Early to bed, early to rise — woke marathon morning to FOG. Dense, thick, ‘can’t see 10 feet in front of you‘ FOG.
Layered up — 2 shirts (long sleeves under yesterday’s ‘Run WV’ purchase), shorts, running tights, ball cap & gloves. 35 degrees, pretty much perfect conditions. All signs point to marathon EXCELLENCE!
Drove in early from neighboring Barboursville, stadium parked, pre-race porta-potty’d, patiently waited for my run sister Carolyn. BQ — all about HER this day. Months of texts back-n-forth; I’m just the lucky guy signed up to enjoy the ride. Flat 2-lap course — notta fan of laps, never been…but a flat course in West Virginia? That I dig.
Crowded field. Could not connect with Indiana. Hovered ’round the 4 hr pace group. Cannon pop, we’re off. Two/three minutes, happy upbeat Carolyn tags in. No tunes, no playlist. Passed the morn with runner banter. Whole lotta chatter.
Slow first mile, then paced up. 8:20, sub-8, 8:35 — slow down she says, voice of reason. My best chance for sub-4 would be a quick first half. Not steady enough to run 9 minute/miles the entire duration, haven’t finished a strong 2nd in over a year. We agree on 1:55 — “it’s a marathon, not a 10K”…I know, I know. Chilly weather, good sleeps & remembered my meds — popping anti-nausea at 9 & 15…no pain pills ’til the end — dulls the pain but zaps the adrenaline…sweat a lot, jacks my breathing.
No head games, steady easy run. STRONG today.
St. Mary’s Marathon:
K R HAGA crossed the 13.1 Mile at 08:54
Course time: 01:53:37
Pace: 08:41 min/mi
2nd lap: slowed our pace 2 miles in. Quads, legs tight. Hadn’t run this fast all year. No giving in to pain, best chance at sub-4. Stopped briefly at mile 18, hydrated. Carolyn shed layers; I chose to run warm. Lagged a step behind thru 19 — and said our goodbyes.
Running empty but knew I had 7 ‘1st Half‘ minutes banked. 10 min, 10:20, pacing too slow. Puked at 23 — come on man, dig deep!
Aid station straight ahead. Stopped for water, 4 hr pace group bounced by…with one mile to go. Super frustrating. 9 minute/mile no longer possible. Nothing left. Laid on a park bench, wrecked. 5 minutes. Blew my nose, deep breath. Ok, it is what it is.
Steady jog to Joan C Edwards Stadium, grabbed a football & did my lap. Marathon 75. Check, done.
St. Mary’s Marathon:
K R HAGA crossed the Finish at 11:08
Course time: 04:08:18
Pace: 09:29 min/mi
my friend Carolyn? sub-3:55, new PR, Boston 2018. Couldn’t be prouder.
40 minute drive in rural Appalachia for a true West Virginia celebration. Hillbilly Hotdogs. Highlighted on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”, had this joint scoped out before leaving the Rockies. Picnic tables outside, school bus seating inside, a true dining destination. If ever in Lesage WV, gotta/hafta/must go. Highly recommended.
Next weekend, family weekend — DisneyWorld…but first, marathoning in nearby Winter Park, FL 🙂
Marshall University Marathon
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- where’s the Stadium? F-O-G!
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- ‘run West Virginia’
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- missed sub-4 by minutes
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- marathon #75 (WV PR)
Hillbilly Hotdogs, WV
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- wanna get hitched?
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- Food Network’s ‘Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives’
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- whole lotta hot dogs
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- school bus seating — Appalachia fine dining 🙂
Run the Year Motto: Run, Crawl, Walk, Conquer, Dominate 2,016 miles in 2016
October 2016 update: Most consistent training & greatest # of miles logged all year – 222 miles total. After a disappointing DNF in Boulder, added 3 FINISHES to my marathon tally…including two last-minute race additions in Fort Collins & Nebraska.
2 month focus (November & December): FINISH STRONG
4 races to go, 2 each month – including an early December trail marathon in Death Valley Nat’l Park.
Race ReCap: another 3 marathon month – one in mountains (Cache la Poudre Canyon), one on the Plains (Oregon Trail Run of Nebraska) & one by the ocean (Ocean State Marathon in Narragansett RI).
Mileage ReCap: Back on track again, ended October at 1,673 miles (only 7 miles short of goal).
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- ended October at 1,673 miles
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- Milestone 1500
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- Milestone 1600
Run the Year – November Newsletter
Why is it so easy to focus on our short comings and failures, yet so difficult to step back and appreciate our strengths and accomplishments?
It may be human nature to be self critical, but November is the month to give thanks. November is the month to focus on everything we have instead of what we are missing.
This month give yourself a break from the negative voices in your head and instead focus on the positive. Rather than focus on how far you have to go, celebrate how far you have come. Take a moment each day to be thankful that you have the ability to get in miles, to move forward… You have done some amazing things this year and traveled a lot of miles. Take a moment to be proud and thankful for every one!
Marathon morning. Slept later than norm – stayed at the event’s host hotel, short walk to Narragansett Pier. Dark red ball burned over the Atlantic, smell of salt, sunrise. Beautiful marathon start.
The Ocean State Marathon has a long history in Narragansett as the site of the ORIGINAL Rhode Island Marathon. It has been our goal to honor this tradition and bring back a GENUINE Rhode Island Marathon. Not only does the race start under the shadow of the iconic Coast Guard house at beautiful Narragansett Town Beach but the course itself boasts sweeping vistas of Narragansett Bay, beautiful windy roads, historic homes and awe-inspiring bridges.
20 degrees warmer than Saturday – not crazy hot, but should finish before the sun cooks. Biggest concern today? Left my meds at last night’s dinner spot. No anti-nausea, no pain pills, nada. Suck it up buttercup – cancer or not, gonna/hafta hit it hard like everyone else. Steady hydration, stay mentally strong. 26.2 miles. I’ve run 70+ of these, one foot in front of the other. Ready ready to go.
Cool morning air, nice flat couple of miles. Oceanside run, miles 5 & 6 – big seasonal waves pouring over the surf, shared road with locals walking their dogs. Pretty sizeable hills at miles 7 & 10. North Kingston [Amtrak] station at marker 14.
[#DNF’d three weeks ago at 15 – yep, that’s still crowding my head. Breathe, move on.]
Stomach cramping, dropped pace. Eyed a 50 State cap ahead – caught the ‘flower lady’ & stayed with this early-start veteran thru mile 21. Run buddy Carolyn often thinks she’s a talker. Nope…’flower lady’ now she was a talker. Turned off my tunes & appreciated her candor.
No emergency vehicles, no aides to flag down, no options, no excuses. Hurled at mile 22. If I wanna stop, gotta find a way to the Finish. Jogged/walked/slogged the course remainder. No bobble-head trophy, no top 10 Finish – yet worthy of a medal & marathon finish #74 🙂
Ocean State Rhode Races
SUN OCTOBER 30 2016
NARRAGANSETT, RI US 02882
79 K R HAGA M Louisville CO 5:15:09
Hotel shower, late check-out, return flight outta Providence – but not before a quick 20 minute trek to Point Judith. Over time, have seen more ornate/unique lighthouses on both US coasts but Point Judith was my first. Will always hold a special place in my heart.
Next weekend: Huntington, West Virginia
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- smell of salt, ocean sunrise, beautiful Start
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- marathon #74, second in Rhody
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- Point Judith strike-a-pose
