Heartland

Land of Lincoln

Published April 29, 2016

Takes ‘bout as much strategy to finish 50 states in 3 years, as it does actual running. States like Delaware, Rhode Island & Connecticut have only one or two marathon options a year. ALSO – Spring (April) & Fall (October) are PRIME TIME…change of seasons sport multiple competing events.

Never expected #49 would happen in Illinois but this state provides a whole lotta running options. With Chicago off my radar, registered for the Illinois Marathon in Champaign-Urbana. [not a fan of crowds, already ran one major: NYC] Located only an hour-half east of Springfield, allowed me to visit the Land of Lincoln – place where our infamous 16^th President started his family & political career.

Friday morning flight – met up with Stephen, who landed 15 minutes earlier from New Hampshire. Rental car pick-up, lunch at a highway-exit Subway, 2pm in Springfield (Illinois’ capital city).

Arrived just in time (4 minutes prior) for the ranger-guided Lincoln Home tour, watched 10 minutes of two National Park films, then drove to the Lincoln Presidential Museum another 10 minutes away. This museum is a MUST – time-challenged, chose to visit ‘Lincoln-White House Years’ & caught both recommended movie events.

Stepped out of ‘Pre-Presidential Lincoln’ 15 minutes early to auto-breeze thru the artifacts gallery. Lincoln’s stovepipe hat. Check, done.

Visited Lincoln’s burial site at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Arrived 15 minutes after close so settled for a self-guided tomb drive-by. Hard to fit a full day-vacation into 4 hours.

Autobahn’d to Champaign-Urbana. Another just-n-time arrival (8 minutes to spare) – University of Illinois, home of the Fighting Illini – for tomorrow’s marathon bib pick-up. Yikes, that as close.

Early to bed, early to rise. 100% chance of rain…it is what it is, my last 50 State weekend. Tomorrow Illinois, Sunday Colorado 🙂

: Lincoln’s home for 17 years

: Lincoln Home: Formal Parlor

: Lincoln Home: Family Room

: a room in a room (Abe & Mary’s sleeping quarters)

: Lincoln Home: Kitchen

: Illinois State Capitol

: Old State Capitol (1839-1876)

: Presidential Museum & Library

: the ‘White House Years’ (lurking background: John Wilkes Booth)

: Battle of Fort Sumter

: Civil War in pictures

: the Gettysburg Address

: Lincoln’s famous stovepipe hat

: Lincoln Tomb: marks the graves of Lincoln, his wife Mary & 3 of their children

Posted in Heartland | Tagged capitol-domes, museo, nat'l-park, us-presidents | Leave a comment

St Louis DNF

Published April 10, 2016

Based on the header, ya’ll know this tale doesn’t end well – but no worries, that’s only half the story 🙂

Kicked off the weekend talking smack with Sis over social media ‘bout this weekend’s marathon. Should she BQ (Boston Qualify), I agreed to down her complimentary can of Beet Juice. Tried this once during last year’s Fargo Marathon – one word: DIS-GUST. Like a can of liquid dirt. And that color – let’s just say: what goes in, must come out. DIS-GUST.

Saturday morn sunshine. First stop Rockwood Summit High, where nephew Jack plays volleyball. Yep, soccer & track weren’t enough – signed up with friends. No previous knowledge of the game…rules, scoring – great to be young, no hesitation, no fear.

While Sis’ had her fill of carting kids to sporting events, I rarely get the chance to join a family cheer section. Nephew won his first tournament game, so the Team plays on. Super FUN. In-law Bro stayed behind, Sis & I headed to Purina Farms to attend a dog agility show. Watched Ro’s agility doppelganger, an Airedale, complete the course twice before we shifted to view the smaller dogs. LOVED LOVED it! Finished at the diving pool where NO dog completed the task. Each ran hard down the short runway but all stopped short of jumping in its chilly water. Tennis balls, duck decoys, Frisbees – didn’t matter what the object, no takers today. HA!

Dinner, lazed around with family. FAAANNNTASTIC!

National Siblings Day

Early morning start, my 2nd St. Louis Marathon. Left knee still tight from my first marathon double 2 weeks ago, followed by last weekend’s Rockin’ K trail run – I drug all downhill stretches in Kansas.

Snagged a B corral start (based on last year’s finish time). Sis had her own plan today – BQ — also running 26.2, paced by members of her local Fleet Feet group. Sis runs with a pack.

Warmed up, started on pace, but unfortunately everything tightened by mile 3. Focused on reaching landmarks I remembered from last year. Highlight: Running thru Anheuser-Busch again (miles 8-10). Forest Park – mile 15. Walk, run. Pain shot up my left leg, knee throbbed. Weird, cruel injury – uphill no problem, it’s downhill stretches which hobbled my spirit. Crossed the timing map at mile 20, only 6 to go.

Sharp shooting pain continued up my left leg, ankle to knee. Just past Mile 21, I went down – could no longer hold weight on the leg. Have never DNF’d. Ambulance transport to the Med Tent near the Finish Line (an hour later). Whereas all major marathons have doctors on staff, this was a St Louis fail. Couldn’t walk, received nothing for pain. Paramedic wrapped my knee in ice. Luckily Sis is a doc & provided meds – yep, same sis who just finished the marathon. Shower, pasta & drugs. Made my night flight home.

Body damaged. Spirit broken. What to do? Races booked every weekend thru June.

Stop, turn it off. Breathe. Tomorrow’s another day.

GO! St. Louis Marathon:
K R HAGA crossed the 20 Mile Split at 10:59
Course time: 03:57:55
Pace: 11:54 min/mi

: ‘first cone of the season’ — tomorrow morning, St Louis bound

: Rockwood Summit volleyball

: lucky #7 (nephew Jack)

: look who’s driving?

: Dog Agility Show

: LOVED watching this Airedale, Ro’s doppelganger

: high flying pooch

: diving competition fails

: not ONE dove in today #chillywater

: GREAT day at Purina Farm — absolutely nothing like family 🙂

Purina Dog Agility Show

Posted in Family, Heartland, Marathons/Ultras | Tagged festivals | Leave a comment

Rockin’ K Trail Marathon, KS

Published April 3, 2016

no April Fools — I’m in Kansas

Marathon Maniac pal Stacy got a group of us Maniacs excited – signed up months & months ago for this weekend’s trail marathon in Kanopolis State Park. Rural Kansas, no hotels for 45 miles – no worries, Stacy thought of that too. Rented a cabin nearby…those go fast, she’s a thinker & a planner. Super lucky, I run with a good crowd 🙂

Stacy, husband Dan, Mike & Ed (both from Austin) travelled early Friday, snapping shots with the World’s Largest Czech Egg (who knew, right?), board cutouts of Buffalo Bill & Annie Oakley…among other wacky roadside attractions. I on the other hand, road tripped 7 hours alone. Sometimes work gets in the way of weekend plans. No arguments — I’m a huge fan of paying my mortgage — & ya’ll know I’m a car karaoke champ. LOL>

Grabbed a bag of roadside Fritos & gassed up in Burlington (last Colorado stop). Would be driving long stretches of Kansas highway with few opportunities for fuel.

*pre-race text from Stacy*

It will be cold in the morning, hot at midpoint, and breezy at the finish.

You can have a drop bag that you’ll see at 13 and again at 17. My husband will transport your bags for us.

There’s an unmanned aid station (jugs of water) at 7 and 22.

There are 5 water crossings, the last 2 are waist deep. Bring a Baggie for your phone. After that is the .25 mile sand pit much sandier than Bataan for sure.

We’re running around the lake. I’ll go over the map with you all fri night and sat morning during breakfast. Pretty hard to get lost but good bearings always help.

Get ready for “holy cow”!!!! Every 4 miles is something new!

We’re at Kanopolis State Park in the Buffalo Bill Cabin (#5). Anyone bringing a harmonica?

38°36′12″ N 97°58′33″ W

Yep, those are the GPS coordinates – state road highways thru rural ‘no cell service’ counties. High beam driving – only me & the bugs on my windshield. No people land. 11pm arrival; cabin door left unlocked – zzz’s ‘til 530am.

Sub-freezing temps, cool morning. Planted near a wood-burning fireplace ‘til our 630 start.

Narrow single trail thru rutted prairie. Blah, blah, blah – waist deep WATER CROSSING – those were the words rolling in my head.

Still early, feeling STRONG, rolled fast down a dry canyon gulch – runner jam, brackish water & mud ahead. Moved in front & leaped hard…in deep thick mud. How deep? Came out without a shoe. Maybe settle down & think before I leap, huh? Another runner helped me pull my shoe loose. Left hand smelled like sewer rest of day, not sure that was water 🙁

Up, down rolling canyon hills & long grassland treks.

IT band left knee: sharp pain, mile 11. Cruelest injury ever – could run as long & hard as I wanted UPHILL, but downgraded from run/trot/walk on all downhill stretches. Luckily I made peace with UPHILL last year.

Quick refuel at mile 13. Port-a-potty on a flat-bed trailer at mile 14 (kinda ghetto, but thanks), then looped my way up & down back to mile 18 – right foot still dry…log crossings every stream bed. What was Stacy talking about?

More Fritos (don’t be a hater, a guy’s got eat), climbed a cattle gate (another marathon first) then…WATER.

First baptism is a memory you soon don’t forget.

Cold river water. Guy in front of me was taking off his shoes but I knew better. This crossing only hit my thighs…they’re only gonna get deeper (Stacy’s never steered me wrong). Wore a pair of old Newtons today; they’d not make the Colorado return home.

Last 7 miles: canyon arroyos, deep rutted grassland and WATER. 9 crossings in total, 4 waist deep. As the day heated up, I warmed up to the water. By the last 2 [water crossings], no hesitation – I was a pro.

FAVE all-time trail run. Downed burgers & a hot dog – getting spoiled at these grassroots trail events. I’ll be back.

LOVE LOVED my finishers ‘medal’, a hand-welded Rockin’ K horseshoe. FAAANNNTASTIC day!

K R Haga

Rockin K – Marathon – Ellsworth, KS Apr 2, 2016

Overall: 40 6:13:43

: planted near a wood-burning fireplace ‘til our 630 start

: morning sunshine & prairie grassland

: UP UP canyon bluffs in Kanopolis State Park

: 5 water crossings — just wait…it’s coming

: all trail, all day

: mud, rutted prairie, water crossings & sand — this one had it all

: waist-deep in chilly water

: fave all-time trail run

: mud & blood: earned today’s AWESOME horseshoe award

: burgers & dogs — FAAANNNTASTIC!

Up before dawn Sunday, started the long road trip home.

Afternoon plans? Dinner & a movie. Fancy fish take-out & a soon-to-be movie classic, Avalanche Sharks, w/ Ash & Tom. LOL>

After a snowboarder inadvertently starts a major avalanche, the moving snowfield uncovers and wakes a prehistoric “snow shark” which had been trapped beneath. The shark develops an appetite for human flesh and the staff at the Twin Pines Ski Resort begins getting reports of missing people and strange finned creatures moving under the snow.