The places we've been
-
How to Spend THE Perfect Day in Boston
It doesn’t matter if you’re in town for a conference or to run the Marathon, there are things in Boston you DO NOT want to miss on your first trip. Since we’ve been to Bean Town a time or two, let us share with you how to spend THE perfect day in Boston. Preparation is Key Since you’ve only got a maximum of 18 hours of usable time, make sure you’re ready for the adventure in advance. First Stop – Breakfast at Stephanie’s on Newbury Stephanie’s on Newbury is ALWAYS busy. Not because it’s a touristy place but because it’s JUST THAT GOOD. Consider making reservations in advance or you…
-
A Rainy Walk in the Kimono and Bamboo Forests
Kyoto, Miyajima and Hiroshima were some of THE MOST picturesque places we’d ever seen. But the universe was like, “Hold my beer”. Wait until you see the day we went on a rainy walk in the Kimono and Bamboo Forests. Oh and these two places weren’t even the best part. We spent the afternoon with probably a thousand stone mini-monks. Grab a cup of cozy and join us for the last leg of our Kyoto adventure. The Glorious Beginning Like every morning, the breakfast provided by our hotel, the Sotetsu Fresa Inn, was OUTSTANDING. I didn’t know how I would feel about salad and fish for the first meal of…
-
The Day of the Deer Assault
We were finally adjusted to Japan’s time zone and slept a REGULAR night. (Thank goodness, because 5am mornings when you’re up before 4am can become a bit dull!) This day, we hopped downstairs for our regular breakfast of salad, rice and curry before heading off on our adventure. Join us as we unpack our trips to Miyajima Island and Hiroshima aka the day of the deer assault! Hopping the Ferry Though the ferry looks to be built for cars crossing from Hiroshima to Miyajima, that morning only people were passengers. It was a cold morning, but fortunately the trip was short and the VIEWS were breath taking. Miyajima Island and…
-
The Fastest Train to a Quieter Time
After a quiet evening back at our little hotel, which we now refer to as “the crevice”, we packed up for a new adventure. This time we would be taking the fastest train to a quieter time. Join us as we share all the sites from our first day in Kyoto! 180 mph on the Bullet Train As much as Tokyo is bright lights, modern buildings and LOTS of people, Kyoto is more traditional, well known for their temples and shrines, and has a slower pace. After our long flight and our first two days of 10 mile walks, we thought this might be just the thing to help us…
-
Adventure to the Ueno Zoo
After a good night’s sleep, we were once again up at an unreasonable hour. I think we were awake by 3am and by 7am, we were STARVING. The weather took a breezy turn, making the high for the day barely above 40 degrees. Our original plan included a trip to teamLab Planets, a walk through art installation, that includes ankle deep water and walking bare foot. Not feeling this was still the best plan, we opted for plan B. Here is the story of our second day in Japan – the adventure to the Ueno Zoo. The Fun Before Getting There The Breakfast Buffet As soon as the buffet opened…
-
The Road to the Tokyo Marathon
After our 14+ hour flight via Delta One, we arrived in Japan. One of us was well rested. The other was just too excited to sleep. After all, we had weeks of temples, shrines, pagodas, pandas and snow monkeys ahead of us. After our driver took a wrong turn, taking us a half hour out of our way and getting a ticket. We finally unpacked our bags to begin our adventure on the road to the Tokyo Marathon. Day 1 – The EARLY Morning We arrived at the Sotetsu Fresa Inn around 10pm local time and were glad to drop our bags in our little room. At first, it felt…
-
To Japan Via Delta One
As many of you may know, 2023 is the year Stephen will finish all of the Abbot World Marathon Majors. Because of Covid, the London Marathon was differed to April. And then the race gods decided the he should do Tokyo in March.* Since Stephen will be the first person to accomplish this as a living organ donor, I decided to reach out to Delta Airlines to let them know about it. You never know, right? (Like maybe they’d let him see the cockpit or comp us a few drinks.) Instead, we were given the treat of a lifetime. Here is what it was like to fly to Japan via…
-
TBT: The Most Amazing Sound We Ever Heard
“Living in interesting times” has been reported to be an ancient Chinese curse. Navigating our way through the Covid pandemic, things sure did get interesting. People who love to run races dealt with cancellations, medical testing, socially distanced running and lots of rescheduling. Here’s a look at an incredible experience resulting from the Boston Marathon being rescheduled for the day after the Chicago Marathon. This was the day we went storm chasing in Gloucester and experience the most amazing sound we ever heard. What Came Before Since “the before” is a whole story in itself, let me briefly sketch what the weekend looked like for us: And Then…Vacation! By some…
-
Beachy Vibes and Fast Race Times in Jacksonville
Stephen says, 2023 is the “Year of the Marathon”. His crazy race calendar kicked off with the Dopey Challenge in Orlando and it’s looking like it might end with Honolulu in December. Last week, he shared the race report for the DONNA half. This week, I’d love to share with you the rest of the beachy vibes and fast race time in Jacksonville Beach. The Arrival Unlike our typical trip, our flight didn’t leave until 8pm. This led to a rather leisurely trip to the airport and a little extra time in the Delta Lounge. I took advantage of the unstructured time to have a glass of house Rose’ while…
-
The DONNA Race Recap
What a great weekend in Jacksonville Beach with Destination Marathons (DM) for the DONNA Half Marathon. I think Jill is going to write about the trip as a whole next week so today you are stuck with my race recap. Pre-Race Dinner and Auction After our pre-race pasta dinner on Saturday evening at the Four Points Sheraton with DM, filled with laughter and great conversation, Jill and I snuck out with a perfectly executed Irish Exit. With our hotel, The Element by Marriott, being only a one minute drive away, I was able to achieve my first race goal of being in bed by 8 pm and asleep by 9…
