Early Saturday start, connection in Chicago, landed in Burlington VT just after 2pm. Bib pick-up, checked into the Hilton (fancy digs), then strolled pedestrian Church Street in search of lunch. Outside dining at Rí Rá, beautiful sunshiny day. Short walk down Battery aside scenic Lake Champlain, watched the sunset from my hotel room. Early to bed, early to rise – marathon #30 tomorrow a.m.
-
- early a.m. start: Denver ⇨ Chicago ⇨ Burlington
-
- Memorial Day run in scenic Vermont
-
- pedestrian Church Street, Burlington
-
- Lake Champlain sunset
Caught up with Wisconsin-marathoner Toni & husband Jeff for breakfast. First met this twosome in Jackson after Mississippi Blues in January. I’m not much for eating pre-race – but enjoy hanging with good people. Upbeat attitudes, good mojo.
8:03 start time, hats off for the Anthem, queued up under sunny skies.
Went out fast. Crossed the actual Start Line 3 times within the first 9 miles – course loops downtown, two separate out-n-backs. Drafted behind a runner trekking off road, followed along a 3 mile stretch resembling trail (good on the feet). We ran negative splits (miles 7, 8 & 9) & caught the 3:45 pace group. Stopped for water at mile 11 & they were gone.
Mile 15 – Battery Park. Drums beating, pre-warned this Hill was coming, kicked in & killed it – up & over mile 15, plus the surprise hill at mile 16. Drums set this marathon apart, a memory I’ll take home.
Course wound thru quiet neighborhoods & city parks. Residents turned on sprinklers & passed out popsicles as temps climbed. AWESOME crowd support! Toe on my right foot bled thru the shoe, slogged thru miles 21-24.
26 miles – seemingly nothing left in the tank – got into a foot race. 50 meters to go, I went full sprint against a guy fast on my left. Finish picture, a bit inconclusive – [in my version] undoubtedly pulled ahead & won the day 🙂 Relay runner. I go full-on sprint after 26 miles against a relay runner. If I could muster a little competitiveness throughout an entire race, forget sub-4, I’d sub-3. LOL >
Back in the hotel, lanced my toe to relieve pressure. Liquid sprayed like a fountain PLUS I lost the nail (Ashton says I gloss over the less glamorous aspects of the sport). Shower, quick turnaround – sailing on Lake Champlain at 3pm. Life is good.
Vermont City Marathon and Relay
#3348 K R Haga 4:35:19
-
- breakfast w/ the pride of La Crosse WI
-
- 8:03 official start – queued up, ready to run
-
- a bit inconclusive – [my version] undoubtedly pulled ahead & won the day 🙂 Went full-on sprint after 26 miles against a relay runner. Too competitive? This guy’s smiling – my eyes say KILL
-
- THIRTY!
-
- shower, quick turnaround – sailing on Lake Champlain at 3pm
Arrived a day earlier than most for my Granddad’s funeral so…had a free day in Northern Virginia.
Woke early, hit the hotel gym, then off to Harpers Ferry National Park in West Virginia – approx 45 minutes away.
THE HISTORY OF HARPERS FERRY HAS FEW PARALLELS IN THE AMERICAN DRAMA. It is more than one event, one date, or one individual. Harpers Ferry witnessed…the arrival of the first successful American railroad, John Brown’s attack on slavery, the largest surrender of Federal troops during the Civil War, and the education of former slaves in one of the earliest integrated schools in the United States [Storer College].
Arrived 10 minutes before the start of a FREE ranger guided tour of the town. Ya’ll know – FREE is for ME – so on the bus we climbed. Best way to see the Park & understand its unique history in a short amount of time. Highly Recommended. That said, think the ranger thought we were prepping for Jeopardy – whole lotta information 🙂
Summer’s already arrived in the Shenandoah Valley – sunny & humid but luckily, this day included a breeze. Enjoyed spectacular views of the Potomac – rushing water still running high, early in the season. Walked over the river via a pedestrian bridge constructed by the B&O Railroad. Took pics at “The Point” (where Maryland, Virginia & West Virginia meet) & ate lunch at a local café before the heavens opened. Rain cooled temps by 15.
I had been to Harpers Ferry years ago as a boy. Seemed fitting to return before tomorrow’s funeral. So much personal history, shared memories with my Grandparents. Fun day but jeez, hard saying goodbye.
-
- Harpers Ferry Nat’l Park
-
- ranger guided tour – whole lotta information
-
- Potomac River & Shenandoah Valley
-
- springtime in the Virginias
-
- Appalachian Trail — 1165 miles to Maine, 1013 miles to Georgia
-
- historic Storer College (1865-1955)
-
- St. Peters
-
- “The Point” — Maryland on left, Virginia to the right, standing in West Virginia
-
- B&O Railroad
-
- pedestrian walk-bridge over Potomac – sunshiny humid East Coast day
After a 2-hour flight delay, arrived in Minneapolis…just before midnight. Whew, late night – but end of another work week, psyched for marathon #8. Have pasta loaded & consistently ran for almost 3 weeks. Ready to run!
Started my Minneapolis day at a rooftop café in Uptown. Norwegian Benedict (eggs benedict w/ salmon) – YUM! Hot, overcast & HUMID. I thought Minnesota weather would be more like Alaska — NOT! ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ is crazy humid. And if tens of deep lake waters were not enough, the Mississippi River runs north-south through the city. Misperception: the mighty Mississipp’ is not solely in the Deep South – Huck Finn & Tom Sawyer had a whole lotta river to work with 🙂
3 mile walk around Lake of the Isles, then off to Mall of America – USA’s largest shopping mall (North America #2 – behind Canada’s West Edmonton Mall). Honestly I’m not much of shopper but had to see what the fuss was about – an amusement park (Nickelodeon Universe) inside a shopping mall? Picked up a Vikings shirt for tomorrow’s race. Check, done.
Paid homage to Mary Tyler Moore – positioned outside Macy’s in Downtown – then to the Sculpture Gardens & Saint Mary’s Basilica. Hour nap, take-out pizza, quick shower & Minneapolis’ famous Guthrie Theatre. 2nd row tickets to Crimes of the Heart.
FULL day – so much to see, so little time. But tomorrow is race day!
-
- Welcome to Minnesota — thanks, Goldy Gopher!
-
- Land of 10,000 Lakes: Started w/ a 3-mile hike around Lake of the Isles – only 9,999 lakes to go!
-
- Mare’s top-floor studio apartment in Uptown (MTM)
-
- ‘who can turn the world on with her smile” – MTM, a TV legend
-
- Minneapolis’ Foshay Tower
-
- tower with a view – Foshay observation deck
-
- mighty Mississipp’ from the Stone Arch Bridge
-
- America’s first Basilica – Minneapolis’ St. Mary’s
-
- who doesn’t love stained glass? WOW!
-
- Mall of America obligatory visit – yep, an amusement park inside a shopping mall #firstworldproblems
-
- mango smoothie at Chatime – a new fav! Forget sushi — this is Asia’s greatest export!
-
- Minneapolis Sculpture Garden’s ‘Hare on Bell’
-
- tree bark & branches cast in bronze
-
- chillin’ by the iconic “Spoonbridge and Cherry”
-
- “Crimes of the Heart” at the Guthrie – ROCKSTAR day!
