Monthly Archives: September 2016

Run the Year Motto:  Run, Crawl, Walk, Conquer, Dominate 2,016 miles in 2016

 

September 2016 update:  HUGE travel month – 3 marathons, travelled from the deserts of Utah to Moscow’s Red Square.  Cancer schmancer.  Good days, bad days…but overall, mighty blessed with a crazy, FULL life.

Unfortunately, finished even further behind on total miles but don’t give up on me yet.  Head’s back in the game.  Super STRONG run months ahead.  Whole lotta marathoning every Fall.  Ran 14 consecutive weeks in 2015 – still totally doable.

 

2 month focus (September & October): STAMINA

 

Race ReCap:  3 marathon month – 2 at altitude (Colorado Springs & Big Cottonwood Canyon) and RUSSIA.  17 years after an early-career expat assignment (almost a lifetime ago), reconnected with my former workmate Dima & finished the Moscow Marathon.  Course trekked thru Moscow center, along the Moskva River, past the Kremlin.  HUGE life experience!

Mileage ReCap:  Ended September at 1,451 miles (61 miles short of goal).

 

 

Life’s an amazing journey.   And although running is a HUGE part of my current, still plenty of time for a Fly Casting lesson with a neighbor’s friend’s brother — Graeme, visiting from New Zealand.

Happily, I was a natural…but you’re gonna have to trust me, no video proof (clip below is my neighbor Larry) 🙂

 

 

Marathon done, no friends to tag behind – last day in Russia.

Woke Monday to sunshine, first rays my entire Moscow stay.  Gorged on a lavish breakfast buffet, showered, layered up, grabbed a local map & hit the pavement.  Best guess: no more than 2 miles from Red Square, multiple art & history museums.  Have feet, will travel.

Prospect Mira to Lubyanka Square, up & under multiple street crossings, left on Teatralnyy.  First stop: the Bolshoi [Theatre], iconic home of the Russian ballet.  Point, click, snapped my shot.  Continued thru a park littered with Communist statues, popped out in front of the State Historical Museum.  Attempted to purchase lamb kebabs at an outdoor kiosk; received 2 lamb chops, pickled cabbage, sauerkraut, sweet pickle & a hard dinner roll.  Yeah my Russian is pretty lousy these days…but hey, I didn’t starve 🙂

Slow stroll thru Red Square.  No time constraints, took time & studied the architecture.  Circled St. Basil’s Cathedral (far end of the Square), bridge-crossed the Moskva River – STUNNING view of the Kremlin, gleaming white & gold inside its red brick fortress.

Bridge returned, took a right – and got in some art history.  Self-toured 4 Orthodox cathedrals (one monastery), all garish with religious artifacts, marveled at their dome construction.  Entered 2 Metro Stations…just to see the art.  Finished the day at McDonald’s – yep, McDonald’s.  2 cheeseburgers & a Coke.  Not my finest moment…but appreciated knowing exactly what I was gonna get.

and blink…that was it.  Home in morning – 28 hours & 7 time zone changes later; travelling back in time, would be a day that seemingly never ends.  17 years [after my expat assignment], super thankful for the opportunity to revisit Mother Russia.

My heart is full.  Большое спасибо!

 

до свида́ния Russia

 

 

Saturday — Expo at Luzhniki Stadium (marathon bib pick-up).  Crazy long queue looped wildly throughout the parking lot – in the [sarcastic] words of Dima: We Russians love our long lines.  We line up for everything.  LOL>  Turned in my medical certificate (another unique Russia-only thing), picked up tomorrow’s race bib.  Check, done.  Next up: Red Square.

Carbo-loaded Italian grub at a new Jamie Oliver restaurant, located aside Moscow’s iconic GUM department store.  Great company, great day.  Many many thanks Dima & Natasha.  FULL heart.

connected by sport: language nor politics matter to Marathoners

connected by sport: language nor politics matter to Marathoners

Sunday — Marathon morning in RUSSIA!

Not a lotta sleep.  Been struggling with the huge time difference – days & nights mixed, getting thru on multiple 2-hour naps a day.  Body feels like night but my eyes see morning.  No excuses today.  Been waiting almost a year for this day.

Hooked up with [my former workmate] Dima in the hotel lobby at my digs on Prospekt Mira.  Surprisingly late marathon start — 9am.  Hopped on a nearby Metro, rode the Circle Line, dropped off & switched cars to Moscow University & Luzhniki Stadium.  Exited one stop earlier than Dima – he registered for only the Half today.

Almost a mile walk to the Stadium.  No getting lost, followed a mighty line of runners.  Couple minutes later, spotted a Maniacs cap & heard English (first time in 2 days).  2 Aussies, 2 English & a New Yorker.  Insta-friends.  Half-way ‘round the globe, never expected to meet other Maniacs from my running group.  FAAANNNTASTIC!

Took advantage of bag drop-off & shed my outer layers.  Windy & cool but expecting warmer temps than yesterday’s trek thru historic Red Square.  Rain forecasted later in the day (so skies could stay overcast) – hard to know how to dress.

Started 6 corrals back.  LOVE LOVED hearing the Russian anthem!  Second largest field of marathoners in my 3-year running history (2nd only to New York City).

2 minutes between each corral start.  Crazy excited.  Ready to run Moscow’s Seven Hills!

Quick beginning, few first miles running long flat stretches from the outer ring to Moscow’s Financial District.  With the exception of NYC, have never marathoned a City which closed so many major roads.  Headache for residents – tourist Mecca for runners…Moscow eye-candy!

Popped a pill early (mile 9).  Time difference & a nagging headache, added to race nausea.  That said, the pill did the trick.  All smiles as I ran aside the Moskva River & the tall red-brick walls surrounding the Kremlin.  WOW, WOW, WOW!

1:56 first half.  Soon after, first of 3 large hills.  Hilly yes….but not West Virginia hilly.  No worries, I got this.

Noticed a young runner struggling to hold pace – his t-shirt read ‘I am a Runner’, his first marathon.  Encouraged him to keep moving to the 30-kilometer marker.  Connected today solely by sport, utilizing limited Russian & broken English.  He’d walk, I’d walk.  Frustrating as it was, I can be persistent.  He finally understood I would not run ‘til he was ready.  We soon stopped walking altogether.  Ran 2k, grabbed water/sports drink/a banana…and ran another 2k.

Either his English or my Russian got better.  Coincidentally, his name: Dmitri (Dima).  Seriously?  Like going back in time.  University student studying Finance.  Moscow resident but no longer lives at home.  Getting married next May.

40k (only 2.2 to go) & young Dima took off…but a bit too early.  My old legs caught him & finished STRONG.  Overcast, cold temps, folks bundled.  High-fived spectators lined near the end.  Runner’s high.

Marathon SUCCESS!  My 71st finish, first outside North America.

 

K R, поздравляем с участием в Промсвязьбанк Московском Марафоне 2016!

 

Ваше личное время на дистанции 42,2км — 4:40:44.

 

Предварительные результаты доступны на сайте.

Результаты представлены официальным хронометристом — швейцарской компанией TAG Heuer.

 

Оргкомитет Промсвязьбанк Московского Марафона благодарит Правительство г. Москвы и Департамент физической культуры и спорта г. Москвы за содействие в организации марафона.

 

Промсвязьбанк Московский Марафон

 

Bid farewell to new Dima, then met-up with old Dima – for dinner & final goodbyes.  One more day of sight-seeing for me, but Monday’s a workday for most.  пака моего друга [goodbye friend].  Memorable, absolutely unforgettable visit!  Brain etched forever.

 

 

Moscow Marathon (Russian Nat’l Anthem)