USA Adventure

Race of Champions Marathon

Published May 6, 2018

Another Friday post-midnite arrival, airport hotel sleeps. Free shuttle return in the a.m., rental car pickup. Things to do, people to see AND of course, ‘nother East Coast marathon (state count creeping over 30 now) 🙂

Saturday, play day. Birthday-celebrated with Michaela, afternoon’d in Hartford’s Elizabeth Park. Bit early in the season for roses but gardens of multi-coloured tulips they got. Warm temps, beautiful sunshiny day. Spring has sprung in Connecticut.

Trip to the Disney Store (can always count on Dave) then went our separate ways. Tough to say goodbye. Heart tug 💔

Race of Champions Marathon. Easy hour drive north to West Springfield Mass for bib pick-up. Motel check-in, watched the Kentucky Derby at Roberto’s in Northampton – PIZZA dined, taste buds WOW’d (& boxed leftovers). Highly recommended.

56th Annual Marathon & 4th Annual Half Marathon

Sunday May 6th, 2018 8:00am

America’s 10th Oldest Marathon and the 19th Oldest Marathon in the World….

The race is a full marathon, 26.2 miles. The course is USATF certified and can be used as a qualifying race for entry into the Boston Marathon. The course is very scenic including country roads, both dirt and paved.

Never previously marathon’d in the Berkshires but lotta personal history here.

Hundred years ago I left the South & resettled here (seems a lifetime ago). Springfield, Chicopee & Holyoke – had apartments in each. Took classes in 5 local colleges/universities, pooled my credits, finished 2 degrees in 3 ½ years. Ash was born, Michaela 3 years later. Lotta history, soooo much spaghetti, college poor. Bank teller employed, unloaded planes for UPS, delivered Sunday newspapers AND finished university. 5 years later I’d be working in Russia, travelling Europe kids in tow. Crazy wonderful life.

Sunday morning drizzle, again. Made peace this year, have become a HUGE FAN of RAIN. Cap, light jacket, keeps Spring temps cool/manageable. Bring on da RAIN, this runner fades in heat. Late 8am Start, no chance for a post-race shower. No YMCA with Sunday hours, seeing an airport splash bath in my afternoon future. Sorry fellow travellers. LOL>

One mile of Highway 5, then two miles UP UP UP Reservation Road to Mt. Tom [former ski resort]. Forgotten ‘bout hills. Can suck leg strength dry beginning of a run (lactic acid tight). Today however, really good head space. Slow & steady pace.

Never looked at the course, didn’t know how long this would last…and then, mighty nice surprise. DIRT. Run medicine. Three laps of rolling up-n-down trail, miles 5 thru 12. LOVE LOVE LOVED. Hardest of the day’s rain fell while canoped by tall leafy forest.

Small lake, rocks, lotta tall GREEN TREES. Super scenic.

Next 10 or so miles, road-ran thru small New England towns. Cows grazing/horses/quiet country farms. Folks sleeping, lulled lazy by Sunday’s morning rain. Digged today’s course. Really good head space.

Few congested Holyoke streets before directed on the town’s bike path. Built alongside a stretch of railroad/lotta trees though no canopy (LONG memorable patch of downpour). Shoes SOAKED, feet smacked pavement. Started seeing late Halfers sharing the course. Talked with 2 inspirational Halfers. Lotta weight loss, both ladies HUGE life changes. Not easy to get off the couch & MAKE CHANGE!

Last 2 miles ‘long Highway 5, relegated to urban sidewalk. Lotta roadside trash. It is what it is – but whatta shame, BEAUTIFUL 20+ miles of New England only to FINISH in ordinary. 15 minutes slower than last Sunday. I’ll take it, no frown. WHOLE LOT hillier.

Burgers/dogs/potato salad: HUGE post-race FOOD stretch AND a new Massachusetts PR. I ❤ New England.

WALTER CHILDS RACE OF CHAMPIONS

Holyoke, MA MAY 6, 2018

MARATHON RACE RESULTS

== ===== ======================

41 K R HAGA LOUISVILLE CO 4:35:41

: things to do, people to see AND another East Coast marathon

: Spring in Connecticut

: gardens of colour

: beautiful sunshiny day

: Michaela Month

: scenic run UP Mt Tom

: hills, RAIN & my new Massachusetts PR

: I ❤ New England

Posted in Family, Marathons/Ultras, Northeast | Leave a comment

Delaware Marathon

Published April 29, 2018

2^nd touchdown in Philly in 4 weeks. Friday post-midnite arrival, airport hotel sleeps. Free shuttle return in the a.m., bought a ticket on Del Express to weekend’s marathon destination: Wilmington, Delaware (no driving/no rental car/LOVED the break).

2^nd marathon in America’s 1^st State, that’s little Delaware’s claim to fame (similar to PEI claim’s in Canada). Very different geography than my 2015 experience. Wilmington’s an urban crawl of Philly; Rehoboth Beach a lazy seaside village. Same state, opposite end.

DoubleTree host-hotel digs, bib check-in in the lobby. Check, done.

Saturday afternoon plans? Delaware’s History Trail, short two blocks away. Old Town Hall (circa 1798), Delaware Research Library, Willingtown Square & a 2-hour stroll thru the Delaware History Museum.

LOVE American history. Colonial America, Civil War history in the South & exploration/settlement of the American West.

What I learned ’bout Delaware: Originally settled in the 1600’s, first settlements along the Christina River made up New Sweden. Wilmington’s Christina River (flows from Pennsylvania to Maryland) named after Queen Christina of Sweden. America’s Dutch, Swedish & German colonies were taken by the English in the late 1670’s. However, English-ONLY wasn’t adopted by the Colonies ’til 1795 (over German). ALSO, did not realize Delaware was a slave state. Assumed only the Deep South enslaved Africans as forced labour.

School’s over. Early to bed, early to rise. Sunday morning marathon.

Woke to light rain, gusty wind. Mile walk to Tubman Garrett. Day’s goal: quick finish for a hotel shower 🙂

2 lap route crisscrossing Wilmington’s Christina & Brandywine Rivers. Downtown city course, one significant hill (mile 7/mile 20), nice forested stretch thru Brandywine Park. Overcast, cool temps (albeit windy) – all the right elements for running.

Ran STRONG today. first sub-2 Half of the year. Didn’t drop pace ‘til mile 19. Fell off for 5 miles, finished last two miles just over 10 min/pace. No ear buds, no drama – FINISHED with a smile. Marathon weekend 5 of 6 & I’m only getting STRONGER ❤

SUCCESS? Scored a shower before flying home. Next weekend: Massachusetts.

K R Haga has just finished Delaware Marathon in a time of 04:18:58 with a pace of 09:53 min/mi.

Sent from my iPhone

: Philly twice in 4 weeks

: Old Town Hall (circa 1798)

: 2-hour stroll thru the Delaware History Museum

: enslave & serve

: Willingtown Square

: New Sweden (1638-1655)

: shipbuilding past

: Cook-Simms House & Jacobs House (circa mid/late 1700’s)

: ‘First State’ marathon PR

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, Northeast | Tagged museo | Leave a comment

Riverboat Series, Vienna IL

Published April 21, 2018

Last week Athens, this week Vienna – continuation of marathoning faux European capitals in the American Midwest.

THIS Saturday’s signup super last minute. Bought a crazy cheap flight on Southwest then found a marathon. Rental car, 2 hours+ drive, checked into ‘Hotel 7’ – the only motel in Vienna, quarter-mile from tomorrow’s Tunnel Hill trailhead start. BEST location!

Running Day 7 of Mainly Marathons’s Riverboat Series. Seven days folks been crisscrossing the Mississippi River, marathoning a different U.S. state every single day. Walk/jog social event. GREAT way for marathoners to tag a lotta US states on a travel Budget.

Ran back-to-back events 2 years ago – Saturday/Lamar CO, Sunday/Clayton NM: Mainly’s Dust Bowl Series. First marathon double, my first running injury (IT band). Older, wiser, train more consistently. I see doubles in my future [maybe 2019] as I add ultra distance.

Saturday morning bib pick-up, 6:30am start.

Who knew? More than 50% of the field took the early Start option. Live & learn. I’m a FAN of cool early morning temps. That said, MIGHTY lucky with the day’s weather. Saturday’s forecasted rainfest shifted to Sunday. Sweet!

14 laps today (plus a short loop to the Bridge). One of 4 who paid the extra $10 to complete a 50K 🙂 Haven’t run a multi-lap race since Runs with Scissors last April. While I dislike double-loop marathons, strangely don’t mind multi-lap events. LOVED being able to self-support with my own food & electrolytes. Run a lot lighter/carry a lot less knowing everything I need is a short 2-mile lap away.

Do’s & Don’ts speech, then followed Mainly’s lead runner ‘round the visitor center/parking lot to the trailhead Bridge. From there a straight out-n-back on crushed rock/dirt path. Not necessarily a ‘trail’ but not a road race either. Easy on the feet. FAAAANNNTASTIC! Settled into pace early. One of the flattest courses I’ve ever run. 4^th at the turnaround, 2^nd place end of Lap One.

Perfect weather, perfect conditions. Woke this day feeling: PERFECT.

Group of walkers blocked the path before the turnaround 2^nd lap . Right side thru the grass & didn’t look behind. I LED today’s run from that moment ‘til mile 18.9 (Garmin distance). Me, leading? 100% serious. Perspective: super small race, middle of nowhere America where most runners had previously marathon’d several days in a row. I show up Day 7, fresh as a daisy – but dang, LOVED running first. Runners yelling positives my way, felt good. I was the LEAD runner. Finished another lap, grabbed another rubber band.

7 bands on one wrist, 2:12 14 miles in. No drinking, no eating – I’m leading! Groups of social walkers again & again, GREAT people. Today’s eventual winner in my rear view. PLEASE PLEASE pass me – MUCH needed break – I was not built to win races. LOL>

Start of Lap 10 stopped, finally. Fueled up, lotta liquids – then hit it hard again. No intention of catching day’s race leader, just didn’t wanna get lapped. Guy seemed a bit jerky…first place taken far too serious, went to his head.

Eventually passed by 3 others. Chick’d by the ultimate lady runner – wasn’t even breathing hard, running alongside a Brit completing his 100^th marathon. Stayed close for another lap, marathoners finished after 12. Lady stopped, Brit kept running. 50K!

Back-n-forth traded places, could not overtake him. Nearing the Bridge end of lap 14, still in 2^nd. 200 meters back, needed a plan. Came into the trailhead, grabbed my band, didn’t stop. No water, no aid. 30 miles in, that was my plan. AND I kept running, short lap to the Bridge – now a half-mile ahead. FINISHED FIRST, new 50K PR. Whatta unexpected surprise!

Tunnel Hill in November, next 2 years – not sure if/when I’ll be able to run 100 miles but I’ll be back. Everyone needs a dream ❤