Cape Cod Trail Race

I had planned this trip out for MONTHS. I was going to spend a weekend in Boston, running in the Cape, head to NYC for the week, and be back in Boston to run in Rhode Island the next weekend. I was PUMPED.

There was some drama getting out of SFO (duh), leaving me stuck at my layover in SLC. Using my quick wit and undeniable charm (present even after hours of delays out of SFO and hours of delays in SLC) I managed to get myself on the first flight out the next morning.

I still ended up sleeping on the floor of the airport though, and it's not that comfortable.

Also, when it's time to clean, they basically vacuum around your body, like your body is whatever lifeless spirit you've got left.

In any case, I arrived into Boston-Logan, where my buddy JV picked me up and we promptly went to drink at a local brewery--cause that's what good friends DO after hours of travel drama. 

I woke up early the next day, borrowing JV's car for the drive out to Cape Cod. I arrived early and realized it hadn't taken long for my East Coast vibe to wear off. I was freezing!

Dislike button.

The race started right on time, after a spirited singing of both the National Anthem and God Bless America. The trail was brown--dry and dead. I think I forgot that winter a thing in places that aren't California. It was a nice and easy trail, not a ton of gain at all, with some areas boasting gorgeous single track. 

It's done!

It was a really fun 10k. I finished in 1:04:22 and placed third in my age division. The food at the after party was pretty top notch...we're talking like chicken breast, soup, bagels...I had forgotten it was hardly mid-afternoon when I finished and really didn't need to eat that much.

And the award for most interesting medal goes to...

I took the rest of the day to meander back to Boston...stopping at Plymouth Rock (not that interesting) and a pretty stellar state park.

Rhode Island : Newport Rhode Races Half Marathon

This was the race where ALL technology decided to fail and in a strange serendipitous way, led to me slowing down and missing some benchmarks

My watch died about halfway through the race. It was pretty liberating to not give a damn about my pace and timing. With no idea of how long I'd been going, I decided to stop and take several pictures of the amazing coastline and the beautiful mansions.

Little did I know my phone would also go KAPUT and almost NONE of my pictures turned out. In a weird glitch that even three hours at the Boyleston Street Apple store couldn't make clear, my phone refused to take several pictures...but not all in a row. I had no indication anything was wrong when I took the photo. After the race, a quick review of the photos showed all the thumbnails. Once JV and I sat for lunch on the harbor, I clicked on the thumbnails which expanded into huge photos of GREY NOTHINGNESS. It became very clear that while a few photos made it, none of the ones from the race course came out.

Here's the serendipity--I slowed down because I didn't have a watch. I stopped and took photos (something I have never done on a course). I came in at 2:04:27--well within striking distance of sub 2:00, if I hadn't slowed down because of the watch to take photos.

In any case, JV and I had great races. The course is absolutely beautiful, with some rolling hills and windy coastlines. The views truly can't be beat. While there aren't too many mansions in eyesight, if you know what you're looking for, you can see the tops of them from a few angles of the course. Post-race party was great--there was PIZZA! Parking was very close to the race start and end--no need to have taken the shuttle.

I *did* just ran a half-marathon and yes I'm glowing.

Don't love this medal. 

It's a connector, meant to encourage participation in the series.

Since I'm not doing the series, it's just weird looking.

The next day I got to take part in cheering for the Boston Marathon. I was able to see my cousin Bonnie run--no, ZOOM--past me. I also was able to see all the elites--Galen Rupp, Meb Keflezighi, Shalane Flanagan and my new favorite Jordan Hasay. Spectating for the Boston Marathon will always be one of my favorite activities--I can't wait to run it!