Oh-Hi-OH!

Last week my beloved and I traveled hither and thither, afar and yon. That's right, we drove. To Ohio. With the dog. In a Toyota Yaris.

While many a stalwart soul will quiver and quail at the thought of a 12-hour drive, I am here to say...it was kind of nice. Twelve hours of chatting, laughing, and teasing with my beloved. Twelve hours of cooing over how well-behaved Copley was in the backseat of the car, marveling over the fact that she not only fit, she fit quite comfortably.

We spent the next 2.5 days in Marietta, Ohio, where we visited with family--Jared's parents, grandparents, brother, aunts and uncles. We ate, shopped, visited, ate, slept, went to a movie, ate, visited, and...yup, ate. It was a wonderful, wonderful trip, and a great chance for me to get to know the future in-laws that much better. (They're good people, so easy to like!)

Saturday night saw us back in Cambridge, after another 12 hours in the car, most of which Copley spent dozing, with her head in my tote bag. After the days of eating too much with family, sitting inactive in the car, and countless stops for Starbucks...well, let's just say we were looking forward to Sunday's run.

Happily enough, the miles were easy and quick, and the weather divine--the sun shone and glittered on the river as we circled around from the Longfellow to the Harvard bridge. We took breaks when we wanted them, ran relaxed miles along the paths, and before we knew it, we were back at the gym for a quick lift before heading home. An excellent end to a lovely week.

For the Hill Of It

Saturday my beloved and I were at last back at it--and in style. We snoozed a few times, and shamelessly changed the time the alarm was to go off, but ultimately we still found ourselves shuttling along the green line en route to the Woodland T in brisk morning air.

Taking the T out to the Woodland stop leaves you with a hell of a 9-mile run--along the familiar twists and turns of the marathon course. It's wonderful to ease through the miles, remembering past training runs and marathons, and not-so-surprisingly entertaining to window-shop the ritzy houses that line the first few miles. It's also always easier to run towards the finish line, something every out-and-back or loop course lacks for at least the first half.

Since we'd planned to hit the gym afterwards (hey, it was only another mile, and if you only work out once or twice a week, you've got to overextend to keep to the law of averages), our run took a few interesting turns, including one mistaken one. But the miles flew by, and we found ourselves marveling at how enjoyable running can be when you're just running for the sake of running.

It's not that I don't like training for a specific race--I do. But there is something exceptionally wonderful about running just because you can--because your legs and lungs are strong enough, and because you simply want to. (Though I have to say, it certainly doesn't hurt when your running companion is an intelligent, charming, and exceptionally handsome man for. And if said handsome man and you have recently watched the movie 300, it's highly entertaining to yell pithy one-liners with every mile, such as "THIS...IS...HEARTBREAK..." Check out the clip below if you aren't sure what I mean.)

300 - This Is Sparta! | SpikeTV | SPIKE.com

Of course, it wouldn't be a full blog if I didn't impart some recent, and exceptionally good news: the numbers are in for the 2009 Dana Farber Marathon Challenge team--that's right folks, together we 550+ runners raised

$4,025,688

For cancer research and care. Keep in mind, fellow runners, walkers, and human beings--the world is full of big and scary things. But together, with hard work, dedication, and enough hope to fill an ocean, we can achieve incredible, incredible things.

Happy Running this Thanksgiving!

Early November Hodgepodge

What? Nearly two weeks after Seacoast and I haven't blogged yet? Sigh...

I admit it, I haven't felt that much like blogging lately. The fall is here, and with a crisp nip in the air, and an even busier than usual schedule, I've had little time to run, and even less to blog...

Still, Seacoast IS an annual event, and one I'd like to talk about at least a little. We were lucky as ever, and were met with a beautiful sunny day. As we ran our way through the first two miles, I commented to Jared how it was, strangely, the first time I hadn't been nervous for a half marathon.

Well, unfortunately, my lack of nervousness was a bad sign--it turned out it was one of those days where my brain had decided to interfere with my legs. I was tired. I was sore. I wanted a break. I wanted a drink. I was just plain grumpy. The beautiful day and the always wonderful company of my beloved kept me in relatively decent spirits, though, and we finished in an entirely respectable, if not quite blistering, shade over 2 hours, right around the same as last year.

I will, say, though, the post-race meal (clam chowder and cheese pizza) and the schwag (another nice wick-away and a bottle of jam) made the miles worthwhile.

This past week family visits and our own crazy schedules kept us from getting much in either...though we managed to squeeze in a short (4ish) birthday run on Sunday, and another 4 miles or so on Wednesday. Tonight we'll hit the gym for a quick lift, and then tomorrow we'll hit the road--and get back it, with a run along the last 9 of the Boston Marathon course. It's a long and chilly T ride out to Woodland stop, but the memory-filled streets (and hills!) leading back into Boston are worth it and more.

And did I mention there's a Starbucks near the finish line?

Saturday's 1/2

At long last, with my beloved back in town, we were ready to head out for the last long run before Seacoast next weekend. Since we wanted to take another gander at some of the new proposed routes for RunBoston, we decided to map a meandering route through Cambridge, along the Charles, through Charlestown past Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution, back over the river (we do love that dirty water), past the Common, down Newbury and Boyleston, and then at last back past the Common and to the T.

Our original route included one last leg to Fenway, but a cranky Abby managed to whine her way out of that last mile. Overall, a good training run, and one that happily ended with Starbucks in Davis Square for the walk home.

Jared whipped up some breakfast while I changed into dry clothes--then it was a shower for him, and a car for me as I headed off for my second (and much shorter) run of the morning.

By 9:45, I was comfortably ensconced in an empty classroom with 7 FitGirls, B, and an expectant (literally) coach, Patty.

The miles flew by, as I was lucky to be passing miles with three charming, talkative, and energetic 5th-6th graders--Pamela, AnnaMaria, and Julia. The three of them kept me engaged and impressed, as they walked less than 3/4 mile of the 5K. They kept each other moving and motivated, and I was impressed to hear them openly discuss the importance of "running not winning" the race that morning. They reminded me of the openness that kids embrace the world with--one of the things that we often lose as we get older.

Tomorrow it's off to the Seacoast half marathon for us--and I am hoping we can channel some of that child-like joy, and enjoy the miles, and this late fall warm spell.