So Much More than “OK”

When people would inquire about which states we still had to run in, we would gleefully list Hawaii and California. And then with a bit of a smirk of mock delight, we’d say, “Oh, and Oklahoma and Arkansas!!” and everyone would chuckle.

However, it ended up that the joke was on us. We had found races in Oklahoma and Arkansas that were on consecutive days within a reasonable driving distance. So off we went to Tulsa to the Run to the Well 5K. We arrived in Tulsa the day before the race and were able to pick up our packets and t-shirts at a local running store. The design on the t-shirts was artsy and appealing.

We enjoyed a nice conversation with the volunteers during which I was able to casually mention that we were running this race for our Oklahoma race in our quest to run a race in every state.

They seemed interested in our quest and since we were obviously not locals, offered some good options for lunch and exploring Tulsa. So after a relaxing lunch, we went in search of The Gathering Place. We were delighted to find an expansive park filled with creative playgrounds, walking paths, gardens, and a variety of performance venues. It was warm and sunny and our winter-weary bodies happily soaked up some spring-time weather.

After checking into our quaint Airbnb, we set off to explore the nearby Tulsa Arts District. Our knowledge of Tulsa was non-existent, so finding this cool, thriving part of town was a true bonus. The streets were strung with lights and a myriad of appealing restaurants lined the sidewalks.

We ended up at The Chowhouse and couldn’t have been happier with our southern meal.

We wandered around the district after dinner and were surprised to find both a Bob Dylan and a Woody Guthrie museum. Intrigued, we added them to our plans for after our race.

It was an easy drive to the race the next morning. After arriving, we spent some time educating ourselves about the beneficiary of this race. The Kibo Group is an organization which is dedicated to improving access to clean water and improved sanitation in Uganda. The posters on display provided fascinating information about the conditions in Uganda and the Kibo Group’s work.

We have found, as we’ve been on this quest, that running in races that benefit a meaningful cause has become even more important to us. It feels great to know that our race entry fees have gone to support an organization doing such essential work.

As we waited for the race to begin, I made one last stop at the porta-potty. Suddenly, I heard the announcer saying something like, “And we have a special couple from Maine here today. They are running a race in every state and this is their Oklahoma race! Where are you?” Oops! I quickly found Mike and we somewhat shyly raised our hands to acknowledge the introduction. As we’ve experienced in other races where they have mentioned us, we had quite a few really kind people approach us to chat about our quest. We appreciate their enthusiasm and interest immensely and I always find myself gushing about how amazing this quest has been.

The race was a pleasant, mostly flat course. We savored a run in warm (to us) and sunny weather.

We were pleasantly surprised to learn than we had each placed first in our age-group. Obviously, this becomes easier as we get older and there are fewer participants in the smaller races. However, as pleased as we were to have placed, we were especially excited to be awarded the most unique, meaningful prizes-hand-made stuffed animals from Uganda!

After snapping a few photos and chatting with volunteers and other runners, we were ready to head to breakfast. Knowing we were heading to the Dylan and Guthrie museums after breakfast, we returned to the Tulsa Arts District in search of a restaurant. When we found Chimera, an obviously popular cafe and coffee shop, we readily joined the long line to order. Although the line had been lengthy, the wait for our food was not and we were soon savoring our choices from the extensive and varied menu as we chatted about our race experience.

Next on the agenda was the Woody Guthrie Center which was a short walk from Chimera.

As Baby Boomers, we were obviously familiar with Woody Guthrie and his music. However, we were not prepared for the extensive amount of information that we were able to absorb in our relatively brief visit. We left filled with a much more comprehensive image of Woody. For some reason, I was struck with the trivia fact Woody Guthrie was named after Woodrow Wilson because his mother was pregnant with him when Wilson was the presidential nominee. I’m hoping that somehow this knowledge will be valuable in a trivia night competition, haha.

When we bought our tickets to the Guthrie museum, they asked if we wanted the package deal that also included the Bob Dylan Center. Figuring we’d spend the day immersing ourselves in American folk music history, we happily agreed and added that to our agenda. Once again, we were plunged into room after room of exhibits that provided vast amounts of information about Dylan and his iconic music. We left with an even greater appreciation for his work. Now, when we’re home cooking dinner as we listen to our favorite Pandora station and a Dylan song comes on, we feel a special connection to him that we certainly didn’t have before.

The weather had turned cold and windy and it was time to hit the road for Arkansas. But we left Oklahoma with an immensely expanded and apologetically more positive impression of the state we had previously scoffed at.

Quest Race #: 47

State: Oklahoma

Race: Run to the Well 5K

Date Run: April 15, 2023

The Bottom Line: Our experiences in Oklahoma were completely unexpected and ones that we recall very fondly. The Run to the Well race filled our desire to make our quest races meaningful. We were privileged to meet numerous individuals who are committed to doing, quite literally, life-changing work.

Further exploration in Tulsa completely expanded our view of this state. One of the very best parts of our quest is that it has opened our eyes to dozens of places and stories that we had never considered.