The Indian taco

When out-of-towners visit the rez, they often seek out an “authentic” Native meal to compliment their cultural experience. We often have one of our partner families cook for our visiting volunteers once during their weeklong stay. Not only does this accommodate the volunteers, but it also earns sweat equity hours for the family. The meal most requested? Indian tacos.

For those not in the know, an Indian taco is just like a regular taco, only with fry bread as the base instead of a hard- or soft-shell tortilla.

Speaking of fry bread, did you know it was designated as South Dakota’s state bread in 2005? What’s next, naming diabetes as the state’s official disease?

They are indeed delicious; you just never want to be present in the kitchen while they are made. I’ve never seen so much Crisco go into such a relatively small meal. It takes 24 hours for blood circulation in my left arm to return to normal after consuming just one Indian taco.

During the summer, it’s seems as though KINI, the local radio station, announces at least one Indian taco sale somewhere on the rez daily. Once, the DJ, while running through his announcements, said, “Listeners, I have some bad news for you.” He paused long enough for me to think about what tragedy had struck the reservation. My guess was the passing of an elder.

“The Indian taco sale in St. Francis is all sold out.”

Summertime has passed and with it the Indian taco sales. A group of college students has been here at Habitat since Saturday working on a construction site south of town. I was asked earlier today if it would be possible to get a hold of some Indian tacos for lunch. On such short notice, I couldn’t roundup one of our partner families to cook for them. (Fry bread takes some time to make.) So, I made a few phone calls around town to see who sold them.

First, Buche’s: “We sell them on Thursdays.”

Then, Turtle Creek Crossing: “Only on Wednesdays.”

And, finally, the Antelope: “Just Fridays.”

Indian tacos are a treasured treat here on the Rosebud; you just need to time it right though. And don’t forget to take your blood pressure medication beforehand.

Laramie out, Sioux City in

So, I skipped the race in Wyoming last weekend. The forecast began to look grim toward the beginning of last week, and the projected cold and snow was deemed a certainty as Thursday rolled around. The idea of running in the elements wasn't what kept me home; the idea of traveling all that way to drive in a blizzard was.

The good news: WYDOT closed I-80 and the race was canceled! And I was able to smile while periodically checking-in on the blizzard in the somewhat-climate-controlled comfort of home thanks to the miracle of DOT web cams.

The even better news: There's a half marathon in Sioux City this Saturday. A hilly trail run in the mountains, it is not. But 'tis a bonus opportunity at a sub-1:30 relatively close to home.

I had another awesome run on Saturday and (gasp!) the weather actually looks halfway decent in Sioux City Saturday morning, albeit a tad nippy. And I'm feeling 100 percent healthwise, which wasn't the case last month in Sioux Falls. I probably shouldn't put pressure on myself to run under an hour and a half, but it's a goal.

Racing post mortem

As an extension of yesterday’s post, I thought I’d recap my 2009 racing year. It was difficult to put together a challenging, diverse group of races, mostly due to my isolated location. (Ah, the downside to living in the middle of nowhere.) In chronological order, my thoughts on a year of racing:

March 14, Shamrock Shuffle, Presho
I participated in this three-miler because it was relatively close to Mission (~70 miles) and I was itching to race after a winter of outrunning rez dogs. Otherwise, why torture myself with such a short distance? The course was a square around town. I finished in 20:06, good enough for 8th out of 135. And it was a beautiful afternoon for a run.

April 4, Spring Thaw, Sioux City
I pre-registered for this 10-mile race; however, I skipped the trip due to an approaching blizzard. I would have made it to Sioux City and run the race without a problem; getting home would have been another story. When there’s bad weather, I’d rather hunker down at home than be stuck someplace. I may try to make it to next year’s race.

May 16, Brookings Half Marathon
This was the highlight of the year. It was a chilly start (35 degrees with a light breeze). The course was a good one, winding through the streets of Brookings, home to South Dakota State University. My time was a personal-best 1:32:14. I placed 9th out of 233. And I wear the tech shirt I received all the time. I definitely want to run this one again next year.

June 7, Mickelson Trail Marathon, Deadwood
After three years, I was finally mentally ready for another marathon. Although I was in much better shape than when I ran my first marathon in 2006, I could have used one more long run. The first half of the race was uphill; the second half was downhill. The weather was gray and damp, misty conditions prevailing during the middle portion of the race. With about three miles to go, I knew I had a chance to finish in less than four hours. And I did it! I somehow managed to place reasonably well: 97th overall out of 409, and 10th out of 35 in my age group. I’m still no marathon runner though.

June 20, Oahe Days 10K, Pierre
I hated this race. The course was two loops on LaFramboise Island, located in the Missouri River. It was more of a cross country course, with about half of the running surface being grass (not my fave). And the bugs were terrible thanks to the close proximity to the water. But the tech shirt was nice. The results were not posted online, but I think I finished around the 45-minute mark. Who knows where I placed. I won’t be returning.

June 27, Inaugural Racin’ on the Rosebud 5K, Mission
This was my fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. I had to put out some fires, but everything came together nicely. We had a total of 45 runners and walkers – not bad for a first-time event. I wanted to make sure the morning went smoothly, so I didn’t run. I kind of wish I had though. I picked a tough course. An ultra-marathoner from Ashland, Nebraska, took home the first-place trophy.

July 4, Scar Top Mountain Top 12K, Coal Creek Canyon
Fun and difficult! The elevation wasn’t an issue; the big-ass hill was, however. I finished in 1:02:44. The race was part of an awesome holiday weekend in Colorado, visiting fellow ex-Juneauites in Fort Collins and Denver.

July 25, Spearfish Canyon Half Marathon, Spearfish
Here’s another one I never want to run again. One would think an all-downhill race on a beautiful morning along a scenic canyon road would be a treat. Well, I got a reality check about five miles in. The course was brutal for a guy who runs on his toes. My time of 1:35:20 was decent, but having folks pass me at the end was not a good feeling. And my quads felt like lead afterward.

August 8, Todd County Fair 5K, Mission
Yeah, it was a 5K, but I wanted to support the 4-H community. And it was free! Down and back along Highway 83, this was a low-key race, so I have no idea what my time was. I finished just ahead of the 2008 South Dakota girls cross country champion. I netted a nice t-shirt and a gift certificate to Stadium Sports.

September 13, Sioux Falls Half Marathon
Whereas I was pissed off after Spearfish Canyon, I was disappointed with my performance in Sioux Falls. My time was fine and I placed well, but I thought I had a chance at 1:30. Yes, I wasn’t feeling well and I lost an entire minute in the first mile alone trying to separate from the pack at Howard Wood Field. But those are just lame excuses. The course was decent and the fan support was the best I’ve ever witnessed.

October 10, Silent Trails Run, Laramie
???

In retrospect, I did fairly well with my race selections. Looking ahead to the first half of 2010, I have my eye on a couple races already. There may be trips to Minnesota and North Dakota. I’d love a mid-winter race in a warm, sunny location too. We’ll see how far I can stretch my VISTA stipend.

Sprint to the finish

I'll run in what will probably be my last race of 2009 on Saturday, the Silent Trails Run between Laramie and Cheyenne, Wyoming. It's a 10-mile race in the Medicine Bow National Forest. The course takes place between 8,000 and 9,000 feet above sea level, a nice challenge for this flatlander. But I think the excitement of my first trail race since leaving Juneau will more than compensate for any adverse effects caused by the altitude.

There's a sizable hill nicknamed "Death Crotch" between miles 4 and 6. Looking at the elevation map, I'll climb 600 feet in elevation over a distance of about 1.25 miles. If I remember correctly, Juneau's Mount Roberts run gained 1,800 feet in three miles, so I have an idea of what to expect.

I think I'd like to run this in about 1:30, which would be around my pace during the Coal Creek Canyon 12K back on July 4th. That was another race with a gigantic hill at high elevation.

I'm expecting the competition to be pretty fierce. I finished 30th out of 105 runners in Colorado, which I was thrilled about. I'm hoping for the same placement on Saturday. I typically care more about my time than where I place; however, this isn't your typical 10-miler. Taking a peak at previous years' results, many of the Silent Trails racers, not surprisingly, live in southeast Wyoming. Cheyenne is at 6,000 feet in elevation and Laramie is at 7,100. Mission, on the other hand, is at roughly 2,600. That's by far the highest elevation I've ever resided at, but I'm no mountain man, for sure.

I may be able to find a local race (as in, somewhere in South Dakota) for sometime in November, but I'm treating Saturday's run as my last gasp for 2009. I haven't had a bad racing year; however, I haven't finished all of my races with a warm, fuzzy feeling either. (I'm talking to you, Spearfish Canyon.) If today's kick-ass 10-miler is any indication though, I should be able to tackle the Death Crotch with ease next weekend.

Grocery shopping in the land of the Lakota

Dual signage at Turtle Creek Crossing, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe's new grocery store:

Speech! Speech!

This summer, our Habitat affiliate was awarded a $7,000 service-learning grant from State Farm. During the 2009-2010 school year, high school carpentry class students will construct sheds for our partner families, while elementary students will build dog houses, birdhouses, and key holders.

We received the money this summer; however, the formal check presentation occurred at the Indian Education and Dropout Prevention Summit in Rapid on Monday. Many of the folks involved in this project aren't comfortable speaking in front of large crowds. So, guess who made the speech?

The lunchtime speakers prior to our presentation went a bit long. And then we were almost forgotten after a moving star-quilt presentation. After the emcee was reminded of our presence, three Black Hills-area State Farm agents spoke, the "check" was handed over, and I stepped behind the podium.

I really don't mind public speaking. And I can go on ad nauseam about Habitat and the Reservation. Still, I admit I practiced my 400-word speech a couple dozen times. I didn't need to look like an idiot in front of 300 folks, including a sizable Todd County contingent.

The speech went really well!

Afterward, an Honoring Song was sung for the outgoing Director of Indian Education, and those of us involved in the check presentation were invited to join in his receiving line. As the Summit participants left the ballroom for their afternoon sessions, they went down the line, shaking all of our hands.

Talk about unexpected. I never thought I'd be on the receiving end of this traditional Lakota ceremony. I received many compliments on my speech, best wishes on our project, and even a hug and kind words from the Todd County superintendent.