Jersey marathon weekend. Blog preview: no Hazmat required, all a myth.
Mobster crime & industrial pollution, their past. dirty Jersey, the slur. My holiday? Jersey GREEN, Atlantic Ocean GREY.
Friday post-work flight to Newark. Eastern Time touchdown, rental car traffic, hotel pillow 1am. Fast 6 hours later, two mile shake-out run. Stretch goal met, BIG smile. Gonna be an AMAZING day 😊
Ivy League START, quiet Saturday morn. ‘Welcome to Princeton’ settled 1683. Craftsmen-carved/Revolutionary-era buildings, varsity oars cutting thru Lake Carnegie, bricked clock towers, hushed chapel architecture. Pitched arch, footstep echoes, stained glass glory. WOW!
2nd stop: New Hope PENNSYLVANIA. Parked in downtown Lambertville (New JERSEY). Pedestrian-crossed the Delaware. Riverside LUNCHED in PA. Watched paddleboarders trek UP the river – ski beanie & shorts, chilly water sport day. Mussel feasted. Warm broth, crusty bread. YUM!
History NERD ALERT. Post-lunch walkabout at Washington Crossing Park. Yep, that Washington. General George’s infamous Christmas-crossing of the Delaware. You’ve seen the painting. Toured Johnson Ferry House, only original still standing. After Washington’s icy river crossing, ferryman-Slater moved Washington’s troops, horses & 6 remaining cannons. Soooo much history!
[Thanks Nat’l Park folks for the private tour, very much appreciated!]
Tick, tick, tick. Same state, same day, third destination – the AC: Atlantic City, Jersey’s casino-riddled Monopoly. Boardwalk, Park Place, all the red properties – that Monopoly. Inspired HERE.
Bib pick-up at Bally’s, check-in at the Claridge (casino-free sleeps), ocean walk. Two miles of sunset. Stared out into the Atlantic, wave hypnotized. B-I-G, my life. Dinner: oysters & octopus.
Rethink the slur, folks. Much to see & do. America’s secret vacation destination.
Princeton University
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- Jersey weekend
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- Lake Carnegie
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- Patriot
University Chapel
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- Prayer for Princeton
Crossing the Delaware
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- Lambertville NJ
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- New Hope PA
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- dining on the Delaware
Washington Crossing Park
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- Continental Lane
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- Johnson Ferry House
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- our Nation’s First
Atlantic City
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- Philly skyline
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- oceanview room
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- the Boardwalk
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- 9-11, WW2 & Korea
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- Atlantic sunset
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- I ❤️ Jersey
Overcast & cool, low morning temps. FANTASTIC marathon morn! Late sleep-in too. Downtown Minneapolis Start super close to my Westin overnight digs.
8am Start, Corral 2. No longer hung up on starting in an early corral. If I could break 5 hours again, that’d be a victory. Diet on point. Training miles met. Morning acid blocker taken, pain pill safely stored for marathon 2nd Half. 4:45 goal today. Never been a runner who’s super time consumed. Ultimately wanna bring my finish under 4 hours again.
Point-to-point course, Minneapolis to St Paul. Started 7 minutes after the Elites.
Minnesota’s known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Majority were represented today. First 13 miles, LAKE scenic. Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet, Lake Nokomis, Lake Hiawatha. 1:58 Half, first sub-2 since Spring. Porta-potty, refueled. Nothing extra ‘til mile 15. Skies stayed overcast, wind blew cold. Thankful for gloves – GREAT conditions.
So what makes the Twin Cities Marathon so popular? CROWD SUPPORT. Not just Aid Station volunteers, city residents line this course. Mile 1 thru mile 26. Absolutely serious. Spectators even on the abandoned miles, like mile 17 – past the Half, well before the Finish. NEVER do you see folks miles 15 thru 21. 40’s/overcast/slight wind – near PERFECT when you’re running, but standing/cheering on participants, WOW! Bundled in coats, had to be cold. Top 10 marathon of my life. AMAZING crowds.
130 marathons, all unique, no repeats. Warm ❤️ for Minnesota. Same kinda crowds at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, my first ever sub-4 (June 2014). Think I’ve found a 2nd run home. Easy airport travel, cool Spring/Autumn weather. Tag.
Quarter-mile walk at 18, another quarter-mile break at marker 23. Crossed the mighty Mississippi at mile 19. Breezy, cold & BEAUTIFUL. Marathon’s only actual incline (mile 21), killed it. Saw the approach early. Head down, arms pumping, pushed thru the top. 9:36/min pace. Best pace of 2nd Half. I run HILLS at home 😊
Big fade at 23, then an unexpected second wind. What? 10/min pace last two marathon miles. Not earth-shattering for most – but 24 miles into a marathon, HUGE success.
STRONG FINISH at Minnesota’s State Capitol dome. 4-hour pacer started a Corral ahead, 4:30 runners never caught me. He’s baaaaack. Minnesota x2 SUCCESS! Diet, meds or result from tens & tens of pre-dawn training miles. Good to feel good again! ALL IN. CHANGING NOTHING rest of October.
Theatre at the Guthrie. Front row seat, benefit of travelling solo. Work day Monday…but tonite, Frankenstein – he’s ALIVE!
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon
K R Haga Louisville, CO
TIME 4:20:39
24M 3:57:12
30K 2:58:50
13.1M 1:57:59
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- marathon FINISH
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- Minnesota State Capitol
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- St Paul MN
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- SKOL! Viking PROUD!
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- Frankenstein – he’s ALIVE!
Twin Cities Marathon
Happy October! Month of BIG goals, start of cooler Fall weather. Snow in the mountains ALL week. ZERO for us at 5300ft (maybe next week) BUT it’s a coming, BIG grin.
October. 4 weekends, 4 marathons. Easy day flight Saturday to Minneapolis. Up early though – had to get in remaining training miles. Marathon Eve taper, limited myself to two quick ticks. Stretch goal met: October Week One, 76.6 miles – 50 training miles plus Sunday’s Maine Marathon. 3 goal weeks to go. #big ideas
Good vibe this town. Train ride into Minneapolis/St. Paul, no rental car needed (super convenient mass transit). U of M Gophers/bank of the Mississippi, whole lotta sports stadiums, theatre – and the iconic Mary Tyler Moore. They’ve got it all here. Expect more after Sunday’s marathon. Monday return to Denver (crack-of-dawn flight), work by 9am.
Airport to US Bank Center. Transit line switch Blue to Green, ‘nother 30 minutes to today’s Expo in St. Paul (bib pick-up). Train 100% bestest/quickest/least congested way to the RiverCentre. Crazy busy place. Season opener for Minnesota’s NHL squad next door.
Welcome runners! That’s ME, I’m home.
Gotta earn your Finisher’s clothes at Twin Cities (no pre-race shirt). Purchased a new mid-section belt to hold phone/keys/meds while marathoning (down 15 pounds recently). Magnet in current one literally pulling down me shorts. Not quite the show I had planned for tomorrow’s spectators. LOL> Music’s back too. Haters are gonna hate, but bringing back tunes last 13 miles.
Fancy digs this trek, Minneapolis’ Westin. Nabbed a special race rate early – hotel, short 4 block walk to Sunday’s Start.
Upper 30’s/low 40’s, overcast & cool. Welcome Runner. My kinda marathon day 😊
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- no rental car needed
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- Cathedral of Saint Paul
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- Church of the Assumption
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- NHL’s Minnesota Wild
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- RiverCentre Expo
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- fancy digs in Minneapolis
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- historic Gold Medal Flour
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- the mighty Mississippi
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- Minnesohtah!
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- stretch goal met
