Long weekend

This weekend was Honkfest - a weekend of street bands and activism. It was also my first time "performing" in a thing since like high school. I had a blast! I spent an hour dancing with school of honk on Saturday. I had no idea of many of the moves, but they are easy to follow, and I just did my best. After the performance I realized that the person on the ladder with a camera was a friend from parkour! It's such a small world. Anyhow, I went to dinner at a friends later that day and she plays flute really well, so I brought my flute for her to look at - she said a few of the pads needed changing and it needed an oiling, and gave me contact info for a grumpy man who has fair prices on repairs. In the meantime she also loaned me an extra flute that she had sitting around (a former student gave it to her), so I can try playing with school of honk. I'm gonna get my courage up and try it - I had a pretty awful experience in middle school with my flute teacher, but I can see that this crowd is very different. It would be so cool to march in a parade actually playing an instrument.

I was planning to march in the parade on Sunday, but we've been hit with a noreaster, and I just wasn't motivated to spend the afternoon in the rain, so instead I went on a hike in the fells and then went to the lake. The water was 62, I stayed in for 10 minutes and felt a chill after. 

We have this "walktober" challenge going at work, for the month of October - it's a step challenge and we have a few teams in the office. The highest level to get each day is 10,000 steps, and I am determined to reach 10K steps every day this month. Some days it's been really easy, like hiking days or dancing days, and some days, like today, it's much harder. The weather today is really nasty - rain, wind, cold. I spent the morning on the couch and then met a friend for climbing. After climbing I was only at like 2500 steps, so I decided to stay at the climbing gym and run on the treadmill. I did a short run one day last week, but today I needed a lot of steps, and so I did my longest run since I got my watch last year. It was actually 5K! I started pretty slowly, and soon bumped the speed up to 5 mph, which isn't fast by any means. I did have a few short breaks from running where I walked for a minute, and one short bit where I bumped it up to 5.5 mph, but mostly I stayed at 5. It look me 40 minutes, but I did it! Mostly it sucked and I had to push myself to stay with it, but after I felt amazing. The one thing that was really fun about it was that I could see these two little boys wrestling for about 20 minutes of it - they looked like they were about 4 or so, and they were cracking me up. One would knock the other down, and then vice versa, for a while one was pulling the other one around by a leg, and then there were all the ninja arm moves. It was very entertaining!

It's been really great getting back into climbing. I've been going with one of my swim friends, which has been really nice. At metrorock in everett I'm back to climbing 5.10's - today I started with a 5.8 then 5.9 and then 5 - 5.10's, though I didn't get up one of them. I did do this one climb I've been working on for a while clean - it's a 5.10b with these bubble holds that's pretty balancy and sequency. Lots of fun! The other climbs I had some falls and rests, but whatever, I got to the top on my own power. 

Mount Eastman

Eastman was the second hike of my weekend-during-the-week in NH. I went up on Thursday and hiked Thursday and Friday, with an overnight at the Coho Hostel in between. Mount Eastman is on the opposite side from the Baldfaces from Meader and Eagle's Crag, so I was familiar with the area and was able to hit the Emerald Pool after the hike again (part of why I chose it, of course).

My alarm went off at 6:30 and I was out of bed by 6:45. I started the coffee, used the bathroom, got dressed, stripped the sheets off the bed, put my lunch in my bag and was ready to hit the road by 7:15. I got to the trailhead at around 7:45 and headed out a little before 8. Which was pretty good, even though I had hoped to start hiking a little earlier. The drive over was really pretty, except there was one part of the road that was covered in fog - I could bearly see to drive! And then I came out the other side and it was really pretty again - cool and weird.

To hike Eastman you start on the same trail as for the Baldfaces for almost the first mile. It's a pretty chill start. When you first turn away from the Baldfaces onto slippery brook trail it's chill for a bit longer. There was a section of the trail that was almost like a dirt road - it looked like someone had been widening it - maybe a snow mobile trail for winter? After you cross a brook (which was really low due to to the drought, and almost nothing to cross) things started to get more intense. According to all trails, the hike was 8.86 miles with 2595 feet of elevation gain, which is no joke. But, the trail wasn't one of those white mountain trails that's just a pile of rocks. While it was pretty relentlessly uphill for much of the hike, it was also fairly easy to navigate and just hike, rather than having to climb up rocks and such. Kind of refreshing! It took me a little less than three hours to get to the top.

I didn't see anyone until I hit the ridgeline, and then I bumped into a couple with their two dogs (really cute dogs, really chatty woman). They had come up the other side and sped off to the top. I enjoyed the ridgeline, which was a really nice one - it was .9 mile from hitting the ridge to the top of the mountain, though probably half of that was uphill. 

I got to the top, tagged the cairn that is there, and found a nice rock with a view to sit on. The couple was sort of nearby and as soon as I took out my sandwich their dogs came over to say hi. Like I said, they were cute dogs, but there was no way they were getting my sandwich - I was so hungry!

I sat in the sun up top for about 45 minutes eating and admiring the views. The other folks left like 10 minutes after I got there - it seemed like they bushwacked down, because they headed off away from the trail. The weather again was perfect! Sunny and warm, but not hot. I had started the morning wearing a smartwool top over my tshirt, but had taken the smartwool off around the turnoff for slippery brook, and I didn't need to put it back on. The sky was blue, there were a few fluffy clouds, and the trees were so nice. I could see as far as Mt. Washington and over to Maine. I really didn't want to leave. But, finally I had to get up and head back down. 

The hike down was quite delightful. My left knee has been a bit sore, but because there weren't a ton of rocks to go down it wasn't a huge issue. The only thing that was a bit sketchy was that at one point I heard what I thought was a couple of gun shots and I realized that it must be hunting season. And I was alone on a trail in very neutral colors. But, hunters usually stay away from hiking trails and I did think they were kind of far away, and I didn't hear any more. 

I was pretty excited to get to the Emerald Pool, but as I got close I heard people. Of course, after seeing almost no one all day... When I got to the area of the pool, though, the people were sitting in the sun a little above it, and I got the pool to myself. I stripped down to my underware and stepped in. I will say that the water was a lot colder than the last two times - according to my watch it was 48. It felt so refreshing after my hike and a bopped around for a little bit, but since I still had .7 miles to go, and didn't bring a change of underware, I got out after about 2.5 minutes so I wouldn't get too cold. I dried off, put my hiking tights and shirt back on, and headed out. It only took about 15 minutes to get back to my car - my knee felt so refreshed even from that little dip. A trail runner had passed me on the way out, and he was sitting in his car right next to mine, so I went into the outhouse to change into dry clothes. I stopped for ice cream again on the way out, and then had the long drive home. 

I enjoyed this hike for sure, but I think if I went back I would do one of the other hikes there - either the two baldfaces or the meader/eagle's crag, just because the views from those were a bit nicer. Still, two thumbs up, really nice day!

Table Mountain

It's fall foliage season and so I decided to take a long weekend and head up to NH for Thursday and Friday, doing two hikes and staying at the Coho in between. It was a fun during-the-week-weekend. 

I started with Table Mountain on Thursday. It's a short hike with a really nice view - I would never drive all the way up to NH to do a 4 mile hike, but since I was up there it fit the bill perfectly. I drove up rt 93 and then took the Kancamagus highway across NH, which was really gorgeous with the trees all changing. The driving was a little tricky because I swear half the drivers were in slow mode and the other half were in crazy driving mode. But I made it.

Table Mountain is in Bartlett off Bear Notch rd. The parking lot is pretty small, but thankfully there was only one car there when I arrived, and a different car there when I left. I saw one person the entire time I was hiking - the people in the other car were just letting their dogs out for a break or something. So, one on a Thursday is a perfect time for that hike.

The hike is a little less than four miles with a little less than 1400 feet of elevation gain. So, it's not nothing, but it wasn't super intense either. It started with a gradual uphill on the approach and then only got steep close to the top. A bunch of people commented on all trails that the steeper areas were pretty slabby, with a skree on top of them, making it kind of slippery, and they weren't kidding! We are still in a drought here, so at least it was dry, but the way down was harder with trying not to slip (which I didn't). The top is viewless, but there is an amazing slab with a lookout just a bit below the top. After I'd tagged the summit I sat down with my cheese and avocado sandwich on durum bread, which was delicious. I got so lucky with the weather - it was sunny with just a few clouds, cool but not cold - just a perfect day. I admired the view for about a half hour, looking at all the taller peaks and thinking how I had hiked all of them. 

After I went to the Coho, checked in, took a shower and then went shopping in North Conway. I planned to go to the outlets, but they closed at 6. But, there's a sierra there, so I did a little shopping there. After, I returned to the hostel where I sat in the common room, played on my phone, and chatted with some of the other guests. It was so much warmer inside than a tent would have been, and they had the coziest comforters, but one woman in the shared room kept waking me up. IDK - it was way easier in the morning since I didn't have to pack up a tent, but I didn't sleep as well... I'll have to think about which is better for the future. Anyway, nice day, good hike, two thumbs up.

Knee pain

My knees have been really creaky lately and I realize I have to do more strength training to help them. I found a workout from the nytimes that is specifically for this and I did it for the first time today. Most of the exercises were pretty hard for me - a sign that I needed them! So, I'm going to try to integrate these into my exercise program a couple times a week, at least to start. I can potentially go to once a week if I get better at it.

It took me 20 minutes to go through all of them, and then I added some planks - a minute on forearms and a minute of high plank, and then dead bug when I dropped opposite arm and leg between them. After I did some bench presses, and a couple other arm exercises. Probably should look for a nice arm workout like this to complement the routine. 

I know I should be doing 30 minutes of strength training 2x a week faithfully, I'm really going to try harder to do it. Once I get going it's not really that painful. 

Meader, Meader Ridge and Eagle Crag

It's been a while since I got in a good hike, so I decided to take today off and hit the trails. I've been wanting to do Meader and Eagle Crag, which are the mountains next to the Baldfaces, since I did the Baldfaces. So, that was the plan for the day! An added bonus was that I was able to make the hike a loop with just a short road walk, and park by the Baldface trailhead. Which allowed me to hit the Emerald Pool for a little dip.

Wednesday was the first day back at work in person after a whole summer working at home. Re-entry is so hard. I decided that I would drive up to NH after work, camp at the Co-Ho hostel (but this time with the indoor access) and then leave from there to hike. There was a lot of traffic after work, and I thought about just going home, but I'm so glad I stuck it out. I got there a little after 8, set up my tent, used the bathroom and the kitchen, and then headed out to sleep. For August it was cold out! Fortunately I had my smart wool long underware, jams, wool socks and a sweatshirt, plus my down sleeping bag. I had to go all the way in the sleeping bag and pull the part around my face tight so only my nose was sticking out. Once my body heat warmed up the bag it was OK, though still a little chilly.

I set my alarm for 6:15, only hit the snooze once, and was on the road before 7. It's funny how it's so hard to get up at that hour for work, but so easy when it's for hiking. Anyhow, with driving and organizing and such I hit the trail a little before 8. I could have done the same if I'd left home at 5 am, but I actually slept pretty well in my cocoon, and was more rested than usual at the start of the hike. 

Because I did a loop, I started with a .6 mile road walk that was very easy - it was a little downhill and so I was able to get it done fast. Then the trail started on what looked like an old dirt road, with two lanes for tires, and that part was fast too. In fact the first 2.5 miles were pretty chill, a slow uphill, but not that tiring. When I got to the real climb I was psyched because there were switchbacks, and so that was fine as well. I was starting to get hungry - it was about 10:30 ish, and I thought I would sit once I got to the top of Meader and have a snack. There was an amazing view of the area from close to the top, but the actual top was viewless. It was also really nice, with pine trees and moss - it smelled amazing. But I decided to head on to the ridgeline before snacking because I thought there would be a view, and there was. I sat on a nice little rock with an obstructed but still amazing view and ate some not very delicious rice cakes. But I still ate the whole bag, so I guess they weren't horrible.

I continued on the ridgeline, which was viewless but still really enjoyable. There were some amazing mossy parts, with several different types of moss. There was a bit of up and down, but not too intense, and then I hit the top of Eagle Crag, which has an amazing view! I admired the Baldfaces, feeling impressed with myself that I'd hiked them, and looked around for somewhere to eat. There was a big boulder that looked so tempting - I was pretty sure it was a bad idea to climb on it because I could fall, and it might be hard to get down from. But of course then I climbed it, and it was fine. It was pretty sticky rock, so there were all kinds of holds to grab and my boots stuck pretty well as I went up and down. I had two bagels with cheese, and I ate 1.5 of them while I sat and admired the view - from my spot I could see the Carters, Wildcats, and a tiny bit of Mt Washington. And in the other direction I could see a lot of Maine. It was such a perfect weather day - there were some small fluffy clouds that were so close to me at the top of the mountain - I could actually see the top of the clouds from my perch. I thought about how ephemeral hiking is - I worked so hard to get up to the alpine zone, and I was just going to eat a bagel and then go down. 

As I started down I realized there was a hole in the butt of my pants, which I thought about worrying about, but honestly I had only seen 3 people all day - 2 hiking together on the ridgeline and one trail runner coming through when I was eating, that I decided that no one would see it. And I was right. The trail down started with a huge amount of descent at the top - I did some butt scootching, thinking how I was going to make my pants worse. The trail soon became more manageable and I was able to move reasonably fast for me, sometimes doing some rock hopping but mostly the trail was just a little root-y and soil with pine needles. 

I was so excited to reach the Emerald Pool, it seemed like it was faster than expected, but also my feet were killing me and my legs were tired, so it seemed like it took forever. Anyhow, I was psyched that no one else was there and stripped down to my undies and hopped in. Even though there is a drought and the water in the streams was low, the pool was full. It was so nice swimming around there - water temp was 57 according to my watch, and my feet throbbed in the cold. Just as I was getting ready to get out a guy who looked like he was in his 20 arrived to take a swim. Figures, three people all day and as I'm swimming around in my underware someone comes. But then he was like "sorry, sorry!!" and practically ran away, even though I was like "It's OK, I've got clothes on!" I thought maybe he was waiting for me to get out to come down, but I think he just left. Since he was gone, I changed into clean underware, a top and shorts, and sat with my feet in the water to eat my last half a sandwich. It was so good!

I finished up and reluctantly packed up my things, put my boots and socks back on and headed off for the last .7 mile, which went really fast. The last time I finished the hike I used a tree to pee instead of the smelly outhouses and some guy came biking buy just as I was midway through my business. Having already kind of flashed someone, I decided to use the outhouse. I got settled in my car and drove a bit to this country store that I'd seen on my way there that turned out to have ice cream! It was the best ice cream - I had a raspberry chocolate chip in a waffle cone, and got an apple cider. I got in my car and drove home - even though labor day weekend is coming the drive back was totally fine, and I got home without any problems. 

Interestingly, the all trails map I planned from said the hike would be 8.93 miles with 2779 feet of elevation gain. I did follow a short path that claimed to have a view (but didn't) but I'm 100% sure that wasn't over 1.25 miles. Curious. Anyhow, really good hike, two thumbs up, would definitely do again.

  

Denmark and Sweden

This year for my big vacation I went to Sweden and Denmark - Sweden for a couple days and then this creative movement event in Denmark called the international gathering. It was my first time to Scandinavia, and there were a lot of highlights. 

I went with a friend from parkour, which I was a little nervous about because, although I have always liked her, we have never traveled together, but it worked out really well. Another friend was supposed to go, but tore a tendon and couldn't come.  I also met a lot of really great people at the gathering, though after 5 days it became to people-y and I had to spend some time alone introverting. But, that's normal.

My brother was in Lund, Sweden for a conference - weird coincidence, so we met for dinner the first night. The food was so good - I had this fish dish that was amazing, along with some delicious apps and a couple drinks. We walked around town and I resisted getting a ton of souvenirs. 

We stayed in Malmo, Sweden, mostly because it was less expensive, but it turned out that Malmo was amazing. My friend actually decided to stay there after her trip, rather than in Copenhagen. We stayed at this old hotel that had a free breakfast buffet, and didn't seem to care if you made sandwiches for lunch - everyone was doing it. So we only had to buy food for dinner.

For the first full day we went to Copenhagen and rented bikes to go to all the mandatory touristy stuff = little mermaid statue, saw the royal guards, went to Nyhavn and Christiania. The best part, though, was we went to this restaurant in the meat packing district for dinner. They were full, except two seats at the bar by the chefs, so we sat there and got to watch them preparing the food. It was so cool watching them cook - we especially saw the raw fish chef, who was from England. We started chatting and he noticed our interest and wound up giving us a tour of the kitchen, which was really interesting. He said that they get two fish deliveries a day, but they vary based on what's caught, so people in that kitchen had to be flexible. Also, they were so busy that everyone was always moving - the chef said it was a rush working there because you never stopped. I noticed that he was really kind to everyone - always saying thank you and correcting gently, and he said that was part of the culture of the restaurant and why he worked there.

We were going to go to Copenhagen again, but my friend wasn't feeling well and honestly I was happy to stay in Malmo. I walked around town to the ocean, dropped my credit card in the park by accident and someone gave it back to me, and went to a couple museums. After, my friend was feeling better and so we went to the Swedish baths (I feel like one should do that in Sweden) and that was another highlight. The baths had three saunas and were built on the sea. They were separated by gender, and everyone just went around naked. At first it was weird, but then it was pretty freeing, and I even went swimming on the non-enclosed side of the building. If I lived there I would absolutely have a membership and go all the time. The water in the sea was about 68, so not too cold, but in the winter it would be amazing. For dinner the second day we went to another amazing restaurant and had pizza.

Our last touristy day we went to the Museum of Disgusting food where I sampled all the things. First you walk around and read about foods from different cultures, then you get to the tasting bar and can sample. They give you a little taste of things, and if you taste all of them you get to spin the wheel for a prize. I wasn't going to try everything, but the woman behind the counter was persuasive. It started with bugs - crickets, ant and mealworms, which tasted like sesame seeds, sour patch kids and rice puffs. Then there was durian, a century egg, some drinks and cheeses. Then stink bugs, surstrumming, hakarl and sauerkraut juice. After eating all that, I was all in, which meant eating four different hot sauces, one that was so hot they made you sign a waiver. After, I got a tshirt that said I ate everything at a 10% discount - apparently you can only buy it if you do eat everything. Then I went back to the hotel and had some diarrhea, ew. The taste woman said that the surstrumming is so smelly that they take the cans outside and sit under a bridge to open them - I can't imagine what the factory must smell like.

After, it was off to Denmark and the Gathering, which is a creative movement workshop week. I did the dance track - there was also parkour, crossfit and beach volleyball. It was a lot of fun! I was kind of nervous because I hadn't really done dance since high school, but there were other beginners there as well and no one cared what I looked like, including me. 

The first night of the event we had a Danish Games session, that included rock-paper-scissors. I was losing all the time, but then I noticed that everyone was doing scissors first and decided I should do rock followed by paper if there was a tie. So, when the championship came along, that's what I did, and I won! The way it worked, if you beat someone they had to become a train after you and shout your name to support you. So, but the time we got to the end everyone was shouting my name. It was really fun - it's so rare that I win at "athletics" that it was a refreshing change.

The dance sessions were really good - the teachers were amazing and I was happy with my ability to keep up with the pace of the classes. In terms of my abilities, I for sure wasn't the best dancer in the room, but it didn't matter. No one cared, not even me. We did contemporary dance every morning, followed by street dancing in the afternoon - there was house dance, an African dance style, hip hop, groove... Some of them we choreographed a dance, but others were more free form. 

There were some elective sessions as well, and I did beach volleyball for an hour and a half, went to the North Sea and jumped off a 4 meter high pier, did partner yoga (including the dirty dancing move) and did a strength training thing that I actually didn't love. They fed us delicious bread three times a day. There were a lot of beans, though, so so many beans. By Thursday I had to eat chicken because my stomach couldn't take the beans anymore. Friday they had this super intense conditioning class that had people pushing cars around, sticking their heads in water and then doing somersaults, and all sorts of other weird things. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling that great - I had a migraine, so I went to a yoga class, and couldn't even finish that. By Saturday I was pretty much ready to leave - my stomach was sad and I was peopled out, but still I'm glad I went. 

Kayaking for a swimmer

The kingdom games not only have their winter swim, they also have a summer one. I went last year with a couple friends, and then we signed up again for this year - I didn't actually swim either time. I mean, who wants to swim in this kind of weather? :) Last year I kayaked for a friend, and then I was signed up to kayak for her again this year, but she wasn't feeling well and decided not to go. So, I asked if anyone else needed a kayaker, and there was a woman who was swimming 10 miles who did!  So, I signed up to do that. And it was pretty awesome.

This woman is training to swim across the english channel - she's planning for next summer and has a boat booked and everything. This was her longest swim so far. She wasn't the fastest swimmer and it was kind of funny because she initially reached out and apologized about that, and said she didn't want to ruin my day. Ha! She didn't know what kind of swimmer I am - but I was like "I love that you are doing this for the sport and not to win." We met the day before just to chat and she told me about all the "feeds" that we were to do. After one hour, and then every half hour, we stopped and she had some sports drink and a little snack - sometimes a goo packet, sometimes a bite of a sandwich or some applesauce, or fig newtons. She also took advil and some anti-nausea meds which I had to put in her mouth. I dropped one of the advil down her swimsuit. Oops. Other than that it was just leading her around the route in as straight a line as possible and staying next to her so she could sight off me. 

The race started at 8, with kayakers going out on the water at 7:45. You kind of hang out by the first bouy, and the swimmer finds the kayaker (the wand finds the wizard, the wizard does not find the wand). Once she reached me, we were off. Because I was going at her speed, it was pretty chill in the kayak, I just paddled every now an then, kept on the correct course, and organized her food. I had a lot of time to look at the scenery, watch the birds, look at her swim technique, say hello to folks who were passing me, and think about life. I got a new she-wee so that I could pee while out there, and I used it twice, quite successfully. By the time I needed to use it the sun was pretty hot and I had dipped a towel in the water and put it over my lap, which had the added benefit of being a privacy screen. I sort of scootched up in the kayak so I was sitting on my knees, figured out the right place to put the funnel, and went for it. I brought a bottle to pee into, and then dumped it into the lake (really large lake, so not a problem, I swear). Then I washed out the shewee and put it back in its case. Super simple, and I was pretty pleased with myself. 

At some point I got hungry, and I had packed a sandwich - cheese and avocado on a delicious bread, so I had a snack, with some pretzels I brought. Then I ate some gummies for the sugar because it was getting pretty warm out and I wanted to make sure I didn't get sick (not the fun gummies, these were from trader joes). I found a few different ways to sit so my legs and butt weren't killing me - at first I was sitting correctly with my feet on the pegs, but we were moving slow for a kayak, so I realized I could sit with my legs crossed and be just fine. For a while I had my legs up on top of the food bag and was lounging. When we got to the furthest point away and started on our way home there was this older couple sitting outside with cow bells cheering, which was so fun!

In the end it took her 7.5 hours to do the swim. All the time I was snacking and checking the timer on my phone and organizing feeds and looking at birds and admiring the lake and reapplying sunscreen and dipping my hat in the water and putting it on my head, etc, she was just swimming and swimming. It looked really hard. We were third to last to finish and there was a crowd at the beach because it was awards time, so everyone applauded her as she came in. I was a little stiff and scrunched up, but I thought I would be fine, and I was. All and all, a nice way to spend the day out on the water.

We camped out up in VT because it's summer and we could. The weather was really good for camping. We did a fire and smores one day and went to a swimmers gathering the next. I brought my hammock and hung it up and sat in it and read, which was my favorite part. Once again, something bit or stung me and my ankles swelled up and itched like crazy. This time I was prepared with benedryl, which worked amazingly well - no idea what the cause was, but it was so itchy!

We were having breakfast Sunday morning and it started to rain. I took down my tent so it wouldn't get wet and soon we headed home. I had been thinking about stopping for a short hike on the way home, but with the rain and benedryl I didn't really want to, so I just came straight back. Two thumbs up, would definitely do again.

First Regatta!

Today was the pineapple regatta at the rowing club, and I participated in women's 8 and mixed 8. Spoiler alert, both the boats I was in came in fourth. Out of four. So, we lost. But not badly, just by a bit. And we did much better than the boat that capsized, had to be rescued, and then finished. So, there's that.

I was completely unsure what to expect from the day. The email said to get there at 6:30 am to help set up and that the races would start at 8. I just couldn't bring myself to get up that early, and since I'm a newbie I figured no one would be at all upset if I didn't. So, I left home at about 7:40, picked up some blueberry muffins, and got there at 8. And quickly realized that there was no need for me to be there since I wasn't racing until 2:45. 

So, I went to parkour (which was very fun - we're at a new park with all sorts of new places to play). After I went for coffee with a friend and had a really delicious pastry. When I returned a little after noon all of the muffins were gone, and it was lunch time. After lunch I chatted with the two people I knew and watched some races. It was pretty hot out - like mid 80's, and I got tired of sitting in the sun baking, so I went and sat under a tree and watched for a little over an hour.

When my race was called I got up and joined my group (I could call them my crew, huh?) and we had a strategy session with the cox, who was really great. About half of the other rowers were folks I knew, and the other half must have been morning rowers. Everyone was high 5ing me because it was my first race - it was a pretty chill group. We got in our boat (I rowed 5 seat), and headed to the start line. It took a while to line up and hit the right position, but we finally got it. 

When the horn went off, we were off! When you start a race you row from knees half bent for two, then three quarters, then full, then you do like 10 fast rows, and then you row at your race pace. Which is something we had practiced before, fortunately, or I would have been totally lost. The first few rows were a little tricky, but fine, and then when we got going I tried my hardest to be in sync with the person in front of me. Most of the other technique stuff went out the window. 

My main goal was to not catch a crab and slow the boat down, which I didn't. There was a woman in the boat who didn't have enough fluids all day, and was on the edge of heat exhaustion. And, one of the other boats had two guys in it (which is a little off on a women's boat race). I didn't realize the woman behind me (in the 3 seat) wasn't ok until the cox asked her to row, and people were yelling for me to row - and I was like "huh?" After, I looked back and was like "ohhh." (I saw her later and she was better hydrated and looked fine.) So, I didn't feel bad about us being last in that heat. 

Our mixed boat race was the last race of the day. Again, I knew about half of our boat, and people were super chill about if we won. Which was good, because we didn't. We had this really funny high school student who was coxing, and she was so excited because she already had two wins and a second place and she wanted another (but then she was fine with our 4th place). This race was a lot closer - they blow a horn when you finish, and it was four honks in pretty quick succession. The wife of one of the rowers took a video of it, and we looked pretty good, actually! In the video, because of the angle, it looks like we overtake and pass other boats, and are ahead (which actually never happened.) Since we were the last race, we had to put the boat away. After they gave out the prizes - fresh pineapple for first place, canned for second and dried for third. Since I wasn't winning anything and had been outside in the heat all day I snuck out early, went home, and took a nice long cool bath.

I would definitely do this regatta again. Not sure that I'm ready for less chill races, but maybe in a future year... I'm enjoying rowing a lot, and will definitely continue - it's such great exercise and nice people. 

5 seat!

Today I actually got to be in the front of the boat! I was the 5 seat, which is the last of the front, but definitively in the engine room. And, the coach and cox kept telling the bow to change things - not me this time. It was a really nice row, and fun to be in the wider part of the boat. I'm sure I will return to my usual 3 seat on Wednesday.

This weekend I'm participating in my first race - it's super casual and everyone says it's really fun. It's on the Mystic, from where we row - Blessing of the Bay. It's called the Pineapple Regatta because pineapples used to be a symbol of friendship and welcome :) Today someone told me that she caught a crab in her first race, so that's my kind of race. Still a little nervous. But they have promised super cute t-shirts, so I decided to try it.  

Early Roll-ups

Rowing is such a technical sport - one of the things you are meant to do is unfeather your oar as you are recovering from the stroke so that you are ready to drop it in the water and row as soon as you get to the catch. But, I have a hard time doing that. I swear today both the coach and the cox told me at least 10 times to focus on my early roll up. And the thing was, I was. I swear!!  And then they would compound it by telling me my timing was off, or that I should recover slower. Which, I definitely can't try to do two things better, my brain just explodes. A few times, though, I did get it correct I think and it felt good.

The raised garden beds at the school across the street from me were empty for so long this summer that I decided to buy a few plants and put in a little bandit garden. I did 4 tomatoes, a cucumber, and some herbs - basil, sage and rosemary. Today I went out and someone had staked my tomatoes! It was kind of cool of them, but also I hope they don't think they get to eat everything I grow. It's a risk with the bandit garden. I really mostly wanted the herbs because it's so easy to just go pick something when it's right across the street, as opposed to having to go a mile an a half through city traffic.

I got a FB notification that I started in my new field of work 12 years ago - crazy how time flies! I remember how nervous I was when I first started, but it seems to be going well now....

Charles Fourth again

Last year on the Charles was so fun, we went back and did it again, this time with a couple more people! And again, fireworks were amazing. It was easier this year because we had the whole scene sussed out, and knew what to expect from traffic and parking, etc. We wound up going all together in one car, and the woman who drove reserved a spot in a hotel parking garage. It looked like there was a wide open parking lot right across the street from the put it, though. 

Fireworks were earlier this year by 50 minutes, but also we knew that we could drop our stuff off and park, saving lugging time. So, the plan was to arrive at 7:30 and head up river. Well, they picked me up (last stop on pickups) at a little after 7:30 and we got to the river at about 8 ish. It was super easy to drop the stuff off, though, and one person went to park while three of us moved everything down to the water. We actually had 4 people and 4 oru kayaks, though two were already unfolded and went there on roof racks. It took me about 2 minutes to unfold and set up my kayak and another 2 minutes to put my stuff in it. And then I helped my other friend unfold hers. And then I watched as everyone took another half hour to putz around and do heaven knows what until I was about ready to scream. I finally just took my kayak to the river, got in and paddled around in a circle for a bit. That was the not fun part of the night.

Once everyone got into the water, though, it was a lot more fun! We paddled upstream to where we had been last year - it took about a half hour. It seemed like it was less crowded on the water - maybe more people when through earlier and went under the Mass Ave bridge? Anyhow, the spot before the bridge was pretty open. Two people had anchors that they dropped, we tied up together and hung out for a short bit listening to the music before the fireworks started. 

As always, it was an amazing show, and from our spot it felt like it was just for us. There were a ton of people lined up on the bridges and a few yachts, but from our spot we had a perfect view. They went on for about half hour at least, and we so good. Because of the two anchors we didn't turn in circles so much this year, which was nice. The water was so still and smooth, and it was really peaceful (except for the fireworks of course).

Once the fireworks finished we pulled up anchor (unlike the cinderblock last year the anchors came up without issue). There were so many people paddling back that the water got all choppy. Again, it was all kinds of traffic - canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, yachts - with all kinds of configurations of people. It took about a half hour to get back to the pull out. I was completely soaked because I was paddling so hard trying to keep up with one of my friends. We got out and I dried off my boat and folded it up while my friends did all their things in reverse (though I'm pretty sure it took less time than getting set up). 

While the woman who drove went and got her car and we waited with the stuff and watched some folks shoot off illegal fireworks. I have to confess I was a little nervous that they would blow off a finger, or hit someone with them - they seemed a little drunk and overexcited, so I was kind of relieved to see a police officer come over and tell them to cut it out. Once again, getting home was easy - all the traffic must have been to the east. 

Two thumbs up, definitely recommend. Next year I will be prepared with something to do while everyone putzes around... Or, maybe work on patience??? 

Short Row

All day today it was hazy, hot and humid, with the chance of thunderstorms in the evening. I was curious if we would even have rowing because obviously thunder + metal boat = bad. When the time came, we were on! It was actually a little cooler than its been some of the days, and with the clouds the sun wasn't as horrible. Coach kept saying that it was going to be fine and we should go to the smaller river because boats and jet skis would be out and heading to the Charles (boats to the Charles I assume). So, we rowed over to the furthest place away from the dock, over two miles away, and then he was like, yeah, there's a thunder storm coming, we are going to row back. Sigh. It actually wound up being a pretty good workout because we just rowed, took a short break, saw some lightening, and then rowed faster. We were going at a 26 for much of the row, which is a pretty big aerobic suck, but also I think easier than rowing at a 22. We got back to the dock, put the boats away, and then it didn't rain or really thunder. Ha!

I officially signed up to row in the pineapple regatta, which will be in a little over 2 weeks. I was kind of nervous about it because obviously I have no idea what I'm doing and don't want to get everyone in my boat all upset by messing up. But I asked a few people and they said it's super fun and chill and not competitive - I should just come and have fun. Also, there are supposedly super cute tshirts. It might be my last row of the season - I can't do the next session because of my vaca, and I don't see any sessions posted after that. So, a good way to end. 

I keep meaning to write about the sights on the river - it can be a little gritty on the Mystic, there are a few places that smell a little, and there can be trash in the water. But there are also a ton of birds, especially geese, ducks, swans and herons. There's one park that often has kids smoking weed :)  Sometimes on the bridges people take pics of us. There's a guy who rides around on his bike playing the saxophone, which has to require a lot of coordination. Sometimes there are jetskiers, and the coaches get really mad at them if they go too fast near us. There are three yacht clubs that we row past, and sometimes there are people on boats (though surprisingly not that often) - they are usually pretty good about going slow around us. Sometimes rowing back we can watch the sun set and it's so nice being out on the water watching the sky change color. 

Surprisingly I really like rowing in an eight and don't picture myself switching to a single ever. Every now and then I think that someone else is getting us off balance, but actually it's often me. So I am actively trying to let it go. It's such an amazing feeling when we all get into a rhythm together and the boat is moving fast. Also, when we are far from the dock it doesn't bother me, because I know I don't have to get back there by myself!

Rowing in a four

There were a lot of rowers today, so many that we had three 8's, but then three people got stuck in traffic/on the T and we wound up with only 5 for our boat so one person sculled and the rest of us were in a 4. I was back on starboard and was in the bow. 

The four is a little harder to set on the water and apparently I was making it wobble by lifting my oar too high - it turns out you can't just tap down to the same level every time, you need to pay attention to your oar hight? Well, I did sort of get it figured out and we did a lot better on the way back. 

We did some pretty long drills because we were all new to the four, and then after we did a long row which was pretty killer because it's still so hot out. Not 97, but still in the 90's. I had two streams of sweat running down my face, and had to keep trying to dry off my left hand because it was slipping as I tried to feather the oar. I felt like it was a little more manageable to carry the four and it was definitely easier to turn.  

It's supposed to cool off tomorrow finally! Yay! And then of course it will rain all weekend. 

Out of the 3 seat

Well, today I made it out of the three seat for rowing, but sadly I was moved to the four. I was just getting the hang of starboard and then I had to row port! I hadn't rowed port since the learn to row program and it felt so awkward. I kept getting my oar caught on my thighs or in the water and it was hard to feather with my right hand. Also, it was over 90 with a feels like of 97, which isn't really the best outdoor exercise weather, especially for me. Fortunately there was a little bit of a breeze on the water so it didn't feel quite so hot. Also, there was a group that rowed right before us, and they left the boat set up, so we didn't have to carry it down to the water.

As we were waiting to get started I realized that I forgot my socks. I was so bummed. But then our cox gave me his! They were a little gnarly, but it was so nice of him, and I'm sure I would have been miserable without socks (and on port in the 97 degree weather). I'm going to put some socks in the trunk of my car so that I'm ready next time.

Our workout was pretty chill because of the heat. Still, we went 8.8 km. When I left to go row I really questioned my life choices, but I'm glad I went! Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter, though. I may not leave home.

Jim Doty Swim

After the Charles swim I swore I was done with swim races, but some of my friends were doing this 1 mile swim at Carson Beach. I just didn't want to pay more $ to torture myself, but when one friend bailed I asked if I could be her for the swim. And immediately regretted it when she said "of course!" But, it is good for me to exercise, and it's early in the day so I knew I would at least be all exercised up by 10, so I did it.

We are at the start of a heat wave, but you wouldn't have know that this morning. When I left home a little before 7 am it was rainy and cold. The water in the ocean was 61, which is also not warm. This race goes in a square, with 4 turn buoys, which means each length is .25 miles ish - a good distance to talk yourself through. I started swimming pretty well, but also just wanting to quit, which I didn't. After the first buoy things got a little wavier, it was a pretty quiet day in the water, and the area is pretty well protected, but still I could feel the ocean. The middle half I really questioned my life choices and thought about avocado toast. I got to the last buoy and was feeling pretty tired, I really wanted to stop. But I didn't. I did get pretty far off course, which was a bummer. Fortunately a kayaker pointed me in the right direction. The last quarter mile was definitely the hardest because I really really wanted to be done, but about half way I saw one of my friends, and a little competitive streak came out as I wanted to beat her :). I was so glad when I hit the last buoy and was able to walk to the shore. After all the waves there was definitely a little staggering involved.

I feel like I swallowed a bunch of salt and a little part of me wanted to vomit. But instead I took a shower and swished some water in my mouth. After I got changed I saw there was a snack table that had some coffee, bananas, and other treats. I had a little coffee just to get the salt out of my mouth and a banana and felt a lot better. 

We went to shy bird for brunch, but when I got the menu there was no avocado toast! It was tragic. We had the nicest waiter and I explained how the thought of avocado toast sustained me through the swim. I realized that they did have a traditional breakfast with toast, eggs, bacon and potatoes, so I just subbed avocado for the bacon and put together a thing ad hoc. And it was delicious! Now I'm home on the couch, the weather is heating up, and I have no intention of going anywhere else today. It wasn't really that fun when I was swimming, but the brunch and couch time do make up for it.

Hours later: Just saw the results posted and I was #6 of 10 in my division. I'm pretty OK with that.

Smarts Mountain Redux

Today was supposed to be a beautiful day, and then there is a heat wave coming, so I decided it was perfect for a hike. I thought about a bunch of different mountains, but in the end settled on Smarts because of my incomplete hike last fall - I really wanted to get back to it, and climb the mountain. Because it's the summer solstice today I knew I had a ton of time for the hike, and so I woke up at 7, drank my coffee, thought about if I really wanted to go, and decided that yes, I did. I had to pack all my stuff, but was out the door before 8. It's a 2 hour and 20 minute drive up there which actually wasn't that bad today, except there were a ton of motorcycles, some of them going really fast, must have been about 100, and without a helmet. It was so stressful with them riding around me. 

I got to the mountain around 11, put on some sunscreen, and headed out. I sort of remembered the start of the hike from fall, though it looked different with leaves on the trees instead of the trail. It's pretty steep at the start, 879 feet elevation gain in the first mile, which was a little brutal. I saw the place that I stopped the last time, which was most of the way up the first hard pitch. There was a little more of a climb after, but then there was a ridgeline which of course I enjoyed. The trail goes over some little peak and then it goes down again, so there's actually a lot of downhill on the uphill - stressful for the way back, except this was a loop hike. There was about a mile and a half that was pretty flat and not too strenuous. Then the last half mile or so things got real and it was pretty uphill for the last bit. 

I was expecting it to be much cooler today today, but it was actually pretty muggy and warm. There was definitely a lot of suffering. I got to the top and could tell I was running low on water. So, I went to the hiker campsite to see if there was any there (spoiler alert, there wasn't). Shortly after that I reached the top. This hike is on the 52 with a view list, but it turns out that the view is from the top of this somewhat sketchy tower with a heavy door in the platform floor that does not prop open. I started up the tower for the view, got sketched out half way up, and went back down. At the bottom I went to a little cabin that was up there, and a guy there told me there was a spring close by - of course it was down hill. Sigh. But I went and filled my smart water bottle to filter and then went back to the tower, determined to climb it, which I did. I did leave my hiking poles at the bottom and held both rails as I went up. There was a guy up top who opened the heavy door for me, which I was really grateful for. I walked around up top holding onto the sides like the chicken that I am, but I did stay up there for like a full 5 minutes - the tower is covered and it was actually pretty warm. 

I came down and there wasn't anywhere with a view to sit and eat, which was a bummer because it's supposed to be one of the 52 with a view! Also, I bought an egg salad sandwich on the drive up, but with the heat I wasn't sure that it would be such a good idea to eat it  - I was starving so I had about a quarter of it, but then I was just too nervous about salmonella, and didn't finish it. Fortunately I had a nut bar with dark chocolate, so I ate that and filtered some water. But, it was so buggy by this time that I didn't stay for long. 

The hike up actually wasn't too buggy - I guess because there wasn't much water, it was a little more open, and there was a little breeze. But, the way down was just swarming with bugs. The big descent is at the start, and then it gets more gradual and eventually pretty flat. There was a really pretty brook that I crossed several times, so I would have been fine waiting to get water, but you never know, and it's good to get some when you can. Anyhow, I was hot, covered in bugs and my feet hurt, so I booked it down as fast as I could. Some of the rocks were covered in moss and at one point my feet slipped out from under me and I fell on my hip and arm (good news, I was completely fine, just covered in muck. I haven't hit the age where falling is a thing). 

The last mile or so was just miserable, and I was so happy when I saw the parking lot. I got into my car as fast as possible, took off my boots and grabbed some water I had left in the car - it was so hot, I bet I could have made tea with it, and I spilled it all over the place. I was so glad to turn on the AC and head out. I stopped on the way back and got a gatoraid and some raspberry sorbet before heading home. I'm glad I finished the mountain, but I think it's a one and done. Also, reminder to myself for next year, June is buggy and not the best time for hiking!

Charles River Swim #3

Yesterday was my third time swimming the Charles, sadly it didn't go as I hoped. I blue biked there again, which is definitely the way to go - I took an ebike because it was 6:45 in the morning and I was already running a little late. But, I got there in plenty of time to check in and get my tshirt (black this year, boo, but I still got one because I guess I can own one black tshirt, and it is super cute). I met up with the merfolk + group, which was 6 of us, all gals. I even saw one of my students there!

The weather wasn't great and I think there were a lot of people from the "orange cap" group (the group that goes second) who didn't show up. The "yellow caps" are the faster, more competitive group, and there was a huge lineup of them - our group was much shorter. I got in the water early with my group and wound up treading water for a bit, but I was like "I belong here as much as anyone else, and I'm not going to wait until everyone leaves to get away from the hunger game scrum at the beginning." And I didn't. There was one woman who was smushed up against me at first, and I just kept swimming until eventually we parted. I got a tiny bit off track on the way to the first bouy, but nothing serious, and I was doing really well for me, going at a 2'43" per 100 yard ish pace until the turn around. Unfortunately my goggles were really uncomfortable and I knew if I messed with them I would regret it, but at the bouy I couldn't help myself and I tried to fix them. That was where things went bad. I could not get them on right for the way back and had to keep stopping so that my pace slowed down to as slow as a 3'29" per 100 yard pace at my slowest. At one point my goggles were on so tight I could feel them sucking my eyeball! My eyes were red and puffy for the rest of the day, and today I have a bruise around my right eye.

In the end I didn't pick up my time ticket because I think I was second to last again, around 53 minutes, which means the goggles costed me about 5 minutes. I was doing OK swimming wise, and a few times I actually picked up in speed on the way back, when the goggles were leaking a bit, but I kept my eyes closed. Anyhow, I have thrown away the goggles, and will be using a different pair in the future.

After the swim we went for brunch and I had the most delicious and pretty avocado toast. Then we went to the pride parade (aka no kings, yaas queens), which was super fun! It lasted about 2.5 hours, which I think is the longest parade I've ever been to. Four of the swim crew stayed for the first hour, and then after they left another friend came and met me there. When the parade finished we walked up to the common and then to the over 21 party, which we thought was a no kings thing, but when we got there was clearly a pride thing, because there was pole dancing and dudes wearing almost nothing twirking.  I had a delicious mozzarella pesto crepe and then we headed out. 

Walking to the blue bikes I was reminded of haymarket and the Saturday sale there. Sadly I had no cash, so I couldn't buy anything, but that might be a thing to do on a Saturday morning. It's so easy to bike there now. Anyhow, I was pooped by that time so I got an ebike for the ride home as well and enjoyed a quick ride back before sitting on my couch for pretty much the rest of the day.

Will I do the swim again? Probably, just for the redemption. But with different goggles for sure.

Dock to the Point

I've been completely slacking on swimming since the February race, and now I have the Charles River swim coming up in a little over a week. To get a little practice I met up with a friend at the dock, and we went for my longest swim of the year!

We were supposed to be a big group at the beach, but unfortunately they now have this silly system where they open parking every half hour or so, even if there are spaces available. Unfortunately I got there at the wrong time, and I didn't want to wait for 20 minutes to get a spot, so I went to the dock with another friend who got there at the same time. It was the first really hot day of the year (hence all the people at the beach) and it was so nice to get into the water. I wasn't sure that I wanted to swim that far, and neither was my friend, but of course we egged each other on and kept going a little further and a little further until we were so close to the point that we just went there. 

The swim was fine. A little hard at first, but then I got in the groove and did reasonably well. My goggles were pretty foggy, and my swim cap kept sliding up my head, so I had to stop a few times. And we stopped at all the bouys and such. According to my watch I went .82 miles in 55 minutes, but there were definitely a lot of pauses. I'm curious to see how I will do in the big race - wonder if it will be faster then last year?

After swimming I went to rowing. They said it would be a lighter workout because of the heat. It turns out that when they say it will be a lighter workout, what they don't mean is that you will go a shorter distance - it was my longest row ever at over 10K. Also, they don't mean that it will be shorter duration, because we were on the water for over an hour and 15 minutes. And, it doesn't mean that you will go slower. Basically, it's "lighter" not lighter. By the end my legs felt like lead and I was regretting my life choices. Nevertheless, I feel like I'm getting the hang of it a little more. It doesn't feel as stressful and I can kind of pick apart the pieces that I need to work on, and work on them a bit. 

By the end I was so tired. I went home, had some bread and cheese because I was too tired for anything else, and went to bed. 

First Row with the Big Kids

Today was my first day of rowing with the experienced rowers. It was both stressful and (type 2) fun. I did catch one big crab, and many small ones, but I also had a few perfect rows where I felt the boat moving beneath me as I slid perfectly up on my seat. 

We started with a circle of introductions. Most of the rowers had been rowing for years, but some had been rowing for a shorter amount of time. All of them were pretty chill and reasonable. Our boat was all women, who were very nice. Our cox was Lizzie, and she was like "like in Lizzie Bordon." I actually remembered her name after that.

We started by rowing to the Tufts dock, which I thought was far until we got our drill for the way back - 20 minutes, with 4 sets of 4 minutes at 20 and 1 minute at 24 (I have no idea what the numbers mean, but also it doesn't really matter. I know something will change, and I just follow the person in front of me). I was pretty sure that we did 5 sets instead of 4, and someone else said the same thing, so I think I'm correct about that. It was definitely the hardest rowing workout yet. I really wanted to stop rowing, but I couldn't because there were all the other people in the boat counting on me. 

According to my watch, we went 9.8 km and my heart rate was in zone 3, and even up to zone 4. It's such a good workout! After we finished the boat was feeling pretty heavy, and then this guy came over to help, and suddenly it got a lot lighter :) There was a really pretty sunset, and then I came home and ate popsicles to rehydrate. We row again tomorrow, so we will see if it's any less stressful.

Osceola

As is my habit, I used the middle day of the long weekend for a hike. I went back and forth about where to go - back to Smarts to try again, to Meader and Eagle Crag which I've been thinking about since last summer or a 4000 footer - Osceola or Moosilauke. I couldn't decide, and downloaded all the maps. This morning, though, I overslept a bit and decided that with the shortened time Osceola made the most sense. Also, they just opened the gate at Oscoela this week, so I thought there might be less traffic on the mountain. It was a good day and a good hike! It was in the clouds at the top, so no view, and it was freezing up there, so I only stayed for like 15 minutes, but the hike made up for it.

When I say I overslept, I mean I woke up at about 9 and got out the door at like 945 ish. The sun is setting pretty late now, and Osceola is a shorter hike, so I wasn't worried. I got to the mountain right around noon and actually got a spot in the parking lot. I got myself organized and headed off.

I think all this rowing has really helped with my fitness level. I felt good pretty much the whole way up the mountain. The last 30 or so minutes I was definitely ready for a break and a sandwich, but otherwise I didn't even really have any Dark Trail Thoughts. It's been super rainy and cold out, so the trail was pretty wet, but it wasn't muddy until the top. One thing that was awesome was no bugs - I guess the rain and cold drove them off... I enjoyed my hiking, and all the great switchbacks, and it took me just a little over 2 hours to get up. When I was close to the top I ran into this woman who was in my swim class at MIT, which was kind of fun! Of course I didn't recognize her without a bathing suit and cap on, but some people have better face recognition software, so she recognized me.

I got to the top and there was absolutely no view and it was so cold. I was wearing my ninja hoodie, a patagonia long sleeve shirt and then I added a smartwool shirt and little puff, plus gloves and a hat. I was still too cold to peel an orange, so I wound up carrying it back down. I did enjoy my avocado and cheese sandwich!

On the way down I was in the zone and was moving pretty fast (for me). All the switchbacks really help, as does the fact that it's a pretty steady climb, but none of it is killer. And, my knees weren't really bothering me. I've been trying to do some of the PT exercises that I learned, and I think it's helping. I finished the hike and enjoyed using the bathrooms for changing. On the drive home I got so hungry that I stopped at The Common Man for a veggie burger, and it was delicious! I'd been feeling a little bit in a funk, and I feel so much better after my hike. There's nothing like getting out in the woods, maybe suffering just a little, to help clear the head.

Team Sports

It's such an effort to do team sports. Today this woman sitting behind me in the boat kept trying to tell me what to do, and it was really annoying. We only had seven in the boat today, so we were riding a little lopsided. Apparently when your side is down you are meant to life your oar handle to bring it up, but that's so counterintuitive, especially when you are already dragging on the water. We worked on that a lot today, but it was still hard. Anyhow, way too many people were telling me what to do, and I got a little flustered. On the bright side, I just tried to do better, I didn't snap at anyone. Go me.

We wound up rowing further then we have before today - according to my watch we went over 6.5 km in total. We went up a different part of the river, and when we went around a bend there was a college team there which made everything more complicated because it was a narrow part of the river. And they were really good, and we didn't want to look awful in front of them. Which was the cause of going further than normal. On the way back, we went without stopping for quite a while. We had a little bit where we were pretty balanced on the water, and it felt nice. Most of the time I was fighting to get the oar off the top of the water by pushing up on the handle. I really really wanted to stop, but you can't just stop when you are rowing in an 8, so I kept going. Good for exercise. After I was so tired I went home and took a nap.

I registered for the next session - it's MWTh evenings, so no more morning rowing. I'm a little nervous about it because it's the "experienced rowers" group, and I wouldn't really call myself experienced. 

I got the power

We've been rowing in the eight all week, which is a lot of fun and also much tippier than I expected.  I've sat in a bunch of places in the boat but don't have a preference yet, except not stroke seat because that's so much pressure. Anyhow, after rowing today, the woman who was coxing said that I had a lot of power - she actually gave me a high five!! It was really cool to get that complement, I was so happy to know I was doing something right. And the best thing is that I wasn't even putting all my power into it because I was trying to get all the other stuff right. I think I have crossfit to thank for this :)

There are a lot of different things to focus on when rowing and I feel like when I think about one of them then another gets out of sync. In particular I seem to have a hard time keeping my oar from wacking the water on the recovery and my timing on putting the oar into the water (too fast, believe it or not. I'm never too fast!) So, that's something to work on. 

One thing that I like about being new at an activity is you improve so much each time, and also there's no ego involved. I have no idea what I'm doing, and that's OK.

It is really nice being out on the water in the boat - I'm doing the PM session so I don't have to get up at 5 am and exercise, but we have lots of birds and we have some sunset, it's pretty. 

I'm working hard at my teamwork skills. Always a challenge for me, so I thought being in a tippy boat with 8 other people would help. I think it will be good. Today I had a kind of uncomfortable convo with my boss about our annual end of the year celebration. We do all these affirmations and that kind of woo wooo kumbaya stuff, which of course I was trying to get out of. She wanted me to zoom in because it's so important and bonding for us, and finally I was honest and was like "it's not my jam." It was just all awkward because she is very relationally focused, and was all "are things OK? Do you need my help with stuff?" Barf face. 

Anyhow, I registered for next month's rowing as well - I will be in the "experienced" rowing group. But really I won't be that experienced. I hope I don't drive everyone else in the boat crazy.

Mt Shaw and Black Snout

The weather for today looked so perfect, especially since we've been having a ton of rain recently, that I decided it was time for a hike! I've been sort of pursuing the 52 with a view list - seems like they will all be nice mountains, with good views. Which I like. I thought about a bunch of different hikes, including a couple 4000 footers - Moosilauke and Osceola, and a couple other from the 52 list. I decided on Shaw because it looked like it was a good distance/elevation for early in the season, and the drive was 2 hours, with about 30 minutes each way not on the highway. I added Black Snout to the hike because how could I not hike a mountain with a name like Black Snout??

The hike was supposed to be a bit over 7 miles, with about 1776 of elevation gain. The path I chose was up an old carriage road, which I figured would be a little easier - more level and not just a pile of rocks. Estimated hike time was about 4 hours, so I also figured I could sleep in a little more. I set my alarm for 7 am, but didn't wind up getting up until 8. I packed everything the night before, so I was out at 8:15. I had a banana and three hard boiled eggs on the drive up, and was so glad I'd had all that protein. I listened to a book on the drive up, and was there in no time. 

The hike actually starts on a bit of paved road, which I don't love - it's not really naturey. It then goes to the carriage paths - really nice if you are hiking with someone else because you can be two across. Of course, I was by myself, so not really a benefit. It was perfect weather - couldn't ask for better - mid 60's, sun and a slight breeze. Despite that there weren't really that many people out hiking. I saw about a half dozen on the trail. Not only was the trail graded and not too rocky, it has switchbacks. The way up I was kind of sucking wind for a while, I'm not super in hiking shape. Happily it leveled out after a bit and there was actually a long traverse near the top. I got up there around 1 and sat to eat my avocado and cheese sandwich - so good! Of course, then this guy was also at the top, and a woman with a really wet looking dog. They seemed friendly, though, and we sat around mostly in silence, eating and admiring the view, with the dog checking us out to see who would give him snacks :) From the top you could see the white mountains - I could make out Washington, which still has pretty visible snow, Lafayette, and then a bunch of others in that pemi area. There were just a few bugs, but I guess there will be more by next week.

I then went over to Black Snout, which has a really nice view of Lake Winnipesaukee. I had the top to myself, and I sat on a rock in the sun and ate an apple and some pistachios. I spent another 15 minutes or so there before heading down. There's quite a network of trails up there - I guess now snowmobilers use them in the winter, and there were a bunch of turns on the way down. I had to check all trails several times (pretending that I wasn't just looking at where I was). One time, near the top, I almost went the wrong way, so that made me even more vigilant. 

It's been raining so much, parts of the trail were just slush. I had on my gore tex boots, but they did leak a little. I also had my new smartwool hiking socks, and I was so pleased with them. A few times I could feel water coming into my boots, but soon my feet felt warm and not uncomfortable. I got down and there were no blisters, but the socks were definitely wetter than I expected them to be. So that was a win. 

I thought about going back via the kittery outlets. They close at 6 on Sunday. I finished my hike at 4 and could have had about 45 minutes of shopping, but then I decided I was hungry and would just rather go home. There was a lot more traffic on the way back, so I was glad I wasn't hangry. In the end, the hike wound up being over 9 miles with the trip to Black Snout. Very doable, though, and the hardest uphill at the beginning. When I look at my splits, I was actually moving quite fast for me. Weirdly I kind of missed the suffer fest of typical NH hiking, so this might be a one and done, but quite an enjoyable day overall!

Ran a mile

I dragged myself to the gym today and made myself run a mile. I started at a 12 minute mile, but I forgot my phone and was so bored I sped up to an 11 minute mile to finish sooner. It was totally fine, though I was glad to stop. I've been doing some of the PT exercises that I got for my knees, and it seems to be helping a little. After running I lifted a few things up and put them down for 15 minutes and then decided to call it a day.

I stopped at the garden before going to the gym, and I have a little bird's nest in my raspberries, with three little eggs in it <3

Feathering oars

Today we learned how to feather our oars while rowing crew. It's complicated because there are so many things to remember, they all have to go in the right order, and when you don't get them right you can trip everyone else up. But, for the most part I sort of got it. I'm really enjoying rowing so far. We haven't gotten into a real scull yet, but apparently we will on Saturday - super excited for that!  

My apple watch GPS captured our rowing course :)

crew

Spur of the moment I signed up for a learn to row program on the mystic river. I've always thought rowing was so iconic boston, and the rowing machine is my least hated machine at the gym, so I figured I would give it a try. It's 3 x a week for a month, which is kind of a lot. So far I've done week one and it's been really fun, and kind of painful (to prepare I read the boys in the boat, which told me that it would be painful, and they weren't kidding!)

The first class we just "erged" which is what we rowers call using the rowing machine. So, from now on I guess I erg. Then for the second two classes we went out on this barge that they have that seats 8, but in two rows of four so it's a little easier as you learn what you are doing. What I am doing is banging oars and catching crabs, so it's a good thing that we aren't in a regular boat yet :)

The first day we just practiced trying to sync up our rowing with the person in front of us, and tried to break our row into three phases - legs, torso and arms, with the legs being the most powerful. Today we tried a bunch of drills to improve our strokes, and get a feel for what is supposed to happen. Like any new sport, I can only focus on one thing at a time, so when I tried to pull with legs, torso and then arms, I would drag my oar on the way back, for example. But, it's only the second day out on the boat, so it's all good.

The funniest part of the rowing was on the first day - this woman thought we were doing great, but then realized that we were just rowing around in circles. She was so funny about it.

Anyhow, I'm really looking forward to getting into an actual boat, and rowing up the river - I think it will be fun, and it's definitely great exercise!

I haven't been outdoor swimming much - I lost my mojo after the outdoor swim comp. But I did rejoin the Y, so I've been lifting and of course doing yoga. I did the fells walk once over the weekend, and parkour is across the street from me on Sundays, so I've done that some too.

First swim to the point

I hadn't been swimming all week and it was so nice out today that I suggested a swim from the beach. In my head I thought I wanted to go to the point, but also I thought that would be pretty cold. It was. It was so nice out that I was warm in my sweatshirt heading to swim, and I felt a little silly bringing my uggs and dryrobe, plus winter hat, etc. But I knew I was going to be glad I had them after swimming.

There were eight of us there, and we talked about how far we were going to swim. My one friend was like "I don't think I'm going to go all the way to the point" and I was like "huh, because in my head I was going to say that, and then you were going to be all, 'let's go to the point,' and I would be like 'OK.' But I see we have to reverse that. 

We got into the water and it was cold, but not that bad especially because I was wearing booties and gloves. According to my watch it was about 51. We swam over to the point with our heads out of the water, chatting about life, etc. On the way back we decided to swim swim, and I got my face in and started feeling warm, but then my goggles leaked and I tried to fix them several times, but it's hard while wearing gloves. In the end I just swam breast stroke back, with my head out of the water. In the end it was almost 30 minutes in the water, and I was chilly but not too cold after. 

Tomorrow is the women's parkour gathering - I convinced my brother's partner to go with me for the afternoon. Hopefully it will be fun!

Monadnock

First hike of the year, and it was really nice! I was thinking about the Mt Major/Kittery thing, but I'm trying to not spend so much money, and anyhow Monadnock is closer. I worked last Saturday so I took a comp day today, and I thought that a Friday in March might not be crowded, which it wasn't. So I did white dot/white cross, which I usually never do because it's like a super highway. I saw about a dozen or so people today, so it was a good choice! 

I was reminded of why everyone does that hike - it's really nice, there are stairs in a lot of spots, there's a loop so you can go up and down different ways, there's rock scrambling and some pretty wooded glades to walk through. It is 1775 feet of elevation gain, but in just 1.9 miles, so it's pretty much all uphill, with only a few more chill spots. 

Because it's not the longest hike, I was able to sleep in a little and enjoy my coffee before making a decision to go - I got there a little before noon, use the bathrooms (with flush toilets!) and headed out. There were some soggy bits and still a little ice, but for the most part the rock was dry and I felt good. I did have to stop and breathe a few times, but it wasn't bad. It was sunny and beautiful out, and I hiked in my patagonia tights and one of my smart wool tops, but at the top it was so windy that I had to put on another smart wool top and my big puff + hood, and that was with sitting next to a rock that blocked the worst of the wind! It's always so windy up there. I didn't have any bread so I brought a piece of quiche with sweet potato crust (so good - you grate the sweet potato, add egg and flour and cook it for 20 minutes before adding the filling. The only thing is that with the price of eggs right now, I feel like I should cover them in gold instead of eating them). I sat for a few minutes and admired the view, and thought about how ephemeral hiking is.

The way down was definitely faster - I was feeling pretty good on the slabby parts of the mountain. On the more steppy parts my knees and toes were really sore, so I relied on my hiking poles, focused on bending my knees and took my time. When I got down I was so hungry, I stopped at a gas station and bought ice cream and these really delicious, highly processed chips.

After I got back I met a friend at the lake for a dip. My legs and feet were so sore, I stayed in for 16 minutes to give my body a good chilling soak. Water is now 45, which is chilly but feels warm compared to where it was.