USA Adventure

White River Marathon

Published November 18, 2017

food, FAMILY & fun – but first…another marathon 🙂

Early 5am flight to Dallas, morning arrival in Arkansas. First stop: Family. Kid brother owns a trucking company AND just opened a gym. We all work somewhere – but the gym…that was mighty impressive. Pre-kid days, Bro was a power lifter (obviously not my twin). Daughter now off to college, LOVE LOVE he’s following his passion.

Next up: lunch at Williamsburg Kitchen. That’s where one finds Mom weekdays (owner/creator/innovator of this lunch-only spot 30 years+). LOVE this place, LOVE her Reuben, LOVE the family ‘eats for FREE’ discount. FAAAANNNNTASTIC!

3 ½ hour drive on rural Arkansas roads, day’s destination: Cotter AR.

Population: 948. Five miles past Flippin, 20.2 miles from the Missouri border. Middle of nowhere. People in Arkansas haven’t heard of this town.

Fun story. Sun goes down maybe 10 miles from Cotter. I’m not a great driver – even worse when it’s dark. 900ft from Cotter High School (bib pick-up), Google Maps says to turn left. Dirt road…no judgments, we have those in Colorado. Rental car lists dramatically to the left, something is wrong – I now see the sign: Railroad Crossing. Yep, been driving on the tracks themselves. Pitch black, no stars here. Yikes! Good laugh AFTER I eased off the tracks & wasn’t killed. LOL>

Pasta charity dinner. Sleeps 10 miles away in Mountain Home. Daybreak marathon start.

AWESOME turn-out. Field was limited to 750 participants AND it sold out, 4^th year in a row. Today’s experience would be all about weather. Warm start. Never peeled my first layer so humidity-dripped in Razorback winter. Sweated it out with a trio of runners kicking the Half. Chatty upbeat folks. Group slowed at mile 12. Goodbyes, maintained pace, exited to the left – second lap.

Cloud-cover cooled conditions. Wind gusted, no bugs 2^nd Half. No elevation gain either – ‘bout as flat a course you’ll find. Hit the wall early, more mental than anything. Notta lotta runners & I had no tunes. [note: iPods don’t last forever.] Light rain, extra out-n-back at mile 18-ish (special from the first lap). 30mph headwind at the turn, 7 miles to go. Walked much of mile 20.

Run-Walk-Ran last 5 miles with Sarasota runner, Buzz Scott. Half-mile to Finish, pep talk from Buzz. Marathon finish #103.

Heat/humidity, gusty wind, light rain & some folks say sleet. Another sub-par effort. 17 pounds UP since June’s REVEL run – lotta gain for a guy my size. Not a dieter. Who gains weight over the summer?! …but first (28 miles away), 2 slices of the best gas-station pizza ever. Four other runners also crowded in – no mistaking us: race shirt & shoes, we all look alike. HA!

Family nite in Fort Smith. Dinner out, cards at Mom’s, Sunday morning church. Good to be HOME ❤

Agee Race Timing, LLC

K R HAGA
2017 White River Marathon

Overall: 102 out of 188
Time: 05:13:55.56

: C Ray Baker R.I.P.

: Good to be HOME ❤

: 2 laps out-n-back

: FAMILY nite

: no place I’d rather be

Posted in Family, Marathons/Ultras, South | Tagged kyrkan | Leave a comment

Nebraska Marathon

Published October 15, 2017

The first-ever Nebraska Marathon was held on Sunday, October 18, 2015 where almost 900 runners took their mark at Turner Park at Midtown Crossing and crossed the finish line at the Lewis and Clark Landing.

That first year offered a Half, last year the event’s first FULL – this year a mix of running distances. Omaha, new to marathoning? Heck no, this town supports THREE separate marathons.

Ironically, today’s ‘Nebraska’ Marathon comprised more Iowa asphalt than Nebraskan. Crossed the Missouri River before the Half, would cross back into Nebraska post-mile 25.

Chilly morning start – my first of the Fall season. October can be a mixed bag for weather. Thankful for cooler temps. Not a lotta tree cover on America’s Great Plains – Nebraska or Iowa.

Late start with a BIG BANG – it’s the Midwest, no shortage of guns. LOL> Combined Full/Half Start across from the host hotel. GREAT location, GREAT digs – super hospitable! Kudos Team Nebraska 🙂

First Half, scenic Half. Marathon’d 7 days ago, no time goal today. Ran with a Halfer from Columbus. Good conversation, good pace. Said our goodbyes at mile 12, finished my Half right at 2 hours.

Not a lotta natural trees in neighboring Council Bluffs, but miles & miles of maintained bike path. Nice clean community. Tidy parks, manicured ball fields. Norman Rockwell America.

I’ve run all 50 States – 20 of them twice – would definitively say: Middle America, folks living on our Great Plains/America’s Heartland are the kindest/most visitor-friendly states.

Steady headwind 2^nd Half however didn’t lose our sun. Small marathon field sparsely spaced along the course. Miles 15 & the turnaround return to 22 were some of the loneliest. Caught a lot of crosswind.

Sub-10 minute miles thru mile 19. 30K in 3 hours. Dropped off soon after. Strava stats recorded 12 & 13-minute pace, miles 22 to 25. Crossed Bob Kerrey Bridge over the Missouri & back into Nebraska, finished a half-mile later at Lewis and Clark Landing.

Another medal, another marathon experience. FAAANNNNTASTIC!

Last chemo- December 22^nd. 10 months & 22 marathons later, celebrating Historic #100 in Dublin IRELAND. One month shy of 4 years, soooo many race memories. Thankful for my family, great friends & our SUPPORTIVE INSPIRING run community.

My life 2^nd Half, absolutely no regrets. Nothing left undone.

NEBRASKA MARATHON

224 K R Haga 4:43:14.12

: Lewis and Clark Landing

: 10 months & 22 marathons later

: more Iowa asphalt than Nebraskan

Posted in Heartland, Marathons/Ultras | Leave a comment

boys and trains

Published October 14, 2017

Two years ago same month bought an overnight Amtrak ticket to Omaha. Picked up my rental at the Airport, drove to Des Moines for my 50-State ‘Iowa’ marathon. Same event where I enjoyed a VIP performance of Dracula. Still a FUNNY story – LOL>

Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2016. Received an email announcing the 2^nd annual Nebraska Marathon. Train ride nostalgia that day I guess. Yep, they got me. Generally I only race register 3-4 months in advance.

Friday night train (7pm ticket), no work day miss 🙂 Parked at DIA, took commuter rail to Union Station. Would be returning Sunday by air. Learned rail isn’t known for on-time punctuality. 2015: train-returned home almost a half-day late.

9:45pm Friday: Greeted on-board by a juggler, my seatmate aisle over. Nope, can’t make this stuff up.
8:21am Saturday: Tagged a ride Downtown using my Lyft app. No rental required this trek.

Hotel check-in (host hotel assured a post-race shower), bib pick-up (across from baseball’s College World Series), afternoon matinee at the Orpheum (Finding Neverland). Who knew there was so much happening in Omaha!

FOOD.

24 hour fine-dining binge. Tuna burger at Denver’s trendy Hopdoddy. Oktoberfest-celebrated with Bräts & kraut in Omaha. THEN seafood-gorged at Shucks Oyster Bar at happy-hour prices: 99-cent oysters, 35-cent peel-n-eat shrimp. FAAANNNNTASTIC!

It’s not a gland problem folks. I run because I eat ❤

Marathon in morning – might need to circle the Park twice. So much food, so little time.