The first-ever Nebraska Marathon was held on Sunday, October 18, 2015 where almost 900 runners took their mark at Turner Park at Midtown Crossing and crossed the finish line at the Lewis and Clark Landing.
That first year offered a Half, last year the event’s first FULL – this year a mix of running distances. Omaha, new to marathoning? Heck no, this town supports THREE separate marathons.
Ironically, today’s ‘Nebraska’ Marathon comprised more Iowa asphalt than Nebraskan. Crossed the Missouri River before the Half, would cross back into Nebraska post-mile 25.
Chilly morning start – my first of the Fall season. October can be a mixed bag for weather. Thankful for cooler temps. Not a lotta tree cover on America’s Great Plains – Nebraska or Iowa.
Late start with a BIG BANG – it’s the Midwest, no shortage of guns. LOL> Combined Full/Half Start across from the host hotel. GREAT location, GREAT digs – super hospitable! Kudos Team Nebraska 🙂
First Half, scenic Half. Marathon’d 7 days ago, no time goal today. Ran with a Halfer from Columbus. Good conversation, good pace. Said our goodbyes at mile 12, finished my Half right at 2 hours.
Not a lotta natural trees in neighboring Council Bluffs, but miles & miles of maintained bike path. Nice clean community. Tidy parks, manicured ball fields. Norman Rockwell America.
I’ve run all 50 States – 20 of them twice – would definitively say: Middle America, folks living on our Great Plains/America’s Heartland are the kindest/most visitor-friendly states.
Steady headwind 2nd Half however didn’t lose our sun. Small marathon field sparsely spaced along the course. Miles 15 & the turnaround return to 22 were some of the loneliest. Caught a lot of crosswind.
Sub-10 minute miles thru mile 19. 30K in 3 hours. Dropped off soon after. Strava stats recorded 12 & 13-minute pace, miles 22 to 25. Crossed Bob Kerrey Bridge over the Missouri & back into Nebraska, finished a half-mile later at Lewis and Clark Landing.
Another medal, another marathon experience. FAAANNNNTASTIC!
Last chemo- December 22nd. 10 months & 22 marathons later, celebrating Historic #100 in Dublin IRELAND. One month shy of 4 years, soooo many race memories. Thankful for my family, great friends & our SUPPORTIVE INSPIRING run community.
My life 2nd Half, absolutely no regrets. Nothing left undone.
NEBRASKA MARATHON
224 K R Haga 4:43:14.12
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- Lewis and Clark Landing
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- 10 months & 22 marathons later
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- more Iowa asphalt than Nebraskan
Two years ago same month bought an overnight Amtrak ticket to Omaha. Picked up my rental at the Airport, drove to Des Moines for my 50-State ‘Iowa’ marathon. Same event where I enjoyed a VIP performance of Dracula. Still a FUNNY story – LOL>
Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2016. Received an email announcing the 2nd annual Nebraska Marathon. Train ride nostalgia that day I guess. Yep, they got me. Generally I only race register 3-4 months in advance.
Friday night train (7pm ticket), no work day miss 🙂 Parked at DIA, took commuter rail to Union Station. Would be returning Sunday by air. Learned rail isn’t known for on-time punctuality. 2015: train-returned home almost a half-day late.
- 9:45pm Friday: Greeted on-board by a juggler, my seatmate aisle over. Nope, can’t make this stuff up.
- 8:21am Saturday: Tagged a ride Downtown using my Lyft app. No rental required this trek.
Hotel check-in (host hotel assured a post-race shower), bib pick-up (across from baseball’s College World Series), afternoon matinee at the Orpheum (Finding Neverland). Who knew there was so much happening in Omaha!
FOOD.
24 hour fine-dining binge. Tuna burger at Denver’s trendy Hopdoddy. Oktoberfest-celebrated with Bräts & kraut in Omaha. THEN seafood-gorged at Shucks Oyster Bar at happy-hour prices: 99-cent oysters, 35-cent peel-n-eat shrimp. FAAANNNNTASTIC!
It’s not a gland problem folks. I run because I eat ❤
Marathon in morning – might need to circle the Park twice. So much food, so little time.
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- overnight train adventure
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- Good Morning Omaha!
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- pre-race Oktoberfest
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- ‘Finding Neverland’
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- happy-hour food fest
Amtrak juggler
“Keep Portland Weird” is a popular slogan that appears on bumper stickers, signs, and public buildings throughout Portland, Oregon and its surrounding metro area. The slogan has been called the unofficial motto of Portland.
My kind of town – the ‘city’ version of Boulder.
Flannel fashion, inventive chefs, hippie homeless. ‘Live & Let Live’ friendly (the American West standard, ZERO tolerance for discrimination). Environmentally minded: NO plastic bags (outlawed/entire county); NO new highways – voted to manage growth thru expanded/improved public transportation. $5 rail ticket, my ride to the Airport.
One of City’s downtown landmarks – Powell’s City of Books. Page turning? 9am-11pm, 7 days a week.
Covering an entire city block, Powell’s City of Books is more than a great bookstore: It’s a microcosm of Portland, packed with smart and eclectic offerings, passionate people and, naturally, its own coffee shop. And, just like Portland, it’s open 365 days a year!
It’s the largest independent chain of bookstores in the world, and when you visit the aptly named flagship shop, Powell’s City of Books, you’ll need a map to find your way around (the store provides one). Powell’s enormity is a measure of how much Portlanders love books. Cruise the aisles, grab some coffee and enjoy the lost art of thumbing through bound paper stamped with words.
Portland FOOD. Post-hike gorged at Ned Ludd’s Friday nite. Met & talked with its Food Network chef (Jason French, a former Boulderite). Three courses, dinner entrée: whole roasted trout. WOW! Head & a backbone, only remnants on my plate. Brunched Saturday, another Portland staple. Hipster beignets – not necessarily Creole, but served on a bed of chocolate.
Sunday, RUN day. [Remember when EVERY day was a run day – HA! #2017runfail]
LOVE LOVED staying at the Hilton, the Portland Marathon’s host hotel. Bib pickup literally downstairs, booked early & secured the runner’s room rate, walked 2 blocks to this morning’s Start. Couldn’t be more convenient.
Big City race, my first in eons. Full/Half combined start – sooooo many runners, not in Okoboji today 🙂 Heard today’s 7am Start waiting patiently in Corral C, 12 minutes back. Two 11-minute miles, before the field thinned/run became manageable.
Cool morning temp, overcast sky – GREAT running weather. If only I had remembered ‘portion control’ during my big FAT foodie holiday (I gots no ‘off’ switch); two days of ‘Rose City’ gluttony. Appreciated the porta-potties at mile 8. ‘Nuf said.
Mostly flat course, gradual incline miles 5-9. Crossed St. Johns Bridge at mile 10. Portland’s tallest bridge (built in 1931) spans the Willamette River (crossed back at mile 18). Beautiful panorama, slightly foggy. Reminiscent of San Francisco 2 years ago.
Drizzle just past the Bridge, but never a steady rain. Again, couldn’t have asked for better conditions.
Incline blip at mile 22. da Truth: walked it, nothing left in the tank. excuse Time [’cause ya’ll know I got ’em]: Body’s tired. Running so often (21st marathon of 2017), find myself lacking late in the year. Frustrating, but it is what it is.
Mile marker 25. PUSH, PUSH, PUSH. Late burst of reserve, FINAL STRETCH of downtown city street. Marathon SUCCESS! Surprise, surprise – this day, medal AND a rose. Super classy. BIG thanks, City of Roses🌹 Great memory.
Paid the extra $25 for a 1pm check-out. It’s the Hilton, choose your battles (but as host hotel, could’ve been a bit more generous).
Sit-down lunch, sit-down movie (The Mountain Between Us), window-napped on my Southwest flight home.
On the runway in Denver – SNOW – first of the season, LOVE LOVE my Colorado life! ❤
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- head & a backbone
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- discrimination is NEVER welcome, not anywhere for any reason
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- largest independent chain of bookstores in the world; an entire city block
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- my big FAT foodie holiday 🙂
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- St. Johns Bridge, tallest in Portland
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- City of Roses FINISHER medal
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- Goodbye Portland
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- first SNOW of the season ❤
