Marathoning

7 Continent Journey

Published November 27, 2019

4 years & a 100 marathons ago. Just north of the border, my journey began. First run in kilometers, first outside Team USA. Alberta, Canada. Goal: 2 provinces annually & it started in Banff. Lake Louise hike with Toronto-bestie Sarah, bib pick-up at a local curling club, wedding [not mine], marathon the following day. Banff National Park, my North America run. Well… my first North America race in kilometers. 7 Continent goal wouldn’t kick-in ‘til Continent #3. Like most of us, just didn’t DREAM BIG enough 😊

Destination: Europe. Italy, Iceland, Austria. Celebrated marathon #100 w Sis in Dublin. But my first…that was Moscow. Red Square, Kremlin. Past revisited. 4 years outta college, biggest/most influential career/life boost. Anything is Possible mantra sparked. Reconnected with Dima, now married. Language flooded back. So many memories. I’d finish Sunday with a first-time marathoner. Life’s moments best when shared.

Continent 3: Australia/New Zealand. On-the-left/self-drive two weeks with my bestie Dawn, both North & South Islands. Longest flight EVER, L.A. to Auckland. Rotorua. Christchurch. Franz Josef Glacier. Queenstown. Oamaru. Hobbiton. And… a marathon.

São Paulo Brazil. Largest city in South America. First-time I felt completely foreign. Hot & balmy. Brought home more than my 4^th continent medal. Sis named him Pepe. 6 months of Colorado doc visits, before folks realized I harbored home a parasite – whole nest of ’em.

Elephant, lion, hippo, cheetah, giraffe – Africa’s Big 5 – and my fifth Continent. Knysna South Africa. After an initial fender-bender (sorry Hertz), had the most FANTASTICAL life adventure. Yes, elephants DO snore. WOW destination. I’ll come back to Africa 🐘

ANTARCTICA. Journey to the bottom of the World. NEVER EVER did I dream I’d be snow-tenting on Earth’s most remote continent. Crazy cold sleep even in… summer? Penguins. frigid Antarctic water. Place & time I’ll never forget. Forever LIFE IMPRINT.

6 down, one to go… Sunday’s 42k in Osaka, Japan will complete the set. Absolutely ANYTHING is POSSIBLE! ❤️

: North America

: Banff Marathon

: Europe

: Moscow Marathon

: Australia/NZ

: Kirikiriroa Marathon

: South America

: Maratona de São Paulo

: Knysna Forest Marathon

: Africa

: White Continent 50k

: Antarctica

Posted in Goals & Resolutions, Marathons/Ultras, World Adventure | Leave a comment

Bakersfield Marathon

Published November 17, 2019

Early rise, check-out. No post-race hotel shower, not part of today’s equation. CSUB parking before 6. Same-day registration, easy straight forward. Baseball cap swag. Nice, Bakersfield. Definite keeper. Marathon’s 4th year. Lotta community support, well organized. Pacers. Big show from the pistachio industry. No talk of hills.

Day 2. Last night late. Diverted south to San Bernardino, crisscrossed America on empty farm roads thru isolated migrant towns. No public restrooms, grocery stores. No fast food. High-priced fuel & date-expired snacks. Apologies, Mexican brothers. Not the American dream we promised. Chin up; it gets better. We’re not all wall-building war mongers.

Lined with the 4:30 pack. Lil’ faster than planned but ironically, knew the pacer. Ran together & we finisher-posed with Carolyn in Santa Rosa, 2016. Small world.

Nice shake-out after Vegas. 9 miles of city street then diverted thru historic ‘Old Town’. Shopkeeper digs, trapper cabin, bank, old jail. Classy perk, unexpected & FREE 😊

Aid Station sat Mile 11. Not Las Vegas heat but I warmed with the day temps. Dizzy, unsteady. Came unexpected/out of the blue. End of the road? Nope; given a couple mustard packets – California MIRACLE. 6 years marathoning & never knew. Walked, took in fluids. Picked up pace & kept on truckin’. Mile 12. Mile 13. Half-way mat.

THREE MILES of HILL. Long grinder. up, UP & kept climbing. Bakersfield Community College – top of Bakersfield. Another mustard packet. Attitude upbeat, surprisingly all good. Started taking in scenery.

Caught the 4:50 pacer at mile 17. You never late-race catch the pacer. Kept pushing. Kept thinkin’ he was right behind me. Planned a short walk at 24. Skipped it. Again at 25. Just kept moving.

Re-entered Cal State-Bakersfield, mile 26. Folks cheering near the Finish – SPRINTED the last two-tenths. Crazy happy me. Hung close (3 minutes) & thanked my 4:50 friend for the late-game push.

Post-race burritos & beer if you’re a boozer. 4-hour drive ahead. Crossing the Mohave 🌵

2 days, 2 states, 2 marathons, 2 medals. Nah, it’s not Triple 8 but great training experience. Nevada & California join Oregon & Arizona, the ‘5’ Club. FIVE marathon finishes in each. big GRIN.

Early feasting next weekend. Thanksgiving Thursday flying trans-Pacific.

Life GOAL realized – SUPER excited! My 7 Continent FINISH in Osaka, Japan 🇯🇵

Congratulations on Finishing the Bakersfield Marathon!

Sun November 17, 2019

Bakersfield, CA US 93311

K R Haga Marathon Louisville, CO BIB#1328 CHIP TIME 4:47:36.6

10K: 1:00:13

13.1: 2:17:30

30K: 3:25:55

FINISH: 4:47:36.6

: California START

: 2 days, 2 states, 2 medals

: medal LOVE 🎸

: HOUR faster than Vegas

Las Vegas-Bakersfield, Day 2

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

Las Vegas High Roller 26.2

Published November 16, 2019

Post 50 miles (6 days ago) thought I’d need a walker. Wednesday/Thursday back at it. Body’s an amazing tool. Pair of 5-mile runs, easy 10:30/min pace. Calendar read: taper, rest & relax.

Mind: Triple 8 obsessed. Since posting last week, it all became very real. Work mates, run mates, family. It’s new, it’s BIG, so folks are talkin’. And so were… the head demons. It’s impossible…

Last-minute full-price completely-unplanned DOUBLE MARATHON weekend. Nip dat in the bud. $100 flight to Vegas & a $60 rental car. Best Western budget sleeps, two tanks of high-priced unleaded. Marathoning Vegas on Saturday, California Sunday morning. Gonna out-crazy the head crazies. Confidence boost. Windshield or the bug. Extra thankful, Thanksgiving dinner 🦃

Late Friday flight (post-work, 2019 PTO/come n gone). Enterprise pick-up. 5-hour sleeps, predawn showered & run ready. Registration table for a 6am Start. Desert cold… give that an hour 😉

Inaugural race. Eight 5K laps plus a short loop – 26.2 miles. Day’s course: Exposed bike path along Interstate 215, Vegas’ Western Beltway Trail. Not super scenic; desert & empty office buildings.

Day’s course support? Absolutely FIRST-CLASS. Water, electrolytes, foods salty & sweet – both ends of the short out-n-back. Grade INCLINE mile-half out, downhill glide on our return.

One ‘hill’ – 16 times. BIG bridge, BIG climb. Fast became the scheduled ‘walk break’ after Lap 1. Push, push, push to the Bridge. Walk UP. Quarter-mile to the turnaround, quarter-mile return. UP again (Bridge return). Downhill relief, back to the Start. And repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Really good energy. Lotta high fives. Super awesomeness about lap races – ya see familiar faces.

Hot & ugly by Lap 6. Tagged a LA runner most of 7, all the last loop. 5 hours in the desert (so, of course)… Challenged him to a sprint finish & got my butt kicked! Little did I know, was the difference between 3^rd & 4^th place. Dude killed it. Very well deserved.

Medal, hotel shower – & on the road (4 hours west). Day 2: CALIFORNIA 🌞

Las Vegas High Roller 26.2

1 Erik Thys M Bib 63 Las Vegas, NV 9:57min/mi 4:20:31

2 Mark Hudspeth M Bib 52 Maryville, TN 12:36min/mi 5:30:19

3 Daniel Del Castill M Bib 104 Norwalk, CA 13:08min/mi 5:43:58

4 K R HAGA M Bib 116 Louisville, CO 13:09min/mi 5:44:24