17 May 2008, FARGO MARATHON

Today’s Fargo Marathon was great race and am happy to be able to report that since I was a bit concerned going into it after running a tough 50K only 6 days ago and feeling a couple small catches and pains here an there. The hour wait to start between arriving in the parikng lot and moving to the starting line was pleasant enough since they open the Fargo Dome as a waiting area where there is climate control and conventional restrooms rather than the usual outside elements and port-o-pottys. The male singer for the national anthems of Canada and the USA was satisfactory but not of the high quality often recruited for such duty. His obvious Minnesota pronunciation of some lyrics is noteworthy and surprising.

I decide to go easy at first so start at about 9:45/mile for the first couple miles.

At mile 5 a “man bites dog” story takes place that is worth reporting. A young man of perhaps college age is running near me looking slightly back over his shoulder at some women cheering from the curb. As he faces back forward, he simultaneously collides with a parked car. Fortunately he appears uninjured and gets up immediately and begins joking about it. I point out to those within earshot that we sometimes hear that a runner got hit by a car, but it’s rarely vise versa.

The course is nice enough if not spectacularly beautiful. It is well-supported by cheering crowds and volunteers staffing aid stations. We pass rivers (may have been the same one several times), a well maintained golf course, a nice upscale residential area, part of downtown, and also ran a few miles on a bike path. The marathon begins and ends in North Dakota but a chunk of the middle miles are in Minnesota. That includes passing right through the lovely campus of Concordia College in Moorhead MN which I know by name and reputation as a place that has a good music program. I believe they have some vocal ensembles that can be heard on Public Radio.

Near 12 miles one of my new friends from expo dinner catches up to me briefly and calls my name but after a short encouraging conversation I surged a bit and she never catches back up. Her husband is following her by bicycle. I see her later and she finished about 14 minutes behind me but still managed to qualify for Boston. At exactly 13 miles I was passed by the 4:10 pace group. Cool! I’m doing better than I thought.

The forecasted strong Canadian winds don’t show up until I am at about 16 miles. They give a welcome cooling effect but are also hard to fight against depending on which direction we are running. The drying perspiration leaves salt deposits on my cloths and skin and I have some trouble with burning eyes from the salt.

My strategy to start easy pays off not only for physical self-preservation but also in terms of finish time. I often slow WAY down in the second half but today am able to hold close to my modest starting pace through the entire event. That’s nice in the final miles when many other folks decomposed and are walking and/or barely shuffling. I pass a lot of runners in the last 5 miles

The finish set-up is great. The final 0.2 miles of the course curve around the outside of the Fargo Dome and through some large bay doors into the facility where finishers are projected onto the jumbo-screens as an announcer identifies nearly all of the runners to the cheering spectators in the stands by name, age, and home town. I haven’t yet seen my official time but by my watch I had a chip time of 4:18 and some seconds (only about 2 minutes slower than Flying Pig 13 days ago.) It was a satisfying and enjoyable finish.

As usual I was bit spaced out and disoriented after pulling together a respectable kick to pass a couple more runners in the final 0.1 mile. Also normal was the finish line personnel inquiring if I was all right or if I needed assistance. I must have looked pretty bad but was really fine. Pictures from the official photographers are available at

http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=32488&BIB=350&S=230&PWD=

so you can judge for yourself.

The finisher medal is heavy and colorful. The post-race food is better and more varied than is customary at these events. Besides the usual Gatorade, bagels and bananas they also offer the more desirable unlimited pizza, ice cream sandwiches, and beef-vegetable soup.

I recommend this event to anyone and will gladly do it again. My only disclaimer is that folks from the area tell stories of how in past years the conditions included snow. This year was good weather for which everyone seems grateful.

This is being composed from a local steakhouse where I went for dinner. I decide against my usual Outback Steakhouse for post race recovery. The advice from my chef brother-in-law, Greg, was to eat local since it’s always better. The decision was made easier by the coupon in my race packet that offered a $2.62 (10 cents a mile) discount for marathoners so how could I refuse? The special was a one-pound sirloin . Although it appeared quite large when delivered, I finished all of it along with the loaded baked potato and Cesar salad. A group of 11 marathoners from Regina Saskatchewan is celebrating at the table next to me, Eh? We exchanged stories and I take a couple group photos for them. They’ve had several rounds of drinks and are getting boisterous. I love their accents. One of them has a birthday today and of course we all sang.

There’s a large shopping mall diagonally across from my hotel that boasts of free wi-fi from anywhere in the mall. Is this a great country or what? I’m going back there to send this and then will likely go to sleep early tonight. I’ve nearly recovered accept for some residual leg stiffness and a sleep deficit.