A short visit to a place can capture your desire for a return trip. Such was the case with Hungary and the area of Lake Balaton in its southwest. It beckoned me, as if to say there was unfinished business to attend.

My first visit was brief; the purpose was to evaluate the course of Ultrabalaton, a 212-kilometer race around Lake Balaton, central Europe’s largest lake. I only had enough time to see most of one side of it, and from that side to look across at the hills and mountains on the opposite shore.

One thing I knew for sure, it was a lovely setting for a race. More importantly, seeing the other side gave me some insight into the challenge I would face sometime during the race. A challenge I was willing to accept, just to see the other side of the lake.

My initial trip followed a stint as the USA Track & Field Team Leader for the 24-hour Run National Team, which participated in Brive, France in mid-May of 2010. Following a successful effort by the team and a bronze medal finish for the men, I would stay in Europe and then head for another race in France a week later, the 48-hours of Surgeres.

The Boston Marathon medal I hung around my friend’s neck and brought a bit of joy to her life, can no longer be worn by her. As I was traveling in Europe, I missed the obituary stating she had passed away following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Lana Kind was 60 years old when she died, but her attitude about life and living made her seem years younger. She accepted her fate, but she did not stop fighting it. She lived more than 20 months after being diagnosed and told she would only live 3 or 4 months.

While running the other day, I reflected on the races I had done in May and how I had struggled through some of them and how easy others had been. I guess every day is different and we have to accept those days that do not feel right to us, just as Lana did. It goes back to a saying Wigwam had on one of their promotional t-shirts back in the ‘90s. It said: “Some run to compete, others because it’s so darn comfortable.”

TOMRV is the Tour of the Mississippi River Valley, a Midwest cycling tradition now in its 33nd year. Every year 1,500 bicycling enthusiasts come to ride the TOMRV tour. They enjoy a challenging ride on scenic roads, through Midwest farmland, and along the Mississippi River. Of those 1,500 bicycling enthusiasts were a few of Wigwam's own employee's, family members and others connected with the company. All of which were sporting the Wigwam logo throughout the ride.

The ride started on Saturday June 12th from Bettendorf, Iowa (106 miles) or from Preston, Iowa (69 miles) and travel to Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa. The following day riders returned using a different route to Bettendorf (90 miles) or to Preston (46 miles). The route is varied and scenic, using lightly traveled paved roads. There are many views of the Mississippi River as racers ride along it, over it on bridges, and through it on causeways. The route is hilly near Dubuque, with 6,000 feet of climbing on Saturday and 4,000 feet on Sunday - no easy feat for any average rider.

"During the 106 miles on Saturday and 90 miles on Sunday, it rained for about 60 miles. We all made it back wet, but safe and sound," said Bob Radzins, Forecast Analyst at Wigwam. Though the conditions were not ideal, the Chain Gang powered through and plans on attending the race for many years to come. Wigwam is proud to support the Chain Gang and is thrilled to have its employee's, and friends of Wigwam participating in athletic events like the TOMRV!

Pictured in the photo above (from left to right) is Steve Ballou (68), Bob Radzins (55), Dale Schmideler (42), and Glen Schmideler (48).

Wigwam sponsored athlete Carol Dillinger has been proudly running in Wigwam socks since 2003....and no blisters! Carol's favorite socks are

When it comes to life’s challenges, North Side resident Carol Dellinger approaches them like a marathon, with optimism, determination and strength.

Known as the marathon machine or marathon warrior, Dellinger runs a marathon every two to three weeks and only two women in the United States have run more of them. She finished No. 237, the Capital City Marathon in Olympia, on May 16.

But the last few marathons have had special meaning for the woman who treats each race like an individual journey. Last October, one day after finishing the Portland Marathon, Dellinger went for her annual mammogram and soon learned she had breast cancer.
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SHEBOYGAN, Wis., May 27, 2010 – Otherwise known as “The Fish,” Steve Fisher, an American professional snowboarder, is partnering up with Wigwam for the 2010-2011 seasons. Wigwam has outfitted Steve with socks for the year, on and off the mountain, and is supporting him at his events nationwide.

Steve grew up in Saint Louis Park, MN, a suburb out of Minneapolis. As a young boy, his home mountain was Buck hill which was home to one of the first halfpipes in the Midwest. Steve rode at Buck hill every day and night until he was ten years old; saying that he rarely spent any time at home during the winter. He began competing in local competitions at age eight and qualified for USASA nationals by age nine. Fisher went pro in 2002 when he was asked by the US Snowboarding Team to forerun the 2002 Olympic halfpipe event and become a part of US Snowboarding. In 2004 and 2007 Steve was the Winter X-Games Champion and beat out professional snowboarder, Shaun White. He is currently ranked the #1 halfpipe rider in the United States by the USSA ranking system.

“I'm so excited to partner up with WIGWAM! Being a native mid-westerner I've grown up and always been a huge fan of the brand. Having such a great product on my feet will definitely help while I am on and off the mountain,” said, Steve Fisher.