Well…it’s been a while since I’ve been able to add a state. As a few of you may have heard, there’s a pandemic. This has caused pretty much everything to change, including running. My last big race was on March 1st and I ran the Little Rock Marathon. Things changed quickly after that and all of my planned races were canceled, postponed, or went virtual.

For a while I made personal challenges to stay motivated that consisted of mileage or time goals. I even did a treadmill marathon due to a race going virtual (wasn’t fun). I did find that for me, it’s harder to train if I don’t have a race on the calendar. I still enjoy running but wasn’t pushing it as far as speed or mileage.

Enter in the Bill Snyder Highway Half in Manhattan, KS on Labor Day. Surprisingly I didn’t have Kansas yet (I was supposed to get it back in May, but, covid). I signed up a few days before the race and made the plans.

It’s only about a 4 hour drive from my house. The drive was fairly uneventful other than a gas station stop. I needed to use the restroom and upon entering there was a sign that said the women’s restroom was closed for cleaning for an indeterminate amount of time. My bladder wasn’t cool with that. I decided to use the men’s. I walked in the empty bathroom and used it as quickly as I could. However, it wasn’t quick enough. When I opened the stall there was a man standing at the urinal. He looked at me in shock and asked me if he was in the wrong place (while using a urinal, lol). I told him no, the women’s restroom was closed and I identify as someone who needed to pee. 😂

Once I got to Manhattan I picked up my race packet and then headed to grab dinner. I went to a restaurant called Coco Bolos at the recommendation of some friends. It wasn’t as healthy as I would normally eat before a race, but, sangria was calling and I had been told it was the best. Plus, I have no idea when I will be back in the area. I used to visit Manhattan often when I worked for McAlister’s Deli but my last trip was back in 2012.

After dinner I walked around the Kansas State campus. It was strangely empty. I imagine partially due to covid and partially due to the Labor Day holiday. My mom got her graduate degree there so it was fun to wander around her old stomping grounds.

On race morning we had to meet at the mall to be bussed to the start line. Masks were required and the bus was only half full. Temperatures were checked. They had us do a staggered start to minimize crowding. I started with the 2:30 group because I honestly had no idea what I would be able to do. The last time I ran 13 miles was in May and since then I had only done 3 miles at a time. But, the best way to train for a half is to run a half, right? I decided my goal was just to run a consistent race.

The course was pretty and people were friendly. The hydration stops were just small water bottles as they were trying to minimize exposure. It worked out perfectly. I found my rhythm and truly felt so much joy being back out doing something I love.

I ended up finishing in 2:04 which I was really happy with. ESPECIALLY after being passed by the 2:05 pacer with a half mile to go and he turned to the runner with him and said “See, that’s what happens when you go out to fast…” referring to me. No. He. Didn’t. Maybe that was his messed up way of inspiring me, but all of a sudden I went from wanting to run consistent miles to wanting to prove him wrong. I was super pumped when I came in under 2:05. Hello runners high!

After I finished (with no medal because we received it at packet pickup), I showered and then headed to Topeka, KS to eat at SPIN! Pizza, one of my favorite places. They have the best pizza and gelato. And of course, sangria.

I really treasured this experience as I can no longer take racing for granted. Covid has turned that upside down. I can’t say when my next state will be because there’s no way of knowing at this point. Fingers crossed that racing comes back in the near future. I miss it dearly.