Nebraska State Fair Marathon
August 26, 2017
Wow...where does time go! It seems like it was just January, the dawn of a new year, and I look up and it is the end of August already! After taking a run respite for most of the summer...the build up for a late summer marathon is dismal at best. My longest run is 13 miles with lots of walking. How will the run feel after so much down time. Grueling travel, a disappointing build up to our spring marathons and the slowest Boston finish results in the need to rest. We impose a moratorium on running allowing ourselves time to regroup and regain momentum to finish the states strong. The summer is filled with mini travel junkets of the non-marathon variety! Trips to the sunny beach, breezy coast, cool mountains and an Ed Sheeran concert provide time to recharge from the monotony of training on the same roads over and over again...
Oh, how sweet it is...not having a set run schedule. It is nice to be lazy. Sadly, all good things must come to an end.
Break time is over...but who am I kidding laziness is a flaw I've yet to overcome! With 17 marathons left to run through the GOOD OLD USA, motivation is required to get back on the road. I am not getting any younger and time waits for no one. Off we must go to the hot flat lands of Nebraska... Hopefully the weather will grant some mercy on my heat hating under-trained husband.
Our journey to Nebraska is off to a good start, the bed gets made before we leave. My daughter tells me it makes coming home so much nicer. The drive is an easy one without any traffic issues. In and Out even lets us in to order our lunch at 10:03 am, normally they open at 1030 At least we can say we are #1 at something. Our super affordable Spirit flight is surprisingly pleasant arriving
St. Joseph, Missouri was the last railway stop to the west. In order to continue further to the wild west, people had to rough it on a stage coach. Travelers were only allowed forty pounds of luggage and had to abandon travel trunks.
 |
| bullet hole |
 |
| Pony Express Route |
After an extra hour and thirty minutes...on lonely country roads with miles of corn and a crop we can't identify, Soybeans, we finally make it to the Four State lookout! Apparently Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska are all visible from the vista point! I bet it has been years since anyone set foot on the platform especially considering the drive to get there. We drive through a dilapidated town which my husband expertly informs me is the former home of the man who invented the "piggy bank," how have I lived fifty years without knowing that fun fact. WOW, feeling lucky as we maneuver the poor little rental car up an isolated gravel road. It is definitely not your typical tourist trap!  |
| Location where Lewis and Clark crossed the Missouri River |
a worthwhile stop! Now, if we can only find our way back to the main highway...Oh crap the road is closed due to a bridge being out...do we have to go all the way back around? "No no, my husband says there is a way around...we don't have to go back!" After the fourth turn here...onto a road that no longer exists or has been abandoned...we finally find a way around the closed road, but not before a local stops us. He is sure we must need help! Why in the heck else would anyone be out in the middle of nowhere. We thank him, but tell him we are not lost! After following him for miles to the next stop sign, the Kansas man gets out of his car and asks again if we need directions! He still can't believe we are intentionally out there. "No sir, we really came out here just for the fun of it!" After driving in and out of four different states I get a little salty with my husband, but at least he gets to see the geographical "wonder." I am definitely ready to get to Nebraska, please let me out of the car. Although I am still working on being a better me...my best self takes a little detour today too. My patience and frustration threshold is still in need of more work! Sometimes finding the hidden gem is best left hidden and the road less traveled is less traveled for good reason...
In spite of it all I'm very grateful for the chance to travel though our vast country. We always learn new things and gain a greater appreciation for our many blessings and are ever so thankful to still have the ability to keep running...
Sometimes I do wonder why we keep pursuing the fifty states especially when sleep is in short supply...the smoke detector chirps all night. My husband takes it down from the ceiling as it continues to chirp. He puts it in the refrigerator and we still hear chirps. Finally, after wrapping it in a towel and putting it back in the refrigerator it's silenced enough for us to sleep. When race morning ushers it way into the new day, all the challenges and irritations become irrelevant and the excitement of another run is all that matters. The beauty of running is the escape it provides even if the escape is through miles and miles of corn fields.
Today's marathon begins at 6:30 am inside the State Fair as the runners help celebrate Nebraska's 150th year of statehood. It is definitely something different, but a good kind of different. The porta potties and bag drop are close with no lines and a short walk to the car to change makes coming back into the fairgrounds after the run easy. Admission is included with our race entry.
But first there is 26.2 miles to run. After a very moving prayer about strength and perseverance the national anthem is sung and we are off and
running. The first miles usually reveal how the race is likely to go. Today, I am feeling quite well. My body does not feel tired or rundown and my first mile is rather fast for me anyway. I need to manage my speed considering the lack of miles under my belt, I do not want to crash and burn in the second half. As the miles evaporate I still feel good. It is scary to say, but it feels easy! How can running be easy? Running strong with no struggling. Now to find out if it will last. Initially, we run through town until we reach a bike trail and lots and lots of corn crops. The water and aid stations do a great job of assisting runners. They even have lids and straws on the cups. Not sure about the straw at first, but hey it works...
As the miles tick by it is corn, crickets and me. Occasionally, I pass a runner and some pass me. There are brief conversations, but it is a race with lots of reflection. At mile seven a runaway horse gallops after runners. He may have jumped the fence and wants to run too, but now he is on the wrong side of the fence. As I run past he stands by his other horse friends. The poor horse doesn't know what to do. That is the extent of excitement on the run. It reminds me of running back home in the Central Valley except we have more cattle ranches and our corn is grown for silage. Around mile ten we get a break from the corn and run through a park. There are lots of high school age kids along the course clapping and encouraging runners. It is nice to see the community come out to support the event. Even though it seems like I am running alone there are lots of students scattered throughout the course and I never feel entirely alone or isolated. The half marathoners weave in and out of the marathon course too increasing the amount of people. It seem like I pass the same half marathon people over and over because I do. I enjoy "Ben, The One Man Band" as he sings about how the road is long, but the time is short. After the park we run through a memorial park, one big loop before meandering through a college, back into a town section and running the perimeter of a cemetery at mile 15. The various students are still scattered about helping direct and block traffic along with police agencies. There is plenty to drink throughout the course and GU is available. The weather is forecast to be 87 degrees for a high and luckily there is a cloud cover, but it is quite humid. As I reach mile 19 I begin the highway out and back section which feels endless. I much prefer the crickets and corn to the swoosh of cars. It is a bit discouraging to see the runners coming back as I am still going out. I just want to know at what mile the turnaround is so I can focus on reaching that point. When the endless highway section finally veers to make a loop before circling back I am excited, but now I am running into the wind for four miles. It is hard to run into a headwind, but also good for the cooling factor. It is really starting to get warm as I cross paths with my husband, he still has a long way to go and looks overheated. As two guys catch up to me I try to stay with them. I pace behind them for a few miles until we complete the highway section and turn to finish the final mile and a half. Sometimes the last mile takes forever.
It helps to hear "almost there" and finally see the finish line. Finishing under 3:54 makes me pretty happy with my limited training runs and I immediately need to sit as I grab a water bottle while plopping on the curb to recover. A fellow runner strikes up a conversation with me about the race. He completed all 50 states under four hours~there is a club for that too~and now he is striving for 100 marathons. I also meet Kristy~super nice lady~we talk about running. We both actually place in our age groups and walk together to get our award before walking out to our cars to change. She is actually from Grand Island, but lives in Iowa. It is always nice to meet new people and share a running kinship.
The sun shines bright for my husband's last three miserable miles. Heat is his nemesis, but he's happy to check off a new state too. The last minute trip ends up being a good little find...can't beat $110 dollar round trip airline tickets to Nebraska. Who passes that up!! After exploring the fair and tasting a few goodies we drive to Lincoln for the night. After soaking in the pool and hot tub, we find some good Mexican food before going to sleep early. A good night sleep is never in the cards it seems when I finally give up. The refrigerator and air conditioner noise combined with the thunder and lightening has me wide awake. It is difficult to sleep with achy joints anyway, but it doesn't keep my husband from sleeping until almost ten. I remember breakfast starts at 6 am, so I indulge in food instead of sleep.
I try to let my husband sleep as long as possible before we need to get going. After looking online for Lincoln's must see spots, we walk through the Sunken Gardens and the Nebraska State campus. Football appears to be a big deal, something Nebraskans take very seriously. We walk the grounds and see the statues and memorials of great teams of the past (Bulldogs).
A tour of the State Capitol is the last activity on our schedule for the day. The campus planetarium opens too late for a visit. We have time to squeeze in the guided tour of the capitol and a trip up the elevator to the viewing towers. It is a unique design modeled after a skyscraper. The designer was from New York. It is the only state to have only one legislative body. They do not have a house and senate just elected legislators; one body makes all the decisions streamlining the decision making process. Also the legislators are not identified by party affiliation to minimize
the power of the political parties. On the ballot it just states the candidate's name not political affiliation of republican or democrat. After our informative tour and a few sights around Lincoln, we eat lunch at Honest Abe's. A popular place filled with college students and families. The other surprising and refreshing sight on our Sunday morning tour is a large amount of college students pouring out of a church near the campus. It makes me feel hopeful and happy. Our little jaunt to the Midwest must end as we drive back to the airport for our evening flight back to Los Angeles...
Sometimes I do wonder why we keep pursuing the fifty states especially when sleep is in short supply...the smoke detector chirps all night. My husband takes it down from the ceiling as it continues to chirp. He puts it in the refrigerator and we still hear chirps. Finally, after wrapping it in a towel and putting it back in the refrigerator it's silenced enough for us to sleep. When race morning ushers it way into the new day, all the challenges and irritations become irrelevant and the excitement of another run is all that matters. The beauty of running is the escape it provides even if the escape is through miles and miles of corn fields.
But first there is 26.2 miles to run. After a very moving prayer about strength and perseverance the national anthem is sung and we are off and
running. The first miles usually reveal how the race is likely to go. Today, I am feeling quite well. My body does not feel tired or rundown and my first mile is rather fast for me anyway. I need to manage my speed considering the lack of miles under my belt, I do not want to crash and burn in the second half. As the miles evaporate I still feel good. It is scary to say, but it feels easy! How can running be easy? Running strong with no struggling. Now to find out if it will last. Initially, we run through town until we reach a bike trail and lots and lots of corn crops. The water and aid stations do a great job of assisting runners. They even have lids and straws on the cups. Not sure about the straw at first, but hey it works...
 |
| 2nd Place |
Tenny is unhappy with me as we roll into the driveway at 1:30 a.m. I am excited to see her and pick her up to give her a hug and a snack, but she snubs me. She sees me at the back door turns and walks away....I check the front door after unloading the car and she's there but refuses to be coaxed into the house as she turns and walks away. Kitty is not happy about our travels and leaving for South Dakota next week won't go over well either.
No comments:
Post a Comment