Patience; the new endurance sport.

I had to get out the door by 5:15 a.m. so I could be at the airport by 8:30. It was pitch black, so I ran around the neighborhood for a mile, once it started getting light, I hit the main river trail. The wind from the storm last night left tree branches everywhere. It was like a steeplechase. Matt K was out that early, and warned me of upcoming debris. At first I thought "I'll just go to the bottom of the trail." Then, "I'll just go to the 5 mile mark to make an even 6 miles." When I got there, I thought "Well, I'm here now, I might as well go to the very, very end." I'd gone faster than usual and had saved time (enough to stuff another mile in there). That's unusual for my Monday morning energy level. I have to say I've recovered nicely from the 17 miler on Friday. I had my Garmin all packed away for the trip, I probably PR'd those 7.8, but without a watch or Garmin, I guess we'll never know. Just as I was finishing the run, along came the running posse. Sasha and invited me to with them. I know they were recovery running post marathon, and so it would have been a fine time to join the party. I love my little river trail, I'll miss it. But tommorrow I hope to be blogging my run from Marblehead, MA.

Cornflower, Queen Anne's Lace, Wild Larkspur, Verigated Ivy, Fern, Rasberries (not ready, I tested), wild yellow Sweet Peas, Laurel and Mullberry. These are the flowers, plants and trees along the Salem Bike trail that runs from Salem to Marblehead. I ran to the middle of town to catch the bike trail, which was paved, then crosses 1A/114 and turns to gravel. It's a good leg of Nagshead Bay, and then carries on behind dove grey wooden shingled houses, with white clapboard windows, on Nagshead. The foiliage is amazing. People's yards are filled with the most obscene color and lushness. Huge Hydrangia, Flox of every color, and huge Tiger and Day Lilies for heaven's sake. The yards are so fragrant, and effortlessly green. I ran down Pleasant Street, where the sidewalks are made of brick and the shops are tiny with huge windows. I passed Three Cod Tavern, the Gut and Feather club (a badmitton club), the Chowder House (pronouced Chawdah) and a Talbots, situated across the street from a 7-11. But this 7-11 has a tiny sign above the door, and sits unobtrusively into adorable space between specialty shops, antique, and art stores. I ran up Washington, past the Muffin Man. If you think Mormon's are proud of their grandchildren, come to Marblehead where all the Jewish Grandparents talk loudly outside the muffin shop in their New York and Boston accents about how 'Adourable and Smahrt" their little grandbabies are. They walk around town with their grandchildren in $7,000 prams while their children (who came up from the city to visit mom and pop's vacation home) luxuriously sleep in after making all that hard-earned money. I ran past the town hall where the painting "Spirit of '76" is housed, and up to the cemetary to visit my favorite grave "Abagail Goodfellow." I love her epitaph "As you are now, so once was I." She died at 21 giving birth in 1794, and is buried next her daughter, who died 12 years later. I stood at the top of the hill and observed the Boston Skyline at a distance, and then ran back to Salem. I always have to remind myself, that had I lived in Salem as a Puritan, I probably would have been one of those women burned at the stake for witchcraft-- mostly just for talking too much and not knowing when to keep my opinion to myself. The trail felt good under my feet on the way back. I ended my run by taking off my running shoes and diving into the water at the little beach at the end of Ocean Drive, just behind the docks.

I ran around old Salem City Today waaay before business hours. Up and down brick streets, the Peabody Essex Museum, witchcraft shops, the marina and then back over to Marblehead on the Salem trail. I bought a book this morning over in Rockport where I lunched on lobster cobb salad. I got a copy of Audubon's Guide to New England and so I may be ammending the names of some of the fauna from yesterdays report. I still can't help from stopping in the many, many cemetaries around the towns. Apparently the 1700's was really popular era to die around here. And everyone who died was between the ages of 20-46. Actually, I think it's more an interesting statement on the art/craft of headstone makers in that era.  There were 3 headstone craftsman in that decade and almost all the headstones in New England of this ear can be traced back to one of those three craftsmen.  I love the ones with the skeletons in the center with a laurel leaf crown holding the sun in one hand and the moon in the other.  Today's headstone favorite: Susannah Jayne, Amiable wife and Consort of Peter Jayne. She died 46 years of her age April 2, 1776. Universally missed. I thought about what my eptitaph might say. I'm pretty darn sure wouldn't say "amiable wife", "or universally missed". It might say: "She was one tough Mother....with a capital M."

I slept with my head next to an open window and it rained a good portion of the night. The house I stayed in is right next to the ocean and so all night long the smell of fresh rain, and ocean drifted in through the window. When I got up to run, the fog was low and misty. I had to catch the ferry to Nantucket in the early afternoon and so I ran a really uninpsired 9 whatever miles. I knew I wanted to run at least 4 of them kind of fast, so I just stuck with the Salem trail and ran it twice. I averaged 8:37 for those 4 miles. Not a true tempo run, but better than the meandering I'd been doing the past two days. The moisture in the air was so thick it condensed on the hairs of my arms. I looked down and my arms were coated with a white, mositure film. It was like a running in a sauna. I picked some of the flowers along the trail, put them into my Nathan waterpack, and then pressed them into my travel journal when I got home. Off to the island of Nantucket to visit my cousin. Funny fact. When I got to Boston, the friends I was visiting were both looking very svelt and healthy. So I asked them what they had been doing lately to look so good. The told me that last October they had given up refined sugar. So my days at their house was no problem to keep the no refined sugar/choclate promise. But there are many, many days left of my vacation.....Hmmm.

I have a confession.  While I was on Nantucket Island, I did not run. I was so very excited to run on their darling bike paths and ocean drives.  But I met my long lost cousin  over there and we hit it off so famously, that I was swept away by finding a new friend in my family.  We were having fun into the wee hours of the morning and I needed to take the ferry of the Island by noon. I have been looking forward to my runs in Newport, RI.  We all got here yesteday (a group of college friends who all now live in this area).  So this morning I got up and started running at 6:00.  I decided to run Ocean Drive.  A 10 mile loop on the peninsula which is the Aquidneck Island of Newport.  But I failed to take into account that the really, hot, bright sun was already up by 6:00 a.m.. In addtion, the direction I decided to take, left me running into that intense sunlight (with no sun-glasses).  Add to that, I was dehydrated from the travel adventures from the day before, and viola!  It sucked.  My favorite run, the run I've looked forward to since last year was ruined by dehydratin and intense sunlight.  I'm mad that I ruined my mileage by not taking advantage of island running. (but not mad I could spent quality time with family in a quaint and exotic location).  Normally, I take Sunday off, but I am going to try and 'vacation' run a few extra miles in the morning along the cliff walk (the ocean trail behind the huge turn-of-the-century mansions of the Vanderbuilts and the Astor's, etc).