New routines, escape the news

I woke up with a weird feeling in my ears, like they were clogged. I Googled the symptoms of the coronavirus and this is not one of them. I’m hoping it’s nothing. But it makes me think I picked up something at the grocery store, the only place I go. 

Despite morning drama, today was all about getting out of the coronavirus-induced-funk and running outside, doing my core workout, writing and reading. I did it all today. Plus tons of dog walking. 

While I walk the dogs I pick up trash. In the wake of disaster picking up trash has lifted my spirits. There seems to be so much trash on the streets in Concord. With all the wind from last night and today, I’m sure there will be more. 

What also lifts my spirits is watching Parks and Rec. I started watching the first season, again and it is seriously so funny. My favorite quote is from Leslie: “I get to build a whole park from scratch. This could be my Hoover Dam.”

this could be my Hoover Dam.

What I love about her character is she is so hopeful and always looks at her problems from a wide lens. How can I translate that in my world and get through the pandemic?

I get to write a new book. This could be my Eat, Pray, Love”. That is my equivalent to Leslie Knope’s Hoover Dam. 

My second favorite Knope quote from Parks and Rec Season 1, Episode 1 that illustrates how much I love her character:

“We’re a nation of dreamers and it is my dream to build a park that I one day visit with my White House staff on my birthday. And they say, ‘President Knope, this park is awesome. Now we understand why you are the first female President of the United States.”

What also lifts my spirits is reading stories about people doing amazing things. Jessica Wheeler Russell of Concord, wants to help by connecting people who want to help and those who need help. Wow, just an amazing story. Unfortunately the story doesn’t list her organization and I couldn’t find it while searching. 

There are stories all over about people doing kind things to others. These stories make me sane as I read news online at least 10 times each day. 

And finally, there is this from the NYT. An opinion piece written by Kiley Bense about the nuns who turned into nurses during the Spanish Flu in Philadelphia, 1918. Many of the nuns died while helping but later were honored for saving so many lives when they left the safety of their church and helped the people of Philadelphia, with no medical training. The author of the story parallels the crisis today with 1918. We need to help protect and care for people in our community, she writes. 

While most people have no reason to fear the coronavirus, we have a responsibility as a society to protect and care for those who do have reason to fear it. The sisters’ quiet, determined selflessness is what is needed now, and what we will need more of in the weeks and months to come, not only from doctors and nurses but also from ordinary people, who will be asked to alter their daily lives in ways both large and small, giving up comfortable routine for the sake of the vulnerable”. 

For now, I’m going to pick up trash. I know there is more to do and I will be a helper. 

But in the meantime, I might just stay away from the news for a bit. I just found out Showtime is free until April. I’ll be watching The Affair (love Josh Jackson) and Homeland. Escape into the world of affairs and CIA operatives. Escapism at its best.

Is Axe Throwing Good Cross Training

I heard about axe throwing when an endurance athlete I follow on Instagram was doing it with her party guest after a race weekend. I thought… weird. But when Tom said, Hey, we should throw axes, I said, sure. Last week was an urban rock climbing adventure, this week urban axe throwing at RELAX. The real questions : Will all this help me train for 100? 

Tom

I searched on Google and found some good articles.

It is good cardio.

You’re going to use your lats (maybe better for biking).

It will work your core.

While I woke up a little sore, I don’t think it’s going to help me finish a 100 mile race but it was fun and l laughed a lot. So – Win!

I’ve discovered over the last  few weeks that I’m a wee bit addicted to weight training. A few days I choose getting my weights in instead of running. This is not great; but that is what happened. These are my favorites.

I still can’t do an unassisted pull up, but I’m getting there.
Step ups with weights – sweaty, take your breath away workout.
And my all time favorite – dead lift with a hex bar. Boy do I feel strong after 3 reps with this babe.

I keep adding a little more weight every other week. By the end of my hour I’m sweating bullets and feel pumped up. Fun!

Pemi Trail to Liberty Springs, 2,000 miles

On Saturday after an attempt to hike Willey in Crawford Notch I headed home with the thought that I would stop at an unknown trailhead and explore for a few hours before driving back to Concord. 

I stopped at Lafayette Campground and Trailhead Parking to hike towards Kinsman. I thought for sure there would be parking since it is mid-season. But nope – no parking at all. So I continued south on I-93 and decided to take the Flume exit and hike around the Liberty Springs Trail. Last year I hiked from this trailhead and knew there would be parking. Yep, just a few cars. 

Winnie and I started hiking the Pemi Trail around 12:30 and needed spikes from the start. The trail was spectacular and we crossed many streams. The bike trail had a coating of ice so spikes were still needed. 

We took the trail to Liberty and while it would’ve been great to summit Liberty it was 1) too late in the day (although I did have my headlamp and enough food and water) 2) the 5 mile hike in Crawford Notch really was tough. I decided that I would go slow, look around, meditate and just really enjoy the day. The sun was slowly descending and just made the afternoon so enjoyable. 

I’ve never hiked so slow. I’m not in my ultrarunning shape that I was in four months ago when Mount Washington was a piece of cake. Really, I thought that in July.

Now, fast forward to November when every leg muscle seems to hurt before, during and especially after running and hiking. 

I have goals and want to be outside hiking, running – but it seems I’ve slowed down. There will be time to pick up the pace but for now, slow hiking is amazing. 

Two miles into the hike we turned around and headed back to the car the same way we came. 

While on the hike I hit my 2,000 mile mark for 2019. I set this goal at the beginning of the year and am pleased that I reached it in November. Next year, 4,000 miles! I’ll be figuring out my race plan for 2020 in a few weeks. I’m thinking mainly New England running events but first – core and strengthening to finish out the year and get rid of these aches and pains.

Mount Willey, Ethan Pond Trail November

Winnie-dog and I started hiking Ethan Pond Trail with the goal of hitting Willey, Field and Tom. One hour in I started thinking, maybe just Willey and Field. It was a gorgeous sunny day at 9am when we left the icy parking lot off 302 in Crawford Notch.

This picture was taken at the start of the hike. I love being on the Appalachian Trail.

It was a tough trail especially once we hit the ladders. The first few were okay and Winnie was trying to figure out a path up them. She avoided actually using the ladders. At one point she jumped up to a rock and fell down. I watched her trying to figure out a way back up again and had to help her up. 

A few ladders later there was no route and it was steep. I was going slow and methodically plodding up but I couldn’t figure out a way to get her up the last set of ladders. So I turned around. It’s okay because it was such a great day and the trail was so nice until that point. I knew I would do it again. Several hikes in the last year I have turned around when Winnie wasn’t having fun anymore and I went back the next day by myself to summit the mountain. I also realized, later, that we could try the mountain from the north side too. 

Trail Junction Crawford Notch State Park

We hiked down and then I turned on the Arethusa Falls and Frankenstein Cliff Trail in an effort to stay hiking in the woods; and just be in Crawford Notch a little longer to enjoy the sun. We stopped at the big river crossing and looked up to the Falls. Gorgeous! All the water and ice. 

As I look back at trail descriptions I read that there are other way to do the three peaks and will try it again another day. The point is to be in the White Mountains and to get to know all the trails and mountain peaks. It was a great day!

Leadville Pacer Planning

I’m in Colorado, and today I meet with my Pacers and Crew to discuss race day planning. But first a short run at 5,500 feet in Littleton. The picture above is me stretching after a run, looking into that gorgeous blue Colorado sky.

Here’s my hope for pacing on August 17:

Pacers as of July 13. Please Roger, say yes!

Today, Mary and I head to Manitou Springs to check out Garden on the Gods and Cliff Dwellings. A little more acclimation training for me and tomorrow – Pikes Peak to bag a 14’er.