As October rolls into November, and the weather gets crisper, I find myself running less each week. This has been a pattern of mine since college. Then it was the end of the Cross Country season. Now it is just my body telling me it needs a break. It has very little to do with the weather, I actually like running in the cooler weather. But after pounding the roads and trails all spring and summer, my body and mind just crave a rest. I don’t quit running altogether, just cut back on my mileage. Once January hits, I’ll start gearing up for the next season, the next race, the next challenge.

How about you? Does anyone else find an ebb and flow in their running, or am I an anomaly? I have friends that kept running streaks alive for years, never missing a day, some of them running 5-7 miles every day. I’ve never been able to do that, either physically or mentally. Actually, I’ve never wanted to do that. Running for me is a pleasure, and when it gets to be a pain, I don’t do it. Simple as that. 

Just a reminder to anyone who might be reading this. The Black Hills Runners Club sponsored Halloween Sock Hop 5K and 1K kids run is scheduled for Sunday, Oct 26 at 1:00, Canyon Lake Park. Kids run free and receive candy at the finish line. Prizes awarded for the best costumes. Centipede’s encouraged!

We also have our annual Turkey Trot upcoming on Thanksgiving day. Three hundred fifty pies awarded. Join us for what has become an annual party. Then we have our BHRC Jingle Bell run, scheduled for Dec 10 at the Sports Rock Bar in downtown Rapid City. Run the boulevard at 6:00, then join us for refreshments and snacks. Finally, the BHRC Christmas Party will be Dec 20. Check out our web site for more info: blackhillsrunnersclub.com

You can also receive our weekly email (don’t have to be a member) by going to the website, click the join link and sign up to our Yahoo Group. The email details weekly runs and social events. Also check out the website for benefits of joining the Black Hills Runners Club. We have over 100 families already, and for $15 per year, it is easy to get your money’s worth. Don’t think you have to be some super star runner to belong, we have many walkers and joggers among our members.

See ya on the roads,

Gary

Apparently I’m not doing a lot of running because I keep blogging, so I promise to get back out there.

Mt Rushmore was the 3^rd marathon in 14 days for me and with it came a new kind of pain. This one was nice because it was close to home unlike Omaha or MT. I knew the course wasn’t easy either, so my goal was simply to finish. The start was pleasant and the course was scenic with the fall colors blooming. Even a mountain goat watched the racers pass through the first mile from a cliff next to the road.  Ask me about my “encounter” within the first mile – it really made my day.

Temps rose and a slight breeze picked up which was a far cry from last year’s rain and very cool temperatures. I cruised through Hill City and the halfway point to struggle through the next 7 miles of steep hills and some rough trail. The course turned off Deerfield Rd after mile 16 and continued on some dirt road for a little bit. The rough trail started somewhere around mile 17 and continued  with several steep hills and uneven footing. Any other day, I would welcome it but not 17 miles into my 3^rd marathon in two weeks. I did a lot of walking here and I wasn’t the only one. I noticed many other people walking through that section too, but I noticed that when I started running again, they stayed with walking. I don’t blame them. It was a tough section. After we got back on the Mickleson Trail around mile 20, I picked back up the pace and enjoyed the gentle downhill. I was able to push through the wall and finished in 4:24 and change, good enough for first in my age group (I was the only one in my age group, but don’t tell anyone).

I think the biggest stories are all the first-timers who took on the marathon distance for the first time on the Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse courses. I would like to hear some of those stories.

Joe Rozak