Marathoning

UK Run Challenge (Feb edition)

Published February 15, 2018

People that SUCCEED, quit quitting.

February 2018 update: 3 weeks for a new habit to become practice. Took me SEVEN – kinda hardheaded I guess. Returned from Florida super dehydrated, required a second IV days after arriving home. AND then…something snapped. No more struggle. Ran 50 miles two consecutive weeks, each training week ending with an out-of-state marathon. Eating better too, down 6.2 pounds. Nutritionally I’m good, but quantity – folks, I’m an eater. Drop a salad, I’ll use an entire head of lettuce. CRAZY amount of food.

Milestones:

February 6th – São Paulo BRAZIL registration (race date: April 8th – South America, my FOURTH continent)
February 11th – 50 State count at 24, almost HALFWAY there 🙂
February Week 2 – second consecutive 50/mile week, run goal: every week ‘til BIGHORN

March MANTRA: FLAWS & all, GAME ON.

4-week stretch of marathoning, longest streak in 2 years. One better? April to mid-May: 6 weeks, 6 marathons, 6 different states. In it to win it. Will finish 30+ marathons in 2018, 5 of those ultra distances.

New places, new faces. Haven’t repeated a marathon yet – that’s 100+ unique runs.

Race ReCap: 2 marathons, long 5-hour finishes & RAIN: Celebration (Florida), Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham.

Marathoning Streak: 51 months

Mileage ReCap: ended February at 340 miles (21 miles short of GOAL)

: ended February at 340 miles

: NEXT UP: Maryland, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio & Illinois

: Sage advice

Lands End to John O’Groats

1083 miles, the length of Britain

GOAL: 15 June 2018

Ended Month 2 in Vale of White Horse, a local district in county Oxfordshire, south of the River Thames.

Historically the area has always had some importance, since it contains valuable agricultural land in the centre of the county. Largely ignored by the Romans, it was not until the formation of a settlement at Oxford (Anglo-Saxon “ford for oxen”) in the 8th century that the area grew in importance. Alfred the Great was born across the Thames in Wantage, Vale of White Horse. The University of Oxford was founded in 1096, though its collegiate structure did not develop until later on. The area was part of the Cotswolds wool trade from the 13th century, generating much wealth, particularly in the western portions of the county in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds.

: Mile 340: Oxfordshire

: 50 miles/week, every week ‘til Bighorn

: postcard journey (Month 2)

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Mercedes Marathon

Published February 11, 2018

Level Qualifications:

30 marathons in 30 US states, countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) within 365 days.

In 2015, I achieved 10-stars/Platinum Level as a Marathon Maniac.

Coming into 2018 not as fit as Ironman Year [2014]. Starting off a bit heavier too. AND of course I’m 3 years older.

First week of strong consistent training – 50 miles/week, every week ‘til Bighorn. BIGHORN’s been the focus. Platinum x2 is the GOAL…along with 50 States x2, 10 Canadian provinces AND all 7 continents. Can’t fail if you don’t try 🙂

Birmingham, Baltimore, Phoenix, Louisiana. First 4-week marathon stretch in 2 years.

545am flight Saturday. One of the few destinations, where a direct flight from Denver just isn’t possible. Easy connection in Dallas – learned my lesson years ago…avoid Chicago in winter. Not my first Rodeo.

Alabama touchdown. Light rain in Birmingham, tomorrow’s run forecast: more rain.

Fancy hotel digs. Sprung for the Westin, event’s host hotel – ‘cross the street from the Expo, 2 blocks from Sunday’s Start/Finish. ALSO, free airport shuttle & an onsite restaurant. Economically, a mighty good deal – with a late 3pm check-out.

Only GREAT things to say ‘bout the Westin. Nice to indulge. Thanks, fancy hotel digs ❤

7am marathon Start. No rain, no early check-out, no rush. Humid though, 93% humidity. Weather app predicted 2-3 hours before the overcast skies would leak: 100% chance of rain. FULL/Half shared Start – whole lotta runners.

Ran 4 miles without tunes (headphones are a crutch but dull the negative voices in my head). Settled on a compromise this journey – downloaded 4 podcasts, SE TrailRunner. Learned lotta ‘bout trail running in Kentucky. Who knew? HA!

Halfers peeled right at mile 12, Marathoners to the left. Another loop.

Streams of salt, sides of my face/forehead. 14 mile sweat fest. No wonder I finish dehydrated. Kept sucking down water. Forgot my electrolytes, refused Powerade this trek. Once I start heaving, I’m no good 2^nd Half. Break down mentally.

RAIN.

Mile 21, SHEETS of rain. Rolling water. More trail than road conditions. Body drenched, shoes soaked. iPhone got wet. Podcast randomly restarted 4 or 5 times. Voices slowed, then chipmunk-fast. Chipmunk talk ‘til the Finish – ARGH. Rain too hard to stop, locate & shut off my Phone (under my shirt, under a jacket, inside a waterproof pouch – money back please 🙁 ).

Slow & steady but another FINISH. Really, really wet. First week done, happy with the progress. 50-mile training week, marathon finish. At this pace, expect to break my PR in about 12 years. LOL> Gotta start somewhere.

RESULTS

2018 Mercedes Marathon

Birmingham, AL February 11, 2018

Name Chip time City State Bib#

K R Haga 5:09:37 Louisville CO 278

: 4-week stretch: Birmingham, Baltimore, Phoenix, Louisiana

: Coach ‘Bear’ Bryant

: hood-ornament FINISHER medal (Daimler’s three-pointed star)

: SHEETS of rain

: Marathon #108, Alabama x2

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Town of Celebration Marathon

Published January 28, 2018

EPCOT, is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, a utopian city of the future planned by Walt Disney, often interchanging “city” and “community.”

The model community of Celebration, Florida has been mentioned as a realization of Disney’s original vision, but Celebration is based on concepts of new urbanism — radically different from Disney’s modernist & futurist visions.

Early start Sunday, missed bib pick-up the day before (EPCOT day 🙂 ). 5:30am meet-up in Celebration Park, race start an hour-half later. Humid Florida morning – expecting showers Sunday 2^nd half. Magic Kingdom ‘Poncho’ day.

Flat 2-lap course. Crowded start, 80% of participants running the Half. National Anthem. Ready ready to run.

Bunched around the 4:30 pace group. I always go out fast, then nothing in the tank later. Maybe if I force myself slow, I’ll finish with a smile. Worth a try. Short on my miles past 2 weeks, I’ll take a slower/happy finish – FAMILY in Magic Kingdom later.

Work/life struggle all month, no consistency since Hawaii. Lotta livin’ 1^st Half, lotta workin’ 2^nd Half. Notta lotta balance.

Digged hangin’ with a Pace Group. Easy 8 miles. Ran ahead of Pacer Dave, hit miles 12 & 13 hard, 2:02 first Half. “Made haste for the waste“, a much-needed porta-potty stop. 10 minutes ahead: expected to see my clique soon after.

Miles 14, 15, 16: no familiar faces. Ho, hum. Started to drag, put on some tunes. Mile 18. Still no rain, hyper-sweating in the tropics. Saw three folks from my 4:30 group dragging the sign. Pacer Dave had dropped. How often does that happen?

Wiped, lack of energy. Stopped to snap shots of my Florida journey. Drop, drop, drop – more sweat. Ran into my eyes, burned.

Thick muggy air, warm drizzle, high HUMIDITY. Slow-walked, just didn’t have it in me. Combination of hearty ‘Disney Plan’ meals & yesterday’s EPCOT walkathon. Heard the announcer. Day’s Finish across the Lake, 2 more miles. Felt like it’d never end 🙁

Blood pressure: 80 over 50. Spent my post-Finish with EMTs in the medic tent. Dehydrated (puking since mile 22).

Car, shower, shuttle bus, amusement park. Quick turnaround. Arrived 20 minutes before our all-American Liberty Tree Tavern lunch reservation. Would rain the remainder of my last Disney day. Spent 3 hours shuffling between indoor venues: the Hall of Presidents, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Pirates of Caribbean, Under the Sea (Little Mermaid) & the Haunted Mansion.

Monday morning: Orlando, Florida. Work afternoon: Boulder, Colorado. Crazy fast-paced world. #noregretlife

CELEBRATION MARATHON & HALF MARATHON

Celebration, Florida

Sunday, January 28, 2018

MARATHON RESULTS

238 K R Haga Louisville CO 5:15:34