Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Fargo Marathon Race Report # 2

A guest blog by Shel

Fabulous, fantastic and fun Fargo!
2009 marked the 5th anniversary of the Fargo Marathon. About 20 of us decided last year that we needed a road trip, and the plans for the Fargo race were incubated. The mood was celebratory, jovial and festive, both on and off the course all weekend!
On race day, we set off in a convoy from the hotel; some to tackle the half, and four virgins under Terry's guidance to meet their first full. Then near disaster struck; we got separated and were caught in a traffic jam. Would we make the start of the race? Frustration mounted as we could see the Fargodome, yet drew no closer to it as the minutes ticked by. Bernie, perhaps sensing that I may cry at the prospect of not running with my 2:15 mates, chatted to me nervously and then we decided to sing Abba to distract ourselves. Luckily, the racing gods shined on us and there was a break in the traffic. We launched ourselves into a parking spot.
The start of the race was in less than 20 minutes. We sprinted across the field in opposite directions with one goal; find our racing mates! Easier said than done. I dejectedly walked to the start line alone and decided one final porta-pottie visit would be in order. Joy overcame me as I spotted Ryan in line! I think I tackled him. He said everyone else was behind me! I don't think that I could have been any happier! The racing gods were now beaming at me! David, the 2:15 pace leader was ready, and we headed to the start line. It turned out we would be a team of two, but it was a perfect match.
The weather was wonderful for racing, about 0 C and slightly overcast. I thought this cooler forecast might thin out the crowds a bit, but I was wrong. There was in fact 13.1 miles of streets lined with boisterous, cheering, dancing and roof dwelling humans and canines, who definitely did not lack enthusiasm. Along with the great crowd support, entertainment and my race partner, we happily bounded through the streets of Fargo in perfect sync. David ended up with a personal best time. Congrats to David and all those who finished their first half or full at this event. A great time was had by all. Should we be booking our hotels for next year?!
Shel 

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