Why We #RUNtoREMEMBER
Twenty two years ago on April 19, 1995, the unthinkable happened. 168 innocent people were killed by a truck bomb detonated by a fellow American. In the first hours after the Oklahoma City bombing, Oklahomans began to immediately respond by helping and creating small makeshift memorials around the perimeter of the bombsite – mounds of flowers, stuffed animals, personal notes, cards and prayers. Each person remembered and honored those killed in their own way. In 11 days, you and around 25,000 other runners will do the same. You run to keep their memory alive and by doing so, help to ensure people around the world know the impact of violence.
We hope at 9:02am today you will pause for 168 seconds of silence with us. During this time of reflection, honor those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever, and feel gratitude for being able to carry their legacy with you on April 30th.
The Gates of Time
Direct flight from Denver but arrived an hour late in Oklahoma City. Who knew it would be snowing two days before the start of May? Spring in Colorado – LOVE it! High wind & rain greeted in OKC. Trees down, traffic lights out (all weekend long) but…NO tornadoes, I call it a win 🙂
Marathon bib pickup, home to NBA’s Thunder. Walked 4 long blocks to the Oklahoma City Memorial Museum. This is the reason I chose tomorrow’s run – proceeds fund the Memorial…and we remember. We remember the victims of America’s first domestic terrorist attack. 168 lives.
The Museum was as moving as it was upsetting. Multimedia news feeds, recorded audio (blast occurred during a local ‘water rights’ court case), relics & interviews. I felt as if I were reliving the events of the day. Well done…just not my thing.
[despite the rain] found the Outdoor Memorial a better fit/more my style.
— Reflecting Pool
— Survivor Tree
— The Gates of Time
— Field of Empty Chairs
At each of these outdoor memorials, I reflected. Reflected on what I had seen in the Museum: on the lines of people giving blood, on the crowd of locals assisting firefighters digging thru rubble. One of the most moving experiences of my life. Proud American moment.
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- 2 days ’til May
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- marathon bib pickup & home to NBA’s Thunder
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- multimedia news feeds of America’s first terrorist attack
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- Reflecting Pool
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- Field of Empty Chairs
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- Pioneer Monument
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- rain & downed trees, but no tornadoes — I call it a win 🙂
Direct flight on Southwest, winter marathoning in Michigan – extending my monthly steak to 39.
Crazy quick turnaround on Super Bowl weekend. 16 hours – touchdown to take-off. Landed late Friday nite, rental car pick-up, 20 minute drive to Wyoming — Wyoming, Michigan 🙂 frugal Super 8 fast sleep, 5 hours total. Checked my weather app – still below zero. Yikes! After balmy treks in Florida & Georgia, today would be my first ‘true’ winter marathon of 2017.
We’ve all heard of Punxsutawney Phil, the little furry guy in Pennsylvania who comes out, sees his shadow, and declares six more weeks of winter. Then there’s Augustus T. Groundhog, better known as Grand Rapids Gus. He’s Phil’s much more interesting cousin. Unlike Phil, who it seems can only see shadows, Gus has much better eyesight and can look at a calendar on February 2 and know that spring doesn’t start for six weeks. Gus suggested that instead of lamenting over six more weeks of winter, we should EMBRACE the cold and snow and do something fun.
And so, the Groundhog Day Marathon was born.
Full Marathon:
Like the movie, you’ll feel like you’re repeating the same day over and over. A total of 6 loops of approximately 4.4 miles…will have you feeling just a little case of deja vu. 500 Runner limit combined for full and half marathons. Don’t plan on the course being free of snow. It’s paved, which means no underlying rocks and roots, but that’s about all we’re promising.
Parked my rental at John Ball Zoo & boarded an early 6am shuttle to the Start. Michiganers know, sub-zero Start = HUGE WARMING tent (that’s where all pre- & post- race festivities centered). Unfortunately, the porta-potty still stood outside – brrrr on the bum). Multiple layers, neck scarf, sweats, beanie & a Captain America hoodie (summoned all my super powers this run).
Crowded full & half-marathon field, combo start. Whitney Houston anthem, air horn start, careful walk over heavy ice to snow-covered trail. Tough first mile. Mind wandered, now 9 above zero, self-questioned whether to run or call it a day. Runner field thinned; I adapted to course conditions. More like running [on] trail today: focused on foot placement & staying upright.
First lap in 41 minutes, one minute behind goal…my pre-race ‘non-snow’ goal. Sunshine on the next 2 laps created landscape magic. Ran thru a frozen forest, popsicle-like trees & field grass weighed heavy under quarter-inch ice. Winter beauty, truly stunning.
Wind ceased, third run aside Grand River. Large upstream chunks of ice pushed down its center, breaking thru the city stream. Crazy beautiful. Sun disappeared, temp held steady at 12 degrees. Lost much of the field as half-marathoners completed their journey.
NEVER a fan of laps – but DID look forward to 2 stretches each rotation. Popsicle forest & the iceberg-laden Grand River. Ya’ll know I’m a fan of winter…& this was some of its best.
Last lap, last aid station. Water or Gatorade? Naaahh mahh, wahhh-ter. Just point, she says: ‘sometimes my tongue freezes too’. WHAT? true Michiganer experience.
Lost 6 minutes over the last 10K – but overall, my strongest run all year. Fastest finish time, fastest recovery, fastest car ride back to the airport. Didn’t refill my tank, completely outta time (sorry Enterprise, but only drove 22 miles total). Small airport, no problem with security – yikes! my return flight was already boarding. Would have to shower at home 🙁 #dirtyflyer
Groundhog Marathon
SAT FEBRUARY 4
K R Haga M Louisville CO US 4:39:12.86
tomorrow: Super Bowl 51 at Ash & Tom’s home — Go Pats!
next weekend: skiing Vail (first time) — LOVE LOVE my Colorado life!
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- first WINTER marathon of 2017
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- sub-zero pre-dawn Start
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- landscape magic
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- summoned all my super powers
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- frozen hair
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- super cold, lotta snow & my STRONGEST run all year
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- another Age Group first!
To all of you who ran Groundhog, I hope you are as proud of yourselves as I am. Remember, this is a race with a mileage that killed the first man that did it (and it sure as hell wasn’t tundra-level weather when he did). You are so frickin’ awesome! To those who volunteered–manning/womanning the aid stations, warming tent, and parking direction–I feel like you had it even harder because you endured the arctic to provide us runners with the crucial necessities we needed to achieve this goal (and you certainly don’t mess around when it comes to cookie variety ). Thank you for being there and being an immensely valuable presence of this race when you easily could have just slept in and let us die. To all who were involved in creating this year’s Groundhog with set-up, management, and that kick-ass warming tent at the finish, thank you for giving the running community this opportunity to be completely insane and run this race. I’ll see you at the next one!
Punxsutawney Phil Sees His Shadow
While researching last week’s make-up marathon, noticed another late addition to the Maniacs calendar. 7 hour car ride. Long haul but would be trail running the Oregon Trail. Late registration, body feeling good…road trippin’ to Hebron, Nebraska.
Run history. Run beauty. For the Oregon Trail Run of Nebraska, we have combined a run on the route of the Oregon Trail, California Trail and Pony Express route with one of the most picturesque roads in Southern Nebraska. The first half of the Marathon will travel parallel to and intersect with the route that settlers took as they crossed Nebraska on their way to points west. The first half of the route is mostly flat and offers a view that stretches for miles. You can imagine the trail of “prairie schooners” keeping to the hilltops as they headed west together.
The second half of the route drops down into the Little Blue River valley, the gravel road that follows the river takes you on gently rolling hills through the cottonwood, oak, locust and ash canopies, by beautiful and fading farmsteads and limestone cliffs. The trees should be in their peak fall color on race day and the surrounding landscape and abundant wildlife offer up photo opportunities around every bend.
Out of work late, didn’t reach the [Nebraska] border ‘til past 9pm. Listened to a high school football game over the radio – like going back in time. Open highway last 4 hours, just me & a trail of truckers. Planned on camping near North Platte or maybe Kearney. Camping? Yep, marathoning on a budget. HA!
fun fact: Nebraska is in the Central Time Zone. ARGH! unexpectedly lost an hour. new plan: sleep in my Prius for 3 hours, then back on road – Hebron at 5:45am.
Race attire change (Maniac jersey, shorts & Newtons) in a gas station restroom (very classy LOL>), bib pick-up at a local church, back under blankets for one last 30-minute power nap.
Small group of runners racing today’s FULL. Piled into a school bus. Cool temp start, clear, no wind, perfect conditions. Flat dirt farm road. Tractors & farm combines would soon choke our shared path. Summer rain plus warm Fall weather = late grow season, good year for farmers.
Went out quick. Big FAN of the landscape – rows & rows of corn. No trees in Nebraska. Should the sun warm quick, I’m gonna cook. Stark difference from my Colorado panorama.
Dodged 4 BIG machines (stirred up a lotta dust), made the turn at mile 8…had the rest of the road to myself. Stayed top 3 thru mile 10, dropped to fifth at the Half. Cottonwoods intermittently dotted dry (seasonal) river beds. Rolling hills, more corn.
Field of runners grew as late-start Halfers caught [me] on the final 10K.
Entered Hebron, passed Thayer County High on 10th Street, finished downtown in Roosevelt Park – SUCCESS – marathon #73, 6th place overall.
Results
1 Wesley Hochstetler Oregon Trail Marathon M 3:41:42
2 Troy Pruett Oregon Trail Marathon M 3:46:23
3 Laurence Burnsed Oregon Trail Marathon M 4:07:41
4 Tim Pratt Oregon Trail Marathon M 4:11:33
5 Shane Sundermann Oregon Trail Marathon M 4:13:01
6 KR Haga Oregon Trail Marathon M 4:27:36
7 Gale Dingwell Oregon Trail Marathon M 4:34:08
Showered in the high school gym (much appreciated), then highway-trekked home. 7 hours up, 7 hours back. Marathoning on a budget. Listened to college football (Nebraska-Purdue) on the ride home. Nebraskans LOVE their Cornhuskers.
Next weekend: Narragansett, Rhode Island
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- Prairie sunrise
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- cornfields & tractors: ‘NEBRASKA’
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- marathon #73 (24th of 2016)
UPDATE: Purchased corn-on-the-cob popcorn while road trippin’ ‘cross the Prairie. Ash contends the instructions were vague. Nothing said to cover the bowl while microwaving. LOL>
