Listen to your training: Training for Grandma’s Marathon? Listen to your body, says one Duluth runner

Duluth resident Josh Hensch is a seasoned runner. It’s a summer hobby of his to stay fit and healthy, and one that has resulted in him running two full and several half-marathons. He’s also completed numerous half-Ironman triathlons.

After running Grandma’s Marathon in 2017, Hensch set out to run the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in 2023. Feeling a little undertrained for the 13-1 mile race, he realized early on that he likely was running too fast.

“At some point, my body was feeling good, and I decided to run more off of how I was feeling as opposed to paying attention to my heart rate and other factors,” said Hensch.

Everything was going smoothly, but with the finish line in sight Hensch collapsed near the clock tower that serves as the unofficial entrance to Canal Park, with less than a quarter-mile remaining.

“I don’t remember anything until I woke up in the medical tent in an ice bath,” he said.

Fortunately, medical personnel from Essentia Health are available throughout Grandma’s Marathon events. They, as well as other medical professionals, put Hensch on a gurney and transported him to the medical tent.

For the last four miles of the race, Hensch said his heart rate was at least 200 beats per minute, a dangerously high level, and his internal body temperature was 107 degrees. He said he was simply running too fast for too long. Today, he urges people to be cognizant of their body’s warning signs so they can avoid a similar fate.

“In hindsight, I can’t remember having any symptoms,” Hensch said. “So it’s important to not try and outperform your training, while also using the tools at your disposal to monitor how your body is handling your performance. It’s pretty easy to track your pace and your heart rate and know if what you’re doing is sustainable.”

For the Essentia medical staff that treated Hensch, their main concern was getting his body temperature down, which they did. He said they were able to reassure him everything was going to be OK when he woke up. They provided the right care at the right time to ensure Hensch’s safety and well-being.

“The medical team of Grandma’s Marathon prides itself on the care we provide, and Josh’s case is the perfect example,” said Dr. Kathryn McLellan, an orthopedic and sports medicine doctor at Essentia and the medical director for the race. “The best treatment for heat illness is rapid cooling as soon as possible, which is why we have the materials to treat heat illness available in the medical tents to cool runners without having to send them to the hospital.”

Hensch also suggests that if you do feel like something is off during the race, stop at one of the many medical tents along the course to make sure you’re doing OK.

“Be aware of what your status is,” he said. “Don’t hesitate to stop and ask for help. The staff is well-prepared to help you and they are there for that exact reason.”

“The only prevention for heat illness is getting your body adjusted to exercising in the heat,” said Dr. McLellan. “This is an important aspect of training and can be difficult if we don’t have many warm days before the race. It is also important to know how your body normally responds to prolonged exercise as the signs of heat illness can be very subtle, like elevated heart rate or increased fatigue. People at increased risk of heat illness should check with their doctor about their risk factors and what to watch out for.”

While he can laugh about it now, Hensch said technically he did finish the race because his chip registered him crossing the finish line as the medical team carried him across it en route to the medical tent. But he said he counts that race as a DNF (did not finish) and will instead look forward to completing it this year, just as he did in 2022.