News of the October 7th Mt. Rushmore/Crazy Horse Marathon appeared in the days before and after the race in the Journal. As one of the participants, I wanted this article to be a complement to the more standard news coverage. The goal was to provide you with a word picture of the race from the inside, from just one perspective. For some reason, I had trouble finding focus and made a number of false starts. Here are some of the slants I chose not to take.
Mile-by-mile diarist. Some of my running friends write fabulously detailed race reports that describe every aspect of their race. Somehow, they manage to remember what they were feeling at each mile, who they passed or were passed by, as well as the particular scenery at the mile they’re describing. I can’t do this. When I think back on a run, I get more of an impressionist image—for you artsy types, think of looking at a Renoir while listening to Debussy. Certain miles stand out, e.g., the course started to go uphill at mile 10 and stayed that way for a while so I do remember that at mile 15, when I was still toiling uphill and still had 11 miles to go, and it was raining a cold steady drizzle, I had to remind myself that I love running. The child in me (the Id?) kept whining, however, so the parent part (the Ego, or is that the Super-Ego?) had to take over and I know you don’t want to hear anymore about that.
Historian. This seemed important because there is more than a little bit of local history and tradition connected to this race. While All Sport Central, a Sioux Falls company, bought the marathon in 2005, its origin dates back to 1979. The marathon was started by the newly formed Black Hills Runners Club, and with the support of the also newly established Runner’s Shop, some other local businesses and civic associations. They named it the Black Hills Marathon. For many years, it was run over the Labor Day weekend. Eventually, it was owned and operated by the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau and moved to Native American Day weekend. In 1999, the name was changed to the Mt. Rushmore Marathon. For a race to reach 30 years of age is a real achievement, something for a community to acknowledge, support, and celebrate. I’ve met a lot of runners from all over in my travels; when I tell them I live in South Dakota, many recount their story of “running the Rushmore.” This race was their South Dakota experience. As a former history major, I find this kind of “back-story” intriguing, and could tell you lots more about the people involved over the years, the course changes, and race details. Not everyone shares that interest, I realize, so we’ll shelve the archives and move along.
Investigative journalist. Some readers may have heard or read about difficulties encountered by Steve Kurtenbach, the Race Director. These difficulties were beyond the sort of issues most RDs experience at one time or another, i.e., bad weather, running out of safety pins for race bibs after all the stores in town close, not enough busses to get runners to the start line, lost bus drivers on the busses you do have, or missed shipments of sports drink mix or finishers’ medals.
With just weeks before the starter’s pistol set to fire, Steve had to reroute the course. Due to problems with permits and concerns of some local town officers, the race was not able to proceed as planned. In a September 27th press release, race staff wrote that: “we respect the decision of the public officials and have been working diligently to put into place our contingency plans for this year’s event in an effort to provide a quality event for the hundreds of people that have already made plans and been training for the last 6-12 months.” Those resulting contingency plans put the start for all the marathon runners (the original plans gave runners a choice of starting at Mt. Rushmore or at Crazy Horse) a bit northwest of Rochford, with the start for the half marathon just south of Mystic. With the exception of a few miles at the marathon start and the finish at the 1880 Train in Hill city, almost all of both courses were on the Mickelson Trail.
Were there resulting glitches? Sure. Are there some disgruntled participants out there? You bet. While I may disappoint some folks who were expecting me to publish a point-by-point critique in this forum, I believe any feedback I may have would be best directed in a private letter or email to Steve. Anyone with an idea for improvement should go the race website and hit the “contact us” line. Share your thoughts to the people who can do something positive with your comments.
Gracious responses. Ultimately, I chose to focus on the theme that we all respond to, that of overcoming adversity. Needless to say, the enormity of undertaking last-minute changes on such a scale is enough to make the calmest of folks feel their hearts race and palms grow sticky. If you’ve ever organized any public event, you know how daunting a task it can be. As the day draws near, you are fielding questions from all sides, being interrupted every time you settle in to make some progress on your numerous lists of things to do, and trying to smile through it all with a calm level of control you really do not feel you have. This is when you are coping with the “run-of-the-mill” emergencies.
Given the new, last minute look and the hurdles involved, the race was renamed “The Monumental Challenge.” With all that had to be accomplished in such a short period of time, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the entire enterprise might have been in danger of being cancelled outright. We local runners would have been disappointed to varying degrees. Imagine the response of the out-of-state participants, about 300 people, many of whom flew in, took time off from work, or planned family vacations around the run. Marathoners usually follow a training schedule of 10 or more weeks to get to the point where they are ready to run 26.2 miles. They “taper” for a few weeks heading to race day in order to be at peak performance. Suppose you (and your friends or family) had invested all that time and energy only to be told “sorry, no race.” How would you feel?
Fortunately, due to the response of a core group of South Dakotans you can be glad to call your neighbors (and of course, Steve and his staff at All Sport Central), the Marathon is now in the books. I wish I could name each and every one of them. Allow me to beg forgiveness in advance: there were so many people who pitched in that I won’t begin to note even a fraction of them. The point is that it’s not about individuals. When people put aside their egos and work together for an idea, they create a force, a spark, an energy that lifts them all. Consider those I do mention as symbolic of the spirit of the Black Hills. Whether or not a race goes on isn’t going to mean much in the face of the world’s problems. This one has our state and our area associated with it, however, and if we had let that become tarnished, it diminishes us all in some small way. My most memorable moment of the weekend was when I realized I was extraordinarily proud to be from my adopted state of South Dakota. Every place I turned it seemed there was someone doing something positive to make the day a success.
When I woke up at 4 a.m. Sunday to get ready, I had my share of trepidations as to how the day would unfold. Arriving at the start area in the predawn gloom after dodging deer and other critters on the drive to Rochford, I was buoyed up to see some runner friends had decided to sign up to run and support the race. Last time I’d seen them, they hadn’t committed. Stacey Peterson and Randy Erickson determined they’d run together at a relaxed pace and just have fun. Lisa Christensen’s smile was a cheery sight as she quietly set about getting things lined up for her 4 person Relay Team, the Mandelbaums (Matt McGovern, Andrew Sveen & Kenna Hagan), that went on to ace their Co-ed Team division. Trevor Bryan, who just started distance running, showed up even though he’s run several marathons in the past few months already. After chatting with Mike Loos and a woman from Tennessee who was worried about the altitude, I made my way to the start and we were on our way to Hill City.
One of the outstanding perks of running your hometown marathon is all the people you know along the way. Just before the first tunnel on the course, two of the Black Hills’ best-known runners/RDs manned an aid station. Jerry Dunn and Monni Karim were a delightful surprise. Jerry runs two highly regarded Mickelson Trail runs, the Deadwood Marathon in June and a series of distance runs, the Leanhorse 100, 50 and 50K in August. A lesser person might have turned his back when the call for help went out; after all, in some sense, Jerry’s events compete with the Monumental Challenge. Not to mention getting up on a cold, dark Sunday morning to stand outside and hand out water and sports drink may occur to some RDs as being somehow “beneath” them. Monni’s put on some shorter distance runs and has logged some impressively speedy times in the not-too-distant past. The Southern Hills Business Manager for BHP and father of three, Monni—like all of the many volunteers—made a significant contribution of his time and energy to keep the Monument Challenge on track.
The half marathon started later and farther down the trail, which meant we got some pep and zing from many of local runners entered in that distance. They were a little fresher and their cheers were much appreciated—recall this was in that relentless uphill portion of the course. Lesley & Mark Warren, Craig Johnson, Barb Schulz, Ashley Riter-Collins, Cindy Holte, Jennifer Trucano, Lori Storm (of the Dakota Divas), the graceful Edith Weber—these are just a few of the Rapid City area people I know who were making the Monumental Challenge a reality. (Greg Sperlich supposedly finished but I didn’t see him, so he gets an * here!)
At mile 23, Teresa Verberg and her husband John, BHRC stalwarts, were waiting with a big and very loud tambourine to spur us on over the last 5K. Teresa recently completed a 50 miler (at the Leanhorse) and will be running the 2008 Boston Marathon, so she knows exactly where runners crave moral support. Thanks, T &J! Roger Heacock, also of BHRC and a Boston veteran was at mile 26 to be sure we kicked it in for the last .2, which went around a tricky turn at the gate. Lindsay Borgman, another BHRC chum was amongst the many supporters.
The best part of any marathon is crossing the finish line. Even though he could have stayed home to play with his new granddaughter, Anna Magdalana, BHRC’s revered Cap’n John Haeder was a most welcome sight as he wrapped us in a space blanket and gave us each a warm hug in spite of our mud and sweat. Later, after I had some chili in the food tent, I got to follow up on some stories that further underscore how the Monumental Challenge was a splendid day for so many. See the accompanying box for these postscripts.
“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?' “ This is to all those who joined together to make the Monumental Challenge the success that is was, with the hope that 2008 will be better for all that was accomplished this year.
Two area runners have enduring ties to the marathon. Elaine Doll-Dunn, who is the RD of the Leading Ladies Marathon, has run in the Mt. Rushmore event every year since 1979. If that’s not enough to link her to it there’s also the fact that she met her husband, Jerry Dunn, at the 1993 running of the race. For the past few years, she’s taken up the half marathon. I got to run in the last few yards of her finish this year, and she looked great. Homer Hastings, of Newcastle, Wyoming, ran the first 25 years of the event and holds the Masters Marathon record of 2:34:30. Homer was there Sunday, finishing his 28th Mt. Rushmore/Monumental Challenge in 3:57:35, good enough to take his 60-64 age group. He bested competitors from Texas, California, Kentucky, and North Dakota to do it.
There was one other gentleman behind Homer, finishing 13 minutes later to pick up the second place award in that age group. For Tim Raben, a native South Dakotan who has returned home and now lives in Rapid City, the race was his own personal monumental challenge. Despite running roots that go back to high school track at Central under Coach Cobb (inspiration for the team name Cobblers), Tim had never run a marathon. Trained for several, but never was able to put it all together until this fall. His time was a Boston Qualifier for him for 2009. Not bad for a first-timer. I’m guessing this won’t be his last.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
RUNNING WITH THE YOUNG
“Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young.” --J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2003.
A few weeks ago, I played hooky for a few hours and it was great. I didn’t go to the movies, or shopping, or fishing. (Think for a moment, where would you go if you were playing hooky?) I went to school—Southwest Middle School—where I had a date with the cross-country team.
When I was in school, girls didn’t have the option of running cross-country so I do not know a lot about how the sport is organized. Coach Gary Miller invited me to run with the team and I’d eagerly accepted. I was curious and excited as I drove through the gap and over to SWMS.
I parked my car and headed toward the cross-country team as they warmed up at the football field. I was surprised to find boys and girls together. It makes sense in that running is running, i.e., more gender-neutral than most other sports, but I had assumed there would be separate practices.
Coach Miller introduced me to the team and we chatted briefly about some of my running experiences. This was just after I’d run the Rushmore (Monumental Challenge) and Denver Marathons. The first is on the Mickelson trail while the latter is run entirely within Denver city streets, making for some marked contrasts. The group was anxious to get going, as was I, so I kept my remarks to a minimum and suggested we hit the streets. I was there to run! Accordingly, we looked to the coach for our instructions.
This was late in the season, so the run for that day was a longer one. Coach Miller explained that they practice every day after school except Friday, when they meet at 7:00 am. About once a week they do some sort of interval training, running shorter and faster, or uphill. Since these are very young runners, he tries to keep the intensity down. Early in the season, they might run out 10 minutes, turn around and come back. Using time instead of distance allows the better runners to go farther and gives him a sense of the varying strengths on the team.
The plan that day was to run to Common Cents and back, a distance of about 4 miles. One of the reasons the team wanted to get up and running was because an additional part of the plan involved Coach Miller springing for Slurpees (Slushies??) for each runner at the Common Cents Store in exchange for a promise that they run, and not walk the 2 miles back. My training drink is Accelerade, so I declined the offer, but I swear I did run both ways.
In fact, I ran 5 or so miles that day. I’ll explain why I got extra distance. When he’s not running with his team, Miller runs with the Black Hills Runners Club, as do I. He’s a little faster than me, which works out well. When we run together, I get to push my pace and he gets to talk while I listen. During our last few runs, he’d been telling me about an eighth grade girl on the team who has a lot of potential. He’d even compared her running style to mine. Her name is Kalie Maiden.
As the team was about to head out toward the Common Sense, Kalie and I were paired up to run together. In preparation for the upcoming All City meet, Kalie was running somewhat longer distances than the rest of the team. An extra mile or so was fine with me. We took off on her route at a brisk but companionable pace, allowing for some dialogue.
I learned that the All-City meet is the culmination of the middle school season, just as the high schools finish with their statewide competition. The team’s goal throughout the season is to run its best at that meet. All 5 middle schools compete, and medals are given out to the top 5 in each race. There are 6 races, boy & girls for 6th, 7th and 8th grades.
The day was a bit chillier than normal; I regretted not having my gloves, and Kalie had tucked her hands into her sleeves. Once we got moving, however, the nip in the air felt good. The leaves were turning beautifully but most were still on the trees, and the sun was in and out of the clouds. Kalie was the leader, as I had never run the route we took before, and she of course was quite familiar with it. We talked about running, school, other sports; Kalie was just over an injury so we compared notes on physical therapists and recovery techniques.
She told me about some past meets earlier in the year where she’d just missed coming in first. She was hoping to do well at the All City, but was a little concerned about the setback she’d experienced with the injury. On our way back to the school, she dutifully stopped and did her stretches.
There was nothing profound about our chat. We didn’t solve any problems or share any major insights. It was just comfortable conversation. Because of my work schedule, I most often run by myself. Running with someone is a pleasure. Running with someone who is at your pace (assuming Kalie wasn’t slowing down to be kind!) and easy to talk to is an even greater treat. I asked Kalie who she usually runs with at practice and she explained that she too usually runs alone as she often runs longer distances than the other team members.
While it was just a regular practice run for Kalie, it was an “eggshell” afternoon for me. Remember those large, confectionary eggs with the hole at one end you’d hold up to your eye and look into to find an entire scene in miniature inside the egg? That’s what I mean; in my mind’s eye, I have an image of running alongside Kalie on an autumn afternoon, delighting in learning a little about her, in running, in being entirely happy just to be exactly where I was at that moment.
I can’t say that I truly was remembering what it is like to be young, as intimated by the quote opening this article. After all, I had given myself license to play hooky for an hour or two while Kalie was having an ordinary day. We adults on the outside looking in at youth often fail to see their worries and the cares. She had homework to do after practice, the meet looming in the future, and all the other concerns of a young lady with goals and ambitions in life. Still, being in the midst of the team and spending time with Kalie filled me momentarily with that lightness of a limitless future so characteristic of youth.
Kalie and I met up with the team at the Common Cents; most everyone kept their word about running and not walking back. It’s clear there is a lot of fun built into the cross-country season. Twice during the season they run to a local park, meet the Stevens High kids and the West Middle kids and play running games. At another practice, the team faced an urban orienteering course. Everyone got a map and then ran around to find the points delineated on it. Coach Miller also tries to build in a game day on a weekly basis.
All too soon it was time to return to my “real” life. While I could not attend the All City Meet, I avidly poured over the results in the Journal in the days following. Kalie did win the All City Meet. She ran 12:40 in the 3000-meter race, well ahead of her nearest rival, who finished in 13:14. Congratulations, Kalie! Her time shows she could probably run a 5K in about 21:00, according to Coach Miller.
Running with someone from a different generation is invigorating. It provides an opportunity to gain new insights and to change your perspective, if only temporarily. Coach Miller invites parents to run with the team at any time, but I understand some of the kids may not be too encouraging if their folks indicate a willingness to do so. (Something about a “geek factor” there.) If you’re interested, but your children veto you running with their teams, there’s a group called “Girls on the Run of Pennington County,” you could contact. They describe themselves as “a life-changing, non-profit prevention program for young girls in the 3rd through 8th grade” whose mission is to "educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living." Learn more at: http://www.gotrpennco.org/
In another Harry Potter book, J.K. Rowling wrote: “Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth.” (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2005) Spend some time with young people in the days ahead; it might just make you wiser and smarter!
A few weeks ago, I played hooky for a few hours and it was great. I didn’t go to the movies, or shopping, or fishing. (Think for a moment, where would you go if you were playing hooky?) I went to school—Southwest Middle School—where I had a date with the cross-country team.
When I was in school, girls didn’t have the option of running cross-country so I do not know a lot about how the sport is organized. Coach Gary Miller invited me to run with the team and I’d eagerly accepted. I was curious and excited as I drove through the gap and over to SWMS.
I parked my car and headed toward the cross-country team as they warmed up at the football field. I was surprised to find boys and girls together. It makes sense in that running is running, i.e., more gender-neutral than most other sports, but I had assumed there would be separate practices.
Coach Miller introduced me to the team and we chatted briefly about some of my running experiences. This was just after I’d run the Rushmore (Monumental Challenge) and Denver Marathons. The first is on the Mickelson trail while the latter is run entirely within Denver city streets, making for some marked contrasts. The group was anxious to get going, as was I, so I kept my remarks to a minimum and suggested we hit the streets. I was there to run! Accordingly, we looked to the coach for our instructions.
This was late in the season, so the run for that day was a longer one. Coach Miller explained that they practice every day after school except Friday, when they meet at 7:00 am. About once a week they do some sort of interval training, running shorter and faster, or uphill. Since these are very young runners, he tries to keep the intensity down. Early in the season, they might run out 10 minutes, turn around and come back. Using time instead of distance allows the better runners to go farther and gives him a sense of the varying strengths on the team.
The plan that day was to run to Common Cents and back, a distance of about 4 miles. One of the reasons the team wanted to get up and running was because an additional part of the plan involved Coach Miller springing for Slurpees (Slushies??) for each runner at the Common Cents Store in exchange for a promise that they run, and not walk the 2 miles back. My training drink is Accelerade, so I declined the offer, but I swear I did run both ways.
In fact, I ran 5 or so miles that day. I’ll explain why I got extra distance. When he’s not running with his team, Miller runs with the Black Hills Runners Club, as do I. He’s a little faster than me, which works out well. When we run together, I get to push my pace and he gets to talk while I listen. During our last few runs, he’d been telling me about an eighth grade girl on the team who has a lot of potential. He’d even compared her running style to mine. Her name is Kalie Maiden.
As the team was about to head out toward the Common Sense, Kalie and I were paired up to run together. In preparation for the upcoming All City meet, Kalie was running somewhat longer distances than the rest of the team. An extra mile or so was fine with me. We took off on her route at a brisk but companionable pace, allowing for some dialogue.
I learned that the All-City meet is the culmination of the middle school season, just as the high schools finish with their statewide competition. The team’s goal throughout the season is to run its best at that meet. All 5 middle schools compete, and medals are given out to the top 5 in each race. There are 6 races, boy & girls for 6th, 7th and 8th grades.
The day was a bit chillier than normal; I regretted not having my gloves, and Kalie had tucked her hands into her sleeves. Once we got moving, however, the nip in the air felt good. The leaves were turning beautifully but most were still on the trees, and the sun was in and out of the clouds. Kalie was the leader, as I had never run the route we took before, and she of course was quite familiar with it. We talked about running, school, other sports; Kalie was just over an injury so we compared notes on physical therapists and recovery techniques.
She told me about some past meets earlier in the year where she’d just missed coming in first. She was hoping to do well at the All City, but was a little concerned about the setback she’d experienced with the injury. On our way back to the school, she dutifully stopped and did her stretches.
There was nothing profound about our chat. We didn’t solve any problems or share any major insights. It was just comfortable conversation. Because of my work schedule, I most often run by myself. Running with someone is a pleasure. Running with someone who is at your pace (assuming Kalie wasn’t slowing down to be kind!) and easy to talk to is an even greater treat. I asked Kalie who she usually runs with at practice and she explained that she too usually runs alone as she often runs longer distances than the other team members.
While it was just a regular practice run for Kalie, it was an “eggshell” afternoon for me. Remember those large, confectionary eggs with the hole at one end you’d hold up to your eye and look into to find an entire scene in miniature inside the egg? That’s what I mean; in my mind’s eye, I have an image of running alongside Kalie on an autumn afternoon, delighting in learning a little about her, in running, in being entirely happy just to be exactly where I was at that moment.
I can’t say that I truly was remembering what it is like to be young, as intimated by the quote opening this article. After all, I had given myself license to play hooky for an hour or two while Kalie was having an ordinary day. We adults on the outside looking in at youth often fail to see their worries and the cares. She had homework to do after practice, the meet looming in the future, and all the other concerns of a young lady with goals and ambitions in life. Still, being in the midst of the team and spending time with Kalie filled me momentarily with that lightness of a limitless future so characteristic of youth.
Kalie and I met up with the team at the Common Cents; most everyone kept their word about running and not walking back. It’s clear there is a lot of fun built into the cross-country season. Twice during the season they run to a local park, meet the Stevens High kids and the West Middle kids and play running games. At another practice, the team faced an urban orienteering course. Everyone got a map and then ran around to find the points delineated on it. Coach Miller also tries to build in a game day on a weekly basis.
All too soon it was time to return to my “real” life. While I could not attend the All City Meet, I avidly poured over the results in the Journal in the days following. Kalie did win the All City Meet. She ran 12:40 in the 3000-meter race, well ahead of her nearest rival, who finished in 13:14. Congratulations, Kalie! Her time shows she could probably run a 5K in about 21:00, according to Coach Miller.
Running with someone from a different generation is invigorating. It provides an opportunity to gain new insights and to change your perspective, if only temporarily. Coach Miller invites parents to run with the team at any time, but I understand some of the kids may not be too encouraging if their folks indicate a willingness to do so. (Something about a “geek factor” there.) If you’re interested, but your children veto you running with their teams, there’s a group called “Girls on the Run of Pennington County,” you could contact. They describe themselves as “a life-changing, non-profit prevention program for young girls in the 3rd through 8th grade” whose mission is to "educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living." Learn more at: http://www.gotrpennco.org/
In another Harry Potter book, J.K. Rowling wrote: “Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth.” (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2005) Spend some time with young people in the days ahead; it might just make you wiser and smarter!
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