THE DOUBLE NEW HAMPSHIRE-MAINE OCTOBER 2011- 90% OF EVERYTHING IS MENTAL
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU TRY
THIS WAS A GREAT UNKNOWN-2 MARATHONS IN 2 DAYS. THE INFAMOUS DOUBLE.WHAT WOULD THAT BE LIKE TO DO THOSE MILES IN 2 DAYS?WELL THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT-SIGN UP, BOOK A FLIGHT AND DO IT.MAINE DOES NOT HAVE A HUGE SELECTION OF MARATHONS SO IF IT IS HAPPENING YOU NEED TO BE THERE, NEW HAMPSHIRE IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR- THOSE CRAFTY SETTLERS MADE THE STATES SMALL AND CLOSE TOGETHER SO…. OFF WE WENT.
I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY ONE OF THE TOP ITEMS ON A RETIREE BUCKET LIST WAS “THE FALL TRIP TO NEW ENGLAND TO DRIVE AROUND AND SEE THE COLORS” FRANKLY IT SOUNDEDA LITTLE BORING.WELL… IF YOU HAVEN’T YOU MUST. OUR BELOVED MIDWEST DEFINITELY LACKS THE CHARM OF THE 200 YEAR OLD WHITE CHURCHES, WINDING ROADS, ROCK WALLS, RUSHING STREAMS, SERENE LAKES. EVEN OUR BEST OAKS AND MAPLES CAN’T HOLD A CANDLE TO THIS PLACE. IT IS ALSO VERY SPARSLEY POPULATED SO YOU HAVE IT ALL TO YOURSELF.
AND LEAF THE RUNNING TO US
LAKE WINNIPISAKEE
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE RACE ROUTE WENT NEAR ON GOLDEN POND. IT WAS SO MAGNIFICENT.
SATURDAY WAS BRISTOL NEW HAMPSHIRE. THERE WERE MAYBE 220 RUNNERS, ALMOST ALL MANIACS AND 50 STATERS DOING THE DOUBLE.WE PARKED THE CAR JUST ABOUT ON THE FINISH LINE AND GOT A ROUSING SEND OFF BY THE JR HIGH BAND. IT WAS TOO PRECIOUS.MILE AFTER MILE OF BEAUTIFUL OLD PERFECTLY KEPT FARMS, LAKES, STREAMS, OLD WHITE CHURCHES, COTTAGES SO BEAUTIFUL.SINCE IT WAS LIKE A POSTCARD I THOUGHT “THIS IS LIKE A A POSTCARD” HOW WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE AND REMEMBER ALL THESE PLACES? SO NOW I CARRY A LITTLE CAMERA IN THE RACE TO TRY TO CAPTURE A LITTLE ESSENCE OF THE PLACE.
HERE WE ARE NOT WATCHING THE TRAFFIC TOO WELL WAVING TO DEBBIE
I RAN QUITE A BIT WITH PAULA W FROM NY AND WE CLICKED OFF THE MILES AND ASSURED OURSELVES WE WOULD BE SMILING AND CELEBRATING TOMORROW NIGHT IN PORTLAND MAINE.THIS RACE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AND OUR CONVERSATIONS SO FABULOUS I WAS SAD TO SEE THE FINISH LINE.#1 FAN DEBBIE DROVE OUT ON THE COURSE WITH RAIN GEAR AND LAYERS AS THE TEMPS WERE DROPPING AND THE DRIZZLE WAS STARTING. OH NO WE SAID WE ARE GOOD AND HEADED TO THE LINE.PAULA’S MARK WAS WAITING WITH A COZY BLANKET. THANK GOODNESS FOR THE NUMBER ONE FANS AND COZY BLANKETS. I WILL SAY THE HOT SHOWER WAS A LIFE HIGHLIGHT.30 MIN LATER WE ARE NAVIGATING OUR WAY TO PORTLAND MAINE.
BY NOW WE ARE IN LOTS OF LAYERS, AND RAIN GEAR THE HEAT IS ON IN THE CAR.IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE WE ARE DASHING IN POURING RAIN TO PACKET PICKUP #2 IN PORTLAND MAINE.
HERE WE ARE SMILING IN MAINE AT PACKET PICK UP #2
WHEN I GOT ANOTHER NUMBER AND PINS IT HIT ME – YOU ARE GOING TO WAKE UP TOMORROW AND DO ANOTHER MARATHON.PART OF THE VERY SCIENTIFIC RACE STRATEGY FOR A DOUBLE IS TO EAT ENOUGH IN BETWEEN THE RACES.NOT A PROBLEM. THERE IS A SKINNY GIRL INSIDE ME AND I SHUT HER UP WITH COOKIES.I SAW THAT SIGN IN A LITTLE CAFÉ ON THE BIKE TRAIL IN SPARTA WI AS I WAS INHALING A GIANT PIECE OF LETTUCE- I MEAN PIE.
SO #1 FAN DEBBIE HAS MORPHED INTO #1 HALF MARATHON RACE WALKER AND IS SUITED UP IN HER SHS SAXON YELLOW RAIN PONCHO AND IS READY TO TERRORIZE THE 60-65 AGE GROUP.WE DECLINED THE EARLY START TO CATCH AN EXTRA HOUR OF EATING I MEAN REST.NOAH PULL UP THE ARK IT IS STILL RAINING OUT THERE.
DEBBIE IMMEDIATELY STEPS IN A POTHOLE WHEN WE ARRIVE TO THE RACE AND HAS COMPLTELY SOAKED FEET EVEN BEFORE WE KNOW WHERE THE START LINE IS.I KNEW FROM MY ROANOKE OUTING THAT IF I FOUND HOLY FOLKS TO RUN WITH IT WOULD NOT BE MY TIME JUST YET.NO PROBLEM- THERE IS PAULA W AT THE START LINE- SHE IS A SOCIAL WORKER FOR THE STATE OF NY SO THAT IS THE HIGHEST OF THE HOLY SO WE ARE GOOD.
DON’T ASK ABOUT THE SCENERY IT WAS RAIN DROPS AND MORE RAIN DROPS WITH SOME PUDDLES.THERE WERE NO FLASH FLOODS -COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS NAN- SHUT UP AND RUN.WHEN I SAW THE EARLY START FOLKS ON MILE 16 AND I WAS ON MILE 9 I WAS INSANELY JEALOUS.THE MILES DID NOT FLY BY AND MY STOMACH WAS SAYING A BIG NO TO GELS.SPORT BEANS TO THE RESCUE.AROUND MILE 18 I WAS REALLY REALLY TIRED OF RAIN AND RUNNING WAS JUST BECOMING A LITTLE BIT BORING. MY PARTS WERE FEELING FINE CONSIDERING THE BIG PICTURE SO THE ONLY WAY TO WAS THRU. SHUT UP THAT WHINE AND COMPLETE THOSE MILES. YOU DON’T GET TO PASS ON THIS OR CALL A CAB. WELL I COULD BUT A YEAR FROM NOW I WILL HAVE TO BE BACK THERE HERE DOING THIS AGAIN. NO THANKS. 90% OF EVERYTHING IS MENTAL. I STARTED TO PASS SOME FOLKS WHO WERE IN THE SUFFER ZONE. WHEN THE FINISH LINE WAS VERY CLOSE I CAME UPON THE NATIONAL GUARD SQUAD DOINGTHE RACE IN A FAST MARCH WITH GEAR IN HONOR OF THE FALLEN FROM MAINE. THEY SLOW DOWN FOR THE HURTING GUYS BECAUSE NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND. FRIENDS AND FAMILIES OF THE FALLEN WERE FINISHING UP THE LAST MILE WALKING WITH THE SQUAD TOO. WITH A FULL POLICE ESCORT. WHAT A DISPLAY OF PATRIOTISM. THE OTHER RUNNERS AND I WERE SMELLING THAT LINE I MEAN A DRY PLACE AND WE MURMURED AMONGST OURSELVES- DO WE SHOW OUR PATRIOTISM AND STOP/SLOW DOWN AND LET THISCONTINGENTHAVE THEIR FINISH ACCOLADEAND HONORS ? OR DO WE SPRINT PAST THEM AND HONOR THEM FROM THE CHOCOLATE MILK TENT ?YOU FILL IN THE ENDING.THANK YOU SO MUCH NATIONAL GUARD BUT THE CHOCOLATE MILK WAS DELISH.
I LOCATED #1 RACER DEBBIE FAST ASLEEP IN THE GYM AREA FAST ASLEEP STILL IN HER HOODED YELLOW SAXON RAIN PONCHO.WE CONNECTED WITH MANIAC TERRI M FROM ST LOUIS. SHE IS A FAST RUNNER SO SHE KNEW ALL THESE AMAZING FACTS: 1) THE NAME OF OUR HOTEL. 2)WHERE WE WERE LOCATED AT THE RACE. 3) HOW MANY PEOPLE NEEDED A SHUTTLE RIDE. THESE WERE ALL FACTS THAT WERE MYSTERIES TO ME- ALL I KNEW WAS I WASN’T OUT IN THE RAIN ANYMORE AND I HAD A LITTLE SPACE BLANKET AROUND ME. PUTTING ON SOMETHING DRY WAS SOMETHING THIS LITTLE BAND OF RUNNERS DIDN’T CARE ABOUT- WE HAD A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS- LIFE WAS GRAND.
CRASHING WAVES BY THE LOBSTER SHACK
IS THAT WET HAIR ? WHERE IS YOUR PONCHO ?
ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TRIP WAS ARRANGED BY PAULA W AND MARK- THE ONCE IN A LIFETIME SEAFOOD DINNER ON THE ROCKY MAINE COAST WITH A LIGHT HOUSE AND HUGE CRASHING WAVES. A LITTLE PLACE THAT ONLY THE LOCALS KNOW ABOUT. IT WAS REMARKABLE AND WE GOT TO MEET PAULA’S SISTERS WHO WERE WEEKENDING AT THE BEACH. THEY GAVE US TIPS TO GO SEE SOME COOL SIGHTS THE NEXT DAY.
SEE THE HITHER AND YON ON THE BOTTOM?
LOOKING FOR THE BUSHES IN KENNEBUNKPORT AND FLASHING THE 2.
THE NEXT DAY WE WENT TO KENEBUNKPORT AND THE BEACH AND YES THE SUN WAS OUT AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY. FANTASTIC. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE EXPERIENCED L.L. BEAN ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT. HOLY MOLY WHAT A PLACE. I WILL TAKE ONE OF EVERYTHING THANK YOU. WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT SHIPPING IS FREE SO WE KEPT OUR PURCHASES TO WHAT FIT IN THE CARRY ON. THE VISA BILL BREATHED A SIGH OF RELIEF J.
SO THAT BFF’S (BLOG FRIENDS AND FANS) IS THE STORY OF THE DOUBLE.
BE AWESOME TODAY RESPECT ALL -AND FEAR NONE -LIVE LARGE
Nanadventure 
I'm so excited to check out the courses now!! They sound magnificent. I'm glad my boyfriend will have something pretty to look at while I run.
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