Closing in on the 70/70 finale

Yes, it has been a long time since I've written - but, oh my goodness, we have been busy. And during that busy-ness, we've been clicking off more and more sites and activities on our way to completing our 70-new-things-in-our-70th-year-quest. This blog post is going to focus on what we found in Arthur, Nebraska - an absolutely wonderful stop on our way from Boulder to Petoskey this Autumn.

Arthur, Nebraska, population 118, was founded in 1913 and named after President Chester A. Arthur. Why did we stop there? Plenty of good reasons! Two, yes TWO, items for our 70/70 quest AND a public park with free camping with electric hookups AND a clean public restroom right across the little road from the campground. Fantastic! (And seeing how Arthur is pretty darned far from any other towns with camping, very much a relief to find the campsites open and available!)

The two items for our 70/70 quest? Two buildings in the National Historic Registry!

• #51: The Arthur County Courthouse and Jail complex, built in 1914-15, is said to be the smallest courthouse ever built in the United States. We had no problem finding it since it faced the block where we camped. As an added attraction for the courthouse, a committee of turkey vultures was settled in the tree overlooking the courthouse.
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 
 
 
 
 

• #52: The Pilgrim Holiness Church, built in 1928 out of straw bales. Why straw bales? Straw bale construction came in very handy during those days because of the lack of wood in the area and, because of Arthur’s location in the Sandhills of Nebraska, the local soil was not suitable for sod-based construction purposes.  It is the oldest known straw-bale church in North American and one of only three known to exist today. Arthur’s church was constructed with stacked and baled hay creating walls two feet thick. It is thought that “gumbo mud” was originally used to plaster the walls inside and out; now the walls are stuccoed on the outside and plastered on the inside.  Using baled hay for construction became possible in the 1850s with the invention of a mechanical hay baler. (Note: the first documented use of hay bales in construction was for a schoolhouse in the 1890s – a building that was unfenced and unprotected by stucco and plaster. In 1902 it was reported to have been eaten by cows.) 

Beyond the historic landmarks, the people we met were delightful, the neighborhood inviting, and the camping cozy (good thing - the evening brought more turkey vultures plus we were serenaded by coyotes during the night).

 

 

 

To cap it all off, in the morning we visited the general store and discovered a treasure! The Arthur County Cookbook created by "Members of District #32 - Upper Room." And inside this cookbook, a Most Amazing Recipe!

Did not ace the test but managed to get a passing grade...

As mentioned in previous posts, I spent the summer hip deep in marathon training. It turns out that "hip" is the operative word. I have a cranky arthritic hip and two miles into my longest planned training run, an 18 miler, my leg collapsed. My hip apparently decided enough was enough and it was going on strike. After panic visits to Kristin, PT miracle worker, running was at least possible but the marathon was out of the question. Thus I switched to the half marathon, crossing all of my fingers and toes and religiously doing every exercise Kristin had given me, hoping I could at least finish the half although "racing" it seemed out of the question. It was certain I would not be acing the marathon test, but perhaps I could have a passable half marathon.

Sleeping Bear Marathon / Half Marathon / 5k day - a brilliant day and a fantastic weekend with my cousin John and his wife Marcie, at their home in Empire, Michigan just two blocks from the Sleeping Bear start/finish. John, Marcie, Kendall and Taz were going to walk the 5k starting at 8:20; I was running the half marathon - as fast as my hip would allow - starting at 8. The entire day went off without a hitch.

Watching and cheering the marathoners as they came by the house 1/2 hour before the half marathon was to start. (John & Marcie's kitchen window looks right out to the street. Folks, upon seeing John and Marcie cooking up a storm, often stop by and ask if they can see a menu!)

 

 

A short half-hour later, I come trotting by with the half-marathoners while the 3M crew (Murphey/Meditch/Miller) cheer and photograph.

And not long after I go by, the 3Ms (plus Taz) head to the 5k start, pausing for a photo op at the 26 mile sign right by their house.

Long before I am done, John, Marcie, Kendall and Taz are across the finish line getting their pictures taken. Upon seeing these photos, I concluded they had a much more relaxed trip along the course than I did! (That photography crew knows how to boost their business - they actually take close-ups of the pups that trotted through the 5k!)

Meanwhile I am learning a thing or two or three about this Sleeping Bear Half Marathon - as in
1) It is the hilliest course I have ever run - racing or training.
2) Whenever my hip starts to show signs of going on strike, I remember Kristin saying USE YOUR GLUTES.
3) I am somehow able to run consistently between 11 and 12 minute pace! (I had originally planned on a 13 minute pace when I was training for the marathon that had a 6-hour time limit.)

Lest you think I am exaggerating about the hills, here is the elevation record from my fit tracker:

It's an out-back course and I had originally planned on running fairly conservatively the first 10 miles and then, if I felt good at 10, I would pick it up. The 11-12 pace was a bit quicker than my version of conservative, but it didn't feel like I was straining at all and when I was heading out and realized that the first couple (thus last couple) of miles were relatively flat compared to the rest of the course, I thought that "pick it up the last few miles" plan might be workable. And sure enough, the last 3 miles were the fastest - dipping down just below 11s!  Final time: 2:30:20. In the process of finishing, the announcer, who was calling out each finisher's name and hometown, also added for me - at the top of his lungs - "SHE IS 70 YEARS OLD".  No hiding my age now!  And speaking of age - bonus! I won my age category! (...a huge age category: 70-99 with not just one, but four! women in that category).

So for some finisher photos:

Me finishing, looking every bit my age

I went straight to the lake from the finish line -
something I had promised myself through every hard training run

When I found out I won my age

The award - Lake Michigan sand
(hand packed into the vial by me)

Finisher's photo in front of the nifty Sleeping Bear banner

And the best photo of all (thank you Kendall!) - Taz and his medal

I can't let the weekend's wrap-up go by without extending a huge thanks to John and Marcie. Fantastic hosts! Fantastic company! Fantastic family!

Realities of marathon training

 As I wade deeper into marathon training, I am realizing that 

  I may have forgotten a few details like... how tired one gets when hip-deep in marathon training ...for example. 

  And I may not have fully realized a few details like... how marathon training at age 70 may be just a tad tougher than marathon training at 40 or 50 ...for example.

That said, there are a few bonus features that go along with marathon training that have sprung forward from the memory banks. For example:

Running buddies! The gang has stepped up and joined me in many of my interval, tempo, and long run workouts and what a difference it makes! I'm slowly turning the ship from tourist cruiser to, well, not speed boat but there is definite speed improvement all thanks to the stellar pace setting capabilities of the crew.

 

Anita & Connie at Davidson Mesa - a fave for long repeats

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stretching under the full moon.
Put down the camera & stretch pjv!

Workout done on South Boulder Creek
Did Randall, Connie & Anita even break a sweat?!

Example number 2: After your long run - even if you are bone tired, hot, hungry, thirsty and disappointed in your run - delights may be awaiting you at the end. In today's case, it was the County Fair and the offerings were quite successful in making this hot, tired, hungry & thirsty human break out in smiles and laughter.

From the quilt exhibit

From the baking exhibit

So with all these reminders in mind...shall we just keep on keeping on? You betcha!

August 1 - a notable date in the VaughanMiller family

 August 1 has brought both sadness and joy to our family.

August 1, 1996: on the way back from Michigan to Colorado in the first new car we had ever owned, we were hit by a car whose driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. Our car rolled, the car was totaled, Kendall and kids were pretty much o.k. (tho' the kids were put on backboards and rushed by ambulance to the hospital to be checked out with me riding anxiously along), the kids reported seeing our dog, Loki, sailing through the air as the car rolled but he was o.k., and it wasn't until we eventually got back to Boulder that I realized I wasn't o.k. - with a concussion and multiple back sprains (amazing what adrenaline will do to keep a person going). But we survived and eventually all was well.

Loki on the trail at Lake of the Clouds,
Porcupine Mountains, Michigan 1991

August 1, 1997: our dog, Loki, passed away. He was an extraordinary running buddy and that pup knew and empathized with my every mood. There will never be another Loki although we have since had two dogs that we have loved (Jester) and love (Taz) dearly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To turn the first day of August into a joyful date to remember, I was determined to finish my Boulder, Colorado to Petoskey, Michigan run on August 1, 2007. What a fantastic journey that was - and what a grand way to bring a monumental dose of happiness to August 1.

 

 

 

 

 

And this August 1 - 2022 - looking for another joyful memory to add to this date, Kendall and I cogitated on how to celebrate Colorado Day (also an August 1 event) and/or accomplish the 50th item on our 70 in 70 quest - and came up with a trip to Nederland and a ride on the Carousel of Happiness. A wonderful way to celebrate August 1!

In 1986, Scott Harrison, an ex-Marine who was calmed by a music box and the image of a carousel in a mountain meadow while serving in Vietnam, rescued a 1910 Loof carousel from a warehouse in Utah then spent the next 26 years carving 56 animals that would bring his vision of a mountain meadow carousel to life. 

So many choices of where to ride!

And so many things to look at while riding!

 

 

PLUS! all throughout the ride there is music from the restored 1913 Wurlitzer Band Organ which plays 101 instruments using compressed air generated by bellows. Magnificent!