11 consecutive weeks marathoning, honestly feeling a bit banged up. Sunday’s run in Philadelphia will be marathon #47. Afterwards will get a one week reprieve, feast Thanksgiving with family, then finish out my 50 State calendar in Memphis at St. Jude’s.
Hold on – whole lotta weekend happenin’ before Sunday. Super excited to tour Philly – in particular, hafta/gotta/wanna see the Liberty Bell AND iconic Rocky Balboa statue. HAHA – yep, it’s true. The original Rocky flic is an all-time Top 10, probably watch once a year. Laugh if you will – but LOVE LOVE this film.
Flew out Friday (first snow of the season), hotel taxi’d post-midnight, 5 hours shut-eye – woke to sunshine. Late November in Philly, couldn’t have asked for better weather 🙂
Penn Center ⇨ Philadelphia Stock Exchange ⇨ Philadelphia City Hall ⇨ Declaration House ⇨ Independence Hall ⇨ Liberty Bell
Morning 2 mile jaunt down Market Street was like a walking tour of American Revolutionary history. WOW, WOW, WOW! Caught 20 minutes of two Park Service films…shame I didn’t have more time. Taxi’d to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, snapped a shot with Rocky – walked those iconic steps. No words.
Washington Monument ⇨ Franklin Institute ⇨ Logan Circle ⇨ Cathedral Basilica ⇨ Philadelphia Convention Center
This 2 mile walk-about highlighted the best of Philadelphia – its beautiful monuments, fountains, manicured parks & cityscape.
Bib pick-up at the Convention Center (for next day’s marathon), taxi’d back to my hotel (driver waited while I changed clothes), next stop: Walnut Street Theatre. Talk about a crazy FULL day. My friend Stephen had secured 2 tickets to ‘A Christmas Story’. AWESOME production, PERFECT kick-off to the upcoming holiday season (also appreciated sitting down a couple hours 🙂 ).
Founded in 1809, this National Historic Landmark theater is the nation’s oldest playhouse.
Post-show fine dining & a taxi ride home. FAAANNNTASTIC Philadelphia day!
Running 26.2’s gonna seem like a cake walk tomorrow – so much to see & do, LOVE LOVE this town!
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- first snow of the season
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- Penn Center
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- Philadelphia Stock Exchange
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- Philadelphia City Hall
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- Declaration House
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- Independence Hall
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- Second Bank of the United States
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- symbol of American freedom
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- iconic Rocky Balboa (sporting tomorrow’s Philly Marathon shirt)
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- “the steps” — WOW!
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- Philadelphia Museum of Art
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- Washington Monument Fountain
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- The Franklin Institute
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- Logan Circle
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- Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter & St. Paul
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- Walnut Street Theatre – oldest playhouse in America
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- Liberty Bell, Rocky Balboa…and theatre — jam-packed Philadelphia day!
Rocky theme song: ‘Gonna Fly Now‘
Advertised as North Carolina’s toughest road race – was NOT the reason I chose Thunder Road as my NC marathon. Selected NC’s most economical place to fly, Charlotte. Sometimes it comes down to $$.
Tenth week marathoning – would be my shortest time away. In Friday afternoon, out 25 hours later.
Taxi’d uptown, bib pick-up, hotel check-in, NASCAR. When in Charlotte, gotta visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Redneck paradise. [joking] actually kinda interesting. History of car racing, followed by rows n rows of vintage cars – not so much – but the racing simulator…fun time, highly recommended.
Early to bed, early to rise. Scored late hotel check-out. Tomorrow’s marathon goal: run fast enough to catch a shower before flying home 🙂 [this Fall’s all-East Coast running theme]
Saturday, woke to sunshine & unseasonably warm temps. Running in November, never know what you’re gonna get (even in South). On my way to the Start, walked past Bank of America Stadium – NFL home of the Carolina Panthers. Nice digs. This town loves their sports.
Start/finished at BB&T BallPark, Charlotte’s triple A baseball stadium. Again, nice digs. Not a lotta marathon participants (< 1,000) especially for such a large city – but great crowd support. Thanks Charlotte! Hills seemed never ending but that’s become 2016 standard – from Vermont & San Francisco to Ohio & West Virginia…I’ve seen a lotta hills this year.
Novant Health Thunder Road Marathon
Charlotte, NC Nov 14, 2015 7:30AM
418 K R HAGA » Marathon » Louisville, CO » 04:27:51
Social Media Recap: #46 in the books – only 5 states to go (PA TN HI IL & CO); beautiful weather, whole lotta hills, whole lotta music & great crowd support. Go Charlotte, nicely done! Ended in the medic tent, needed to ice the Achilles – 10 weeks of marathoning taking its toll. Doc says keep it iced all week & should be fine for Philly next Sunday. Cut more than 10 minutes off last week’s finish time. Celebrating with French onion soup & oysters. FAAAANNNTASTIC!
Next weekend: Philadelphia
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- all revved for tomorrow’s marathon in Charlotte NC, home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame – didn’t know what to expect after totaling my car on Monday…but completely off meds & feeling STRONG!
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- start & finish from Charlotte’s Triple A [baseball] home
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- #46 in the books – only 5 states to go! Ended in the medic tent, needed to ice the Achilles – 10 weeks of marathoning taking its toll. Cut more than 10 minutes off last week.
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- Good nite, Charlotte — next stop: Denver
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- LOVE these faces 🙂
Over the past 12 months – thanks to an overactive marathon schedule – have managed to see almost every relative ever this past year, no matter where in the States they live. Back in DC this weekend, would get the opportunity to see two cousins I missed in October when marathoning in Baltimore – PLUS lucked out with accommodations (stayed with my Aunt Joyce). LOVE LOVE family!
Arrived in rain…and it would rain all day Saturday. Nothing you can do about the weather – just grin & make the best of the situation 🙂 Parked right beside the Washington Monument – score! Rain was relentless, kept pouring all day (luckily, monsoon weather kept lotta tourists away). Ultimately, decided to make it a Smithsonian [indoor] day.
Which Smithsonian? American History Museum of course (my minor in college). I’m a nerd that way.
Stalked cousin Denise at her workplace (hair salon owner in Leesburg VA), shared dinner with cousin Chuck & family (in Frederick MD), then settled into bed at my Aunt Joyce’s home (in Martinsburg WV). Yep, 3 states in 4 hours – let’s how I roll.
5 hours shuteye, ran my DC marathon – then hobbled 2 hours around the National Mall, before catching a return flight home to Colorado. Time challenged to fit in multiple Monuments (on my only sunny DC day), used Dulles [airport] for dinner & a much needed [restroom sink] splash bath. Not easy livin’ B-I-G with work week constraints (Monday morning’s gonna come around fast). LOL>
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- Washington Monument
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- rain day, Smithsonian day
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- Revolutionary gun boat
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- actual Star-Spangled Banner inside (no photos allowed)
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- closest I got to the actual White House (rainy day, long walk, been before)
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- stalked cousin Denise at her salon – LOVE LOVE my family!
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- Lincoln Memorial
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- our 16th President
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- National Mall
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- World War II Memorial
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- Jefferson Memorial
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- MLK Memorial
