urban-trail

Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon

Published June 2, 2019

UP with the sun, 50 State Day. Two lonely people remained in the casino downstairs – looks haggard/unkempt, appear they pulled an all-nighter. 5:15am. Trolley stop outside each downtown hotel. One destination: Days of ’76 Rodeo Grounds. Second string of buses lined the Rodeo.

Sunshine, morning chill. Huddled an hour outside a country church in Rochford. 8am marathon Start. Chatted it up with a group of Maniacs. Party center was a lively gal from Jersey. Roz. South Dakota her state 48, finishing this summer in the Nevadan desert (ET Midnight Marathon). Only running halves afterward – or so she said. Ya know runners & promises. Never say never.

Asphalt first mile-half, then single-filed onto Mickelson Trail. It’d widen-up soon after, more dirt road than country path. Elevation almost a thousand higher than home. Slow start. Hips/quads still achy/sore/trashed from last weekend’s Wyoming ultra/Bolder Boulder combo. Just a matter of working out the kinks. One foot in front of the other. Mentally on board. My day, my finish.

Shed layers at the next Aid Station. Double-layered, overdressed. Sun burned warm.

Antarctica flash. No penguins but same Florida ultra-runner on my left. Seth! Dude marathons 30+ annually, but here, this day in South Dakota? Great conversationalist – I found my pacer! Steady, even, guy never stops. Running 50+ MILES at Comrades in South Africa – in 6 days! Kismet. Right guy to tag this day. My golden 50 State finish. Perfect mix of chit-chat, quiet & NO walking.

Continued to push UP thru the Half. Long hill grinder mile 18, then downhill/flat remainder of the day. Ticking off the miles. I’d hang with Seth thru 25, Last Aid Station. Water, short heat break.

Finish, finish with a smile. And POSE. South Dakota LIFE memory ❤️

Sign HIGH & PROUD overhead, 50 States Round 2!

Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon

Congratulations on finishing the 2019 Deadwood Marathon!

NAME: K R Haga
OVERALL PLACE: 129

FINISH TIME: 4:49:05
HALF MARATHON SPLIT: 2:18:48

: downtown trolley

: 8am Start

: Rochford to Deadwood

: mine shaft diversion

: 50 State PACE

: steady, even chatter

: Dakota LIFE memory

: my day, my finish

: 50 States Round 2

: gas station pizza & chips

Posted in Heartland, Marathons/Ultras | Tagged urban-trail | Leave a comment

Rocky Mountain 50K

Published May 26, 2019

7am Start @ the Lincoln Monument.

Nope, not that Lincoln Monument. Exit 323 I-80 East, 10 miles outside Laramie. 8,640ft elevation. High point of the Lincoln Highway. Park Ranger greeting: “Welcome to the Summit” 🗻

Buffalo NY Memorial Day last, Buffalo image on today’s state flag – high flying beside a WYOMING roadside museum. Museum? Yep, I’ll be back ✅ First… 32 miles of Ponderosa Pine, Colorado Aspen, dirt trail, old Highway 30 and HILLS. Billed as Wyoming’s toughest marathon – it’s a high elevation hilly one. Training run for Bighorn? Third times a charm me thinks, only a few weeks away.

Chilly/foggy/overcast Start, dodged another hot one. Notta lotta tree cover after 6 miles. Pine are scenic aromatherapy but not broad leaf green. Cup-less course. Hydration vest ready. Let’s roll.

Downhill first 2 miles. Wonky gut only 4 miles in. Elevation, lotta trail bounce. Slowed pace. Gonna finish, finish with a smile. That’s the Milano mantra. “Be the person your dog thinks you are.”

Strong headwind past the Halfers’ turnaround. Asphalt next few miles, old Highway 30. 10% grade (and wind) but pavement appreciated under my feet. Change is good, mixes it up. Lost all the crowd (notta lotta 50k or marathoners). Cranked up my tunes, head/body feelin’ good by Vedauwoo.

5-mile stretch of trees & campers on a dirt ranch road. Memorial Day weekend. Grills & lawn chairs early-morn abandoned, waiting for holidayers to waken. Breakfast cooking on my return thru town.

Marathon turnaround. HILL. Two miles more ‘til my orange cone & race rep check-in. Good bit of climb between the respective half-way points. Sun HIGH, getting warm. Run, walk. Refuel’d, dumped sand/rocks outta my shoes before the short 3-mile highway reverse. Easy steady pace – NO WALK, NO STOPPING ‘til I see dirt on the other side. Goals are good 🙂.

STRONG legs, stomach a-ok, smile on my face. I’ve got this. 6-hour goal in my head. Well, that’s not happening. Would miss 6:30 too, but enjoying the ride. Steady. AND know what’s coming – 2 miles of UP – then FINISH BANNER a blowin’.

My first belt buckle, fourth ultra of 2019 and my 49^th state. Eyes on Deadwood & a SECOND 50 State finish. 7 days.

Highway drive HOME, shower, quick sleeps. Bolder Boulder tomorrow! It’s a Colorado tradition ❤️

2019 Wyoming Marathon Series

50K Results

KR Haga Colorado M 6:52:47

: Lincoln Monument

: 32 miles along the Lincoln Highway

: 4th ULTRA of 2019

: high elevation & HILLS

: WYOMING roadside bonanza

Posted in Marathons/Ultras, Rocky Mtn West | Tagged museo, urban-trail, us-presidents | Leave a comment

Frisco Railroad Run

Published April 27, 2019

There are just two things that need to be accomplished on race day:

1) Make it to the starting line

2) Make it to the finish line

Simple as that ~ Dean Karnazes

Documentation submitted & certified – just a matter of finishing my last FOUR marathons. All roads lead to Deadwood, the ‘Wild West’ South Dakota town where I’ll complete my SECOND 50 State journey ‘round our diverse/inclusive country. Vast different script than plays on TV media.

Juneau to Portland MAINE. Birmingham to Hilo. Our bonds are STRONG. Same heartfelt support & appreciative cheers in Meridian, Mississippi as in St. Paul, Minnesota. 6 continents now under my belt, still absolutely NOTHING BETTER than Team U-S-A, nowhere on Earth. Home.

Two-week run break. Starve a cold, feed a fever? Whatever the adage, ignored chest colds can also develop pneumonia. Legs rested/strong on Thursday but lacked lung capacity after 8 miles. One step after another, just gotta get it done today. Run, walk, crawl – pace myself & FINISH.

Willard Missouri. President Truman rode a train thru Willard (1948), town’s claim to fame. 4 hours from St Louis, 3 south of Kansas City. Luckily for me, only a 10 minute-drive from Springfield Regional, DIRECT flight from Denver. One chance daily, same plane back. Thanks, travel GODS.

Friday afternoon travel, Saturday morning run. Bib pick-up at the Middle school. 6am Start.

Few steps of greenway before the first show of water. Dark clouds. Low grumble. Two distant lightning sheets, ‘nother slow rumble. Rain first 6 miles & that was that. Storm threat gone.

Marathon delay didn’t affect my day – 50k DAY. Wasn’t lapped [by marathoners] ’til Garmin ticked 17/18, ‘bout same time I started to WALK. Day goal to run 16 miles. Pushed two past target. Long FOUR-HOUR (13-mile) return to Willard. No mas, nothing left. Excuses. They always come easy.

SUN 2^nd Half & a HUGE unexpected SURPRISE. Adam & Tye from ANTARCTICA. WHAAAT? Moment, time. Memory compartmentalized with penguins, my Punta Arenas hang-crew. In MISSOURI? Stopped, hugged. Crazy life. Ya just never know 🙂

31 miles. Check, done. Railroad tie plaque & a YMCA shower. Really really LONG day.

Wisconsin next. 8 days away. Uff-Dah, You-Betcha, I got this. Only THREE states to go!