Good to have a play day at Graceland, but didn’t lose sight of why I traveled to Memphis – St. Jude’s.
Day prior, received my marathon tee from a young kid in a wheelchair – shirt stacked high behind him. Another youth offered to help; he wanted none of that. This was HIS assignment. Wanna talk about a tear-up moment – this was it.
Walked thru the display of tomorrow’s mile markers – 26 miles, 26 letters…each marker crafted by a child about their journey.
- Mile 16 – P is for Possibilities. P = Pain, Puke, Pills, Patient.
- Mile 21 – U is for the Five U’s of Cancer. Unaware, Uncommon, Unexpected, Unforeseen, Unpredictable.
You wanna do something BIGGER than yourself, run St. Jude’s.
today in Memphis, 2 boys fighting cancer handed me my race shirt & gear bag. Tomorrow I pledge to finish 26.2 miles with a smile on my face – no frown, no pics of swollen ankles, no finish line collapse.
“No child should die in the dawn of life”
Marathon morning: walked from my downtown hotel to the Start, short mile away. Whole lotta runners. Many fund-raise half-year (St Jude Heroes) & choose this moment to run a distance these kids can’t.
Mile 6 emotional overload – ran thru St. Jude’s campus. Young patients wrapped in blankets, sitting in wheelchairs, flanked by parents & siblings. IMPOSSIBLE not to tear. Walked a quarter-mile, mind preoccupied, sucked down water, focused on a young bald girl. What these children & their families go thru, unimaginable. Honestly, can’t recall miles 9-14. Wrecked.
Tagged an anonymous running buddy at mile 18 – similar pace, gait. Stars-n-stripes headband, easy to identify if I slogged behind. Military guy, St. Louis native, first marathon. Hit the wall at mile 20 – so I chatted the guy up, took his mind off the current, talked ’bout his family…ticked off the miles.
Still remember the anonymous guy who paced me thru the Salt Lake Marathon, April 2014 – today I paid it forward 🙂 Kicked the last mile up & finished STRONG.
“FINAL OFFICIAL” RACE RESULTS
2015 ST. JUDE MEMPHIS MARATHON
SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2015
K R Haga 4:44:56 Louisville CO
Post-race: Lunched with Sis & family – place/time, complete luck. St. Louis nephew was playing a regional soccer tournament – same day, only 20 minutes away. Shared laughs & lasagna [my post-race go-to], then hitched a ride to the airport. Thanks Sis!
jazzy Beale Street, Elvis, the kids of St Jude’s, lunch with Sis – LOVIN’ me some Memphis. GREAT end to my 2015 50 State Quest: only Hawaii, Illinois & Colorado remain. FAAANNNTASTIC!
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- doing something BIGGER than myself
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- 26 mile markers, individually crafted by the kids of St Jude’s
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- post-race lasagna with Sis & family
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- only Hawaii, Illinois & Colorado remain
I remember sitting at the kitchen table August 16th 1977 – in our camper. It was afternoon, the radio playing. Mom acted surprised, then sad when news broke that Elvis had died. He was only 42. I didn’t understand the importance – but the memory’s still there.
Waited a year to run my Tennessee marathon. Knew last December, I wanted to race St. Jude’s in Memphis. Chance to raise funds for the cancer-stricken kids of St. Jude’s; no-brainer – on my 50 State short list. Registration opened June 1st; I signed up first day.
Late Thursday nite flight, Saturday race, Friday play day. bluesy Beale Street, the iconic Peabody Hotel – check, check…but [to me] Memphis has always meant Graceland – home of Elvis.
9am bus tour to Graceland. Short drive, quick orientation, do’s & don’ts – then received headphones & an iPad. Paced myself thru a self-guided tour hosted by actor John Stamos.
Wasn’t sure what to expect. Honestly, Elvis was my parents’ generation.
Inside, Graceland was decked for the holidays – white Christmas tree adorned with large red bulbs, poinsettias lined the grand staircase.
Visiting Graceland was like going back in time. Boxy appliances, wood paneling, clunky recliners, shag carpeting – everything 1970’s Americana. Greens & mustard yellows. Wet bars & water beds. Like a strange, exotic mashup of Three’s Company reruns & my grandparents’ Taylorstown home. Both retro & familiar. LOVED LOVED it.
Past the stables to Elvis’ home recording studio – now, a museum decked with awards & stage costumes. Sat on the floor & watched clips from the King’s 1975 concert in Hawaii.
Hooked, felt transported.
My parents were young again, my grandparents still alive. Mom wore halter tops, laid in the sun for hours. In my grandparents’ basement, we watched Dark Shadows reruns on black-n-white TV to escape the summer heat. We had a garden & a dog named Lady-Girl. Backyard badminton, percolator coffee, Chinese checkers. Croquet.
Walked thru Meditation Garden where Elvis is buried, along with his mother, father & grandmother.
WOW, whatta emotion evoking day. Memory flood.
Much more than walking a dead singer’s digs. Looking back on my 50 States journey, I’ll long remember Tennessee.
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- home of Elvis
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- Graceland living room
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- holiday-decked in red poinsettias
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- the King
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- shag carpet, mirror ceiling
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- crazy digs…check out the walls
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- rows & rows of #1 hits
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- ‘Elvis in Hawaii’ looped thrice
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- Meditation Garden
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- do you remember, where were YOU?
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- known for its grand, marble-columned lobby as well as its resident ducks
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- creole lunched at King’s Palace Cafe
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- soulful, jazzy Memphis — tomorrow I marathon state 47
Elvis LIVE in Hawaii, 1975
After touring the city all day yesterday on foot – not to mention I ended last weekend’s race in Charlotte, ankle wrapped in ice (Achilles injury) – didn’t know what to expect today physically. Mentally however woke STRONG & ready to run.
Hoteled downtown, only a mile from today’s race start/finish (just past Rocky near the Philly Museum of Art).
Hilly course, lotta runners…super crowded field. Windy weather, layered up, wore gloves entire race. Philadelphia Mayor Nutter shook every Finisher’s hand. Super classy. LOVE LOVE my Liberty Bell finishers medal. Additionally, hotel allowed late check-out, so caught a shower before hurrying home for the short holiday work week. Next weekend? Nada. Eat, sleep, repeat 🙂
Race Results
4496 K R HAGA Louisville, CO 4:32:53
On behalf of Mayor Nutter, Race Director Desiree Peterkin-Bell and the entire GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon Team – Thank you for joining us in Philly for Race Weekend 2015!
Social Media Recap: Marathon 47 – done; 11 straight weeks marathoning – done; all East Coast states – marathon’d & done; windy November day in Philly, 2nd largest race field behind NYC, rolling hills but not West Virginia Appalachia hills – HA! – so much to be thankful for this holiday season. Bring on the turkey – Bubba’s gonna eat this Thanksgiving 🙂 — at Philadelphia Marathon.
funny marathon story/embarrassing but true – near the start of the race, I saw a group of runners stretching. Good idea, right? so I randomly join their pack & follow the leader’s instructions. Exercise over, leader asks us all to form a circle. Ok, little weird but live & let live, right? Folks bow their heads & start what I think is a prayer. No harm in praying, right? but EVERYONE knows the chant.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Next, club announcements & congrats to individuals. little awkward ⇨ super awkward: I really really shouldn’t be here. Yep, accidentally crashed an AA meeting half-hour before the start of my 47th marathon. LOL>
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- marathon #47, 11 straight race weeks & all East Coast states D-O-N-E. FAAANNNTASTIC!
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- crashed an AA meeting, 30 minutes prior to Start
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- quick exit, awkward moment
