theatre

Colorado Marathon

Published May 1, 2016

Touchdown from Chicago at 930pm, 1030 home, asleep by 11. Alarm sounded at 245am, Maniac pal Stacy rang my doorbell at 315 – car pooling north to Fort Collins to finish my 50 States Quest, marathoning all 50 in under 3 years.

Knee wrapped, body banged up from yesterday’s 26.2 in Illinois – but mentally in a good place…today, the journey ends. What started as a ‘one and done’ marathon in Anchorage evolved & spread across the whole USA. Maine to Miami, Fargo to Falmouth, Sioux Falls to San Francisco, New Mexico to New York City. After today, I will have marathoned every American state – all 50 plus DC.

50 States Finish

430am bus departure – north up Poudre Canyon, point-to-point trek finishing in downtown Fort Collins. No accident I would end my Quest in Colorado. May 1^st in Colorado. Temps in the 20’s, light snow falling on canyon boulders & lodgepole pine. It’s like the gods knew – it’s his 50^th – make it PERFECT!

Layered up, descended the bus with hundreds of other eager runners, John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High blaring on outdoor speakers. This was REALLY happening. WOW WOW WOW! Snapped more than a few snowy pre-race pics. I never started with the dream of finishing all 50 – one of the biggest personal accomplishments of my life.

Queued up with the 5 hr pace group. Slow n steady. No failing today – run, walk, crawl – but finish before the 6 hour cutoff, gut out 26.2 miles. Made insta-friends with 1^st time marathoner, Jen & trekked together the first 15 miles. Easy, forgiving course, mostly downhill to the Half. IT band stung by mile 7 but kept trucking along.

HUGE smile, enveloped by snow – 100% in my element. 2:30 Half, one of my slowest…but on track to Finish.

Said my goodbyes to Jen at mile 15. Walk, run – but kept moving, Mile 18: shooting pain. Not proud, but popped a pain pill. Getting thru today’s run doing absolutely whatever needed to finish.

Left leg completely stiff – same recurring injury – just 3 miles more. Not gonna sugar coat it – I hurt. Each pounding step, nerve strikes from my weakened left knee (like bone grinding on bone).

Entered Fort Collins. Focused. Mile 24.

Pain was frustrating – constant, pulsing. Crossed a long wooden bridge. Mile 25. I can do anything for a mile. Felt better to slog than walk, drug my left prosthetic along.

Two-tenths to go, saw people, saw the Finish. Bent the tin-man leg, willed it to move. Music blaring in my headset, eyes tearing, pounded my chest – each step closer, folks cheering me on. Kept pushing. Would not stop.

Joy, relief. So much emotion. I DID IT – I finished.

If I never run again, this day I set a goal, met a goal. I walked the talk. I did the impossible. No excuses, no regrets, nothing left undone. Proud to have family & friends see me finish. INNER PRIDE – absolutely anything is possible.

Congratulations #50 K R HAGA!

Here are your results for the 2016 Colorado Marathon:

Your final time is 05:23:27

Post-marathon lasagna. Next stop: dessert – at The Chocolate Café. Shower, (‘nother) pain pill, change of clothes, Dinner Theatre in Boulder. Notta lotta sleep – 4 hours spread over 2 days – but tonite we celebrate. B-I-G. #noregretlife

: all 50 plus DC

: taking in the moment (ironically, wearing a jacket from my first state marathon, Alaska)

: pre-dawn: Poudre Canyon

: it’s like the gods knew – make it PERFECT!

: body banged up from yesterday’s 26.2 in Illinois – but mentally in a good place…today, the journey ends

: Manic pal Stacy

: Othman from my Vegas marathon

: made insta-friends with 1st time marathoner, Jen & trekked together the first 15 miles

: next up: mile marker 25

: 50 States FINISHER!

: cold day shared with friends & family

: notta lotta sleep – 4 hours spread over 2 days – but tonite we CELEBRATE!

May 1 • Fort Collins • Colorado Marathon

pre-race clip in Poudre Canyon — will never forget this day, snow/mountains/Colorado, storybook ending to my 50 States Quest

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, NoCo/Indian Peaks | Tagged theatre | 2 Comments

Independence Hall & Rocky Balboa

Published November 21, 2015

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!

: first snow of the season

: Penn Center

: Philadelphia Stock Exchange

: Philadelphia City Hall

: Declaration House

: Independence Hall

: Second Bank of the United States

: symbol of American freedom

: iconic Rocky Balboa (sporting tomorrow’s Philly Marathon shirt)

: “the steps” — WOW!

: Philadelphia Museum of Art

: Washington Monument Fountain

: The Franklin Institute

: Logan Circle

: Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter & St. Paul

: Walnut Street Theatre – oldest playhouse in America

: Liberty Bell, Rocky Balboa…and theatre — jam-packed Philadelphia day!

Rocky theme song: ‘Gonna Fly Now‘

Posted in Northeast | Tagged kyrkan, museo, nat'l-park, theatre | Leave a comment

livin’ B-I-G in N-Y-C

Published October 31, 2015

Started blogging Jan 2012 as a means to measure growth, hold myself accountable & most importantly – not waste a mid-life second chance, my life do-over in Colorado. Self-tutored WordPress, created a URL & wrote an About page.

After working ten years in media advertising in Manhattan, I did something completely out of character — I took a leap of faith and started living the life I watched others doing on reality TV. Anyone can do this – just a matter of drawing that line in the sand and saying ‘no mas’. I want something different. I am not stuck.

Fast forward 4 YEARS. Set & met multiple yearly goals – hiking, climbing, Ironman, marathoning. Now an outdoors guy who respects nature & appreciates FAMILY. I’m a doer – I walk the talk.

This weekend: N-Y-C baby – he’s BAAACCCK. First return since my 2011 life change.

Back for the New York City Marathon – only major marathon scheduled in my 50 State journey. Not a huge fan of crowds (side-effect of living simply) but no place I’d rather complete my New York race, than NYC.

Stretched time away with a midnight red-eye to JFK (via Boston). Taxied early morn to my Times Square hotel, quick 3 hour nap – up & walking Manhattan by 10am. So many memories here. WOW – great to be back!

News Corp building walk-by (my former 9-year NYC home, refuge & prison), tourist walk thru Times Square. Snapped a shot of Radio City Music Hall, then subway trekked downtown to the Javits Center for marathon bib pick-up.

[NYC pastime: People watching on the Subway. Forgot today was Halloween — jack the freak meter UP. LOL>]

Biggest Marathon EXPO of my 50. Whatta journey: Lottery ‘regrets’ letter in March, surprise Acceptance letter in June [with help from friends] – now tomorrow, November 1^st: I’m running the New York City Marathon. WOW WOW WOW!

Bib pick-up complete – best use of my remaining Big Apple time?

Lazy stroll down High Line Park (park built high above, on old rail lines – LOVE this place). Tickets to a Broadway matinee – A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love & Murder (thanks Stephen). Next, a fancy pre-race Manhattan dinner. While in New York…hafta, gotta, right? Uptown ride to Columbus Circle; outdoor seating hugging Central Park. Yeah, pretty much perfect day. a no regrets Life 🙂

FOOD, SHOW, swanky HOTEL digs. New York, New York: FAN-frickin’-TASTIC!