Overcast & cool, low morning temps. FANTASTIC marathon morn! Late sleep-in too. Downtown Minneapolis Start super close to my Westin overnight digs.
8am Start, Corral 2. No longer hung up on starting in an early corral. If I could break 5 hours again, that’d be a victory. Diet on point. Training miles met. Morning acid blocker taken, pain pill safely stored for marathon 2nd Half. 4:45 goal today. Never been a runner who’s super time consumed. Ultimately wanna bring my finish under 4 hours again.
Point-to-point course, Minneapolis to St Paul. Started 7 minutes after the Elites.
Minnesota’s known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Majority were represented today. First 13 miles, LAKE scenic. Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet, Lake Nokomis, Lake Hiawatha. 1:58 Half, first sub-2 since Spring. Porta-potty, refueled. Nothing extra ‘til mile 15. Skies stayed overcast, wind blew cold. Thankful for gloves – GREAT conditions.
So what makes the Twin Cities Marathon so popular? CROWD SUPPORT. Not just Aid Station volunteers, city residents line this course. Mile 1 thru mile 26. Absolutely serious. Spectators even on the abandoned miles, like mile 17 – past the Half, well before the Finish. NEVER do you see folks miles 15 thru 21. 40’s/overcast/slight wind – near PERFECT when you’re running, but standing/cheering on participants, WOW! Bundled in coats, had to be cold. Top 10 marathon of my life. AMAZING crowds.
130 marathons, all unique, no repeats. Warm ❤️ for Minnesota. Same kinda crowds at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, my first ever sub-4 (June 2014). Think I’ve found a 2nd run home. Easy airport travel, cool Spring/Autumn weather. Tag.
Quarter-mile walk at 18, another quarter-mile break at marker 23. Crossed the mighty Mississippi at mile 19. Breezy, cold & BEAUTIFUL. Marathon’s only actual incline (mile 21), killed it. Saw the approach early. Head down, arms pumping, pushed thru the top. 9:36/min pace. Best pace of 2nd Half. I run HILLS at home 😊
Big fade at 23, then an unexpected second wind. What? 10/min pace last two marathon miles. Not earth-shattering for most – but 24 miles into a marathon, HUGE success.
STRONG FINISH at Minnesota’s State Capitol dome. 4-hour pacer started a Corral ahead, 4:30 runners never caught me. He’s baaaaack. Minnesota x2 SUCCESS! Diet, meds or result from tens & tens of pre-dawn training miles. Good to feel good again! ALL IN. CHANGING NOTHING rest of October.
Theatre at the Guthrie. Front row seat, benefit of travelling solo. Work day Monday…but tonite, Frankenstein – he’s ALIVE!
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon
K R Haga Louisville, CO
TIME 4:20:39
24M 3:57:12
30K 2:58:50
13.1M 1:57:59
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- marathon FINISH
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- Minnesota State Capitol
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- St Paul MN
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- SKOL! Viking PROUD!
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- Frankenstein – he’s ALIVE!
Twin Cities Marathon
No matter the poison – sweet, savory, fruit, meringue. Cake or pie? It’s pie EVERY time.
Better than pie? Hmm. Pie WEEK! With Stephen local thru Saturday, Ash upped the ante with TWO birthday celebrations. But she’s cookin’ dinner just once. HAHA – deal! 👍
Birthday Pie #1: HOMEMADE Strawberry Rhubarb. Boiled/prepped raw rhubarb, crust from scratch, lattice top. Deee-lish!
Birthday Dinner? Shrimp kebob, corn on-the-cob, lamb & fresh veggies. Outside grilled, the BEST! Hey did I mention this was Ash’s FIRST EVER homemade PIE? Perrrfect.
Friday nite treat: Dinner theatre for 4. Yep, ’tis the season – SUMMER – ’cause we theatre EVERY season. LOL> Back in Johnstown this quarter, that’s 3 in a row at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. Learned all ’bout the rough/seedy side of newspaper delivery in 1900’s Brooklyn – NEWSIES! Dig our Colorado family tradition ❤️
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- birthday RHUBARB
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- outside grilled – the BEST!
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- NEWSIES’ Cub Reporter
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- quarterly theatre tradition
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- L👀K who’s running?
Luckily, fit work ’round play. Longer days, warmer weather, lotta sunshine – first week of Spring 💐
Stephen arrived Friday before my Tobacco Road run & stayed the week. Super FUN having your bestie around – not just me: my pup Ro LOVED the daytime companionship. Long walks ‘round Waneka & no kennel stay while Dad marathons the 50 States a 2nd time.
ALSO bestest excuse to blow a diet. Dined out every nite I didn’t order pizza, LOL> Just being a good Colorado host 🙂
Tuesday: magician Adam Trent
Couple months ago, local friend asked if I wanted to catch a show in Denver. First time at the Buell saw Broadway’s Jersey Boys. Kinda thought this was the same type of thing. That said, digged the audience interaction. People who go to Magic shows LOVE LOVE Magic shows. Lady beside me jumped outta her seat every time Adam Trent asked for a volunteer (sadly, she was never chosen).
GREAT energy, GREAT pre-show dining ❤ – my first “High-Tech Magic Extravaganza”.
Escape Mars – Thursday
Not my first rodeo – joined Sis & family escape a 1908 schoolroom in Frisco last May – but my first time escaping Mars. This adventure tagged Ash & Tom. Credit to Stephen for keyboarding the alien tune by ear. Mad skillz man. Unlocked the former astronauts’ computer, which opened a door to a secret room – accessed only by crawl space. That’s it, no more spoilers.
The first astronauts living on Mars have discovered something incredible, an alien tomb millions of years old. But before long their reports grew strange, disoriented. They exhibited signs of a mental collapse. Then vanished… Your crew is being sent to investigate the alien tomb and discover the fate of the lost scientists.
Locked in an alien Martian tomb with family – absolutely the BEST!!
Strolled Olde Town Arvada after. Dinner, ice cream & a retro candy shop. Not bad for a school nite, huh?
“Kiss Me Kate” – Friday
Dinner theatre for 4. Returned to our Thanksgiving venue, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Johnstown. LOVE LOVE the intimate setting at Boulder Dinner Theatre but the current year’s lineup: mighty weak. No interest. Good to have options.
Saturday morning flight for Stephen. Play time over? Well…maybe first a weekend hike. It IS Colorado.
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- dinner & a MAGIC show
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- first time escaping Mars 🙂
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- dinner & a retro candy shop
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- our quarterly theatre tradition
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- seasonal haircut, it was time 🙂
magician Adam Trent
