JULY RACES

MYSTIC RUNNING: Tucked away in the “Scoreboard” page of the Sports section on Tuesday, July 10th were the results of the “Mystic Mountain Run,” held Sunday, July 8th. That listing tells you who ran it and in what order they finished, but those names and numbers are but the binding of a book that contains numbers of absorbing and varied stories.

I’d run Mystic a few times in the past, but vowed “never again!” after my involuntary tree-hugging experience a few years back. A highlight of the 7.9 run is the ascent and then downhill on Bright Angel Trail. The uphill, single-track segment forces all but the half-human/half-mountain goats among us to hike, not run, while the downhill gives those with some degree of confidence and ability to run trails a significant opportunity to counter the time lost on the uphill. Recall in my prior column how I described my own trail running as being rather crab-like. When last at Mystic, the momentum of my downhill run was stopped by a craggy Black Hills pine—all in all, a good thing, as whatever scrapes and bruises incurred were preferable to tumbling off the side of the mountain.

Given the responsibility of reporting on running for the Journal, it seemed clear I needed to break that vow and go run Mystic again. It was a beautiful morning; warm, but since the day before the high at the Rapid City Airport registered 109, the 70s in which we started were a welcome contrast. There was more humidity than we are used to here in the hills, and some fairly cheeky mosquitoes and downright nasty black flies. Spirits were high as we slapped ourselves at the start; Dennis and Pat Lundsford, the race directors (and proprietors of the Runners Shop in Rapid City) welcomed us to the 37th running of the race, the 2nd oldest in South Dakota. (The oldest is the Jack 15 Road Race (15.2 miles) - White, SD to Brookings, SD. This year, the 45th running will take place on Saturday, September 22nd, 2007). The Lundsfords took it over some time ago and the race is a 1st class event, from the organization to the shirts to the awards to the post race food.

Owing to the single track, the race calls for a particular sort of trail etiquette in that as one slows down, the thunder of speedier runners can be heard from behind (not to mention panting, in some cases). Generally, it is considered bad form not to yield the right of way to these folks, as, after all, it is a race and not a nature walk. I was happy to do so, as long as those passing stayed to my left (the steep cliff-side). On the downhill side, I again gladly made way and tried to learn a thing or two from Lorna Squyer (Nemo) and the many other gazelle-like forms gamboling through the forest.

The women’s race proved to be quite close, with Jennifer Maimbert, from Nebraska, finishing a mere 8 seconds in front of Rapid’s own Tanja Cutting. Not to take away from these two wonderful runners, who are in the 20-29 and 30-39 age groups, respectively, third place was nailed down by Cindy Holte, age 50, just 4 minutes later. The men’s race was marred a bit by a few front runners taking a wrong turn and losing their way This is something I’m very familiar with—not front running, but the getting lost part, and so those guys shall remain nameless. The winner was 30-something Matt Althoff of Sioux Falls, a repeat winner. Two minutes later, Mike Krsnak, a high school student from Rapid City, dashed in while less than 3 minutes later, Jason Nichols of Cheyenne, another 30-something, edged out Jim Meyer of Spearfish for third.

Not everyone runs to win; most of know that’s not in the cards. Homer Hastings, of Newcastle, runs because he runs everyday, somewhere and because he’s been running Mystic for over a quarter-century. Sunday was Homer’s 33rd Mystic and he ran it in glorious form, taking 3rd in his age group. Emily Wheeler and Nicole Craig ran it together, as they ran the Bighorns Run last month in June; you might recognize them as they work together and provide many of us with their fitness expertise at the YMCA in Rapid City. Emily’s mom, Barb Schulz ran it—you might recognize her name as one of the South Dakotans who ran the Boston Marathon this year. Barb did capture her age group prize, not surprisingly.

One of the most interestingly competitive age groups is the Men’s 50-59 division. The top three finishers were Gary Haven, Rapid City, edging out Tony Thoresen, Brandon, by 14 seconds, followed by Al Arendt (another running lawyer—it comes in handy given our line of work) of Pierre. All of these gentlemen were over the finish line in under an hour. Dennis Meier, a Rapid Citian who finished 20th overall, had to settle for 4th! Dennis is an excellent and exceptionally modest runner who is a gentleman both on and off the roads and trails. His wife Connie finished looking fresh and smiling, wanting to compare notes on how many different types of wild flowers we’d seen along the trail. Ron Bunnell, Rapid City’s Black Hills Frame Shop owner could answer that as he’d stopped to pick his wife a nosegay of bergamot, black-eyed susans and Queen Anne’s lace he spied as he trotted along the path.

After the awards were given out, we were treated to hot dogs and Pat’s gourmet array of homemade salads, including several tasty choices for vegetarians. Fresh fruit, chips and regular picnic fare along with sweeties for dessert rounded out the repast. One little girl went through the buffet line and ended up with a plate full of brownies and watermelon, just the thing for a hot July Sunday.

HEART RUNNING: The following weekend found many of the Mystic Runners along with some road runners gathering Saturday in Hill City at the 1880 Train Station, registering for the 28th Annual Heart of the Hills 10.4 mile run down the old Hill City Road into Keystone. Once you get the fairly steep hill behind that occurs in the first couple miles of the run, you can begin to appreciate it. The remainder of the course is gently rolling hills, and mostly downhills so you can easily compensate for the slow-down due to the climb.

Unlike most organized races, this one begins at 6:30 in the evening, just perfect for summer running. Interestingly, the race used to be run the other way, Keystone to Hill City, making for a much more challenging event as the overall run would be uphill. Gary Miller showed up in what he termed an “antique,” which was a t-shirt from one of those events. No comment as to Gary’s age, but I will point out he earned that shirt fair and square by having run the race. We managed to get him pointed in the right direction, kept him on track and saw to it that he was one of 88 finishers.
Whereas Mystic was won by out-of towners, two Rapid Citians aced the Heart of the Hills—and each had been runner-up at Mystic. Tanja Cutting easily took top honors on the women’s side with a 1:14:32. She finds the 10-mile distance to be “perfect” for her, she said, but we note she’s recorded some very fast half-marathon times. There aren’t many races between the length of a 10K (6.2 miles) and a half-marathon (13.1). Rarities like the Heart of the Hills and Mystic occur infrequently.

Mike Krsnak, with decades of running ahead of him, crossed the finish line first in 1:02:31. We suspect he’ll be breaking the hour mark in a few years, and perhaps even has an eye on Rod DeHaven’s record for the course, dating back to 2000. [How many readers know his time?]

Two people won their age groups at both Mystic and Heart of the Hills. Gary Haven cruised in before Joe Herdina of Sioux Falls Saturday by just under a minute, finishing in 1:10:35. (Randy Ericksen, who has been on award stands for his mountain biking feats, was third in that age group.) The other gentleman who managed to pick up two firsts is Charles Summers, of Rapid City. Charles had a 1:36:04 finish at Mystic, nearly 10 minutes ahead of his nearest rival. His HOH time was 1:58:50. Charles dresses in stylish, colorful running gear and finishes with verve and a smile. He appreciates the fact that Dennis and Pat Lundsford acknowledge his age group, as many races do not. He’s in the 70 and Over category…..and I’m guessing when he reaches 80, he’ll be lobbying for a new age group recognition!

Two memorable races within 7 days; runners don’t get much luckier than that! Thanks to all who volunteered to make them possible, and to all who participated.