This idea of us loving crazy people is certainly a tacit concept weaved amid our sisterly 50 states race adventures. Being crazy is certainly not a requirement, however, it definitely makes things run more smoothly if those who join us are at least a little bit cray cray! This time we basically placed a want ad for anyone on the crazy spectrum, forewent interviews, loaded anyone willing to put up with us for a couple days into Mird's car and headed west. Oh yeah and people joining us had to be willing to run through a flood plain, under a current flood warning, during a rain storm, on a trail composed primarily of dirt mud. As you can imagine, there was a long line of applicants beating down my door. there were not many responses to our ad and very few people loaded up in the car-- a record low number in fact. And you know what, we had a damn fine time despite all that. Here's who we hired for this trip and we paid them in exquisite homemade foods, second hand puzzles, and some good old fashioned alcohol and family fun.
Tera Culp also made her third appearance on the tour but for different states. We joined her on her birthday adventure in Tennessee when we ran a half marathon for St Jude's Hospital and more recently she joined us for another half marathon in Rhode Island. She recently moved from Arkansas to Kansas City with her Fiance, Kobe Rose. He was the final member on our payroll this time and he had the difficult job of attempting to balance out the estrogen in the house and keep the crazy to a manageable level. Kobe was also there in Memphis where he made his marathon debut and drank all of us under the table the night before the race! So he may have been a poor choice for craziness management, but whatever, he was an important member of our team. He understood the situation and still chose to come with us and that says it all! Also, he and I share a birthday so that totally sealed the deal!
Now this particular adventure was set in the microclimate of Northeast Iowa. That's where our characters faced their most recent endurance challenges. If you're unfamiliar with this particular natural phenomenon, it is basically a part of Iowa that nobody even knows exits. This lack of awareness is likely because it is cooler than all the rest of Iowa combined with Nebraska so nobody in Iowa tells anyone about it. It's top secret. Those not from Iowa, drive through this tini microclimate without even knowing they've been there that's how micro and secret it is. Think Twilight zone with corn surrounding it and mere seconds from Wisconsin and you get the vibe for where we shacked up for the final weekend of my (gulp) forties! Those residing in this microclimate keep to themselves. They eat at supper clubs, go hiking and stay put. For 48 hours we called this place home. It was a spectacular way to say farewell to my forties. In an attempt to continue my impact educating people, here's a cool table I found about this area. Skip it if you just want to laugh and see how the race went. Read it if you are interested in getting to be a smarty pants like me!
| Microclimate Region / Feature | Temperature & Zone Attributes | Landscape Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Far Northeast Bluffs & Valley Bottoms (Decorah, Waukon, Upper Mississippi) | Zone 4b to 5a (-25°F to -15°F) | Cold Air Drainage: Deep river valleys trap dense, freezing air rolling down from the bluffs. This causes significantly lower winter minimums and risks late spring frosts. |
| Algific Talus Slopes (Unique to the Driftless Area) | Sub-Arctic Pockets (Stays cool all summer) | Ice-Cooled Vents: Air travels through underground limestone cracks over winter ice, escaping into slopes. This creates a localized freezing microclimate that supports rare glacial-period flora. |
| South & West-Facing Bluff Sides | Artificially Warmer (Micro-pockets of Zone 5b) | Solar Radiation: Steep hillsides facing south capture intense sun angles, accelerating snowmelt and raising the soil temperature earlier in the spring than flat areas. |
| The Iowan Surface Plain (Transitioning West toward Waterloo) | Zone 5a (-20°F to -15°F) | Wind Exposure: Flatter, eroded glacial terrain with gentle rolling hills. It lacks the bluff windbreaks, exposing plants to biting winter winds and severe windchill. |
Switching topics..
Fun fact: This poem hung in our kitchen when we were growing up in Fremont. Mird and I were able to recite it from memory. It greeted us every time we arrived home when we were kids and it did the same every time we passed the washing maching on this vacay. It was a wonderful welcome when finally arrived at our airbnb which had the best view of the Mighty Mississippi and the bald eagles that called this place home. 
Traditionally we take a pic when we enter a new state! This time we fell down on the job and we only have proof of being in Iowa!
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To celebrate all of our success we decided to partake in some Iowan tradition and we headed to the supper club for some much needed nutrition and social time! Best of all, the supper club we ended up at was owned by a bunch of Lion's fans!
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After dinner we returned home to continue puzzling, have a celebratory toast to us for being awesome, and to God for the opportunity to have this time together and to simply chill...Thanks Shaha for the amazing and smooth bottle of French wine for the occasion! It sure hit the spot!
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