ALASKA
t all started in 2021 when a friend planted a seed in my brain. It was a spring day. Our friend Kristin, Ash and I were sitting on our patio enjoying the Minneapolis weather, knowing we only had a few weeks left before heat and humidity kicked in (eventually forcing me into a four-month, air-conditioned hibernation). We got on the topic of running. I was getting back into the sport after a couple of years off. I had previously been into distance running, completing the big Minnesota races---Twin Cities and Grandma's Marathon---but never thought I would again run a full 26.2. Instead I was focusing on 10-milers and half marathons, telling myself that was all I wanted to do, because, who really enjoys running a marathon? The training is intense and takes up all your free time. You constantly have to watch your diet to make sure you're getting in enough proteins and carbs. And there is so much injury prevention work in order to make sure your body makes it through each run. There was no way I was putting myself through that again.
Except, I am easily persuaded. One mention of the Midnight Sun run in Anchorage, Alaska and something in my brain sparked. I had never been to Alaska.
I hated running in the heat... Alaska would be cooler.
I wanted to go on a trip...Alaska was a destination to explore.
I wanted to celebrate the Solstice with an overnight run...
...no, scratch that. No overnight run. However, the first two points were still valid. The thing with me, is that once I have my mind set on something, it's hard for me to let it go. So I started looking for other runs I could do in Alaska, and my research brought me to the Juneau Marathon.
I
JUNEAU
After four months of training, 400+ miles, and 65 hours of running, Ash and I boarded a plane to Juneau, Alaska. We flew out July 28, 2022.
Flying into Juneau was wild. Our small aircraft descended into thick bed of clouds. When we broke through the other side, large mountain ranges loomed all around us. The Southeast Alaskan rainforest was beautiful. The lush green mountains were filled with a variety of needled-trees, drooping lichen, and temperate waterfalls that peaked through heavy fog. It gave off strangely similar vibes to Hawaii... just colder.
In the process of booking our stay in Juneau we learned that you don't get a lot of bang for your buck. Accommodations were expensive, and hotels really weren't anything special. We decided to use AirBnb and ended up finding a place in the heart of the city---an easy cab ride from the airport and walking distance to everything we needed. If you are planning to run the Juneau Marathon, I highly recommend this place! (See the rollover box to the right).
So after dropping our bags and settling in, my first order of business was to get a quick, 2-mile run in to stretch my legs. It was 36 hours until marathon time and I wanted to move my body a bit before race day. Ash was completely supportive of my needs. She walked me to my starting point, then bid me adieu and went to the local bike shop to double-check on the rentals she had scheduled for race day. Despite the downpour that occurred shortly after I began my run, it went by quickly and I was able to experience a portion of the route that I would be running on the 30th.
I was told that your sleep two nights prior to race day is the most important because the night before you tend to get nervous. I have always stuck to this rule, so after dinner Ash and I headed back to the AirBnb to get ready for bed. My mom was flying in that evening, (or so we thought...worst flight ever), but she didn't end up getting in until early Friday morning so Ash stayed up to help her into the AirBnb when she arrived.
June 29. 24 hours until race day. We had a full day for sightseeing, but also had to keep it low key to save energy for the following morning. We decided that this would be the best day to explore the city and see what Juneau was all about.
We hit up Heritage Coffee Roasting Co., then went down to the water. The day was still cloudy and the fog was thick, so it was difficult to see anything in the distance. Despite this, it was still beautiful.
All you need to know about staying in Juneau
Rollover to Read
Places to Stay
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Check out AirBnb - we felt it gave the best accommodation for your money. We stayed at The Pigeonhole. June's place was cute and offered everything we needed - and it was close to everything!
Places to Eat
Check out this great guide to Juneau's dining experiences! We ate at the following restaurants:
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Hangar on the Wharf - great views!
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Deckhand Dave's Fish Tacos - awesome little spot with a number of outdoor food trucks to order from. It was one of our favorite places.
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The Rookery Cafe - delicious breakfast spot.
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Tracy's King Crab Shack - the one thing I wanted after my marathon was crab. This spot was perfect and in a great location.
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Timberline Restaurant - we didn't eat here, but had a couple of drinks. The views on top of Mt. Roberts were amazing. Try to get a table outside...even if it's raining!
Things to Do
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Alaska Tales - Whale watching
Juneau is a very touristy city with a huge port that cruise ships stop at daily. Because of this, I thought I would enjoy Juneau, but didn't think i'd fall in love with it. I was wrong. Juneau was my favorite city on this trip. It was small, but it was full of things to do; outdoor hikes, art centers, fun places to eat. I was also pleasantly surprised in the efforts to educate tourists about Juneau's native population and history of the Tinglit, Haida, and Tsimshian, something many places we've traveled to overlook or avoid.
After weaving in and out of shops we went to the dock area and took the Goldbelt Tram 1,800 feet up Mount Roberts to get a view of the Gastineau Channel, Douglas Island (where the marathon would be held), and downtown Juneau. Fantastic hiking trails could be accessed from the chalet giving you an opportunity to go into the rainforest. We hiked for a half hour, trying not to push it too hard, then returned to the chalet's outdoor patio overlooking a waterfall-filled landscape as we sipped on drinks (water for me) and relaxed.
Another bonus for staying at an AirBnb is access to a kitchen. Eating the day before a big race is stressful. I have a sensitive stomach and nerves don't help. I was able to find a breakfast and lunch spot with food I knew would settle well, but I decided to play it safe and cook my own dinner at the AirBnb. Luckily we had a great market right by our place, and I was able to get by chickpea pasta and sauce that became a regular staple for me during my training. I didn't force Ash or my mom to eat my bland diet, and they popped out to grab some good food before we called it a night. In less than 12 hours, I would be running in my third marathon.
DOUGLAS ISLAND
Marathon morning. I got up at 5am to eat my almond butter and jelly bagel and began to stretch. My plan was to call a taxi that morning to take the three of us to the start line located in Savikko Park on Douglas Island, across Gastineau Channel four miles from where we were staying. This was a planning mistake. There were not enough taxis in Juneau to accommodate everyone (a repercussion of the pandemic) and it was going to be a challenge to get to the start of the race at my desired time. After a bit of panic, we were able to connect with a driver picked us up and took us to Savikko Park. It was a little later than I desired, but luckily I still made it with enough time to spare. Pro tip: Schedule your taxi the night prior.
This race was unlike anything I had ever experienced. My two previous marathons had been big races with thousands of runners providing constant flow of people around at all times. And when I've shown up to big races, things were set up, race officials were there to answer questions, bathrooms were available, etc. This was not one of those races. I was one of 48 full marathoners. There were no signs pointing to the official start line. The lone bathroom was locked, so runners had to go across the street to the docks where a porta-potty was located. The race was hand-timed (no chips!) so we had to check in with an official that wrote down our number to ensure that we could be spotted at check points along the course. And to top it off, the race director' began an announcement but halfway through he realized it was time to start and yelled, "oops, I've spoken too long, ready, set, go!" Leaving us all scrambling to start our watches.
Ash and my mom cheered me on as I left the start line, then walked to the bike shop to pick up their rentals from Cycle Alaska. The full marathon route was out and back, and their plan was to meet me at the 13-mile turnaround. We ran on the Douglas Island highway; a two-line road with dense forest on either side. Because the race was so small, the highway was not closed off to traffic, so occasionally cars would drive by. Being that it was so early in the morning, the traffic was sparse and there was enough room on the side of the road that I felt safe. Race officials were posted up at water stops every few miles, and runners spread out from one another quickly, so most of my run was spent alone. For me, this was perfect. I prefer to train by myself, and being in a beautiful place on a peaceful morning made the run extremely pleasant.
One of the peaks of this race is being able to see Mendenhall Glacier around the 13-mile turnaround. Unfortunately, the fog was thick so the only thing I could see were eerily beautiful black land masses jutting out of the water. It didn't dampen the experience though, because the natural landscape around me was gorgeous. Another runner and I were nearing the halfway point at the same time. As we crested the hill at mile 13, we were confused. We couldn't see any volunteers signaling the turnaround and wondered if we had missed something until one of us spotted a little stick in the side of the road that told us we had made it. We laughed, grateful that we hadn't kept running, and ran back down the hill to begin the second half of the race.
Ash and my mom caught me around mile 14 and were nothing short of incredible. They proceeded to meet me at miles 18, 22, and 24 with orange slices, electrolyte water, and positive support. With the lack of spectators you didn't get that encouragement from the crowd when it got tough, so having them their to keep my spirits up was wonderful. Around mile 20, I collided with the half marathoners. Also completing an out-and-back, we ran the last six miles together which made me feel claustrophobic after running three hours on my own. On top of this, the island's traffic began to get heavier, so cars were flying by us filling the air with exhaust. It wasn't unsafe, just annoying as it was so drastically different than the first part of the race.
It hurt, as the end of marathons do, but I could see the finish line down the hill. With Ash and my mom at the end, I crossed the line, officially completing marathon number three. Despite the quirks, the non-existent spectators, and the thick (but glorious) fog blocking the iconic views, I was really glad I chose to do this marathon and look back at my experience fondly.
WHALE WATCHING
Ash and my mom had to drop off the bikes they rented, so I caught the bus back to Juneau with plans to meet them at the AirBnb. The crisp air chilled me, and by the time I was back at our house, my lips were blue. In an effort to pause any early signs of hypothermia, I jumped in a warm shower, then bundled myself in layers. It didn't take long for Ash and my mom to arrive, and we set off toward Juneau's cruise ship terminal for a whale watching tour.
Through Get Your Guide, we booked the Whale Watching and Wildlife Cruise with Local Guide with Alaska Tales. A group of us were picked up at the terminal, then taken north, up the coast toward Mendenhall Glacier. While our tour didn't include sightseeing at this location, we did get a good view of the glacier from the bus during a scheduled stop to pick up additional tourists. From Mendenhall we were bused west toward the Pacific Ocean where 20 of us boarded a boat and set off for the waters around Shelter Island.
The guides were great and had a plethora of knowledge about the Humpbacks we would be seeing. They explained that Federal Law prohibits boats getting closer than 100 yards from a Humpback whale, and that we would respect these boundaries ensuring that the whales stayed safe. The views from the boat were beautiful. The cloudy sky gave the forested islands around us a depth that you would not see with sun shining. The landscape felt heavy, yet the air was light and fresh. I felt a mixed sensations of peace and awe as we glided across the water.
Our boat slowed to a stop. Those people who had spent the ride inside now made their way to the deck in hopes of seeing a humpback. It didn't seem long until we began seeing signs of life under the water. A fin here, tail there, we were watching the whales surface for a brief moment, before descending back into the ocean. Out of nowhere, one of our guides began to shout. I was caught off guard until I finally figured out what she was saying. I followed the direction of her outstretched arm to see where she was pointing and caught a young whale halfway out of the water. For the next 10 minutes, we had the amazing opportunity to witness it breaching, swimming, and flapping its fin and tail on the surface of the ocean. Eventually, it dove beneath, potentially regrouping with the other humpbacks.
The total tour was around 3.5 hours, and we arrived back in Juneau in time for dinner. I had been adamant about getting crab legs on this trip and felt it was the absolute perfect thing to eat in celebration of finishing a marathon. We were dropped back off at the cruise ship terminal where Tracy's King Crab Shack was conveniently located. We waiting in line until it was our turn to enter the building. A friendly staff member running the register asked where we were from (giving us his best Minnesota accent) and what we wanted to order. We each went with the basket that included king crab, crab cakes, chowder and some other goodies. I 100%, without a doubt, made the best decision in having this as my marathon celebration meal. We happily ate everything, then completely satisfied, headed back to the AirBnb for bed.
SITKA
The next morning, July 31, my mom caught a taxi to the airport to head home to Minnesota, and Ash and I took a hopper flight southwest to Baranof Island. The plane ride was only 22 minutes, and we landed in Sitka around 10am. Our first day's focus was to get our bearings of the city. Ash had been to Sitka before, but this was my first time and I learned quickly that downtown Sitka was small...one or two streets, small. However it was quaint. There may not have been a lot of shops or restaurants to choose from, but that was not the point of us visiting Sitka. The point was to take in nature.
We stayed the night at the Sitka Hotel and got up for an early walk the next morning. We found a nice drive-through called Fish Eye Coffee and ordered our drinks from the friendly baristas. By 8:30am we were back down by the water to meet up with Sitka Sound Ocean Adventures for a half-day kayaking tour.
I've said it before and I will say it again - Ash and I are not the biggest fan of tours. However, when a tour is small and intimate, it can be incredibly memorable. This was one of those tours. Including our guide, there were five of us total. Gale led the tour in her single-seat kayak while Ash and I, and another young couple, were set up in our two-person kayaks. The first portion of the trip was crossing the channel. The open water made my heart race slightly, but we made it across with ease. We even avoided the naughty sea lion (known to many of the locals) who decided to make an appearance about
10 minutes into the paddle. His head bobbed around the surface of the water, but he never got too close to our boats.
Throughout the tour we wound around the various islands that lined Baranof, spotting jellyfish, starfish, abalone, urchins, eagles and other small land critters. The sun started to peak out from behind the clouds just as we were finishing our 6-mile trip. We docked at a rocky beach where we packed up our gear before eating a picnic lunch provided by Gale. The small island we were on was located in Leesoffskaia Bay. The islands in this area were home to an incredible amount of grizzly bears. Luckily we saw none up close while waiting for the boat that would pick up our small group and take us back to Sitka.
A good paddle trip deserves good food, so once we were back we made a pitstop at Mean Queen for some cocktails and oysters before heading to Mangiare, a small Italian restaurant located underneath our hotel, for dinner. It was a fabulous way to celebrate our final night in Alaska.
TAKE-AWAYS
If you are planning a trip to Juneau or Sitka, I've listed some take-aways that could be helpful.
First, you don't need to rent a car. We were able to get around using taxis and public transportation. But I will throw out caution: immediate access to a taxi was a struggle because there weren't enough drivers for the amount of tourists there during peak season. We found it really helpful to make connections with a driver during one of our first taxi rides. The ONLY reason I was able to make it to the start of the marathon on time was because we got his name and number the dat before.
Second, if you are running the Juneau Marathon and have family or friends planning to cheer you on, renting bikes is the way to go. Ash and my mom were able to meet me at so many stops along the highway without the worry of finding a spot to park a car... and they got a great workout too!
Lastly, don't skimp on outdoor adventures. If possible, spend a little extra money to get out on the water. Whether you are kayaking, fishing, or whale watching, being on the ocean in Alaska is pure magic.
