Steve and I didn’t have high hopes for this trip or marathon. I had been dealing with an ear infection and illness for two weeks and was still not feeling well (not to mention hot flashes and my hip tendonitis were back). And of course, the saying goes ‘when it rains, it pours,’ and there were storms filling the forecast during our time in South Dakota. But my goodness, am I pleasantly surprised to share that this trip and race were incredible! To use Steve’s words “This was the best marathon… EVER!” What a way to kick off our journey to 50 Marathons in 50 States (for the second time).
We arrived in Rapid City on Friday. We enjoyed a day of sight-seeing to include Mount Rushmore. We checked into the historic Alex Johnson Hotel where we had drinks on the roof top and headed to our room for the night. We absolutely loved the hotel; however, we got little sleep since there was a wedding party celebrating all night long. The views were stunning, and the food was delicious on our second day exploring. We enjoyed buffalo burgers and time with my Uncle John, who was also running the marathon. We picked up our packets for the race and unfortunately had another night of no sleep since our room shared a wall with the hotel bar. I wasn’t feeling my best the morning of the marathon. I was exhausted and not feeling well; I had a persistent earache, chest congestion and hot flashes. I know how important outlook is to the experience we have, and so I was determined to embrace the day and focus on the views and the beautiful opportunity I had before me (and not focus on everything that was bothering me). The weather during the race was absolutely perfect. The views were stunning from beginning to finish (and the trails were immaculately kept). At mile 13 it started to rain, but everyone around me shouted with joy (clearly this wasn’t raining on our parade). The rain shower was brief, and the joy I shared with my fellow racers still brings a smile to my face. At mile 20, I was slowed by a downhill with mud, but I still enjoyed that leg of the race. I finished the marathon in 4:12. I was very proud (and surprised) knowing how terrible I felt. And bonus…. I took 1st place in my age group! After the race, I relaxed and cheered on the other runners as they crossed the finish line (including my Uncle John and hubby). We took a brisk walk back to the hotel and enjoyed a post-marathon party downtown with a fellow marathoner (who is 77 years old) and his wife. For our active recovery day, we explored Devils tower and the Badlands National Park. Steve and I thought this trip were going to be a bust due to being sick the week prior to going and the forecasted weekend of rainstorms however, it ended up being one of the best trips ever. I hope this motivates you to keep an open mind and take a chance. We cannot predict how an experience will go (even when we have some evidence that leaves us feeling pessimistic). Like John Legend said, “ You learn so much from taking chances, whether they work out or not.” So take the chance and hopefully it surprises you (in the best possible way) and if it doesn’t it certainly will teach you something. Until Next Monday...
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October 2024
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