I will run 4 loops. Jeff will walk 3 loops.
My 50K in December – The Route
Kassandra visits, Nubble Lighthouse, Long Sunday Run
First on the list: be a tourist.
We drove to Maine to see a famous lighthouse and stopped for lunch at When Pigs Fly.
We saw the lighthouse during a big wind storm so the waves were huge! It was a good day to be at the coast.
In the evening we played blackjack and cribbage.
Sunday at 9:30 we started out on our long run. We waited until it warmed up to 27 degrees. Thank goodness for the sun!
And walking back to the house.
Such a fun weekend. Kassandra was a trooper with the cold temps since she lives in Tucson. I’m so glad it didn’t snow!
Searching for covered bridges, hiking and memories
Mark and I headed north on Saturday in the wind and rain. He was interested is seeing covered bridges. Here is one of the more famous ones: Jackson, NH covered bridge.
On Sunday, the best weather day, we hiked on my favorite trail: Marjory Swope Park trail in Concord.
One of the momentos from our our trip north is a pint glass from a restaurant we stopped at in North Conway. It the Tuckerman Brewery glass below, third from the right. I realized all the glasses and mugs I’ve accumulated over the years remind me of some fun times all over the country.
Pint glasses (from the left): finishing the Houston marathon 2017, 2nd place sprint triathlon finish prize Tucson 2014, Pemberton 50K trail run finisher prize 2013, Tuckerman Brewery Conway NH 2018, visit to Mississippi 2013, Tucson dog benefit 2105.
Mugs (from the left): 2009 1st Ironman mug, 2016 second St. George 70.3 race, a mug from my time living in Vermont 2001-3, Ironman Wisconsin with Mark 2013, my Christmas present from George from Rocky Mountain National Park.
Such great memories of time spend in mountain and Ironman towns.
Run 1,000 Miles – Goal Update
My mileage as of 10/31/18 is 760. Just 240 miles to run/hike until I meet my 2018 goal. Additional goals I’m hoping to reach by 12/31/18:
- Finish the 4,000 footers
- Run a 50K
I have just two 4,000 footers left and I hope to hike them before the new year. I’ve been reading the trail conditions report every day and there are several hikes reported to North Hancock so that one I think will be finished this year but Owl’s Head is just such a long day. I’m not ready for a winter camping in the Pemi Wilderness quite yet, but maybe. Maybe. There is still time to get the gear and practice using it.
I have some visitors this month so I’m not able to get out there to try Owl’s Head again. But it will happen.
My visitors are coming north from Texas and Arizona. I’m glad it’s not too cold, yet. This weekend Mark and I will head to Conway and check out some waterfalls and Mount Washington. Next weekend Kassandra and I will find an adventure somewhere north in the White Mountains. Happy, Happy November.
What it’s all about
I picked up the local newspaper when I was in Lincoln on Sunday. In it I read an article by Tom Ryan about hiking with his dog Atticus. Ryan said that hiking is not about bagging a peak and heading back down. Hiking is about the journey of getting to the top and somehow finding your way home. It’s about being somewhere that isn’t as safe as your living room.
The article reminded me that every time I am about 5 minutes from a trailhead I’m scared. As I get closer to the start I get really nervous about getting lost, kidnapped, killed. All the irrational fears appear. Maybe not all irrational because I do watch, listen and read the news. All my outdoor activities take me out of my comfort zone. Not knowing the outcome is hard for a control freak – and let’s be honest – we are all control freaks.
I always forget about that fear as I’m planning the next hike. The feeling is similar to fear I have prior to flying and traveling to a new place; thinking of all the bad things that could happen.
What I like about Tom Ryan’s article is how he loved the end of day when he was simply exhausted and fell asleep getting ready for bed. That is a great feeling.
At the end of Sunday’s hike, that didn’t result in bagging another 4,000 peak, I stopped at the One Love Brewery. I’ve been meaning to go there just because I love the name. They can your choice of beer behind the bar. I chose the Octoberfest beer.
After hiking for 12 miles hike with my dog on a trail that meandered into a wilderness, I got home safely, I enjoyed a One Love beer and fell asleep exhausted. It was a good day.