The Duluth Rundown

Emma is a Duluth native, CrossFit athlete, multiple-time Garry Bjorkland Half Marathon and Grandma’s Marathon finisher, and Certified Nutrition Specialist/Licensed Nutritionist. Listen in as Tony and Mike learn the basics of nutrition in the context of a training for running performance. This immensely important subject is confusing, complex, and full of conflicting viewpoints when it comes to ads and social media influencers.

Emma has done the legwork and schooling to become certified and licenced, and Tony and Mike take the opportunity to ask a true expert in the field just a few questions within a reasonable timeframe. We could have gone for hours longer! If you have additional questions, you can find Emma at www.emmaharvienutrition.com, email her at [email protected], or find her on social media at @emmaharvienutrition.

Race results are hot off the press from the NMTC Spring Trail Race Series, Superior Spring Trail Races, Madeline Island Marathon, and Northland 5k for Food Allergy. Upcoming races are plentiful, including the Pike Lake Races on 5/31, Going Bananas Run on 6/7, CSM John S. Werner Memorial 5k on 6/14, Grandma’s Marathon on 6/21, Midnight Sun Midnight Run 5k on Friday night 6/27, and a fundraiser 5k Trail Run for the Duluth East running program coming up on July 19.

Trail conditions are optimal – green light for all of your favorite trail-based activities! This month’s Coach’s Corner segment features “The Long Run”, and Tony discusses traditional long slow distance versus a workout/race pace inclusion into your long run. Mike’s Route of the Week is gravel outside of out, and Mike is into various running clubs and NMTC getting into full swing. Tony has a couple shout-outs. 

Shannon is a Twin Ports runner who started with road half marathon running and racing as a way to be productive with fitness, and has steadily increased her distance focus to several 100-mile finishes and sights set on even longer! Tune in with Mike and Tony to hear about Shannon’s running story and experience with working with coaches and becoming a coach herself.

Race results from a couple local 5k road races are discussed, and the upcoming race calendar is filling out into May with a variety of road and trail running events of many distances. 

This month’s Trails Report is a fickle subject, with Duluth area trails being announced as “open for the season” but with rain in the forecast accessibility conditions may change rapidly. Tony and Mike discuss their Route of the Week in Superior’s Municipal Forest, and an arboretum in Brainerd, respectively. 

Tony reviews a new piece of gear that his wife picked up, a new pair of New Balance “supershoes”. Tony is into gravel biking with a new rig that he built, and Mike is into local live music with the Homegrown Music Festival starting off this week. The guys shout out a few local runners. 

Race results are in from the first YAF series race, the Fennessey 4k, from Grandma’s Marathon. Upcoming races include another YAF race, Fitgers 5k on April 12th. The Victory 5k in Hibbing is on April 26th, and the NMTC Spring Trail Race Series begins on April 30th.

Trail Conditions: Closed. If it’s below freezing they could be OK, but if above freezing don’t even try. In this month’s Coach’s Corner, Tony talks about Grandma’s Marathon/half training and staying positive with the potential of burnout. Mike’s Route of the Week is the Duluth Lakewalk, and Tony is into a few globally recognized tournaments/competitions. Mike shouts out a few local running clubs/weekly group runs, and Tony shouts out area high school track teams.

Eric is a previous TDR Podcast interview subject, local Duluth runner/gravel cyclist/nordic skier, and had a tremendous race season in 2024 as a fresh 40-year-old. Eric had a foot surgery, and finished both the Day Across Minnesota 240-mile gravel bike race and Superior Fall 100 Mile trail run, all within 6 months! Listen in to hear Eric’s 2024 race season story, and some other excellent insights about his lifelong quest to be doing this stuff for a long, long time.

Race results are fresh off the press from the Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run 5k/10k, Duluth Winter Trailrunning Series races Hartley 10k and Frozen 4 Hour/5k, and the infamous Arrowhead 135. The single early-season race we could find locally is the Saint Fennessy 4k in Hermantown on March 15, 2025. Registration is open!

Trail conditions are excellent, but warm weather and sunshine is in the forecast. Tony’s Thoughts on the Run segment is focused on running world records in various distances that have recently fallen. Mike has a shout-out for a local group run.

Steve Sandberg might have an unlikely path to finishing five Boston Marathons in a row, going for 10! A local Duluth runner, Steve ended up in the area after living in many locations and engaging in various outdoor pursuits. Initially turning to the marathon to give his life a little discipline and purpose, decades later he has shown a true passion for running through numerous impressive marathon finish times.

Join Mike and Tony in listening to Steve’s running story!

Race results are in from the Gobble Gallop, and the Duluth Winter Trailrunning Series. There are two races left in the Series: Hartley 10k on 1/25 and Frozen 4 Hour on 2/15. Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run in I-Falls is 1/18, and dot watchers can enjoy Arrowhead 135 starting 1/27. 

Trail Conditions have been utterly terrible with ice, until snow today. Tony talks consistency and pyramidal training approaches in this month’s Coach’s Corner.

Mike delivers shout-outs to Cristina at Superior Running Medicine, and a couple listener emails! Keep the emails coming – you can let us know about an upcoming race you’re excited about, results we didn’t mention, your favorite Duluth running route or a training concept you want to know more about. Got a piece of gear you love or want to shout someone out?? Email Tony and Mike at [email protected].

This month, Tony and Mike interview local runners, husband and wife Dan and Karey. They both grew up in in the Twin Ports area, moved away, and have relocated in Duluth a few years ago.

These two have pretty drastically different stories about how they got into running and racing, and their different styles or approaches seem to complement each other very well! Tune in to hear how Karey and Dan juggle raising kids, pursuing a career, and training and racing. These two push each other to sign up for and complete some gruelling events – Ironman triathlon and 100-mile trail run, to name a few!