Omaha, Nebraska
State #32
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Half: COVID SUMMER ROADTRIP SERIES
Date: August 5th, 2020
Finish Time: 1:43
Pace/Mile: 7:52/mile
Who’d I travel with? ME, MYSELF, AND I!
Pre-run meal? PASTA, veggies, and some road-trip goodies (doritos)
SUMMER ROAD TRIP SERIES: STOP #2
Thankfully for me, stop #2 in OMAHA, NEBRASKA was just a quick little two hour drive from Iowa (I would say that I intentionally planned it this way, but that would be a lie). So after loading up on some carbs in Des Moines, I hit the road! Now, two hours doesn’t seem like a long time… but when your legs are stiffening up after your first of four 13-mile-run, it’s a bit concerning to say the least. I stopped halfway through to do a full-on stretch in the middle of the BP parking lot as I simultaneously loaded up on water. But no matter what I did… I was SORE. My hips and hamstrings were tightening up on me, and there was not much I could do about it except stay positive (thankfully, I’m pretty good at that)!
I arrived in Omaha with just enough time to run out to the grocery store & re-load on some carbs. I guzzled down a MASSIVE heap of pasta, broccoli, and asparagus before LITERALLY passing out cold on the couch. It had been a long, yet absolutely wonderful, day of adventuring. Ever so often, throughout the night, I’d wake up to stretch out my legs (only to find that they were STILL sore) – oh boy, tomorrow was going to be INTERESTING!
My alarm clock reminded me that it was TIME FOR #2 around 5 a.m. After catching up on some work, attempting to stretch out my legs, and writing the door code on my hand – it was TIME. I laced up my shoes and headed out the door for what would be a VERY hilly half marathon in STATE #32!
Hills. Hills. And… well… more freaking hills. I knew it was going to be hard after approximately .2 miles. The saying, “we had to walk up hill both ways…” Yeah. That more than likely came from Omaha. Like I said – it was HILLY. And before I knew it, I was so inside my head that I realized I was NOT enjoying it – I was running because I HAD TO, not because I wanted to… and that is NOT okay with me. I stopped the never-ending stream of, “you’re going to get hurt. You’re not going to finish. This is going to take you forever,” floating through my mind and immediately replaced it with just one simple reminder: You GET TO run – it doesn’t matter how fast. I decided I wasn’t going to look at my watch anymore – the constant reminders of just HOW MANY hills I still had left wasn’t doing anything for me. I decided I was just going to run. And I gave myself permission for that to look however it needed to.
The next time I looked at my watch? 10.86 miles. I COULD DO IT! THE END WAS SO CLOSE. The jolt of motivation I got from that pleasant surprise was just enough to boost me through the last few miles with pride. My legs had finally loosened up (and shockingly felt even better than when I had started…but I knew that wouldn’t last). But my body was happy – and so were both my mind and my heart. I had done this MY WAY, I had intentionally looked past my fears, I had given myself the space and the grace that I needed to finish. And that was what was important to me. 13.1 MILES in 32 STATES – I DID IT!!!
I didn’t have too much time to explore downtown – but OF COURSE I made ENOUGH time to get a post-run drink (a delicious Moscow Mule), and a protein donut from Holly’s Healthy Holes, before hitting the road. I had 7 hours ahead of me… in the car… after two back-to-back half marathons. And since I was picking my family up at the airport, I needed to plan enough time to make ample stops to stretch throughout the way. So I quickly scarfed down my donuts and hit the road! NEXT STOP: COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO for #33!
Race Across the States 
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