Northeast

Vermont City Marathon

Published May 24, 2015

Early Saturday start, connection in Chicago, landed in Burlington VT just after 2pm. Bib pick-up, checked into the Hilton (fancy digs), then strolled pedestrian Church Street in search of lunch. Outside dining at Rí Rá, beautiful sunshiny day. Short walk down Battery aside scenic Lake Champlain, watched the sunset from my hotel room. Early to bed, early to rise – marathon #30 tomorrow a.m.

: early a.m. start: Denver ⇨ Chicago ⇨ Burlington

: Memorial Day run in scenic Vermont

: pedestrian Church Street, Burlington

: Lake Champlain sunset

Caught up with Wisconsin-marathoner Toni & husband Jeff for breakfast. First met this twosome in Jackson after Mississippi Blues in January. I’m not much for eating pre-race – but enjoy hanging with good people. Upbeat attitudes, good mojo.

8:03 start time, hats off for the Anthem, queued up under sunny skies.

Went out fast. Crossed the actual Start Line 3 times within the first 9 miles – course loops downtown, two separate out-n-backs. Drafted behind a runner trekking off road, followed along a 3 mile stretch resembling trail (good on the feet). We ran negative splits (miles 7, 8 & 9) & caught the 3:45 pace group. Stopped for water at mile 11 & they were gone.

Mile 15 – Battery Park. Drums beating, pre-warned this Hill was coming, kicked in & killed it – up & over mile 15, plus the surprise hill at mile 16. Drums set this marathon apart, a memory I’ll take home.

Course wound thru quiet neighborhoods & city parks. Residents turned on sprinklers & passed out popsicles as temps climbed. AWESOME crowd support! Toe on my right foot bled thru the shoe, slogged thru miles 21-24.

26 miles – seemingly nothing left in the tank – got into a foot race. 50 meters to go, I went full sprint against a guy fast on my left. Finish picture, a bit inconclusive – [in my version] undoubtedly pulled ahead & won the day 🙂 Relay runner. I go full-on sprint after 26 miles against a relay runner. If I could muster a little competitiveness throughout an entire race, forget sub-4, I’d sub-3. LOL >

Back in the hotel, lanced my toe to relieve pressure. Liquid sprayed like a fountain PLUS I lost the nail (Ashton says I gloss over the less glamorous aspects of the sport). Shower, quick turnaround – sailing on Lake Champlain at 3pm. Life is good.

Vermont City Marathon and Relay

#3348 K R Haga 4:35:19

: breakfast w/ the pride of La Crosse WI

: 8:03 official start – queued up, ready to run

: a bit inconclusive – [my version] undoubtedly pulled ahead & won the day 🙂 Went full-on sprint after 26 miles against a relay runner. Too competitive? This guy’s smiling – my eyes say KILL

: THIRTY!

: shower, quick turnaround – sailing on Lake Champlain at 3pm

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, Northeast | Tagged kyrkan, rivers-lakes | Leave a comment

Charlottesville Marathon

Published April 4, 2015

4:30am alarm, quick shower, hotel check-out, then parked in a public garage on Market Street, awaiting my 7am marathon start. Windy day so ducked inside a nearby shop alcove [with 2 other runners] ‘til 15 minutes of the gun.

Pre-warned today’s course would be hilly but found myself wanting to run; started quick with the 3:45 boys. Paced ahead on flats, they’d catch me on the hills. Hill, after hill, after hill. Long slog up, steep pitch down. 10 miles, they were gone.

4 hour crew passed at mile 18, 4:15 pacers mile 23.

So many hills. How did John Boy Walton make that walk to school every day?

Wind continued to blow. Never saw a marker for mile 25. Thinking mile 24 would never end, felt whooped & began walking up the final hill. Lady with a stroller shouted encouragement – Finish Line is only .2 miles from the top. BEST surprise ever 🙂

Crossed the ticker – no sub-4 this day, but I’ll take it. A finish is a finish, 24 states done.

15 minute sit-down, located my rental, then barreled back to DC (2 ½ hours away) for a 3:50pm flight.

Rental car return, flight check-in, security – then using a handicap bathroom stall, changed out of salty race clothes. Sink splash-bath, brushed teeth, washed my face, then boarded a plane to Chicago. Shamefully, that’s as clean as I would get this day.

Life as a marathon runner – not so glam. Next weekend, St. Louis.

Miller Lite Charlottesville Marathon
Charlottesville, VA USA

173 K R Haga 4:29:17

: Marathon FINISHER — insane # of hills; this one whooped me

: 24 states complete; next weekend St. Louis

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, Northeast | Leave a comment

Monticello

Published April 3, 2015

11:25pm – boarded my last red-eye flight ‘til August, when I travel to Kathmandu 🙂 Landed in Boston at 4:45am EDT, hour half later caught my connection to Washington-Dulles. Rental car pick-up, 30 minutes to Leesburg to see my Aunt Joyce – before the 2-hour trek south to Charlottesville, this weekend’s marathon destination.

IHOP breakfast, hot chocolate at Starbucks – think I talked out my dear Aunt. LOVE, LOVE time with family. 50 State Quest has been great for seeing family & friends in 2015 🙂

Late start to Charlottesville, compounded by heavy Good Friday traffic – lotta folks travelling home for Easter. Starting to feel sleep-deprived, channel surfed ‘til I locked on a local bluegrass station. Nothing spells Appalachia like bluegrass – FAAANNNTASTIC!

Bib pick-up in historic Court Square, 15 minutes further to today’s pre-race destination: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

Thomas Jefferson has long been my favourite American President, expanding our shores from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean. Having always been enthralled with the American West, Jefferson best supports my present day life – commissioning the historic Lewis & Clark expedition, exploring modern day Colorado. Jefferson was a mega-mind, a thinker, an inventor, an agriculturist.

Entering iconic Monticello, one is immediately impressed with the dome architecture – first of its kind in Colonial America. Jefferson’s Grand Hall greeted visitors with exotic North American treasures – Native American art, buffalo hides, elk/bighorn/antelope/moose antlers, mastodon bones PLUS maps of all known continents (surveyed portions of Africa & the Americas).

Absolutely incredible all this existed in early America – before roads, before D.C. was built/created as our nation’s capitol. WOW!

Took the tour – Jefferson’s Book Room, his gardens, Parlor, Dining Room, bedchamber, wine cellar & Monticello Graveyard. What an amazing journey! Grounds closed at 7:30pm – yikes, time to go.

Quick shut eye, tomorrow will come soon enough. Marathon Day.