Back to running after a 5 year hiatus! This blog used to be all about my running, until I met a guy and had a few kids. Those few kids were a big reason I had to switch gears for a few years. Pregnancy and hips, you know?? After some time, rest, physical therapy and finding some motivation, I ran the Sandhills Half Marathon outside of Valentine, NE.
It. Was. Glorious. Flat, beautiful, all downhill, with a blue sky and sun shining down after a thunderstorm the day before. It was a perfect morning chill- enough for racers to jump and chat and stretch at the start line but after the shotgun start (literally) the run itself was comfortable. Good spacing of the water and gatorade (and GU) stations. They had some mobile porta-johns that were available about every 3-4 miles.
The finish line was hard to make out, as it was a small race there weren’t big crowds or an announcer or a balloon arch. As my Garmin notified me I was almost there, I ran past a thicket of cottonwoods sending off ethereal wisps into the air, beautifully silhouetted by the sun ahead of me. Feeling a surge of energy and setting into a sprint, I ran through this magical natural marvel to finish my run in 2:12!!
The medal was different than any I’d received before, it was a simple engraved horseshoe. So we embraced that spirit and went to a rodeo later that night, which our daughter still talks about a week later! We arrived just in time for the Women’s lasso portion and cheered on as the teams raced to rope a calf.
We otherwise had an amazing time exploring the Valentine, NE area while camping in our Airstream Trailer. The campground we stayed at, Wacky West Travel Park was ideally situated. It is near a stockyard but it actually wasn’t bothersome at all. It’s within walking distance to the Bolo Brewery along the Cowboy Trail, is near a multitude of river outfitters, you can hear the rodeo we visited from the campsite, close to downtown and has a small playground.
AIRSTREAMERS: Beware of your head when opening the windows! My husband gashed his scalp just walking around the trailer on the latch that pokes down. This campground is also ideally situated near the ER! Five staples later, my husband posted on a FB group that advised cutting up and placing pool noodles around these window daggers (or whatever they’re called.)
Though a bit of a drive but was near the finish line, the Nebraska National Forest was a fun trip and exploring more of the Cowboy Trail’s iconic bridge was just spectacular. Also a little out of the way, but the Bootleg Brewery was a fantastic lunch stop as we drove home.
On our way out of town we took a wrong turn somehow… or maybe the Right Path and found the Berry Bridge Campground. We only drove past it, but the falls and bridge were a serendipitous photo op. We kept driving to Smith Falls State Park which was far beyond our expectations!
This was our first trip after a truck debacle left us stranded in Sedona. I can definitely say that getting back up on the horse was worth it. Huh, seems like I can even say that about running! Setbacks happen, but together we overcame some hurdles and are enjoying every minute of the lessons learned. On to the next half marathon!
The Inspired Dr.Mom 