Osaka EXPO 2019
Like all my big-city races, day’s Expo far away. Guessing city-tourism likes to share the wealth. 7-Eleven yen withdrawal, metro day-pass purchase. Phone fully-charged, I got this. Chuo Line to Cosmosquare. Osaka Convention Center, all the way to the end.
Volunteers awaiting, pointing the way. THOUSANDS of runners. Crowd line-queued, inching forward slowly. 2nd largest marathon-only event in my life [behind NYC].
Rainbow-variety of charities. Participants choose a cause & pledge a donation. Funds withdrawn after July’s lottery pull. Team Red. Cancer not unique to Americans.
Hour+ bib pick-up. Foreign Runner Check-in. WOW – signage says it all. Even amongst the Foreign, I felt foreign. China, Hong Kong, Taiwan… and me.
Tomorrow, my last continent. Road pavement (or Antarctica trail). Marathon on all Earth’s landmasses. 26.2 miles. Honored. Blessed. And super emotional.
Osaka, Japan. Right time, right place. Sooo many people I’ve met on this journey.
Inspiration overload ❤️
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- Osaka Metro
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- Chuo Line to Cosmosquare
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- Convention Center EXPO
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- THOUSANDS queued
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- marathon-only event
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- RED Team bib
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- Castle Park START
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- ANYTHING is POSSIBLE
Osaka EXPO 2019
4 years & a 100 marathons ago. Just north of the border, my journey began. First run in kilometers, first outside Team USA. Alberta, Canada. Goal: 2 provinces annually & it started in Banff. Lake Louise hike with Toronto-bestie Sarah, bib pick-up at a local curling club, wedding [not mine], marathon the following day. Banff National Park, my North America run. Well… my first North America race in kilometers. 7 Continent goal wouldn’t kick-in ‘til Continent #3. Like most of us, just didn’t DREAM BIG enough 😊
Destination: Europe. Italy, Iceland, Austria. Celebrated marathon #100 w Sis in Dublin. But my first…that was Moscow. Red Square, Kremlin. Past revisited. 4 years outta college, biggest/most influential career/life boost. Anything is Possible mantra sparked. Reconnected with Dima, now married. Language flooded back. So many memories. I’d finish Sunday with a first-time marathoner. Life’s moments best when shared.
Continent 3: Australia/New Zealand. On-the-left/self-drive two weeks with my bestie Dawn, both North & South Islands. Longest flight EVER, L.A. to Auckland. Rotorua. Christchurch. Franz Josef Glacier. Queenstown. Oamaru. Hobbiton. And… a marathon.
São Paulo Brazil. Largest city in South America. First-time I felt completely foreign. Hot & balmy. Brought home more than my 4th continent medal. Sis named him Pepe. 6 months of Colorado doc visits, before folks realized I harbored home a parasite – whole nest of ’em.
Elephant, lion, hippo, cheetah, giraffe – Africa’s Big 5 – and my fifth Continent. Knysna South Africa. After an initial fender-bender (sorry Hertz), had the most FANTASTICAL life adventure. Yes, elephants DO snore. WOW destination. I’ll come back to Africa 🐘
ANTARCTICA. Journey to the bottom of the World. NEVER EVER did I dream I’d be snow-tenting on Earth’s most remote continent. Crazy cold sleep even in… summer? Penguins. frigid Antarctic water. Place & time I’ll never forget. Forever LIFE IMPRINT.
6 down, one to go… Sunday’s 42k in Osaka, Japan will complete the set. Absolutely ANYTHING is POSSIBLE! ❤️
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- North America
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- Banff Marathon
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- Europe
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- Moscow Marathon
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- Australia/NZ
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- Kirikiriroa Marathon
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- South America
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- Maratona de São Paulo
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- Knysna Forest Marathon
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- Africa
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- White Continent 50k
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- Antarctica
Early rise, check-out. No post-race hotel shower, not part of today’s equation. CSUB parking before 6. Same-day registration, easy straight forward. Baseball cap swag. Nice, Bakersfield. Definite keeper. Marathon’s 4th year. Lotta community support, well organized. Pacers. Big show from the pistachio industry. No talk of hills.
Day 2. Last night late. Diverted south to San Bernardino, crisscrossed America on empty farm roads thru isolated migrant towns. No public restrooms, grocery stores. No fast food. High-priced fuel & date-expired snacks. Apologies, Mexican brothers. Not the American dream we promised. Chin up; it gets better. We’re not all wall-building war mongers.
Lined with the 4:30 pack. Lil’ faster than planned but ironically, knew the pacer. Ran together & we finisher-posed with Carolyn in Santa Rosa, 2016. Small world.
Nice shake-out after Vegas. 9 miles of city street then diverted thru historic ‘Old Town’. Shopkeeper digs, trapper cabin, bank, old jail. Classy perk, unexpected & FREE 😊
Aid Station sat Mile 11. Not Las Vegas heat but I warmed with the day temps. Dizzy, unsteady. Came unexpected/out of the blue. End of the road? Nope; given a couple mustard packets – California MIRACLE. 6 years marathoning & never knew. Walked, took in fluids. Picked up pace & kept on truckin’. Mile 12. Mile 13. Half-way mat.
THREE MILES of HILL. Long grinder. up, UP & kept climbing. Bakersfield Community College – top of Bakersfield. Another mustard packet. Attitude upbeat, surprisingly all good. Started taking in scenery.
Caught the 4:50 pacer at mile 17. You never late-race catch the pacer. Kept pushing. Kept thinkin’ he was right behind me. Planned a short walk at 24. Skipped it. Again at 25. Just kept moving.
Re-entered Cal State-Bakersfield, mile 26. Folks cheering near the Finish – SPRINTED the last two-tenths. Crazy happy me. Hung close (3 minutes) & thanked my 4:50 friend for the late-game push.
Post-race burritos & beer if you’re a boozer. 4-hour drive ahead. Crossing the Mohave 🌵
2 days, 2 states, 2 marathons, 2 medals. Nah, it’s not Triple 8 but great training experience. Nevada & California join Oregon & Arizona, the ‘5’ Club. FIVE marathon finishes in each. big GRIN.
Early feasting next weekend. Thanksgiving Thursday flying trans-Pacific.
Life GOAL realized – SUPER excited! My 7 Continent FINISH in Osaka, Japan 🇯🇵
Congratulations on Finishing the Bakersfield Marathon!
Sun November 17, 2019
Bakersfield, CA US 93311
K R Haga Marathon Louisville, CO BIB#1328 CHIP TIME 4:47:36.6
10K: 1:00:13
13.1: 2:17:30
30K: 3:25:55
FINISH: 4:47:36.6
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- California START
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- 2 days, 2 states, 2 medals
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- medal LOVE 🎸
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- HOUR faster than Vegas
Las Vegas-Bakersfield, Day 2
