Lots of recaps coming….but i’m still digging out from unpacking and laundry and being reunited with the furrkid after 8 days. Just wanted to share the good news that my trip to South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska to run 5 consecutive Half Marathons in 5 States (while my friends ran 5 FULL marathons in 5 states) is COMPLETE! We did it!!!
Most amazing experience ever! A few pics….
running in Montana on a cold and windy day. photo courtesy of Timothy Nohe
the 5 of us visiting Mt Rushmore before the running began
It takes an art to pack for a trip. Add in 5 half marathons during that trip and you’ve got quite a challenge on your hands. Well, I think i did it…
a whole lotta running gear!
dog toys stay home
I packed:
• Sleeping bag
• 2 towels
• 5 ziploc bags with an entire running outfit (alternate long sleeve shirt option per bag as well)
• 4 pairs of running sneakers
• Fuel, Garmin, handheld waterbottle/Body Glide
• 3 hats/3 visors
• Camera, iPad, chargers
• Rainjacket
• street clothes (jeans, sweatshirts, tshirts, undergarments)
• a gazillion toiletries and some liquid detergent
• a cooler bag
All I can say is try and get the air out wherever possible and sitting on your suitcase does really work!
Got any good tips for packing? Please do share!
Now onto my hot mess 6 miler. Seriously I might have been more of a hot mess than Honey Boo Boo. Wait! My blog isn’t even successful and my mom doesn’t even read it. Honey Boo Boo is making money and getting famous with her reality TV show. I guess I’m more of a hot mess! LOL!
watch photo with a doodle photobomb
I planned on running 8 miles. It’s my last run until half marathon #1 in North Dakota on Monday. Well, I ended up only doing 6 and walked a lot of it. It was in the upper 80s and really humid. I’d like to blame it all on the temperature but in reality I never really felt like I was in a groove. It was quite frustrating and I actually cried. Although in hindsight I think the tears flushed out the sweat that was stinging my eyes so bad.I honestly think I spent more time rubbing the sting outta my eyes than anything else. And what crack was I smoking that I opted to wear a black hat?!!!
black hat bad idea
I thought i was going to spontaneously combust. I felt like spaghetti in a pot of boiling water. My hands swelled too.
piggies!
But I guess no matter how much of a hot mess you are you can always redeem yourself by matching your water bottle to your shirt…
matchy matchy
Question? What do you do to prevent sweat and sunscreen from stinging your eyes? My visors and hats just don’t seem to work.
Also, I might not have much internet access over the next week so hang tight and I’ll recap the Center of the Nation series when I return.
Yesterday morning it was time to say goodbye to Lake Champlain and the beautiful Adirondacks. Donna and I (and the doodle) were on the road by 7:15am. The plan was for me to drive about 4 hours to Rockland County where my friend Sue lives so I could visit with her a bit before driving the last hour home. I was also planning on dropping Donna at a train station right in that town where she could get an express train to Manhattan and then transfer to another train to be home by 2pm (she doesn’t drive so she is used to being dropped at train stations). I got her to the station at 11:33am for the 11:45am train. She got her ticket, and then we just hugged goodbye and talked about how perfect things had worked out. The train pulled in to the station, she got on, and then the doodle and i walked back to the car. I opened the passenger door for Duncan to hop in and that’s when I saw Donna’s cell phone! It was charging in my car on the drive down and in our excitement that she was able to catch the express train neither one of us noticed. So I grabbed the phone and started running back to the station where the train was still actually in the station but the doors were closed. I screamed and ran like they do in the movies….but much to no avail…. the train pulled out…
Later in the afternoon she called me from her ….um….what do they call them?…..oh right! land line. (shiver) and we came up with a plan to get her the phone back. I had plans to drive in to Manhattan and run with my peeps this morning, so Donna decided she’d take the train from her house to Penn Station and i’d meet her there after my running. So this morning I drove into Manhattan…
Verrazano Bridge sunrise
…and put on my SpiBelt with both my cell and Donna’s cell on the belt. I felt like Tim the Toolman Taylor!!! Off I went to meet my peeps. We ran along the west side up to Central Park for a loop and then back down the west side.
some of the female peeps who all have worked or still work at the same place.
we passed some cool looking sculptures like this one:
engaged to the big apple =)
and then there were the usual colorful canoes:
I had planned on running 10 miles but it was still so early that i ran 3 additional miles, then walked 1 more and still had time to grab some breakfast before Donna’s train arrived. The phone return went off without a hitch. We laughed about it and said goodbye and then I walked another mile back downtown to get to my car and head home.
Speaking of cell phones… I met up with my friend Sue yesterday (after the train station drop off) and we talked at length about cell phones particularly smart phones and how addictive they are for some. (raising hand! yep. i admit i’m addicted to being connected) then today a friend posted this vid:
Question: How addicted to your smart phone are you? I confess I desperately held my phone up to one corner of the cottage while I was away just to post a pic to instagram!
I’m in Westport NY which is in the Adirondacks just north of Lake Placid. (Ironman country). It’s so beautiful here. I’m relaxing and enjoying sitting by the lake with Duncan.
chillin’ doodle
my favorite dog (s). get it? lol!
happy, relaxed and kickin’ back
But of course I did go for a run earlier this morning. It started with a brisk 4.5 mile walk with the pooch and my friend Donna and her nieces. I then ran the same route right after. So a total of 9 miles. It’s extremely hilly here.
hilly
But the weather is beyond perfect and I enjoyed the extra effort. 🙂 Some scenery from my running route:
i love signs
mountains and fields and fluffy clouds
my kind of mailbox
quintessential farm shot
Aren’t vacations glorious? Heck even though its only a 48 hour trip it’s so worth it. My WOW for today. If you can get away even for a small amount of time don’t think twice….just DO IT!
Last night we had a lovely dinner and I made s’mores dip for dessert (sorry my photo didn’t come out). I follow this woman’s recipe. She’s got great photos of the dip there too! I also had some traditional s’mores too. You can never have enough melted chocolate with marshmallow and grahams.
s’mores! I also went the traditional route with these s’mores
We’re leaving in the morning. So sad. A few more pics of my trip…
adirondack chair selfie
blue is his color
getting ready to start my run!
just take the bloody pic already lady!
Question: Going anywhere relaxing anytime soon? I highly recommend a little romp with nature!
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