Sometime late in the last century, I first became aware of people using the word “community” in a way that was different from how I defined it. Perhaps I am a bit of a pedestrian or concrete (some might opine, “hard-headed”) thinker, but community to me had at least a little something to do with geography. “A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government” is one classic definition of community. Even more place-central is this American Heritage definition: “the district or locality in which such a group lives.”
I have a very vivid memory of running smack into the realization that community had become a more global concept. Words evolve over time and I suppose I had encountered references to a less boundary-specific interpretation of community before the particular incident that caused me to take notice, but it is this particular day and line that I recall. The local public radio station had just thanked one of their underwriters, a yarn and knitting supply shop that included the phrase “serving the community of knitters” in its motto, which the announcer duly read on the air.
For some reason, this struck me as comical. What, I wondered, was a “community of knitters” and what did it mean to count yourself among them? How did they identify one another as being members? Was a certain level of expertise implied? Is there discrimination against knitters requiring the formation of a community for support?
Before all the knitters out there start sharpening their knitting needles to hurl (or purl) my way, my reaction is not due to being anti-knitting. It’s just that I grew up in an age when people referred to their recreational pastimes as hobbies. People collected things (stamps, coins), built models (cars, planes), took photographs, played sports or in some cases, knitted.
My mom liked to bowl and was in a league. My brother fished and had a great collection of flies he’d tied himself (kept in a special box I was not allowed to open without his express permission). Mr. O down the street played baseball after work for a Detroit city team. Despite having grown up around folks with hobbies, I never once heard any reference to a community of bowlers, of fly-fishers, or of ball players. You had a hobby and you did it in the neighborhood or nearby area with other people who shared your enthusiasm.
After my run-in with the community of knitters phrase, I continued to hear community used to describe groups of people. There are communities of churches, teachers, and there is the wellness community that provides much appreciated support to families in the midst of cancer diagnoses and treatment. With the advent of the Internet and explosion of interest-based websites, it’s fair to say there are now communities of just about every conceivable group you might imagine, and beyond, e.g., CER: Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies, bringing together 66 railway undertakings and infrastructure companies from the European Union, the accession countries (Croatia and Turkey) as well as from the Western Balkan countries, Norway, and Switzerland.
While I grew increasingly accepting of the expanding meaning of community as used by others, I never identified with any community beyond the ones I lived in at any given time. Personally, I remained skeptical. I leaned more toward the view of Kurt Vonnegut, who invented the word “granfalloon,” meaning a group of people who outwardly choose or claim to have a shared identity or purpose, but whose mutual association is actually meaningless. He used as an example two people from Indiana meeting in a foreign country and finding meaning in both being Hoosiers. Other granfallon groups he cites include General Electric and the DAR. [To read more, his novel Cat’s Cradle and book of essays Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons are good beginnings.]
That all changed for me this year. Until a few weeks ago, I would have scoffed at the notion of a “community of runners.” Have I met people across the country in my travels who have shared rooms, rides, stories, food, bodyglide and food with me, extended warmth and trust, opened their homes to me based pretty much on just on our shared status as runners? You bet. When I first moved here to Rapid City, did the Black Hills Runners Club welcome me, teach me, and help me when I needed a hand? Resounding so.
Still, the notion of something so high-faluting sounding as a Community of Runners was not a phrase I ever used and certainly not something I would have contemplated writing about until the death of Ryan Shay. Ryan Shay died November 3, 2007 at about the 5.5 mile mark in the Olympic Trials Race in Central Park, New York City. He was 28 years old.
While most people who are not runners seem to have barely registered this tragedy, runners across the country and of all calibers have taken time to acknowledge the passing of a colleague and a champion. What I find interesting is that after the Chicago Marathon earlier this year, lots of non-running friends wanted to talk about what happened there [due to extremely warm weather, the race was closed early, a number of participants were hospitalized and one died]. In comparison, only other runners have talked with me about Shay’s death.
This is not a criticism, not at all. The point is that I’ve discovered there is a community of runners that follows the sport closely and cares deeply about its own. By the afternoon of Shay’s death, his dad had posted a thank you at LetsRun.com, a well-known Internet running board that read: “My family, Alicia, and I can not thank you enough for your thoughts and prayers. The calls and e-mails are over whelming. God bless you all. Joe Shay.” It’s become the “Official Ryan Shay Remembrance Thread,” with nearly 30 web pages to date of posts from all over.
The emotion in those posts is simply eloquent. Ryan’s former teammates posted about his work ethic, his gutsy approach to all running, his spirit and sense of play. Less gifted runners posted about Ryan’s determination inspiring them. Some who had crossed paths with him remembered him taking time to run with them and encourage them. People who only knew of him through what they read in running magazines posted. Some were lengthy, some as brief as “8 miles. All for Ryan.”
Ryan, an elite runner, wasn’t one of the top seeds at the Trials. Runner’s World did not place him in their top 10, but did acknowledge him as a “dark horse.” There were 130 men vying for just 3 slots on the 2008 Olympic Team in Beijing. Ryan was the 2003 USA Marathon Champion but he would have to shave at least a few minutes off his PR of 2:14:29 in order to qualify for the Olympic Team, given the competition at the Trials.
He epitomized the Olympic Spirit. In an interview with Runner’s World in October, he explained: "I know it's going to be difficult. You just hope that you have the perfect day. What else can I do, sit home? You go out there to race. If you have the qualifying mark, you've got to go out there. That's what makes our system of qualifying for the Olympic team great, because it gives even the biggest underdog a shot at making the team.”
Ryan’s heart was enlarged. It was initially diagnosed when he was 14. His dad, Joe Shay, a track coach at Central Lake, Michigan said the very thing that made him great is what may have killed him. Shay’s resting heart rate was so low doctors told him he may need a pacemaker when he got older.
Just four months ago, on July 7, Shay married Alicia Craig, a Wyoming runner from Gilette who gained noteriety running for Campbell County and then Stanford. In 2004, she set the women’s NCAA 10,000 meter record. She is also vying for a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team. She and Ryan met at the New York marathon in 2005.
Ryan Hall, the winner of the Trials, was at the Shay-Craig wedding. His wife, Sara, was a teammate of Alicia’s at Stanford and a bridesmaid in the wedding. Hall has dedicated his upcoming Olympic race to Shay. Fellow Michigander Brian Sell, who finished in third at the Trials, cried at the post race news conference. "I'd trade my Olympic spot in a split second to have him back," Sell said later.
At the Central Lake high school track where Ryan and his 7 brothers and sisters ran under the tutelage of their coaching parents, memorial runs were held for 3 nights in early November, marked with 600 luminaria. One father and daughter showed up determined to run the 20.7 miles Ryan didn’t finish at the Trials. Amby Burfoot, an editor at Runner’s World magazine and 1968 winner of the Boston Marathon interview Ryan’s youngest brother, Stephen, a college junior and cross-country runner at one of the runs. Describing the many ways Ryan was a positive influence on his life, he explained: “I didn’t just lose a brother. I lost my hero.”
Now that I see and believe there is a community of runners, I need to be a responsible member of the group. I can’t think of any better way to begin than to use this space allocated to me to remember Ryan Shay with all of you. Godspeed, Ryan.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
LAST THINGS!
Last things, last times. Some life events are marked by observances so that you remember them as being “the last.” You may recall your last day in high school or the last Christmas your kids believed in Santa. Perhaps you’ve given up a bad habit but still vividly recall your last cigarette, double scotch, trifecta bet or banana split.
There are so many other things or occurrences that we enjoy for the last time without the knowledge that indeed, this is the last. When was the last time you spent a summer afternoon lying in the grass looking up at the clouds or the last time you swung on a swing? The last firefly or butterfly you caught in a jar and tried to keep alive?
One of my favorites pieces on running, “I Remember Running,” was written by Darcy Wakefield. At 33, Darcy was diagnosed with ALS (“Lou Gehrig’s disease”), a fatal condition. Before long, she was unable to run. After recounting some of the places and times she had especially appreciated running in her life, she went on to describe herself as “continuously mourning running.” Reflecting back, she tells us she wished she had known those were her last runs because “I would have appreciated every hill, every post-run high, every minute my legs moved in that way we call running.”
Even for those of us who love running, there are days when we head out for our regular jaunt with more of a sense of obligation than joy. Sometimes it is because the weather threatens, or maybe we’d rather knock off and stay in bed, or accept that invitation to lunch with office colleagues. Sometimes it is because following a training schedule can become tedious or confining (‘but I don’t want to do speed work today!’). Still, anyone with a “runner’s soul,” as Darcy Wakefield portrayed herself, will soon miss running if prevented from doing it for too very long.
A good run can provide you private space for pondering a work-related issue or a personal dilemma. You think about things a little differently when your body is in motion and you are taking in the features of the season: warm summer breeze, crisp fall air, sparkling winter sun on white snow, the greens of spring, the waters of March. At other times, it’s pleasant to create an escape and listen to music or a book as you put in the miles.
For those of you reading this who do not run, take a moment here and try to remember the last time you ran. I don’t mean running to catch a bus or plane, or running after your child or dog that got away from you. I mean running the way you see children run in an open field. Not running for a purpose, but just running for running’s sake. Running because it felt good, because walking wasn’t enough, because you it made you happy just to be running.
Now that you remember that last time, just think: it doesn’t have to remain the last time. It is so much easier than you might imagine to start running regularly again. How will you know whether or not you have a runner’s soul if you don’t at least try running for fun? [Being a lawyer, I am duty-bound at this junction to interrupt myself and put in the necessary caveat here about consulting a doctor before you take up any exercise program, but you knew that, didn’t you?]
Two of the beauties of running are that you need not invest a lot of money in equipment and you can start a running program by stopping right outside your door. Before you take that step, however, you do need to spend some money. This is not the time to do what I did years ago, which was to start running in my Tretorns. These were fantastic shoes for playing tennis but all wrong for running. Your running shoe selection needs to be based upon the size of your arch, the way your foot lands when you run, and your size. Do not buy your shoes at a discount mart and do not buy them by color! Running in cheap or ill-fitting shoes is an invitation to injury. The Journal ran a detailed article about buying running shoes just a few weeks ago; do look it up and follow the advice contained there. The Runner’s Shop in Rapid City is a good place to start for solid shoe selection advice.
Once you have your shoes, you need a place to run. We are blessed with the bike path here in Rapid City. If you cannot think of where to start, find one of the many spots along the path. I love the rose garden near the Berlin Wall memorial, and so appreciate the flowers and herb garden by the sundial. There are mile markers built into the pavement for your convenience if you run by distance. The other way to run is by time; then of course, you just need a watch. Running near your home is an option; just use your car’s or a bicycle odometer to measure out a route. For a beginner’s plan, a 3-mile loop (or 1.5 mile out-and-back) would be sufficient.
To minimize the possibility of injury, you should follow a plan of some sort. “Hey! Wait a minute,” you’re thinking, “what about all that joy of running? A plan sounds like work, or a diet.” No, not the kind of plan I mean. Think of it as a guideline. If you can walk 2-3 miles at a stretch at present, a plan will help you to reach a level of running 3 miles in about 8 to 10 weeks. Really. You could plan on running the Turkey Trot November 22 in Rapid City and even win a pie! (This is an annual event sponsored by the Black Hills Running Club every Thanksgiving morning; a great way to do something healthy on the holiday, and all entrants are eligible for the great pie give-away after the run. Hundreds of pies are given out by lottery.) Go ahead—pencil it in. You can do it!
A good plan should start with alternating jogging and walking, at least at first. It should have you taking periodic rest days. At a minimum, you need to devote 20-30 minutes a day on no less than 3 days a week. You’d want to alternate an active day with a rest day. If that seems too light, by all means, cross-train on some of the alternate days, e.g., bike, swim, walk—any other low impact activity. If you want to print out some plans, here are a few websites with good, basic start up plans for you: the “Couch Potato to 5K Plan” is a favorite of mine: www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml. Another good starter’s site is run by Jeff Galloway, a former Olympic athlete who advocates walk breaks for all levels of runners, including elites: www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html
There you have it; all you need to start running again. While I know that some run in my future will be my last, I am hoping it is in the far distant future. In the interim, I try to remember to appreciate each day I am able to run; I know that running makes my life more balanced and joyous. It could add an extra dimension to yours.
After she could no longer run, Darcy Wakefield goes down to the beach near her home one night, takes off her shoes, and starts moving along the cold sand in circles. She relates that if you had seen her, you wouldn’t have called what she was doing running, but it was good enough for her. She confides that this is what she thought that night as she gave thanks: “We are so lucky to be able to do this, all of our nerves and muscles working together as we move ourselves forward to do this thing we call running.”
See you on the bike path!
There are so many other things or occurrences that we enjoy for the last time without the knowledge that indeed, this is the last. When was the last time you spent a summer afternoon lying in the grass looking up at the clouds or the last time you swung on a swing? The last firefly or butterfly you caught in a jar and tried to keep alive?
One of my favorites pieces on running, “I Remember Running,” was written by Darcy Wakefield. At 33, Darcy was diagnosed with ALS (“Lou Gehrig’s disease”), a fatal condition. Before long, she was unable to run. After recounting some of the places and times she had especially appreciated running in her life, she went on to describe herself as “continuously mourning running.” Reflecting back, she tells us she wished she had known those were her last runs because “I would have appreciated every hill, every post-run high, every minute my legs moved in that way we call running.”
Even for those of us who love running, there are days when we head out for our regular jaunt with more of a sense of obligation than joy. Sometimes it is because the weather threatens, or maybe we’d rather knock off and stay in bed, or accept that invitation to lunch with office colleagues. Sometimes it is because following a training schedule can become tedious or confining (‘but I don’t want to do speed work today!’). Still, anyone with a “runner’s soul,” as Darcy Wakefield portrayed herself, will soon miss running if prevented from doing it for too very long.
A good run can provide you private space for pondering a work-related issue or a personal dilemma. You think about things a little differently when your body is in motion and you are taking in the features of the season: warm summer breeze, crisp fall air, sparkling winter sun on white snow, the greens of spring, the waters of March. At other times, it’s pleasant to create an escape and listen to music or a book as you put in the miles.
For those of you reading this who do not run, take a moment here and try to remember the last time you ran. I don’t mean running to catch a bus or plane, or running after your child or dog that got away from you. I mean running the way you see children run in an open field. Not running for a purpose, but just running for running’s sake. Running because it felt good, because walking wasn’t enough, because you it made you happy just to be running.
Now that you remember that last time, just think: it doesn’t have to remain the last time. It is so much easier than you might imagine to start running regularly again. How will you know whether or not you have a runner’s soul if you don’t at least try running for fun? [Being a lawyer, I am duty-bound at this junction to interrupt myself and put in the necessary caveat here about consulting a doctor before you take up any exercise program, but you knew that, didn’t you?]
Two of the beauties of running are that you need not invest a lot of money in equipment and you can start a running program by stopping right outside your door. Before you take that step, however, you do need to spend some money. This is not the time to do what I did years ago, which was to start running in my Tretorns. These were fantastic shoes for playing tennis but all wrong for running. Your running shoe selection needs to be based upon the size of your arch, the way your foot lands when you run, and your size. Do not buy your shoes at a discount mart and do not buy them by color! Running in cheap or ill-fitting shoes is an invitation to injury. The Journal ran a detailed article about buying running shoes just a few weeks ago; do look it up and follow the advice contained there. The Runner’s Shop in Rapid City is a good place to start for solid shoe selection advice.
Once you have your shoes, you need a place to run. We are blessed with the bike path here in Rapid City. If you cannot think of where to start, find one of the many spots along the path. I love the rose garden near the Berlin Wall memorial, and so appreciate the flowers and herb garden by the sundial. There are mile markers built into the pavement for your convenience if you run by distance. The other way to run is by time; then of course, you just need a watch. Running near your home is an option; just use your car’s or a bicycle odometer to measure out a route. For a beginner’s plan, a 3-mile loop (or 1.5 mile out-and-back) would be sufficient.
To minimize the possibility of injury, you should follow a plan of some sort. “Hey! Wait a minute,” you’re thinking, “what about all that joy of running? A plan sounds like work, or a diet.” No, not the kind of plan I mean. Think of it as a guideline. If you can walk 2-3 miles at a stretch at present, a plan will help you to reach a level of running 3 miles in about 8 to 10 weeks. Really. You could plan on running the Turkey Trot November 22 in Rapid City and even win a pie! (This is an annual event sponsored by the Black Hills Running Club every Thanksgiving morning; a great way to do something healthy on the holiday, and all entrants are eligible for the great pie give-away after the run. Hundreds of pies are given out by lottery.) Go ahead—pencil it in. You can do it!
A good plan should start with alternating jogging and walking, at least at first. It should have you taking periodic rest days. At a minimum, you need to devote 20-30 minutes a day on no less than 3 days a week. You’d want to alternate an active day with a rest day. If that seems too light, by all means, cross-train on some of the alternate days, e.g., bike, swim, walk—any other low impact activity. If you want to print out some plans, here are a few websites with good, basic start up plans for you: the “Couch Potato to 5K Plan” is a favorite of mine: www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml. Another good starter’s site is run by Jeff Galloway, a former Olympic athlete who advocates walk breaks for all levels of runners, including elites: www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html
There you have it; all you need to start running again. While I know that some run in my future will be my last, I am hoping it is in the far distant future. In the interim, I try to remember to appreciate each day I am able to run; I know that running makes my life more balanced and joyous. It could add an extra dimension to yours.
After she could no longer run, Darcy Wakefield goes down to the beach near her home one night, takes off her shoes, and starts moving along the cold sand in circles. She relates that if you had seen her, you wouldn’t have called what she was doing running, but it was good enough for her. She confides that this is what she thought that night as she gave thanks: “We are so lucky to be able to do this, all of our nerves and muscles working together as we move ourselves forward to do this thing we call running.”
See you on the bike path!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
BRANDS
An article in the October 16th edition of the Journal by Dan Daly reported on recent efforts by the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau to help the city develop a “brand identity.” The purpose is to set Rapid apart from the other 1,500 American cities trying to become tourist destinations. The Bureau sponsored a workshop featuring Roger Brooks, of Destination Development wherein Brooks presented examples of other towns that have developed successful “brands,” e.g., Ashland, Oregon and its Shakespeare festival, Carson City, Nevada with its “Devine Nine” golf courses. Brooks is looking for ideas from us about what type of brand identity Rapid City could develop. You can contact him at TheTeam@destinationdevelopment.com [Note: he indicated Mt. Rushmore is a lure, but it’s not in Rapid City.]
This area is a fantastic place for all of us who want to be outside doing things in our spare time and on vacation. Moab, Utah markets itself in such a manner. Mountain biking is one of the more popular activities in Moab; I counted 4 or 5 thriving bike shops when I visited. I was there to run a marathon a few years ago and wish I had taken a photo of the sign posted in the window of the local grocers that read: “Please leave your bike outside.”
In hopes of starting some brainstorming about this “branding” concept that involves the outdoors, I thought I’d recount some of my first experiences here in Rapid. Perhaps it will spark some ideas that you will want to contribute to the Destination Development Team. When I moved to Rapid City over four years ago, I was struck by three things: (1) M Hill in the middle of town, (2) the bike path, and (3) the ease of getting out of the city proper onto open, scenic roads for running and cycling.
Before I had even unpacked my boxes, I joined the Black Hills Runners Club. The first time I went out with them was a Wednesday evening in April of ‘03. The meeting place was in the parking lot by the Westside Safeway and the run was promised to be about 45 minutes to an hour. Anticipating a road run where I’d get to learn more about my new home, I laced up my shoes and found the group.
There was some talk about which route to take amongst the members. Consensus was we’d run M Hill. I had no idea what that meant so happily trotted off with the pack of runners, chatting with folks I hoped would be my new friends as we warmed up. Imagine my shock when after crossing some busy streets and coursing through a parking lot, we arrived at the foot of a small mountain! I moved here from Minnesota, where the mosquitoes are huge but hills are rare. My 3-speed bike was all I needed to navigate the “hills.” To me, M Hill looked positively mountainous.
Gulp. I couldn’t wimp out now. I wanted to make a decent first impression with these runners. To start whining about trails and ascents and descents would brand me as a high-maintenance type runner, a wuss. I swallowed hard, said a quick prayer and tried hard to copy the technique of those around me. Fortunately, there were several kind-hearted souls who slowed down for me and started giving me some pointers in running trails. Small groups waited for one another at switchbacks and everyone met at the top.
There, I finally raised my eyes, which had been glued to my feet. What a view! I could hardly believe I was in the middle of city, looking down on it from such a wild place. What a marvelous introduction to the splendors of my new hometown. “Toto, we’re not in Minnesota anymore!” I exclaimed.
After a last long look all around, I refastened my eyes to my feet for the downhill return. Despite my knee-knocking fear, with the help of the group I made it down safely. These people had me running more trails throughout the rest of year—parts of the Centennial, parts of the Skyline Drive Wilderness area, and other woodsy, rocky areas all in or very close to Rapid City. We ran Harney Peak, too. This really is a phenomenal area for trail runners and hikers.
As for the bike path, we take it for granted. When I first discovered it, I marveled at all it offers. To have a paved, flat surface that goes on for miles, with engaging scenery, a creek alongside, areas of shade, and mile markers as well is a tremendous gift to a road runner. The rose garden at Memorial Park engages your vision and your nose—I’ll often do extra loops just around the roses when they’re in full bloom to linger in the scented air. For variation, you can circle the small pond nearby. The gardens at the sundial often seem to explode into view when you run west and come up from under the overpass. I so appreciate the efforts of the green-thumbed gardeners who tend that area.
Later in the year, the community gardens spring up on the east side, delighting me with their individuality and variety. At the west end of course is Canyon Lake. Even after the bike path ends there, more good running can be had just continuing down the road. The Running Club’s been known to go out that way (toward Dark Canyon) in the late fall and repairing to the Meadowbrook for breakfast on weekend long run days.
This is a running column, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out we have two local bike shops book-ending the path. Two-Wheeler Dealer is on the east side and Acme on the west. If running isn’t in your plans, at least for the present, both those stores rent bikes the last time I checked. They’ll also give you advice on fun or adventurous (depending on your interest) rides in the city if you ask. (The bike folks at Scheels are also helpful, just not as close to the bike path.)
The third item I mentioned, the ability to get out of town and onto some excellent roads or trails for running, hiking or biking, is perhaps nothing special to native Rapid Citians, but to anyone who has ever lived in any number of cities across the country, it is rare. When you have to fight miles and miles of crawling, exhaust-spewing, stop-and-go traffic just to get in and out of town, the rewards of the planned run or ride can rapidly diminish.
There are so many places that can be accessed, I cannot begin even to list them all here. One example I’d offer is Victoria Lake. I’ve been there running, but it’s got mountain bike trails and there’s always hiking. According to Jocelyn Lee Baker, as of October 4th it also hosts some Sand hill Cranes for you birdwatchers. [See Birdingonthe.net] Another is Hart Ranch Rd/Lower Spring Creek Road. The road bicyclists hold time trials out there (except in winter) as it’s straight and fast. Runners can get in a good long run without dodging too much traffic.
Now, I know I said I’d limit myself to three initial impressions. Allow me one more. This next one is not one I had when first arriving here, but one that’s developed over the years. A lot of cities manage to have marathons that feature their unique attributes. I just ran the Denver Marathon October 14th and that wound all over the city, showcasing parks, landmarks, the capitol and Coors Field. Des Moines has a course that likewise takes you all over the city. Races like these provide visitors a tour of the city, bring in lots of people and generate excitement. Why couldn’t we reroute the Monumental Challenge Marathon, Half-Marathon and relay to right in Rapid City and call it the Rapid City Marathon? [Maybe with a catch line “you don’t need to be rapid to run it!]
Those are some of my views on how this “branding” of Rapid City might work, focusing on our incredible outdoors. If you or your friends who are active in other outdoor activities might have some interest in fleshing out this concept, please contact the Team at the email address at the top of this column. This is just a beginning; I know there are lots of other features just from some of the articles I’ve read in the past in this section of the Journal.
The next steps as I understand them are that the Development team will be reviewing ideas over the next couple of weeks. They seem to be planning to make a decision before the end of the year and will return here to Rapid on January 8th for a public meeting.
The more ideas we can generate, the better the results for the city, whether an outdoors brand is chosen or not. Besides, in thinking about all the ways we appreciate our environment, it makes us see our home turf anew. That in and of itself is a good outcome. This is a special place; do go out and enjoy it before the snow flies!
This area is a fantastic place for all of us who want to be outside doing things in our spare time and on vacation. Moab, Utah markets itself in such a manner. Mountain biking is one of the more popular activities in Moab; I counted 4 or 5 thriving bike shops when I visited. I was there to run a marathon a few years ago and wish I had taken a photo of the sign posted in the window of the local grocers that read: “Please leave your bike outside.”
In hopes of starting some brainstorming about this “branding” concept that involves the outdoors, I thought I’d recount some of my first experiences here in Rapid. Perhaps it will spark some ideas that you will want to contribute to the Destination Development Team. When I moved to Rapid City over four years ago, I was struck by three things: (1) M Hill in the middle of town, (2) the bike path, and (3) the ease of getting out of the city proper onto open, scenic roads for running and cycling.
Before I had even unpacked my boxes, I joined the Black Hills Runners Club. The first time I went out with them was a Wednesday evening in April of ‘03. The meeting place was in the parking lot by the Westside Safeway and the run was promised to be about 45 minutes to an hour. Anticipating a road run where I’d get to learn more about my new home, I laced up my shoes and found the group.
There was some talk about which route to take amongst the members. Consensus was we’d run M Hill. I had no idea what that meant so happily trotted off with the pack of runners, chatting with folks I hoped would be my new friends as we warmed up. Imagine my shock when after crossing some busy streets and coursing through a parking lot, we arrived at the foot of a small mountain! I moved here from Minnesota, where the mosquitoes are huge but hills are rare. My 3-speed bike was all I needed to navigate the “hills.” To me, M Hill looked positively mountainous.
Gulp. I couldn’t wimp out now. I wanted to make a decent first impression with these runners. To start whining about trails and ascents and descents would brand me as a high-maintenance type runner, a wuss. I swallowed hard, said a quick prayer and tried hard to copy the technique of those around me. Fortunately, there were several kind-hearted souls who slowed down for me and started giving me some pointers in running trails. Small groups waited for one another at switchbacks and everyone met at the top.
There, I finally raised my eyes, which had been glued to my feet. What a view! I could hardly believe I was in the middle of city, looking down on it from such a wild place. What a marvelous introduction to the splendors of my new hometown. “Toto, we’re not in Minnesota anymore!” I exclaimed.
After a last long look all around, I refastened my eyes to my feet for the downhill return. Despite my knee-knocking fear, with the help of the group I made it down safely. These people had me running more trails throughout the rest of year—parts of the Centennial, parts of the Skyline Drive Wilderness area, and other woodsy, rocky areas all in or very close to Rapid City. We ran Harney Peak, too. This really is a phenomenal area for trail runners and hikers.
As for the bike path, we take it for granted. When I first discovered it, I marveled at all it offers. To have a paved, flat surface that goes on for miles, with engaging scenery, a creek alongside, areas of shade, and mile markers as well is a tremendous gift to a road runner. The rose garden at Memorial Park engages your vision and your nose—I’ll often do extra loops just around the roses when they’re in full bloom to linger in the scented air. For variation, you can circle the small pond nearby. The gardens at the sundial often seem to explode into view when you run west and come up from under the overpass. I so appreciate the efforts of the green-thumbed gardeners who tend that area.
Later in the year, the community gardens spring up on the east side, delighting me with their individuality and variety. At the west end of course is Canyon Lake. Even after the bike path ends there, more good running can be had just continuing down the road. The Running Club’s been known to go out that way (toward Dark Canyon) in the late fall and repairing to the Meadowbrook for breakfast on weekend long run days.
This is a running column, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out we have two local bike shops book-ending the path. Two-Wheeler Dealer is on the east side and Acme on the west. If running isn’t in your plans, at least for the present, both those stores rent bikes the last time I checked. They’ll also give you advice on fun or adventurous (depending on your interest) rides in the city if you ask. (The bike folks at Scheels are also helpful, just not as close to the bike path.)
The third item I mentioned, the ability to get out of town and onto some excellent roads or trails for running, hiking or biking, is perhaps nothing special to native Rapid Citians, but to anyone who has ever lived in any number of cities across the country, it is rare. When you have to fight miles and miles of crawling, exhaust-spewing, stop-and-go traffic just to get in and out of town, the rewards of the planned run or ride can rapidly diminish.
There are so many places that can be accessed, I cannot begin even to list them all here. One example I’d offer is Victoria Lake. I’ve been there running, but it’s got mountain bike trails and there’s always hiking. According to Jocelyn Lee Baker, as of October 4th it also hosts some Sand hill Cranes for you birdwatchers. [See Birdingonthe.net] Another is Hart Ranch Rd/Lower Spring Creek Road. The road bicyclists hold time trials out there (except in winter) as it’s straight and fast. Runners can get in a good long run without dodging too much traffic.
Now, I know I said I’d limit myself to three initial impressions. Allow me one more. This next one is not one I had when first arriving here, but one that’s developed over the years. A lot of cities manage to have marathons that feature their unique attributes. I just ran the Denver Marathon October 14th and that wound all over the city, showcasing parks, landmarks, the capitol and Coors Field. Des Moines has a course that likewise takes you all over the city. Races like these provide visitors a tour of the city, bring in lots of people and generate excitement. Why couldn’t we reroute the Monumental Challenge Marathon, Half-Marathon and relay to right in Rapid City and call it the Rapid City Marathon? [Maybe with a catch line “you don’t need to be rapid to run it!]
Those are some of my views on how this “branding” of Rapid City might work, focusing on our incredible outdoors. If you or your friends who are active in other outdoor activities might have some interest in fleshing out this concept, please contact the Team at the email address at the top of this column. This is just a beginning; I know there are lots of other features just from some of the articles I’ve read in the past in this section of the Journal.
The next steps as I understand them are that the Development team will be reviewing ideas over the next couple of weeks. They seem to be planning to make a decision before the end of the year and will return here to Rapid on January 8th for a public meeting.
The more ideas we can generate, the better the results for the city, whether an outdoors brand is chosen or not. Besides, in thinking about all the ways we appreciate our environment, it makes us see our home turf anew. That in and of itself is a good outcome. This is a special place; do go out and enjoy it before the snow flies!
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