South

Kentucky Abe

Published November 30, 2018

Christmas, New Year, Antarctica – and FOUR more marathons 🙂

Bags packed, Friday pre-dawn flight, touchdown 9am Central. Rental pickup in Nashville, 2½ hour trek north to rural Kentucky. Falls of Rough, tomorrow’s inaugural trail race destination. Self-supported run. No crew, no aid stations. Two 13 mile loops – in the woods, in December.

trick with Kentucky races: START time. State’s divided between 2 time zones, with most towns built along demarcation. Left Nashville (Central Time), lunch’d in Elizabethtown (Eastern Time), slept in Falls (Central again). RD [Race Director] pre-race talk described trail conditions, weather expectation AND another Time Zone reminder. (Lotta racers from Louisville/Eastern sleepers.)

Soooo much history. Seemingly middle of nowhere – America’s Frontier States: Kentucky & Tennessee. Joined the original 13 soon after Revolution. Boone, Crockett. Whole lotta history.

GPS set, destination: Hodgenville. Sinking Spring Farm then 9 miles more to Knob Creek. Illinois might sport ‘Land of Lincoln‘ on their plates but Kentucky’s where Honest Abe got his start.

Organized 1906 (decades before the iconic DC version was visualized), Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace – the original Lincoln Memorial. 5 US Presidents made their journey here. Both Roosevelts (Theodore & Franklin), Taft, Wilson & Eisenhower.

Log cabin replica, the ‘Sinking Spring’, & a HUGE granite Memorial. HIGHLY recommended. 56 steps to its Greco-columnar entrance – one for each year of the President’s life. Awesome day trip.

Quick walkabout Knob Creek Farm, Lincoln’s Boyhood Home then an hour west to Grayson County/Kentucky’s Rough River. Sleeping historic Friday/Saturday nights. One of 6 staying in Green Farms Mansion. Quiet/big open rooms/creaky wood floors (the originals). Like part of the board game Clue, 19^th century elegance. Professor Plum, lead pipe, Conservatory. Reminiscent of sleeps at the Lizzy Borden House, Fall River 2015. creepy, SPOOKY, dark.

Early nite/sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite. Tomorrow’s run SUPER close (maybe 500ft away) – other side of Green Mill Bridge. Miss Peacock, candlestick, Ballroom. No one hears ya scream wooded deep in Kentucky. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick….

: Hodgenville KY

: Frontier Family

: log CABIN start

: ‘Sinking Spring’ Farm

: FIFTY-SIX: one step for each year of Honest Abe’s life

: original Lincoln Memorial

: ‘Lincoln logs’

: Lincoln’s Boyhood Farm

: Knob Creek

: Green Farms Mansion

: 19th century elegance

: Green Mill Bridge, Saturday’s marathon START

Posted in South | Tagged museo, us-presidents | Leave a comment

Magnolia Marathon

Published November 17, 2018

Biggest concern eight weeks ago was summer heat, now my training miles regularly see snow. Fall foliage, FAMILY & a lotta East Coast push-pin additions. HUGE life adventure. Anne of Green Gables, Washington Crossing, the Grand Ole Opry, night-toured our nation’s Capitol. Always more than just running.

Rooted deep in America’s Old South, took most of Friday as travel. Nothing direct to Mississippi. Denver to Chicago, Chicago to Birmingham, rental car 2 ½ hours west to Meridian. Welcome Y’all greeted at bib pickup. Heavy Scarlett O’ Hara lilt. Only 20 miles inside the M-I-S-S border, but distinctly Mississippi. Reminiscent of my own childhood home, old industrial town fighting itself relevant in the 21^st century.

Quick trip, under 24 hours. Flight return check-in before my head hit the pillow.

7am Saturday Start. Gathered around City Hall, hat offs, EVERYONE stopped. Anthem voiced LIVE, hand-over-heart/eyes-on-the-flag. Patriotic, well sung. Common thread – Colorado, Maine or Mississippi – same Stars-n-Strips LOVE. RED or BLUE, Americans always come together when it matters.

Combined FULL/Half Start, double loop course, 13-mile trek done twice. Sunshine & 40. Digged the cool morning start, not a Mississippi norm. MUCH appreciated by the visiting Team.

Hilly course. Rolling hills played to strengths. Day’s mantra: Get ‘er done.

Maintained a steady 9 min/pace first loop. Tunes blaring, back-n-forth’d with 4 marathon tees. Cheyenne (Wyoming) grey, husband-wife in Milwaukee tangerine & an orange Lost Dutchman Finisher. Sub-2 Half.

Followed Arizona into Lap 2. Plugged in, head forward, eyes focused, alert to increased motor traffic. No stopping ‘til a planned med break at 17 – lactic lead in my quads but kept pushing. PUSH, PUSH, PUSH – 20. Brief walk marker 21. Steady, consistent 10 min/pace to 24. New PLAN: hotel shower before my room boot @ high NOON. AWESOME motivator 😊

Sunshine & finish line support. Locals draped in blankets, BIG smile/running shorts in my camp. STRONG finish – 3^rd place Masters. 50 State countdown now 7. Hot hotel shower/fresh clothes before highway’ng back to Alabama. Got ‘er done.

Friendly folk in Meridian. Thanks y’all. Good push-pin memory added to my map back home.

2018 Magnolia Marathon

Place Name Hometown Type Bib # Time Pace Speed

17 K R HAGA LOUISVILLE, CO RUNNER 30 04:15:05.85 09:43 6.2mph

Split 1 01:56:35.709 08:53 6.7mph 01:56:35.709

Split 2 02:18:30.145 10:33 5.7mph 04:15:05.854

: Welcome Y’all

: City Hall Start

: plugged in & focused

: STRONG finish

: 3rd place Masters

: signed by the Artist

: icy return HOME ❄️

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, South | Leave a comment

Grand Ole Opry

Published November 11, 2018

Shower, fresh clothes – and cameras. Post-marathon. Traded running shoes for boots Saturday afternoon & quick-toured Music City with Sis & family. Common theme: UP ⬆️ Whether the State Capitol or food apps on Broadway, no less than 3 flights of stairs. Good stretch after 26.2 miles of morning asphalt.

first post-LUNCH climb: Tennessee’s State Capitol Building. Located downtown, high hill kitty-corner from the weekend’s rented digs. 3 US Presidents from the Volunteer State. $20 Jackson, James Knox Polk & Lincoln’s VP Andrew Johnson. All prominently memorialized on Tennessee’s state grounds. Capitol Building: lotta Old World charm/columnar architecture, flag-topped dome. Window-peek downstairs showcased a 19^thcentury courtroom re-purposed for present day press talks. Building poised high, surrounded by glass skyscrapers & multiple sports stadiums (football/hockey/baseball). Pretty view of Nashville. HUGE growth in Music City.

Next up: wild Honky Tonkin’ Broadway. Soooo many people & competing noises (not my scene) – but today an improved attitude, flanked with FAMILY. Thanks Stephen, Sis & Paul. Friday: ‘I can’t eat here, it’s too loud.’ Today: smiled, nodded (still couldn’t hear) & ate my apps. Pack eater I guess. LOL> Frown upside down 😊

TRIP HIGHLIGHT: the GRAND OLE OPRY. No Nashville trip complete without THIS experience. Sis pre-purchased tickets at the Ryman, first shows of winter. Performances return every November after summering in nearby Opryland. Original building, same wood floor, same church pews – circa 1892. Rustic seating bit rough on the rump/big memory flood of childhood revivals past. 1950’s ’60s ’80s and American Idol, Scotty McCreery – Opry had it all tonite. Hillbilly talk, square dancers & Opry laughter. Nashville HIGHLIGHT ❤️

2 long hugs & the weekend done, magic over. Goodnite Music City. Bye, Sis.