I think the name Duluth is derived from an old Norwegian word that means “cold and foggy”.  When we pulled into town it was “cold and foggy.”  When we left 3 days later it was “cold and foggy”.   In between it was “cold and foggy”.   I was told that we were running along the shores of Lake Superior but of the few glimpses that I saw it could have been the shores of a farmer’s retention pond.   Only joking...  The fog did lift at times revealing glorious views, but it was pretty much “cold and foggy” for the whole race.

I’ll spare you the details but I actually got up 2 hours too early and I planned my morning based on the departure of the half-marathon bus. That would have been embarrassing.

The pre-race scene was like a festival except the lines were not for beer or wine but lines to use the port-a-potties. The use of which is a very non-festive experience.   That entails holding your breath, sticking your nose in your shirt and trying to keep the minimum amount of skin in contact with any part of the inside surfaces. 

With the race ready to start all 6200+ runners lined the road as far as the eye could see.  In fact, after the start gun, it took us 7 minutes to cross the starting line.  After a few photos and well wishes my running partner for the race (Mary) and I left Nikki and Peter and settled into our slightly faster pace.  Here are a few of my observations during the race:

Most annoying cheers/signs:

“Your almost there” in all cases the chanter thought this was hilarious due to the fact we still had ~20 miles to go. 

Or this one “Pain is weakness leaving your body”  Really?  Let me give you some strength.

Funniest thing I heard/saw : a twenty something year old man running and weaving through runners, yelling in a slightly panic sounding voice “Mom! Mom!  Where are you?  I can’t find you!”   Then I heard a faint voice from back behind us “I’m back here.   Then he said “Oh, I thought I was lost”

Funniest sign:  the sign said “Inspirational Sign”

Most ridiculous: Frat boys offering beer bongs and little cups of beer.  (And some people were taking it!)

By the way, I saw Elvis!  He was cheering us on.  Did you know he listens to “Run DMC”?

Saddest moment: Hearing that my friend Nikki has to pull out at mile 14 with what was later discovered to be a stress fracture.

Happiest moment:  Seeing and hearing my wife, Deb cheering me on with about ¼ of a mile to go.  Later I found out she ran through the crowds, dodging people just to see me finish.  She is awesome.

With the help of God I finished and met all my personal and fundraising goals.  However this does not mark the end of my journey to help Heartline, help the people of Haiti.  In the week leading up to my race our church had sent a team to help Heartline in Haiti.  They posted photo’s of malnourished children at an orphanage that they were helping.  The children’s eyes did not shine like a child’s eyes should shine.  They just wanted to be held.  Heartbreaking, just heartbreaking.  These visions occupied my mind as I struggled to finish through the last miles. My pain trivial, theirs a shame.  This particular orphanage is being sponsored by our church and will get the food they need.  But how many orphanages are in Haiti that are in need?  A lot!  How many struggle to live in Haiti?  More than you can imagine.  Heartline has a long history in Port au Prince, they know where the needs are the greatest and are making a difference.  In addition to financial support I highly recommend considering serving on a mission trip at Heartline.   It is an experience that will move you and shape you beyond what you can image.  You will not be the same.

Thank you all for supporting me in this endeavor, thanks for your time in reading my drivel, thanks for your financial support, for your prayers, and a special thank you to my wife, Deb for her support and my dog, Bailey who was my constant companion throughout my training.

God bless you all

Curt