Registered for 2022 Riley Trails Half Marathon

 

Today I committed to running the Riley Trails half marathon on August 6th.  My friend Melanie and her husband, who recently moved to Michigan from Minnesota, will be hosting my husband and me.  We are really looking forward to seeing their new place and enjoying the nearby Lake Michigan beach.

Today I also ran a 5K training run.  A couple weeks ago I traveled to Pinetop, AZ for a work trip and had the opportunity to run 2+ miles daily at 9,000 feet elevation.  That training paid off today.  Plans for the upcoming week include a 5 mile run.  The heat is on, both literally and figuratively.

Swan Lake - Beautiful Farm Country

Packet pickup was Saturday.  Alan and I drove from home direct to Swan Lake Camp, a wooded property on a 129-acre, spring fed lake in the middle of open farm country.  Temps held pretty consistent at 99 degrees throughout our drive.  Air conditioning is such a blessing.  Alan and I met Jerry, race director, and chatted about new bathrooms, weathering COVID at the camp, carpet ball, and how their adult facility is booked through Thanksgiving.  God is good in so many ways.

On Sunday morning, we rolled in just in time for 6:00 am race start.  First hour of the race was better for me than my long run the weekend prior.  I pushed through the rest of the race, facing a substantial head wind on most of the paved part of the course and thick dirt/gravel mix on about two-thirds of the rest.  I hadn't trained on dirt or gravel and wished I had.

I spent much of the run in proximity of a runner from Nebraska named Eddra.  She and I have similar running styles and aspirations.  This race was her 7th time on this course.  I kept her in my sights, figuring if I saw her ahead I was still on the right track.  We rang the bell together after the race--the medal says "I Rang the Bell!"  Alan and I met a couple from Sioux Falls at the pork loin lunch and ate with them and Jerry.  Then Eddra stopped by after lunch, and we wrapped up our visit to Swan Lake with a final chat with her.

A few days later I received a letter with a ribbon and a message about the future of the race.  The ribbon was third place in my age group, 50-54.  I was stunned to learn that there were so few runners in my division.  It kind of explains the message that came with it.  The last running of the Swan Lake marathon and half marathon will happen next year.  The 5K will continue, but the other races will be done.

I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to run before the race is no more.  Swan Lake and Viborg are hidden gems in the South Dakota countryside.  The support staff along the course were so friendly.  I was struck by how little I know of South Dakota and how much it felt like home.

COVID Delay and Second Attempt at Swan Lake

I hold to faith in the divine love — which, so many years ago for a brief moment in a little corner of the earth, walked about as a man bearing the name of Jesus Christ — as the foundation on which alone my happiness rests. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Today I made travel arrangements for the Swan Lake Half Marathon in South Dakota. A whole year later than anticipated. Even now there's a chance it won't go on as scheduled.

What happened? COVID happened. No half marathons to run in 2020--at least not in person (virtual isn't an option for me). I've also had COVID recently, which makes the prospect of running a half marathon in June more dauting than just having lagged on training for the past year-plus.

Swan Lake is my goal and an attempt at turning a corner. I'm looking forward to filling in another state and more in 2021. I'm looking forward to the regular beat of foot falls on the pavement as training ensues. I'm looking forward to seeing the baby ducks and geese at Bassett Creek.

Renewed Commitment

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. ~Howard Thurman

It's been a long time. Too long. Running has been pushed aside in favor of personal life or work. Now I am recommitting myself to my goal. Today I have registered for the next half marathon. On June 7th, 2020, I'll be running the Swan Lake Half Marathon in South Dakota. (Thanks to my work coach Kelly in Melbourne, Australia for the motivation to set this firmly.)

HM Recap: Mayor's Half Marathon, Anchorage, AK, June 18, 2016

John Muir, the famous naturalist, wrote in his journal that you should never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live. And there's a lot of truth to that. ~Tom Bodett

Since Alaska is such a great destination, my whole family (husband and two sons) accompanied me on this one. A recap of our family trip:

6/16
Arrived middle of the night, greeted by the famous midnight sun.  First road trip destination: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Inventory of wildlife seen at the Conservation Center: eagle, owl, lynx, moose, caribou, elk, wood bison, fox, porcupine, Sitka black-tailed deer, wolf, black bear, and brown bear. My son Kyle took the picture below of the brown bear we saw bathing in a pond to keep cool (long lens was used to get close-up).

6/17
Seward boat tour operated by Major Marine. Highlights of the boat tour: four groups of humpback whales, two groups of orcas (one resident and one transient), sea lions, mountain goats, glaciers. Lunch served while anchored close to a glacier. Entire tour narrated by a National Park Ranger.

Concluded the day with a short hike to Exit Glacier.

6/18
Race day! Temps in the 60s and slightly overcast. Course was mostly paved path with a section of grassy trail, much of it through woods or overlooking the ocean. What you need to know if you run this one: steepest hill climb was right before the finish.

Kyle, my oldest, ran in the race with me, his first half marathon. He's really fit, so we ran separately. As expected, he crushed my time. He finished in slightly over two hours, me in under three hours--both our times acceptable to us based on our prep.

Celebratory lunch at Benihana. Evening rest activity: a movie, Now You See Me 2.

6/19
Kyle was awakened by extreme thirst followed by severe abdominal pain. Initially thought it was related to having run the race, but ended up at the hospital that night for an emergency appendectomy. Good news was the appendix wasn't ruptured or abscessed, and a laparoscopic approach was used. Since the surgery was late and his white cell count was elevated, he was admitted.

6/20
Discharged from hospital, and 24 hours after arriving at hospital, we were on an airplane bound for home.

Alaska
There aren't words to describe the beauty, and the pictures really don't do it justice. Go. Rent a car and drive around. Take a boat tour and get close to a glacier. See the midnight sun. Run a half marathon. You won't regret it. (Maybe we'll see you there when we go back.) 

HM Recap: Great Bay Half, Newmarket, NH, April 10, 2016

Enthusiasm is the great hill-climber. ~Elbert Hubbard

The Great Bay Half in New Hampshire was a really well organized race. From the off-site parking and shuttle bus to the fresh pizza at the finish, the services provided were attentive and much appreciated. Also, the 1/4-zip red windbreaker given away with race registration is nice to have, and added to the vividly colorful participant pool. The temperature was in the low 40s so I dressed in multiple layers, though the sun was out and pleasantly warmed us racers both during and after the event.

On the downside:

• The hills were steep and super challenging (since I didn't prep well for them)
• There was a headwind to deal with the last few miles, making it hard to keep up my pace and stay warm as the sweat evaporated

Many pluses:

• A late start of 11:00 am
• One of the shuttle bus drivers, Captain Al, was a "party bus" driver as his regular job. His banter included welcoming us to "Disney" for the "worst spandex parade ever".
• Saw several pairs of beer socks. There was beer at the finish, and the socks were a terrific motivator. (I learned that "beer" is a two-syllable word in the Northeastern dialect pronounced "bee-ah".)
• Met twin sisters, local women about my age and my running pace, one running the half and the other the 5K. The two races started at the same time and shared the first 2.5 miles of the course.
• A couple miles of packed dirt road, surrounded by forest with glacier-dropped rocks and boulders strewn throughout, and the occasional bubbling brook. It was my favorite part of the course--not too hilly, peaceful, easy running.
• Musical entertainers along the course, including belly dancers between miles 9 and 10. Yes, belly dancers. I applaud their commitment to their art, dancing in those outfits that didn't provide much protection from the cold.

Newmarket is only a little over an hour drive from the Boston area and about 20 minutes from Maine. The weekend included sightseeing via duck tour in Boston on Saturday and a scenic drive along the southern coast of Maine on Sunday afternoon. Though my race time was slower than I'd like, it's another state checked off the list, number 11 so far, and a memorable trip with my husband to quaint New England.

Another Runner Connection

I donated blood this week and connected with a fellow runner, an Armstrong CC and Track coach named Sarah. She did a fabulous job drawing my blood and also suggest I try Clif Shot Bloks in order to maintain energy on the long, cold runs. Thanks, Sarah!