Kansas Recap: No rain, 88 degrees — yep, it was WARM ☀️

3 blocks not, one block east – 2 minute total commute to Red Hawk Stadium.  Another great nite of sleep, big fan of Hiawatha.  Cool morning temp that would disappear early.  Pre-warned, no trees in Kansas — flat, exposed grasslands course, hugging the local high school’s football stadium.

Went out fast & stayed quick for 16 miles.  Last 8 miles a social walk with Angela, Ed (Day 1) & Missy (Day 2).  All my faves now together.  Last day for lotta folks as the weekend’s over & non re-wired peeps go back to work.  Faster finish each successive day.  Said my goodbyes.  Rural KS road awaits.

USA Heartland.  Soy beans & corn.  Interstate 29 North — an hour of Missouri then Council Bluffs & Sioux City.  3 hour+ commute but no parking-lot coma.  Saving sleeps for my Nebraska-based hotel. HAHA!  Would be here 3 nights, opting for a dark-hour morning drive last day/stay in the same bed.

Met new runners as I checked in.  How far?  50K every day.  They’ll catch on — it’s what all the cool kids run.  LOL>  Dinner plans tomorrow.  Nebraska/Iowa courses within 10 miles of each another, allowing downtime for lotta runners before early sleeps & recoup regimes.

3 days in, 5 states to go.

Prairie Series – Hiawatha KS

Word of the Day: Social Running

45-minute drive from my hotel in Hiawatha KS.  Bestest experience!  Kind older couple bought & fully-renovated this spot, top-to-bottom.  2-nite stay.  Clean, QUIET.  Unpacked, got organized for an hour after a long hot shower then slept a solid 6 hours.  Highly recommended.  FANTASTIC!

Early a.m. truck-stop coffee.  Ready, ready to run.  Was in St Joseph 2 years ago with Sis.  Tornado hit our destination race in Brookings SD, so… we last-minute jumped into this run.  That day was super hot on an exposed path near the riverboat casino (they used an alternative route due to flooding). Today’s riverwalk course, right along the Missouri River.  Trees, shade, short hill, pedestrian bridge — all beside a Nature Center.  Would be the prettiest course on the Prairie.  Go Missouri!

Afternoon temp high 80’s — goal to run a Half, walk/run/jog a Half.  Stayed on target first 10k, felt good.  Met my one: Missy, a physician.  Wore a St Jude’s shirt.  My first Tennessee race was St Jude’s. Had chose Memphis for Graceland; left with forever memories of children standing outside the hospital @ Mile 9.  Missy began running as an outlet.  Mother of twin daughters; one a patient, brain cancer. Rest of our walk/jog… her story.  But WOW, folks — I was blessed ❤️

2nd Half got warm, crazy humid.  Buggy when ya hit shade.  Slower finish time than day prior but left pumped, inspired, FULL.  Never know what a person is going through, their personal walk.

Talk.  Smile.  Laugh.  Interact.  Life is meant to be lived.

Prairie Series – St Joseph MO

Welcome to the Prairie Series.  Welcome to My-a-mah — the other Miami… Oklahoma.

Rotary Centennial Park

Storms across the Prairie all week.  Tornados, Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday.  Shared fears with Mom, added my name to the prayer circle & Thursday nite… off to Tulsa. Eventually.  Plane delayed, hours late.  Rental SUV not available.  Prepaid-in-advance… control what you can control.  Two-hour drive thru Indian Nation.  Tomorrow my next series begins — Oklahoma to North Dakota… just hours from the Canadian border.

Hotel check-in, no time to unpack — would pull run clothes & shoes in the morning.  No pre-series bib retrieval.  No pre-series Kroger provisions.  No pasta dinner.  But… I’m here.  On the road again, next 8 days 🚗   New series, new folks, new stories.  Folks here for a long weekend.  And a couple regulars.  That’s me now: #50K every day

Day 1.  Course diverted.  Normal route 20 FEET under water.

Lotta curves, whole lotta laps.  Ran first couple miles, then joined Chey/Guinness Mom for 10 of her 13.1 miles — first day, just couldn’t keep up.  Landscape warm, sleep started to catch me, stomach unsettled.  Walked it out friends.  Great company, great plan.

No win, not the caboose.  Collected my state medal, got it done.

Longest drive of the series ahead.  Rural road & open PRAIRIE.  Spotted a National Park sign in Fort Scott.  Park rangers, safe place.  I’d pull over, just a 20 minute nap.  Quarter-to-6, I’m the only car there.  Argh!

3 hours further: Hiawatha, Kansas.  2-nite stay never sounded so good.

Welcome to Prairie Series