It is pretty hard not to be completely in love with fall. Especially this year when we have had great fall colors and the weather has been decent all month long. Fall also has what many would argue is the greatest holiday of them all. I’m speaking of course about Halloween. The time of year where it is okay for kids to dress up as goblins and ghouls (or in my case as a kid Mickey Mouse or Cris Carter). Halloween is the perfect running holiday because we fully embrace the scary. And running certainly is scary.

When I first started to seriously run I was a student living on campus at the University of Sioux Falls. I grew up playing sports, I had gone on runs previously in my life and I had certainly been punished with running; but this was the first time that I really started to consistently run on a regular basis by choice. The idea of a supportive community of other runners didn’t exist to me. Every day that I left my dorm to run I was full of anxiety. Worried about people staring at me. Worried about my pace. Worried that I didn’t look like a real runner. Nervous that I would get lost and not know how to get back. The list goes on.   

Prior to landing on the campus of USF I had been a bit of a nomad. After high school I attended South Dakota State University. After a year-and-a-half in Brookings I had gained about 75lbs, developed a major drinking problem, damaged many friendships and completely bombed out of school. Many young adults struggle during this period of life and my story isn’t especially unique. Thankfully I had a chance to rediscover exactly who I was. My Mom and Dad have always been there for me with a job at their bakery and a safe place to stay when things got bad (like flunking out of school, not having any money or direction in life, bad). I had to work for almost everything, but I never had to work for their love and support. This is my privilege and advantage that I do not take for granted. It is also why my life’s work has been to create a supportive and uplifting community for all.

Before I was a runner, I was a climber. For years I worked at the Sioux Falls Family YMCA. My time at the YMCA was incredibly special. While I was there I worked in middle school after school programming, basketball programming and most importantly summer camps. As a kid I loved being outside, hiking through the forest, identifying birds and other animals, playing by the river and passing the time in the sunshine. During my darkest days I still had the YMCA and its wonderful programming to go back to. I got a Commercial Driver License, became certified to life-guard and I earned a certification to lead groups on the high ropes course. During the ropes course training I met my friends that rock climb. As a climber I was able to reconnect with who I was and understand who I wasn’t. The sloppy frat kid at SDSU was almost unrecognizable from who I had become when I ventured off to USF and eventually became a runner.

At 22 years old I started to run. My first run was around the block. I was very nervous. As an “older” kid on campus I already stuck out like a sore thumb and when you live on a small campus everyone seems to know everyone, you become very cognizant of prying eyes. I jogged around the block and it felt pretty good. That was manageable and I thought to myself that tomorrow I’d run around the block twice. Over time the block became a mile loop and eventually I really got brave. A friend asked if I wanted to do the USF Homecoming 5k. This friend was a girl so of course I said yes. After that I signed up for a half marathon the next fall. A lot of stuff happened after that (some of that will probably be for another blog post), but eventually I found myself working at 605 Running Company.

So why all of this back story today? I’ve written about imposter syndrome before and even though I had become “a runner” by the time I was working at 605 Running Company I certainly felt like a fraud. I don’t look like other runners and when I started I didn’t always speak the same language of other runners. Simply put running is intimidating. Other more accomplished runners are intimidating even when they don’t mean to be. This is a difficult sport physically, but it is even more difficult mentally. When I started at 605 Running Company I was a hobby jogger and everyone around me was a running lifer with a decorated background of collegiate performance. How could I possibly be authentic and genuine? My perceived weakness was my greatest strength. Understanding the fear of running, the intimidation of running and the uncomfortable feeling of not belonging has helped me create the 605 culture and experience we strive for each day. We are not perfect, but we truly believe that the sport of running is for everyone, not just elite athletes or running lifers. You can start anytime and you have a safe place with us at 605 Running Company.  

Running is scary. I still to this day struggle with running. It is a sport that doesn’t get any easier, but the rewards get better-and-better all the time. I have found myself over-and-over again while running. Runners truly are great people. One thing I was always stressed out about was pace. Nobody will like me if they have to wait for me on the run or if I finish last in a race. Running, especially when starting out can be very lonely. I’m here to tell you, even if you don’t have a single person to run with at a group run or you feel left behind in a race; you are seen, heard and accepted by us at 605 Running Company.

This is exactly why we have partnered with Empower U to create our Intro to Running program. This 7 week program is designed specifically for new runners and runners that are struggling with the scary side of our sport. If you are nervous about pace, if you feel intimidated by other runners, if you have been running curious but haven’t taken the plunge yet, this program is for you. We want to create a supportive environment where you can safely begin to run. Our holistic approach to this program will include expert led discussion, demonstration and experiences to get you started (or re-started) on your path to a healthy and happy running journey.

​Greg Koch is the Co-Owner and General Manager of 605 Running Company and Co-Produces the Sioux Falls Skedaddle Half Marathon. He serves on the Board of Directors for Downtown Sioux Falls, the 605 Race Crew and the Sioux Falls Area Running Club. When Greg isn’t with his family or working he enjoys being outside biking, kayaking, golfing or comping.

​Instagram: gregrun605
YouTube: 605 Running Company
Facebook: facebook.com/greg.koch.583

I am humbled to be in this incredible community. The encouragement and support from the 605 is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I witness this great community support runners of all different abilities and at every level of the sport every weekend. On Saturday it was my turn to bask in the greatness that is the love of the 605 Running Community. At the start of the race I met my friend Barry who used to live around here, but has since moved on to Duluth (he finished 7th – what a beast!), at the finish Mary Anderson of Anderson Race Management gave me a high five at the finish line and made sure to check on me even while she was working to time the race. Over the years the 605 Community has grown far and wide, but the themes remain the same. Love, support and encouragement for all runners. This was proven to me time-and-time again at the Whistle Stop Marathon in Ashland, Wisconsin.

So where have I been running wise. I tell everyone I chat with on this subject the same thing. First, Chelsea and I had Violet and then we had a pandemic. Simply put the last two years have been pretty heavy at times and my personal running journey has changed a lot. By changed I mean running races has not been possible or even a priority for a good chunk of the past two years. I jumped into some random stuff here-and-there, but didn’t pursue anything with the conviction I once did. Like most folks this wasn’t a planned hiatus, in fact that is what led me to the Whistle Stop in the first place.

My good friend Chris told me about this amazing fall race in the north woods of Wisconsin just off of Lake Superior. He described it as 24 miles of running through a forest, on a crushed gravel trail, slightly downhill with a finish in a cool town with a bunch of murals. It was an easy sell. Just take my money. The plan was for this to be my glorious return to the marathon as a new Dad. Smash my previous PR and possibly qualify for Boston.

Then COVID hit and the world changed. For sanity sake I’ll focus on the how the world changed for race directors, timers, non-profits and runners. I like many others at the beginning first thought that we were looking at a two week disruption and then things would go back to normal. Soon the National Basketball Association was postponing their season and things began to get very real. COVID wasn’t going away and that meant for race directors, timers, non-profits and runners our sport was being ripped out from under us. Virtual races quickly became a thing, world majors were canceled and for some of us running just sort of stopped.

Not for me though. I had a plan. Train and run the Deadwood Half Marathon as a spring board to Whistle Stop Marathon. June half marathon followed by an October full. It was brilliant. I brought on Coach Jacqui to help get me right and we started the work. Surely a June race in Western South Dakota and a fall race in Northern Wisconsin was a safe bet to happen. So I trained and carried on with business as usual. Unfortunately, you all know this story well. Those races were not immune to delays and cancelations. Once this happened it didn’t take much to send me to some dark places. Between the day-to-day struggles that COVID brought on in business and in life all I wanted was for running to be the one thing that stayed constant. It didn’t and I really struggled through the remainder of 2020 and into 2021.

Family and work were all that really mattered during that time. Yes, I work in the running industry; but I couldn’t train or run the way I was capable of because we were sorting through a once and a generation disruption that simply required all of my time and talent. Thankfully we survived. I cried the day all of my parents were able to get their first vaccine. The stress and the fear that I could get them sick by simply opening up my business and operating it in the ways that made us successful to begin with was completely soul crushing. Finally, after months of volatility things were starting to look pretty good and that marathon that I signed up for over a year ago was still on the schedule.

The fog began to lift for me in June. The completion of my vaccines, a family trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons and a trip to the Black Hills 100 with the task of crewing and pacing one of my best friends was just the kick in the pants that I needed to really start running again. I was nowhere near the runner that I was before my daughter was born, but I felt like a runner again and that felt really freaking good.

My race day goals started out pretty simple. Finish a marathon, don’t die and have fun. If only I were capable of keeping things that simple. Once I started to put in some consistent weeks of running and really started to dial in my training plan that competitive little devil on left shoulder started to jump up-and-down and scream at me. It started with a 14 mile long run with some very talented running friends that I negative split. It felt oh so good to run hard and to have gas left in the tank. Shortly after came a 16 mile run with very similar results.

What. Was. Happening?!?!  

In addition to my cornerstone long runs going very well and almost feeling easy I began to do some workouts too. During these brutal week day sessions I pushed myself right up to the edge of my abilities and I continued to find success. While I didn’t always feel like I had gas left in the tank, I did feel my body starting to adapt and change.

Next up was my normal training cycle humble run around the bike loop. Some great friends met up with me on the Saturday before the Sioux Falls Marathon. If you might recall it was hot and humid that day. My planned run around the loop ended at 14 miles with me waiving the white flag. It was rough, but the conditions were rough and I still knocked out 14 at a decent clip. A few weeks later once again with a running friend I put on 18 more hot and humid miles at Lake Herman and while they weren’t all easy that devil on my shoulder continued to creep up and scream in my ear,

“GO FOR IT!”

So with one long run remaining my simple goals began to change. The little devil kept reminding me,

“It has to cool off by October in Wisconsin.”

“The course is downhill.”

“You are running on pavement and the softer surface will help keep you fresh”

So I told myself and that little competitive devil.

“Let’s see how the last long run goes.”

Boom! Redemption on the bike loop. My fastest trip around the bike loop ever. 17 miles of steady work followed by two very happy cool down miles.

“Okay you little devil. Let’s chat.”

I’ve been in better running shape going into a marathon. No matter what my training was telling me, I knew this to be a fact just looking at my body heading into this race. As I’ve gotten older I’ve become a smarter runner. Especially in the cornerstone long run. This cycle proved that time-and-time again. I know I’m not near my peak physical condition yet, but I also know how to run long significantly better than I ever did before. So I still wanted to keep the goal measured. My weekday workouts indicated a 3:20 marathon. I knew for a fact that that wasn’t going to happen at Whistle Stop. This was a good training cycle, but I’m not in that position yet. So what should the goal be? My marathon PR was 3:44 and change. That seems very doable and honestly when I ran that time in Fargo the goal was 3:30 and I've never let that go. So the little competitive devil knows what he wants.

A goal: 3:30
B goal: 3:34
C goal: Sub 3:44
D goal: Finish and don’t die
​
Race day came and went. It was a D goal day. The experience though was an A+. It was a beautiful race and in retrospect that is a sensational thing to be able to say. I had a wonderful trip with one of my best friends. We spotted amazing wildlife, enjoyed spectacular fall color, walked on the shore of one of our Great Lakes and shared many wonderful conversations. Simply put don’t listen to devils. There will be more marathons in my future and I sure hope that I can post a better time than I did this past weekend, but if I don’t you can trust in the knowledge that I’ve enjoyed the heck out of every second of the experience (as long as I finish and don’t die).