Conversations

A conversation in our house last night went something like this:

Hubb “Hon, which color do you like better?”

This requires me to get up and see what color and what it is.  A bike frame.  He switches between two, black with teal logo and teal with black logo.

“Hmmm, I like the teal better, there is some character to it, but don’t you already have a blue frame?”

“Yeah, but this is the new bike.”

“Wait, you need three bikes? Is this one a road bike?  You do know we don’t have room in the dining room to house a third bike, where will it live?”

This was my first mistake, too many questions

“Oh, I’ll keep one in the basement with your bike.”

“How about two in the basement?”

I get a very unconvincing “Sure” and he stares at the fish tank and starts talking about the anemone that can’t seem to find a home it likes.  I take the bait and before I know it we are discussing the wandering anemone.

Sincerely,
Beth who needs to remember, one question at a time

Riding a Bike. It's Just Like Riding a Bike!

Ever heard the expression "Just like riding a bike, you never forget."  Well by golly it is true.  A month or so ago I dusted off my old Bontrager, Hubb gave it some TLC and today Hubb took me out for my first mountain bike ride in oh 15 years.  The last trails we rode consistently were Maybury State Park,  Island Lake State Recreation Area, and a little of the Potawatomi (Poto) in Michigan.    Hubb got back on the bike November of last year in an effort to "keep up with me"!  

Bike all tuned up and oiled I took it for a spin in the neighborhood to make sure it shifted correctly and the breaks worked.  All was fine, and as I remembered.  How amazing my hands just knew what to do to shift in and out of the front rings on the left the back rings on the right, front brake left brake.  It was all good. The little boys jumping things on their bikes waved at me, the dorky old lady with a big goofy grin on her face.  

Off to Burlingame to do the Sanctuary Outer Trail (the red one on the bottom of the map).

He was obviously well versed in the trails in Burlingame, I know them from a runners perspective, very different than biking them, obviously.   The first hill came up quick!  I managed to the top, downshifting correctly.  When we got to the 'third right' to stay on the Sanctuary Outer Trail, again, I couldn't believe we were there already!  He laughed at my amazement.  Thanks hon...  Overall, we went slow, I could sense when a hill or something tricky was coming up and he warned me ahead of time. Things just came up quicker, again, obviously my running pace is slower than my riding.  There was a little walking up hills, a few screams as I felt like I was going to fall off the bridges and actually did on a couple.  This produced a few laughs out of Hubb, once he determined I was ok.  He offered one piece of advice otherwise only amazement that I was doing so well.  The only advice was "Sit back on the seat over the roots."  Damn that helped A LOT.  

About 3/4 a mile down the Vin Gormley I called it quits, time to turn around.  My butt (sit bones specifically) hurt and my legs felt a little rubbery.  My lungs, now they were ready for more, more, more, more.

Speeding along the root and rock free parts was lovely.  I may never be a hard core jump over stumps and logs and rocks mountain biker girl, but the trails (and the mud) are certainly something I love.  A new seat will be procured and my sit bones will be happier.  Yes, I had on a good pair of bike shorts....

After we got home Hubb took a spin around on my bike and said "You really need a new bike.  They are so much better now." Huh...  new seat or new bike?  

Sincerely,

Beth, opting out of the Sunday long run for a short (7.5 mile) bike ride

Home again...

"Running can be anything you need it to be, big or small. It can help you beat addiction or disease. It can burn off five or ten or fifty pounds and change your life. Or in the time it takes to watch a few YouTube clips, it can clear the cobwebs in your head, give you a shot of endorphins, and salvage a forgettable day." -- David Willey, Editor-in-chief, Runner's World

I saw the above quote on Facebook last night, I can't remember who posted it.  The picture linked back to jessicaalrabbit Instagram site.  I should credit who I horked it from, and will be more careful in the future.  BECAUSE it makes me nuts when there isn't a credit given to the 'author' of the quote.  I searched  the interwebs for the quote and came up with David Willey as the 'author'.  OK I'm satisfied.

This struck me as a great quote, my running buddy and I had crazy weeks, I woke up in a different state every morning this week and she had house guests for the last 10 days.  Even though both have their fun and enjoy able attributes, deviation from normal throws a person off.    Plus, neither of us had run since our Sunday long runs and were feeling the need, desperately, to run.

Last night was the group run in Narragansett.  Met some more new folks and one familiar face, or rather POOF of curly black hair from trail runs and cheering him on during the Gansett Marathon, I was happy to formally meet.   It was also so nice for both Nicole and I to be recognized, we were told this was a great group of people and they are!  Of course once the run started, they all took off like bats out of hell and we ambled along at our pace never lacking for a subject to discuss!  The nice part is everyone runs for about and hour and we all meet back up at the starting point to chit chat and stretch.  Eventually the runs will start and end at the beach. The Narraganset beach is in great shape, all they have left to do is resurface the parking lot.

Parking lot post Sandy.  The sand has been returned and the lot ready for resurfacing!

Our local beach still looks like a war zone.  

Our local beach, days post Sandy - there used to be dunes and you couldn't see the ocean from the parking lot.

Earlier in April - parking lot and dunes are back!  Still some repairs needed to the pavilion!

One of the guys mentioned that everyone tends to end up IN the water after the run.  His sentiment was you are running along the shore miserably hot and just can't wait to dive into that water.  Good to know. Someone is really going to have to get over her water intimidation!

On tap for the weekend:  Saturday is the Color Me Rad 5K in Hartford, for one of my friends this is her first 5K.  Have to admit it seems pretty freaking cool, good choice!!  Sunday is the Newport 10 Miler, hope to see a few familiar faces in Newport!   Maybe a trail run, but more likely a trail ride.  Hubb got my aged mountain bike all fixed up and ready to go.  His comment "You are going to need a new bike" wasn't followed by, and your birthday is in a few weeks, so huh...

Whats on tap for your weekend?

Sincerely,
Beth, happy to be running and maybe biking and to be home!

An Experiment and Worm Holes

Hubb called me around 9 and asked if I was still planning on running Burlingame this afternoon.  I answered in the affirmative.  He was going to meet a biker friend out there and wondered if we could go together to see if this idea we've had about him riding and me running would work.  Obviously I wasn't going to keep up with the guys on their bikes he figured a 2 hour ride and I can run about 10 trail miles in 2 hours.  So then the question was what route.  We discussed the options on the drive over to the park.  The main loop is 8 miles and I could take a spur down to the lake and back. He suggested I try the Sammy C and I knew from his directions how to get to one of the end/beginning points.   He gave me his nicely laminated trail map, to help in the event I get lost on the mostly unmarked trails, aww what a guy!  I did pretty ok with a couple of oh shit moments where the trail ended up on a big piece of ledge and it took a bit to figure out which way the trail went.  Fortunately there were some bike chain scratches on the ledge that helped guide me.  One venture to the right ended me up on a muddy section (puffy heart) but that ended at a road, with no marked directions to go back to the trail, so I turned around.  That spur wasn't on the map, doh... Then I completely lost the trail, ledge again, and backtracked to an intersection and that led to the main trail around Watchaug Pond.

I logged 6.2 miles (1:24), took the opportunity to stretch, hydrate, poke around in the truck to see if hubb had any honey stinger waffles stashed in the glove box (no, damn), and catch up on Words With Friends!  His buddy came back first, said there was an equipment problem and hubb wasn't hurt, he'd be along shortly.  Buddy couldn't stick around he had a family commitment.  I said, ah ok, no worries, he will be along.  His buddy said again he isn't hurt.  I said, I didn't figure you'd leave him out there bleeding!  We exchanged pleasantries about his ride my run and he was off.  Hubb appeared 20 minutes later, bike fixed.  Problem with the derailleur.  He had just finished building the bike last night, new frame with components from the not so old one with the carbon fiber frame that just wasn't working out. 

Post outing discussions I'm still not completely sure where the trail actually went.  I'll noodle that on another outing.  Hubb studied the Garmin out put and the trail map and his memory of the trail and he sort of knew where things went askew.

Nice Map, eh?  Better laminate my own copy!

I'd say the experiment worked out well.  The bit of down time waiting for hubb to get back to the truck forced me to stretch; I'm not always great about that when I drive somewhere to run.  My left hip and calf are happy campers.

The most curious part was hubb and buddy rode the Sammy C, leaving about 10 minutes after I left, they never passed me.  Perhaps the muddy spur was where they passed me?  Or maybe there is just a worm hole out there in Burlingame?  I really think they would have passed me way before that spur at about mile 2.5...    but who knows, I'm going with worm hole!!

Sincerely,
Beth, calling the experiment a success!