Brick

I bailed on my run with Nicole tonight, of course there is some guilt in that.  Damn my grandmothers for making my mother baptize me... sorry grandma and grandma, but really... this guilt thing is tough. We are running a race on Saturday and will get to spend some time together so I'm not a complete butt munch for bailing.

I've been wanting to experiment with riding to the beach running the beach then riding home.  This thing is called a brick.  I suppose what I did counts? 7 miles ride to the beach 2.5 mile run 6.5 mile ride back home.  I really wanted to see what it would feel like and it felt great.  Not hot fudge sundae great or Jack Daniels great but wow look what I can accomplish great, and honestly that is a better kind of great feeling.  Shhh don't tell anyone!

My legs don't feel like bricks, though, probably the excitement of just doing it?

After chatting with Mike B about this plan and which beach to run Napatree sounded best, nice hard sand. Plus I haven't been to Napatree since Sage died, thought that would be fitting as Sage was built like a brick outhouse and I've been missing her a lot lately. Sage and/or Giz and I got out to the beach nearly every weekend last fall and the previous winter, good memories. Although I lost some of the video (when I reformatted my iPhone) of the two old fogies getting crazy at the beach, I'm most bummed about that.

Sage and Giz - Jan 2012 Quonnie

I digress...

My ride out was uneventful.  Although I needed to reroute a little as Elm Street was torn up and then decided to not deal with the collection of filled potholes on Beach, wise move, I think.  The ride out to Watch Hill (just like the run out there) seems to get easier every time, funny how that works isn't it?

The run was as I remembered it.  I had only been out on Napatree a couple times since Super Storm Sandy and it's new normal is still pretty!  Not many people either!

Then to ride home.  I got harassed by some teenagers driving by close, then turning around to drive by close again and their capstone was to drive by close and screaming.  Fortunately I didn't flinch, well too much.  Of course I kept repeating the licence plate 466 448 sounding like Dory repeating "P Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sydney" name that movie and now I'm not sure if that is the right licence plate.  Dave suggested the better idea would have been to stop and write it down, smart guy that husband of mine plus he knows that my mind is like a sieve sometimes, ok MOST times....

And a some of my favorite pictures of my tough girl 11/10/02 - 1/30/13

On the look out for some asses to kick!

Whaddya mean we have to go home, I OBJECT!

So young, so obnoxious August '03 with Diesel @ Napatree

Take this off or I swear I WILL bite you!

Sincerely,
Beth, enjoyed the run down memory lane on Napatree!

Wordless Wednesday - Retired

MCM Training - Week 10 - Recap

8 weeks till the Marathon!  Holy cow, how time flies. In 8 weeks from today I will have finished my 3rd marathon and sitting in the hotel bar drinking with my Marathon buddies, Maryann, Andrea, Gabe, and Erwin!!!  And probably a few other people the more social of our group have picked up along the way.

Erwin, Andrea, Gabe, Maryann, Me

Last year Super Storm Sandy bared down on the East coast, shutting down Washington DC October 29 - 30, the days after the Marathon.  Being stuck in DC with Maryann, Andrea, and Gabe was pretty awesome, Hubb was home with four dogs and no electricity.  I think by Wednesday it was pretty apparent Amtrak would not be operating and Maryann and I rented a car.  Andrea and Gabe flew back to CO on Thursday; Maryann and I drove said rental car taking her back to Princeton and then me on to RI.  

Andrea, Maryann, Sara, Me, Gabe, and Okan

Hubb and I had one night of lantern lit scrabble and then the power was on.  The thing that man puts up with always amaze me.  Then again his mother reminds me what a saint I am for dealing with her boy.  My mother's take on the whole thing: "You both met your match."  She may be on to something.

I digress...  today ends week 10 of training and my first 20 mile run of this training session.  I barely remember my first 20 mile run and even reading about it I still don't remember it in any vivid detail just bits and bobs.  Nice to see I haven't gotten THAT much slower in a year!!  Granted it was a different course...  whatever Beth, whatever.



Went out to Watch Hill and along Atlantic Avenue/Misquamicut beach and back home, parts of the Surf Town route.  Despite the narrow roads in some places it is a nice route to run.  I took a digger at about mile 11.5, you know, tripped on a piece of stand after navigating potholes and uneven asphalt and sidewalks the previous 11.5 miles, typical stuff.  I've fallen on the trails plenty of times, usually over something substantial like an actual rock or root sticking out of the earth, not for no apparent reason.  I dusted off the sticky sand best I could inspected the scrapes on my palms and right knee, nothing dire, just a little blood.  Fortunately the humidity has provided enough sweat to gather so I could wring my skirt out over the sandy and bloody parts and clean myself up a bit.  Thank heavens for small gifts, right?

In fact there was a lot of skirt ringing out and me wondering if I should have dug out a pair of running shorts, but I'd feel naked, but I wouldn't be carting around a pound or so of water... hmmm...

All in all it was a decent run.  I'm pleased, I started, I finished, in the immortal words of JoAnn, I didn't die.

Hubb had designs on riding Big River this a.m. he and his buddies arrived out there to find it lightening and thundering and raining.  Huh... they headed back to Burlingame where the weather was much more agreeable and rode. The weather out here is so wonky sometimes, seems like North of I-95 generally gets the brunt of the ugliness and the coast is saved.  Well other than hurricanes or what are we calling them now Super Storms...

We went for pretzel sammiches and beers (Wachusset Blueberry for me and Shandy for Hubb) at The Malted Barley and now I suppose I should attack that pantry...

Sincerely, 
Beth, thankful she was alerted to the healing and chromium replenishment attributes of beer!