Center of the Nation Series Half Marathon Day #5 – Nebraska

Center of the Nation Series Half Marathon – Nebraska
September 18, 2015
2:43:32

Temp: low 40s, rainy, and windy

What I wore: hat, tank top, Brooks jacket, Skirt Sports Happy Girl Skirt(this is an affiliate link), compression socks, and Altra Running One 2 (affiliate link).

Sometimes you go into a race expecting the worst and end up having an awesome time. Sometimes the time on the clock bears no relation to how good the run was. This was that run. It was chilly and threatening rain and my stomach was feeling off, so I did not have high expectations for this run. When the race started and I realized that much of the course was on a trail, I dropped all time goals and just ran for fun. I ran the first lap with Beer Geek and then popped into the (thankfully warm, with real toilets) bathroom.

I was already damp from a light rain, so getting my skirt back up was a challenge. I headed out on my second lap and it began to pour. And that’s where this race became fun for me.

I was completely drenched, the path was muddy, I was afraid I would slip and fall into the stream…

But I was running with a huge grin on my face and just having a fabulous time. Amazingly, I was happy the entire race!

It took me forever to finish due to two potty stops (the Happy Girl is NOT easy to get back on when soaked), plus I’m a really slow trail runner, but I got it done.

The good:

• I was like a little kid playing in the rain.
• The rice krispy treats.
• The parts of the course that were not trail.
• My body felt good for the majority of the race.
• Getting my feet massaged so that I could survive day #6.

The bad:

• Needing to use the potty twice while wearing a soaking wet running skirt.
• The hill down to the creek. I walked it every time as I was afraid I’d trip and fall in.
• Everything in my “drop bag” got soaked, because, duh, I didn’t put it in plastic.

The ugly:

• Many of the aspects of the race were “ugly”, but I had fun. And that’s really all that mattered.

After the race, we made a quick stop at the hotel for me to get a hot shower and then it was off for a little bit of sightseeing.

We visited Scott’s Bluff and the Oregon Trail.

We visited the Chimney Rock.

Then it was off to Colorado for race #6!

Five down, one to go! Read about the first four races: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.