State Number 32 – Fargo Marathon
Fargo, ND
20 May 2017
I don’t know how far you’ll go, but I’ll go all the way
to North Dakota to run 26.2 miles and to complete my 32nd state. That’s how far – uff da!
The 1996 movie Fargo
is a homespun murder story that supposedly took place in the frigid hinterlands
near Fargo, but in reality, took place in Brainerd, MN. Hey, not far from the Run for the Lakes
Marathon (State No. 15).
I have always been intrigued with languages and the associated
variations of linguistics and dialects.
The film’s depictions of Minnesota nice and the distinct accents made a
lasting impression on me. I found the Fargo accent and the tag lines, “Yah,
you betcha” or “dun-chya-no?” are quite similar to the Norse and the Swedes. Personally, I believe some of the actor’s accents
were exaggerated for dramatic effects and to poke fun of the regional tonal inflections. As I walked around Fargo, the accents were
not extravagant as the film’s portrayal, but I did hear some accents characteristic
to the Minnesota/Fargo area.
We boarded our non-stop red-eye Delta flight to Minneapolis (MSP) shortly
after midnight and was not something I was too delighted about. I am surprised how busy LAX can be during the
late hours of the day and how many passengers boarded red-eyes. At least we didn’t experience any of the LAX terminal
relocation issues that were predicted, except for a paltry gate change. Our only annoyance was the exorbitant
traffic into the terminal area.
The 0630 CDT arrival in MSP allowed for plenty of time to
navigate our way through Minneapolis freeways (in time for morning rush, by the
way) and drive the wearisome and uninteresting stretch of I-94 across southern
Minnesota up ‘nort’ into Fargo before the expo.
It may be late spring, but ‘ifa-guywazta’ drive in and around
the state of Minnesota, let alone Minneapolis, what does that mean? Annoyances, frustrations and aggravations on
the state’s highways and byways. Yes, it’s
construction season! Our last experience
with Minneapolis traffic on I-494 was certainly less than idyllic and was
definitely on my mind. Construction,
traffic, lane closures and more construction.
This time, we definitely got a “brake”, so to speak – no construction
related traffic messes! The construction
on I-494 we witnessed during our 2015 Minnesota visit was now complete. The freeway in all its glory looked
completely different showcasing additional lanes allowing for increased
ADTs. Ok, on with my tome.
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| Welcome |
What makes the Fargo Marathon worth running? Besides the chance to challenge both one’s
physical and mental limits, the Fargo Marathon consists of a great course
complete with a wide range of scenic views, hordes of volunteers, musicians (a
shout-out to the Kringen Accordion Band and their great polka music – reminded
me of my Scandinavian midsummer festival days) and enthusiastic fans lining Fargo’s
tree-lined streets and pedestrian walkways throughout the city’s park lands. All of this certainly adds value to making
this marathon a great event – all culminating in the friendly confines of the
Fargodome.
In addition to all the benefits running and the
associated training brings to the body, running provides me with a sort of
confidence I can do the impossible. Perhaps
I can inspire others to take up running, but marathoning the states affords me
an opportunity to meet new people, travel to new places and to explore new
cities in a way few people, even locals, may do.
I managed about five minutes of sleep on our overnight
flight. Surprisingly, after 30 hours I
wasn’t as fatigued as I thought I would feel as we took to the highway. The nearly four-hour drive to Fargo included
a half-hour rest stop off I-94 mid-way between Minneapolis and Fargo for a
short nap – at least a well-intended nap.
I found it hard to sleep in a reclined car seat with a head rest that
felt like an out-of-place rock supporting my head, but I felt like I managed to
squeak in a few minutes at least.
After resupplying my system with a 20-ounce bottle of
Diet Coke laced with a little caffeine, I was set to go. I began my driving shift across the flat prairie
lands of western Minnesota, with its topography reminiscent of my hometown, and
across the Red River of the North to our destination hotel in West Fargo.
The West Fargo area appears to be a rapidly developing part
of metropolitan Fargo. New apartment
complexes, residential subdivision tracts, a new multi-story hospital, multiple
hotels and business centers abound with no signs of stopping. I wondered if the growth was a direct influence
of the oil industry and the Dakota Pipeline project as well as the lower cost
of living.
It was a cool cloudy day, temperatures in the upper 40s
with a stiff northeasterly wind out of Canada.
I knew I would enjoy the marathon with that kind of weather. We both paid attention to the Weather Bug app
and the local news forecasts. Each one
called for rain to hold off until after 1200, but overcast skies and chilly
temperatures would prevail – perfect!
We took a little snooze in our room (on the third floor
FURTHEST from the elevator as one can get) before we headed to the Fargodome
for the expo and packet pick up. The
last thing we needed was a repeat performance of Rhode Island.
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| The main building where it all begins and ends |
After a delicious corned beef sandwich at Firehouse Subs,
it was off to the Fargodome. Our
itinerary included attending the lectures from the three guest speakers
headlining the expo, with the first one, GP Pearlberg, at 1400 hours. Unfortunately, we arrived near the end of Mr.
Pearlberg’s appearance who lectured on inspiration, coaching techniques and
running biomechanics. I’m a science kind
of guy and I wish I could have heard his insightful words of knowledge.
“You are an ironman (or marathoner)!” as the case may
be. These are the famous words thousands
of endurance runners have heard from Mike Reilly, the “Voice of the Ironman”,
and the second speaker of the day. Mike
has announced numerous famous marathons and is the featured announcer at
Ironman Hawaii (Kona). With his years of
endurance running experience, he provided all in attendance with very
inspirational stories. This year, Mike was
the “Voice of Fargo” as runners crossing the finish line in the Fargodome heard
his iconic words.
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| I know |
However, nothing may be more motivational and inspirational
than the third and keynote speaker, Dave McGillivray, the race director for the
Boston Marathon. His discourse wasn’t
just about running, but what’s possible if people only believed in themselves
and their own abilities to do what’s seemingly overwhelming, challenging and
impossible. He chronicled his life’s ups
and downs, amazing journeys and endurance accomplishments like running from
Medford, OR to his home in Medford, MA in eighty days and running for
noteworthy charities. From a time he
dreamed of becoming a Celtic point guard, a Patriot quarterback or an infielder
for the Red Sox, he found his calling in life by taking up running (especially
for those who can’t) and directing many major running and charity events. Some of the stories of the amazing people
Dave has met during his life undoubtedly brought tears to the eyes of everyone
in the room.
Each and every year as Boston’s race director, after all
the participants and spectators have left, Dave toes the marathon start line in
Hopkinton. With a motorcycle escort guiding
the way, he runs the marathon course, saluting his beloved grandfather along
the way and crossing the finish line on Boylston Street during the nighttime
hours.
Following the speeches, I left feeling optimistic about
my abilities and I realized that one day I won’t be able to run, but 20 May was
not that day. I feel grateful I can run,
even though I may be slow and my days of a sub four-hour marathon may have passed. I learned that life may be hard, but I don’t
have it nearly as hard as some. For
that, I am thankful.
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| Expo |
With a newfound look on life and running, we hopped on
the escalator down to the Fargodome’s floor/arena level to browse the expo and
pick up our swag bag. Nothing special
except for the cinch sack and the event shirt.
The cool event shirt featured a tri-blend hoodie with a
guitar imprinted on the back side exemplifying the Fargo Rocks theme. I believe this comfortable hoodie will become
one of my favorites and I am pleased to wear it.
It was past 1800 hours and we were getting hungry. What’s our meal staple before a
marathon? Pizza! What better than Pizza Ranch? We stuffed our crops and headed back to the
hotel for some much needed rest for our 0700 start time. It was a long day to say the least.
We left the hotel quite early. The thought of heavy traffic into the Fargodome
venue was on my mind and I was not looking for a repeat performance of the
Garmin Marathon traffic debacle. As we
traveled northbound I-29, traffic was beginning to stack up a mile or so from
the 19th Avenue exit.
The exit at 19th Avenue (as well as 19th
Avenue itself) comprised of two eastbound lanes, so, I managed to pull off a
stunt similar to Garmin and used the lane less traveled (the No. 1 lane) and
cut in as we approached the Fargodome. I
was amazed how very few people employed that sneaky technique. Parking was a breeze and we arrived in plenty
of time to use the second floor restrooms, with no lines. We practically had them to ourselves. Strange no one would think of going
upstairs. I guess they like waiting in
lines to use the main level’s restrooms.
The inside atmosphere of the Fargodome was nice and warm and
was a treat for everyone who didn’t have to stand outside freezing while
waiting for the start gun to sound. The
starting wave wound around the arena floor while everyone jostled for their
positions according to their anticipated pace time. We, however, positioned ourselves not far
from the front so we didn’t have to move around and compete with the slower
runners as we left the building, up the loading ramp, through the parking lot
and out onto the streets of Fargo.
Because of Fargo’s close proximity to Manitoba, as well
as a sizable contingent of runners, the first National Anthem to play was “O
Canada”, sung by a female vocalist.
However, instead of a vocal performance of “The Star Spangled Banner”, a
local rock musician played the tune on his electric guitar similar to Jimi
Hendrix’s solo rendition. At least it
wasn’t comparable to his controversial Woodstock version. I admit the guitarist was good, but my
personal preference is to hear someone sing our anthem.
The race began with a large bang echoing throughout the
arena a few moments after the national hymns.
Starting near the front of the line has its price. We needed to keep a faster pace to keep up with
everyone else, but as the queue thinned out, I eased up on my pace a bit while
my wife continued on.
The inside warm air was nice, but as runners left the
building, a blast of cold air was right there to greet them. I felt cold and refreshed, but I knew I would
heat up and begin sweating within a half mile.
Shortly after exiting the Fargodome, my running shorts
began sagging with every step, giving all those plumbers some publicity to folks
behind me. The mass and momentum of the
car key fob bouncing around in my back zipper pocket was just enough to lower
my shorts with each step. I momentarily
left the platoon, tied the draw strings and, voila, fixed. No more plumbing shows.
The first 10 km of the marathon trekked along the elm-lined
residential streets of North Fargo, basically following the 10K course. Going out, my strategy was to pace myself for
a 2:05 half marathon split time with a projected 4:30 finish time.
Right from the outset, bundled up spectators braving the
cold weather were out in force welcoming the participants. It was evident that the city and the event
organizers are proud to showcase their annual marathon and all the week’s prior
events leading up to this ultimate event.
I overheard a runner say (must have been a Fargo alum) that during
warmer weather, many more spectators line the streets, but I will gladly trade
nice cool weather for a few less spectators.
I crossed the 5K and 10K splits in 29:20 and 57:47; respectively,
just ahead of my planned half split pace.
The course was super flat with only one small hill coming
after Marathon Mile 7 as the course entered the Red River Designated Floodway
and the serenity of the open parklands and bike/pedestrian trails. I approached a spectator telling runners to “enjoy
the descent off Mt. Fargo, because there won’t be any more hills.” I thought, if that short downgradient was any
indication, this marathon will be a piece of cake (as a function of difficulty,
of course).
For the next two miles, the course meandered through floodway’s
open area alongside the Red River crossing a small suspended pedestrian bridge intersecting
the state line leading into Moorhead, MN.
I enjoyed the area’s greenbelt and vegetative
setting. Around marathon Mile 10, four
construction workers donning their Class II reflective safety vests and
hardhats passed by me. I’m mostly an
office worker, but at times, I must wear a hardhat and vest during my job, and
the thought of running with a hardhat blows my mind. I bet my hairline would be forever altered
resulting from the constant movement of the hat.
Within a mile, I noticed the standing guys off the side
of the path joining in with other bagpipers also outfitted in their
construction attire as well. I was
impressed with that group of construction workers playing the bagpipes.
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| The Cobbers |
Shortly after passing under the Veterans Memorial Bridge, runners
began a three-mile section of an out-and-back loop to meet the Cobbers of
Concordia College, and the Dragons of Minnesota State Moorhead.
Concordia College was very picturesque complete with
manicured lawns, trees, shrubs and flower gardens. Dozens of students wearing their corn cob
hats were on hand to greet runners making their way through their impressive
campus. Wanna shuck?
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| The Dragons |
If that college wasn’t enough, Minnesota State Moorhead
was next on the agenda just a few short steps from Concordia. Many banners and flags fluttering in the wind
provided notice that runners were in Dragon country. The students let everyone know that the
Dragons were there to turn the Cobbers into popcorn.
As I came out of the college’s common area, I crossed the
half marathon split in a time of 2:04:18 (9:29 pace), slightly ahead of my
planned goal time.
It was back towards North Dakota, but first a trip around
the vertices of Daily Park.
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| Yes, it was small |
Daily Park’s claim to fame is Moorhead’s smallest
park. I can believe it. I estimated its triangular shape to be in the
neighborhood of 500 square feet, more or less.
Its five signs, a tiny patch of lawn with a flower bed in the middle are
its only amenities, leaving possibly only room to jump rope, practice yoga or keeping
ones fingers dirty by pulling weeds out of the flowers.
The Veterans Memorial Bridge spanning the Red River was
just around the corner at Marathon Mile 14.5.
I decided to walk across the landmark bridge connecting Moorhead and
Fargo in remembrance of the fallen as well as a needed rest break before
heading into the “quiet zone”.
The quiet zone was a three-mile portion of
pedestrian/bike trail running through the Red River’s floodway. The trail was void of bands with only sounds of
the river’s rapids, birds, footsteps and the occasional spectator. Many signs scattered along the trail educated
runners with some trivial facts of the Fargo area. I never realized that the average January
high temperature in Fargo is 14°F (I knew it was cold, but not that cold) and that the
Red River is one of a few in the world that flows due north. It was very interesting reading all the signs
and a great way to pass the time in the quiet zone.
Once back on to the city streets the quiet was no
more. The music of the many bands and
DJs resonated through the neighborhood.
For the next four miles, the tree-lined streets through the southern
part of Fargo were once again a part of the landscape. It was up Seventh Street, down Eighth Street
then back up Ninth Street into downtown crossing the 20-mile mark in 3:22:31.
Downtown Fargo was “just around the corner” and I looked
forward running past the iconic Fargo Theater in its art deco grandeur. My pace was becoming noticeably slower due to
my usual inner thigh and heel discomfort.
Upon leaving Fargo’s southern residential area, I began
to develop some calf cramps coming into the downtown environs. I consumed four quick dissolving
anti-cramping lozenges I had in my pocket with the hopes they would ease the
cramping discomfort. With only four
miles remaining, the Fargo Theater came into view as I made the left turn onto
Broadway with its famous sign resembling the neck and head of a guitar hanging
from its façade.
Once out of the short section of downtown, it was again
back into the tree-lined residential streets with old Fargo charm.
The last couple of miles seemed to fly by, likely because
I was feeling good, but I was anxious to see the Fargodome and conclude this
marathon in a memorable way. As I made
the left turn onto 11th Avenue North, I recognized Levi’s Hope Last
Mile charity banner spanning the street signifying one mile to go. Wow, ten minutes left to go in this amazing
race.
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| Marathon summary |
Everyone experiences some sort of loss and hardship in
their lives; but it’s about getting up, dusting yourself off and get on with
it. All of the charity’s supporters were
so excited for the runners, and through osmosis, their excitement drove me to
crank up the pace. I recognized that the
4:30 goal time was out the window, but a 4:35 marathon was a real possibility –
until my calf began to cramp. I was
rather disappointed, but I plugged on the best I could. I was able to keep up a good pace, but not as
fast as I wanted to, but just enough to avoid cramping. I had the energy, but the pain was the
governing factor. The lozenges worked to
some extent, but not completely.
At last, the Fargodome was in full view. I was focused while monitoring my watch, but
when it showed 4:35 as I approached the loading ramp, I said, “Oh well, it’ll
be close enough for government work!” If
I hadn’t walked across that bridge. If
my calf didn’t cramp. If only I tied my
draw string before the race, I would have fulfilled my goal. No excuses.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda. I
suddenly remembered Dave McGillivray’s lecture about running for those who
can’t and how fortunate we are. That
made me feel much better.
I ran down the loading ramp into the Fargodome with a
blast of warm air hitting me in the face.
I was already hot and didn’t need that extra heat, but it was sure
pleasant as I was inside. Usually, my
wet clothes gives me the chills as I cool down, but not this time. No wind, no cold, just a balmy 70° or so.
I crossed the finish line in a time of 4:36:38 (10:34
pace), satisfied with my performance.
Age graded
score: 51.46%
Age graded
time: 4:06:29
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| I rocked it! Now, for my next bling. |
Awaiting the runners were an assortment of food
items. Bananas, bagels, pizza (hot and
delicious), orange wedges and an unusual item, chocolate chip cookie dough
lined the tables.
I wolfed down a couple slices of pepperoni pizza, bananas
and a two scoops of cookie dough. I love
cookie dough and it really hit the spot.
Salmonella did cross my mind once, but it quickly faded after eating the
first scoop.
We left the Fargodome about an hour after finishing this
great race. By then, most people had
left the parking lot, so traffic out of the Fargodome was not an issue.
Since we were in Fargo to have a good time, we planned to
have some post-marathon fun by partaking in the annual 27th Mile Pub
Crawl.
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| Famous pub crawl medal |
The pub crawl CAN be an enjoyable way to experience some
of the great establishments of downtown – and earn another MEDAL! (Emphasis added). The five participants included the Pickled
Parrot, Rooters, Ft. Noks, the Sports Bar, and the Old Broadway.
We drove to the hotel to clean up and take a load off
before the “pubathon” experience. The
cold rain began to fall not long after we left the Fargodome. The weather forecasters were right with their
precipitation predictions. All I can say
is that it would have been miserable running in the wind and cold rain.
Since I
was the designated driver, I abstained from the alcohol portion of the “course”;
well, at least 60 percent of it.
It was raining much heavier as we arrived at our first
stop, the Pickled Parrot. We purchased
our 20-ounce mug that we were to carry to all the establishments and obtained
our “passport” needed to claim our finisher’s medal. Unfortunately, the bouncer had only one
passport left, so I had to wait until the next stop to acquire mine and come
back for their stamp of approval. Do I
really appear to be younger than 21? 30? Well, apparently, the bouncer asked to see our
IDs! I took it as a compliment.
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| Refreshments! |
I made it a point to order a Grain Belt Premium beer
(since I was in the Minnesota area). But
before, I made sure that purchase would qualify for a passport stamp, even
though I did not fill my mug.
I was able to acquire my passport at our second stop,
Rooters, where I ordered a Diet Coke in lieu of a beer. The place was packed with people and very
noisy. A popcorn popper was located at
the rear of the pub, where we helped ourselves to some warm buttery
popcorn. It was very addicting. Before leaving for Pub No. 3, we had the Rooters bouncer stamp my passport on behalf of the Pickled Parrot.
Not a lot of time was spent at the third and fourth stops,
Ft. Noks and the Sports Bar. With my second and final beer, a Grain Belt
Nordeast, we obtained our next two passport stamps.
The final push ended at the Old Broadway and the largest
of the five pubs. The pub was crammed
with runners and other patrons enjoying their food, libations and conversations
I’m sure some probably didn’t remember the next day. Besides the workers, I was probably the only
sober one. I ordered my Diet Coke, got
my stamp and proceeded to obtain my finisher’s medal – nice extra bling!
I sat on the edge of their stage listening to the music enjoying
myself while watching the ND State/Oklahoma NCAA softball tournament game on their
mounted 108-inch HD TV just as a heavy light fixture fell off a speaker. I saw the fixture in my peripheral vision as
it hit a woman on the head, ricocheted off her and onto my patella. OUCH!
She was bleeding from her head when employees rushed over
to tend to her injury. With a towel full
of ice placed over her wound, she appeared ok and mostly shrugged it off. She said it was a glancing blow and not a
direct hit. I believe if it was a direct
hit, her injury would likely be more serious.
I was a little sore, but nothing to write home about.
My conjecture is that the vibrations of the speaker
slowly moved the light fixture to the edge of the speaker and gravity took
over. I felt bad for her and she, undoubtedly,
likely sported a large knot on her head in the days following.
After a successful pub crawl, we headed back to our hotel for a little nap. Hunger soon crept upon us so we opted for a burrito meal at Qdoba Mexican Grill to fill our stomachs. The barbacoa meat burrito topped with hot sauce hit the spot!
After a successful pub crawl, we headed back to our hotel for a little nap. Hunger soon crept upon us so we opted for a burrito meal at Qdoba Mexican Grill to fill our stomachs. The barbacoa meat burrito topped with hot sauce hit the spot!
On Sunday, we happily slept in. It was a cold, windy and rainy morning and
was nice to stay indoors. Sunday was also
a travel day back to Minneapolis, in the meantime, stopping at Moorhead’s
Hjemkomst Center to visit a replica of a real-life Viking ship. Of course, with our luck, the center opened
at 1200 hours and it was just before 1100 hours when we arrived. It wasn’t important enough to wait so we had
breakfast/lunch at Taco John’s before our trip down I-94.
The drive on I-94 was just as wearisome as the drive to
Fargo. It rained off and on all the way
to Minneapolis. Traffic in the twin
cities area was light and free flowing all the way to our hotel, Mystic Lake
Hotel and Casino south of Minneapolis.
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| Sporting my new and favorite race shirt. |
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| Why do I gamble only to lose? |
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| Ready to golf |
Situated on their 18-hole golf course, the view from our VIP
suite on the 9th floor was spectacular. Yes, we were considered VIP status by the
hotel for some reason. I wasn’t about to
argue. Give us the luxuries, baby!
That afternoon while at the pool/hot tub facility for
some relaxation time, I developed stomach issues which caused me to spend an
inordinate amount of time in the restroom.
Let’s just say, I was quite sick throughout the night and into Monday as
well. Was it the burrito from Taco John’s? My guess is that it was. Ugh, I didn’t need that! I’ll call it my “burrito diet.”
I “woke up” Monday morning feeling pretty good. It was a beautiful day for “a cow to have a
calf”, with a few wispy clouds in the sky – a far cry from the record rainfall
the previous two days brought to Minneapolis.
We had a 1200 checkout so I was able to relax and restore my stomach as
much as possible. I was hungry and
wanted to eat, but was afraid fearing I would need to make some unscheduled
visits to the restroom.
Our flight back to LAX departed MSP at 1930 hours. In an effort to consume part of the day, we
spent some time visiting Minneapolis’ Minnehaha Park enjoying the beautiful day
walking the trails and enjoying Minnehaha Falls. Runners, walkers and cyclists were out and
about in droves. How could one pass up an
opportunity to enjoy such a pleasant springtime day?
Lake Nokomis, situated on the road back to the airport, was
the backdrop of our next stop. We spent
some time sitting and relaxing on the dock near the lake’s beach area taking in
the peacefulness of the locale while watching MSP’s departing aircraft as they
flew over the lake.
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| Lake Nokomis |
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| Minneapolis tender boats |
Besides watching the aircraft and a fisherman catching
some fish, our afternoon entertainment also consisted of observing a couple
prepare and stock their sailboat for some kind of day or overnight excursion.
My stomach was feeling pretty good and I was definitely
hungry (I actually wanted a Juicy Lucy), but I was still unenthusiastic about
eating anything. I wanted to make sure I
had an empty stomach on our three-hour flight.
I guess one can use their imagination what could happen if I had to
constantly annoy adjacent passengers when I had to use the restroom, if the “fasten
seat belt” symbol wasn’t illuminated.
After a slight mishap driving into the wrong airport
terminal, we made our flight back to LAX without incident, albeit a little late
due to the flight attendant crew’s late arrival and the usual aircraft traffic
back-ups.
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| Cheers to all |
I found everyone in Fargo very welcoming and it was
obvious they were there to have a good time.
The week was chock full of various races, activities and events with spectators
out in force for the marathon and half.
The flat course layout makes this a valuable, enjoyable and worthwhile
event.
The weather was perfect for running, and we definitely lucked
out as the rain and nasty weather held off until after we finished. All the musical acts, mobile DJs, the two
Elvis impressionists and local radio stations provided wonderful entertainment
throughout the whole course (except within the quiet zone) and I especially
enjoyed the polka music from the Norwegian Kringen Accordion Band, complete
with all those small ground mounted Norwegian flags highlighting their
presence.
A runner doesn’t need to run a high-priced Rock ‘n Roll
marathon for great entertainment or motivation to push yourself to the finish –
Fargo fits that bill and definitely exceeded my expectations. Make sure to enjoy the 27th Mile
Pub Crawl for some great social entertainment or to unwind with some adult libations
after a long run.
That’s how far I’ll go.
Rock on and I’ll see you on the roads…
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