Running in Maine AIN'T so bad.....

So, I haven't blogged in a bit b/c Google is angry at me. See, I have like 4 jobs and 2 of these email accounts are Google-based. With this dang new Google interface, I can only log onto ONE Google email per computer now. Ugh. AND, Google wants me to separate my work google from my personal Google to log on here. Did you follow that? Exactly. Took me a while too.  :)

So, to backtrack, I had another hiking vacation in August to Grand Teton, WY. See how beautiful it is...this is my Ansel Adams attempt:

Because of all the snowfall this year, there were wildflowers EVERYwhere Brian and I went. SO pretty! Facebook friends can see the entire album...it's worth a look. I loved it so much, I think I'm going back next year (and to Yellowstone)! Needless to say, I didn't run while there b/c I was too busy hauling my @ss up the mountain! So, I fell behind in my runs. I was visiting my mom in Maine the following week and had some making up to do (lots!). I decided to get to know Mt. Bradbury State Park. All of it. When you have a 4 hour run to do, you get to know ENTIRE parks. I had biked there with Sue previously, but boy, we missed a lot of it! Here is a picture from the top of Mt. Bradbury.

It was so pretty - and I was SO behind in my running - that I decided to come back and do a hill workout up and down Mt. Bradbury the VERY NEXT DAY. 469 Feet elevation gain (mind you, this is the day AFTER my 4 hour run...did i mention that yet?). Can you guess how many times I went up it before I was basically crawling. Yup, eight! It was 1/4 mile to the top. So, basically 4 miles up and down this mountain. (I really was crawling by the last 2 laps...)  :)

I saw a woman on lap 4 who congratulated me as I was running and told me how proud she was of me (she thought it was my FIRST lap). I thought that was SO nice and supportive. People are just so kind in New England.  Then she saw me on lap 5 and told me I was just showing off! Funny.

So, I had one more LONG run to fit in between spending time with my childhood friend, Kevin, and his parents, Dick and Karen. (We visited the Desert of Maine...did you know Maine had a desert? This was new to me!). I decided to investigate locally for this last run and found the rail trail. It went through the woods where I caught many side trails and all around a marsh with egrets and blue herons. Quite rewarding. See below...how can you not LOVE that?

Part of what I've loved about hiking and I'm loving about long-distance running is the investigation of places I'd never see otherwise. You see so much more on foot than when in a car; racing past. It's great. I've also learned I like to stop and take pics (I ALWAYS carry my camera now since I missed that darn pic of the snake eating the frog!).  So, my Old Orchard Beach, Maine adventures were perfect and I caught up on my runs! Marty is also big on the ice baths post long-run. I'm a whimp. But, I did take this opportunity to jump in the ocean post run and if you've ever been to Maine...it IS like ICE water!

And....GEAR GIRL!

Thanks to the help of Kevin, I found a new i-phone app (I've totally sold out on technology since becoming an Apple'er). Endomondo. I'm sure it's similar to mapmyrun.com, but this is the one I'm using. It shows you your elevation gain, lap time, calories burned (wahoo!), a gps map of your run (super helpful for the directionally challenged), and it gives you a picture of a turtle for your slowest lap (not motivating) and a hare for your fastest (okay, motivating!). Here's an example of my last run: Wissahickon since it automatically transfers it online (I'm always better if I don't have to plug anything IN!). It's a new TOY to motivate me for a while! 

I've become a GEAR DORK. Any suggestions? I'd love to hear 'em!  

Lastly, I went on a short hike with Julie today before she leaves us to work in Haiti. She was my motivator to even get into this, the ultra runner that she is. Thanks, Julz and good luck out there! Show them what a woman can do!  :)

I don't like change. Damn Google-Don't go changing to try to please me....

Now that I'm back on, I have a few other updates...keep posted!