3-hour flight delay Friday after-work. Only one chance to arrive before Saturday’s marathon Start. Yikes! Post-midnite touchdown in North Dakota’s capitol city. Rental car, hotel check-in, 4 hour sleeps.
Early 5:30am meet-up in Bismarck’s Cottonwood Park (thanks Marathon folks for allowing my last-minute, same-day bib pick-up). DIG places with human faces. I’ll remember ya.
USA Heartland, America’s friendliest people – both Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota & Nebraska. I’ve marathon’d all 50 States; I know. All-out outdoor beauty: Oregon, Washington, Colorado & Alaska. But if you wanna meet Americans with the kindest/truest hearts, stop & stay in our ‘fly-over’ states. Work ethic & Prairie.
Napped an hour in the rental, shed a layer, lined up for North Dakota x2. Ran Fargo my first 50 tour.
Cool overcast skies, perfect for Fall running. Combined FULL & Half Start – lotta company first 5 miles. Flat easy course, mix of suburbia & bike path. 2:04 first Half split. Pace faded after (my habit since Spring).
Riverwood Drive, Riverside Park, Riverfront Trail. Crossed the mighty Missouri at markers 5 & 16.
In-between miles spent travelling to/from neighboring Mandan. Surprise ‘Catch of the Day’? Run-miles 16 thru 24: riverside bike trail & a tree-lined golf course. Nice on the eyes.
Walk/jogged last 2 miles, sub-5 FINISH. No drama, just nothing in the tank. Medal Monday #128.
The Bismarck Marathon
K R Haga Residence: Louisville, CO
Thanks for competing in The Bismarck Marathon. You finished in a time of 4:54:56.
This message is provided as a service by Pickle Events, the timing company for the The Bismarck Marathon.
Lemons into lemonade. Unexpectedly snagged a lazy day – in Bismarck North Dakota (United cancelled my return flight home).
Long hotel shower. Local barbeque. Slow stroll around ND’s Capitol, a history-nerd’s playground. Historic buildings, flags, statues, monuments. (hotel TV) Community-access channel flooded with POLKA. 4-stars North Dakota, you had me at Sacajawea ❤️
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- late midnite arrival
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- North Dakota x2
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- the Pioneer Family
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- guided expedition, baby on her back
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- TATANKA!
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- North Dakota’s capitol city
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- post-marathon GORGE ❤️
North Dakota LOVES Polka
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 4th 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 1st 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
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- Hell HOT 🔥
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- next stop: Area 51
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- MIDNIGHT GLOW
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- Earthlings Welcome 🙂
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- BIGGEST motivator: ‘Last bus leaves at 8:05am; don’t miss that bus’
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- desert all-nighter
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- the truth is out there 👽
SUPER Saturday: Bozeman ➜ Yellowstone ➜ Earthquake Lake ➜ Ennis Montana.
Fishing lodge check-in (closest sleeps to Sunday’s marathon finish). Dinner bit of a struggle. Folks arriving Friday nite cleaned out much of the local restaurants’ provisions. Out of box pasta? Bigger surprise. Montana’s TROUT capitol – completely outta TROUT. Sad face ☹
Early to bed, early to rise. Exxon Pump Station 5:15am. Bib pick-up, hopped aboard a school bus. Hour-15 minute ride over dirt to today’s Big Sky start. High in the mountains: elevation 8,560ft. Steep decline first 15 miles; steady flat run followed, past multiple cattle ranches to Ennis.
Scenic MONTANA, surrounded by peaks & mountain flowers; mirror-similar to Colorado but with biting flies. Pre-race coated with insect repellent, kept the majority at bay (big RD thanks).
‘America the Beautiful’ acapella-sung by a Boston-based runner. Unexpected & super patriotic.
Small marathon field, under 100. 50-50 mix of locals & out-of-state participants (destination location/Yellowstone hour-half away). Stayed close to 2 runners from Helena. Pushed too hard too early, but mighty good to have company. They ended at 13 (Halfers); quick goodbyes, I ran on.
Struggled ALL second half. Sad Strava stat: 12-minute/pace miles 15 thru 20.
Temp cracked 85 degrees, personal puke fest started at 23. Tough day at the office. Heat staggered this one in – but a finish. Frown upside down: afternoon soaked at nearby Norris Hot Springs.
Sunday nite HOME, out again Thursday morn. Next adventure: Alaska! ⛰️🐻🐟
4th Annual Big Sky Marathon – Final Results 2018
Event Location: Ennis, MT 59729, USA
625 K R HAGA Full Male 5:37:23.6
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- Welcome to Bozeman!
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- Montana’s TROUT capitol
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- peaks & mountain flora ❤️
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- temp cracked 85 degrees, tough day at the office
