Food, shopping, and Race 4

I was still going to be in Massachusetts for another week, spending time with family, taking my sister to get her chemo port for breast cancer, so I had to go grocery shopping. . .and riding my nephews bike, which turned out to be my bro in law's bike when he was a kid. 

Nephew wanted to ride the bike to the bus stop, so I rode it home

Fall leaves

At the grocery store, they were out of UDI's gf whole grain bread, so I bought this brand I'd never heard of before. I liked the idea of a rye substitute sounded great. 

I thought the bread was great the first few days. Good for making a sandwich, but not for spreading butter upon. It tended to crumble a bit under a gentle knife. 

A few days later we went shopping and stopped at Smashburger. 

They have GF buns, the fries are said to be GF, but others have told me they fry their 'fried pickles in the same mix. Plus, they use canola oil instead of soy oil (YEAH!).

The bun is HUGE. It was about 2" tall by itself.   

I'm not use to eating a bun any longer, since I just think of it as empty calories, and I just flipped the burger onto the top of the bun and left off the bottom, eating it as a decorated piece of bread instead.  The fries: AWESOME! The last time I'd had restaurant fries was two years before in San Francisco at the WipeOut establishment (canola oil there too, dedicated GF fryer). 

We had to be at the hospital at 6:30am for the chemo port day. I packed my kindle, knitting, and some food, but lunch still needed to be had. I went to the cafeteria about 1:30, after my sister was taken back in surgery and I got a salad of sorts from the salad bar, chips and milk.

I know getting food from the salad bar is iffy at times, but the only thing that was gluten appearing were the croutons, and I avoided the items near the croutons in case there was any dropping of them into another container.  The salad bar was pretty basic, nothing fancy, not what I was use to seeing at Univ Med Center Omaha.  Then again, it was late afternoon too.  

I also had this bar, that my sister had given me.
\TASTY!

I'm still not sure why the GI floor had to be listed twice! 

We left the hospital at 6pm, almost a full twelve hours later. Then a trip to the pharmacy along the bumpy road.  I had just seen an ad on tv for the new Chex oatmeal and was ecstatic when I saw it at the CVS. We had something easy for dinner--I wanted to be sure sister would eat something tonight!

After taking it easy on Saturday, my sis thought I'd enjoy another race--um, sure! Knocking off another state would be fabulous.

We checked out the running in the usa website and found a fun run, run with a purpose, in New Hampshire.  Folks can bring toys for kids to this race, and the proceeds from the race also buy toys for kids in the area. Pretty cool to be a part of such a race. . .. oh, and cool in general. It was about below 40 this morning! Brrrrr. 

Cold and I didn't bring any running pants, just skort! 

I did succeed in tossing this "throwaway" shirt.  It was a cotton technical shirt and worked well at the Hartford race in the rain. It held some moisture, but didn't get heavy like a cotton shirt would.  This race day, I dropped it at the aid station. It was funny as the guy working said, "you're not going to get it back" and I said, "I was hoping not to".  I think I surprised him, but I didn't want to toss it into the woods along the trail where no one would pick it up, and I was not going to go back for it. 

Part of the beautiful race course. 

I ran the 10k and my sister walked the 5k with her daughter. I was worried it'd be too much for her, but the doctor had said she could do it, just not overdo things. She went slow as well, which eased my mind.  She also found out the 10K wasn't a 10K this year. Apparently the leaders missed the first "loop around the parking lot and school" before dumping us on to the trail system. I think we missed out on about a quarter mile, if that much. I was still happy with my time, my foot still hurt a little bit from the weekend before.  

Lunch at Lui Lui's.  It's an Italian place in Nashua, New Hampshire.  Gluten free menu with delicious options.  Little kids are given [gluten] pieces of dough to play with and entertain themselves.   

Spinach dip

GF pizza with pepperoni, spinach

Art in the hallway outside the New   Balance outlet store

a find at a second hand store. Irish vest  that I decided to deconstruct for the wool yarn. 

To be made into a shawl/scarf 

Time to retire the shoes. They're staying at my sister's for when I visit her, but after the pain in my right foot I'm not going to be sad to not have the tennis ball shoes in my closet. 

Autumn in Iowa, flyover state, flyover photo, ha ha ha 

The only thing more beautiful than a harvested and yet to be harvested field in the fall, are the sprouting fields of spring.

The only other race I did in 2014 was a November, Veterans Day one. 

It was about 35 degrees windy and my time was pretty good, all things considered. . .in fact, my race time was the exact same as it was for a 10K in July where it was muggy and had just finished raining (and lightning) when the race started.  

2014 I ran all over, Iowa, Neb, Kansas, D.C., California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and enjoyed seeing the sites various towns had to offer. 

May 2014 have been a good year for you and may 2015 be an amazing year for us all. 

Race 3 in 3 days. What was I thinking? Massachusetts.

When we got back to my friend's house, we looked up the race for Monday: Tufts 10K. It's held every year on the Monday of this weekend (Columbus Day).

The race was $50 to register and the website said $50 for same day registration as well!  Sweet, we can just make up our minds in the morning.

The legs were a little stiff, and really I'll just say a little. I was quite surprised the legs weren't more angry with me. I don't know if the adrenaline wasn't worn off yet, or if the yoga in addition to the running was really helping me.

Race morning, Athleta sweater goes quite well with a black race tank!

Same day registration. . . what can I say. Oh, right. it was $60 race day, plus computer use the day of to register, so it was actually $65 to register.  I wasn't happy, but the other side of leaving then was *inconveniencing friend who drove me here
*driving half an hour into downtown Boston for 'nothing'
*WHO KNEW that one could have 'same day' registered at home on a computer for the $50!  What race has same day computer registration?  

Further on the negative side, no one told me I could get a race shirt, or packet, or from where. I figured it out by watching other people head to the shirt table. It wasn't a matter of not having enough shirts for same day registrants either. There were hundreds, if not a thousand, shirts left over at the end of this race!

On the positive side, there were plenty of samples (i.e. food for breakfast) to sample and coupons to obtain. Many were foods that were gluten and soy free. YEAH!  This made me happy and makes me want to do the race again! 

Further, amazing women runners started the race for the little kids:
Joan Benoit Samuelson 
Olympic Gold Medalist
Boston Marathon winner

It was an inspiration to hear her speak and be so close to her.
Really, there's not a zoom on my camera!

I really wasn't sure about this, but so much was already invested. I was tired and I hadn't thought ahead of time to really needing to pack three separate race outfits for three separate races, so I have on this hodgepodge including the "throwaway" shirt of a race I've not partaken:

Getting ready for the race start. Yes, the street is packed full of racers!  So inspiring to see, and so much energy to share!

I have no idea where we were in Boston, except at a Green space, and race across the Charles' river.  Please forgive me, as I don't know streets or landmarks here. 

We ran down the start/finish street and then made an immediate left hand turn. The street was packed for this final race of mine.  There were folks walking, folks sprinting, and folks running. Mostly women, although there occasionally was a male runner as well.  Young runners and old runners. I think I passed an 80 year old women. Inspiring for so many reasons. Take the energy where you can find the energy!

About mile two my right foot HURT. It wasn't the bottom that had taken a pounding, it wasn't the toes that were hitting the ground. Instead, it was the part right under where I tie my shoe. OMG the pain was so much.
*I ran a bit trying to go tippy toes. That didn't help.
*I tried to go with heal, that didn't help.
**I resigned myself to walking the rest of the 10K. Bummed!

I would not give up--especially after I found 50¢ in various coins on the ground!

I found I could run at times, when the pain subsided. Then I yelled-internally of course, I was in public--for running through pain. 

Coming up this hill was painful, but the top leveled off and my foot was feeling better. For whatever reason, it felt good to run downhill--so I did, after taking this picture.  

At the bottom of the hill I walked again, stretched my foot and ankle on the curb and generally yelled at myself for doing three races in three days---even if I was taking it easy on the last two of them!


Then I turned my head and spied this beautiful scene:

Women running across the Charles River FOR FUN. 

INSPIRATION again.

My run/walk method was taking me there. I ran for the camera guys, I walked where I needed to. I avoided all the potholes I saw!

And then as I finished down this road and we turned left I recognized where we were--at least knowing it was close to the Green where the race started, and the energy was flowing again. 

The energy cont'd to flow as I spied the "best dressed" water stop. Even gents in tuxedos here!  

(yes, I asked, and received, his permission to take his photo for the blog)

We ran around the backside the park opposite where the race was staged and then came to the street that ran between them. I ran (hobbled, I felt) towards the finish line and then I *heard* my name!  My friend was on the street, cheering me on!

As I got up to the finish line I wished I hadn't put my phone away, for who was cheering us on as we finished, but Joan Benoit Samuelson!

When we finished, we were looped through a finishing area, grabbed a bag, stuff it with whatever refreshments one wants (no chocolate milk, but there was yogurt!), and then head out to the park to spread out. I'm not sure what kind of entertainment was to occur at the stage, and we didn't really stick around. I immediately loosened my shoe strings on the right foot and stretched my legs.

[when I got home, and saw a running friend at yoga, she suggested i might have done something on the wet pavement during the first race, and the adrenaline of the events didn't allow the pain to come through until Monday. Seemed reasonable!]

Three races. Three days. 

Three races.

Three days.

Would I do it again? 

Probably!  

Day 2, race 2, Rhode Island. Dining out and race day

We continued our direct/non-direct course to Newport on the winding roads of the northeastern states.

One of the few 'state' signs I managed to see and photograph. It's amazing how fast those signs come up and disappear when on the interstate system.

The first view as we arrive near/in Newport. Up and over one large bridge (on the left) only to see the one on the right in the distance we'll be on shortly. 

Once we got to the lodging location (RV parking spot with a great star rating) where there was maybe three feet between RVs in their system, we got bundled back up and headed out to the registration site to pick up the packets, and then find food. The packet pickup was at "second beach" I suppose to not be confused with the first or third beaches in Middleton as well, ha ha. 

Registration pickup was close to the Atlantic ocean, in the party tent (below).  It looks huge from here, but the line was stretched out for about fifty yards in the nice brisk ocean breeze. Brrrr. 

While we meandered through tables to the registration line inside, our fellow vacationers took part in the sand and surf. 

We had the option of three colors for the official race shirt, Black, blue or green, and they were all short sleeve shirts, with the race name on it. I didn't get one, on purpose. 

This is the shirt I picked---it's not even the official race shirt!  

Wait--why did I pick this one, you ask?  This shirt, for their Triple Crown event, has the main sponsor's name on it "United Healthcare". I figured if my health care premiums were going in for main advertising for a race, I wanted a shirt that advertised for the healthcare company!  Strange logic sure, but this is also a pretty sea/ocean blue color that just screamed "Atlantic Ocean" to me. 

Protected sand dune

Gorgeous view of the unending ocean.

After we got our friends from the surf and tracked down a runaway three year old --who was having fun playing hide and seek with the adults who weren't playing--we loaded up the car and went 'downtown' to Smoke House Cafe which we found on the Find ME Gluten Free app (which you can also use on a computer).

Reviews called it 'family friendly'. 'know their gluten free', 'large menu'. and more.  

Boy, were we shocked when we got to the place, 5:30/6pm.  The part near the street is one large bar with pull down clear tarps.  We weren't sure where the 'family friendly' part was until one of our party went in and found a complete lower room, with real doors to close out the bar noise.  

We decided to stay. 

The gluten free menu: 

Did you see how much was on this menu? WOW.  

We were there as the afternoon drinking crowd was winding down (there were a few people in the dining section, waiting for the restroom, who looked like they thought it was 2am on a Friday night). 

The 11th was a long day for the feet. Ready to repeat it all in the morning! 

Race morning came and we drove to a bank parking lot to ride a bus to the race start.  The race starts on a small strip of land between Newport and Middletown and there is no parking there race day---as its staged in the parking lot of Easton's Beach.

I watched the marathoners and those half marathoners who wanted more course time take off, and then walked around by the beach.  

Add caption

I was not going to take any photos, I was going to run/walk this race to the best of my abilities. No matter how sore I was when I awoke, by the time we got to the race start, my muscles were relaxed, or the adrenaline was pumping again. . .whichever way you want to view it!  

Run/Walk I did.  The course starts out fairly flat, but by half a mile you're going up a hill and warming up the body. Then it was up down and around some intersections to a point where we turned right, went up and up a boulevard street to reach Ft. Adams' State Park, where we looped around--there was a bathroom in the park as well for those who needed it--and then ran back down the boulevard entrance  where we had a car trying to pass all of us runners. Not the smartest driver!  

I kept up the running on the level areas, but did stop to take a photo of this gorgeous  Coast Guard building Castle Rock.   

A bit more of running and I passed the halfway marker and decided I'd given it a good run, but needed the loo and to stretch the legs for a bit. 

I was surprised to see this monument to the Portuguese--not really knowing much about discovery of this nation.   It is a gorgeous monument and highlighted on the course. 

Around this bend, I caught up with my event mate, who started with the 26.2 folks. She was walking with another competitor and I decided to walk with them for a bit. . . and then it turned into the 'I don't want to run again' mentality.

Great views at relatively modern homes along the ocean front.

A sign I hadn't seen since Hawai'i. 

And then the race course dumped us into the historic home section of Newport:  Gorgeous homes, it was a pleasure to go past at a walk and not a run, and not in a car. 

The Breakers.  The guard let us dash inside the metal fence just to snap an unobscured photo. Beautiful place. Wish I'd had time to visit it later in the day. 

The Breakers 

There were other houses being renovated, some completely--save the street facing.

Then, knowing the finish was near, my body was wanting to run again.  I took off, and my race friend took off as well. The 26.2 walker stayed steady.

We came down to the finish at Easton Beach the same way we started, so down a hill land then a straight away for about half a mile. It really messes with a person to know the finish is "RIGHT THERE" and the downhill pull is working to make you want to run that downhill faster than you should, but knowing that you have to still preserve enough energy to run that flatland ahead.  

While the race folks do as much as they can, it was still a bit of shouting "runner coming through" "racer coming up" to adults and adults with children who decided to cross the path without looking as to why it was partitioned off to start. 

I went through the finish chute and had to ask for a medal--although there were plenty of young adults standing with them on their forearms. Perhaps I don't look like a racer in a running skirt, tank top and **race number** on my person????  

I got a bottle of water and made it to the racer finisher/food area and found this: 

water, water and water, bagels and that was it. No fruit, no milk.  Apparently there was pizza coming, but as a gluten free, soy free runner, that wasn't necessary for me.  

We were getting ready to head back to the bus area when my race friend noticed my medal was different from hers. . . I managed to be given a 26.2 instead of a 13.1 medal. The difference was the fabric loop and the medal itself was slightly larger. Back to the medal folks I went.  

Back home, it took my 'rarely drinks a beer' hubby The Mike, to point out that the medal was also a beer bottle opener!   

The dune vegetation: 

It was sad to see people walking over this dune instead of making time to walk around the edge. Erosion happens in many forms. 

The sea wall markers.

The buildings at Easton Beach, same day race entry was occurring in the parking area under these buildings, as was same day bib pickup, and people who wanted to avoid the wind.  

Pre-race hanging around was a choice of being in the shade out of the wind,  or being out in the sun and getting *some* warmth, but being in the wind from the Atlantic Ocean. 

After the race, we rode the bus to the car/parking lot which was greatly cleaned out, changed our clothes, stopped at Wendys for the drive-thru and headed out of town. 

Baked potato and cheese, plus milk and a frosty!  

Heading back to Mass state, we stopped in Providence RI for the Brighton store, so I could add a few more charms to my race bracelet. 

Providence, RI bridge. 

34505 yesterday, 35745 to day. 

End of the weekend. . .but wait! There's more!  A 10K tomorrow in Boston, or is there?