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
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- topography change
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- Apache Junction AZ
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- early school bus shuttle
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- CAMPFIRE welcome
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- run memory shared 🙂
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- postcard LANDSCAPE
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- all smiles START
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- Superstition Mountains
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- Arizona sunrise 🏜️
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- desert BLING
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- the Lost Dutchman
Lost Dutchman Marathon
Rain. 100% in the forecast. 100% marathon morning.
Team 4 Layer Delight
4 Layer Delight PROUD in Fort Smith’s inaugural Marathon. Started strong/stayed focused, even ran a bonus leg – tandem with my Bro. Seven miles, lotta distance for a guy who didn’t train. Fast FORWARD 2019. Bro now OWNS a gym. Still not a runner but can dead-lift THREE of me. No exaggeration, crazy strong & competes regionally. FAMILY RELAY return! this time, running 26 miles with Team 4 Layer Delight!
Lined up, ready to run. Me, Bro & bro’s gimp foot. FAMILY run day, no excuses. Little Bro’s got TWO feet (tiny guilt later when I saw the X-ray) 😊 Sis? Not ‘til leg 2 – all HILLS – but with a scenic view of the [Arkansas] River Valley. Rain DOWNPOUR.
Marathon Start. Random laps downtown, scenic run down Free Ferry. BIG beautiful homes – ran this same section in 2015. Up Albert Pike, past Williamsburg Kitchen, 2 miles more to Southside. Home of the Rebels, when I attended. Bro dragged his bum foot the last mile – but NO walk, steady pace entire leg. AWESOME job Bro!
Velcro wristband handoff. First time seeing Sis since November’s Nashville Marathon. She’d run the next TWO stations. Nephew’s plane to Arkansas grounded for weather. Quarter-inch ICE in Columbia, Missouri. His grandparents would retrieve/return him home to St Louis. We missed ya Jack! Team missed your strong YOUNG legs.
Relay Leg 2 – by far, most scenic. Up down, up down. Never straight UP but hill count more than fingers on two Amish hands (they’ve got extras). Glove switch at Leg 3. NOT. Bro went home for a shower. Truth. Knew something was up. Called & didn’t hear background RAIN (tricky tricky). 100 years later, same punk little brother. LOL>
Rain reprieve ‘til the final wristband switch. Warm DRY gloves & a kiss from Mom. Energized all 26 miles today. And Sis? Ran ANOTHER leg. 3 of 4 folks, that’s 20 miles! Conversation now ‘bout the Greco’s Spring BEACH vacation. Dominican Republic 🌞
Back on Garrison last 2 miles, finishing in historic Downtown. Block from Miss Laura’s (former brothel), ‘cross from Judge Parker’s Courthouse (the Hanging Judge). Fort Smith is HOME. Cringed passed rival, Northside High (still Southside Rebel PROUD).
Voices from the side lines, FINISH straight ahead. LOVE LOVE my Arkansas FAMILY ❤️
How many can brag ‘bout marathoning with BOTH SIBLINGS!
Fort Smith Marathon/Half/Relays
Sun February 10, 2019
Fort Smith, AR US 72901
Place Division
39 3006 K R Haga M Louisville CO 4:49:13.5
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- UMBRELLA share ☂️
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- family MARATHON
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- bum foot, no excuse
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- START selfie
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- welcome to the PARTY
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- family FINISH
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- even better in 2019
Fort Smith Marathon 2019
Me, Sis, my bro James & nephew Jack. Team 4 Layer Delight, the originals.
2015 my first marathon relay at the inaugural Fort Smith Marathon. 4 Layer Delight? Williamsburg Kitchen’s bestselling dessert at Mom’s Arkansas-home restaurant. This year (next month), Williamsburg will celebrate the BIG 4-0. FORTY years.
Team 4 Layer Delight? We’re back & celebrating too. Like fine wine, even better in 2019. Me, Sis, bro James & in-law Paul. Only ONE still under the HALF CENTURY mark. Fine AGED wine. All eyes on Fort Smith this weekend – FAMILY marathon.
- Thursday start for Ash & Tom. NBA tickets in Oklahoma City (OKC Thunder), then rental car-trekked 3 hours east on Interstate 40. Straight shot, easy no drama drive. Geocache tags & State Park hike next day in nearby Van Buren.
- Sis, Paul & niece Tori wouldn’t leave St. Louis ‘til late Saturday (work & school commitments). Nephew Jack? Friday overnight in Columbia MO (U of Missouri fun). Would fly from Mizzou Sunday early a.m.
- My flight from Denver? Cancelled Friday nite (weather in Dallas/winter season). Would ultimately land early afternoon Saturday in Arkansas. Mom-greeted at the airport. Heart smile.
Family HOMECOMING.
Saturday nite, PUZZLE nite. Card table in the living room. Pieces righted/spread-out even. Frenzied straight-edge search, border created. Ash & Tom, they’re expert Puzzlers. Sis Collette & niece Maddie also strong players. Me? Not so much.
Oh, I enjoy the activity – but it’s a sea of browns & illogically forced-shapes pushed together. Lotta laughs though.
Puzzle nite, FAMILY nite. Really really good to be HOME 😊
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- winter travel
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- geocache HIKE
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- family PUZZLE nite
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- Go ‘Bama?
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- heart SMILES ❤️
Homecoming 2019
