Running this week was good and on-plan until today, Saturday.
I started my 8 mile run feeling blah from the start. I walked early and walked/ran for the first mile. My stomach was upset and just didn’t feel right. I forgot my electrolyte bottle but remembered everything else.
My first thought was to just walk 8 miles. Just get it done.
But I ended up circling back to my car and calling it a day.
I’m realizing I need to respect recovery. This week was a good but no recovery: lifting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, running Tuesday and Thursday, a walk on Wednesday. No true days off. While I never felt completely drained, today was a bust.
Lesson learned. I am rushing it and need more balance. I’m adjusting and building in two real recovery days moving forward.
The win this week: my runs felt strong. Tuesday and Thursday gave me a glimpse of what’s possible. I’ve got my eye on consistent 11-minute miles, and for the first time, that goal feels within reach.
Song of the week, building the race day playlist:
Three Little Birds by Kacey Musgraves
Best Lyrics:
Woke up this mornin’ and smiled with the risin’ sun. Three little birds by my doorstep Singin’ sweet songs, melodies pure and true Sayin’, “This is my message to you, ooh-ooh, yea Baby, don’t worry about a thing ‘Cause every little thing is gonna be alright
The classic way to start a last minute trip, saying out loud: I need to get out of Dodge. I haven’t traveled much since September and the last four months have been about work, fostering dogs, stress about the shelter, and a failed dog adoption. I suffered from general unease, stress, and just wanted to see my mom.
The original trip plan, concocted while trying to fall asleep on Friday night: head to the Outer Banks, head north to Ocean City, head north to Rye, NH to surprise my parents, head north to Gorham to be in the White Mountains, head west to Killington to see a place I lived, head west to Lake Placid then head back to Tennessee.
All these places were on my Grand Plan To Go See Places list.
On Friday, I requested the following week off from work. It was approved and Saturday I woke up to more trip planning and making my first hotel reservation. Then, I started seeing weather and news reports of a Nor’Easter heading to the northeast with blizzard conditions. After reading updates for hours and watching webcams for even more hours, I realized that I needed a Plan B, and couldn’t go north. However, I could go east to the North Carolina coast and spend time in the Outer Banks, which I’d never been to, and visit other seacoast towns near it.
Going on the road with two anxious dogs sounded terrible, but I needed to get away and didn’t want to kennel them. They are road tripping to the seacoast with me.
I booked a cottage in Nags Head and on Sunday morning, along with my two reactive, crazy dogs, I drove to the ocean. The drive was long – 9 hours with several stops for bathroom breaks and dog walks. Chet panted with anxiety for the first two hours but I think he finally got it, we were going to be on the road for awhile. Rain and wind were constant throughout the final four hours of the drive. When we finally crossed about three or four bridges, where I thought I might die if the wind gusts blew me off, we arrived in Nags Head and the rental cottage. As promised, it was right across the street from the OCEAN !
The wind continued and the ocean was angry. As I crossed the street and walkway over the dunes, there it was. The waves were huge and the ocean was loud. The wind was whipping about 20 mph. As I walked back to the cottage the sunset to the west was pink and beautiful. Since I didn’t want to get back in the car and I was unfamiliar with the place, I ordered pizza delivery, which I typically don’t do – I’m more of an order and pick up kind of gal.
The dogs relaxed. I ate pizza and started to plan for the next day.
I walked back over to the ocean and walked the dogs for a bit. The wind was going to continue to be an issue but at least the rain stopped. I turned on the TV to watch the news and weather reports.
I woke up and walked on the beach with and without dogs. I loved being at the water’s edge and listening to the sound of the ocean.
We drove around Nags Head and out to Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk. All these place names I’ve only heard and read about and I’m actually here. I stopped to get breakfast and continued the tour of the Outer Banks. We parked at several different public beach access points and piers and I took it all in.
Next stop Cape Hatteras National Seashore. As I enter the National Park and Route 12, there were runners and walkers with hiking poles. I wondered how far they are going. They all wore ultra packs and were bundled up against the wind and sun.
The first stop was the Bodie Island Light Station:
We continued out to Rodanthe.
We walked along many of the beaches. I just took it all in.
We drove back to the cottage to relax and I figured out the next two days. I decided on a house one block from the ocean in Surf City, NC. The Surf City I knew is in Huntington Beach, California, known as “Surf City USA”. I ran the Surf City USA Marathon in 2015. It was fun to see the real town in North Carolina named Surf City.
This was the view from the rental house in the morning:
The beach city was exactly what I hoped for: low-key, not many people, beautiful beaches, and more bridges to cross and stress about. I was pleasantly surprised to see no people on the beach in the morning and evenings. There were very few people in homes near me. I loved it! No one for my dogs to bark at. February in Surf City is a dream. However, it would’ve been great to swim in the ocean, one of my favorite things to do, but it was February.
The next day I drove south to Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and Carolina Beach. The highway to get there was named after Michael Jordan who grew up in Wilmington and played basketball at the University of North Carolina. I really wanted to see Wilmington downtown since the Dawson’s Creek tv show was filmed there; I’m a big fan of the show. Also, One Tree Hill was filmed there, also a big fan of the show. The beaches were busier here since it was so close to a big city. I didn’t stay long but stopped at a few beaches and a pier.
I couldn’t wait to get back to Surf City and just walk on the beach and relax. There are no high rise hotels like at Carolina Beach. All the homes in Surf City are painted in different pastel colors and give such a relaxing vibe. Back at the rental house I could hear the constant roar of the ocean. It was never quiet. The wind was still fierce and the ocean still mad, but I loved it here.
I was never much into the beach or ocean after moving away from New Hampshire in my 30s. I always said “I’m a mountain girl.” All my travels had been to mountains to ski, hike, run and explore. After driving over 1,400 miles in five days I’m in love with the ocean; the ocean of my youth and teenage years.
My history is the beach. As a kid my family spent a few summers in Ocean City. We lived on Lake Champlain growing up in Plattsburgh, New York. As a kid we were always in the water whether it was a lake or ocean. My family moved to Rye, NH in 1985 and we lived one mile from the ocean. I loved swimming in the cold, New Hampshire ocean water. I walked, biked and ran the roads near the ocean in my teens. I really just took it for granted all those years. I never learned much about oceans and its critters.
Now I want to learn everything about ocean and sea life. I can’t wait to go back to the North Carolina coast.
In March Winnie-dog and I went on a weekend road trip to Boone, NC.
Our first stop was Blowing Rock. I wanted to see the famous geological formation called The Blowing Rock, pictured below. Normally there is a great view of the mountains but the fog rolled in and there were no views. The good thing is that there wasn’t anyone around; we had the park to ourselves.
We walked through the trails and pathways.
As we drove over to Grandfather Mountain, I was hoping to drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway but it was socked in with fog. It was scary to drive the twisty turny road and opted to go back to Boone, and drive to Grandfather Mountain the longer way.
We drove up to the top of the mountain and it was foggy, windy and rainy. We passed Forest Gump curve and parked.
We walked around in the fog and then I went up to the famous swinging bridge.
No views again, but it was okay. I know I’ll be back.
As we exited the road we stopped and hiked around the nature trails. Winnie needed a lot of help in and out of the car, but as soon as she got on the trail she found her legs and we took a long hike.
We went to the hotel and had a great room with a comfy bed while watching the forecast of incoming wind and rain. I was hoping to stay two nights but I got nervous with the forecast and we left for home in the morning. We drove through a vacant Boone and App State campus. It’s such a beautiful mountain town. I knew I would be back to see this place in all its summer glory.
This ended up being Winnie’s last road trip. She passed away two months later. I’m so glad we got to hang out for two days, see the world, and hike some trails in North Carolina.
I adopted Winnie during a 4th of July weekend 2013 in Tucson at a Petsmart Adoption event from the Tucson Humane Society. I knew the shelters were overcrowded and heard about the adoption event. I really wanted a 2- or 3-year-old dog to keep my other dog, Daisy company. At lunch I drove over to take a look around. There were puppies! I asked to pick up the tan one, and fell in LOVE.
I told them I would come back after work to pick her up. And she was FREE. I went back to work, took a half day, and went to get her. It was total chaos for a year. Chewed sofas, ruined carpet, aching back as she pulled me on every walk. Winnie and Daisy.
The best moments with Winnie happened after moving to Colorado; she learned to swim and run free on trails. It gave me so much joy to watch her swim and run free on hiking trails, after the Tucson desert.
In 2017 we all moved back to New Hampshire. After Daisy died, Winnie and I started hiking in the White Mountains, in the fall and then into winter. In total, Winnie bagged 10 4,000 footers in New Hampshire.
I adopted sweet Goldie-dog right before the pandemic and the three of us hiked together on the trails on Concord, NH.
In 2022 we moved to Tennessee and finally bought a house with a yard for Winnie to soak in the sun, dig and watch the world.
I think Winnie loved the years she was an only dog. But she also loved every dog in the pack. As she slowed down, she loved looking out the window to watch the Fed Ex truck and kids riding bikes and critters passing in front of the house; and bark at them like all the other dogs.
9/9/2018 – Winnie bags her first 4,000 footer, Hale
September 2018 – Mount Eisenhower, NH:
November 2019 Winnie and Goldie – Moosilauke, NH
She spent her final days with her brother Chet, and sister Goldie. She swam in the Little Pigeon River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and drove around Gatlinburg with her head out the car window.
Thank you to the great staff at the Sevier County Humane Society for your kindness and care today.
The best dog in the world. Winnie Stats:
Total Road Trips: 3 Tucson to Colorado, Colorado to New Hampshire, New Hampshire to Tennessee
States Lived: 4 Arizona, Colorado, New Hampshire and Tennessee
Two years ago I quit my job and took the month of November off. It was my first November in Tennessee and I had no idea what I was doing. Four months prior I packed up my house, dogs and bikes and moved to Tennessee from New Hampshire. My only mantra was “I can do hard things.” Moving to a new state and starting a new job were all very hard things.
But let’s talk about November in Tennessee. It is glorious. It was a great month to regroup and see the world.
November in Tennessee is beautiful and quiet; like the world is chilling out for a bit and getting ready for something big to happen. With all the time in the world, I hiked in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and got to know the trails around Gatlinburg. I walked everywhere around my apartment in Gatlinburg. I slowed down and tried to notice everything. I started back on my running training plan and started listening to podcasts.
I wrote blog posts and read books. Here are some of my blog posts from 2022:
But the biggest thing I started doing in November, and I still do now, is walking shelter dogs at the Sevier County Humane Society. I remember not being able to apply online so I drove over to Gnatty Branch and walked in. They had me fill out the application and then said, Do you want to start today? I had nothing else to do so I said yes. And I started walking dogs the week before Thanksgiving. I instantly loved walking all the dogs and being committed to walking them on weekends and holidays ever since.
The time off from working was much needed although I was a bit stressed out from not having a weekly paycheck. However, everything worked out in the end and I found a great job. As I celebrate two years in my new job heading into November, I’m so thankful for my job and my dogs and my family and my health and for the people at the humane society doing such great work.
November is a time to be thankful and take action; to make life great. That is what my mantra is this month, and to continue to do hard things.
