South

St Jude Memphis Marathon

Published December 5, 2015

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!

: doing something BIGGER than myself

: 26 mile markers, individually crafted by the kids of St Jude’s

: post-race lasagna with Sis & family

: only Hawaii, Illinois & Colorado remain

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, South | Tagged #givingback | Leave a comment

Graceland

Published December 4, 2015

I remember sitting at the kitchen table August 16^th 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 1^st; 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.

: home of Elvis

: Graceland living room

: holiday-decked in red poinsettias

: the King

: shag carpet, mirror ceiling

: crazy digs…check out the walls

: rows & rows of #1 hits

: ‘Elvis in Hawaii’ looped thrice

: Meditation Garden

: do you remember, where were YOU?

: known for its grand, marble-columned lobby as well as its resident ducks

: creole lunched at King’s Palace Cafe

: soulful, jazzy Memphis — tomorrow I marathon state 47

Elvis LIVE in Hawaii, 1975

Posted in South | Tagged museo | Leave a comment

Thunder Road Marathon, Charlotte

Published November 14, 2015

Advertised as North Carolina’s toughest road race – was NOT the reason I chose Thunder Road as my NC marathon. Selected NC’s most economical place to fly, Charlotte. Sometimes it comes down to $$.

Tenth week marathoning – would be my shortest time away. In Friday afternoon, out 25 hours later.

Taxi’d uptown, bib pick-up, hotel check-in, NASCAR. When in Charlotte, gotta visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Redneck paradise. [joking] actually kinda interesting. History of car racing, followed by rows n rows of vintage cars – not so much – but the racing simulator…fun time, highly recommended.

Early to bed, early to rise. Scored late hotel check-out. Tomorrow’s marathon goal: run fast enough to catch a shower before flying home 🙂 [this Fall’s all-East Coast running theme]

Saturday, woke to sunshine & unseasonably warm temps. Running in November, never know what you’re gonna get (even in South). On my way to the Start, walked past Bank of America Stadium – NFL home of the Carolina Panthers. Nice digs. This town loves their sports.

Start/finished at BB&T BallPark, Charlotte’s triple A baseball stadium. Again, nice digs. Not a lotta marathon participants (< 1,000) especially for such a large city – but great crowd support. Thanks Charlotte! Hills seemed never ending but that’s become 2016 standard – from Vermont & San Francisco to Ohio & West Virginia…I’ve seen a lotta hills this year.

Novant Health Thunder Road Marathon

Charlotte, NC Nov 14, 2015 7:30AM

418 K R HAGA » Marathon » Louisville, CO » 04:27:51

Social Media Recap: #46 in the books – only 5 states to go (PA TN HI IL & CO); beautiful weather, whole lotta hills, whole lotta music & great crowd support. Go Charlotte, nicely done! Ended in the medic tent, needed to ice the Achilles – 10 weeks of marathoning taking its toll. Doc says keep it iced all week & should be fine for Philly next Sunday. Cut more than 10 minutes off last week’s finish time. Celebrating with French onion soup & oysters. FAAAANNNTASTIC!

Next weekend: Philadelphia

: all revved for tomorrow’s marathon in Charlotte NC, home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame – didn’t know what to expect after totaling my car on Monday…but completely off meds & feeling STRONG!

: start & finish from Charlotte’s Triple A [baseball] home

: #46 in the books – only 5 states to go! Ended in the medic tent, needed to ice the Achilles – 10 weeks of marathoning taking its toll. Cut more than 10 minutes off last week.