Up North: Runners train for Grandmas Marathon in subzero temperatures
Running is a year long sport, but on the days where the temperatures are below zero degrees, it may not be for everyone.
“There’s really no bad weather,” said Erik Heen, a Duluth runner. “It’s just you got to dress for it.”
Some would say temperatures in the negatives would be considered bad, but for a group of runners with their eyes set on the finish line in the substantially warmer Grandma’s Marathon, the dream never stops.
Three times a week, runners meet in Duluth to train for the marathon. It may not be the easiest activity to get psyched up for though.
“It’s not easy to get out the door on days like this and it’s not easy to get started either,” said Tony Stensland, a running coach. “But once you do, it’s not so bad. There’s a sense of pride afterwards that you’ve done it.”
However, something that each runner stands by though is that community makes the pain worth it.
“It’s a lot more fun to go out on those tougher, longer, colder runs when there’s 5, 10, 15 other people right there alongside you,” said Public Relations and Marketing Director of Grandma’s Marathon, Zach Schneider. “It can make the miles seem shorter.”
“Without the outside motivation of the group, I’d probably just stay at home,” said Heen. “It’s the people who are running that I like to see.”
The first week of training was just to get some legs under the runners; A light three mile run for participants. However, as the temperature’s increase, the miles and runners will too.
“Obviously this is the time that you put the base miles in as we ramp up and get further into spring,” said Schneider. “For people that live around here that want to run our race in June, this is when you have to be doing it. We’re a hearty people here in Northern Minnesota, so we see a lot of people running around in our gear in the coldest months of the year and it always puts a smile on our face.”
More details about the group can be found here.