3-hour flight delay Friday after-work. Only one chance to arrive before Saturday’s marathon Start. Yikes! Post-midnite touchdown in North Dakota’s capitol city. Rental car, hotel check-in, 4 hour sleeps.
Early 5:30am meet-up in Bismarck’s Cottonwood Park (thanks Marathon folks for allowing my last-minute, same-day bib pick-up). DIG places with human faces. I’ll remember ya.
USA Heartland, America’s friendliest people – both Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota & Nebraska. I’ve marathon’d all 50 States; I know. All-out outdoor beauty: Oregon, Washington, Colorado & Alaska. But if you wanna meet Americans with the kindest/truest hearts, stop & stay in our ‘fly-over’ states. Work ethic & Prairie.
Napped an hour in the rental, shed a layer, lined up for North Dakota x2. Ran Fargo my first 50 tour.
Cool overcast skies, perfect for Fall running. Combined FULL & Half Start – lotta company first 5 miles. Flat easy course, mix of suburbia & bike path. 2:04 first Half split. Pace faded after (my habit since Spring).
Riverwood Drive, Riverside Park, Riverfront Trail. Crossed the mighty Missouri at markers 5 & 16.
In-between miles spent travelling to/from neighboring Mandan. Surprise ‘Catch of the Day’? Run-miles 16 thru 24: riverside bike trail & a tree-lined golf course. Nice on the eyes.
Walk/jogged last 2 miles, sub-5 FINISH. No drama, just nothing in the tank. Medal Monday #128.
The Bismarck Marathon
K R Haga Residence: Louisville, CO
Thanks for competing in The Bismarck Marathon. You finished in a time of 4:54:56.
This message is provided as a service by Pickle Events, the timing company for the The Bismarck Marathon.
Lemons into lemonade. Unexpectedly snagged a lazy day – in Bismarck North Dakota (United cancelled my return flight home).
Long hotel shower. Local barbeque. Slow stroll around ND’s Capitol, a history-nerd’s playground. Historic buildings, flags, statues, monuments. (hotel TV) Community-access channel flooded with POLKA. 4-stars North Dakota, you had me at Sacajawea ❤️
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- late midnite arrival
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- North Dakota x2
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- the Pioneer Family
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- guided expedition, baby on her back
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- TATANKA!
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- North Dakota’s capitol city
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- post-marathon GORGE ❤️
North Dakota LOVES Polka
Good things happen to good people. And this time, the good person was me 🙂
Haven’t seen my bestie Dawn since our 2 week, 2 island, ‘cross the Pacific Ocean, adventure to New Zealand. Lucky me! After visiting her godmother in Vegas, was treated to a Colorado weekend on her CT return home. Hour upon arrival, Friday dinner at the Post. FAAAANNNTASTIC!
Sunshiny Saturday. 6 years in Colorado but NEVER toured Denver. Been waiting for a rainy-day that just never happened. Super fun to have a weekend play friend! ❤
Walked the State Capitol grounds, enjoyed a few minutes of the annual Veterans Day parade. HUGE USA flag traveled Broadway, before turning in front the Denver Art Museum.
Prime-time destination: the History Colorado Center – more specifically, their exhibit of Western American Art. Lewis & Clark’s telescope (circa 1800), bronzed Wild West sculptures & of course, walls & walls of art – landscape paintings, cowpokes & Native Americans. LOVED LOVED!
Lunch’d at Denver’s historic Brown Palace. No formal tea service (reservations FULL thru December) – no worries, happily gorged at one of the hotel’s 2 other restaurants.
Nite plans? Tapas at neighbor Larry’s home. Morning next? Creole breakfast with Ash & Tom.
No questioning my excessive run habits. I run because I eat – & I like to eat a lot. LOL>
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- State Capitol
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- Veterans Day parade
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- Civil War Monument
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- Colorado Judicial Center
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- Denver Art Museum
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- Pioneer Monument Fountain
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- Brown Palace Hotel (circa 1892)
History Colorado Center
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- Western American Art exhibit
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- POWERFUL use of colour
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- “Wooly Chaps” sculpture
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- Buffalo Bill (visiting the Museum in Golden tomorrow)
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- LOVE LOVE her smile ❤
Veterans Day 2017
6:30am Start – up early, 5:30 shuttle last transport from my hotel. One block from the Outdoor Memorial. National Anthem, followed by 168 seconds of silence – respect for the lives lost in 1995.
Chilly start – gusty wind & light rain. Running in shorts again…gotta check the weather app before I leave home. LOL> 25,000 runners, corral start. Lotta local crowd support, much appreciated.
Started tenth-mile behind the 4:15 pace group. Hung close thru mile 2. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (home to OKC’s Triple-A Dodgers). Past two [Phillips 66] oil derricks, 500 feet outside the Oklahoma State Capitol. Caught the 4 hour pacers at mile 5. Halfers peeled off before 8.
Gorilla Hill, Nichols Hills, Rose Hill, Heritage Hills – not a flat course 🙂
2:01 first Half. Couple minutes slower than last Saturday…on a more technical course – I’ll take it. Struggled the two miles ‘round Lake Hefner. High gusty winds. Head lowered, pushed thru the day’s weather obstacle. Misty rain blew sideways. 4 hour pace group matched me, moved past me.
Tree cover at mile 16, more at 18. Downhill stretch [thru mile 20] before a quad-burning 4 mile climb…topping out in OKC’s scenic Heritage Hills. Mighty late in the day for 4 miles of UP.
Run/walk combination last 2 miles. Mental dip/endorphin drop but not a bad performance – maintained posture, felt good in my shoes. Hilly run…third straight weekend marathoning – finished just over 4:15, an Oklahoma PR. 2nd fastest of 2017, 16th best of my 88. 128 consecutive run days – feelin’ STRONG!
2017 Results – OKC Marathon
Haga, K R LOUISVILLE CO 4:17:20
6 hours to burn before my Colorado flight home. Fried pickles at Toby Keith’s (while in Oklahoma, gotta/hafta), feet up/giant Coke & a movie….then, 2 stops of interest: Oklahoma’s Land Run Monument & a brief pull-over at the State Capitol.
More than 50,000 Americans lined up at noon on April 22nd 1889 for our country’s last great Land Run. Towns were formed, homesteads staked. Ironically, monuments outside the state’s Capitol Dome celebrate Oklahoma’s Native American population (from whom the land was taken). Cowboys, Indians & Oil. American history is kinda messed up, huh?
Far North next weekend, adventuring with my Canadian bestie Sarah. Marathoning of course but ALSO…Niagara Falls!
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- marathon #88; an Oklahoma PR
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- Oklahoma Land Run of 1889
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- “one of the world’s largest bronze sculptures featuring 45 heroic figures of land run participants, frozen in motion as they race to claim new homesteads”
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- OK’s Field of Flags
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- Cowboys, Indians & Oil
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
