urban-trail

Riverboat Series, Vienna IL

Published April 21, 2018

Last week Athens, this week Vienna – continuation of marathoning faux European capitals in the American Midwest.

THIS Saturday’s signup super last minute. Bought a crazy cheap flight on Southwest then found a marathon. Rental car, 2 hours+ drive, checked into ‘Hotel 7’ – the only motel in Vienna, quarter-mile from tomorrow’s Tunnel Hill trailhead start. BEST location!

Running Day 7 of Mainly Marathons’s Riverboat Series. Seven days folks been crisscrossing the Mississippi River, marathoning a different U.S. state every single day. Walk/jog social event. GREAT way for marathoners to tag a lotta US states on a travel Budget.

Ran back-to-back events 2 years ago – Saturday/Lamar CO, Sunday/Clayton NM: Mainly’s Dust Bowl Series. First marathon double, my first running injury (IT band). Older, wiser, train more consistently. I see doubles in my future [maybe 2019] as I add ultra distance.

Saturday morning bib pick-up, 6:30am start.

Who knew? More than 50% of the field took the early Start option. Live & learn. I’m a FAN of cool early morning temps. That said, MIGHTY lucky with the day’s weather. Saturday’s forecasted rainfest shifted to Sunday. Sweet!

14 laps today (plus a short loop to the Bridge). One of 4 who paid the extra $10 to complete a 50K 🙂 Haven’t run a multi-lap race since Runs with Scissors last April. While I dislike double-loop marathons, strangely don’t mind multi-lap events. LOVED being able to self-support with my own food & electrolytes. Run a lot lighter/carry a lot less knowing everything I need is a short 2-mile lap away.

Do’s & Don’ts speech, then followed Mainly’s lead runner ‘round the visitor center/parking lot to the trailhead Bridge. From there a straight out-n-back on crushed rock/dirt path. Not necessarily a ‘trail’ but not a road race either. Easy on the feet. FAAAANNNTASTIC! Settled into pace early. One of the flattest courses I’ve ever run. 4^th at the turnaround, 2^nd place end of Lap One.

Perfect weather, perfect conditions. Woke this day feeling: PERFECT.

Group of walkers blocked the path before the turnaround 2^nd lap . Right side thru the grass & didn’t look behind. I LED today’s run from that moment ‘til mile 18.9 (Garmin distance). Me, leading? 100% serious. Perspective: super small race, middle of nowhere America where most runners had previously marathon’d several days in a row. I show up Day 7, fresh as a daisy – but dang, LOVED running first. Runners yelling positives my way, felt good. I was the LEAD runner. Finished another lap, grabbed another rubber band.

7 bands on one wrist, 2:12 14 miles in. No drinking, no eating – I’m leading! Groups of social walkers again & again, GREAT people. Today’s eventual winner in my rear view. PLEASE PLEASE pass me – MUCH needed break – I was not built to win races. LOL>

Start of Lap 10 stopped, finally. Fueled up, lotta liquids – then hit it hard again. No intention of catching day’s race leader, just didn’t wanna get lapped. Guy seemed a bit jerky…first place taken far too serious, went to his head.

Eventually passed by 3 others. Chick’d by the ultimate lady runner – wasn’t even breathing hard, running alongside a Brit completing his 100^th marathon. Stayed close for another lap, marathoners finished after 12. Lady stopped, Brit kept running. 50K!

Back-n-forth traded places, could not overtake him. Nearing the Bridge end of lap 14, still in 2^nd. 200 meters back, needed a plan. Came into the trailhead, grabbed my band, didn’t stop. No water, no aid. 30 miles in, that was my plan. AND I kept running, short lap to the Bridge – now a half-mile ahead. FINISHED FIRST, new 50K PR. Whatta unexpected surprise!

Tunnel Hill in November, next 2 years – not sure if/when I’ll be able to run 100 miles but I’ll be back. Everyone needs a dream ❤

Full Marathon/50K

2018 Riverboat Series Day 7 Marathon – April 21, 2018 – Vienna, Illinois

27 Keenan Haga 4:24:44 (Mara) / 5:33:14 (50K) CO

: goal race next couple years

: big BIKE

: new 50K PR — power of the mighty Loon 🙂

: led 18.9 miles

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

Runs with Scissors Marathon

Published April 22, 2017

REDEMPTION WEEK.

Gotta say – last week’s marathon result really really stung. Been putting in the time, working hard. Heat or no heat – never expected to throw a 5 hour marathon result again. Aside from the mental struggle of a sub-par performance, took ‘til Wednesday to bounce back physically. Nauseous, early week pace all over the place in my training runs.

8.7 miles Wednesday, 12.2 miles Thursday. Back on track. Unlike last week, took a taper day [on] Friday. Easy 2 mile jog, marathoning Saturday morning in Brighton – 2^nd weekend my run commute would be under 30 minutes. Nice 🙂

FUN FACT: to keep costs down, Director reused old race bibs. Tomorrow I’d be running a Ladies 9K event from 2014. LOL>

Early wake-up, early Start. Cold morning. 35 degrees, woke to rain. Swapped rain for sleet as Brighton temps dipped just under freezing. Small race, 20 laps ‘round a flat 1.3 mile course. 20 laps, ugh. Packed a run bag with all my fave food & drinks. Tucked under a picnic area awning – would have 20 opportunities to grab a snack.

6am Start. Went out fast, hung a quarter-mile behind the lead pack. Followed the flags, made my way once around the course. Multiple mud crossings, developed a rhythm. Lap 4: gloppy cold rain, mix of wet snow & rain. Increased speed, held an 8:20/min pace, started picking off runners. Slowed — ran an easy 9:30/min mile — every third interval.

1:56 Half marathon. Not a personal best…but the fastest I’d run post-cancer. Mentally knew: pacing too quick – it’s a marathon, not a 10K. Would keep running STRONG 3 more laps, then reassess. Not targeting a new PR ‘til September…but what if. What if today everything came together for my first sub-4 since 2015. Logged a slow loop, but surprisingly followed with two sub-9/min miles.

Rain stopped at lap 17 (22 miles). Fizzling, running empty/outta gas, 9:40 lap. Refueled, sucked down 2 packets of soft food. A minute+ under sub-4, quickly eating thru my time bank. 2 laps remaining. Lap 19, run clock read 3:51. Legs like lead, breathing labored. Pushing hard, forward thru mud, sloppy conditions – no longer avoiding the muddiest stretches. Everything I have this day, no holding back.

Finish time – unfortunately, just missed – 4:01:34. No sub-4, not today…but almost there.

Fastest run of 2017. Strike that – fastest run since March 2015 & a new Colorado PR. 3^rd place Male, 4^th overall.

2017 Runs With Scissors – April 22, 2017

Male Marathon Results

Place      Name               Age    Time

Nicholas Ferron     34    03:00:18

David Jepsen        41    03:22:44

K R Haga            50   04:01:34

: cold wet day: rain, sleet & snow

: 3rd place Male

: new Colorado PR

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

All-Out Beat the Heat Marathon

Published April 15, 2017

Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug… MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER

Tough day. Heat fail.

Training hard all month – Bighorn just over 60 days away. Completed another 10K Friday: 6 mile run, quarter-mile swim. Slept hard, probably some of my best [the] day before a marathon. Haven’t yet acclimated, deep sleep after every swim.

Today’s run only 20 minutes away in Westminster. Can’t beat that commute, huh?

Sunshiny skies, 8am Start, expecting a warm Finish. Commuted with my North End neighbor, Larry – he’d run the 10K today. Beautiful morning, well organized event. All-Out Beat the Heat Marathon. ‘Beat the Heat’ was exactly the plan.

Cool comfortable temp, Star-Spangled Banner blared proudly. Dropped my hat, hand over heart & sang along. Countdown from 10, our marathon journey began. Briefly started on asphalt (ran past an alpaca farm), then adjusted to packed trail (dirt). Climb, Climb, Climb – course incline the first 8 miles…that’s a lotta climb, luckily I’m a fan of hills 🙂

Marathon athletes will start out heading west on Big Dry Creek Trail toward Standley Lake Regional Park. At about 2.5 miles athletes will begin 4 miles of the gravel trail & road system within the park, including the spectacular views along a north / south dogleg near the dam, then exit the park to continue west toward the south trailhead and the west turnaround. As they return they way they came, athletes will skip the dogleg to return to Big Dry Creek Trail and follow it east for about 16 miles to the east turnaround.

Sun kicked in at 10 – rays were always there, but didn’t feel the heat ‘til 2^nd Half. 70, 75, 81° F. Perfect for a casual walk with the pup – but on a marathon run without any tree cover, our high-altitude sun baked. Number of participants dropped off significantly — folks opting to finish the Half, avoid the exposed bike path east to Denver. Today’s first Half highlighted shots of Standley Lake, backdropped by the Flatirons. 2^nd Half however was dry, flat, cracked earth, patches of dried salt littered the landscape.

Mentally broke at 21. My friend Larry doubled his 10K effort, met me just past mile 23. Walking now. Notta lotta chatter. Notta lotta options – small race, no golf-cart to the Finish should you call it quits. UGLY…nearly 2 hours to finish those last 5 miles. Dehydrated, sweat-caked salt ‘round my eyes, dried to the sides of my face.

A finish is a finish, collected my medal…but today’s fail stung.

2017 All-Out Beat the Heat – Full

April 15, 2017 in Westminster, CO

2587 K R Haga 5:11:18

Shoes off, home. 2 hours sleep, briefly woke to shower. 3pm: bowl of soup.

6:15pm: my quarterly Boulder Dinner Theatre date with Ash, Tom & Stephen. “Disenchanted!” – comedy depicting the now adult, middle-aged Disney princesses. Time to turn that frown upside down. Good laugh.

10 hours sleep, 2 easy miles on the treadmill, quarter-mile swim at CAC. Weekend over? Heck no, it’s Easter Sunday! Afternoon-celebrated at Casa Alegre — our Mexican Easter tradition — 4^th year with Ash & Tom. Mexican fiesta, olé!