Pride Prejudice and Zombies
Another December marathon, ‘nother predawn Friday at DIA. Denver to Baltimore, Baltimore to Charleston. Kiawah Island this weekend, South Carolina. Ritzy-gated community 30 minutes from downtown Charleston. Palm trees & ocean – far cry from last week’s Kentucky mud fest, but an all familiar forecast. Rain & 45 degrees – bring it on Carolina, I’ve got this! Down to 5 states after tomorrow’s 26.2 🙂
Past the guard shack, East Beach check-in. Bib pickup, Expo & weekend condo registration – one stop shopping. Crib accommodations walking distance from Saturday’s Start (Memorial Day sign-up has its perks). Dinner at the Ryder Cup, 15-minute drive ‘long the ocean. Pitch black/overcast – still, smell of salt in the air 🌴
Condo scuttled early, whole lotta runners – literally THOUSANDS – bit overwhelming after a full travel day. Tomorrow’s a fresh Start…with a late weather surprise. Winter Storm Diego waiting ‘til 2pm to strike the Island. I’d be marathon-finished & indoor manicotti-feasting before the first sheets of rain. Happy day.
Morning. Daylight. First time seeing me outdoor digs, dark came early nite prior. Inlet water, manicured greens, moss-draped oak & golf carts. Whole lotta those. Disney-reminiscent, maybe too perfect. Folks appear/disappear, behind-the-scenes perfection perpetually maintained.
Blink. Focus. I’m here to run.
Cued waaaaay back, 5:30 pace group. 12-minute first mile – sooooo many runners, who knew? [combined Start: Halfers peel’d off mile 5] Kept pace tight the next eight miles. Eyed the 4-hour bunny. Second outdoor run since Kentucky, been injury sidelined. River crossing gone awry.
Parasite-pill popped at 15. Lost my pace posse but maintained a healthy bounce. Steady 9:45-10 min/mile numbers. Found walking aggravates the pull. Palm tree gazed, playlist zoned. New Miley riff. Yeh, I said it. Proud & loud, we all got vices. Beat, beat, beat. Random collection of pulse.
21, 22, 23 – ticking ‘em off today, just another long run…tune obsessed, route lined with putting greens. Wind a-blowin’/chill in the air, time to wrap this puppy up. Storm’s movin’ in. Mylar blankets & tropical palms, marathon SUCCESS. #138 in the books, South Carolina x2 part of the past.
Hot shower & something Italian. Outta lasagna, outta the rain. No worries, manicotti calling. Touristing would have to wait ‘til morning. Mother Nature thanks – run done & just in time.
Kiawah Island Marathon:
K R HAGA crossed the Finish at 12:26
Course time: 04:22:35
Pace: 10:02 min/mi
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- hello Charleston
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- golf MECCA ⛳
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- Kiawah’s Ryder Cup
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- marathon morn Deer
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- whole lotta runners
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- live oak canopy
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- palm trees & putting greens
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- South Carolina SUCCESS
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- chilly December FINISH
7am Start. Could see day’s kickoff banner from my front window. Vans, tents, participant cars rowed neatly – and RAIN. Been in the forecast all week. Expected but now, reality. Double-shirt’d, rain jacket, hydration pack, pair of old Newtons. One last run. I get attached, hard time letting go. Save all shoe farewells for mud/torrential rain. 2 pairs at home await their last stand/surrender races [summer’s Salomons will see Antarctica].
Colonel Mustard, Mr. Green, Mrs. White – Mansion’s Clue residents all dressed to run (holding tight/staying dry) loitering the outside door. Ohio, Indiana, Texas, Louisville (Kentucky’s Lou-vul). Quick hello/goodbye – 7 minutes ‘til Start. First to abandon the community stoop. Slow-walked ‘cross Green Mill bridge, soaked in the buzz/pre-race noise/runner chatter. RD warned ‘deep mud’ and remember ‘you paid for this’.
2 laps, 6 hour time goal. Plan: Bang out the first lap quick.
Combined start. Half, Full, 50, ONE HUNDRED MILES. I’d run my Lap 1 with Anthony (from West Georgia). Young guy. Runs only trail, only ultra-distance. 100 miles today, great life spirit. His crazy? Eats McDonald’s hamburgers every 5 miles. Do the math. That’s TWENTY pancake-flattened Mickey D’s, pre-planned/purchased, in separate plastic bags. LOL> Why junk food? High calorie, not real meat/easy to digest. Hmmm.
Half-mile in, first climb UP, 800ft. Lotta UPs & downs this day. Kentucky Appalachia. Enjoyed the wooded sections, summers here must be stunning. Ran right & left of mud – kinda funny in hindsight. First lap, one of the lead runners – trail still in good shape. 145 racers later, lap 2 would be a slog-a-thon. Hugged tree-line, less downpour.
BAPTISM. GPS read 3.45 miles. Fully body submersion. No stats next 8 miles.
Thought ‘screw it’. Creek crossing. Hit it hard, fast, right thru the center. Don’t pansy out/rock-hop over/around – suck it up, PUSH hard, quick in & out. Must’ve been 3-4 feet deep. One step, two step, krrr-plunk & DOWN. River rushing, full head immersion. Instinctively hands reached/searched, pulled myself UP & out. OMG – did that just happen? And I kept running. Seriously though, what were my options? It’s a trail race. No aid stations, no medical, I’m deep in Kentucky. Tell ya this – no longer worried about rain. HA!
Heard a runner behind me retell the story. Guy up there is a bad ass. Pulled himself outta a river & just kept running. Me a bad ass? Thanks man. Tag. I’ll wear that. Met 100-miler Anthony soon after. Good company. Heavy rain, big hills, MUD, wet leafy down stretches. Left the backwoods near mile 12. Stomped off 2lbs of trail mud, met Anthony’s Georgia crew, passed Green Farms Mansion, crossed the old wooden Mill Bridge.
Lap one, done. Water refuel, pretzels, oranges – notta lotta food, that’d come later.
Hung with Georgia thru Baptismal Creek. Was holding him back, much slower slopping in mud. Run a-ok, walking – not so much. Think I cheerleader-split downriver, groin pull. Guys my age not that flexible.
And the heavens opened… Big heavy drops. Stung, hit hard. Down the bill of my cap. All by myself now. Tough conditions, Kentucky slog fest. Core builder. I’d need this for Antarctica ❄️
Tunes turned on, kept moving forward. Only one way out – and that’s the Finish. 2 laps & done.
Only one mental meltdown, maybe mile-half from the paved-road finish. No Garmin, didn’t know. Said my goodbyes, giving up the body. Dark moment. Appalachia had won. Completely entirely absolutely ALONE.
And then…a familiar tree, a memorable bog, a pink flag – I’m not lost, I’m ok. Wipe your eyes. New tune, foot forward.
Mansion now in sight – AND that Bridge. That beautiful Kentucky bridge. D-O-N-E.
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- Green Mill Bridge
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- 2 laps & done
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- Kentucky Tough Mudder
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- 6 hour FINISH
Falls 100 Trail Marathon
Biggest concern eight weeks ago was summer heat, now my training miles regularly see snow. Fall foliage, FAMILY & a lotta East Coast push-pin additions. HUGE life adventure. Anne of Green Gables, Washington Crossing, the Grand Ole Opry, night-toured our nation’s Capitol. Always more than just running.
Rooted deep in America’s Old South, took most of Friday as travel. Nothing direct to Mississippi. Denver to Chicago, Chicago to Birmingham, rental car 2 ½ hours west to Meridian. Welcome Y’all greeted at bib pickup. Heavy Scarlett O’ Hara lilt. Only 20 miles inside the M-I-S-S border, but distinctly Mississippi. Reminiscent of my own childhood home, old industrial town fighting itself relevant in the 21st century.
Quick trip, under 24 hours. Flight return check-in before my head hit the pillow.
7am Saturday Start. Gathered around City Hall, hat offs, EVERYONE stopped. Anthem voiced LIVE, hand-over-heart/eyes-on-the-flag. Patriotic, well sung. Common thread – Colorado, Maine or Mississippi – same Stars-n-Strips LOVE. RED or BLUE, Americans always come together when it matters.
Combined FULL/Half Start, double loop course, 13-mile trek done twice. Sunshine & 40. Digged the cool morning start, not a Mississippi norm. MUCH appreciated by the visiting Team.
Hilly course. Rolling hills played to strengths. Day’s mantra: Get ‘er done.
Maintained a steady 9 min/pace first loop. Tunes blaring, back-n-forth’d with 4 marathon tees. Cheyenne (Wyoming) grey, husband-wife in Milwaukee tangerine & an orange Lost Dutchman Finisher. Sub-2 Half.
Followed Arizona into Lap 2. Plugged in, head forward, eyes focused, alert to increased motor traffic. No stopping ‘til a planned med break at 17 – lactic lead in my quads but kept pushing. PUSH, PUSH, PUSH – 20. Brief walk marker 21. Steady, consistent 10 min/pace to 24. New PLAN: hotel shower before my room boot @ high NOON. AWESOME motivator 😊
Sunshine & finish line support. Locals draped in blankets, BIG smile/running shorts in my camp. STRONG finish – 3rd place Masters. 50 State countdown now 7. Hot hotel shower/fresh clothes before highway’ng back to Alabama. Got ‘er done.
Friendly folk in Meridian. Thanks y’all. Good push-pin memory added to my map back home.
2018 Magnolia Marathon
Place Name Hometown Type Bib # Time Pace Speed
17 K R HAGA LOUISVILLE, CO RUNNER 30 04:15:05.85 09:43 6.2mph
Split 1 01:56:35.709 08:53 6.7mph 01:56:35.709
Split 2 02:18:30.145 10:33 5.7mph 04:15:05.854
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- Welcome Y’all
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- City Hall Start
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- plugged in & focused
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- STRONG finish
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- 3rd place Masters
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- signed by the Artist
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- icy return HOME ❄️
