Week 2: Iowa & Nebraska

It’s hard to believe that we’ve already wrapped up week 2... and logged over 1,000 miles as a team!

The Route

• Day 8: Sterling, IL

• Day 9: Iowa City, IA

• Day 10: Des Moines, IA

• Day 11 & 12: Omaha, NE

• Day 13: Grand Island, NE

• Day 14: Arapahoe, NE

• Day 15: Benkelman, NE

States Covered: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas

National Parks Covered: None, just a lot of corn and wheat fields!

I won’t lie, this leg of the trip was the stretch that I was the least excited about. We made our way out of the Midwest and through Great Plains spending the majority of our days in Nebraska. It was exactly what I envisioned, corn fields and small towns, but it was beautiful. It was surprisingly peaceful running along endless fields of corn with a clear blue sky and the straight line of the horizon ahead. While running this week, I was constantly reminded how big and expansive this world is.

Fun Surprises

Along the way, we got to explore the world’s largest truck stop in Iowa and go camping for the first time as a team outside of Omaha, Nebraska. Most importantly, we have a new frontrunner for the best ice cream, Coneflower Creamery in Omaha! Jacq and I have successfully logged 17 ice cream spots to date, so we’re well on track.

One of my favorite stops this week was the small town of Arapahoe, Nebraska. We met with long-time 4K hosts Judy and Jerry who gave us beds (!!) and made us homemade omelets for breakfast in the morning. When we left Arapahoe, we stumbled upon a dog who jogged alongside us and logged 4 miles on the day! We loved the company.

Our team is also getting very creative with games and music to keep us both energized and distracted on the harder runs. Some of our favorites are 20 questions, I’m going on a picnic, contact, and big booty mixes. If you have any other suggestions, please share! We’ve all had lulls throughout the week, but have been able to pick each other up.

Finally, my teammate, Sky, is teaching me a lot about the flowers and trees that we pass throughout our runs. I learn two new types a day and then get quizzed the following day. I've really enjoyed taking the time to stop and appreciate what we're running through and we've had fun documenting the new wildflowers we pass with pictures. It's been a unique way to see the changes in vegetation and landscape as we move further west. Thanks, Sky!

Service Day

During our rest day in Omaha our team director, Jacq, set up our first service day of the summer. We cooked dinner for cancer patients and their families at the Hope Lodge through the American Cancer Society. The Hope Lodge operates very similarly to the Ulman House and provides free housing and support services for patients and families while they are undergoing treatment. We made spaghetti and meatballs and shared conversations with adults actively battling cancer. It served as another clear reminder of exactly why we're doing this.

My Body

Thankfully, my body is still feeling strong! My biggest frustration right now is some stubborn blisters on my feet. I’m starting to alternate shoes and change out my socks more frequently which seems to be helping. Shoutout to my Mom and Will for supplying me with great running socks and body glide.

I've been sleeping well, and can often rest a bit more with a nap in the van when we shuttle. We continue to do a lot of team stretching in the evenings and are thankful for Jacq’s portable theragun. I’ve also done some core and arm workouts with the boys when we stay in schools with a gym. Cross training!

We’ve had less rain on this stretch, so we’re lathering on loads of sunscreen and drinking a lot of Gatorade. I know this is just the beginning of the heat, so we’re trying to get into some good rhythms now as we move further west.

Our Team Grows

As we head into Colorado, our team will triple in size! We get to meet up with the riders. There are twelve 4K for Cancer cyclists who started their journey a few weeks ahead of us, and we finally get to meet them in Boulder, CO! We’ve been in group chats and on FaceTime, but are eager to see how our two teams will mesh. Once we join the riders, our days will essentially look the same. We’ll just have more sleeping mats on the floor, and larger meals that we get to share together. We’ll also split up the responsibility of getting food donations and get an extra two vans so that will make some logistics a bit easier.

As we leave Nebraska today, I am very eager for what is ahead! We’ll spend the rest of the summer in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California and I can’t wait to explore that part of the country!

Until next time,

C