DreamBig 2015 - #40 Iowa

STATE #40 - Des Moines, Iowa
36th Dam to Dam
Finishers: 6,963

May 29, 2015
So you know the phrase "taking the route less traveled"? Well a word of advice - don't do this the day before a half marathon and spend almost an entire day flying around the country just to save $50. I changed my itinerary last minute so that I would fly into Omaha instead of Des Moines so I could keep Kali company on her drive. This meant waking up at 3:30am to finish packing or unpacking (I really don't know these days) so that I could get to the airport and catch my 6am flight to...Denver.

I was a bit bummed because I have a routine of getting a #7 breakfast (which is a #8 at the airport) from Chick-Fil-a the morning of race travel but I figured it wouldn't be open that early - SURPRISE it was - thank goodness. I didn't want to drink coffee because I planned to sleep on the flight to Denver but I ordered it out of habit and drank it anyways. I landed in Denver at 7:40am local time and was able to work a half day on my long layover before my flight to Omaha.

ATL - DEN - OMA (Fueled by Chicken Egg and Cheese Bagel)

All packed and ready to go!

4th state in like...8 hours

Kali picked me up at the Omaha airport and I went to go see her new apartment where we worked for a while longer and then went to grab lunch and catch up before getting back on the road to Iowa. We left Omaha around 4pm and drove the two hours to Iowa where we met her sister, Shari, and uncles Dan and Jim, at the expo. Oddly enough, Kali may live in Omaha but I have met a large majority of her extended family. The Dam to Dam expo was awesome! First of all, our goodie bags had free Brooks socks and then the expo itself also had free beer, free pizza, free sandwiches, free ginormous bowls of Goldfish (we know where I camped out). We hung around for a while and then headed downtown to The Old Spaghetti Works to put on name on the list. While we were waiting we wandered down the block to the only thing in Des Moines, IA that I knew about. If you watched the Chris Soules season of the Bachelor, this wall will look very familiar! I was rather bummed that Chris and Whitney just broke up - but maybe that makes this picture even better.

HUGE bowls of Goldfish at the Expo

Way too excited about a reality show "prop"

A random dad got really creative with the angles...

After dinner, Kali and I went to Walgreens to pick up some race essentials and after a very long day of travel we finally all got to bed at Shari's around 11:30PM for a 3:50AM wakeup call.

May 30, 2015
Usually when my alarm goes off on race day, I hop to my feet and I am ready to rock n' roll. This day I was absolutely exhausted and staggered through my prerace morning, while Kali and Shari slowly woke up as well. I hate to say it - but I was just not feeling it. I decided to wear all black since Race #40 was sort of like having an "Over the Hill" birthday. Sort of? The race was a point to point race so we had to catch a bus to take us north to the start. Around 5:15am we walked to the bus stop about 4 blocks away from Shari's apartment and then traveled the course up to the start, I slept the entire way - like couldn't keep my eyes open. It wasn't super cold out but it was a bit windy and it started to drizzle soon after we arrived at the start area. Luckily, I had brought a space blanket from the finish of a past race and I advised Shari and Kali to put on trash bags to stay warm and dry.

On the bus to the Dam - before I fell asleep

Kali struggling to stay warm - people thought (knew) we were crazy

Lil Ash - just wrapped up like a Burrito

The race didn't start until 7am so we stood around all huddled together for a long time. I was on the ground in a ball (sleeping) probably looking like a burrito to any passerby. Finally, the crowds all started to move and we made our way out on to the Saylorville Dam where the race would begin. Shari opted to hang back while Kali and I head up further towards the front.

Walking to the start line

Sawyerville Dam - Part One of the "Dam to Dam" race

When the race started, I felt pretty good for the first mile of so but quickly realized I was in no mood to talk with Kali like I usually am capable of doing. We were keeping a good pace but I just wasn't feeling strong. Coming back from my runner's knee, I didn't wear my brace since I hadn't had any recent pain but I also had not trained at all since I had been traveling for work since my last race. Kali had done an awesome job training and I could tell she was feeling good.

Mile 1 sign - congrats.

It was still cool and a bit drizzly but not uncomfortable by any means. For the first chunk of the race, it was all nature, farms and fields.The last race I had like this was in Omaha (#15) with Kali back in 2013. At Mile 5 we hit a little hill that brought us over the interstate and after that I just couldn't get my stride back, my legs were just tired. I was exhausted. As always, I knew I would finish but I had to focus on running my own race and the last thing I wanted to do was hold Kali back especially after she had trained. Mile 6 to 7 was all uphill - which I can usually dominate but today not so much. I told Kali that when we got to Mile 7, I needed her to leave me. So once we got to the top of the hill, I took my snapchat video and then said my goodbyes and sent her on her way. By Mile 7 we had also rejoined civilization so we had a little more to look at.

As we continued into Des Moines, I was being very mentally negative and hard on myself and that is the worst attitude to have while competing in a race - especially when for my goal it is all just for FUN and the experience. When I got to the water stop around Mile 8.5, I grabbed a water and a Powerade, stopped to take my energy gel, regrouped, got my mind right and convinced myself I was going to have a good rest of the race. I didn't walk - I just literally stopped. I needed a restart and an attitude adjustment - I pretty much put my brain in timeout until it was ready to finish the "Dam" thing (see what I did there?). The next few miles were on bike trails and neighborhood roads and I felt much better. We did some rolling hills along the river but being able to see the city in the distance was helpful. Ticking off the miles, I could see the Mile 11 flag up ahead after going over the Central Street Dam and the last two miles would take us along the Des Moines River and back into town. Mile 11 was on the river walk past the Farmer's Market and these short but steep little hills made my poor little knee start to cry - but we were getting close!

Taken post race - but 200 and 100 meter signs before finish

We turned onto MLK Drive and I saw the "1 More Mile" flag and knew not to push it, but that the end was near. We turned up 15th street which of course was a hill...as always...and the signs started counting down the meters left. 400 meters - working my way up the hill. 200 meters - turning the corner down Grand. I wish there was a finish line camera because once I hit the 100 meters sign my legs didn't have anything left but my arms sure did. I was swinging and pumping my arms all over the place trying to give it once last pull to the finish (this is a lot more funny of an image in person - feel free to ask me to show you). The clock was all off when I crossed the finish line but I didn't care about my time - I had finished my 40TH half marathon. 40! I felt 40 during the entire thing (no offense if you are 40 - you look great). I got my medal and choked back my unreasonable emotional tears and easily found Kali right past the finish line.

Snapchat check in - so happy to be done. And cold. 

Kali checking to make sure the medal was....edible?

I will run any race that has tables full of cookies at the finish.

We were both freezing but still made our way through the finish area where they had everything from free icecream, chocolate milk, fruit, kettle corn, a big cookie buffet, BBQ sandwiches and of course beer. We gobbled up a few things and then decided to run back (not really..more like limped back) to Shari's to grab some warm clothes before we met her at the finish. We passed the sculpture park on the way and stopped to take my official photo and then came back and met Shari and the Uncles at the beer festivities. Of course me being me didn't really want beer so Kali and I got coffee instead. After the cold set in for everyone, we went back to the apartment to clean up before grabbing some meatball subs at Gusto Pizza and then getting a pedicure. Kali - best idea ever.

Official Race Pic - 40 states down, 10 more to go! #DREAMBIG

Medal - Bib - #40 Check!

Everyone needed a nap (except me who is insane and couldn't sleep) so we chilled and then met up with Kali's friend Liz and her boyfriend at El Bait Shop for a drink and dinner. Let me make an observation that the majority of men in Iowa are ginormous. I actually felt small for once (and I'm only 5'5). I was told it is because they are corn fed and raised to work in fields - valid point. We got to bed early for a much needed night of sleep.

More hijacked photos:

May 31, 2015
It was a slow morning but I watched Gilligan's Island and Saved by the Bell while the two sisters slept. We decided to grab brunch at Mullets before Kali and I head back to Omaha. I was relatively tipsy after one Bloody Mary (I know - it's pitiful) but the sweet potato tots and breakfast burrito were quite grand. We got back to Omaha around 2:30PM and hit up the free Yoga in the Park right next to Kali's apartment at 4PM which was much needed. Kali brought me to the airport around 6:15PM where I learned my flight through STL was delayed so they rerouted me through MDW and I was all confused and kept almost missing flights (maybe because when at MDW, you must get Ben & Jerry's) but finally got back to ATL around 1:30AM. Nothing like a long night of travel after an exhausting weekend!

Des Moines skyline pics from brunch

40 states down, 10 more to go!
#DREAMBIG