Overall: The 2015 edition of Grandma's Marathon was my first ever race at 26.2. I was definitely ready to go, physically and mentally. Of course, I wasn't quite prepared for how my body felt around mile 18. Those last 8 were a struggle. But the weather was, in my opinion, about perfect. It downpoured at the start, but what wind there was would be at our backs.

I remember the ups and downs of the first half hills, but nothing too extreme there. What got me was a long and gradual incline around mile 18. I was done. Lemon-drop hill wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, however. This is one of those races where I don't remember much from about mile 18 until we got into the city and ran up Lemon-drop.

T-Shirts: I always love races that give you a finishers shirt, instead of a shirt just for signing up. If I remember correctly, the shirt was all we received, which is fine with me as well.

Aid Stations: Plenty of Aid Stations with both water and Powerade. There were about one per mile once you pass Mile 20, which was incredibly helpful.

Course Scenery - Granted, it was a rainy and cloudy day, but nothing beats running along Lake Superior, or any lake for that matter. There's not much crowd support until you get into Duluth, though. The only negative to the scenery was that you can see the bridge in Duluth starting at about Mile 10.

Expo - Very good expo with lots of things! Probably the biggest one I've been to. They also offer a pasta dinner and a bus preview of the course.

Elevation: Yes, it's a net downhill, but you'll have your fair share of climbs as well. None are terribly bad, but there isn't much flat road. Like I said earlier, the gradual climb at Mile 18 ended me, but that's mostly because I don't think I was mentally ready for that (and I got out way too fast).

Parking: Super easy!! Head to any one of the parking lots and get shuttled to the start. One of the easiest I've done.

Race Management: Obviously the folks at Grandma's know what they're doing. And I'll leave it at that. Very well run race.

I was hoping to be back at Grandma's in 2016, but I had other plans pop up that day. I haven't signed up yet, but I intend to be there in 2017.

This is the race in Iowa. I know you have Living History Farms and the Des Moines Marathon, but really this is the big ticket item. A large race (I think it's like 8,000 runners) with good crowd support.

In 2015, the start line was a bit chilly as it was cold, windy, and rainy. But the rain stopped before the race, the wind was a tailwind, and the temps were perfect for racing. The course starts out on a huge downhill before flattening out for a couple miles. There are two main hills on the course, one of which is around mile 5. There's an aid station right before, and they are well placed throughout.

As you get closer to the city, you get more crowd support going through the suburban neighborhoods of Des Moines. you don't really break into the city until you hit 10 miles. Here you cross on a tree covered boardwalk (my favorite part of the race) and emerge near the river in Des Moines. What follows are some bridges and bike paths as you near the heart of the city. The one disadvantage of a tailwind comes in the last mile, where you switch directions and head into the wind. At this point, though, you have less than a mile left and hit the wall of sound, where a lot of the local high school bands are situated.

The finish stretch is great, and the post-race is second to none. Sports drinks, water, and the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever tasted. Sure it was cold, and someone (oops) forgot to drop a bag, so I was freezing. Dam to Dam can have some rough weather, primarily heat, but it's a fabulous race!

Oh La Jolla. In 2015 I knew I would be taking a trip out to SoCal for work and was looking for a race in the area. The La Jolla Half was the day after I arrived in San Diego, so it seemed perfect. Plus, the hotel I was checking into on Sunday (after the race) just so happened to be where the race finished. I stayed with a college friend who lived in Escondido the night before, and had tried to convince her to sign up for the race too, so we could run it together. Her response was that the course was very hilly so she didn't want to. Being slightly arrogant, I said that hills were no big deal. She replied, "You don't know what kind of hills we have in San Diego." She was right.

Packet pickup was at a running store in the greater San Diego area. I think it bills itself as the largest running store in the US. Very crowded, but it moved very quickly. We got a bag, our bib, and the race shirt. I'll be honest, the race shirt is probably one of my top three favorites that I've ever gotten.

On to the race. In the email runners get before the race, you are given two parking options (since it's point to point) park at the start or at the finish. It mentions to give yourself time if parking at the starting line. Give yourself time if parking at the starting line! The Del Mar fairgrounds are huge, and cars fill it up. It's actually packed!! Luckily, my friend and host dropped me off at the start and drove to get me at the finish.

The race starts in a wave start, since there are about 6,000 runners heading off to run the point to point along the coast. You start by making an outside loop around the fairgrounds before diving in for some neighborhood running. The first hill comes around mile 4, and it's about a 200 foot climb. But at that stage in the race, it doesn't feel too rough. There's an aid station around the hill as well. Then runners descend on a long hill along the coast. Beautiful views! There's an aid station at the bottom of this hill before you begin your journey into Torrey Pines (aka up the huge hill).

This hill is an absolute beast. About a 440 foot climb that goes on forever. According to my watch I ran up this hill about a minute slower (in per mile time) than my previous five. It's a killer. Once you emerge at the top, assuming you are still functioning, you'll get some rolling hill action for a while until you begin your descent. Going down from Torrey Pines is a welcome relief and you get some more scenic views of the coast.

From here, you'll run along beaches and some neighborhoods before beginning your final ascent around mile 12. This is another 200 foot beast that seems harder than the others since...you know...you just ran 12 miles. The trick with this one is that when it looks like you're at the top, you're wrong. The road turns and you keep going up. Your reward? A downhill finish into the chute on one of the beaches in La Jolla.

The finish line has all the things including food, water, and pictures. There might have been other things, but I didn't stay too long after the race.

I'll be headed back to La Jolla for the 2017 edition of the race, and this time, I hope I'm at least a little more prepared for that beast of a hill.

First of all, I can't believe it's been almost 3 years since I ran the Halloween Hustle. I ran this more for convenience than anything else. I was in Illinois for work and was staying with family who happened to live in the Palatine area. I had just returned from a work trip in Colorado, and figured it could be fun to try a 5k.

This one happened to align with me schedule. I did packet pick-up the morning of the race, and it was easy. There's a lot of parking in a ramp and around the race course in general, so that isn't an issue at all. Shirt and bib pick-up was super easy and efficient.

I should note that the race shirt is always long sleeve with a different design and color. Honestly, this is my favorite all-time race shirt. That's high praise.

As you can imagine, being a Halloween race, there are lots of people in costumes. You have the occasional person in legit race gear, but for the most part everyone (even the leaders) wear some kind of costume, which is really cool to see! And yes, there is a prize for the best costume.

The race itself is very straight forward. It is a loop through a neighborhood in Palatine. I don't remember there being mile markers, but there definitely could have been, or they could have been added since I race this. And the course is FLAT. The only hills might be the various bumps in the road. Like I said, flat.

The after-party is the big draw of this event. And, no surprise, it's held at a bar. If I remember right, it goes all the way into the afternoon. It's a great venue, and it is basically a Halloween party, but just with runners and their families. The awards are done here as well.

It probably isn't worth a special trip to Palatine for this 5k, since there are tons of 5k races at this time of year. But if you're in the area, definitely sign up for the race! It's a good event, with a great shirt, and an excellent after-party.