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.