Triple 8 Quest

8th Continent Marathon

Published January 21, 2020

Lap after lap after lap.

Certainly saw plenty o’ scenic Auckland Domain my 3 days in New Zealand. LOL>

What I’ll remember most Day 1 – smile of an elderly volunteer who enthusiastically greeted every time we started UP War Memorial. 6 times she’d laugh & cheer & shout in dialect. Bestest, most upbeat individual of my journey. Looked forward to seeing her as much as the Grandstand banner 😊

Hotel lobby 5:30am. Triple 8ers all piled into a rented van. Registration & bib pickup. Day One. Excited, nervous. Ready to run. Head cold almost gone. Hadn’t long run since the Mobile Marathon.

7am Start. Gonna heat up fast – Zealandia summer. Overcast today, not the shine. super HUMID. Kinda wish we’d been allowed the early Start with majority of today’s Auckland YMCA marathoners.

Moisture hung HEAVY. Clouds & head wind ‘round War Memorial created run relief, easiest of all my NZ days but only 2 laps (9 miles) in, just wasn’t feelin’ it… on Day 1. How am I gonna do 8 days of this? mini-PANIC attack. Panting, lungs sucking water. Air forced, out quickly. Mind racing.

Walked/talked the hill UP past Domain Gates. Slowed my pace, searched for tunes. Gotta regain control. You’ve done this a hundred times… literally. One step in front the other.

Cheering us up the Museum incline, there she was again – I’ve got this. No Grandstand stop, pushed thru lap 4. High-fives & waves to fellow runners & street marshals. Short break in lap 5 to look-about the Bay – at the beauty of this Pacific Island city – far far away from Colorado HOME.

Victory Lap, heat STRUGGLED. More walk, than jog. Water/electrolytes every aid stop. Grandstand in the distance – never looked so good. Domain done. HUGE THANKS to Auckland’s YMCA Marathon Club, their high 5’s much appreciated this first day.

Last of ‘the Six’. Hotel ride, shower, unpack/repack. Gotta go, gotta go. Plane to catch.

Goodbye beautiful tropic New Zealand – next Continent: Australia! 🦘🇦🇺

2020 8th Continent Marathon

Tuesday, January 21, 2020 06:31 (GMT+13) – Final results

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Place Bib Racer name Finish time

19 2342 Keenan Haga 5:01:14.6 +1:41:56.6

: Day One START

: War Memorial Museum

: 6 laps ’round

: Day 1: Zealandia

: Triple 8 TRAVEL ✈️

8th Continent Marathon

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, New Zealand, Triple 8 Quest | Leave a comment

Lovers Walk

Published January 20, 2020

Triple 8 PASTA 🍝

SLEEP… does a body good.

Series of 2-3 hour naps (9 hours total) but got the job done.

Bip back in my step. Today’s the day – day we become ‘the SIX’. And tomorrow… our Triple 8 adventure begins. 8 marathons, 8 continents, 8 days. YES!

Brendan, Mika, myself. Nicole, Mike, Que. Three attempting 13.1 miles; three of us 26.2 our goal distance. EVERY day, 8 days. Run, shower, eat, sleep. Airport check-in. New hotel. Repeat. C-R-A-Z-Y. Roller coaster ride almost here, but first… Lovers Walk.

Pre-dawn, pre-breakfast, weather to savour. Pre-high summer sun. Lots of tropic.

Giant ferns, palms & GREEN. It’s January! Southern Hemisphere SUMMER 🌞

Short loop ‘round Auckland Domain. BIG hill canopied by everything New Zealand. So much green… so much HUMIDITY. Freshman 15 sweat fest. LOL>

ASB Tennis Arena. Auckland Bowling Club. Nothing but SMILE.

Triple 8 activities, afternoon & evening. NZ Race Director meet-n-greet. Pasta dinner with ‘the Six’ @ Archie’s . All for real in 10 hours. Who’s sleeping now?

Tick, tick, tick. Close your eyes, K-Star. Triple 8 Quest tomorrow!

: Day 2 SMILE

: TEAM meet-n-greet

: tomorrow we RUN

: Rocky Balboa 💪

Lovers Walk, Auckland

Posted in New Zealand, Triple 8 Quest | Leave a comment

Auckland Domain

Published January 19, 2020

thanks Sarah 🇨🇦

Friday departure, Sunday a.m. touchdown. Kia ora. Welcome aboard.

Weekend half-absorbed over the Pacific. Denver-to-LA flight canceled, so had to think fast/shell out $$$ to same-day arrive & catch my Air Zealand connection. Yikes!

Auckland uber pickup, destination: Quest Newmarket Hotel. Check-in & my first Triple 8 meetup in the hotel lobby — Mika from Finland! Will formally meet ALL tomorrow.

FREE day first day. Sleep, don’t sleep… or – go for a run 🙂

Goal to NZ acclimate as soon as possible. No marathoning ‘til Tuesday.

Easy. Run route googl’d: Auckland Domain (short mile away)

War Memorial Museum. Wintergarden. HIGH HUMIDITY, ducks/swans & Cricket.

Fancy eats & early zzz’s post-run. 10-hour coma in my first night future. LOL>

I’m HERE. New Zealand!