Marathoning

UK Run Challenge (April edition)

Published April 15, 2018

Training is a process, not the events of one day…

April 2018 update: Weeks & weeks of training, everything built around my goal race in June (distance over speed) – & finally, a glimmer of hope (Ohio PROUD). No headset, 3 marathons/month, multiple double-digits runs/week. 60 DAYS ‘til Bighorn!

Milestones:

March 21st – 43rd Marine Corp Marathon, lottery SUCCESS (race date: October 28th – Semper Fi!)
March 31st – first trail run of 2018: Naked Prussian Trail Marathon (Leesport PA)
April 8th – Maratona de São Paulo, BRAZIL: my FOURTH continent (both Americas, Europe & Australia)

May MANTRA: Stay CALM – it’s a journey, not a Sprint

March 30th (Leesport PA) thru May 6th (Holyoke MA), my first 6-week marathon stretch since 2015 💪

6 marathons, 5 different states, 2 continents. In it to win it. Will finish 30+ marathons in 2018, 5 of those ultra distances.

Race ReCap: 4 weeks, 4 marathons (115 total); long-distance East Coast & Int’l travel: Tobacco Road Marathon (Cary NC), Naked Prussian Trail Marathon (Leesport PA), Maratona de São Paulo (BRAZIL) & Athens Marathon (Ohio).

Marathoning Streak: 53 months

Mileage ReCap: ended April at 731 miles (10.7 miles ahead of GOAL)

: ended April at 731 miles

: Colorado Spring 🌷

: road to BIGHORN (WY): Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, Vermont, Buffalo (NY) & Black Hawk (CO)

Lands End to John O’Groats

1083 miles, the length of Britain

GOAL: 15 June 2018

Ended Month 4 in Westerkirk, a parish in the district of Eskdale, county Dumfries, Scotland.

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868):

“…10 miles in length from S. to N., with an extreme breadth of 6½ miles. The surface is generally hilly and mountainous, abounding in sheepwalks. The predominant rocks are graywacke and graywacke-slate, with shell marl at Megdale, and antimony at Jamestown. In the vicinity are ruins of Westerhall and Glendonwyn or Glendenning towers, with some remains of Crooks and Enzieholm towers, besides several hill forts and burians or “picts” houses, and Druidical circle and several ancient camps. The village is about 5 miles N.W. of Langholm, and stands at the confluence of the rivers Meggot and Stennis with the Esk, and on the road from Langholm to Ettrick and Selkirk. The parish formerly belonged to the Glendonwyns, and contained Eskdalemuir till 1703. The parish is in the presbytery of Langholm and synod of Dumfries. The stipend of the minister is about £153. The parish church was erected in 1788, and the churchyard contains the mausoleum of the Johnstone family.“

: Mile 731: Westerkirk, SCOTLAND

: 50 miles/week, every week ‘til Bighorn

: postcard journey (Month 4)

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Athens Ohio Marathon

Published April 15, 2018

Athens this weekend, Vienna the next. After marathoning Brazil, seemingly all posh now.

‘course that’s Athens OHIO & VI-enna Illinois. No worries folks, this hillbilly’s still grounded. Saturday flight to Columbus, 3pm touchdown, hour-half drive to Athens. Bib check-in ’til 6, PLENTY of time. Booked a room at THE place in Athens, the OU Inn. Athens, home of Ohio University – nope, not THAT university. No Buckeyes here, Bobcats. Dining Hall dinner, early to bed.

Starting in 1968 the Athens Marathon hasn’t taken a break since giving it the title of “Ohio’s Longest Running Marathon.” With that rich history participants will start in beautiful Uptown Athens right next to the College Green of Ohio University. The course soon connects with the Hockhocking-Adena Bikeway for a fast and flat remainder of the race before finishing on the Ohio University track. You’ll experience the rich views Athens has to offer in spring time while you meander along the Hocking River valley. Though Athens is known for its foothills, you’ll stay safely in the valley for the marathon course making this an ideal fast race course to get your Boston Marathon qualifier.

Sunday morning drizzle. Precip supposed to pickup at 10, heavy all afternoon. Wet weekend was forecasted long ago – windbreaker, trucker cap & a pair of shorts – ready ready to run. On-campus Start ’bout a mile walk from my hotel. Richland Ave Bridge over the Hocking River onto OU campus. Banners of fallen veterans decorated each Bridge light post. Well done, classy.

Day’s start: corner of South College & East Union on the College Green. National Anthem, LOUD cannon Start. Literally SHOOK the ground. 2 lap course – notta huge fan of laps. Hard to stay motivated at mile 13, when 80% of the field finishes.

Steady drizzle kept day-temps comfortable. Couple miles of university town, then pushed onto a well-maintained bike path.

First 10 miles? Easy sub-4 marathon pace. Whatta difference a week makes! Struggled in São Paulo then KILLED IT this past week. Logged over 40 miles Tue-Thurs. Didn’t let setback hold me captive today. Today – legs felt strong.

2:08 Half. Rain fell hard next 4 miles. Goal: keep running ‘til mile 20.

Didn’t stop ‘til marker 21…walk/jogged the remainder. PROGRESS. An hour+ faster than last Sunday. No stomach issues, no puking, just lacking stamina. 52 miles – that’s the distance goal in June, Bighorn 60 days away.

Not a great finish time, but physically & mentally FAAAANNNTASTIC! big Smile, PROGRESS ❤

2 hours to Columbus, drove back in a downpour. Hindsight, mighty lucky with my race weather. Airport Hilton Sunday, early Monday return flight, back at my work desk 9:30 a.m. (Mountain time). Rinse repeat, Illinois in 6 days.

K R HAGA (BIB 188)

2018 Athens Ohio Marathon

HOMETOWN

Louisville, CO

Finished in

4:49:05

: hour-half drive from Columbus

: ’tis the season of RAIN

: OU track FINISH

: big Smile, PROGRESS!

: glimmer of hope (finally): solid 10 miles, no walk ’til mile 21

bluegrassin’ Athens to Columbus

Posted in Heartland, Marathons/Ultras | Tagged car-karaoke | Leave a comment

Maratona de São Paulo

Published April 8, 2018

5am alarm. Marathon day.

Dusky & humid, mile+ walk to today’s Obelisk Start in Ibirapuera Park. Picked up runners soon after entering Portão 7 (gate closest my digs off Prof. Filadelfo Azevedo). Buzz in the air, runners talking in groups. Animated talk. Voice pitch/timber fluttered up/down, sometimes hand movements – no need to understand Portuguese, they’re all talking ‘marathon’.

São Paulo’s tall concrete Obelisk is reminiscent of our Washington Memorial in DC. Crowds swelled as the Obelisk grew larger in view. Monument serves as a memorial to four men who protested/died/inspired the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932.

Pre-race porta potty lines – same as in the States. UNIQUE to Brazil? Crazy long lines for COFFEE 🙂

30 minutes ‘til Start: snapped a shot of the Obelisk, searched for my starting corral (‘sectors’ in Brazil). Noticed runner bibs in lotta different colours, lotta different distances too (4K, 8K, 24K & 42K). Matched my Bib colour to a Black banner marked ‘PRETO’. I’d be starting way way back today. Literally TENS of THOUSANDS of runners participating – & goofed my estimated pace time, confused miles with kilometers. Based on the expected heat index however, walkers pace might be right on the mark. Ugh.

Gun start? No idea. My journey didn’t begin ‘til 8:10 (an hour+ after the elites).

Sluggish early, felt the heat. Muggy, thick air. Stream running off the cap, sweat burned my eyes – mile 4.

Supporters shouted: Vai! Vai! Vai! [Go, go, go!] Runners yelled: Vai! Vai! Vai! in return. Loud South American day with NO zone-out music (started last week with success – this week, not so much). So so many runners. Largest marathon since New York.

Combination of heat & noise & crowds – HUGE mental struggle. Completely outta my element.

Started water-dousing my head/neck/legs every aid station 2^nd Half. Odd by true: Saw a herd of capybara grazing. Stopped & pic-snapped. Positive? Didn’t fall apart physically. Steady jog pace from mile 12 on. Pushed through, finished, collected my medal.

Flat course; HUGE FUN city; shame to perform so poorly. Super sorry Brazil.

THREE steps forward, BIG step back. New PW. Worst road finish EVER.

LISTAGEM EXTRA OFICIAL (PARA CONFERÊNCIA DE TEMPO)

EVENTO: 24ª MARATONA INTERNACIONAL DE SÃO PAULO – 42.195 KM

RESULTADO PELO Nº DE PEITO – CLASSIFICAÇÃO GERAL (SUJEITO A ALTERAÇÃO)

NUM ATLETA TEMPO LÍQUIDO

6063 KEENAN R HAGA 05:56:37

Showered, afternoon napped. Everything is better after a shower. Uber’d back to the airport (no Lyft in Brazil). Customs, passport control, Brazilian TSA – and dinner. USA bound. 5am in Houston, back to work Monday 2^nd half. Home Sweet Colorado Home ❤

UPDATE: Trained hard Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Logged a whole lotta miles, next marathon: Sunday.