Early wakes.  Packed, hotel checkout.  Scoped out a post-marathon shower.  Last day, last dance – notta lotta time to overthink things.  Today – this day – is marathon day.  Sunday, Beaverton Oregon.

Day 4 body.  Feet throbbed/toes pulsed, compressed spine, tight quads.  But – spirit really GOOD.  And SUNSHINE.  First day of Pacific Northwest sun – internal panels recharging, ready ready to run.  Oregon’s cool overcast weather the past.   Today, QUADZILLA goal becomes reality.  I start, I run, I finish.

Elected the early Start.  Meant solely for runners finishing 5 hours+.  Choice made last May.  Reality, only yesterday’s run exceeded 5 hours.  Zero regret; I have a plane to catch.  Colorado Home tonite 😊

Timing mat readied.  No group photo, no Triple G/Heather reunion, on my own today.  8 laps.  Lotta turns, clover-leaf loops; crooked course avoiding Greenway Park’s flooded bike path.  Rainy Portland summer.

Lined & ready, at least 20 of us.  Half/full, mostly walkers.  First laps with another traveler.  Machu Pichu, Bhutan, Israel.  Oh the people you meet & the dreams they inspire.  10-min/mile pace.  Too quick for this banged body.  Aid Station now readied.  Coke swig, handful of Bugles, ear plugs in, music blaring.

Eleven-minute jog pace next 3 laps.  Paths now participant filled.  High 5’d Heather.  Runner all-in.  Hitting it hard, last day.  She’d finish 2^nd in the series, silver medal female.  Strong runner, very well deserved.

Walked Lap 6.  Temps warmed, lost the pep in my step.  Notta lazy stroll, still a walk.  Talked up a Florida gal ‘bout landscaping; body/mind refresh, said my goodbyes.  Watermelon slice, Momma Mia tune return & I ran.  Legs, feet, lower back, everything worked.  Kipchoge smiles.  Every mile, at least once, BIG GRIN.

Sunshine propelled.  NO demons.  High 5’d runners on the cross path.  Body forward, spine up, chest out.  And I ran.  9 ½ minute pace.  Mile, mile, mile.  Lap 7 complete.  No stop, no snacks.  Timing mat crossed, aid station cheers – LAST lap, LAST day.  And I ran.

Mile, mile, ‘nother Eliud Kipchoge smile.  Energy of others, their faces, fueled me.  No fade, no fail, machine clicked.  9:35, 9:25 – each mile faster.  Finish under 5?  DQ’d for the early Start?  Waterloo, Dancing Queen.  Push, push.  Smile.  Timing mat ahead.

5:03 FINISH!  106 miles in 4 days.

Never ever 100 in a single week.  Never ever 2+ marathons back-to-back.  Never ever – BRONZE 🥉

Past 4 days, every day was marathon day.  My first QUADZILLA.  Absolutely anything is possible!

K R HAGA has completed the 2019 Stars and Stripes Marathon in 05:03:56!

 

Lap        Lap Time             Lap Pace              Chip Elapsed Time

1             00:34:56              00:10:40              00:34:56

2             00:34:14              00:10:27              01:09:10

3             00:36:07              00:11:01              01:45:18

4             00:37:07              00:11:20              02:22:26

5             00:39:50              00:12:09              03:02:16

6             00:53:41              00:16:23              03:55:58

7             00:34:38              00:10:34              04:30:37

8             00:33:19              00:10:10              05:03:56

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