26.2 = Marathon

Posted

Brutal.
But a great challenge.
This is how Flandreau native, Ben Parsley, recalls with a smile his first-ever full marathon.
Parsley ran in the world’s fourth-largest race in Chicago on October 10 — it is a fun-filled and fast-paced run through the streets of Chicago that both novices from around the world and some of the sports’ most elite take part in each year. The race itself is limited to 45,000 runners, but fans along the route are countless and bands play every couple of miles to also help cheer the runners on.
Parsley said he trained, running about 35 miles-per-week. He would run six-10 miles on Mondays and Wednesdays and a long run on Friday, anywhere from 18-22 miles.
“I did a 5 week training for this which I do not recommend!” said Parsley.

But he also trained primarily on South Dakota backroads, and that is where he says the ‘brutal’ element comes in.
“I trained completely on gravel so when I switched to pavement it really changed how my body, specifically my feet, handled the distance. But I finished!” said Parsley.
Equally challenging, he said, was the mental game.
He was living in Chicago just years ago when, on a return trip home, he came within inches of losing his life. Helping do some work around the family’s lake cabin, Parsley hit himself with a chainsaw. It was an incident that could have easily killed him.
“I wanted to kinda conquer where I was living when it happened. I was on crutches and living very much by myself nine hours away from my family and friends so it was a big psychological opportunity out there that really changed my outlook on life, my faith.”
He’s proud of having pushed through all of the pain.
“A marathon is really more of an exercise of the mind and staying disciplined in your training versus a tough physical task. It’s really training your brain to not put limits on how far you can go. I saw all kinds of athletic ability cross the finish line in Chicago.”
He said he’d love to see more from others in our area about why they run, train, or bike. He’s also open to possibly helping others in the coming year see where they might go with the sport — he’s had a few people reach out to see if he might run a marathon with them next year. Parsley has previously run half-marathons with his dad, Marty, and sister, Anne.
“I just hope it inspires people to do anything they’ve wanted to do but haven’t set aside the time or found the motivation,” he said.
Despite the fact that he is now living in Sioux Falls with his brother, you may see Parsley around quite a bit yet. When he is not at work helping to run a software service solution for industrial plants, he returns home to help with the family farm, perhaps mill more lumber and maybe get in another long run on a gravel road.