Badlands

I believe in the faith that could save me.
I believe in the hope and I pray that some day it
Will raise me above these
Badlands...

It is ironic that the Badlands in South Dakota are called Badlands when they are so beautiful - genuinely bizarre, enticing to the imagination, and awe inspiring with creativity. Luckily the marathon didn't traverse the jagged edges of the volcanic remnants of Earth's formation millions of years ago. Instead the marathoners got to experience the contrasting pastoral and dark greens of the Black Hills National Forrest on a Rails to Trails converted path meandering around mountains, babbling brooks, and horse and cattle pastures. We started in Rochford, a dilapidated little town where the town Church's bathroom facilities was an outhouse. It was quaint and somewhat perfectly simple in this world of complexities. People ask why I would go to South Dakota to run 26.2 miles. There is no better way to experience an area than by running through it feeling the changing earth under your feet, meeting locals who come up to cheer and volunteer to hand you a cup of water during the brief second of visitation, and exploring an area where you might never be otherwise. Visiting South Dakota was a pleasant surprise being able to see the majesty of Mt. Rushmore, the Black Hills, Badlands, Wall Drug, Minuteman Missile National Site, Chapel in the Hills, the famous (and infamous) western town of Deadwood home to the marathon, Wild Bill Hiccok and Calamity Jane. I stayed in Sturgis, destination of the famous Motorcycle Rally being held for the 69th time this August. Oh yes, I did run the marathon on the George S. Michelson Trail. What I didn't realize and never even thought to consider was that the marathon is run at about 6000 feet of altitude with the first 13 miles uphill cresting at mile 13 and then dropping 1500 feet to Deadwood. The first 5 miles were a real struggle but later acclimated and ran the second half slightly faster than the first. I was happy with 4:08 bearing in mind the slight altitude and stopping to take pictures. So, the Badlands really turned out to be the Goodlands. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned that the Badlands are necessary to find the Goodlands.

The Pack - three weeks prior to the Deadwood Marathon, I ran in Green Bay. Although I seemed to really never find Green Bay, I found what I was looking for in the home to the oldest NFL football stadium in the country and to one of the original professional football teams in the country - the Green Bay Packers. The great Vince Lombardi haunts the venue to make you feel like your best is not good enough meaning you can always go beyond your best and make it something special. For me, the marathon in Green Bay was special. It was my 7th fastest marathon and maybe the most comfortable in years. I ran 3:50 with an even split pacing with the 3:50 pace group (mostly because I forgot my watch.) I toured Lambeau field and visited the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame the day before. The history and greatness of the the franchise, players and coaches just make you want to put forth your greatest effort, especially the last quarter mile when lapping the interior of Lambeau field to the cheers of fans. For me, I can't figure out any other reason to go to Green Bay and I noticed that the dairy cows in Wisconsin are quite lazy.

It has been 6 months and 9 marathons in 9 different states. I have also reached 30 different states in my quest to run a marathon in each U.S. state. My next marathon/ultra will be my 50th and I plan/hope to get to my 50th marathon in New Orleans on my 50th Birthday in February. I need to run 6 more between now and then. It is a wonderful way to see different parts of the country - the Badlands as a good example.