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

Happy Thanksgiving 2015

Published November 26, 2015

Another year to give thanks – grateful I lead such a blessed life.

Good health, great friends, amazing family & even more new life adventures. Completed 30+ marathons in 30+ different states this year. Marathon’d the deep South, Midwest, the Great Plains, Pacific West – then 10 weeks up & down the East Coast. Biggest pre-race adventures? orca whale watching in Washington’s San Juan Islands (seaplaned from downtown Seattle), hiked Mt Hood & Crater Lake in Oregon, zip-lined at 8800ft in Angel Fire NM. Saw soooo much FAMILY. Whatta crazy FULL year!

Shared Thanksgiving Day feast with Ash & Tom in their new home in Westminster – along with Ro & Marty (our fur babies). For this I’m most thankful. To my Blog Family: God Bless & Happy Thanksgiving 2015!