Late nite touchdown.  20-minute ride Downtown.  Been a long day.

Charleston to Charlotte, Charlotte to Atlanta, Atlanta to Mobile.  Fever gone, marathon medal still hangin’ round my neck.  Almost 1am now… still gotta shower.  Argh.

Hotel lobby still full of revelers, traffic buzzin’ outside as my head hit the pillow.  Think Mobile’s probably a naughty town during summer season… tamer kid sister of N’ Orleans.

Phone alarm set, 5am comes early.  Slow crawl outta bed.  Change of clothes, fresh shoes, it’s Day 2 – in Alabama.  Late check-out granted (thanks Hilton).  Guaranteed a quick shower post-run 😊

Pre-dawn to Government Plaza.  Circumference-walked the building’s perimeter.  Open-door located, bib pick-up achieved.  Hotel digs mere steps from today’s Finish.  Location, location, location.

Day lighting life up, drunks slumber behind big block buildings – and I’m a-running, 26.2 miles in Mobile ALABAMA.  Whoop!  whoop!  Hydration vest stuffed full of tissues.  Cooler weather, head cold raging, but spirits HIGH.  NO was not received; I found a way.  Lined-up with a thousand others.

Day 2 of my first 2020 double.  The body’s an amazing instrument.  Literally ONE day after my fever-riddled slog in Charleston – new life.  And the mind? …can will a man to walk fire.  Ok, ok.  no fire-walking today.  Just a lotta head drain & tissue disposal.  LOL>

Chatted it up with the 5-hour pace guy.  Nope, not really.  Just a random guy holding his stick.  I’d warm on the ‘real’ dude, first 2 miles.  Mississippi’s his home.  Met his wife marathoning; proud new parents of twins.  The people you meet.  Stories we share.  No sport more exposed, more HUMAN.  LOVE our sport ❤️

LOVE LOVED my pace group.  5-hour pack starts small, gathers those falling off goal times.  Probably 5-6 of us constant from mile 8 on.  That’s a lotta life stories… who needs tunes?  Chipper single-digit miles, dark-clouded mile 20.  Biggest party, most I’ve ever drank, craziest place I’ve woke up unexpected.  Later miles – other times I’ve cheated death, real food or banana at finish?  BEER.

Dropped off at 21.  Short walk, regrouped.  Back at it soon after.  Good day, great group of runners… 20 minutes faster than Day 1.

Pace brother awaitin’ at the FINISH LINE, cheering us in.  Classy dude.  2 days, 2 states, 2 medals.  FOUR marathons this year already.  Top of the roller coaster.  Ready as I’m ever gonna be.  Tick, tick, tick.  5 days my life adventure begins.  Triple 8!

Next stop: New Zealand 🇳🇿

19TH ANNUAL Servis1st Bank MOBILE MARATHON

Presented by Infirmary Health

JANUARY 12, 2020

 

****** MARATHON OVERALL RESULTS ******

 

K R HAGA   M     LOUISVILLE  CO   5:10:30

Mobile Marathon

Tick, tick, tick.  Less than a week out, life-everything now consumed by Triple 8.  Work, home life, marathon training.  3 in 8 days.  This weekend, year’s first double.  Not sure if anything can truly emulate what I’ll experience travelling ALL the world’s continents – but putting it out there, 100% all in.  Nashville connection, touchdown South Carolina.

Friday travel day.  Lyft ride to Downtown bib pick-up, app-ride return to hotel check-in.  Sleeps location chose near tomorrow’s North Charleston finish.

Seaside humidity or seasonal flu but felt a change a-coming.  Which flight, which hacking traveler?  Lotta recent workplace suspects.  ‘Tis the season, hard to avoid LIFE.

Early to bed, early to rise.  Tomorrow’s another day, marathon day.  First of TWO 😉

Saturday morn.  Light drizzle, HIGH humidity.  Body achy.  Cough, head cold.  One step in front of the other.  HUMAN day.  No assurance I’ll go 8 Continents cough-free (trapped inside a host of Airbus coffins).  5-hour finish goal today/tomorrow – same as Triple 8.

Early-going SWEAT fest.  Drowning.  Slow down, walk.  Take it in.  Antebellum homes, Carolina palms.  Shot of ocean.  Not my day physically but… today, mentally blessed.

More walk than slog.  Check, done.  BIG BEAUTIFUL medal 🏅  3rd FINISH in South Carolina.

Lyft pick-up.  Hotel transfer, airport sink bath.  Hour flight.  Touchdown, Charlotte.  Lotta auto texts.  Storms moving thru the South.  Flight to Mobile cancelled?  Re-booked on an 11am flight.  Sunday?  That’s not gonna work.  Think.  Think.

Long line of folks telling me what I can’t do.  American Airlines, not helpful.  Think.  Think.

New ticket, new direction.  Delta to Atlanta.  Connection after storm-line passes thru the City.  Midnite arrival.

I’m here.  I’m sticky.  AND running marathon #2 in SIX hours.  Mobile, Alabama.

NO is a response, NOT a solution ✅

CHARLESTON MARATHON 2020

 

Marathon   5374   K R HAGA   5:27:18.21   LOUISVILLE CO   Marathon Maniacs

Charleston Marathon

Happy 2K20! 🥳

Touchdown half-past 11.  Rental car, hotel check-in.  Quick 9 minutes ‘til showtime.  Stetsons & hey y’alls on TV; fireworks exploding outside my hotel window.  Happy New Year, Houston! 🎉

Alarm set, marathon in the morning.  Hosted by Steve & Paula Boone – 50 State Marathon Club founders – the Texas Marathon, in nearby Kingwood.  No better way to celebrate a new DECADE.

‘Just a little neighborhood run’, she said as we jogged the late miles of Juneau last year.

Y’all know – everything is BIGGER in Texas.

Over 600 in this ‘neighborhood’ run.  Local police directing traffic.  NFL’s Houston Texans hosted a tent.  Fleet of volunteers distributing race bibs – and today’s medal?  Glitter & longhorns.

National Anthem in Texas twang followed by, the decade’s first marathon Start.  4 laps of city greenway.  Tree cover, overcast skies.  Smiles & high 5’s.  No place I’d rather be.

Like a HUGE FAMILY REUNION of all my 50 State friends.  Blast from the past?  Maniac bestie, Stacy.  Woo-hoo!  2015, we both went Titanium.  Lotta races & states that year.  Good memory.

Mile 21.  New Year, same ole slog fest.  But plenty o’ company last lap.  Happy Day 😄

Texas-sized medal, sink bath at the airport.  LOL>  It’s only Wednesday y’all, I’ve gotta work in the morning.  Thanks Paula & Steve.  AMAZING ambassadors for our sport!  Absolute FIRST CLASS!

Texas Marathon and Half Marathon

Wed January 1, 2020  Kingwood, TX

 

Keenan Haga  Louisville, CO  BIB#66  CHIP TIME  5:02:29.8

Texas Marathon