This was a personal worst time for me in the marathon. I went into the podiatrist a week and a half before the race and he diagnosed me with a combination of plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis and shin splints. But I was committed to running with a friend - unfortunately, her struggles began even earlier than mine, so we ended up walking (with some intermittent running) for the last 16 miles of the race.

Course: Super, super flat. Starts and finishes in the Fargo Dome which is pretty cool. There isn't a whole lot going on in Fargo but the section through downtown was really nice and you run through a bunch of the college campuses which were a lot of fun.

Lodging: Hotels are a little tough to come by so we stayed just outside of town but it was easy enough.

Food / Drink: Fargo Brewing Co.!

Gear: Awesome medal. It's the marquee of the Fargo Theater downtown.

Overall: Most people do Fargo for the flat course seeking a PR. I didn't do that but it's still a really nice race and really well organized.