Review: Wilder Park, Allison, IA

This past weekend me, my favorite guy and favorite boys headed to Allison, IA for a weekend of camping.   All I can say is WOW!  The city of Allison funded and established the Wilder Park in the 70′s and they have done a phenomenal job!  I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys camping (especially with kids)

Positives:

  • Reasonable fees – Electric sites are $11 a night, which is very reasonable. 
  • Clean and well kept campgrounds
  • Modern & clean bathrooms with flush toilets and showers
  • Amazing Campground Hosts - Bonn & Erv are the campground host and hostess and they do an amazing job.  From organizing the camping sites, to picking up trash they have everything covered.  They have a stash of footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, volleyballs, discs & frisbees for the kids and families to use.  They also have extension cords, etc if the parents need anything.  Don’t forget Bonnie driving around in her golf cart on Saturday afternoon passing out candy to the kids and dog bones to the K-9 kind. 
  • Ammenities:  Play ground, tether ball, basketball court, disc golf course, sand volleyball, & a soccer field for the kids to enjoy
  • 2 Ponds for fishing and they are fully stocked
  • Shuttle – Yes, the campground has a shuttle!  It’s an extended golf cart that is manned by a teenage girl and she will give you tours of the campgrounds, the town of Allison or run you into town for groceries and take you back…all for free!  It’s an amazing service and the kids loved it!
  • Storm Shelters – thankfully we didn’t need them, but it is great that they offer storm shelters should there be nasty Iowa weather while camping!
  • Entertainment Offered – Saturday night there was entertainment in the shelter house.  Bonnie and her ladies were there with their accordian, there was an open mic available, and a few DJ’d songs!  They also sold popcorn for $1 a bag.  It wasn’t professional by any means, but it did give the park a fun festive, family aura about it! 
  • Connected to a bike path – the park is connected to a paved bike trail that takes you from Allison to Clarksville!  Very nice for a Saturday afternoon run!

Negatives:

  • The advertised free Wi-Fi didn’t work!  I know that isn’t why some people go camping, but we would have liked to “check in” with some emails, etc.  Although, after it was all said and done I’m kind of glad that it didn’t work! 

Overall, it was a great weekend….we can’t wait to go back!  Way to go Allison, IA!

A Bump in the Road, A Blessing in the Road

This past spring I set out with the goal of running 11 races since it’s 2011.  I was on course for it, running an average of 2 races each month starting in April.   And then, a couple weeks ago, I hit a bump in the road. 

I’m not ready to go into details about said bump, but thankfully everyone in my world is healthy and happy, there has just been a reason to change my goal.  Now, I’m backing down from the races.  

When I skipped the first race almost 2 weeks ago, I was heartbroken.  I couldn’t believe that I wasn’t going to accomplish this goal I set for myself.  Thankfully, my fiance kept me plenty busy at home and I was able to keep my mind off it for awhile.  I can’t determine exactly why I am so heartbroken about this decision, but I know a lot of it has to do with missing the atmosphere of racing, along with the challenge to myself to place at every race. 

So, where to go from here??  I found some comfort in my heart realizing that even though I’m not racing, I go out every day to run and continue to push myself as well.  I guess this makes me a true “runner”.  As I headed out on my run the afternoon of the first skipped race it dawned on me that THIS was why I run, the run itself, the feeling I get when my legs are pounding the pavement and I’m sweating to my tunes.  THAT is why I run, not for the races.  Those are just a bonus. 

Then, the blessing came…God knew what I needed and the following week I was contacted by some fellow runners in my area saying that they were going to start group runs, last Saturday was the first one.  It was a cold, cloudy, humid day and had it not been for the group run, I don’t know if I would have gotten out there.  But, because of that group I did and it was a GREAT four miles.  I was pushed by them…similarly if I had been racing. 

Guess what?? We’re running again this weekend.  This time its a trail run, I love trail runs for the challenge that they pose and I’m looking forward to it even more in my new group!  Even though I’ve had to abandon my goals, I’ve been given such a blessing in my new running group and can’t wait to see what it brings the rest of the running season.

Review: Run Your Buns Off 5K

This past weekend I ran in Ackley, Iowa’s “Run Your Buns Off 5K” as a part of their Sauerkraut Days community festival.  This is a great community run and this is the third time that I’ve run it!  However, this will be my first official review!

Negatives:

  • No chip timing.  I know that not every race can have chip timing, but the longer I race, the more I wish that everyone did use it! 
  • The miles weren’t marked.  I wear a watch and like to know my splits (it doesn’t do distance) and would have liked if they would have marked the miles out.
  • There was no clock at the end of the race, nor was there anyone yelling out times.  If I hadn’t had my watch on, I would have not had any idea of where I finished.  I know that others in my group were frustrated because they didn’t know how they had done.
  • There was quite a wait after the race to get finishing time along with the medal ceremony. 
  • Refreshments were limited:  they had water, bananas, and Little Debbie snacks like oatmeal cream pie, nutty bars, and brownies.  I would have liked a bagel, granola bar or something in between a banana and a Little Debbie snack!  I would also like oranges…those are great post-race foods!

Positive’s:

  • The atmosphere!  Because of the small community that it takes place in (and being close to home) there are quite a few people from the community that run or walk or both!  Its always great to see people at races throughout the summer!
  • Registration was well-organized.  Those who were pre-registered got a goodie bag and those of us (I had dropped the ball this year) were quickly registered and still got a t-shirt!
  • This race is the first in the Miles of Smiles series this year.  Miles of Smiles is a race “circuit” that one of the dentists in the area has put together to promote the support of local races and promote health and wellness.  There is a a whole break down of points given for each race you run, each time you place, etc.  Plus, if you run at least 3 of the races in the series, you get a commemorative t-shirt. (The dentist also is there with free toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss!)
  • The snacks….yeah, I know what I put in the negatives, but come on….they had Little Debbie’s!!
  • Great Course – it’s a trail run, but a pretty mild trail run…it involves hard packed dirt trails along with gravel and paved trails!  It’s a fun shaded, pretty flat course!

Overall, I love this race.  It’s not fancy, it’s not big and flashy, but it is so much fun!!!  It is definitely on next year’s agenda!

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