Sunday, September 14, 2014

Maine, Vermont, A 100 Miler


  • I'm tracking Emily running a 100 mile race and it's exhausting.  I'm sure she's tired too but mothers don't sleep when their offspring are alone in the dark woods running up and down mountains.  She is now at Mile 80 and being paced by a good friend. More to come on this.
Here's my FB status from yesterday to tell you a little more about the race.
I'll be thinking of Emily Halnon all day today, through tonight and into tomorrow as she runs her first 100 miler, Pine to Palm in Oregon. Not only does she decide to run a 100 miler she chooses a difficult one with 20,000 feet of climbs including 3 "epic" climbs of over 7000 feet. She has 34 hours to complete this race which is her goal. I hope she enjoys the journey. I'll be glad when she reaches the end!
This is Em during a 100 mile relay.  Now she's doing it all.

  • No race this weekend so a bit more about Maine.  I love Maine.  No secret!  Last Saturday after the race we went to the beach and sat and watched people, the ocean, read, all that good stuff. Bliss. 
Yeah, I'm in my happy place.

  • Then we drove to Nubble Lighthouse and took pictures even though I have several hundred at this point.  Then it was time to eat. What to get?  I got lobster macaroni and cheese.  My friends didn't finish theirs but I had no problem.

    We each had a couple of beers.  I forget what I got  first but then I got Shipyard Pumpkin Ale.  They put it in a Miller glass and put my friend's beer in a Pumpkinale glass. Well, that wasn't right so I got the beer switched around and all was right with the world.

    This is from my house, how it should be done.


    Sunday we got up early and a bike ride was on tap. First there was a catastrophe.  You know when you hear a bump and look in your rearview mirror and there are no bikes where there should be bikes that all is not right with the world.  I can feel some of you shuddering now (Kate). I pulled over and the bike rack had gone down (because someone hadn't clicked it shut) and the bikes had bounced on the road a couple of times while still on the rack.  I couldn't stop exclaiming over how stupid I was.  My friend kept saying it was okay. If you are going to do something to someone's bike or whatever, she is the person to be with. She stayed calm  and kept saying it all could be fixed.  Well, my bike was fine but hers appeared not to be.  She could ride it though we could see things that were bent.  We could quickly see it was not as bad as it first appeared.  (It has been in the shop now since it's trauma.  I couldn't talk about this until I knew it was okay.  It just needed a part straightened out and is fine.  Phew!) So we rode to Ogunquit Beach from Maine and I easily knew those would be the best two hours of my month even though the month had just begun.  Bliss Bliss Bliss.  And more bliss.  And then some more.  
    When I first got to the Nubble.

    I love this library.
    Oh my.  Bliss.

    Back in Vermont I have given myself two weeks off swimming now that I have no tris. I went back to the gym this week for my runs and they were quite good. I did a long run of 6 miles at home yesterday.  Yup, that's my long run these days.  I also have started strength and stretch exercises and a class. Badly needed.   I did my class in the middle of my run the other day and I was shaky when I finished the run. I badly need to do this and I'll let you know that I am.  There I said it. I am going to stretch and strengthen twice a week.
    Vermont is pretty sweet too.

    I got two short bike rides in after work, both quite nice. I hope to go longer today but I am waiting for it to warm up. Friday's ride was quite cold and yesterday's run was Arctic! 

     Back to tracking Emily.

    Okay many hours later......it was exhausting tracking her and there were times I was worried. But she came through in 28:10:35. She was the 8th woman. Go Emily! She was incredible in her first 100. I say first because I am a realist.  What a rock star she is.



16 comments:

EB said...

So exciting that Emily finished! She is such an impressive runner! I can only imagine how nervous you were!

I love Maine too and Pumpkinhead remains my favorite pumpkin beer. Smashed Pumpkinhead is really good if you are lucky enough to find it on tap and I once got it served with a cinnamon/nutmeg rim.

christa said...

She is amazing!

Jill said...

Checking out updates on Emily on FB - she is a rockstar!!! I have paced a few 100s and I can honestly say I don't think I ever want to do one. I salute her - I know you must be so proud!

Maine - will make it there one of these days. I always drool over your pics!

Darlene said...

Yes Emily is amazing. I am impressed about your exercising. I think about it but that's as far as I get.

Darlene said...

And your photos make me want to go to Maine.

Average Woman Runner said...

I need to go to Maine!

Congratulations to Emily - hopefully you will sleep well now that she is safely finished.

Char said...

Emily is incredible. !00 miles is a huge distance. I bet you're a proud Mom.

Half Crazed Runner said...

Shipyard brewing - know it well! Great job, Emily!

Kate Geisen said...

Yea Emily!!

Oh my gosh...the bikes! That's such a bad feeling! Glad things worked out. I've had two such incidents...one where a friend (Mike, actually, from blogworld) backed into my mom's car with our bikes on the back of his car, and one where the back of my mountain bike fell off of my car on the highway. I looked back in time to see it start to slide off and whipped my car to the left shoulder of the highway. No damage, thank goodness. Now I bungee both sides down...I really need a new bike rack.

Your rides are so beautiful. I've done way more running than riding lately; that makes me sad. Why do I keep signing up for longer running races??

Kate Geisen said...

Oh! And we're starting a yoga class in the afternoons here at school. I need the stretching so badly. Ever since I started running my body has gotten so inflexible. I've been doing strength training again for a couple weeks. I love it, even though I'm totally intimidated by the weights section of the gym.

Laurie said...

Loved your post and how you diverted your concerns for Emily to sharing your bliss. Although, I would share your concerns. Moms! Even so, she ROCKED! My husband would love to do a 100-mile race. He volunteered at one last June and was bit by the century bug. He hopes to do one next spring.

Teamarcia said...

When we vacationed in Maine a couple summers ago, so many asked us why? I swear we loved it SO much. I need to go back. Maybe it's better kept secret from the masses. Congrats again to Emily. Super studly indeed!

Liz said...

Your daughter is amazing! But you know that.

I have so much work on at the moment, I'm jealous of you reading and riding by the ocean!!

Johann said...

Emily did great! I've crewed, paced and ran 100 milers. Running is the easiest I think...

Ransick said...

Yep, know the bad bike Mojo. Backing into Kate's mother-in-laws car with our bikes on the back of my car was not one of my finer moments :-(.

Love all the Maine pictures. As a kid, I remember going to a crab bake at my parents friends house and it being amazing.

Congrats to Emily! That is often.

The Padre said...

I Love That Library As Well!!! Awesome