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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…
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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…
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The Best of 2022
As a couple of people who value experiences, we’ve learned fun ways to remember everything we’ve done over the year. One of our favorites is our corkboard. We tack up things there like theater tickets, paper wrist bands, and bar coasters. On New Years Eve, we take down these mementos to place them in an envelope and write about where we’ve been. We also, of course, take lots of pictures to share with you all. So as we wind down the year, let us share with you the best of 2022! The Dinner of the Year Adventura Not only was their restaurant beautiful inside and out, they had olives. They…
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Checking out the Wizarding and Surreal Worlds
Having accomplished eating ALL the food at Thanksgiving dinner and running the Space Coast Half Marathon, we were ready for a change of pace. We didn’t have much set in stone for our second week in Florida. Stephen would be running a trail Ragnar with some friends. I planned to work all week but schedule was relatively open on Friday. Seizing the opportunity, I took Momma for another adventure. We landed on checking out the Wizarding and Surreal Worlds in Florida! (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Surreal World of Salvador Dali, that is.) Inauspicious Beginnings Monday through Wednesday were sort of “business as usual” for our crew.…
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The Fantastic Florida Holiday Escape
It all began in the fall of 2021. I had a dream that I could get myself to run 13.1 miles again. At the time I had this dream, I couldn’t really run at all. The most I could do was 4 minutes running before needing to catch my breath. What this dream ended up being was far more than I could have imagined! Our quick trip for a race stretched into Thanksgiving with our friends, watching a rocket launch on the beach, riding the Hogwarts Express and seeing masterpieces by Salvador Dali. Stay with us as we unpack part 1 of our Fantastic Florida holiday escape. The Escape As…
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The NYC Marathon – More than a Walk in the Park
Our third day in NYC, we were finally doing the thing for which we travelled!. Nope, it wasn’t Hamilton on Broadway (though that WAS really fun.) It was the NYC Marathon – which is far more than a walk in the Park! Join us for a fun day in the boroughs with the 2022 NYC Race Report. This is the race where you take a ferry, to take a bus, to run 26.2 miles! The Wakeup Wake up time on race day was 5 am. I actually slept pretty well the night before. Even though we were out late the night before to see Hamilton, I still managed 6 hours…
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Our Unexpected Trip to Harrisburg
When it comes to traveling, the best advice we’ve received is probably to be flexible and expect the unexpected. That certainly came into play on our journey to the NYC Marathon this past weekend. Let us tell you how it all started with our unexpected trip to Harrisburg. A Solid Start We like to fly early to minimize delays. So we were up at 3:30 am and out the door to the airport by 4:15. Even though we were able to pack in carryon bags we checked them. That way we didn’t have to lug them around the airport or worry about fighting for overhead bin space on the plane.…
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The Mystery of The Winchester Mystery House
Don’t you just LOVE a good mystery? If you’re anything like me, mysteries and unusual things are especially memorable. For instance, when someone says “Hey we’re going to X”, my brain digs up an extremely fringe fact about that place. Key West? Ernest Hemmingway had a house there. Rome? I read about this thing called the Alchemist’s Gate. Prague? I think there is a church made of bones near there. And San Jose? Well, that’s where the Winchester House is. Since it’s purported to be extremely haunted, I naturally remembered it! Doors that don’t open. Stairs that lead to nowhere. Sound fun? Join us as we unpack the mystery of…
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Cascade Express Marathon Part Two: The Rest of the Story
Before we start off, please be sure to check out Part One of the Cascade Express Marathon. You’ll hear how the training went and the obstacles I had to overcome to get to the start line. For those who already in the know, buckle in! All aboard the Cascade Express Marathon Part Two: The Rest of the Story. The Wee Hours Being up at 2 am for a race that doesn’t start until 8 am is not the ideal start to the day. On the upside, it did give me a few hours to contemplate the task ahead. I spent some time reviewing the last eight weeks of training. It…
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Cascade Express Marathon Part One: The Build Up
Let me start by saying, Covid sucks. I know you already knew that but I especially feel that down deep. In 2021, we got both vaccine shots and a booster. Mask were worn. Distance was kept. We coated ourselves in hand sanitizer and STILL we managed to get sick. Although the illness itself wasn’t that bad for me, I realized something was really wrong as I tried to qualifying for the 2023 Boston Marathon. Let me share what I learned from the build up to the Cascade Express Marathon – Part 1. Running Sucked From January thru May I did nothing but slow miles. None of these runs were easy…
