The Inaugural Racin' on the Rosebud is in the books. Forty-five runners and walkers participated Saturday on a sunny, breezy morning. There were definitely some challenges that sprung up: food that hadn't been ordered, a volunteer who overslept, and another sick with a migraine. But everything came together just in time for the runners' arrival.
The actual races went off without a hitch. The 1 Mile run only had two runners, one male and one female, so they each walked off with a trophy. The 5K was the main event, with 43 runners and walkers participating. They were from throughout South Dakota, Nebraska, and, of all places, Connecticut.
Ivan Marsh, an ultra-marathon runner from Ashland, Nebraska, was the overall 5K winner with a time of 18:39. Lottie Grimshaw, the South Dakota girls cross country champion, was the first female across the finish line with a time of 23:27.
And, our very own Daniel Prendable finished in 7th place overall with a time of 25:54! Let's wish him luck as he begins training for September's Sioux Falls Half Marathon.
So, I'm thrilled with how the race turned out. I think I would change a couple minor things; however, Saturday should provide a good template for the 2nd Annual Racin' on the Rosebud next year.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Raceday Eve
The Inaugural Racin' on the Rosebud 5K/1 Mile Race & Walk is upon us! Frankly, I can't believe the day has finally arrived. As expected, planning has ramped up considerably this week. I just picked up the t-shirts. They look fantastic! I took a chance with the color, but they're sharp. Thanks to my brother for designing the logo.
I'm expecting a decent turnout. I'll admit I was worried no one would show up. I mean, I'm in a sparsely populated area and Mission isn't exactly on the way to, well, anywhere. But between the folks who pre-registered and the folks I know signing-up in the morning, there should be a nice-sized crowd.
And let's wish best of luck to Daniel who will be running in the 5K! I sure hope he included hills in his training...
I'm expecting a decent turnout. I'll admit I was worried no one would show up. I mean, I'm in a sparsely populated area and Mission isn't exactly on the way to, well, anywhere. But between the folks who pre-registered and the folks I know signing-up in the morning, there should be a nice-sized crowd.
And let's wish best of luck to Daniel who will be running in the 5K! I sure hope he included hills in his training...
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Day Two as a VISTA
The past seven days have been quite a whirlwind!
One week ago, I was eating dinner with fellow VISTAs at Pre-Service Orientation. We weren't actually VISTAs until we took the oath on Friday afternoon. Between these two events, I learned A LOT.
Today, I am finishing up the second day at the office. I arrived Monday morning ready to take on the world. I hit the ground running and jumped into the world of social media. In the near future, Volunteers of America, Dakotas will have a Facebook page, and hopefully a blog and a Twitter account as well.
As a development/marketing VISTA, much of my days will involve publications, events, social media and much more!
And, in case you are wondering, I will help fight poverty by promoting the organization's programs, which fight poverty each and every day.
I can't tell you how excited I am, so hopefully you can already see it.
Until we meet again,
Melissa
One week ago, I was eating dinner with fellow VISTAs at Pre-Service Orientation. We weren't actually VISTAs until we took the oath on Friday afternoon. Between these two events, I learned A LOT.
Today, I am finishing up the second day at the office. I arrived Monday morning ready to take on the world. I hit the ground running and jumped into the world of social media. In the near future, Volunteers of America, Dakotas will have a Facebook page, and hopefully a blog and a Twitter account as well.
As a development/marketing VISTA, much of my days will involve publications, events, social media and much more!
And, in case you are wondering, I will help fight poverty by promoting the organization's programs, which fight poverty each and every day.
I can't tell you how excited I am, so hopefully you can already see it.
Until we meet again,
Melissa
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Cedar Rapids AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon
NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and his wife Brenda are working alongside Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps members in this year's Build-a-Thon in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Much of Iowa was under flood waters one year ago. According to this article, 20 homes should be built during the week.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Too Poor to Make the News
Barbara Ehrenreich, author of "Nickeled and Dimed," has a great op-ed piece in this morning's New York Times. In it, she discusses the current recession's impact on those who were in impoverished situations already. She makes a good point by stating much of the media's coverage has focused on those who had been in decent financial shape but have since lost a job or a house. Meanwhile, those who missed out on recent economic booms have been ignored as their plight has deepened.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Something to train for
Attention current and future runners: The Sioux Falls Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday September 13th. Besides the 13.1-mile race, there will be a two-person half-marathon relay and a 5K.
The half-marathon course begins at Howard Wood Field and continues downtown before meeting up with the bike path. If my memory is correct, besides the area around Falls Park, the course is relatively flat.
The best part is the cost: only 30 bucks through the end of July! So, lace up those sneakers. You know you want to!
The half-marathon course begins at Howard Wood Field and continues downtown before meeting up with the bike path. If my memory is correct, besides the area around Falls Park, the course is relatively flat.
The best part is the cost: only 30 bucks through the end of July! So, lace up those sneakers. You know you want to!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Marathon man
Well, I completed the Mickelson Trail Marathon in Deadwood yesterday morning - and lived to tell about it! Except for some mist in the highest elevations, conditions were close to ideal for such a long run.
I didn't know what to expect time-wise coming in because of the elevation (between 4,600 and 6,000 feet about sea level). I felt really good during the first half, which was all uphill. It was between miles 17 and 19 when my brain had to override my body. I got some food and liquids in me around mile 20, which made a world of difference. At mile 23, I was at 3 hours and 30 minutes. I figured I could pull off a sub-4:00 finishing time if I could manage 10-minute miles the rest of the way. Usually, that would be a piece of cake for me; however, the marathon isn't my usual distance.
I was at 3:40 at mile 24 and around 3:49 at mile 25. Oh, it hurt! But I had my goal, and after running so far, I didn't care if I ended up in the hospital afterward. I wanted to finish in under four hours!
The clock over the finish line read 4:00:21 when I crossed. However, that was the gun time. Thank goodness this was a chip-timed event. "My clock" didn't start until I (or, more specifically, my shoe) crossed the start line. I checked my official time before heading back to the hotel, which was...
3:59:46!!! I had a whole fourteen seconds to spare.
The craziest thing about this race is how I felt afterward. Sure, I was (am) sore, but I was in awfully good spirits. And I was downright giddy for the remainder of the afternoon.
So, that's that. Running a marathon is a major time commitment because of the training involved. And my body took a beating. But even though I'm more of a half marathoner, I won't rule out another full marathon in the future.
Special thanks to Amy, Brian C., and Daniel for their appearance at the finish line. Your presence there meant a lot!
P.S. Here's an article about the race from the Rapid City Journal. Over 2,000 runners participated!
I didn't know what to expect time-wise coming in because of the elevation (between 4,600 and 6,000 feet about sea level). I felt really good during the first half, which was all uphill. It was between miles 17 and 19 when my brain had to override my body. I got some food and liquids in me around mile 20, which made a world of difference. At mile 23, I was at 3 hours and 30 minutes. I figured I could pull off a sub-4:00 finishing time if I could manage 10-minute miles the rest of the way. Usually, that would be a piece of cake for me; however, the marathon isn't my usual distance.
I was at 3:40 at mile 24 and around 3:49 at mile 25. Oh, it hurt! But I had my goal, and after running so far, I didn't care if I ended up in the hospital afterward. I wanted to finish in under four hours!
The clock over the finish line read 4:00:21 when I crossed. However, that was the gun time. Thank goodness this was a chip-timed event. "My clock" didn't start until I (or, more specifically, my shoe) crossed the start line. I checked my official time before heading back to the hotel, which was...
3:59:46!!! I had a whole fourteen seconds to spare.
The craziest thing about this race is how I felt afterward. Sure, I was (am) sore, but I was in awfully good spirits. And I was downright giddy for the remainder of the afternoon.
So, that's that. Running a marathon is a major time commitment because of the training involved. And my body took a beating. But even though I'm more of a half marathoner, I won't rule out another full marathon in the future.
Special thanks to Amy, Brian C., and Daniel for their appearance at the finish line. Your presence there meant a lot!
P.S. Here's an article about the race from the Rapid City Journal. Over 2,000 runners participated!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Urban Agriculture Update
Here is a recent article from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader on our Urban Agriculture project at Lowell Elementary. I am very excited about this project am look forward to watching the students "grow" over the summer. AmeriCorps VISTA is a partner in this project, so all VISTA members are welcome to get involved. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
VISTA lunch today, Black Hills tomorrow!
Hey everybody! Back Again! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at the cabin tomorrow evening.
In case you're wondering, and I know that you are!, the Sioux Falls VISTAs are getting together today for our monthly VISTA lunch. We'll catch up on what everyone's been up to, talk about the retreat, and discuss different ways to get involved in the organizations we serve with. That means we'll see each other for 4, possibly 6, days in a row. Yikes! I hope we don't strangle each other by the close of the week.
See you all tomorrow!
In case you're wondering, and I know that you are!, the Sioux Falls VISTAs are getting together today for our monthly VISTA lunch. We'll catch up on what everyone's been up to, talk about the retreat, and discuss different ways to get involved in the organizations we serve with. That means we'll see each other for 4, possibly 6, days in a row. Yikes! I hope we don't strangle each other by the close of the week.
See you all tomorrow!
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