VA, still at state 23!

 

I ran in Virginia on September 14, 2024.  Because I counted my Marine Corps Marathon as VA unless I did this race, I am still at state 23, but plus DC!  I always love Vacation Races half marathons and was very happy to do this one in VA!

Camden and I started our weekend by heading to Lynchburg Thursday night.  Friday morning, September 13, Camden had a college visit to Liberty University.  Having the tour on Friday meant that we got to go to convocation.  It was a great visit and now Camden wants to go to LU!

The cafeteria has a few more options than when I was a student!

Convocation was full of LU students

We left after our tour to head to Luray, VA.  We had lunch at our favorite sandwich shop in Lynchburg, Macado's.  I also drove through UVA to show Camden where I went to grad school.  It took us longer than we planned because the actual building that housed the Speech Therapy Clinic and classes was torn down!  (It wasn't an historical building or anything,)

We arrived at packet pickup just in time to buy my sticker, a sweatshirt, and get my bib.  This race is more in the middle of nowhere than most VR races that I have done, but it was pretty!

That night we checked into the Shenvalee Golf Resort.  There were so many trucks and groups of men staying there for a golf vacation.  It was a different type of place to stay, but clean and cozy!  We ate dinner at the resort, pizza, and rested for the evening.  I introduced Camden to "Everyone Love Raymond" and he really liked it!

Saturday morning started super early.  The race was a point-to-point course, so I had Camden drop me off at the start and he drove to the finish to volunteer and wait for me.  His job was handing out post-race food and he was hoping to get to drink the chocolate milk!

The course was described as a rolling downhill course, so I thought it wouldn't be too hard.  Well, I was wrong!  It wasn't the hardest course I've run with VR, however, it was very hilly for this lowcountry girl!  I was running pretty well until around the second mile and then it was chapel hill!  IYKYK!  There were 2-3 other hills before it was finally downhill or flat.  I was doing ok until I was 1/2 mile from the finish and could see the end.  Then my calf decided to cramp up.  Such a pain, literally.  I stretched, walked a few steps, and then was able to run to the finish.  It was super nice to get my recovery food from Camden!  

 

 

They had some really cute volunteers!

Camden had to work 1.5 more hours, so I drove the 30 minutes to the hotel, showered quickly, and drove back to get Camden.  

The rest of the day was our time to visit Shenandoah National Park.  We ate lunch at a good Italian restaurant, drove past so many yard sales (it really looked like every house we drove by had a yard sale going on...guess there isn't much else to do in that part of VA), and finally made it to the Skyline Drive.  It definitely was a pretty drive!  Some of the leaves were just starting to change colors.  We also were able to do a short hike to Dark Hollow Falls.

Trucks were at the hotel, but sports cars were on Skyline Drive

We made lots of stops at overlooks and I made sure to take my medal with me!

We finished exploring Skyline Drive and then headed back to the hotel with a stop at a cute store and Cooter's Dukes of Hazzard Museum.  

Camden Bo Duke!

Our dinner plans that night were at a steak house.  There were not too many choices and this one looked good.  At least until they sat us in the empty bar area by ourselves and asked us if we wanted steak sauce!  Unfortunately, the steak could have used some extra sauce.  

We watched more "Everyone Love Raymond" before we both crashed!  It had been a long day!  

Our last day involved breakfast in New Market at the Southern Kitchen Restaurant.  It was a good breakfast to get us ready for our drive home after our visit to Luray Caverns.  

This picture was a really cool part of the cave.  What looks like formations on the top and bottom is really just a reflection of the top formations!

The organ was connected to the stalactites and was played while we were there.

The wishing well that is drained every year and the money is donated to charity.

Fried eggs

There was a car museum at Luray Caverns

A rustic Virginia LOVE sign

We had an 8-hour drive home with stops for lunch and dinner.  We listened to Bill O'Reilly's "Killing Legends" on the way home (we had listened to "Killing Kennedy" on the way to VA) and learned about Elvis and John Lennon.  It was a long drive home, but definitely worth it to be able to see and run in Virginia!!

 

Cheese, the Packers and State 23! Wisconsin

 

Labor Day weekend 2024 was my time for running in Wisconsin!  It was kind of a last-minute race, but since I was training for VA in September, it worked out for me to head to WI.  And I knew if I threw this into the schedule, I would be halfway to my goal by the end of the year!  This was the first race trip I have totally done solo.  

I flew into Milwaukee Friday, August 30.  My first stop was Kopp's for custard.  It was so good!!  I opted for chocolate instead of their flavor of the day and it did not disappoint.

    That evening I stayed in Green Bay at the St. Brendan's Inn.  It was cute and cozy with a good restaurant.

I ordered fish and chips for dinner.  They are different than what I am used to at the Codfather's in Charleston.  Although good, still prefer the Codfather's.

The next morning, I looked out of my window and noticed tents being set up.  I figured it was a Farmer's Market and I was right!  It seemed like it was mainly veggie and flower stands.  And everyone only took cash.  I was able to find an ATM and go shopping, though.  I bought some really good cherry tomatoes for my drive from an Amish farmer.  I also got some flowers, soap and food.  I bought an apple kringle and a lemon hand pie.  Both were super yummy!  And there was a river walk where I could sit and eat them, or at least part of them!

A kringle...a pastry that is big in WI.

My lemon hand pie!

I then headed to my tour of Lambeau field...the Packers stadium!  My dad had been a Packers fan, so I toured the field in his memory.  It was a really interesting tour.  Even if you aren't a Packers fan or even a football fan, I would still recommend the tour.  The history of the team was neat to hear about.  From the way they have added onto the field to generate needed income since they are owned by the town and not a rich individual, to the story of how they are the only NFL team to have been around from the beginning of the NFL and still be in the original town, to the story of how they pay 500 people $12/hr. to shovel snow off of the bleachers, to the 13 championships, and to the coldest game!  And of course stories of Vince Lombardi!  The reason my dad liked the Packers!

Lambeau started the Packers team

View from the top of the stadium

The retired numbers

It is a huge stadium!

Reggie White

You can rent this atrium...some people do so for weddings.  Wonder if the groomsmen wear cheeseheads!

Quotes from Lombardi that were in the museum

I had lunch at their restaurant.  1919 was the year the team was formed.

The cheese soup was delicious!!

After my tour and the purchase of a cheesehead for Nathan, it was now time to head to Minocqua.  I only made one pitstop...to buy fried cheese curds at a diner.  They were much better than any cheese curds I have had in Charleston.  When I got in Minocqua, I checked in, got my bib, got a pizza for dinner, and then relaxed in the room.  Tomorrow was race day!

View from my room!  The lake is behind the trees.

Another cozy room

I have never seen black colored squirrels!

Sunday morning was a cool one, but not cold.  Perfect running weather.  The race had a full and half option, and the half started 30 minutes after the full.  I was able to walk to the start from the hotel.  I love it when I can do that!  At 7:30 we took off down the Bearskin State Trail.  It was an out and back course on hard packed dirt.  It was a nice run through the woods.  You could not see much of the lake, but it was still a nice run.  I started out with a pacing group.  I usually don't do this, but wanted to try a different strategy to get my time back to where it was post back surgery, but pre leg injury.  And it worked!  I was with the 2:30 group for about 3 miles.  Then I was ahead of them the rest of the way.  When I turned around to head back, I saw them, and they cheered me on.  I thanked them after the run, and they admitted that they did not want to catch up with me and discourage me.  But if they had, they would have prodded me to finish by 2:30 hrs.  I finished in 2:29:12!  Certainly not super-fast and not my fastest, but for where I am in life, it was a good time.  

My morning walk to the race

It was a no frills run for sure, but it worked for me!

The rest of the day was walking around town and finding food to eat.  I ate at the Boathouse two times because both times they could seat me right away since I was dining solo.  I was able to sit on the patio and enjoy the weather while reading a book.  And I was able to relax and watch a movie that night.  The town itself is cute with a German look, but there weren't a lot of stores.  Guess it saved me some money!  I did find some good chocolate caramels though!

I had a very pretty walk from my hotel to the town!

My farmer's market flowers in a pitcher! 

Monday was my day to head home.  I had a four-hour drive to get to the airport by 4:00, so I was able to take my time.  My first stop was the Cedar Valley Cheese Store!  So many cheeses and meats to choose from!  I had lunch there with some more cheese curds.  And then I bought lots of cheese to take home!  

I made one last stop at Kopp's to get more custard. This time I tried the flavor of the day, cookie dough.  Although it was good, there was so much cookie dough that it was not as creamy as plain chocolate.  Next time I am in Wisconsin, I will get chocolate!

   All in all, a fun, food filled trip!  Solo traveling was different, but it was still a good time.  Now to get ready to run in Virginia in two weeks!