Day 3.  It begins again.  Woke disoriented, where I was, day of week.  Clothes laid out nite prior.  Solemnly prepared, in my rental < 30 minutes.  Not the same pep as yesterday.  Focus.  Today – this day – is marathon day.  Saturday, Vancouver Washington.

Another easy highway commute.  Only quad race outside Oregon, ironically closest to my Portland digs.  Marathon bib pick-up.  Burnt Creek Greenway.  Light rain.  Cool & comfortable.  Last minute jacket-shed, I’ll warm as I run.  Frown upside down.  Triple G (Maniac Gregg) & Heather.  She arrived early, husband running the Half.  Fast in their family; he’s competing to win the series (best combined time over 4 days).  Heather currently third among female marathoners – two runs completed, two remain.

Lined with my trio, party of 3.  Body stiff, bit beat up.  Much appreciated the run company.  Triple G does not disappoint, cheer-leads every runner.  Attitude inspiration.  Wife, 4 daughters.  Marketing career.  Overall good guy.  Learn a lot when you tag-along 26 miles.

Same 4:45 run goal (5 hours minimum in my head).  Two 13-mile loops.  Slow & steady.  Hilliest of the Quadzilla series.  Long stretch of DOWN, long HILL return.  TWICE.  Another Group Start pic-a-palooza & the games began.  DOWN – straight down, more than a mile.  Body achy, feet pounding pavement.  Nothing light ‘bout my Day 3 step.  Breathing quick/fast/panting, unsteady.  Gregg would slow us, help [me] find rhythm once we reached greenway.  Better.  Not a great social-talker, but listener-appreciated the happy chit-chat.  Heather had family flying in today, hence the early start for hubby.  Coordinating airport pickups & kid-transport to Saturday soccer.  Marathoner non-elites.  Getting our to-dos, to-done AND running 26.2 miles.

First 6 ½ miles, time breezed.  Flour-arrow turnaround & return.  9 miles, struggled to hold pace.  Rolling hills, stayed close/drafted off Gregg.  Heather bounded UP, way ahead.  Feet throbbed.  Legs a-ok, not the calf or tight hamstrings.  Shoes too tight.  Laces cutting in, every pounding step.  Gregg marine’d encouragement; eventually lost sight on the Mile 12 climb.  Aid Station half goodbyes.

Unlaced my shoes.  Ankles swollen.  That’s new – but so is my first marathon triple.  Safety-pin lanced blisters (right foot), then loosely jostled both shoes on again.   Tucked the laces, counting on foot mass to keep ’em on.  Good choice.  Lack of restriction felt great.

Walked/jogged down down down.  Mile 14.  Steady drizzle, tune time.  Popped on Cher’s Momma Mia track.  No judgment – it’s Quadzilla Day 3.  Hips sore – ‘another new experience.  Hobble jog, hobble jog.  Listen to the music.  Forward.  Race on.

Mile 15, 16, 17.  Hobble gone, feet settled, maintaining 10-min pace again.  Italian woman explained why she was cutting the course.  Had gotten lost, extra miles run elsewhere.  My watch says 18 miles, still another mile-half to turnaround.  I’m not the race police.  Do what you think is right.  [Cut the course anyway, no Jiminy Cricket conscience.  Ho hum.]

High 5’d Gregg & Heather.  Running together, maybe a half-mile ahead of me.  Hard to tell exactly [gap would soon widen], missed the turnaround.  Flour-arrow washed away [day drizzle].  My personal turnaround was a major Interstate entrance.  Watch ticked 20 miles, no first lap memory of highway traffic.  Luckily, Race Director would not charge for the extra 2 miles, an unofficial Quadzilla ultra.  LOL>  [On my highway return, I did see the arrow; rain-faded but it was clearly there.  Too much ‘Momma Mia’ me thinks 😊 ]

Rolling hill slowed.  Stopped; ate multi- handfuls of wild blueberries.  Super tart, nice energy boost.  [‘Oregon grapes’ not blueberries & luckily not poisonous either.]

No walk.  No slog.  No negativity.  Steady push UP.  Third repeat of the same 10 songs.  Honestly, I have more on my playlist – but today, solo running (notta lotta other humans), enjoyed out-loud voicing Chiquitita, Fernando & SOS.  My day, my journey.

Last mile UP.  Walked.  No shame.  It’s straight UP.  Watch buzz’d 27.  ‘Bout to finish my FIRST TRIPLE, W-O-W!

Absolutely AMAZING what our bodies can do, where they can take us.  LIMITLESS ❤️ 

20-30 minutes after Gregg & Heather’s FINISH.  Both still there for the Group photo.  Super nice.  THREE on Day 3!

Shower, ice, more blister surgery.  Afternoon of hotel pillows & Food Network.  Later, dinner plans with the McGowans.  My Colorado employers’ first day of vacation – in Portland.  What are the chances?!  Fancy fish fare at Ned Ludd’s.  Work FAMILY mental BOOST!

Day 4 destination: Beaverton.  QUADZILLA finale!

K R HAGA has completed the 2019 Burnt Creek Marathon in 05:12:57!

 

Lap        Lap Time             Lap Pace              Chip Elapsed Time

1             02:15:31              00:10:20              02:15:31

2             02:57:26              00:13:32              05:12:57

Independence Day 2019, a Thursday.  Add: an unexpected Friday holiday from work.  Stir in: a summer weekend.  dash of: the Pacific Northwest.  Recipe for my first QUADZILLA.  Never ever more than two marathons back-to-back (doubled twice in 2016, both times returned injured).  2019, my time.

Whatta journey.  QUADZILLA?  4 marathons in 4 days.  #luckyinlife

Late Wednesday PDX touchdown.  Portland Oregon.  Left leg taped calf-to-hamstring.  Probably shoulda skipped the South Dakota ‘bonus‘ run after QUADZILLA-registering in May.  Body still recovering from Saturday’s Black Hills ultra.  Decision made, in the past, forward move.  Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

Short 5-hour sleeps.  Woodlark Hotel, ‘the House of Welcome’.  Early start; Day 1 destination: Sauvie Island.  Summer lush, summer green & summer COOL.  Miraculously, a July race series with runner-friendly weather.  And BERRIES.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, marionberries – Oregon berry OVERLOAD.

Bib pick-up at Sauvie’s Pumpkin Patch.  Rental car clocked an add’l 30 minutes shuteye.  6:30 marathon start.  Body still tight, first run since Saturday.  Ice 3 days, heat yesterday.  Day strategy: slow & steady, reassess after 2 miles.  No Day 2, Day 3 focus.  Today – this day – is marathon day.  Thursday, Sauvie Island Oregon.

National Anthem, countdown 10 to 1.  Cool, comfortable Oregon.  First road miles since Colfax.  Expecting to bake on the back-end – but WOW, whatta beautiful Start.  Muscles warmed; aches-n-pain gone.  Strong & steady thru mile 12.  Fog burned off, exposing sheep, island-fronted houses and multiple berry farms.  Holiday-morning quiet, leafy tree overhang & FLAT.  Couldn’t have a scripted a more comfortable July run.

Half done, half to go.  Hamstrings tight.  Dialed back pace – slow ‘n steady, no injuries.  4 day run-repeat (4 days after Black Hills).  Walk-jogged thru 16.  10-min mile to marker 17.  BEST aid station of the weekend – STRAWBERRIES.  Plates & plates of ’em.  Stopped & feasted B-I-G, 9 or 10 in my belly.  Easy to digest, natural sugar boost.  Berries do a body good 🍓

Strong thru 19.  20.  21.  Temps warming, passed markers 22, 23.  Outta gas, tank empty, aid station stopped mile 24.  Mentally strong, legs a-strugglin’.  Unexpected relief found in an irrigation sprinkler (after the initial ‘cold water’ shock).  Brrr, ahh – & timely.

Jog-pace mile, Day One FINISH.  Marathon 153, my 3^rd in Oregon.

Showered, legs iced.  Afternoon’d at the movies (short walk from hotel).  Popcorn, Coke & a smile 🙂

Day 2 destination: Cook Park, Tigard.

2019 Foot Traffic Flat

SAUVIE ISLAND PUMPKIN PATCH

Jul 04, 2019

 

Name             BIB     RANK     TIME      HOMETOWN

K R HAGA    20060   159      4:53:56    Louisville, CO