Kansas City Marathon

Published October 19, 2019

Union Station

My 10-week marathon challenge ends here. Home of the Chiefs, baseball Royals & America’s BEST barbeque: KANSAS CITY. Whatta adventure! Iceland, Austria, 3x Canada. Not bragging (honest) – just amazed. SIX years ago my journey began; six CONTINENTS later. Seems I’m living someone else’s TV story. SUPER blessed 😊

Direct flight from Denver, Lyft-transport downtown, Westin Hotel check-in. EXPO literally across the street. KC’s Union Station. Both my run clubs booth-represented. GREAT to see Paula & Steve (50 State founders). Ya know they direct a hometown race every New Year. Charity supports youth-running in South Texas. 2020, hmmm….

Saturday 7am. Combined Full/Half Start. Thousands queued. Sea of runners. And RAIN. No forecast fail this week. Light precip (couple downpours) but steady.

National Anthem. Bluesy sax solo. Well done, KC.

[It’s a 2-minute tune; gals REMOVE your caps. ALL Americans share this freedom.]

Started way way back. Two miles of block-n-tackle. Dodge/zig zag, crowd-walks ‘round the curves. Caught my pace group at mile 4. Hung close for 15 miles.

Steady/strong/HILLY first-half. Bro’s Iron Warehouse tee soaked heavy with rain. Quads burning. Found myself hill-broken by marker 18. LEAD legs last eight miles. Jog, slog, walk. push, PUSH, push. Ugly endings can beat ya up, blanket the soul. Eyes forward.

5-hour FINISH, LONG 2^nd Half. [Perspective: same marathon medal an hour earlier.] We are not running anyone else’s race; we are running ‘the race that is set before us’. Message share from Mom (last Monday). Like she knew. Resonated strong ❤️

Kansas City, a USA hidden-secret. GREAT town, GREAT people, GREAT barbeque. Short hour-15 flight away.

Colorado Sunday HOME. Forecast: SNOW, our season’s SECOND ❄️