First off, congratulations Joe for an excellent run in Boston. 3:15:41 is good anywhere, but with the big crowds in Boston, that is very fast.

I’ve always known the older runners in the Rapid City area were special, but as I travel around, it becomes even more apparent. In my travels, I often run races, and usually do fairly well in my age division (54). The one place I don’t fare very well is at home. Last year I ran a 5k in RC and finished 3rd overall, but second in my division. Randy Ericksen is a continuous thorn in my side. I’ve beaten him once, when he jogged and took video. He isn’t really what you expect to see when you think of awesome runner, but under that barrel chest beats a 200 hp heart.

Gary Haven is 57, and I rarely defeat him. Right now he is training for this summers Badlands Primal Quest. Most people are contemplating retirement when they reach his age, he is looking for the next big athletic challenge. Last spring Gary and Randy went to Colorado and ran a hill race. The race consisted of running up a ski slope, then riding the tram back down. This circuit went on for several hours. Wow!

Roger Heacock is another older guy who makes most younger runners look slow. While he doesn’t run as many miles as some of us, his talent and tenacity keep him close to the front in races. I’ll be glad to see Roger and Gary turn 60 in a couple of years, so I don’t have them in my age group. Fifty-nine year old Wally Little Moon is another runner I will not miss in my AG. While he doesn’t look all that impressive, I wouldn’t really know, I usually only see him from behind.

There are many other “Master” runners in the Black Hills worth taking note of. We seem to have more than our fair share. While I cannot name all of them, I would be remiss if I didn’t add Amy Yanni, Lorna Squyer and my hero, Elaine Doll Dunn to the list. I really don’t mind running against them however, they have their own age group and gender to contend with.

Oh, and my last race . . . a 5k in Monroe, WA was a 20:43, I finished 1st in my age group, and 2nd overall. Sometimes I really miss all those “OLD” guys, and sometimes not!

gary

This in from Jerry Dunn:

Monday’s the day…….THE BOSTON MARATHON.

Here at Lean Horse Productions, inc, the organizers of the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon and the Lean Horse Hundred Ultra, we consider all long distance runners to be family.  There is some common thread that binds us all together. And with that thought in mind I invite all of you to support everyone you know who will be running in the 113^th edition of this legendary event. The marathon runners that are in my “immediate” family….those living in South Dakota….are few, compared to other states, but we stick together out here in the Heartland, and one of our own sent me this email requesting support.  I share it with you in hopes that in addition to your support of those from your inner circle, you will also support Chris and the other runners from the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Hey all,
 
Well, the day is almost upon me.  I fly outta Rapid City tomorrow afternoon and run Boston on Monday morning.  If anyone is interested in tracking my progress online, you can (provided it fits within your workplace policy for personal use of the computer, of course).  Here’re the quick and dirty instructions:
 
1 - On Monday morning, go to the Boston Marathon website (http://www.baa.org).
2 - Click on the “Athlete Tracking” link (it should be pretty obvious).
3 - Enter my bib number (5189).
 
I should start running at about 10:05 Eastern time.  Once I start, the information online will get updated every 5 kilometers and will show the last checkpoint I passed, my current pace, my current time and my projected finish time.  For reference, the fastest I’ve ever run one of these things is 3:09:41 (the time that got me into Boston).  I’d like to go faster than that on Monday, but we’ll see.  Boston is tough.  My main goal is to enjoy the experience, no matter what. 
 
I thought the marathon was going to be broadcast nationwide, but I guess I was wrong.  NBC is broadcasting it on their Universal Sports channel, but as near as I can tell, not many people actually get that channel.  But, you can watch the live broadcast at http://www.universalsports.com.  If you actually catch a glimpse of me on there, it’ll be nothing short of a miracle.  There’re over 26,000 runners registered this year and 99% of the television coverage will focus on the elite runners, so it’s a crapshoot at best.  The elite races should be good ones, though.  Americans (Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher) actually have a legitimate shot at winning for the first time since 1983 (men) and 1985 (women).
  
Thanks for all the support!
 
Chris   

Black Hills Runners:

Chris Stores                   5189
Priscilla Romkema     19257

Carlos Martinez           4358

Tim Raben                  21184  

Dennis Meier               15237

Amy Yanni                    9971

Debbie Doolittle            20288