Sioux
Falls, SD Marathon Sep. 13, 2015
3:58:40 119/307 overall 1/7 Age Group
Arriving in Sioux Falls on Sat
afternoon, I noticed a few big differences from Fresno: the sky was blue, the
air was clear and gas was $2/gallon. I'm
also finding that I much prefer the smaller-town marathons to the big-city
ones: the logistics of getting around, getting my packet and getting to the
starting line are so much easier. I checked into my Super 8 motel (no Jodi, so
1/2 the price for 2 nights than NY, SF, etc. are for one); it had a bed, shower
and sink and even a free breakfast, so all I needed! It was 2 miles from the
airport and 4 miles from the race expo and start/finish so much more convenient
than the big-city races.
At the expo I got my picture taken
with 2 local beauty queens and met the local FCA director, Chris Anderson, who
knows Dave and Cheryl Kurtze, having met them in Boston in 2011. At the pasta
dinner I met a woman who is working on running the 50 states and is doing the Napa
Marathon in 2016 so I got to tell her about Calistoga and Jodi BQing there this
year. I told her that we'd look for her next March as Jodi is running it again.
I also talked to the man who runs a Pace Team company and found out that he
brings in his own runners who each do a number of his events each year.
Interesting to find out that for smaller venues, there are not enough local
runners so a company like this supplies them.
The race started at 6:30AM so I
arrived there about 5:30 and saw them setting up the finish line on the track.
The start was just outside the field and we set off in the dark with a temp in
the low 50s. I was hoping to get under 4 hours so started off slowly, running
9:10-9:20s the first few miles. The course had a lot of smaller hills and wound
through downtown and residential areas. It also had a lot of miles on a
beautiful bike path that ran along a river and went through the large linear park
in SF. As the morning warmed into the 60s, the trees in the park provided shade
and helped keep it cooler. There was also a breeze that cooled things and was
noticeable when running into it and a big help when it was behind us.
I got through the half at about 2:01
and was still feeling pretty strong as I had not been pushing at all. I started
seeing sub 9 min miles on my watch and often settled into 8:35 pace which felt
good. There were some longer hills which weren't too steep so I could get up
them ok and then see low 8s or even 7s on my watch. Mile 16 had a lot of
downhill so it was a 7:58 after the uphill mile of 9:24 before it. Mile 18 was
an 8:34 as was mile 20 with an 8:55 between. Miles 23 & 25 were under 9 and
the others just over as I was able to finish strong and gain time on my 4 hour
goal.
It was very cute to have pre-teen
girls presenting us our finisher medals. After getting my chocolate milk and
food, I went back to my motel to clean-up. I returned to the finish area and
found out that I had gotten first in my age group with a time of 3:58:40. This
was my first marathon in 65-69 group, but I would also have been first in
60-64!
In the afternoon I first visited
Falls Park where there is a 4-story tower with a great view of the falls and
the ruins of a grist mill. At the visitor center there, I found out about the
statues downtown that are there for a contest each year with the one receiving
the most votes being bought by the city. You can see a few of my favs in the
pictures. I then had lunch at 5 Guys and headed to 2 museums that the visitor
center girls had recommended. The architecture of SF homes and buildings is
truly spectacular. I toured the home of R. F. Pettigrew who was SD's first
senator in 1896. He was the Donald Trump of his time having made his money in
real estate and helping the city of Sioux Falls bring in other ventures. The
Old Courthouse Museum had a lot of western memorabilia and history and included
a cute display of the history of the purse.
An eggs breakfast dinner at a cute
diner followed by a pumpkin pie blizzard at Dairy Queen helped replenish my
depleted body in a yummy way.
This was Marathon #143; 21 states
on 2d go round; 8 Canadian provinces. Next up: Trapline Marathon in Labrador
& Newfoundland on Oct. 11.
Pictures at: https://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=06aa5f3552dc6cf7&sid=1JcNWbVkxZi8
