Training for and running a marathon is a complex, rigorous task. It takes many hours of dedication to prepare your body for 26.2 miles. It’s an experience I go into knowing that it will be painful, but also knowing that crossing the finish line will bring an indescribable feeling of accomplishment. On June 17, I crossed the finish line of a marathon for the seventh time by finishing Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn. After finishing the race in 4 hours, 56 minutes, 36 seconds, I had the feeling of conquering a mountain. Grandma’s Marathon is unique compared to other marathons, in that all the participants load up on a bus and ride about 24 miles to Two Harbors, located east of Duluth along U.S. Highway 61. Much of the route is a steady repeat of small gradual inclines and declines in a scenic area running parallel to Lake Superior. But my mindset for Grandma’s Marathon was like that of other marathons I run. I enter every marathon kno...