20 hours in Sin City – quick in & out, logged my 53rd marathon finish.
Another half-day Friday workday, autobahn’d to the airport, less than 2 hours later – palm trees & desert in sunny Las Vegas. Scored a ride to Suncoast Resort, our host hotel in North Las Vegas. [As luck would have it, saw a fellow 50 Stater on my flight & hitched a ride.] Walked thru the casino to registration – smell of cigarette smoke always comes as a surprise. No allergies here, just odd to see cigarette smoking…think it’s been outlawed in public buildings & restaurants since the 1980’s.
Lucked into a dinner invite, tagged along with 3 other marathoners – fun pre-race Italian feast. Big fan of red sauce 🙂
Early, early a.m. – bus transportation started at 4:45am to Red Rock Canyon. Staying at the host hotel, luckily slipped onto a later bus – arrived 30 minutes before the 6:15 full marathon start (halfers left from the Visitors Center, 13 miles away).
Quads still tight from last weekend’s 55K mountain adventure in Moab. My sis ran the Red Rock Half while at a work conference last year, forewarned ‘bout the climb & struggled with altitude. Head manta scroll: I eat HILLS for breakfast. I’ve got this – no fear.
Snapped a few pics of the desert landscape & BAM – on our way. Rolling ups & downs…nothing noteworthy – long hill incline started at mile 4. Five miles later, stayed at it but yeah, I felt it. Fast 2-mile downhill – 7:30 minute/miles…dodged shared-lane Halfers ‘til mile 12. Two laps ‘round the Visitors Center, dropped my 2nd shirt, popped salt pills & Advil, juiced three orange slices. Mile 14 loomed ahead AND our 2nd five-mile incline. This is the climb Sis warned about. Walk, jog, aid station water. Short run, walk, jog. Aid station water. No joke. Passed a cyclist – must be a tough climb even on wheels…’cause I certainly wasn’t moving fast.
No 7:30-minute brag pace on the downhill return – LOL> trotted to mile 22….but credibly, no walk – paced slow but ran with 2 other runners thru mile 25. They dropped me at the last water station .7 miles from the Finish.
Red rock beauty & vacant desert calm. Not a great run, a 5 hour full. BUT coming only 7 days after Moab, I’ll take it.
Last Saturday 55K trail run in Moab, this Saturday road marathon in Vegas – next weekend? BOTH. Attempting my first double in Tulsa OK – 50K trail on Saturday, full marathon Sunday. Goal is a multi-day adventure race in 2017. Can’t fail if you don’t try 🙂
Red Rock Canyon Marathon
February 20, 2016 — Results By Calico Racing
K R HAGA Louisville CO 5:01:40.2
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- pre-race, pre-dawn smile share
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- canyon rock & sage brush
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- Calico Rock
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- popular with rock climbers, easy on the eyes
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- protected species living in Red Rock Canyon; depicted on today’s finishers medal
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- beautiful, hill-brutal course (heat-exposed finish pics)
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- colorful desert landscape — LOVED it!
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- quick 20 hours in Sin City; back home in time for dinner 🙂
The Red Hot is located northwest of Moab, Utah just west of Arches National Park. Red Hot runners will have majestic views of the La Sal Mountains to the southeast and breathtaking views of Canyonlands National Park to the west. The course is beautiful but challenging this is why..it attracts elite runners like Ian Torrence, Karl Meltzer, Rob Krar, Anton Krupicka, Dakota Jones and many more!
We are a week away from race day an I would like to update on a couple of important issues for day of race. Moab has been experiencing a cold winter with a substantial amount of snow. Be prepared for possible ice and snow on the course especially in northfacing sections, but most of the course is exposed to the sun. With this said there can be a slight possibility the last aid station before the finish line could be 3 miles further from its intended location. I say slight chance because our jeep club has added wenching spikes at the infamous “waterfall” to pull their vehicles up this section. Our last aid station will radio their position to the Gold Bar aid station (55k a/s 4, 33k a/s 2). But it is the runners responsibility to be self-supportive between all aid stations and prepared for any changes during event. This is trail running not a road marathon!
Cutoff Time 55k: 12:00pm at aid station 3 (mile 17). Any runners who do not make this cutoff will be considered a DNF. You may not proceed beyond this time due to rules and safety of the runner. A course sweep will be pulling markings from Gold Bar/Golden Spike. You do not want to be on the SPIKE with no markings and eventually no light!
First trail race, my first ultra. Quick kiss goodbye [pup Ro], Friday half-day work-day, 6 hours of highway…destination: Moab UT. Bib pick-up, carbo-load dinner at Pasta Jay’s – 55K tomorrow a.m.
10 miles north of town, located Gemini Bridges trailhead right off State Hwy 191. Watched the sun rise over the red rock desert landscape. Quiet, so much colour. Cold morning, surroundings still covered in snow from an unexpected mid-week storm. ½ mile walk to the trailhead on frozen red mud – mental note: gonna get sloppy as morning sunshine wakes the ground.
7:30 instructions, 8am start. Shorts, double-shirted, SJ Ultra Vest 2.0 (first time racing with a hydration pack). Different crowd queue vs. my weekend Marathon Maniac posse. Trail ultras attract lotta Ironman athletes, participant age skews younger.
Quarter-mile of frozen mud, then UP – today’s run included 4500ft+ of vertical gain. Deep snowpack, ice, groomed snow, frozen mud, swampy slog, trail sand – before the first of 2 big sandstone climbs.
Conditions migrated from run to hike/climb – literally. Looked down on Canyonlands Nat’l Park, like peering into the Grand Canyon. WOW!
FOCUS – Aid Station 3 (mile 17) by Noon. Coming down from the 1st bluff summit, steady, increased pace for 4 miles – conflicted inside, would my first ‘DNF’ be so bad?
Despite 50+ marathon finishes, today I was a poser – not a trail athlete. This race was way beyond my current skill level. HUGE difference from road marathoning – add the longer 55K distance (34+ miles) and yeah, today felt near impossible.
SUCCESS – Aid Station 3, 10 minutes to spare. Refilled my hydration pack, nabbed a PB&J sandwich. Another mile down, dodged off-road 4x4s making their initial climb of the day (roads were closed to vehicles ‘til noon cut-off).
18 miles of run, hike, climb – mount 2 loomed ahead. Reached the supply dump at Aid Station 4 & our loose team of 6 emerged. Me, guy from Fort Collins, 2 young women (both sported Ironman tats) & a Japanese couple, Tokichi & Kaho.
I drifted off trail 5x – 4 of those times it was Tokichi who called out. Absolutely no good at locating pink-n-black ribbons tied to snow-drenched trees in a state forest. Felt more like geocaching than marathoning.
Ran short of food, then water – I’m telling ya: COMPLETELY UNPREPARED. Again, Tokichi & Kaho came through. Mysterious powder (labeled ‘68’) to help with nausea; these two were a walking supply tent.
Last wall climb – my fingers cracked, bloodied from ice & barehand holds. Downhill trotted final 3 miles, stopped to dry heave every 4-5 minutes. Not an inspiring cinematic day. Wrapped the last canyon corner, FINISH ahead – teared up…couldn’t believe I was done.
9 hours, 2 mountains, ran/hiked/climbed in snow, ice, wind, sand & mud. Nothing left. Back-propped against a rock, nestled with a bowl of chili & waited for Tokichi & Kaho to cross – amazing couple, my Red Hot ultra trail heroes.
Whatta life experience – adventure I won’t soon forget.
Moab’s Red Hot 55K
Moab, UT Feb 13, 2016
K R Haga 8:49:31 (278 of 289)
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- kiss goodbye, 6-hour road trip to Utah
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- pre-race sunrise in Moab
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- 8am start on frozen red clay
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- snow & ice climb
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- last stretch of red dirt before trail hike UP
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- 10 miles of sandstone
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- first summit, 2800ft climb — Canyonlands Nat’l Park overlook
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- start of 2nd climb, mile 18 — reached Aid Station 3 cutoff, 10 minutes to spare
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- 2nd sandstone summit
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- first ultra FINISH: 34+ miles of snow, ice, red clay, mud & sandstone — tough mental, physical day
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- Tokichi & Kaho — kept me on trail, nourished & hydrated for 15+ miles
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- post-race stash: shirt, cap & pint glass — but no medal?
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- while Dad trail ran Utah, Ro hiked local with bro Marty
Moab Red Hot 55K
Road tripped to my last marathon of 2015 – 9 hours southwest to Monument Valley Tribal Park in Navaho Nation.
pre-race pasta dinner
Saturday’s inaugural marathon would be my 1st outside of 50 State Quest, my first repeat state – would start/finish in Utah, majority of run on dirt roads & trail in Arizona.
Pulled into Goulding’s Lodge on the Rez just before 7pm [arrived after nightfall]…so would have to wait ‘til morning to see Monument Valley’s amazing red landscape.
Bib pick-up & pre-race pasta dinner – my first exposure to the Navajo. Native flutes piped thru the dining hall while tribal leaders spoke of their efforts to organize the run and improve the wellness of their people.
dirt road & trail — orange flags (tied to sage) marked today’s route
#2016whyIrun Marathon dues were paid to NavajoYES – an organization created to improve lifelong fitness & youth native empowerment across Diné Bikeyah.
Mission Statement: “to develop a healthy, positive and drug-free lifestyle” – a problem plaguing Rez youth across the Navajo Nation.
Night concluded with a slide show & details ‘bout tomorrow’s run – 10+ miles of red sand, trail dotted with orange flags, followed by a hard-packed dirt shared with half-marathon participants.
cold temps, 30mph gusts & morning snow welcomed our Start
Race morning – cold & windy…actually bitter cold, wind chills near zero, winds gusted to 30mph.
Waited inside the Navajo Visitors Center ‘til race start. Darted out to hear the National Anthem – sung in Navajo Diné, amazing cultural experience.
Started off quick – course descended almost 1000ft, clouds cleared revealing majestic red rock spiraling upward to the heavens.
WOW moment, absolutely stunning!
Dropped off hard-packed dirt road at mile 4 – half-marathoners continued on, marathoners took to trail. From there, ran in dense red sand – gaiting right, then left, watching my footing, attempting to avoid the deepest sinking pits.
Crossed 2 privacy fences. Ran free across the Rez today, passed circular communal buildings & painted ponies – terrain switched from sand to frozen mud imprinted deep with horse markings.
last marathon of 2015 – toughest run of my life
Mile 9 – Totem Pole. Toughest trail climb of the day – not so much running as hiking in sand. Dug deep & passed a number of participants. Vertical hiking – this I can do 🙂
Rejoined hard-packed dirt somewhere near mile 14 or 15 – hard to tell…no mile markers; aid stations were abandoned, unmanned in the extreme conditions.
WIND. Ran with right eye closed, left eye squinted to avoid blowing sand – sand which coated my mouth, nose, ears, both eyes. Tough physical conditions, tougher mental challenge.
Dirt devils formed far in the distance. I’d watch them approach, stop, close both eyes tight & wait as they passed over me. Near impossible to run in the swirling headwind.
Didn’t see another human until mile 23 when a Navajo officer met me with PowerAde from his truck. Only two miles more he promised – last mile half would be UP in the unrelenting wind. I could now see the Visitors Center, high on a towering red clay bluff.
Standing thru ground swells, running, shuffling, walking, hiking hands on quad – pushing, pushing upward to the Finish line.
Most extreme marathon of my life – fitting way to end 2015: 32 marathons in 32 different states.
BIB# NAME TIME
9 Haga, KR 5:36:58 Louisville CO
Wrapped in mylar, sat in a nearby warming tent & watched the Navajo blessing ceremony. Back to Colorado in the morning. Winter break, no running for a couple weeks – in the mountains next weekend, laying low during the holidays.
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- one of the most scenic races I’ve run
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- West Mitten & Merrick Butte
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- post-race Navajo “Blessing” Ceremony
Salmon: Jul 22 – Aug 21 [my Native American Animal Symbol]
Electric, focused, intuitive, and wholly creative, the Salmon is a real live-wire. His/her energy is palpable. A natural motivator, the Salmon’s confidence and enthusiasm is easily infectious. Soon, everybody is onboard with the Salmon – even if the idea seems too hair-brained to work. Generous, intelligent, and intuitive, it’s no wonder why the Salmon has no shortage of friends. This Native American animal symbol expresses a need for purpose and goals, and has no trouble finding volunteers for his/her personal crusades.
National Anthem in Native Navajo Diné
post-race Navajo ‘blessing ceremony’
