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Pocahontas County

Pocohontas County

Location: Random highway north of Manson (map)

Run Time: 8:03

Distance: 1.0 Mile

Beer: Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat

Date: 8/30/13

“So you’re crazy,” the police office said over the loud, excited barking of his canine partner, their car parked directly behind mine.

It had been a long and not so fruitful drive to get here, to the place that I thought was in Calhoun County. I had originally planned to run somewhere around Twin Lakes. Then, I saw a sign with a dinosaur on it. Well, this changes everything…

And so I began my ill-fated attempt to run in Manson. I spent about forty five minutes looking for the Manson Crater. I failed, miserably. I hadn’t paid attention to the dinosaur sign, a mistake I’ve never made before and never plan to make again.

And so with this failure I made my way north, towards Pochontas County, but planning to stop at the park or nature reserve I found. Manson was getting further and further away and I felt as though I must be getting close to the edge of Calhoun County. So, I pulled off the highway onto a county road and parker in front of a cornfield, enjoyed a brew and hit the road running.

The scene was representative of a certain type of Iowa: a setting sun, a lonely road, a few windmills and corn as far as the eye could see. As I stood outside of my car, crossing Calhoun County off of my map I saw a Pocohontas County police car turn in my direction and then pull up behind me.

The officer was about my age and seemed pretty interested in my goal (I left out the beer drinking part, of course). “You must be pretty into running,” he said and when I told him I had run a couple marathons he informed me that I’m crazy.

But the worst part was when he told me I was in Pocohontas County and had been for “about five miles.” My plans to visit the giant statue were nixed.

The office left, wishing me luck. I drove north with both Pochontas and Calhoun counties in my rearview, knowing that I would be returning to the one I had already spent forty five fruitless minutes in. Dinosaur signs get me everytime...