Canada

Green Gables Anne

Published October 15, 2018

3 flights of stairs, post-marathon shower, quick one-hour nap. Attic B&B kinda loses its charm after running 26 miles. Just saying. LOL>

Historic homes, old churches, seaside path ‘round Government House (home to PEI’s Lieutenant Governor). From there walked inland, downtown Charlottetown. City Hall, University Park, St. Dunstan’s Basilica. HUGE fan of cathedral architecture. Gothic block buildings, high overreaching arches, stained glass artistry. Oft adapts character of the city you’re visiting. Ornate ship anchor molding in this provincial capital’s church home. Quiet/peaceful/hushed/stunning. Great place to reflect & give thanks.

Dinner reservations at 5; theatre tickets 7 o’clock show.

But first, homage paid to everything Anne – at the Anne of Green Gables Store. Dolls, DVDs, postcards, magnets, candy, entire book series (of course) – all centered on the red-headed orphan from PEI. When on Prince Edward, gotta/hafta/must.

Sunday-nite FOOD FEAST @ 23 Queen St: half-dozen Oysters, Cioppino entrée. FIVE LOCAL varieties of Oyster. Tomato herb broth, crusty bread. Mussels, haddock, clams & shrimp – Cioppino, what’s not to LOVE? GET in my BELLY! WOW meal.

LOVE LOVED ‘Anne & Gilbert’ at the Guild. Perfect Avonlea finish to crazy FULL day. Highly recommended!

Goodbye PEI. Lighthouse sunrise, hot B&B breakfast, noon flight off the Island. I HEART the Land of Anne ❤️

: Beaconsfield House

: St. James Presbyterian

: Government House

: St. Dunstan’s Basilica

: architectural reverence

: homage to red-headed Anne

: LOCAL oysters & Cioppino

: Marathon Day end at Charlottetown’s Guild

: LIGHTHOUSE goodbye 🌞

Posted in Canada | Tagged kyrkan, lighthouses, theatre | Leave a comment

Prince Edward Island Marathon

Published October 14, 2018

Bienvenue à l’Île du Prince Édouard. Birthplace of Canada.

Saturday 2am. Crazy early start. Woke six miles short of my Week 2 stretch goal (done/finished: 76.6 miles complete), late last-minute panic packing for O’ Canada, 6am flight to Detroit. Denver-Detroit, Detroit-Toronto, Toronto-Charlottetown. First try at WestJet. No frills, on-time experience (like our Southwest). Whatta find! How did I not know there were anti-Air Canada options? YAHOO!

6:15 touchdown in PEI. 20 minute taxi-ride downtown. 7pm Expo end. Tight timing.

5 block walk to my B&B sleeps. Oceanside digs, attic all mine. Marathon Sunday morn. Alarm set, predawn bus ride (7am prompt). Don’t be late mate. Land of Anne – Green Gables Anne, Anne with an E.

Coast-to-coast course: Brackley Beach-PEI National Park to Confederation Centre-downtown Charlottetown. Cold, breezy weather. Already LOVING my chances 😊 Shadowed 3 local runners & hunkered inside a beachside shower hut. Nippy gusts o’ ocean this morning. Brrr. PEI, Canada’s vacationland. LOL> Emerged 10 minutes before Start burrito-wrapped in last weekend’s Twin Cities mylar throwaway.

Canadian Anthem, 8am Start & SUNSHINE. Shed layers early, soaked in the coastline. Breezy cold & BEAUTIFUL. Brightly-coloured out buildings. Photo-stopped @ Covehead Lighthouse. WOW!

Sand dunes & shoreline gave way to rolling farmland. Push, push, push. Stanhope, Tracadie, Corran Ban, Millcove. All Sunday quiet. Started to slow after 12 miles. Then TRAIL. 12.5 kilometers (over 7 miles) of TRAIL. Crushed gravel & autumn COLOR, leaf-turn still happening on Prince Edward. BIG grin.

Warned one big climb late in the race. Large incline/near mile 21, but NOT Newfoundland HILLY. Head down, arms pumping, aggressively pushed to the top. 9:26/min pace. Fastest mile of 2^nd Half.

Last mile/mile-half did not disappoint, city scenic. Historic buildings, parks, statues.

Never saw a pace bunny (Canada-popular), never checked my watch. B-I-G run today. Fastest of 2018, new Canadian PR. FINALLY! Tens & tens of training miles, FINALLY! FINISH SUCCESS 🍁

15th Annual Prince Edward Island Marathon – Results
Sunday, October 14, 2018 Location: Charlottetown

1056 K R Haga Louisville CO US M 04:10:52

: birthplace of Canada

: hasty Expo arrival

: Covehead Harbour Lighthouse

: Confederation TRAIL

: new Canadian PR 🍁

: city-scenic FINISH

: Week 2 stretch goal

Posted in Canada, Marathons/Ultras | Tagged lighthouses | Leave a comment

Huffin’ Puffin Marathon

Published September 3, 2018

Woke tired, head-zonked from time change. Only person rumbling early in my B&B digs. Holiday weekend, right? 😊

Rental ride from Stephen to Bowring Park (marathon Start/Finish). Morning lawn busy with ducks & geese. Beautiful well-maintained city green. Runner drop-off, early breakfast then he’d hike the island’s high historic overhang, Signal Hill. BIG miss on my end/super envious/lack o’ time. View from yesterday’s boat tour would have to suffice, be memory enough.

Gonna be a HILLY one today – why they call it the HUFFIN’ Puffin 🐧 Small race, mostly Halfers.

21.1k loop, 2 times around
twice past Quidi Vidi Village, two times thru Downtown, 1500ft elevation gain
two big hills, 5-mile marker & mile 8. Steady climb mile 11 thru the first Half.
big hills repeated, 18-mile marker & mile 21. Steady push mile 24 thru the Finish.

Comfortable temp, grey overcast skies (‘cept near end/sunshine for pics). Breezy downtown stretch (both loops). Totally lucked out. Never assured of weather, least of all September. Toughest month for unknowns. Rain, early snow, piercing sun, balmy humid heat.

Ran a strong first Half. Dropped pace at mile 12, second loop a full 2 minute/mile off target. Steady jogged ‘til the long grind at 24. Walk/run finish. HILL-Y course, I’ll take it. Mental-drag running 5-hour marathons (hour slower than last year). Outside longer, tougher on the body, concentration struggle/head demons. Right path though. Another FINISH, another medal & FREE race pics.

Newfoundland, my 5^th Canadian province. Stunning, MUST-SEE part of the world.

North American cousins, US & Canada. Distinct Atlantic/Pacific coastline cultures, farmer-heavy Plains, hiker-populated Rockies, an Arctic North & a couple major cities. Cousins. Québec, ugh, forgot about the French. Suppose we have Hawai’i 🌺

Next month: PEI, Prince Edward Island. Birthplace of Canada, smallest of the Provinces. Anne of Green Gables lore.

Subaru Huffin’ Puffin Marathon

Marathon Results

September 03, 2018

Timing & Results by Athletics NorthEAST

Name Bib 11 km 21.1 km 33.1 km Gun Time Chip Time Gender

Keenan Haga 25 59:50 2:07:58 3:33:13 5:05:04 5:04:59 M