Topeka, Kansas
State #34
Location: Topeka, Kansas
Half: COVID SUMMER ROAD TRIP SERIES
Date: August 10th, 2020
Finish Time: 1:37
Pace/Mile: 7:30/mile
Who’d I travel with? ME, MYSELF, AND I!
Pre-run meal? Gummy worms, pesto pasta, and some cookie dough ice cream… again.
SUMMER ROAD TRIP SERIES: STOP #4
So. Let’s be honest. Kansas was a freaking disaster, man. Like honestly. After running a half marathon in Iowa, another half marathon in Nebraska, and then a THIRD FREAKING HALF MARATHON in COLORADO OF ALL PLACES. Something was BOUND to go wrong…
I mean, I MADE IT to Kansas just fine. It was a straight shot from Colorado. The drive was a bit of a mess – I literally almost ran out of gas because I was too into my podcast to stop until I realized that I was SO FAR GONE that I had to debate turning around for the gas station 2 miles back vs. going to the gas station 5 miles away… yeah. That bad.
Anywho. I made it there (without running out of gas) and the place was pretty cute! But that next morning… man… my legs were FEELING IT. They were so sore, and I was so exhausted, but I knew I had to go get it done. I couldn’t quit NOW. Not after 3 freaking states. So, I laced up my shoes, and headed off into the (VERY HUMID AND LATER RAINING) Kansas sky. The first few miles felt great. I was strolling along and my legs were actually loosening up a bit. The next two miles… well.. a little bit slower but still just fine. But then. Around mile 6… it started to rain.
I am a LOVER of running in the rain – but not when I am wearing new shoes and I totally wore the wrong socks because I ran out of freaking clean socks during the road-trip. So. Anyways. I did NOT loving in the rain on this particular occasion. I could feel my socks slipping down into the depths of my shoes… until I could literally feel them on the back of my foot, barely hanging on. And as that happened, I could feel my foot rubbing up and down on the very-un-worn-in back of my shoe. At first it was just a dull pain – but, by mile 9, my foot was THROBBING. And by mile 13.1? FORGET ABOUT IT. But. Like the picture says. Sometimes you just gotta put your big girl pants on and get the job done.
I finished those 13.1 miles and IMMEDIATELY took off my shoes and socks (literally. Right there in the middle of the street). Despite the blister situation – it was time to CELEBRATE. After a quick shower and documentation of the huge-ass-blister – I went downtown and checked out a few local breweries. I didn’t have long to explore Kansas, since it was SUCH a long drive home, but Kansas did encourage me to finally buy some more socks! Thank you Kansas for… well… the post-run beers (and a huge reality check on whether I should attempt to do 4 half marathons in one week without ample preparation).
Race Across the States 