Between Ironman training (running marathons & 2 hour lap swimming), work, church & family (acclimating to life with Ash, Tom & pets), have experienced a mighty full 2014. What’s missing? Need to get outside & enjoy our Colorado winter!
Bought tickets (via Groupon) to Ice Castles – an elaborate castle carved from ice, open from late December to February in Breckinridge (CO), Utah & New Hampshire. Cool, huh?
Wait, wait, it gets better.
Timed my trip to Breck on the same weekend as the International Snow Sculpture Championships. Teams from the US, Europe & Mongolia worked for a week on their masterpiece(s) – judging scheduled for Saturday. Excellent luck!
Left Boulder County in 50 degrees & sunshine. Arrived in Breckinridge, overcast & 20 degrees. Same state yet divided by the mighty Rocky Mountains = very different weather.
Busy ski day on Breck but secured parking & walked a short mile to Riverwalk Center & the International Snow Sculpture Championships. What a find! FAVES: Italy’s simple entry ‘Looking Up’ & both bold sculptures crafted by Mongolia. DISLIKE: France’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ – seriously, kinda creepy.
Devoured a package of elk jerky & entered Ice Castles. SPECTACULAR! Inspired to climb – but probably not the right setting 🙂 Anything better? How ‘bout returning at 6pm & walking thru the Castle under lights. WOW, WOW, WOW!
Crazy cold return walk under the most stunning, illuminated sky (ok, 2nd best – hard to beat October’s outdoor soak in Steamboat).
Have enjoyed touring the US during my 50 state marathon challenge but Colorado – man, this is home.
Woke early & jetted to Louisiana’s State Capitol – 7am start time for my 3rd full marathon (only 47 states to go).
After enduring snow last month in Tucson, wore a blue running suit this go-around. Had a lotta competing colours going on this day (crazy look)…but gotta say, [the running suit] did the trick. Awesome Christmas gift – many thanks!
National Anthem, starting gun blast by Louisiana’s Lieutenant Governor & off we went – my largest marathon to date (or at least it seemed that way – both marathon & half-marathon races started concurrently.)
Sunshine poked out early in the run. Still smiling at mile 10, enjoyed running lakeside through LSU campus.
Started dragging just past mile 15 – kept thinking how much I needed a potty break. Unfortunately all outdoor johns were lined with female participants. And no aim-n-shoot opportunities available on today’s course, race principally meandered throughout Baton Rouge suburbia. Argh – new thought.
Saw M at mile 17 & then again at mile 20. Re-energized. I can do this thing…only 6 more miles.
Hill at mile 24, not pretty but kept running whereas other marathoners chose to walk up the I-10 overpass.
LOVE LOVED the many residents cheering us on – helped boost my energy level. Thanks Baton Rouge!
Last mile – tired, but no excuses. And still felt fairly good — even picked up pace at the end. 7 minutes slower than last month’s run in Tucson but finished so much stronger. I-EEE!
Next month – Austin 🙂
9361 K R Haga 575 4:12:38
Left the Runner’s Expo in downtown Baton Rouge & hit I-10 West to Lafayette. An hour half until our scheduled swamp tour on Lake Martin. Travelled to Louisiana, so wanna see gators, right?
50-State Marathon prep:
- Alaska – ice climbing
- Arizona – Saguaro Nat’l Park cactus hike
- Louisiana – bayou swamp tour 🙂
Quick turn in Breaux Bridge, six miles down a dirt road, a left, a right – then ‘you have arrived’ at the Meetin’ Place. Did a quick walk-about, met our guide, then loaded onto a small metal fishing boat.
Travelled slow through the swamps of Lake Martin — surrounded by bald cypress, trunk-swollen in murky water & covered in Spanish moss. Creepy, quiet bayou undergrowth filled with herons, egrets, cormorants & other fish-feeders.
Comfortable temps – sunshine & upper 50’s – but unfortunately too cool to coax any gators from their cozy mud burrows.
FAAANNNNTASTIC pre-race adventure! AND no bugs – awesome benefit to touring in January 🙂
What did I learn? Gators don’t eat from October to March. Their heartbeat slows & they remain fairly inactive during the cool Louisiana winter – feeding off fat stored in their tail. ALSO – unlike crocodiles, gators are skittish & fearsome of humans.
No gators, no pay (at least not yet). Could’ve been because our guide was a bit disorganized. He loaded his next group immediately after we disembarked & off he went.
Dinner? Noticed a small Cajun seafood shack earlier when entering Breaux Bridge. Check, done.
Didn’t see any gators so decided to eat gator instead 🙂 Couldn’t tempt M to try more than a bite – but gotta say, I stuffed myself on gator, seafood jambalaya, shrimp zydeco, fried potatoes & bread pudding. LOVIN’ me some spicy food. I-EEE!
Carb loading for tomorrow’s marathon run – Cajun style!