superior was stunning at 5:30am. The sunrise was showing off.

It took us a while to get to the start, because we waited quite a while for one of the hundreds of porta potties to open up. Thank you chip time technology.

Once we started, Amanda and I kicked things off together. To my delight we ran the first 7 miles together and had a great time doing it. I had told Amanda I didn’t want to run together, and I’m so glad she didn’t listen to me. I didn’t want to hold her back. I had a minor injury a few weeks prior and my race expectations went from a time goal to just hoping to finish with a smile on my face.

Thanks to Amanda, we started the race off with laughter and joy and kept that theme throughout the entire race. Amanda had led the yoga class through an awesome visualization exercise the night prior. We turned those verbal cues into a real-life scavenger hunt during the race. Smiling as we shouted the items on the list: pelican! Guy on the trampoline! Castle building! Trolls!

One of the funniest moments of the race was that Amanda and I ran clear across the road to appreciate the line-up of troll dolls on the road. A tradition we love and admire. Amanda took her phone out to capture a video of them, and while her defenses were down, an 8-year-old boy with a giant squirt gun came out of NOWHERE and blasted her! I was right behind her and laughed so hard.

One of Amanda’s favorite signs read: “This is way easier than bedtime”. Also, often true. That one honestly gave me a good reality check boost and a laugh.

We wore Boreal Bliss tanks that we created with the tagline on the back: “because you actually do need to stretch”. One runner in his 60’s told us “that’s so true! And I’m just learning that now.”

Another sign that created laughter was: “You’re running faster than my WiFi”, but that actually wasn’t the funny part. We both thought it said WIFE and we were so offended by this man. The audacity! Then a few seconds after passing him, mentally registering the drawings on the sign indicating a WiFi connection. That poor guy was maybe was getting a lot of dirty looks? Lol!

We got boosts of warm and fuzzies all along the course. Seeing flashes of encouragement, signs, smiles, and high fives from friends and family. That it ALWAAAYSSS so needed. Finding your people among thousands always feels like the real prize.

When we parted at 7 miles, we both felt like - wow this race is almost over! We high-fived and put our earbuds in for a music boost: “see ya at the finish line!” Amanda sped ahead with a smile. I kept paying attention to my body, and smiling too! By mile 11 I was so thrilled because I knew - hey I’m still feeling good and I’m going to actually finish this thing!

Finishing with a smile felt so rewarding. Amanda, Katie, and I finished close in time to one another. We deliriously walked together through the food line, dawning our foil capes and medals. We were higher than high, laughing about the joys of bagels and cold chocolate milk, and scoffing in disgust at watermelon jalapeno chips - whyyy?!?! We had so much food collected that Amanda asked a vendor for an empty box to carry around. Other runners noted this genius. Lol

We gathered in our traditional post-race spot. Enjoying coffee, dry clothes, and cheering on our crew finishing the full.

Then it was back to Amanda’s for a shower, potluck, and race stories. From runners to volunteers, to spectators, the stories are so fun to share and listen to! All a process in fully savoring the experience.

On Sunday, Amanda and I taught a recovery yoga class on Grigg’s Field. The morning was so so beautiful. We had volunteers, spectators, full and half marathon finishers all in attendance. Amanda and I split the class, her teaching the first part and me the second. So we each got a little bit of much needed movement in ourselves. Afterwards, we were both relieved to feel significantly better. Moving and breathing intentionally the next day honestly feels so good and needed. It’s the last thing you’re gonna want to do. But trust me, it feels amazing. (make it part of your race weekend plan for next year!)

Recovery is an important part of the process. There’s a little (lot) less opportunity for it with parenting and work responsibilities. Yet, important all the same. My recovery took an odd and unexpected turn this year. It turns out the fact that I could not get the full sleeve temporary tattoo off my arm was the least of my worries.

I feared that I was dehydrated, despite my diligent hydration with electrolytes. I worried (yet hoped) I somehow had a virus. “Please tell me this is not how my 39-year-old body now recovers from a half marathon?” I texted Amanda, “if so I can never run the race again.” She replied: “agreed”.

I was so sick! When a telltale bullseye rash quickly reared its ugly head there was no question. Ahhhh, this is Lyme’s. So my debilitating fatigue, nausea, no appetite, body aches, chills, rigors, sweats was not race recovery. It was Lyme’s disease, unfortunately paired with race recovery.

I’m still on the mend. My regular routine of painkillers and doxycycline is now reduced to naps and just a few days left of a doxycycline prescription. I’m so thankful to have caught it early.

The ups and downs of half marathon training, race day, and recovery really took a lot of unexpected turns for me this year. But hey, I’ll be 40 next year. It feels like an important year of life to continue the tradition.