Finish Time: 5:10:49
Weather: Cloudy, High 54°F
Minnesota was my second state. I picked the Twin Cities Marathon because it has a well-known reputation for being a well-done marathon. It was also a super easy drive to get to the race and made for a relatively cheap trip. Galen drove with me to the Twin Cities and played spectator along the course.
I don't remember much about this marathon, except that I loved it. Since my brother had lived in the Minneapolis area, I was familiar with several pre-race places to site see. Once we arrived in the Twin Cities area, we headed to St. Paul for the race Expo. The Expo doesn't stand out in my mind too much, but I did learn that, apparently, Caribou Coffee is the Starbucks of the Twin Cities. I thought it was hilarious that the marathon guide included every Caribou Coffee location along the race rate. I even met the Caribou mascot at the race Expo. This is the first fluffy mascot I've met at a race. Stay tuned for more in future posts. (They aren't even all Disney.)
First official fuzzy mascot I encountered at a race expo.
After the Expo, we tracked down Peanuts statues in Landmark Plaza in St. Paul. (Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts, is from St. Paul.)
Pre-race advice from Sally and Linus
Hanging with Charlie Brown and Snoopy
After visiting St. Paul, we checked into our hotel in Minneapolis, and then went to visit the Walker Art Center to see the famous spoon and cherry sculpture. We ate dinner at the Mall of America, but not without stopping for a ride on the Paul Bunyan log flume.
As for the race, well, it's a good thing I posted a lengthy blog the day after the race because I don't remember a lot about the course:
The course was fairly flat and gorgeous. I didn't carry a camera on this course; however, Galen managed to catch me at several spots throughout the course. Here's my famous fake running smile:
Cheeeeeese!
This course was my marathon PR for a few months.
Celebrating my first marathon PR at the finish in St. Paul
It was also the last time I'd run for a few months. I had such terrible shin splints after this race. I ran the last few miles in absolute pain. Galen captured that pain on my face at Mile 26.
When I returned to Kansas City, Eladio Valdez, my running coach, recommended I visit Dr. Toby Scott at Pro-Care Chiropractic. That was my start of learning how to take better care of my body with stretching, foam rolling, and supplements. I believe Dr. Scott didn't let me run again until December again that year. Which was great, because it was perfect timing to start training for my third state.
Finisher's Medal: Sweet and simple
2009 Twin Cities Marathon Finisher's Medal
Race poster: This race poster has been hanging in my home office for years. It captures the essence of the race quite well.
2009 Twin Cities Marathon Commemorative Poster
Minnesota was my second state. I picked the Twin Cities Marathon because it has a well-known reputation for being a well-done marathon. It was also a super easy drive to get to the race and made for a relatively cheap trip. Galen drove with me to the Twin Cities and played spectator along the course.
I don't remember much about this marathon, except that I loved it. Since my brother had lived in the Minneapolis area, I was familiar with several pre-race places to site see. Once we arrived in the Twin Cities area, we headed to St. Paul for the race Expo. The Expo doesn't stand out in my mind too much, but I did learn that, apparently, Caribou Coffee is the Starbucks of the Twin Cities. I thought it was hilarious that the marathon guide included every Caribou Coffee location along the race rate. I even met the Caribou mascot at the race Expo. This is the first fluffy mascot I've met at a race. Stay tuned for more in future posts. (They aren't even all Disney.)
After the Expo, we tracked down Peanuts statues in Landmark Plaza in St. Paul. (Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts, is from St. Paul.)
After visiting St. Paul, we checked into our hotel in Minneapolis, and then went to visit the Walker Art Center to see the famous spoon and cherry sculpture. We ate dinner at the Mall of America, but not without stopping for a ride on the Paul Bunyan log flume.
As for the race, well, it's a good thing I posted a lengthy blog the day after the race because I don't remember a lot about the course:
 |
| First official fuzzy mascot I encountered at a race expo. |
After the Expo, we tracked down Peanuts statues in Landmark Plaza in St. Paul. (Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts, is from St. Paul.)
 |
| Pre-race advice from Sally and Linus |
 |
| Hanging with Charlie Brown and Snoopy |
After visiting St. Paul, we checked into our hotel in Minneapolis, and then went to visit the Walker Art Center to see the famous spoon and cherry sculpture. We ate dinner at the Mall of America, but not without stopping for a ride on the Paul Bunyan log flume.
As for the race, well, it's a good thing I posted a lengthy blog the day after the race because I don't remember a lot about the course:
The course was fairly flat and gorgeous. I didn't carry a camera on this course; however, Galen managed to catch me at several spots throughout the course. Here's my famous fake running smile:
 |
| Cheeeeeese! |
This course was my marathon PR for a few months.
 |
| Celebrating my first marathon PR at the finish in St. Paul |
It was also the last time I'd run for a few months. I had such terrible shin splints after this race. I ran the last few miles in absolute pain. Galen captured that pain on my face at Mile 26.
When I returned to Kansas City, Eladio Valdez, my running coach, recommended I visit Dr. Toby Scott at Pro-Care Chiropractic. That was my start of learning how to take better care of my body with stretching, foam rolling, and supplements. I believe Dr. Scott didn't let me run again until December again that year. Which was great, because it was perfect timing to start training for my third state.
Finisher's Medal: Sweet and simple
 |
| 2009 Twin Cities Marathon Finisher's Medal |
Race poster: This race poster has been hanging in my home office for years. It captures the essence of the race quite well.
 |
| 2009 Twin Cities Marathon Commemorative Poster |
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