FAMILY that marathons together, finishes together – AND we’re crazy fit too! Add that to your 2019 resolutions 😊
7am marathon start, two blocks from my Airbnb sleeps. Sis & husband showed half-past 6, winter-layered & ready to run. Sis: full ‘Fatima’ gear (headwrap, blanket, scarf – only the eyes showing). BIG day! Stephen’s first Half, 13 miles of Nashville asphalt awaits. Welcome to the madness we call MARATHON ❤️
Woke today feeling GREAT, everything clicking. Sunshine & 29 degrees. Running with Sis headphone-free. We’re blood. Head crazies totally acceptable. Unleash the Kraken! Crazy breeds crazy. Half/FULL combined Start. Sported a sexy $4 jacket purchased from neighborhood consignment. Meant as an early run throwaway, wore PROUD all 26. Tennessee is cold folks – at least in November. LOL>
No gun, no speeches – bunched together, we moved as the mass moved. Timing mat Start 2 minutes ahead; Stephen dropped us 10 minutes later. We’d catch him at mile 8, then see him again mile-half from the Finish (as Sis & I looped marker 14/2nd lap). Tough watching 70% of the field end early. What town doesn’t have 26 miles of city street & trail? ARGH. Rant complete. Y’all know [I’m] notta fan of 13 mile repeats.
Galloway Run-Walk-Run. Sis lives & breathes by it. I’m still a naysayer walking mile One. HOWEVER with a chronic/consistent mile 20 fade, completely OPEN mind today. Sis runs, I run. Sis walks, I walk. No need to overthink things, she’s already done that. We share DNA – crazy breeds crazy.
Stopped/selfied at Nashville’s NFL stadium, home of the Titans (marker 4). We’d tap this oval EIGHT times, two 360-degree loops. What was I doing taking pictures? Eight ticks ’round leaves a mental imprint. HA!
Industrial Park smells next 2 miles (glue I think), looped back 2 miles – and repeat. UP over the bridge, high FIVES to Stephen & Paul – then, introduced Sis to one of the ripest Porta-Potty experiences EVER. Ick.
(AWESOME mile 16 SURPRISE) 3-mile stretch of marathon-only GREENWAY. Trees on the left, trees on the right. 3 miles out, 3 miles back. Late Fall colour, very nice. Well done race folks. FAVE part of day’s run. 17, 18, 19. Kept ticking ‘em off. Stopped, popped meds. 20, 21, 22. Still smiling, still chatting it up. Who AM I today? Marathon solution DISCOVERED: Sis in a suitcase.
Once more round the Stadium (’cause 7 times just ain’t enough) then bridg’d UP to 25. First twinge of pain for Sis. Ran all day with a muscle TEAR. No griping, no excuses – crazy STRONG. I could definitely take a note.
Downhill stretch, convoluted network of lefts/rights, an abandoned street – then, FINISH SUCCESS. SIX marathon shares with Sis. Hawaii & Dublin, most exotic thus far. So stay tuned. There’s a yodel & an Alp coming Fall 2019. Feelin’ a new European PR!
Nashville Marathon
November 10, 2018
Name Halfway Time City/State Bib#
K R Haga 2:07:23 4:36:42 Louisville CO 281
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- winter-layered & ready
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- Titans Stadium
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- Shelby Bottoms Greenway
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- FAVE part of day’s run
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- all SMILES finish
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- FAMILY that marathons together, FINISHES TOGETHER
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- FAMILY bling 🥇
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- Sis’ wicked FUN Recap
Nashville Marathon
Broomfield BLUE
Well they all don’t go well. Perspective, lesson learned. Heavy work week = poor prep, excuses/lack of effort. Whether you travel 2 time zones away or kick it local – you put on the bib, you give 110%. Marathon limped into November (after an amazing October). Sad face.
Saturday HOME: laundry, toilets & house cleaning – yep, I do that too. Menial tasks provide an unexpected mental lift. Tasks you start/do/complete without much thinking, almost methodical. Let’s the mind relax: Insta-results. Effort rewarded/job well done, no training miles required.
Time change Sunday, an extra hour of life. Body clock still wired early. Reset all time-keepers (even the Jeep), double-walked Pup, purchased groceries, load of dishes AND ran 26.2 miles.
Broomfield Blue, day’s run theme – only prerace thought put into this week’s long run. Running tights, cap, double shirt’d (blue over blue), everything BLUE (dude: RED gloves). Plugged address into Google maps, 18 minute drive – city parked, pinned my bib, 7 minutes ’til Start. Small urban trail event, inaugural marathon – signed up/registered to support my neighboring Flatirons community. Not easy to organize a BRAND NEW MARATHON: gather permits, address tens of emails, secure volunteers. Gotta support your peeps. Much appreciated Broomfield folks!
Overcast & cold. Season’s first run outta shorts. Regrets none, flurries blew second Half.
First mile asphalt, next 7 trail. Steep elevation climb. Hit it hard, hit it fast. Always go out too quick, I’m a lousy pacer. Posted a 7:43/mile – I don’t run that fast. Assume Strava got hacked.
Most of the next 10 miles, blah. Ran the bike path ‘long Highway 36. Exposed, ZERO trees, big truck fumes. Notta fan. Great support/volunteers every 2 miles – just hard to hide the ugly.
Gut blew before Half. No meds. Self-diagnosed myself cured after 4 great run weeks. Entirely avoidable, super frustrating.
LONG 2nd Half, THREE long hours. Wind picked up/cold. Notta lotta opportunities to drop. Last 4-5 miles within city o’ Broomfield spotlighted town buildings, manicured parks – unfortunately mentally shot; adverse weather: head down/fought to finish.
Handed a medal, reclused in the Jeep: HEAT cranked up HIGH. Meds, shower, hour nap. Better luck next week.
Frown upside DOWN? Baseball cap, big comfy sweats & a giant Coke. Movie nite solves everything 😊
Broomfield Trails Marathon
Sunday, November 4, 2018
HAGA K R LOUISVILLE 1035 05:05:32
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- Westminster EXPO
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- week’s ‘long run’
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- inaugural marathon
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- We ARE Broomfield
Saturday flight, Saturday Expo – landed hour-half before bib pick-up end. Lyft from Reagan, 20-minute drive ‘cross the Potomac. Marine Corps Marathon. Oorah! I’m in!
Registration lottery, May drawing & my lot was pulled. 30 THOUSAND participants, nicknamed ‘the People’s Marathon’. After New York [Nov 2015], never thought I’d run another MEGA-marathon. Feel caged in with BIG crowds. Gotta/hafta/must run Marine!
Hotel check-in, convenient digs two DC stops from tomorrow’s Start. Left outta the Americana, 3 blocks to the Marriott/left inside the lobby, long underground shopping corridor to the Metro entrance. Ticket pre-purchased. I got this.
Food, sleeps, predawn alarm – marathon morn. Indian caretaker downstairs asked if I was walking to the Pentagon. Right outta the hotel – talk, talk talk – let his words drift/thanked him for the banana. Never deviate on race day, not my first rodeo.
Crystal City-Pentagon City-Pentagon. Tens of runners Blue Line bunched. Quick trek, mere minutes. ‘The Pentagon’ – words we generally only TV-hear, today run reality. Long walk/multiple security stops. 2 MILE trek. No worry ‘bout the distance, time concern. Sea of marathoners stopped at bag security. Focus, push through. I’ve got nothing. Push, push. Corral start, 7 minutes to spare. Elites made their way, my wave advanced forward. Sooooooo many flags, military craft overhead – Oorah, I’m here!
PERFECT cool morning START. Sunshine, lite breeze & a whole lotta company. Mylar-unwrapped even before I tapped on the Garmin. Out quick/caught the 4-hour bunny, then slowed & just enjoyed the ride. No PR plan, too many runners for an amazing finish – photo journaling today’s adventure.
Blue mile, mile 12. Pics of fallen soldiers, both sides of our path. Every 10 feet a photo, another soldier – FOR AN ENTIRE MILE. Female runner stopped ahead, talking to a placard. Husband, brother? Haven’t teared/outwardly lost it since St Jude’s. Important to remember, be thankful for our freedom.
Regrouped at the Half (meds, hydration). Goodbye Virginia, hello DC. And the tour began…
Washington Monument. On my right, thru the trees, straight ahead, then ran the field surrounding. Museum of Natural History. U.S. Capitol Building. Senate, House of Representatives. Sooooo many selfies. LOL> Never realized we would pass so close.
My run, my day. Same medal whether I four-hour finish or 4:30 end 🙂
Revolutionary Washington on horseback stared across the National Mall – at HIS Monument/pillar of remembrance. Few minutes outside Smithsonian Castle. Another selfie. More water.
Skies greyed, wind gusted, insta-chilled from early marathon moisture. East Coast humid. Marker 25: one last selfie, one last Marine Corps ‘Oorah’ – military FINISH 15 minutes later.
Marathon 133, 28th FINISH of 2018. THANKFUL, prayerful, USA PROUD 🇺🇸
Results from the 43rd Marine Corps Marathon
K R Haga BIB 15357 Louisville, CO 04:35:16
HALF 02:04:05
30K 03:11:52
FINISH 04:35:16
START TIME 07:57:29 AM
TEMPERATURE 59 °F | 15 °C
HUMIDITY 91%
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- Saturday Expo
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- DC run tour 🙂
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- Museum of Natural History
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- Capitol selfie
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- Smithsonian Castle
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- OORAH!
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- military FINISH
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- Marine Corps War Memorial
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- PROUD American
Marine Corps Marathon
