Touchdown from Chicago at 930pm, 1030 home, asleep by 11. Alarm sounded at 245am, Maniac pal Stacy rang my doorbell at 315 – car pooling north to Fort Collins to finish my 50 States Quest, marathoning all 50 in under 3 years.
Knee wrapped, body banged up from yesterday’s 26.2 in Illinois – but mentally in a good place…today, the journey ends. What started as a ‘one and done’ marathon in Anchorage evolved & spread across the whole USA. Maine to Miami, Fargo to Falmouth, Sioux Falls to San Francisco, New Mexico to New York City. After today, I will have marathoned every American state – all 50 plus DC.
50 States Finish
430am bus departure – north up Poudre Canyon, point-to-point trek finishing in downtown Fort Collins. No accident I would end my Quest in Colorado. May 1st in Colorado. Temps in the 20’s, light snow falling on canyon boulders & lodgepole pine. It’s like the gods knew – it’s his 50th – make it PERFECT!
Layered up, descended the bus with hundreds of other eager runners, John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High blaring on outdoor speakers. This was REALLY happening. WOW WOW WOW! Snapped more than a few snowy pre-race pics. I never started with the dream of finishing all 50 – one of the biggest personal accomplishments of my life.
Queued up with the 5 hr pace group. Slow n steady. No failing today – run, walk, crawl – but finish before the 6 hour cutoff, gut out 26.2 miles. Made insta-friends with 1st time marathoner, Jen & trekked together the first 15 miles. Easy, forgiving course, mostly downhill to the Half. IT band stung by mile 7 but kept trucking along.
HUGE smile, enveloped by snow – 100% in my element. 2:30 Half, one of my slowest…but on track to Finish.
Said my goodbyes to Jen at mile 15. Walk, run – but kept moving, Mile 18: shooting pain. Not proud, but popped a pain pill. Getting thru today’s run doing absolutely whatever needed to finish.
Left leg completely stiff – same recurring injury – just 3 miles more. Not gonna sugar coat it – I hurt. Each pounding step, nerve strikes from my weakened left knee (like bone grinding on bone).
Entered Fort Collins. Focused. Mile 24.
Pain was frustrating – constant, pulsing. Crossed a long wooden bridge. Mile 25. I can do anything for a mile. Felt better to slog than walk, drug my left prosthetic along.
Two-tenths to go, saw people, saw the Finish. Bent the tin-man leg, willed it to move. Music blaring in my headset, eyes tearing, pounded my chest – each step closer, folks cheering me on. Kept pushing. Would not stop.
Joy, relief. So much emotion. I DID IT – I finished.
If I never run again, this day I set a goal, met a goal. I walked the talk. I did the impossible. No excuses, no regrets, nothing left undone. Proud to have family & friends see me finish. INNER PRIDE – absolutely anything is possible.
Congratulations #50 K R HAGA!
Here are your results for the 2016 Colorado Marathon:
Your final time is 05:23:27
Post-marathon lasagna. Next stop: dessert – at The Chocolate Café. Shower, (‘nother) pain pill, change of clothes, Dinner Theatre in Boulder. Notta lotta sleep – 4 hours spread over 2 days – but tonite we celebrate. B-I-G. #noregretlife
-
- all 50 plus DC
-
- taking in the moment (ironically, wearing a jacket from my first state marathon, Alaska)
-
- pre-dawn: Poudre Canyon
-
- it’s like the gods knew – make it PERFECT!
-
- body banged up from yesterday’s 26.2 in Illinois – but mentally in a good place…today, the journey ends
-
- Manic pal Stacy
-
- Othman from my Vegas marathon
-
- made insta-friends with 1st time marathoner, Jen & trekked together the first 15 miles
-
- next up: mile marker 25
-
- 50 States FINISHER!
-
- cold day shared with friends & family
-
- notta lotta sleep – 4 hours spread over 2 days – but tonite we CELEBRATE!
May 1 • Fort Collins • Colorado Marathon
pre-race clip in Poudre Canyon — will never forget this day, snow/mountains/Colorado, storybook ending to my 50 States Quest
Woke to rain, finished in rain.
Hitched a ride to the University of Illinois, my Saturday morning marathon Start. Cold drizzle; car camped 15 minutes from gun time. Glad yesterday was ‘Land of Lincoln’ tourist day, ‘cause today’s forecast: 100% rain. Grey day.
2 light runs earlier in the week – only non-swim or bike exercise since St. Louis. Concerned ‘bout the knee of course but not about the distance. Despite the rain, mentally in a good place. picture in my head – Bib #50 – Maniac friend Stacy picked up my Sunday marathon garb in Fort Collins & iPhoned an image. It all suddenly got real. Run, walk, crawl…whatever it takes, gonna finish state #49 today – 50 State finale lined up tomorrow morning. I’ve run a double before. I can do this. Today, Champaign-Urbana.
except for a 4-loop Canal run in DC last November, this course would my 50 State flattest – only 85ft elevation change. I’d be hard-pressed to post news ‘bout any hills this day 🙂
illinoismarathon.com: “…run through crowd-filled neighborhoods and tree-lined parks, and finish on the 50-yard line of historic Memorial Stadium.”
Yep, that’s what happened.
Hung with the 4:30 pace group most day. No pain ‘til mile 20. Left knee stiffened, IT band. Hydrated at mile 21, walked a tenth-mile, dropped my pace to an easy jog. Not winning any awards today – double marathon weekend, another 26.2 tomorrow. Slow & steady.
Stadium finish – LOVE all stadium finishes – Fargo Dome [in North Dakota] still my fave, but today also mighty memorable.
CHRISTIE CLINIC ILLINOIS MARATHON Results
K R HAGA LOUISVILLE/CO 1142 4:45:14
Post-marathon shower at U of I’s gym ($5 well spent), located Stephen, then autobahn’d north to Chicago. Heavy shower/downpour now – thankful I didn’t have to drive, even more thankful I had already finished today’s run 🙂
Chicago airport security, an hour half sentence managed by TSA rejects. Slowest, laziness, most inefficient location in our nation. Don’t argue you’re short-handed. Tens of employees walking around sharing weekend plans with co-workers. FOCUS! Small talk doesn’t keep us safe from terrorists. Lives depend on you doing your job — every day. Yep, every day. Ask me how I really feel. ARGH!
Touchdown in Denver just after 9. 2:30am’s gonna come early. Sharing a ride with Stacy at 3, catching a bus at 430.
50 State excitement is starting to build!
-
- rained from Start to Finish – cold, messy day
-
- LOVE a stadium finish — the best!
-
- only one state to go — will finish my 50 State Quest tomorrow in Colorado
Takes ‘bout as much strategy to finish 50 states in 3 years, as it does actual running. States like Delaware, Rhode Island & Connecticut have only one or two marathon options a year. ALSO – Spring (April) & Fall (October) are PRIME TIME…change of seasons sport multiple competing events.
Never expected #49 would happen in Illinois but this state provides a whole lotta running options. With Chicago off my radar, registered for the Illinois Marathon in Champaign-Urbana. [not a fan of crowds, already ran one major: NYC] Located only an hour-half east of Springfield, allowed me to visit the Land of Lincoln – place where our infamous 16th President started his family & political career.
Friday morning flight – met up with Stephen, who landed 15 minutes earlier from New Hampshire. Rental car pick-up, lunch at a highway-exit Subway, 2pm in Springfield (Illinois’ capital city).
Arrived just in time (4 minutes prior) for the ranger-guided Lincoln Home tour, watched 10 minutes of two National Park films, then drove to the Lincoln Presidential Museum another 10 minutes away. This museum is a MUST – time-challenged, chose to visit ‘Lincoln-White House Years’ & caught both recommended movie events.
Stepped out of ‘Pre-Presidential Lincoln’ 15 minutes early to auto-breeze thru the artifacts gallery. Lincoln’s stovepipe hat. Check, done.
Visited Lincoln’s burial site at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Arrived 15 minutes after close so settled for a self-guided tomb drive-by. Hard to fit a full day-vacation into 4 hours.
Autobahn’d to Champaign-Urbana. Another just-n-time arrival (8 minutes to spare) – University of Illinois, home of the Fighting Illini – for tomorrow’s marathon bib pick-up. Yikes, that as close.
Early to bed, early to rise. 100% chance of rain…it is what it is, my last 50 State weekend. Tomorrow Illinois, Sunday Colorado 🙂
-
- Lincoln’s home for 17 years
-
- Lincoln Home: Formal Parlor
-
- Lincoln Home: Family Room
-
- a room in a room (Abe & Mary’s sleeping quarters)
-
- Lincoln Home: Kitchen
-
- Illinois State Capitol
-
- Old State Capitol (1839-1876)
-
- Presidential Museum & Library
-
- the ‘White House Years’ (lurking background: John Wilkes Booth)
-
- Battle of Fort Sumter
-
- Civil War in pictures
-
- the Gettysburg Address
-
- Lincoln’s famous stovepipe hat
-
- Lincoln Tomb: marks the graves of Lincoln, his wife Mary & 3 of their children
