Heartland Road Trip Idea

Two separate trips to a small geographical area hit the wallet hard so I prefer to double up on the races if possible.  Given my current fitness level, I do not believe that I can finish 2 half marathons on back to back days in less than 2 hours each.  Even if I could, I really prefer not to subject myself to that kind of torture.  I need at least 2 full days off to deliver a semi-respectable performance.  While the short turnaround time certainly didn’t help me in Massachusetts, it was not the cause of my doom.  The culprits were the viral infection and too many adrenal suppressant pills.  The latter should not be an issue going forward with the modulator.  Thanks to several race series such as Mainly Marathons, which offer weekday races, some doubles are more manageable than a Saturday-Sunday combo. 

Nebraska and Iowa are 2 neighboring states that I need and Mainly Marathons offers a Thursday (6/7) race in Iowa.  Guess what?  There is a Nebraska race the previous weekend (6/2).  Of course, it's too late to do it this year but I'd say there is a good chance that the scheduling will be similar next year.  The timing would be perfect.
Here is what I would do hypothetically:

5/31- Fly into Chicago and immediately hit the road.  It's over 9 hours into the race location in Hastings, Nebraska (about an hour west of Lincoln) so I'll divide it up and spend the night in Des Moines, Iowa.  My one previous visit to the state involved a stop at a Subway restaurant just across the border so by the "strict standards" I really can't say I've "been there."  A night in Des Moines with a possible stop at the Capitol will definitely shore up Iowa even before the race.  

6/1- Relatively easy drive into Hastings, Nebraska.  Pick up race packet and just relax

6/2- Race day in Nebraska (state #39).  Head back east.  I'll stop in Lincoln and spend the night in Omaha.  I'd imagine there will be something to do there.  My previous Nebraska visit involved a trip to a grocery store and about 15 minutes of driving through corn fields.  Again, even if I fail on race day, this would meet the strict standards for an official visit.

6/3- Drive to Chicago (7 hours).  Since I'll arrive on a Sunday night, there should not be much traffic getting into town.  I'll just check in and do a quick walking tour.

6/4-6/5- 2 days to tour Chicago.  A few things I'd like to see are the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, Sears and/or John Hancock Tower and Rush Street.

6/6- Leave Chicago and drive less than 3 hours to the race location in Clinton, Iowa.

6/7- Race in Iowa then head back to Chicago and catch an afternoon or evening flight back.  The Mainly Marathons series are mostly trail races and usually 6-8 loops through a park.  It may not be the most exciting course but any sanctioned race that allows for a manageable double?  I'll take it.  It's Iowa so it won't be too hilly either.

If all goes according to planned, this would take me up to the 40 mark and the projected completion will be November 2022 in Hawaii.