2:15am alarm set on my iPhone – early start to marathon day. Struggled to wake but left Jackson on time & hit the road, destination Ashton Idaho & the Mesa Falls Marathon. Kept the radio dialed to KJAX Country 93.5. An hour half later I pulled into Ashton Elementary school’s parking lot, picked up my racing bib & potato sack 🙂 then scored a free bowl of oatmeal before boarding the Marathon Start bus at 5:15am.
Lotta rain in the Teton Valley, resulting in bumpy travel as we travelled over dirt & gravel roads in Targhee National Forest. Still dark with temps in the low 40’s; I was happy snow stayed above 11,000ft – first snow of the season. Lover of the white stuff but hadn’t planned on winter precip when I packed my bag 3 days ago in Colorado (jeez, it’s August).
Was concerned [re: training] coming into the race. I had tapered 2 weeks before Ironman to focus on swim & bike. Ironman fail, a week of recovery, a week of the blues, then BAM it’s Idaho marathon time. Fingers crossed.
Smallest marathon field to date – less than 200 runners – but one of the most organized events I’ve entered.
First 9 miles all trail. After days of rain & flash flooding, dirt trail = lotta mud. That said, trail running felt really good.
Transitioned to highway & the sky opened – heavy cold rain until mile 17. So saturated that my shorts drooped – whole lotta water. Brief rain reprieve, one mile more of trail then a 3 mile hill just before mile 18. Trail running was slow going, requiring runners to closely watch footing but gotta say, body still felt good.
Legs started to tighten & my mind panicked – “the Wall” – but instead of mentally collapsing at mile 20 or 21, I had already passed mile marker 24. Brief water break, another mile, another water break…and I’m running mile 26. Sweet.
Either I’ve made a serious break thru mentally or it was the rain but…either way, finished strong.
By far the highest elevation I’ve ever raced, over 6,000ft. Raced the last 5 miles aside golden farm fields in Idaho’s potato country – something simple, yet spectacular to see.
9th consecutive marathon month — that’s stamina baby! 6 long weeks ’til Nebraska — expecting good things in September.
Bib 97 K R HAGA Marathon » Louisville, CO Finished 04:38:08 Overall 63rd
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- Idaho FINISHER – marathon #10
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- only 40 states to go!
Left work early Wednesday & boarded a plane to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Not only running a marathon this weekend – my 10th – but also celebrating a birthday. Chose to spend this year in Yellowstone & Grand Tetons National Park 🙂
Short one hour flight from Colorado (vs 8+ hours drive), set up camp at the Flat Creek Inn & hit the road early Thursday – destination Old Faithful, 2 hours away in Yellowstone National Park.
The day’s weather was notably different from Colorado, misty rain & cool sub-60 temps. Unfortunately, Grand Tetons’ iconic peaks were completely obscured by cloud cover (would have to wait ’til Sunday). Another hour further, Old Faithful. Took a quick walkabout the Visitors Center, only 20 minutes ‘til this mighty geyser was scheduled to blow. Secured a premium spot & waited for geyser magic.
A thin white plume seeped from the ground, followed by larger puffs of white gas, then all diminished. The act re-commenced, this time water gurgled within the large gaseous plume. Another brief break & the show known as Old Faithful began. Approximately every 91 minutes, this geyser blows – spewing boiling water from Earth. AMAZING! What a birthday show!
Next stop: Grand Prismatic Spring
Listed #2 on gaperguide.com’s Top 5 Stops in Yellowstone – I was not disappointed. Because of the day’s cool weather, dense sulfuric fog formed from vapors pouring off colourful geysers in Midway Geyser Basin. The misty weather & geyser littered landscape was reminiscent of last year’s Icelandic adventure. SPECTACULAR orange & blues – crazy vivid hues. LOVED it!
Located in the Midway Geyser Basin is the brightly colored Grand Prismatic Spring. It is the largest hot spring in the U.S. and the 3rd largest in the world!
Weather report for the weekend – rain, rain & more rain. Sounded like today might be my best chance to see Yellowstone – so stayed on the road & headed another hour west to Lower Yellowstone Falls.
The lower falls are 308 feet high, almost twice as high as Niagara Falls!
Parked a pull-off early & trail ran Red Rock & North Rim 2 miles to get a closer view of the Falls (& help altitude acclimate for Saturday’s Mesa Falls marathon). STUNNING VIEW of the Falls! The 2 mile return run UP however – now that was challenging 🙂
Didn’t see Yellowstone’s famous buffalo but did up my bear tally to 3 for the summer. A black bear crossed in front of my car – super exciting to see these huge predators when you’re not hiking (remembering last month’s 2 grizzlies in Glacier).
Finished at Mud Volcano before returning to Jackson via Yellowstone Lake & West Thumb.
Full 12 hour day – mountains, geysers, waterfalls & a bear! Happy Happy Birthday to me!
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- first stop in the Park – Happy Birthday to me!
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- erupts every 91 minutes
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- a small escape of vapor
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- …and thar she blows!
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- colourful Midway Geyser Basin
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- don’t touch, that stream is boiling
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- Grand Prismatic Spring
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- Excelsior Geyser
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- stunning vivid blue & 199°F
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- Dragon’s Mouth Spring
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- Mud Volcano
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- Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
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- Lower Yellowstone Falls
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- a mile closer on Red Rock Trail
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- my 3rd bear in 2 months 🙂
Old Faithful
Lower Yellowstone Falls
Mud Volcano
Started the tradition last year – end of July, Cheyenne Frontier Days.
This year I brought along my housemates Ash & Tom. It was an entire weekend of sharing firsts – Ash & Tom’s first 14er on Saturday, today their first rodeo (certainly their first Wyoming rodeo).
Hit the food court hard – spiral fries, elk burger & fresh squeezed lemonade – what’s not to love? Ash tried camel burger, Tom went with rattlesnake bratwurst. And the winner was? Tom. We’re all going bratwurst in 2015….tasty.
Rodeo was in full swing by the time we finished stuffing our insides.
M Stand tickets this year – Chute 9 view, but tough locating 3 seats together on Finals Days. Missed the bulls but still plenty of rodeo left – buckin’ broncos, steer wrestling & roping, ladies barrel racing, and calf roping.
Folks were packing up early (last day of the Rodeo) so missed a few favourites like the Chuckwagon Cutoff but still came back with a couple new cowboy-isms from our Oklahoma-based announcer:
2014
- More fun than taking your mother-in-law to the airport
- He’s taken to him like hopping to Peter Cottontail
2013
- There’s a guy not afraid to shake loose and shake his boots
- He stuck to him like spots on an Appaloosa horse
- More moves than my city cousin peeing on an electric fence
- He stepped off that broncing horse like he was stepping out of a barber shop
- That lasted as long as a Hollywood husband
- He rodeos in the summer time (‘rodeo’ used as a verb)
Finished the day with red velvet funnel cake. Great idea Ash. Dee’ lish 🙂
I’ll say it again — Next life, I’m coming back as a Cowboy!
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- red velvet funnel cake – YUM!
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- spiral fries
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- Cheyenne’s infamous Chute 9
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- steer wrestling
Cheyenne Frontier Days 2014
