Late Christmas surprise. Midweek holiday inspired my employer to give the remainder of the week with pay. Thanks PS! Too late to extend family stays (U.S. airlines are unforgiving) – but plenty of time to schedule one last December run, last of the decade.
Chain O’ Lakes State Park. 2 ½ hours from Indianapolis, 4 from Chicago. Trail in December, ultra distance. And a prior DNF fail? the Huff in rural Indiana. Sign me up!
Friday nite touchdown. Indy airport hotel. 3am alarm. Toughest part… staying awake. Notta lotta traffic pre-dawn in Hoosier land. Two years ago, sub-zero temps & knee-deep snow. This year… overcast skies, thermometer-read hovered above freezing.
Trailhead parking FULL. Crazy tight 15 minutes ‘til race Start.
Dash to the registration tent. Bib pick-up. Two 25k laps. Secured a memorable place for my drop bag. Dry shoes, shirt, second beanie. Socks. Similar to Bighorn fails, 2017’s Huff DNF inspired a laundry list of run needs, should ever I come back to Albion, Indiana.
Race number pinned to a favourite pair of sweats. Speech eulogizing a local track coach. BAM — we’re off. Roots, rock, HILLS. Real trail. Not the crushed gravel at Tunnel Hill, U.S. athletes use to set world ‘trail’ standards.
3 hour 15 first loop. 10-minute tent-change. Dry clothes. Broth. Hydration fill. Rush, rush. Hurry, hurry, hurry. 25k was where I ended 2017. FRIGID that day. And…I’m off.
Upbeat. Plugged in. Ear buds readied, music all second half. No time goal – just get it done. HILLS looked way higher than my first lap. LOL> Physically tough course.
Mile-half to finish. More cloud. Rain to snow, starting at 4pm. Bone cold. Pretzels, oranges, hot soup. Time at the infamous HUFF Couch. No mo’ tunes (cold battery).
36th finish of 2019 – a personal record. BELT BUCKLE GLORY.
8th ultra of the year (double my lifetime tally). Third in the great state of Indiana. Life-changing DECADE of RUN MEMORIES. Appropriate end today. 7 hour SAGA.
Only 4 days away… 2020. Twenty-TWENTY. WOW!
I see a TEXAS-sized FINISHER medal in my New Year’s Day future 😀
The HUFF – 50K – Albion, IN
December 28, 2019
Keenan Haga Louisville CO 1057 3:11:59.27 3:53:00.02 7:04:59.29
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- Welcome to Indiana
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- Chain O’ Lakes State Park
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- winter TRAIL
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- the infamous COUCH
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- last of DECADE
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- BELT BUCKLE GLORY
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- 8th ULTRA of 2019
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- Colorado HOME ❤️
The Huff 50K
Fancy sleeps @ the Omni. Run ready, hotel check-out, bags with the Bell Captain. Notta chance I’ll be back for a shower. Sorry Southwest passengers – will do my best with a post-race sink bath 😊
Streams of folks queuing for today’s event. Everything is BIGGER in Texas. Super organized too. Greeters, lotta signage. Music a-blaring. beat, BEAT, beat. Every 20 seconds another mix. fun PARTY atmosphere. Everyone talkin’. Laughter. Did y’all forget? We’re running 26 miles today! HA!
Low 70’s forecast & all layered-up. Triple 8 training day. Gonna be H-O-T next month races 2, 3 & 4. Australia, Singapore & Cairo. So today… my December ‘summer’ run. Gotta make peace with the heat – stay hydrated & FINISH. Honestly, just good to be outside again. Since Japan – between work retail craziness & every-other-day snow – only a handful of treadmill treks & nothing over 5 miles.
National Anthem. Fireworks. Streets closed; downtown lined with support. Big D is ours. Lotta people energy. LOVE LOVE. Re-thinking Texas. 3 months of the year, I can totally manage the heat. LOL>
Flat forgiving course. Couple long grinders. Halfers peeled off before the lake, mile 8/9. On track. Planned to toss my outer layer @ marker 15. Sun HIGH. Walk a few steps, lower the heart rate – then back at it. Couple well-timed breezes. Still layered before the one big hill, miles 19/20. UP UP UP.
Last 10k. Cue the theme song. HUGE beautiful homes – and that support. WOW! Really nice, y’all. Dallas – I’m a FAN. “Keenan, you’ve got this” (Mile 22 scream from a volunteer). Still layered, still smiling. Legs like lead (lack of training) – but she’s right. I’ve got this. Almost home.
3rd FINISH in Texas. See y’all for New Years! 2K20 in Texas! 🥳
BMW Dallas Marathon
12/15/2019
1753 K R Haga Louisville CO Marathon 05:05:20
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- fancy Omni digs 💤
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- Downtown EXPO
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- Texas LONGHORNS
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- 10k SMILE
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- GREAT course, Dallas!
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- Big D done
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- See y’all New Years 🥳
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- Sis’ graduation 🎓
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- ‘Harry & David’ season
Dallas Marathon
“You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things – to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.” ― Sir Edmund Hillary
7 Continent FINISHER.
2013 my first marathon – BIG WILD Alaska. Three years later (Banff Nat’l Park), first outside the U.S.A. Weekend last… the WORLD. 26.2 miles, EVERY continent. Regular people doing extraordinary things.
DREAM. LIVE BIG. BELIEVE.
Massive physical feat, marathoning 7 continents. Lotta travel/time zones/weather, different cultures/foods. But what I’ll long remember… the incredible/inspiring people on my journey. Other runners. Their stories, their paths. Family, friends, neighbors who worried/encouraged & sometimes even accompanied.
And… my work family.
Marathon uno, race 100, marathon last. Same Boulder-based employer. PS Audio. It’s where I found BALANCE. All the gimongous corporations in [my] career past – whole lotta talk of work/life balance.
Reality? It’s a 50-person family-owned company that sets the bar. Talks the talk, walks the walk.
Cake, lunchroom celebration. Super nice. Thanks work family ❤️
Champion of the World!
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- marathon EVERY continent
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- work family LOVE
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- extraordinary journey
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- next Challenge?
