This name change was unignorable. The race was held on Bowman Haley Lake’s north shore on the southern North Dakota border. The lake’s address has a Minnehaha address. Looking at Bing maps, there are no commercial structures in the zip code.
The race was managed by Mainly Marathons, which hosts 13 week-long series across the country comprising 70 days of racing. Their marathons are referred to by series name and day number. I like the creative name “Minnehaha Marathon.”
The Center of the Nation Series consists of 6 days, one each in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana. North Dakota was the last state I needed to complete all 50. The last time I was in the state was 1964.
I was scheduled to run this race last fall before I ended up in the hospital 12 days before race day. With only four marathons in the state, North Dakota is a stressful state to finish the journey. Two are a few weeks apart in May, and the other are a few weeks apart in the fall. If I were to have another issue this year, it would be another eight months of training.
Once I hit the road on Tuesday, October 3, for the Friday race, I stopped all monitoring (blood pressure, EKG). I didn’t want to worry about fixing anything.
The drive out included overnights in Elkhart, Indiana, and Fargo. High winds from the west reduced my gas consumption to under 40 miles per gallon. Thursday’s drive from Fargo to Dickinson, North Dakota, was into the race day’s expected 20 to 30 mph winds. Gas usage dropped to 30 miles per gallon until I hooked into a truck’s slipstream, improving to the high 30s. My Toyota’s adaptive cruise control is an excellent ECO device.
Motel options for this race are either Dickinson, North Dakota, or Rapid City, South Dakota. Both are about 90-minute drives from the lake. Camping is an option for some. Not me.
I needed to get up at 2:30 am for the 6 am start. Being on MDT, these times were 4:30 am and 8 am for my body clock. When I left the hotel at 3:45, it was 32 degrees with 25 mph winds creating a 20-degree wind chill. With the low humidity, the dew point was 16 degrees.
The drive south in the dark on the back roads of North Dakota was interesting. Some of the roads were 65 mph and well-marked. Others were unpaved without shoulder lines. Even with high beams, bends were challenging to see. Views of the scenery did not exist.
On the southern horizon from Dickinson, there were lines of blinking red lights, which I thought were marking power lines. Like running through the desert, I never reached the lights.
Upon arrival, the temperature dropped to 29 degrees, and the winds sustained at 25 mph with 35 mph gusts out of the northwest.
The course was 12 out-and-back asphalt laps. Outbound headed uphill going southeast, which made the return into the headwind going downhill. This layout presented a strategic challenge, as I usually use the uphill to walk, drink, and run the downhill leg.
I felt good about my preparation runs and races. My FitBit readiness score was 97%. I hoped to break 6 hours and maybe 5:30. My goal was to keep the laps under 30 minutes.
The forecast was mostly sunny, with winds not declining in speed. By 9 am, the temperature was forecasted to be 33 degrees and noon, 48 degrees.
Being a multiple-lap course, I was allowed a tub on the drink table with replacement drink bottles. I wore my single-bottle belt. So I could walk while drinking.
Before the race, I mixed four bottles of UCAN energy and two bottles of UCAN hydrate. I would finish a bottle every two laps. I planned to walk for 2 minutes at the beginning of each downhill leg. Without the wind, the walking break would be in the uphill direction.
In 1995, I bought a Gore-Tex jacket. I’ve never worn this jacket in a marathon. Today was the exception.
I wore tights over compression shorts, my jacket over a singlet over a long-sleeved Cool Max shirt, a knit cap, a neck gaiter, Gore-Tex shell mittens over liners, and my Saucony Triumph 20 shoes. I had other clothes in my car, parked near the start if needed.
Running the first leg in the dark, I did not see the uphill or feel it. The strong wind at my back pushed me along. When I turned around, I started running downhill into the wind. Walking into the wind was as fast as running with less effort. So, I walked downhill.
I was overhydrated, and on the third through tenth downhill, I needed to stop at the pit toilet without going a few feet off course.
When the sun rose in the third lap, it glared into my face in the uphill legs for a few hours.
On my sixth uphill, I was getting breathing pains while running. I still completed the climb without walking. I made it through the half-marathon in 2:49:09. On the seventh uphill, the pangs returned, so I reverted to walking the remainder of the race. Walking was not causing any pain. My motivation was to finish any way that I could.
Starting my eleventh lap, I decided to walk as fast as possible and did not make a pit stop. By this time, the temperature was in the mid-40s. Going uphill, I could feel the sweat on my back. I did not want to change out of my jacket as it was a good block against the cold wind on the return.
I pushed the last two laps and finished the last 100 meters running.
My finish time was 6:02:18 for 12th overall. My second half was a 3:13:09.
My two lap splits were 55:28, 56:34, 57:07, 66:27, 67:06, and 59:34.
My best splits were 11:38 uphill and 14:20 downhill. My worst splits were 16:41 and 18:15. My individual 24 splits were not comparable because of conditions.
This marathon was my 85th in my 50th state. As for my favorite race list, it falls near the bottom.
The organizers provided a starter medal with hooks on the bottom to attach a finisher medal.
On my return drive to Dickinson, I saw the open range and fields of sunflowers. Those blinking red lights were wind turbines.
I started back to Fredericksburg the next day. I stopped overnight in Minneapolis and Hammond, Indiana. While in Indiana, I used the buy-in award I won in an online tournament for a no-limit hold ’em tournament at the Horseshoe Hammond Casino WSOP Circuit stop. My aggression is lacking. I won’t spend my own money at these level tournaments.
With the 20 mph wind to my back, I averaged 45 miles per gallon, with some sections above 50 miles per gallon.
Over time, I accumulated many running accessories. Today, I used my single bottle belt, Gore-Tex jacket, number belt, and Gore-Tex mittens, which I have owned for over 25 years. Take care of your equipment, and it will take care of you.
What’s next?
I have seen these races online. Your comments are appreciated. I have just started on my 50 state journey and have just completed state #3 and marathon #6. I, too, am a slow runner. But you crossed the finish line and that was the goal. I will read some more of your adventures.