5 days ago, ran/walked/crawled my worst marathon in Casper Wyoming.
Mentally re-grouped, today Seattle bound. Surprising long 3-hour flight, greeted by Washington state’s towering Mount Rainier. double WOW! [Someday I’ll bag this peak – on my bucket list 🙂 ]
Struggled initially with public transport (no rental car this trip), but eventually made my way to the NFL Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field (for bib pick-up). After the Broncos’ humiliating 2014 Super Bowl loss, couldn’t imagine souvenir shopping. HOWEVER, pleasantly surprised to see Seattle’s Sounders share store space with the Seahawks. One of MLS’ premier soccer teams – dropped 20 & scored a new beanie.
Hooked up with Ash & Tom (arrived a day earlier), toured the city via harbor cruise – SUPER fun – then ended the day at Seattle’s infamous fish-tossing Public Market.
Crazy hippie vibe in Seattle, sport a unique accent (Alaskan/Canadian tinge) – and is a city of hills. Folks warned ’bout San Francisco being hilly…no such disclaimer for the Emerald City. Yikes!
Woke early Saturday, 6am monorail to Seattle Center – caught my first close-up of the Space Needle. Would have to wait post-marathon for a ride UP 🙂 Hung out nearby in the Armory with a thousand new friends, awaiting an 8am start.
Corral start: lotta people, lotta corrals – BIG crowd, majority half-marathoners (combined start). Only my 2nd Rock n Roll event, Las Vegas RnR was HUGE — 44,000 participants.
Almost 10 minutes before I actually crossed the Start Line – but from there, a different attitude. Sunshine, cool temps – maybe Seattle’s hippie vibe – whatever the reason, this was not Casper.
Separated from the halfers early & worked our way south to Seward Park. GREEN. Biggest difference from Colorado, everything’s leafy, lush & GREEN here.
Crossed the mile-long expansion bridge to Mercer Island at mile 18; struggled with strong crosswinds [on the bridge] but reenergized to music blasting in the tunnel before mile 19 (& mile 22).
Paced sub-4 until the mile 23 bridge return to Seattle. Hills – bring ‘em on. I eat hills for breakfast.
Casper Marathon, I derailed/everything fell apart – mental, physical, top 10 worst. Today approaching Seattle’s Space Needle, I felt STRONG. Love this city. SUCCESS: state #32 marathon FINISH.
Next stop (WaMu Theatre), Jurassic World premier – my post-marathon movie treat in 3D.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon
June 13, 2015
Bib Name City, State Time
8057 K R Haga Louisville, CO 4:15:26
-
- Mount Rainier greeting
-
- marathon bib pick-up at Seahawk’s CenturyLink Field
-
- downtown Seattle skyline
-
- Seattle’s infamous fish-throwing marketplace
-
- Haga family lookin’ fly as we tour the harbor — at Argosy Cruises
After a day of hiking & river rafting on the North Platte, woke early Sunday for marathon #31 – my Wyoming state run.
Staying at the host hotel, meant all was needed was running shorts & my Newtons – short walk downstairs, Casper Marathon actually starts & finishes from the Ramada Riverside parking lot.
What to wear? Light rain, cool start, 40% chance of showers. I’ve run my share in the rain this year – bring it on! Local cannon send-off & 6 miles of road before hitting cement trail. Rain lifted early – greeted soon after with sunshine & warm air.
Ran steady thru the golf course, 4 miles of turns & increasing heat (no trees). From mile 14 (thru 24), shared the path with runners lapping ahead. Mentally tough watching folks run AT you (5 miles further on their journey)…lotta relay runners.
Mile 17: Fort Caspar – struggled with form, my breathing labored. Altitude? Walked mile 18 & the set of hills in Paradise Valley.
Park benched in Morad Park, seemingly nothing left. My friend Cliff waited at mile 21 – and we walked. Stopped to steady myself (heat dizzy). Puked ‘til nothing but dry heaves – and we walked.
Worst marathon finish to date – it’s a marathon, not a walkathon – felt broken. Only 186 finished, I placed 152.
K R HAGA (Bib 69)
Male from LOUISVILLE, CO
Finish
05:49:20
In 6 days I’m running Rock N Roll Seattle – tough to pick oneself up after a complete fail 🙁 Gonna get some sleep, clear my head & start over in the morning. This too shall pass.
It’s not how we fall, but rather, how we pick ourselves back up that counts. Stand up, plant your feet and make a statement.
-
- all smiles rainy start
-
- FINISH #31 — Ayres Natural Bridge (near Douglas WY)
First 2015 marathon in the West – ROAD TRIP!
Have always wanted to hike in Wyoming’s Bighorns – just south of the Montana border – so planned a 3-day weekend around the Casper Marathon on Sunday. Unfortunately, late spring snow (2 weeks ago) followed by a week of heavy rain impeded my plans – State Highway 16 from Buffalo to Ten Sleep flooded so…Plan B.
North on I-25 from Colorado to Casper, straight shot. Stopped an hour short, near Douglas – first destination: Ayres Natural Bridge. Snapped a pic & snagged some sage (natural car deodorizer & FREE). Short walk over the natural bridge cut by LaPrele Creek (tributary of Wyoming’s North Platte River). Peaceful place. Would stop here again on Sunday, after my run.
Storm clouds rolled in. Spent the afternoon at Casper’s Tate Museum viewing dinosaur bones, then the Nat’l Historic Trails Interpretive Center – 4 major wagon trails passed thru Casper (Oregon, Mormon Pioneer, California & Pony Express).
Dinosaur digs & fossils make “the Cowboy State” a paleo- tourist destination. More dinosaur finds in Wyoming than any other U.S. state.
So many fossils at Tate – WOW! In New York museums, you see maybe 2 or 3 dinosaurs. In small town Wyoming – big dinosaurs, little dinosaurs, mammoths, sediment fossils. GREAT way to spend an afternoon. Highly recommended.
-
- 2 miles off the Oregon Trail, often visited by emigrants traveling West
-
- natural bridge cut by LaPrele Creek
-
- dirt road treasure near Douglas (LOVE this sign)
-
- a paleo- tourist destination
-
- 11,600 year old Columbian Mammoth (unearthed locally in 2006)
-
- afternoon storm clouds rolling in
-
- Mormon Pioneer handcart
-
- the Pony Express – St Joseph MO to Sacramento CA
Started Saturday at Garden Creek Falls in Rotary Park (crazy beautiful), then hiked Casper Mountain. Not the Rockies experience of the Bighorns, but a good 5-mile day hike. Probably not the best prep, day before a marathon but…I’m a lover of mountains.
Afternoon plans? Float trip on the North Platte. No rapids here, lazy river float. What I most remember is our Riverton-based guide’s colloquial speech. A fourth generation Wyomingan, he recommended a trip to Fort Caspar where Native Americans were slaughtered. Couldn’t be taught not to steal cattle – so were exterminated. I asked about Sacagawea’s grave site in Fort Washakie. He commented she was a Sheep Eater, a Mountain Shoshone. Seriously? And if so, who cares? None of his facts matched any ‘semblance of reality.
In rural Wyoming, there are Cowboys & there are Indians. Seems the two do not mix – even in 2015 🙁
-
- Bridle Trail – 5 miles roundtrip
-
- 1957 tragedy – 4 teens veered off Mountain, 3 survived
-
- lazy river float, no rapids here
