Marathons/Ultras

Dallas Marathon

Published December 15, 2019

Fancy sleeps @ the Omni. Run ready, hotel check-out, bags with the Bell Captain. Notta chance I’ll be back for a shower. Sorry Southwest passengers – will do my best with a post-race sink bath 😊

Streams of folks queuing for today’s event. Everything is BIGGER in Texas. Super organized too. Greeters, lotta signage. Music a-blaring. beat, BEAT, beat. Every 20 seconds another mix. fun PARTY atmosphere. Everyone talkin’. Laughter. Did y’all forget? We’re running 26 miles today! HA!

Low 70’s forecast & all layered-up. Triple 8 training day. Gonna be H-O-T next month races 2, 3 & 4. Australia, Singapore & Cairo. So today… my December ‘summer’ run. Gotta make peace with the heat – stay hydrated & FINISH. Honestly, just good to be outside again. Since Japan – between work retail craziness & every-other-day snow – only a handful of treadmill treks & nothing over 5 miles.

National Anthem. Fireworks. Streets closed; downtown lined with support. Big D is ours. Lotta people energy. LOVE LOVE. Re-thinking Texas. 3 months of the year, I can totally manage the heat. LOL>

Flat forgiving course. Couple long grinders. Halfers peeled off before the lake, mile 8/9. On track. Planned to toss my outer layer @ marker 15. Sun HIGH. Walk a few steps, lower the heart rate – then back at it. Couple well-timed breezes. Still layered before the one big hill, miles 19/20. UP UP UP.

Last 10k. Cue the theme song. HUGE beautiful homes – and that support. WOW! Really nice, y’all. Dallas – I’m a FAN. “Keenan, you’ve got this” (Mile 22 scream from a volunteer). Still layered, still smiling. Legs like lead (lack of training) – but she’s right. I’ve got this. Almost home.

3^rd FINISH in Texas. See y’all for New Years! 2K20 in Texas! 🥳

BMW Dallas Marathon

12/15/2019

1753 K R Haga Louisville CO Marathon 05:05:20

: fancy Omni digs 💤

: Downtown EXPO

: Texas LONGHORNS

: 10k SMILE

: GREAT course, Dallas!

: Big D done

: See y’all New Years 🥳

: Sis’ graduation 🎓

: ‘Harry & David’ season

Dallas Marathon

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, South | Leave a comment

goal SET, goal MET

Published December 3, 2019

“You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things – to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.” ― Sir Edmund Hillary

7 Continent FINISHER.

2013 my first marathon – BIG WILD Alaska. Three years later (Banff Nat’l Park), first outside the U.S.A. Weekend last… the WORLD. 26.2 miles, EVERY continent. Regular people doing extraordinary things.

DREAM. LIVE BIG. BELIEVE.

Massive physical feat, marathoning 7 continents. Lotta travel/time zones/weather, different cultures/foods. But what I’ll long remember… the incredible/inspiring people on my journey. Other runners. Their stories, their paths. Family, friends, neighbors who worried/encouraged & sometimes even accompanied.

And… my work family.

Marathon uno, race 100, marathon last. Same Boulder-based employer. PS Audio. It’s where I found BALANCE. All the gimongous corporations in [my] career past – whole lotta talk of work/life balance.

Reality? It’s a 50-person family-owned company that sets the bar. Talks the talk, walks the walk.

Cake, lunchroom celebration. Super nice. Thanks work family ❤️

Champion of the World!

: marathon EVERY continent

: work family LOVE

: extraordinary journey

: next Challenge?

Posted in Goals & Resolutions, Marathons/Ultras | Leave a comment

Osaka Marathon 🇯🇵

Published December 1, 2019

goal SET, goal MET 🌏

1:30am. Sleep cycle off. World weather, London knifing. BBC only channel not Japanese.

3am. Partial pack of Doritos & a mustard packet. Mighty slim pickin’s. Still dark. Luggage pack’d, repacked. Showered. Phone fully-charged. Run ready. 7 Continent Day.

9:20 Start. Layered up; peeled clothes early. First day of December. Beautiful sunshiny Japan.

15-minute walk to Castle Park. Corral C. 30,000 runners; whole lotta buzz. Osaka Japan. Pinch me. ‘One & done’ marathon 6 years ago. Today #172, first in Asia. Whose life am I living? Crazy.

Loud-speaker Japanese. Doesn’t really matter. I move when the sea around me moves.

Phone on airline. Calf stretch. iPod queued. Go, go, GO!

Easy flat course. Lotta out-n-backs, whole lotta runners. City race, reminiscent of NYC 2015. Marathoners elbow-to-elbow. Mile 1, Mile 26. Big buzz excitement. Sheer amount of people super overwhelming. Playlist blaring, eyes forward. Stop, walk, breathe. Soak it in. Make a memory.

Out fast, faded fast. Warm second half. Course a half-mile long. But… finish I did.

Last kilometer. Osaka Castle. Path lined with late-autumn arbor. It’s really gonna happen.

SUPER HERO day – 7 Continent FINISH.