Marathons/Ultras

Huffin’ Puffin Marathon

Published September 3, 2018

Woke tired, head-zonked from time change. Only person rumbling early in my B&B digs. Holiday weekend, right? 😊

Rental ride from Stephen to Bowring Park (marathon Start/Finish). Morning lawn busy with ducks & geese. Beautiful well-maintained city green. Runner drop-off, early breakfast then he’d hike the island’s high historic overhang, Signal Hill. BIG miss on my end/super envious/lack o’ time. View from yesterday’s boat tour would have to suffice, be memory enough.

Gonna be a HILLY one today – why they call it the HUFFIN’ Puffin 🐧 Small race, mostly Halfers.

21.1k loop, 2 times around
twice past Quidi Vidi Village, two times thru Downtown, 1500ft elevation gain
two big hills, 5-mile marker & mile 8. Steady climb mile 11 thru the first Half.
big hills repeated, 18-mile marker & mile 21. Steady push mile 24 thru the Finish.

Comfortable temp, grey overcast skies (‘cept near end/sunshine for pics). Breezy downtown stretch (both loops). Totally lucked out. Never assured of weather, least of all September. Toughest month for unknowns. Rain, early snow, piercing sun, balmy humid heat.

Ran a strong first Half. Dropped pace at mile 12, second loop a full 2 minute/mile off target. Steady jogged ‘til the long grind at 24. Walk/run finish. HILL-Y course, I’ll take it. Mental-drag running 5-hour marathons (hour slower than last year). Outside longer, tougher on the body, concentration struggle/head demons. Right path though. Another FINISH, another medal & FREE race pics.

Newfoundland, my 5^th Canadian province. Stunning, MUST-SEE part of the world.

North American cousins, US & Canada. Distinct Atlantic/Pacific coastline cultures, farmer-heavy Plains, hiker-populated Rockies, an Arctic North & a couple major cities. Cousins. Québec, ugh, forgot about the French. Suppose we have Hawai’i 🌺

Next month: PEI, Prince Edward Island. Birthplace of Canada, smallest of the Provinces. Anne of Green Gables lore.

Subaru Huffin’ Puffin Marathon

Marathon Results

September 03, 2018

Timing & Results by Athletics NorthEAST

Name Bib 11 km 21.1 km 33.1 km Gun Time Chip Time Gender

Keenan Haga 25 59:50 2:07:58 3:33:13 5:05:04 5:04:59 M

: marathon Start/Finish

: downtown St John’s

: FINISH #127

: Newfy HILLY

: PUFFIN Power

: Terry Fox’s MARATHON of HOPE – started HERE, April 1980

: my 5th Canadian province

Posted in Canada, Marathons/Ultras | Leave a comment

ET Full Moon Midnight Marathon

Published August 26, 2018

Weird 24 hours. Left Denver Saturday 1pm, same flight time Sunday leaving Las Vegas. Spent entire night in the Nevada desert, in UFO-friendly Area 51. Open sky, full moon, lotta cactus, few abandoned cows – but no UFOs. I don’t remember being abducted.

Blood tests back: zinc, lipase & bilirubin off. White blood cells, normal. Hope 🙏 Endoscopy Monday morning. Food fast begins Sunday a.m. – not great timing while marathoning. Ugly finish 2 weeks ago in Ouray. Skip Vegas? August streak’s already secure PLUS I’ve run Nevada multiple times, not needed for my 50 States x2 journey.

Hmm. Heck no, need the distraction. Running thru the desert on Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway – month’s only FULL Moon, timing perfectly planned. Shooting stars or UFOs lighting tonite’s evening sky? Area 51? The truth is out there 👽

Vegas touchdown. Lyft-rode to Silver Sevens Casino, event’s host hotel. Bib pickup at 3, sleeps ‘til 7. Comfy coach ride 3-hours north to Rachel, closest town to ‘the black mailbox’ – our MIDNIGHT Marathon Start. FULL runners bus-departed 11:45. Halfers rode on. Struggled to wake/completely out of sorts. Generally in bed by 9 each night. LOL>

Odd but true: met another Maniac runner. We’re EVERYWHERE. Andy’s 4^th time at ET, WEALTH of last minute knowledge.

Wouldn’t need a headlamp, FULL MOON enough in the desert. Everyone has G.I. issues ‘round 3am – it’s the norm, suck it up. No phone/cell service. Best to drop-dead near an Aid Station/no one hears you scream in the desert. Generous 51K surprise? Able to drop distance (on the fly) at mile 23 & complete the shorter Marathon course. Not eligible for awards but no DNF. Nice. I’d remember this info-jewel later.

Race Director called MIDNIGHT & we were off. ET Highway straight-shot to the Little A’le’Inn in Rachel, race FINISH line. ‘Last bus leaves at 8:05am; don’t miss that bus.’

Started out fast. Highway grade UP first half, crested at 5500ft. Air temp? Not the same 100-degree scorcher that welcomed [me] at McCarran. Mid-80’s; would drop 10+ degrees before sunrise. Dry empty desert. Pockets of heat, followed by waves of natural air-conditioning – swell temp changes like ocean swimming.

Ran a STRONG 1^st Half, right at 2 hours. Decent hill runner, more motivated by tonite’s spook factor. No lights, no homes, gas stations or towns – on a highway with no cars. Mighty desolate in the Nevada desert. “Last bus leaves at 8:05am“. BIG time ‘spook’ factor.

Stealthy ran with 2 runners, caught a second wind. They weren’t huge talkers but even minimal human interaction calmed my spook (tempered the crazies). Quiet, steady, constant highway. Stalked-couple: same pace, mile after mile after mile. WOW.

Marathon-switched/dropped distance at 23. Wasn’t feeling great but who IS at 3:45am.

Asphalt-ran parallel the desert shoulder, left side of highway. Garmin battery flashed pace once more, then died. 8:50/mile. Lotta wasted energy using Garmin bursts as my run buddy. Not another soul ‘til the Finish. Two miles out: LIGHT. I see LIGHT.

Medal & a seat on the next bus to Vegas. Physically wiped, marathon tired but ZERO drama. No food though, clock ticked Sunday morning – medical fast already in-progress.

One weird night. Checked into a Las Vegas hotel/casino. Slept 4 hours, NEVER gambled, out ALL night in the desert, hotel shower’d, returned the key next morning.

One really weird night. At least I don’t think I was abducted.

ET Full Moon Midnight 2018
Marathon
August 26, 2018
Results By Calico Racing

Name City Bib No Time Pace
K R HAGA Louisville CO 74 4:16:00.0 9:46/M

: Hell HOT 🔥

: next stop: Area 51

: MIDNIGHT GLOW

: Earthlings Welcome 🙂

: BIGGEST motivator: ‘Last bus leaves at 8:05am; don’t miss that bus’

: desert all-nighter

: the truth is out there 👽

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, Pacific/Desert | Leave a comment

Mt Sneffels Marathon

Published August 11, 2018

Bib pickup, quick swing thru Downtown, pricey fish dish at Ouray’s Bon Ton. Marathon ready.

Welcomed the cool high-altitude temps at Saturday’s Start – that’d save me the first 2 hours. Ridgway to Ouray ‘n back. Wide-open dirt road course, evergreen-lush first couple miles, sun-exposed as elevation climbed. Topped out near 8000ft.

If one can manage the constant steady UP, some of Colorado’s finest alpine scenes. Little Switzerland.

Trail road peaked 9 miles in, big valley descent next 4 miles into Ouray Hot Springs Park (marathon return). Day’s race elites ran the Half. African men & women pushed fast on-the-left, closely followed by the area’s best college runners.

Took electrolytes early & often but stomach-emptied at mile 10. Tough GI day. Negotiated the course turnaround, headed back UP to Ridgway, dropped to a walk after 15 miles. Disheartening for the entire field to pass one-by-one on the return trek back.

Sun, altitude. Dizzy-staggered next hour. Drop, notta option ‘til mile 21 – dirt trail void, people AND vehicles.

Aid at 21 doused [me] with ice, refilled my hydration pak. Sucky day – only 5 miles more. These are the days I question why? How? Courage stripped, frustrated. Nerves raw, stomach pulsing/throbbing, throat dry from vomit charades. Push thru the pain. Anything is POSSIBLE. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Infommercial mantras no longer working. Physical struggle.

Ultimately I’d finish; new PW end time [Personal Worst].

Dehydrated, chilled, body shaky. Paralysis right side of my face. TIA, medic says. Don’t know the term. IV bag, long drive home tomorrow. Virtually INSTA-BETTER Sunday – 80%. Full motion before work Monday. Unexpected, crazy scary.

When blood flow to part of the brain stops for a short period of time, also called transient ischemic attack (TIA), it can mimic stroke-like symptoms. These symptoms appear and last less than 24 hours before disappearing.

Ok. Breathe, exhale – one step at a time. Doc visit, blood work, endoscopy in 2 weeks. Relapse? STOP, let it go.

Airport pickup at 5pm; Stephen’s local thru Saturday. It’s Birthday Week – MY birthday 😊