South by Southwest, 2 hours by plane, vast difference in geography.  Home snowscape replaced by Saguaro cactus & blooms.  Spring’s sprung in the Arizona desert 🌵

Touchdown in Phoenix, Lost Dutchman bib pick-up 45 minutes away.  Quick food find in Apache Junction.  Motel 6 sleeps ten minutes from tomorrow’s early 4:30am shuttle.

Arizona’s Superstition Mountains.  Superstition of a lost gold mine, hidden 150 years – while still a Wild West territory.  50 State reunion here last year, they also visited Saskatchewan in September – both on my 2019 calendar, I’m just a year late.

Sunday cold desert Start.  Layered, extra jacket, gloves.  Still an hour+ ‘til race kickoff.  Soaking it all in today.  Website said come early & enjoy the campfire.  Reality, lotta campfires.  LOVE LOVED.  Fave part of day’s event.  one Better?  Sharing the moment with my Antarctica bestie, Katya.  She’d run her first FULL here.  Run buddy DAY!

First 7 miles, AMAZING.  Everything you see in the tourism promos.  Bouldering mountains, towering cactus, desert valley.  Arizona flag SUNRISE 🏜️󠁵󠁳󠁡󠁺󠁿  WOW’d!

Right turn outta Lost Dutchman State Park, traded Peralta Trail for US Highway 60 & retirement subdivisions.  Not super scenic but not super important.  RUN BUDDY DAY!  AMAZING experience sharing someone’s first marathon FINISH.  Great job Katya!  Gal’s born to run, easily has 50 miles in her already.  Finished & finished STRONG!

Prospector Park end.  Caught site of the ‘Lost Dutchman’ before hotel-racing back for a post-run shower.  SUCCESS!

Sky Harbor dinner.  Celebrated Katya, her moment, her FIRST FULL.  Girl’d up, traded run shoes for pumps.  BAM!  No one would’ve believed she literally just ran 26.2 miles.  CONGRATS friend!  FAAAANNNTASTIC first!

Lost Dutchman Marathon:

K R HAGA crossed the Finish at 11:56

Course time: 04:56:25

Pace: 11:19 min/mi

 

Sent from my iPhone

Lost Dutchman Marathon

Weird 24 hours.  Left Denver Saturday 1pm, same flight time Sunday leaving Las Vegas.  Spent entire night in the Nevada desert, in UFO-friendly Area 51.  Open sky, full moon, lotta cactus, few abandoned cows – but no UFOs.  I don’t remember being abducted.

Blood tests back: zinc, lipase & bilirubin off.  White blood cells, normal.  Hope 🙏  Endoscopy Monday morning.  Food fast begins Sunday a.m. – not great timing while marathoning.  Ugly finish 2 weeks ago in Ouray.  Skip Vegas?  August streak’s already secure PLUS I’ve run Nevada multiple times, not needed for my 50 States x2 journey.

Hmm.  Heck no, need the distraction.  Running thru the desert on Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway – month’s only FULL Moon, timing perfectly planned.  Shooting stars or UFOs lighting tonite’s evening sky?  Area 51?  The truth is out there 👽

Vegas touchdown.  Lyft-rode to Silver Sevens Casino, event’s host hotel.  Bib pickup at 3, sleeps ‘til 7.  Comfy coach ride 3-hours north to Rachel, closest town to ‘the black mailbox’ – our MIDNIGHT Marathon Start.  FULL runners bus-departed 11:45.  Halfers rode on.  Struggled to wake/completely out of sorts.  Generally in bed by 9 each night.  LOL>

Odd but true: met another Maniac runner.  We’re EVERYWHERE.  Andy’s 4^th time at ET, WEALTH of last minute knowledge.

Wouldn’t need a headlamp, FULL MOON enough in the desert.  Everyone has G.I. issues ‘round 3am – it’s the norm, suck it up.  No phone/cell service.  Best to drop-dead near an Aid Station/no one hears you scream in the desert.  Generous 51K surprise?  Able to drop distance (on the fly) at mile 23 & complete the shorter Marathon course.  Not eligible for awards but no DNF.  Nice.  I’d remember this info-jewel later.

Race Director called MIDNIGHT & we were off.  ET Highway straight-shot to the Little A’le’Inn in Rachel, race FINISH line.  ‘Last bus leaves at 8:05am; don’t miss that bus.’

Started out fast.  Highway grade UP first half, crested at 5500ft.  Air temp?  Not the same 100-degree scorcher that welcomed [me] at McCarran.  Mid-80’s; would drop 10+ degrees before sunrise.  Dry empty desert.  Pockets of heat, followed by waves of natural air-conditioning – swell temp changes like ocean swimming.

Ran a STRONG 1^st Half, right at 2 hours.  Decent hill runner, more motivated by tonite’s spook factor.  No lights, no homes, gas stations or towns – on a highway with no cars.  Mighty desolate in the Nevada desert.  “Last bus leaves at 8:05am“.  BIG time ‘spook’ factor.

Stealthy ran with 2 runners, caught a second wind.  They weren’t huge talkers but even minimal human interaction calmed my spook (tempered the crazies).  Quiet, steady, constant highway.  Stalked-couple: same pace, mile after mile after mile.  WOW.

Marathon-switched/dropped distance at 23.  Wasn’t feeling great but who IS at 3:45am.

Asphalt-ran parallel the desert shoulder, left side of highway.  Garmin battery flashed pace once more, then died.  8:50/mile.  Lotta wasted energy using Garmin bursts as my run buddy.  Not another soul ‘til the Finish.  Two miles out: LIGHT.  I see LIGHT.

Medal & a seat on the next bus to Vegas.  Physically wiped, marathon tired but ZERO drama.  No food though, clock ticked Sunday morning – medical fast already in-progress.

One weird night.  Checked into a Las Vegas hotel/casino.  Slept 4 hours, NEVER gambled, out ALL night in the desert, hotel shower’d, returned the key next morning.

One really weird night.  At least I don’t think I was abducted.

ET Full Moon Midnight 2018
Marathon
August 26, 2018
Results By Calico Racing

 

Name          City               Bib No    Time        Pace
K R HAGA  Louisville CO   74    4:16:00.0   9:46/M