Marathoning

Route 66 Challenge (Nov edition)

Published November 30, 2018

Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try ~ Jack Canfield

November 2018 update: 3 marathons, ticked off 2 add’l states and completed another Fall Challenge – 8 consecutive weekends marathoning. Lotta travel, lotta new life tags. Biggest November imprint: wonder-twin Finish w/ Sis in Nashville. Life memories ❤️

Logged half as many miles as record October. Erratic/inconsistent training. Early season snow, Thanksgiving holidaying. Still 150 miles STRONG…one foot front of the other.

Race ReCap: 50 State Challenge now 7. Inked-in Tennessee & Mississippi on the Goal Map. Circled Nashville’s Titans Stadium like Groundhog Day, Masters podium’d in Meridian MS & charity-supported an inaugural event in Broomfield (Colorado).

Marathoning Streak: 60 months; EVERY month, FIVE consecutive YEARS.

Mileage ReCap: ended November at 1077 miles (60 miles behind GOAL)

: ended November at 1077 miles

: Mile 1077: Groom, TX

: SNOW 🇨🇦

: happy BIRTHDAY

Marathon Calendar:

12/01/2018 Falls 100 Trail Marathon (Falls of Rough, Kentucky)
12/08/2018 Kiawah Island Marathon (Kiawah Island, S Carolina)
12/29/2018 Run for the Ranch Marathon (Springfield, Missouri)
01/01/2019 Texas Marathon (Kingwood, Texas)
01/15/2019 White Continent 50k (King George Island, ANTARCTICA)
02/10/2019 Fort Smith Marathon (Fort Smith, Arkansas)
02/17/2019 Lost Dutchman Marathon (Apache Junction, Arizona)

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Magnolia Marathon

Published November 17, 2018

Biggest concern eight weeks ago was summer heat, now my training miles regularly see snow. Fall foliage, FAMILY & a lotta East Coast push-pin additions. HUGE life adventure. Anne of Green Gables, Washington Crossing, the Grand Ole Opry, night-toured our nation’s Capitol. Always more than just running.

Rooted deep in America’s Old South, took most of Friday as travel. Nothing direct to Mississippi. Denver to Chicago, Chicago to Birmingham, rental car 2 ½ hours west to Meridian. Welcome Y’all greeted at bib pickup. Heavy Scarlett O’ Hara lilt. Only 20 miles inside the M-I-S-S border, but distinctly Mississippi. Reminiscent of my own childhood home, old industrial town fighting itself relevant in the 21^st century.

Quick trip, under 24 hours. Flight return check-in before my head hit the pillow.

7am Saturday Start. Gathered around City Hall, hat offs, EVERYONE stopped. Anthem voiced LIVE, hand-over-heart/eyes-on-the-flag. Patriotic, well sung. Common thread – Colorado, Maine or Mississippi – same Stars-n-Strips LOVE. RED or BLUE, Americans always come together when it matters.

Combined FULL/Half Start, double loop course, 13-mile trek done twice. Sunshine & 40. Digged the cool morning start, not a Mississippi norm. MUCH appreciated by the visiting Team.

Hilly course. Rolling hills played to strengths. Day’s mantra: Get ‘er done.

Maintained a steady 9 min/pace first loop. Tunes blaring, back-n-forth’d with 4 marathon tees. Cheyenne (Wyoming) grey, husband-wife in Milwaukee tangerine & an orange Lost Dutchman Finisher. Sub-2 Half.

Followed Arizona into Lap 2. Plugged in, head forward, eyes focused, alert to increased motor traffic. No stopping ‘til a planned med break at 17 – lactic lead in my quads but kept pushing. PUSH, PUSH, PUSH – 20. Brief walk marker 21. Steady, consistent 10 min/pace to 24. New PLAN: hotel shower before my room boot @ high NOON. AWESOME motivator 😊

Sunshine & finish line support. Locals draped in blankets, BIG smile/running shorts in my camp. STRONG finish – 3^rd place Masters. 50 State countdown now 7. Hot hotel shower/fresh clothes before highway’ng back to Alabama. Got ‘er done.

Friendly folk in Meridian. Thanks y’all. Good push-pin memory added to my map back home.

2018 Magnolia Marathon

Place Name Hometown Type Bib # Time Pace Speed

17 K R HAGA LOUISVILLE, CO RUNNER 30 04:15:05.85 09:43 6.2mph

Split 1 01:56:35.709 08:53 6.7mph 01:56:35.709

Split 2 02:18:30.145 10:33 5.7mph 04:15:05.854

: Welcome Y’all

: City Hall Start

: plugged in & focused

: STRONG finish

: 3rd place Masters

: signed by the Artist

: icy return HOME ❄️

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, South | Leave a comment

Nashville Marathon

Published November 10, 2018

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!