It'll happen to me again this year....I'll keep putting off "serious" training until it's almost too late, then I'll feel inadequate on race day.  Need motivation?  Need suggestions on how to train?  First time and don't even know where to start?  Grandma's Marathon is putting on a FREE seminar to help you get your groove on, plan on attending!

If you are training for a race during June’s Grandma's Marathon weekend, then you won’t want to miss the annual Gearing Up for Grandma's pre-race seminar on Saturday, March 10. This free event from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Essentia Health’s First Street Building is a valuable training resource for both first-timers and veteran runners.

The seminar’s featured speaker is Andrew Carlson, who trains with Team USA Minnesota and placed sixth in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials last month in Houston. Racing in his first event at the marathon distance, he finished in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 24 seconds.

Carlson, 29, is a native of Fargo, North Dakota and ran collegiately at the University of Minnesota, where he was a two-time (2002 and 2004) Midwest Region Cross Country Champion and two-time cross-country All-American.

He has captured two national championships as a professional runner (15k – 44:12, 2008 and 25k – 1:14:42, 2010). His personal best in the half marathon is 1:02:21.

Other Gearing Up for Grandma’s presenters include:

Katie Koski – Local Elite Runner – 2:45:27, 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials

Ben Nelson, MD – Grandma’s Marathon Medical Director and Essentia Health Orthopaedic/Sports Medicine Physician

Jim and Mary Stukel – Owners of Tortoise and Hare Footwear

Following the individual presentations, a question and answer session will be held with all of the presenters. A prize drawing will conclude the event, which also includes Duluth News Tribune sports writer Kevin Pates serving as the emcee.

Gearing Up for Grandma’s is presented by Essentia Health, the Duluth News Tribune and Grandma's Marathon. For more information, call (218) 727-0947 or visit GrandmasMarathon.com.

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