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When Emma told me last fall that she wanted to run this spring’s Bayshore Marathon, that she felt ready after a handful of half marathons to train for 26.2 miles, I knew she’d thought long and hard about taking on this new challenge. My about-to-turn-18-year-old daughter is as ambitious as they come — and also incredibly dedicated and determined once she sets her mind to something. That she also wanted me to not just train with her but also run this race with her, meant everything to me. {Listen to our conversation about this race by clicking on the player at the top of this post, or by subscribing to the podcast using your favorite podcast app}

It’s been a big year for Emma. Completing her senior year of high school. Serving as captain of her cross country team. Taking college classes. Working part-time. Then, training and running a marathon. The good news: the Bayshore Marathon, which takes place each Memorial Day weekend in Traverse City, Mich., is our hometown race. We know the route like the back of our hands. This race would mark my 4th Bayshore Marathon (and 9th marathon overall), so I felt good about helping Emma prepare for what we’d be facing.
Anyone who ran, or spectated, this year’s Bayshore knows this: it was HOT. Brutally warm. Super humid. Low 70s at the 7:15 a.m. start — and it kept getting warmer. The weather certainly was fantastic for an exceptional long holiday weekend. But for running a marathon, half marathon or 10K? Not so much. (At least, not so for most runners who struggled with not having been acclimated to running in these conditions).
Still, it was a beautiful day and it was Bayshore weekend — the unofficial kick-off to summer in northern Michigan.
During this podcast episode, we talk about the 18-week training plan we followed (we shared some of our runs on the MRG Youtube Channel, as well as on the MRG Facebook page). Emma also shares what it truly was like committing to training for a marathon during her senior year of high school.
We also get real about how the race unfolded. It was an emotional race, for more reasons than we expected. It’s also an experience I’ll forever treasure.

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The Michigan Runner Girl Show is made possible in part by the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa.
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A special thanks to Mike Moran, Mike Youker and Jonny Tornga of Quarter After Productions in Traverse City, Mich. for producing the show. Check out this studio’s work here.