Race Recap: 2017 Dick Beardsley Marathon Recap

Had a great time up in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota running the 2017 Dick Beardsley Marathon on Saturday!   Ended up finishing 5th overall with a time of 3:07:35... about 2:30 under my Boston Qualifying time this year.

DB was a very fun race, it is fairly small and there weren't any pacers below 3:30 however the course was simple to follow and was staffed very well for the size.  We really lucked out as the temps for the day were in the mid 50's with a nice breeze coming off the lake, much better than the last three marathon's I've ran that were 80+ degrees.

The course looped around the lake first counter clockwise and then back around clockwise again, even though it was basically a big out and back loop, they had us turn off a few blocks before the finish so it helped we didn't have to stare down the finish line 13 miles in.  About half the course was pretty wooded which provided some much needed shade, especially toward the end of the run where the sun was beating down on us pretty good.  I felt pretty good throughout the race which was more of sign of good training and execution as my fitness hasn't been quite what it was coming off my foot injury.  All in all I was very happy with my performance and had a great time, I would definitely recommend this race to anyone, but especially someone who is searching for an early September race to nail that last minute BQ before Boston registration opens.

Happy Running!

Race Recap: 2017 Mines of Spain Trail Race 1/2 Marathon

Another great year at the Mines of Spain trail race!

I always look forward to running this race, this is such a great course and well put on event!  It also doesn't hurt it's literally in my backyard haha.  This year again, for the 3rd year I've ran the half was about as perfect weather as you could get on an August day in Iowa.  The course was slightly damaged from some pretty brutal storms that came through this summer but the crew did a great job of last minute prepping and marking of any bad areas.  I ran this at a pretty easy pace this year without any grand expectations to PR and most importantly trying not to hurt myself less than a month out from my next marathon.  The strategy paid off as I had a great time meeting people along the trails and finished the half without a single trip or fall.  I look forward to coming back next year and pushing the pace a bit to see what I can do but no matter the time you always have a great run when you are in the mines!

Happy Running!