4 mile kayak

It was a beautiful day today - sunny, cool and not humid. I was mostly feeling lazy from yesterday's exercise, and spent a good chunk of time lying in my chilbo shwagins in the back corner of our parking lot listening to a book on audible and doing sudoku, but after dinner I decided I had to stop being lazy, and get some exercise. I'm kayaking for a friend at a race in Vermont in July, so I wanted to be sure that I could do the whole thing. The race is a 5K, so I decided to go kayak 4 miles and make sure it was fine, which it was!

I decided to kayak up the mystic river to the lower lake. There's a spot on the Mystic that's really close to me, but it's not really that nice for kayaking. The highway goes right next to it, and it just looks like a river at the side of a highway. A little further up it's more residential and parks, and a lot of birds. I love the folding kayak that I have - it's really easy to unfold and get going, the only thing that's a pain is drying it off at the end, but really it's not that big a deal. I had no problem with parking, got set up in just a couple minutes, and was off.

It was a really nice night for a kayak - just a tiny breeze, but nothing that I would call a current or that I had to paddle against. I saw a bunch of guys fishing, people walking on the lake, birds and a few turtles. I'm kind of into the book I'm listening to, so for a change I brought my earbuds and phone, and listened as I paddled. 

According to my fitbit it took me and hour and 15 minutes to do the 4 miles, which I'm pretty happy with. At no point was I rushing, but I didn't really stop either. I feel like I should be fine for the length and duration of the swim, as long as the water isn't horrible. I'm going to try to get out at least once a week to prep for the event, just in case the weather is rough.

I swam the Charles!

Today was my second run at the Charles River Swim! First, I beat my record from last year when I did the mile in 54 minutes and was third to last. This year I did it in 52 minutes and was fifth to last! Two minutes faster doesn't seem like that big a difference, but I was super off course, and so I actually did a little longer swim. Of course, I was probably pretty off course last year as well.

Even though we had to be at the race start at 7 am, I decided to bike over. I renewed my Blue Bikes for the year, even though I also got mine fixed - they are just so convenient! And, the bikes were great for today, no doubt about it. I was super lucky and got an ebike for the ride there. I was able to go so much faster because the ebike allowed me to just power over Beacon Hill, instead of go around it or slog up. I got the bike parked, walked the last little bit, and got there right on time.

Once again I was kind of nervous before the start of the race. And then for the first bit of the race this woman who we will call "*ucking bubble chick" (because she was swimming with a swim bubble) kept crossing in front of me. It was so annoying because I would see her over to the side doing backstroke, and I would pass her, and then she would switch to crawl and would pass me, but right in front of me. The first time I let it go, but by the third time I was pissed. I decided that if she swam in front of me again I was just going to keep going and let her deal with me swimming into her. And that's what I did. And after that she didn't swim in front of me (apparently she went on to swim in front of one of my friends).

The way out seemed to take forever, and there was a part of me that just wanted to flag down a kayak and take a ride home. But then I reminded myself that we were going out for pancakes - or, breakfast to everyone else - and I needed to earn them. And I thought about pancakes for a little while. I finally got to the bouy and as I rounded it I saw another swimmer - I didn't realize that it was another one of my friends, who had recognized me. So, the whole way back, she was all happy to be swimming with me, and I was like "why is that person always right to my right? It's a big river!" After I realized what had happened, I though I should maybe consider my attitude. Anyhow, I finally got to the third bouy (though I was really really far off for a while. I heard shouting, and soon realized that they were shouting at me to go right) and remembered that last time it seemed to take forever to get from the second bouy to the dock, which prepared me for the fact that the last little bit was so long). Especially going into the dock I couldn't see very well and that slowed me down a little. But, once I figured out where I was headed I speeded up and got to the dock ahead of my friend who had been swimming next to me. *ucking bubble girl was last, so I beat her at least. Ha!

After we did indeed go for pancakes (well, 3 of us had pancakes) and they were delicious. After, I did a little shopping, since I was downtown and the stores were open anyhow. And then I biked back home - no ebike was available for the way back, and so I did all the peddling myself. I was pooped after and sat on my couch like a bum for a little bit.

Later, someone emailed that a branch came down in the garden during a storm we had yesterday, and so I went and cleared it up. It was a pretty huge branch, and I got to do lots of sawing. Which is hard work, but also very satisfying.

Landshark and Mt Major

This year I decided I wanted to get a few more swim events under my belt so that I would be more prepared for the winter swim fest next year. So, I signed up for the Landshark swim in Amesbury (mostly because I thought the name was cool). The big race was yesterday and I swam 1.2 miles in one hour, one minute and 23 seconds! Which is a pace of a 51 minute mile, which is about 3 minutes faster than I did my mile in the Charles last year.

There are 4 different groups for the race - one does a .5 mile swim and a 2 mile run, one does just the .5 mile swim, the 1.2 mile one that I did, and a 2.4 mile swim, which is two times around the 1.2 miler. The 1.2 mile group went last, and so I got to see everyone else speeding off. The race started at 9:15 am, which is not my time to exercise really, so I got off to a slow start. After the first five minutes or so I got going and feeling at my pace, like I could do the thing. The race was an out and back, and the way out was just fine. Luckily the bouys that you followed were to the left, which is the way I naturally breathe, so sighting was easy. After I turned around, though, I realized that I'd been swimming away from the sun, and now it was in my eyes. That made finding my way back a little difficult - I had to stop a few times and figure out where I was, and a couple times folks in kayaks or on paddleboards had to redirect me. In the end I thought I was supposed to go around this last bouy, but I was supposed to be on the other side, and so that cost me time, probably that 23 seconds :)

After the race I decided to go to Kittery for some outlet shopping, since it was only about a half hour away. I got a few cute outfits, ate a lobster roll, and watched some dogs in a silly run, jump and swim competition. I debate from there if I should go home after, or go hike Mt. Major, which is just 45 minutes away. It was pretty hot out and I was considering heading home, but the lobster roll came with fries and butter, and so I figured I better hike that mountain.

I got to Mt. Major at 3 ish and found the parking lot closed. Apparently the private land owner sold the land recently to a nature org that's spiffing the place up! There's to be a new trail that's graded and has switchbacks! It looks really nice, and actually parking on the street was no problem.

I was dragging a bit on the way up. It was so hot, and I'd stupidly packed long running tights. But, I took it slow and steady, relaxed for a bit when I needed to, and in no time was at the top. Fortunately there was a breeze up there, and after a little bit I sat in a shady spot and watched the birds of prey soaring. The way down was much easier, of course. I actually passed a couple! They were moving super slow. 

As I got down to the logging road this guy was just turning around, and he was chatty. At first it was fine, we were just talking about the trail work and how nice it was going to be, but then he kept talking and taking... Finally I just sped up a little, and ditched him. I got down the mountain much faster than up it, so I guess the conclusion is that I just need someone trying to be social and I can become a faster hiker. Anyhow, after I drove home a different way that google told me about, and it was nice, it took me to 93 after Concord. I would go that way again.

All and all a fun and active day! I woke up this morning and felt exhausted and achy all day.