5 consecutive weeks marathoning – hey, didn’t I already finish my 50 State Quest last May? Healthy addiction 🙂 Takes the mind off health issues/negative thoughts, provides daily goals – proving I can still marathon, even thru chemo.
After family invited [me] to join their Disney World vacation, I did what all Marathon Maniacs do: Calendar-checked for a nearby marathon. AND as luck would have, YES – the Orlando Marathon, a Veterans Day run in Winter Park.
Jetted work 2 hours early. Friday nite flight, Florida arrival just before midnight. Hotel, rental car, 5 hours shut-eye. Bib check-in at American Legion Post 112, an hour before race start. Post Commander gave a rousing speech about the importance of Veterans Day & serving our country. Hats off for the National Anthem. Air horn start…2 laps on Cady Way Trail.
Flat neighborhood trek, not super scenic – but ALL proceeds (100%) support War Veterans. Course not a BQ qualifier either…who cares, right? 27 miles – that’s .8 [miles] too much folks. Guess what’s another mile, bigger bang for your buck. LOL>
Miles 8 & 9 (21 & 22) looped a local shopping mall…bit odd. Weather however stayed fair. Sure it topped 80 degrees…but running in Florida, could’ve been far worse. Dropped pace on my 2nd lap – higher temps & lack of water – but stayed focused on the Finish.
Orlando Marathon
Bib # Name Time
254 Haga, K R 5:05:48
Keenan – You just finished your 76th marathon, what are you going to do next? I’m going to Disney World!! Yep, that’s exactly what I did. Ok, showered first but then, Disney-shuttled to MGM Studios. But that’s a story for another day 🙂
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- Veterans Day run in Winter Park
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- marathon SUCCESS & won my Age Group — FAAANNNTASTIC!
Thursday nite pre-race activity – Jersey Boys, my first in Denver’s Buell Theatre. Orchestra, Row C – FAAANNNTASTIC!
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- Broadway hit, Jersey Boys!!
Orlando Marathon (Veterans Day start)
Early to bed, early to rise — woke marathon morning to FOG. Dense, thick, ‘can’t see 10 feet in front of you‘ FOG.
Layered up — 2 shirts (long sleeves under yesterday’s ‘Run WV’ purchase), shorts, running tights, ball cap & gloves. 35 degrees, pretty much perfect conditions. All signs point to marathon EXCELLENCE!
Drove in early from neighboring Barboursville, stadium parked, pre-race porta-potty’d, patiently waited for my run sister Carolyn. BQ — all about HER this day. Months of texts back-n-forth; I’m just the lucky guy signed up to enjoy the ride. Flat 2-lap course — notta fan of laps, never been…but a flat course in West Virginia? That I dig.
Crowded field. Could not connect with Indiana. Hovered ’round the 4 hr pace group. Cannon pop, we’re off. Two/three minutes, happy upbeat Carolyn tags in. No tunes, no playlist. Passed the morn with runner banter. Whole lotta chatter.
Slow first mile, then paced up. 8:20, sub-8, 8:35 — slow down she says, voice of reason. My best chance for sub-4 would be a quick first half. Not steady enough to run 9 minute/miles the entire duration, haven’t finished a strong 2nd in over a year. We agree on 1:55 — “it’s a marathon, not a 10K”…I know, I know. Chilly weather, good sleeps & remembered my meds — popping anti-nausea at 9 & 15…no pain pills ’til the end — dulls the pain but zaps the adrenaline…sweat a lot, jacks my breathing.
No head games, steady easy run. STRONG today.
St. Mary’s Marathon:
K R HAGA crossed the 13.1 Mile at 08:54
Course time: 01:53:37
Pace: 08:41 min/mi
2nd lap: slowed our pace 2 miles in. Quads, legs tight. Hadn’t run this fast all year. No giving in to pain, best chance at sub-4. Stopped briefly at mile 18, hydrated. Carolyn shed layers; I chose to run warm. Lagged a step behind thru 19 — and said our goodbyes.
Running empty but knew I had 7 ‘1st Half‘ minutes banked. 10 min, 10:20, pacing too slow. Puked at 23 — come on man, dig deep!
Aid station straight ahead. Stopped for water, 4 hr pace group bounced by…with one mile to go. Super frustrating. 9 minute/mile no longer possible. Nothing left. Laid on a park bench, wrecked. 5 minutes. Blew my nose, deep breath. Ok, it is what it is.
Steady jog to Joan C Edwards Stadium, grabbed a football & did my lap. Marathon 75. Check, done.
St. Mary’s Marathon:
K R HAGA crossed the Finish at 11:08
Course time: 04:08:18
Pace: 09:29 min/mi
my friend Carolyn? sub-3:55, new PR, Boston 2018. Couldn’t be prouder.
40 minute drive in rural Appalachia for a true West Virginia celebration. Hillbilly Hotdogs. Highlighted on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”, had this joint scoped out before leaving the Rockies. Picnic tables outside, school bus seating inside, a true dining destination. If ever in Lesage WV, gotta/hafta/must go. Highly recommended.
Next weekend, family weekend — DisneyWorld…but first, marathoning in nearby Winter Park, FL 🙂
Marshall University Marathon
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- where’s the Stadium? F-O-G!
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- ‘run West Virginia’
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- missed sub-4 by minutes
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- marathon #75 (WV PR)
Hillbilly Hotdogs, WV
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- wanna get hitched?
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- Food Network’s ‘Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives’
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- whole lotta hot dogs
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- school bus seating — Appalachia fine dining 🙂
Marathon morning. Slept later than norm – stayed at the event’s host hotel, short walk to Narragansett Pier. Dark red ball burned over the Atlantic, smell of salt, sunrise. Beautiful marathon start.
The Ocean State Marathon has a long history in Narragansett as the site of the ORIGINAL Rhode Island Marathon. It has been our goal to honor this tradition and bring back a GENUINE Rhode Island Marathon. Not only does the race start under the shadow of the iconic Coast Guard house at beautiful Narragansett Town Beach but the course itself boasts sweeping vistas of Narragansett Bay, beautiful windy roads, historic homes and awe-inspiring bridges.
20 degrees warmer than Saturday – not crazy hot, but should finish before the sun cooks. Biggest concern today? Left my meds at last night’s dinner spot. No anti-nausea, no pain pills, nada. Suck it up buttercup – cancer or not, gonna/hafta hit it hard like everyone else. Steady hydration, stay mentally strong. 26.2 miles. I’ve run 70+ of these, one foot in front of the other. Ready ready to go.
Cool morning air, nice flat couple of miles. Oceanside run, miles 5 & 6 – big seasonal waves pouring over the surf, shared road with locals walking their dogs. Pretty sizeable hills at miles 7 & 10. North Kingston [Amtrak] station at marker 14.
[#DNF’d three weeks ago at 15 – yep, that’s still crowding my head. Breathe, move on.]
Stomach cramping, dropped pace. Eyed a 50 State cap ahead – caught the ‘flower lady’ & stayed with this early-start veteran thru mile 21. Run buddy Carolyn often thinks she’s a talker. Nope…’flower lady’ now she was a talker. Turned off my tunes & appreciated her candor.
No emergency vehicles, no aides to flag down, no options, no excuses. Hurled at mile 22. If I wanna stop, gotta find a way to the Finish. Jogged/walked/slogged the course remainder. No bobble-head trophy, no top 10 Finish – yet worthy of a medal & marathon finish #74 🙂
Ocean State Rhode Races
SUN OCTOBER 30 2016
NARRAGANSETT, RI US 02882
79 K R HAGA M Louisville CO 5:15:09
Hotel shower, late check-out, return flight outta Providence – but not before a quick 20 minute trek to Point Judith. Over time, have seen more ornate/unique lighthouses on both US coasts but Point Judith was my first. Will always hold a special place in my heart.
Next weekend: Huntington, West Virginia
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- smell of salt, ocean sunrise, beautiful Start
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- marathon #74, second in Rhody
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- Point Judith strike-a-pose
