Based on the header, ya’ll know this tale doesn’t end well – but no worries, that’s only half the story 🙂
Kicked off the weekend talking smack with Sis over social media ‘bout this weekend’s marathon. Should she BQ (Boston Qualify), I agreed to down her complimentary can of Beet Juice. Tried this once during last year’s Fargo Marathon – one word: DIS-GUST. Like a can of liquid dirt. And that color – let’s just say: what goes in, must come out. DIS-GUST.
Saturday morn sunshine. First stop Rockwood Summit High, where nephew Jack plays volleyball. Yep, soccer & track weren’t enough – signed up with friends. No previous knowledge of the game…rules, scoring – great to be young, no hesitation, no fear.
While Sis’ had her fill of carting kids to sporting events, I rarely get the chance to join a family cheer section. Nephew won his first tournament game, so the Team plays on. Super FUN. In-law Bro stayed behind, Sis & I headed to Purina Farms to attend a dog agility show. Watched Ro’s agility doppelganger, an Airedale, complete the course twice before we shifted to view the smaller dogs. LOVED LOVED it! Finished at the diving pool where NO dog completed the task. Each ran hard down the short runway but all stopped short of jumping in its chilly water. Tennis balls, duck decoys, Frisbees – didn’t matter what the object, no takers today. HA!
Dinner, lazed around with family. FAAANNNTASTIC!
National Siblings Day
Early morning start, my 2nd St. Louis Marathon. Left knee still tight from my first marathon double 2 weeks ago, followed by last weekend’s Rockin’ K trail run – I drug all downhill stretches in Kansas.
Snagged a B corral start (based on last year’s finish time). Sis had her own plan today – BQ — also running 26.2, paced by members of her local Fleet Feet group. Sis runs with a pack.
Warmed up, started on pace, but unfortunately everything tightened by mile 3. Focused on reaching landmarks I remembered from last year. Highlight: Running thru Anheuser-Busch again (miles 8-10). Forest Park – mile 15. Walk, run. Pain shot up my left leg, knee throbbed. Weird, cruel injury – uphill no problem, it’s downhill stretches which hobbled my spirit. Crossed the timing map at mile 20, only 6 to go.
Sharp shooting pain continued up my left leg, ankle to knee. Just past Mile 21, I went down – could no longer hold weight on the leg. Have never DNF’d. Ambulance transport to the Med Tent near the Finish Line (an hour later). Whereas all major marathons have doctors on staff, this was a St Louis fail. Couldn’t walk, received nothing for pain. Paramedic wrapped my knee in ice. Luckily Sis is a doc & provided meds – yep, same sis who just finished the marathon. Shower, pasta & drugs. Made my night flight home.
Body damaged. Spirit broken. What to do? Races booked every weekend thru June.
Stop, turn it off. Breathe. Tomorrow’s another day.
GO! St. Louis Marathon:
K R HAGA crossed the 20 Mile Split at 10:59
Course time: 03:57:55
Pace: 11:54 min/mi
-
- ‘first cone of the season’ — tomorrow morning, St Louis bound
-
- Rockwood Summit volleyball
-
- lucky #7 (nephew Jack)
-
- look who’s driving?
-
- Dog Agility Show
-
- LOVED watching this Airedale, Ro’s doppelganger
-
- high flying pooch
-
- diving competition fails
-
- not ONE dove in today #chillywater
-
- GREAT day at Purina Farm — absolutely nothing like family 🙂
Purina Dog Agility Show
oceanfront Polynesian Luau
Snorkeling by day, luau by night.
Shower, short nap, hour drive north to Lahaina. Evening plans? Feast at Lele. What island vacation would be complete without a traditional Hawaiian luau?
getting my luau on
Truth: First exposure to a Hawaiian luau – the Brady Bunch. Mike, Carol, 6 kids & Alice all wearing flower leis – enjoying island life but troubled by a cursed Tiki idol, which followed them all vacation. LOL>
4-course dinner & dance, celebrating the island cultures of Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti & Samoa. Ranking them – personal faves: Hawaii & Tahiti.
LOVED LOVED LOVED it! Highly recommend.
Feast at Lele, Lahaina
In between back-to-back-to-back marathon months – been working on the ‘mental’, attending local film festivals & lectures.
Reel Rock 10 – Thursday Sept 17th
Sporting one of the world’s largest climbing communities, no surprise Reek Rock kicks off annually in Boulder. $20 General Admission tickets at historic Chautauqua Auditorium – arrived early & snagged mid-section seats. Series of films with a sense of humor & breathtaking scenery – well received this nite by the locals. While I don’t expect to free climb El Capitan next year, found the festival & its collection of films super entertaining.
Trail Running Film Festival – Tuesday Sept 29th
In only its 3rd year, local trail runners packed in Boulder’s Dairy Center for the Arts – 8 films, 3+ hours of sit time. Sat directly behind & 3 seats across from two guys in the Alaska Mt Marathon flic, titled “3022ft”. Additionally, near half the girls from “She Wanted to Fly” attended tonite (filmed locally here in Boulder).
My fave film, “The Run for Colin”, followed a young man’s quest to set the PCT speed record – Mexico to Canada in under 60 days. Ran 47 miles a day – EVERY day. WOW, left super inspired!
Seriously considering running 5 days, 5 states, 5 marathons in March 2016…seriously 🙂
Jane Goodall – Thursday Oct 1st
Free tickets gone in minutes, crashing the university’s website – count me one of the lucky ones. Life is good 🙂 Impressive living in a community where a lecturing scientist fills an arena & disrupts traffic. #faithinhumanity
To accommodate the public, lecture was moved from Macky Auditorium to Coors Events Center (CU’s basketball arena) – and those tickets went in 2 hours. Largest lecture attendance in CU history – almost 9,000 – crowded into a basketball arena to listen to Dr. Goodall discuss a wide range of environmental topics/our species’ biggest threats: global warming, deforestation, ocean pollutants & use of GMOs in food & modern agriculture (a practice outlawed in Europe).
For Goodall, the legendary primatologist-turned-environmental rock star, who at age 81 travels 300 days a year to every corner of the planet, there is no cause too minor or local when it comes to conservation.
“You’re lucky,” she said toward the end of her 75-minute talk at the University of Colorado’s Coors Events Center. “You live in Boulder, where there really is concern for the environment. Where wonderful things are happening. We want that to spread around the world.”
Goodall’s lecture covered a wide range of topics, from her childhood to her years observing and living among chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream National Park of Tanzania, to her hopes for the future of a planet she believes must rescue itself from total environmental devastation.
Everest – Tuesday, Oct 6th
Heard mixed reviews re: this Fall’s blockbuster film, “Everest”. Based on a true story, knew ahead [that] half the May 10th climbers would not survive. What I didn’t expect however, was how drawn I still am to Everest. Despite this year’s earthquakes & climb season cancellation (super disappointing), found myself mesmerized – almost jealous of the whipping wind, exposed skin & SNOW.
After marathoning St. Jude’s in Memphis – last of 2015 – expect to fill the holiday season with snowy 14er hikes/climbs, tenting & backpacking until my Hawaii run in mid-January.
“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir
Run Free – The True Story of Caballo Blanco – Thursday, Oct 29th
Ended film festival season attending a newly released documentary on Caballo Blanco. Soon after moving to Boulder, I remember reading about a memorial service held by the local trail running community – but did not understand the significance. Complicated individual. Micah True lived simply among Mexico’s indigenous Tarahumara Indians & spent his last days giving back to these people — promoting an ultra run thru the canyons of northern Mexico, raising funds to support his adopted people. Left tonite feeling, inspired!
American Mountaineering Museum• The feature-length documentary is about ultra-running legend Micah True. Better known as Caballo Blanco – the White Horse – True, was the focal character of Christopher McDougall’s 2009 best-selling book “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” about the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico.
