Its now close to the end of the biggest break from work I have ever had (4 weeks) and the Boston experience is now behind me. Like all significant events its sad when it passes and becomes just a memory, rapidly fading and replaced by the urgent demands of every day life.
So this will be my last blog in "Boston or Bust". I may start a new blog to keep track of my daily ups and downs. Stay tuned I will put a note here.
Since the marathon Michele, Honor, Serena and I visited New York for three days, and saw all the sights including the corny ones like the "Seinfeld" diner and Times square and the moving ones like Ground Zero and the Fire stations with memorials to the lost fire fighters.
We then flew to San Fransisco where we stayed with Dianne and her children (thanks so much) and travelled down the incredible coast road between Monterey and Santa Barbara. We also visited the extraordinary Hearst Castle (is it good, is it bad, or maybe just mad?).
We drove through Beverly Hills and saw where the movie stars live, (they can have it) and have spent three very pleasant days in San Diego visiting Adrienne and Amit (the Newly weds) and Cynthia and Fred. Fred took the girls for a sunset flight in a Cessna all around San Diego and when they landed they were beside themselves with excitement. Thanks Fred and Cindy.
So tomorrow is Disneyland (I am not looking forward to it), then we leave for home on Saturday evening.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Saturday, April 21, 2007
About the Boston Marathon
Its four days post marathon now and I have had a bit of time to reflect on the marathon. It is an extraordinary experience. Everything about it is big. The stand out thing is the local interest. To run in the marathon is seen as a big thing here. Just running in it impresses people. In the few days I was in Boston beforehand people were coming up and shaking my hand to congratulate me...and I hadn't even run it yet.
The interest is very unusual for someone from Australia. The maximum number in marathons there would be 1200 or so. In Boston there are 25000 runners who have qualified to run in it. And the fans along the way number in the tens of thousand. There are large articles about the marathon in all the local papers every day in the weeks leading up to the event.
There are many traditions associated with the event which are fun to be part of. The most memorable is the Wellesly scream. At about the half way mark the girls from Wellesly college line the street and scream their guts out. About a mile from the college your can hear the roar, like approaching the MCG on Grand final day. Passing by them is deafening, and entertaining. The girls hold out signs asking to be kissed, and a lot of runners stop. Good looking guys are actually pulled off the course.
At Wellesley the really do beg for kisses and make a wall of sound
The interest is very unusual for someone from Australia. The maximum number in marathons there would be 1200 or so. In Boston there are 25000 runners who have qualified to run in it. And the fans along the way number in the tens of thousand. There are large articles about the marathon in all the local papers every day in the weeks leading up to the event.
There are many traditions associated with the event which are fun to be part of. The most memorable is the Wellesly scream. At about the half way mark the girls from Wellesly college line the street and scream their guts out. About a mile from the college your can hear the roar, like approaching the MCG on Grand final day. Passing by them is deafening, and entertaining. The girls hold out signs asking to be kissed, and a lot of runners stop. Good looking guys are actually pulled off the course.
At Wellesley the really do beg for kisses and make a wall of soundThe fans line the entire course. When the race started it was blowing 50mph and and raining, temperature 10 deg C. but the fans still came out. Many fans hold out treats such as orange pieces for the runners. Rining cow bells is very popular. If you have your name or an identifying feature such as a flag on your gear the crowd loves it. They will call out your name, urging you on with all the enthusiasm of a close friend. I have never heard such enthusiasm before. The cheering is like that of the Striders or Coolrunning groups, but in Boston it is at full volume for 42km.
After the Newton hills when my legs were giving out and I was numb with cold, I started to walk. I stayed to the side of the course so as not to interfere with other runners. The crowd started begging me to run again. Then one guy wearing a Red Sox jersey (Want to get along with a Bostonian? say you like the Red Sox baseball team) started walking alongside me calling out "Cmon buddy, I am going to get you home, cmon you can pick it up, we will get you there, lets go" This went on for several minutes. He kept it up full bore, with all the crowd supporting him. The noise was alarming. So when I broke into a run again, a huge cheer went up, with lots of cries of "way to go", "atta boy" "good job, good job". The cheering guy was beside himself with joy.
The crowd was always good humored and sympathetic. It was touching that if you did start to walk other runners always stopped and urged you on. Or simply gave you a pat on the back. As you approach the city the crowd becomes several people deep. All screaming. And this was on a windy cold day.
The fans lined the whole course despite the weather
Every five kms was a timing pad, which was hooked up to a live internet feed. So fans could track your progress, you could even set up three mobile numbers to receive sms updates. This system worked perfectly. Several friends watched my progress and had no trouble logging on. Kath got updates posted to her Blackberry while she was track side.
At the finish the dechipping and post race care was really well organised except for one rain related glitch. The rain had washed the numbers off the competitors bags. So the volunteers manning the gear buses couldn't tell one bag from another. I stood for about 40 mins in the wind and rain waiting for my dry clothes. That was tough.
Afterwards as I caught the subway back to Karen's, strangers who saw me would come up and congratulate me, not just fans, everyone. They weren't concerned about what time you ran, just running it was a big deal to the locals.
The most notable thing about the weather for the Boston Marathon is that it could be just about anything. In recent years they have had heat waves, and this year record cold and rain.
Overall its a unique and unforgettable experience. The Bostonians embrace the marathon like no other city that I have heard of. This was the 111th continuous running and I understand why, Bostonians are passionate sports fans and they love people who have a go.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The Race!
The Boston Marathon. The big daddy of marathons, this being the 111th continuous running and a participation of at least 25000.
It was a long day in which their were successes and failures but most of the event proved that it was the yard stick by which other events should be measured.
As I have already written the forecast was grim, and at 5.30am this morning the forecast came true. Constant rain, and driving winds gusting to 50 mph. The bad conditions affected every part of the event and caused the organisers and spectators a lot of headaches. Some could have been avoided with better planning and some were just in the category of "shit happens."
So here is how my day went:
Frank drove me to the train station at 5.30am. The train was 20mins late. I arrived in downtown Boston at 6.50 and struggled against the wind to the Bus pickup location at Boston common. There were four queues each about 500m long to the buses.The wind was howling and the rain constant. Temperature about 3 degrees. The line did not move for an hour. The yellow school buses which were supposed to take us to Hopkinton seemed to be stuck. Then suddenly we were moving and within 15mins we were on the bus.
The buses travelled in convoy to the start at Hopkinton. We left about 7.50. The bus didn't arrive until 9.40am and the start was at 10am. Why so long, we don't know, the driver just said "I am following the bus in front". People who had queued for an hour, and then sat on the draughty bus for an hour were begging the driver to let them out to pee. He refused at first but eventually he had to let people out. Half the bus spilled out into the forest and quickly dropped their dacks, men and women, in the boggy forest. After this we carried on and eventually arrived at the Assembly area in Hopkinton. The ground was a quagmire and there was no shelter available from the wind and rain. Two marquis which had been set up were packed. So I joined the others from my bus and geared down in the rain, the placed our gear bags in the appropriate bus for later pickup.
The time was now 9.50 so I jogged down to my starting area in Corral #5. By this time I was very cold and had been shivering non stop since 6.45. If the weather had been pleasant none of these delays or cold problems would have occurred.
So the race started and I was over the line on 10.02. The course is downhill overall with gentle uphills in the first half of the course. It undulates along through partly urban areas, which would be quite picturesque in better weather. The rain eased off when the race started and we got quite a bit of shelter from the wind in the first half of the course.
I ran along at 4.1 to 4.2 mins a km, this felt like a comfortable pace but as my later performance proved I must have gone out a bit hard. It was cold and from the start i couldn't feel my feet. Also the tights I bought did not protect my legs very well and the were cold too.
With hindsight the biggest problem I had was getting the flu the week before and being confined to bed for three days. That's one of the wild card problems about travelling. I had probably rushed around a bit too much in the weeks leading up to the trip and run myself down. I was theonly one in the family to get it. Another problem was letting myself get cold in the hours before the race. Experienced hands at the race knew what to do, but I was a bit of a novice with these condidtions and got wet and cold early. That took some wind out of my sails.
At about the 30k mark after we had passed the hills we were exposed to the wind. I simply ran out of energy. I had taken a gel at the start, and every 10k as well as several orange segments, and gatorade. I didn't have any particluar injuries but I could feel myself shaking with cold and becoming a bit groggy. The crowd support kept me plodding along, but I had to walk occassionally and and try to rub some feeling back into my muscles. I would say in terms of exhaustion this was worse than the six foot track. I have never had to walk before in a road marathon.
My splits were 3.2k 13m.30s, 4.8k 20.51, 6.4k 26.31, 8k 33.20, 9.6k 40.04, 10k 41.29, 11.2k 46.48, 12.8k 53.48, 14.4k 60m.38s, 15k 62.54, 16k 67.46, 17.6k 75.02, 19.2k 85.19, 21.1k 90.10, 22.7k 96.44, 24.3k 104.18, 25k 148.16, 25.9k 111.35, 27.5k 119.23, 29.1k 127.13, 30k 132.21, 30.7k 135.07, 32.3k 143.33, 33.9k 153.05, 35k 160.00, 35.5k 162.59, 37.1k 173.00, 38.7k 184.27, 40k 193.17, 40.3k 194.46, 42.2k 205.31.
Follow this link for great photos of race http://www.boston.com/sports/marathon/galleries/04_16_07_wellesley
It was a long day in which their were successes and failures but most of the event proved that it was the yard stick by which other events should be measured.
As I have already written the forecast was grim, and at 5.30am this morning the forecast came true. Constant rain, and driving winds gusting to 50 mph. The bad conditions affected every part of the event and caused the organisers and spectators a lot of headaches. Some could have been avoided with better planning and some were just in the category of "shit happens."
So here is how my day went:
Frank drove me to the train station at 5.30am. The train was 20mins late. I arrived in downtown Boston at 6.50 and struggled against the wind to the Bus pickup location at Boston common. There were four queues each about 500m long to the buses.The wind was howling and the rain constant. Temperature about 3 degrees. The line did not move for an hour. The yellow school buses which were supposed to take us to Hopkinton seemed to be stuck. Then suddenly we were moving and within 15mins we were on the bus.
The buses travelled in convoy to the start at Hopkinton. We left about 7.50. The bus didn't arrive until 9.40am and the start was at 10am. Why so long, we don't know, the driver just said "I am following the bus in front". People who had queued for an hour, and then sat on the draughty bus for an hour were begging the driver to let them out to pee. He refused at first but eventually he had to let people out. Half the bus spilled out into the forest and quickly dropped their dacks, men and women, in the boggy forest. After this we carried on and eventually arrived at the Assembly area in Hopkinton. The ground was a quagmire and there was no shelter available from the wind and rain. Two marquis which had been set up were packed. So I joined the others from my bus and geared down in the rain, the placed our gear bags in the appropriate bus for later pickup.
The time was now 9.50 so I jogged down to my starting area in Corral #5. By this time I was very cold and had been shivering non stop since 6.45. If the weather had been pleasant none of these delays or cold problems would have occurred.
So the race started and I was over the line on 10.02. The course is downhill overall with gentle uphills in the first half of the course. It undulates along through partly urban areas, which would be quite picturesque in better weather. The rain eased off when the race started and we got quite a bit of shelter from the wind in the first half of the course.
I ran along at 4.1 to 4.2 mins a km, this felt like a comfortable pace but as my later performance proved I must have gone out a bit hard. It was cold and from the start i couldn't feel my feet. Also the tights I bought did not protect my legs very well and the were cold too.
With hindsight the biggest problem I had was getting the flu the week before and being confined to bed for three days. That's one of the wild card problems about travelling. I had probably rushed around a bit too much in the weeks leading up to the trip and run myself down. I was theonly one in the family to get it. Another problem was letting myself get cold in the hours before the race. Experienced hands at the race knew what to do, but I was a bit of a novice with these condidtions and got wet and cold early. That took some wind out of my sails.
At about the 30k mark after we had passed the hills we were exposed to the wind. I simply ran out of energy. I had taken a gel at the start, and every 10k as well as several orange segments, and gatorade. I didn't have any particluar injuries but I could feel myself shaking with cold and becoming a bit groggy. The crowd support kept me plodding along, but I had to walk occassionally and and try to rub some feeling back into my muscles. I would say in terms of exhaustion this was worse than the six foot track. I have never had to walk before in a road marathon.
My splits were 3.2k 13m.30s, 4.8k 20.51, 6.4k 26.31, 8k 33.20, 9.6k 40.04, 10k 41.29, 11.2k 46.48, 12.8k 53.48, 14.4k 60m.38s, 15k 62.54, 16k 67.46, 17.6k 75.02, 19.2k 85.19, 21.1k 90.10, 22.7k 96.44, 24.3k 104.18, 25k 148.16, 25.9k 111.35, 27.5k 119.23, 29.1k 127.13, 30k 132.21, 30.7k 135.07, 32.3k 143.33, 33.9k 153.05, 35k 160.00, 35.5k 162.59, 37.1k 173.00, 38.7k 184.27, 40k 193.17, 40.3k 194.46, 42.2k 205.31.
Follow this link for great photos of race http://www.boston.com/sports/marathon/galleries/04_16_07_wellesley
Fun with the Keoghs
We have had a lovely time in Boston staying with Katharine's father Frank and his soon to be bride Susan in the suburb of Foxborough just outside Boston.
This included getting to know Frank's family who are extremely likeable but also larger than life. I have seen so much about Boston in TV and Movies over the years that it can feel like being on a set.
I wont go into all the details in this blog but suffice to say the Keogh's are a wisecracking but lovable bunch.
In the last few days we have visited the downtown area to attend the running expo, and we have caught up with Mike and Stefica. Stef is looking great but admits to being nervous.
The weather is bloody cold and the severe forecast looks likely to come true for race day. So I picked up running tights, a thermal shirt and gloves at a sports store today, I look like a total goose when wearing the tights.
This included getting to know Frank's family who are extremely likeable but also larger than life. I have seen so much about Boston in TV and Movies over the years that it can feel like being on a set.
I wont go into all the details in this blog but suffice to say the Keogh's are a wisecracking but lovable bunch.
In the last few days we have visited the downtown area to attend the running expo, and we have caught up with Mike and Stefica. Stef is looking great but admits to being nervous.
The weather is bloody cold and the severe forecast looks likely to come true for race day. So I picked up running tights, a thermal shirt and gloves at a sports store today, I look like a total goose when wearing the tights.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Weather looks Grim
I received this email this morning from the Marathon organisers:
Wednesday, April 11 - As the Boston Athletic Association continues to make preparations for Monday's Boston Marathon, we are monitoring the upcoming weather conditions forecast for this area. Based on the National Weather Service's most recent report and in cooperation with the Executive Office of Public Safety (Commonwealth of Massachusetts) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, together with the eight cities and towns along the 26.2-mile marathon route, we are planning for likely heavy rain and windy conditions on race day. However, all race day plans remain the same. The Boston Athletic Association advises participants in Monday's race to plan accordingly for their run, bringing with them gear and apparel to suit the conditions. The B.A.A. will continue to update its web site as necessary.
Wednesday, April 11 - As the Boston Athletic Association continues to make preparations for Monday's Boston Marathon, we are monitoring the upcoming weather conditions forecast for this area. Based on the National Weather Service's most recent report and in cooperation with the Executive Office of Public Safety (Commonwealth of Massachusetts) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, together with the eight cities and towns along the 26.2-mile marathon route, we are planning for likely heavy rain and windy conditions on race day. However, all race day plans remain the same. The Boston Athletic Association advises participants in Monday's race to plan accordingly for their run, bringing with them gear and apparel to suit the conditions. The B.A.A. will continue to update its web site as necessary.
The Road to Boston
Wed 11th April
Went for a half hour jog along the level road from the cabins. Much warmer today. Still a touch of the flu.
After fond farewells headed up the I81 towards Boston. We made it as far as Harrisonburg where we crashed out at the Comfort Inn.
The Interstate highways in the US are amazing things, they are everywhere. The big difference to Australia is the lack of cops. Despite it being Spring Break (Easter) we saw only a couple of cops. The speed limit is 65 mph but that is definitely treated as a guide only. Especially the trucks fly through at 75 to 80. And there are so many trucks, they form an almost constant line up the I81. I have just seen a TV interview with a cop urging people not to drive over 90 mph!
The drivers are all over the place, and often don't indicate before changing lanes. Hand held cell phones are very common too. A big contrast to NSW where you would be almost guaranteed to be booked for consistently driving above the limit, let alone being captured by one of the many fixed cameras, of which there are none here.
The naming of all the Interstates and their exits with numbers such as I61, I231 etc is a very efficient way of navigating, travel instruction are "Take the I81 North and turn off exit 16 onto I231 South." It makes it hard to get lost.
On the flip side of the wild ride on the Interstates, Americans are extremely polite and considerate. In the two weeks here now I am yet to find one person in a bad mood (except for my kids of course), let alone hear a swear word, .
Thur 12th April
Got out and ran for an hour around Harrisonburg. Got a bit lost due to fog and ended outside city limits. We were all tired and had to catch up on shopping, email, sleep so we didn't end up getting on the road until 1pm. Made it only to Gettysburg. Got in about 6.30pm and went straight to the motel
Went for a half hour jog along the level road from the cabins. Much warmer today. Still a touch of the flu.
After fond farewells headed up the I81 towards Boston. We made it as far as Harrisonburg where we crashed out at the Comfort Inn.
The Interstate highways in the US are amazing things, they are everywhere. The big difference to Australia is the lack of cops. Despite it being Spring Break (Easter) we saw only a couple of cops. The speed limit is 65 mph but that is definitely treated as a guide only. Especially the trucks fly through at 75 to 80. And there are so many trucks, they form an almost constant line up the I81. I have just seen a TV interview with a cop urging people not to drive over 90 mph!
The drivers are all over the place, and often don't indicate before changing lanes. Hand held cell phones are very common too. A big contrast to NSW where you would be almost guaranteed to be booked for consistently driving above the limit, let alone being captured by one of the many fixed cameras, of which there are none here.
The naming of all the Interstates and their exits with numbers such as I61, I231 etc is a very efficient way of navigating, travel instruction are "Take the I81 North and turn off exit 16 onto I231 South." It makes it hard to get lost.
On the flip side of the wild ride on the Interstates, Americans are extremely polite and considerate. In the two weeks here now I am yet to find one person in a bad mood (except for my kids of course), let alone hear a swear word, .
Thur 12th April
Got out and ran for an hour around Harrisonburg. Got a bit lost due to fog and ended outside city limits. We were all tired and had to catch up on shopping, email, sleep so we didn't end up getting on the road until 1pm. Made it only to Gettysburg. Got in about 6.30pm and went straight to the motel
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Realistic Assessment
Everyone has asked me what time will I run in the Boston marathon, and I have asked myself that same question many times. Now its only 5 days away I can probably make a realistic assessment.
I have completed six regulation length road marathons. My record has been as follows:
Sydney 2004 3.36
Canberra 2005 3.15
Sydney 2005 3.16
Hobart 2006 3.10
Canberra 2006 3.12
Gold Coast 2006 3.10
As you can see I have met a significant barrier at 3.10. So what might have changed for this one. first of all I am lighter. I am down to 69kg. Secondly I have been attending the SWEAT sessions twice weekly and have followed the SWEAT program that Sean Williams wrote for me. I have also added between 100 and 200 situps per day and twice weekly spin classes.
On the down side I have had the flu, and the course is hilly.
Looking at the splits below for my last marathon you will see that I held a constant pace till the half way mark and then gradually slowed down. After that Marathon I felt fresh and suffered hardly any fatigue or leg pain, so I know I could have gone faster if I had the mental strength.
I have completed six regulation length road marathons. My record has been as follows:
Sydney 2004 3.36
Canberra 2005 3.15
Sydney 2005 3.16
Hobart 2006 3.10
Canberra 2006 3.12
Gold Coast 2006 3.10
As you can see I have met a significant barrier at 3.10. So what might have changed for this one. first of all I am lighter. I am down to 69kg. Secondly I have been attending the SWEAT sessions twice weekly and have followed the SWEAT program that Sean Williams wrote for me. I have also added between 100 and 200 situps per day and twice weekly spin classes.
On the down side I have had the flu, and the course is hilly.
Looking at the splits below for my last marathon you will see that I held a constant pace till the half way mark and then gradually slowed down. After that Marathon I felt fresh and suffered hardly any fatigue or leg pain, so I know I could have gone faster if I had the mental strength.
I think I can run at least as fast as my last marathon the difference will be mostly mental I think. To run 3hr 5min will require me to hold each of the last 21km 14 secs faster per km, and to run in 3hr even I need to run the last 21k 28 secs faster per km.
Now that doesn't sound like much but it equates to beating myself by a distance of about 2.3km at the finish.
The next few days will be telling. If I can get a good restful lead up I am confident of improving to hopefully 3.05 pace.
Tennessee Hospitality
Sat 7th
Drove down the I81 to Knoxville through light snowstorms and visited Matt Credich and his wife Kim who is the Swim coach at Tennessee University. They came us a big inkling about the type of hospitality you get in Tennessee, they are the friendliest people I have ever met down here.
It was freezing though, turned out to be an all time low temperature by 4 degrees.
After a great evening with the Credichs we continued to Townsend which is at the base of the Smokey Mountains. Mary had booked some cabins there for us there. Got in about 11pm and crashed out.
Sun 8th
In the morning I felt well enough to run and got out at 8am and ran for an hour and half up to the Tuckaleechee Caverns. It was freezing cold, probably about -5 and my bare fingers were burning, but I ran it OK probably at 4.5mins/km. Distance about 15k. Still suffering the flu and coughing up plenty of phlegm but on the mend. About 10am we headed to church, which turned into an adventure as we tried to locate the only Catholic Church in Maryville. Then we headed for the McCroskey home where Jim's daughter Mary Lois, her husband Sam, and Mum Joyce had planned a wonderful Easter lunch for us. All their family and friends came and we had a big feed, and southern hospitality.
It turned into an all day affair and we finally got back to the cabin about 10pm.
Mon 9th
Sam McCroskey very kindly invited Neil and I out on his Sea Ray boat to run down the Tennessee River. There were a few adventures along the way before we got the boat under way but it was all fun, and the boat ride was a magnificent way to see the Tennessee Valley. This waterway was the Tennessee River which was dammed in the thirties to provide Hydro power. I remember studying it at School as part of FDR's New Deal I think. Now it still produces power but is also a link in a canal network which allows barge traffic to go across Tennessee and connect to the Mississippi.
It was a great day out but we didn't get back till about 6pm so I gave running a miss today. i didn't mind since I only had a half hour on the program, and I am still feeling pretty crappy. Honor stayed with the McCroskey's and their girls Erin and Rachel kindly offered to take her to the school for a day.
Tue 10th
Managed to get out about 8am and run the SWEAT routine that I was missing. I did the warm ups and choose a similar hill to the Wild Wally's. Ran six hill intervals each about 500m long. Made each one faster and felt pretty good. I think the flu is just about behind me.
Afterwards I went with Kath, Martha and Ron to the top of the Smokey's with the intention of running a few miles back down the Appalachian trail. Once we got up their though we gave it a miss because the trail was covered in ice and snow. Very spectacular views though. Caught glimpses of bears in the distance occassionally. Unfortunately the Fraser fir trees which dominate the area have all died back due to an introduced bug infestation.
Later we visited the Heritage Museum which had some very high quality displays of the history of the Indian and White settlement of these mountains. It was very similar to the settlement of NSW, with predominantly Protestant white farmers pushing out the native Cherokees. Incredibly the Cherokees were pushed all the way to Florida and Oaklahoma. The many little white hamlets are picturesque with their distinctive churches, the area reminds me of the Mullimbimby and Nimbin area.
In the evening we were given treated to another wonderful meal at Mary Lois and Sam's home in Maryville. Made fond farewells to everyone and thankfully the girls went straight to sleep as they were both cranky and tired. Tomorrow we head off for Boston!
Drove down the I81 to Knoxville through light snowstorms and visited Matt Credich and his wife Kim who is the Swim coach at Tennessee University. They came us a big inkling about the type of hospitality you get in Tennessee, they are the friendliest people I have ever met down here.
It was freezing though, turned out to be an all time low temperature by 4 degrees.
After a great evening with the Credichs we continued to Townsend which is at the base of the Smokey Mountains. Mary had booked some cabins there for us there. Got in about 11pm and crashed out.
Sun 8th
In the morning I felt well enough to run and got out at 8am and ran for an hour and half up to the Tuckaleechee Caverns. It was freezing cold, probably about -5 and my bare fingers were burning, but I ran it OK probably at 4.5mins/km. Distance about 15k. Still suffering the flu and coughing up plenty of phlegm but on the mend. About 10am we headed to church, which turned into an adventure as we tried to locate the only Catholic Church in Maryville. Then we headed for the McCroskey home where Jim's daughter Mary Lois, her husband Sam, and Mum Joyce had planned a wonderful Easter lunch for us. All their family and friends came and we had a big feed, and southern hospitality.
It turned into an all day affair and we finally got back to the cabin about 10pm.
Mon 9th
Sam McCroskey very kindly invited Neil and I out on his Sea Ray boat to run down the Tennessee River. There were a few adventures along the way before we got the boat under way but it was all fun, and the boat ride was a magnificent way to see the Tennessee Valley. This waterway was the Tennessee River which was dammed in the thirties to provide Hydro power. I remember studying it at School as part of FDR's New Deal I think. Now it still produces power but is also a link in a canal network which allows barge traffic to go across Tennessee and connect to the Mississippi.
It was a great day out but we didn't get back till about 6pm so I gave running a miss today. i didn't mind since I only had a half hour on the program, and I am still feeling pretty crappy. Honor stayed with the McCroskey's and their girls Erin and Rachel kindly offered to take her to the school for a day.
Tue 10th
Managed to get out about 8am and run the SWEAT routine that I was missing. I did the warm ups and choose a similar hill to the Wild Wally's. Ran six hill intervals each about 500m long. Made each one faster and felt pretty good. I think the flu is just about behind me.
Afterwards I went with Kath, Martha and Ron to the top of the Smokey's with the intention of running a few miles back down the Appalachian trail. Once we got up their though we gave it a miss because the trail was covered in ice and snow. Very spectacular views though. Caught glimpses of bears in the distance occassionally. Unfortunately the Fraser fir trees which dominate the area have all died back due to an introduced bug infestation.
Later we visited the Heritage Museum which had some very high quality displays of the history of the Indian and White settlement of these mountains. It was very similar to the settlement of NSW, with predominantly Protestant white farmers pushing out the native Cherokees. Incredibly the Cherokees were pushed all the way to Florida and Oaklahoma. The many little white hamlets are picturesque with their distinctive churches, the area reminds me of the Mullimbimby and Nimbin area.
In the evening we were given treated to another wonderful meal at Mary Lois and Sam's home in Maryville. Made fond farewells to everyone and thankfully the girls went straight to sleep as they were both cranky and tired. Tomorrow we head off for Boston!
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Sick as a dog.
Still just as crook in the morning but I had lost my voice too. We went to Hertz to pick up the hire car and Mary joked to the salesman that "this one can't talk and this one can't walk!" A cold snap had come through and the temperature has dropped to about 5 degrees. We all went out to the US Postal Museum where I went to sleep then we went off to Macy's department store where I bought a massive quilted coat for $40. Still feeling real crook so went back to bed at 5pm and slept through.
Fri 6th
Packed up and left DC about 10am. Mary and Jim have been incredibly hospitable, in fact they really "couldn't do enough for us", so a big thanks to them. Feeling better after good sleep, but still not up to running. Drove 30 miles west to Dulles to visit the "The Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center National Air and Space Museum". That's a gobful of a name but the museum is a gobful of a museum. Located under one specially built roof is the Enola Gay B29, a Concorde, a Blackbird, a Space Shuttle, a 707, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and just about every other type of aircraft or space ship ever built from hang gliders to fighter planes and kit planes. Well worth visiting and the admission...free.
The view above is of the Bombardiers seat in the Enola Gay.
We then travelled the short distance to the Battlefield of Manassas or Bull Run which was one of the first big battles of the Civil War. It was interesting because the fields that the battle were fought on are undisturbed and the museum has a very good display explaining what happened. The kids walked the 1.6km circuit of the battlefield without to much protest. The photo below sums up how they are getting along.
We then drove on down the picturesque Shenandoah Valley to the town of Harrisonburg where we checked into the Country Comfort. Quite reasonably priced at $80 for four including continental breakfast , this was one of about 10 identical motels are that nestled together. We ate at an Italian restaurant and got pretty good pasta and pizza. Its pretty chilly here and it started snowing when I went for a walk to the Wal Mart.
Felt well enough today to do some situps. Hope I will be able to run again tomorrow.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Off to the US
Fri 30th
Busy getting last minute things ready. Spent the night in Wollongong and got home at 10am with one hour to spare. We flew out at 1pm, Qantas QF73 to San Francisco. It was torture flying economy for 12 hours but the kids were in high spirits and never complained.
At SF Michele, Kath and the kids flew on to DC. Neil and I were staying overnight and going to San Diego for old friend Adrienne’s wedding.
I had a lot of pent up energy after the flight, and went for a two hour run up to La Honda. This is a steep ridge behind Burlingame where we were staying. I just followed my nose and stumbled upon a terrific trail which ran through the San Andreas fault. There was a dam at the bottom of the ridge called Crystal Lake, and a closed road which meandered along through the picturesque valley. Got back tired but happy and had a big serve of pasta followed by apple pie at the local diner.
Unknown to us the girls had missed their connecting flight in Dallas and had to get another flight to DC without their luggage.
Sat 31st
At 6am Neil and I were sitting in our plane to fly to LA when it was announced that the flight was cancelled because the pilot was sick! We then had to stand in a line for 2 hours while the airline sorted out the mess. We finally made it to LA at 1pm, but roads were choked to the San Diego. Eight lanes gridlocked. We made the ceremony with 5 minutes to spare.
It was a lovely service on a cliff top balcony overlooking the ocean. Afterwards we went to a very pleasant reception where we caught up with our old friends Cindy Taylor (and new husband Fred) and Helen Fricker and husband Glenn and Stephanie Wilson. All old mates from the UNSW Diving club.
Busy getting last minute things ready. Spent the night in Wollongong and got home at 10am with one hour to spare. We flew out at 1pm, Qantas QF73 to San Francisco. It was torture flying economy for 12 hours but the kids were in high spirits and never complained.
At SF Michele, Kath and the kids flew on to DC. Neil and I were staying overnight and going to San Diego for old friend Adrienne’s wedding.
I had a lot of pent up energy after the flight, and went for a two hour run up to La Honda. This is a steep ridge behind Burlingame where we were staying. I just followed my nose and stumbled upon a terrific trail which ran through the San Andreas fault. There was a dam at the bottom of the ridge called Crystal Lake, and a closed road which meandered along through the picturesque valley. Got back tired but happy and had a big serve of pasta followed by apple pie at the local diner.
Unknown to us the girls had missed their connecting flight in Dallas and had to get another flight to DC without their luggage.
Sat 31st
At 6am Neil and I were sitting in our plane to fly to LA when it was announced that the flight was cancelled because the pilot was sick! We then had to stand in a line for 2 hours while the airline sorted out the mess. We finally made it to LA at 1pm, but roads were choked to the San Diego. Eight lanes gridlocked. We made the ceremony with 5 minutes to spare.
It was a lovely service on a cliff top balcony overlooking the ocean. Afterwards we went to a very pleasant reception where we caught up with our old friends Cindy Taylor (and new husband Fred) and Helen Fricker and husband Glenn and Stephanie Wilson. All old mates from the UNSW Diving club.
Didn’t get to run today unfortunately.
Sun 1st April
Managed to drag myself out of bed at 6am and go for a run with Stephanie. There was a heavy fog so we weren’t sure where we were going some of the time. I ended up running about 15k at a gentle pace. Had to be careful not to trip over homeless guys in the fog.
We met up with Fred for a spectacular and memorable flight in a Cessna 172. We flew along the coast at 500 feet and then went west to the edge of the desert, then south down to the border and finally directly over the city centre. What made it such a good flight was that Fred is a long time hang glider pilot, and he flew us along the ridges that he uses for hang gliding. San Diego has a real mixture of landscapes including spectacular mountains and valleys, fertile plateaus and beaches just like NSW’s. But just 50 miles to the west it turns to desert. We flew over one ridge and then there was nothing, no trees or scrub, just bone dry dirt.
After the flight we headed down to a beachside suburb called OB1 which was very similar to Coogee. We sat down at a Mexican restaurant but I was completely unfamiliar with the dishes. It was very pleasant and what I was eventually served was beans and brown rice which I enjoyed.
Mon 2nd Apr
Hung out in the motel and took care of some work things. At 10am I had a productive meeting with Dick Wilkins the manufacturer of our Vibrocorer. Left at about 1pm and drove up towards LA. Stopped on the way to get some stationery and a mobile phone. I got a new mobile for just $18 and 250 hours of prepaid talk for just $50 including unlimited calls to Australia! The lady who served us was very helpful, because she said “You have sexy Australian accents, and you’re twins, Oh my lord!”
Flew out of LAX for DC on the “redeye” at 9.30pm.
Tue 3rd
Arrived DC at 5am (three hour time difference). Felt energized to be finally off the plane. Ran with Kath to Wahington monument and then ran by myself to Lincoln memorial, Arlington, along the Potomac, and back up to the Capitol building and finally to Mary’s house in 12th St. I put in a bit of effort. All up it was about 25k in two hours. DC is flat so running is fairly easy. Its also very popular. It was a beautiful day and the start of the Cherry Blossom festival so everybody was out on the streets.
The layout of Washington must have been an inspiration for Walter Burley Griffin when designing Canberra because the similarities are striking. DC is impressive architecturally but the number of people is daunting. And cops, every government department seems to have their own police force, they are everywhere. Fortunately they are friendly because they carry some big guns.
Later we all went for a tour of Arlington cemetery, and the Natural History museum. I started shutting down though and eventually crashed on one of the lawns. I had felt a sore throat coming on for a couple of days and over the course of the evening I felt worse and worse.
Wed 4th
Felt like crap so I have stayed in bed all day while the others do the tourist thing. It feels like a 24 hour “lurgy” I hope so.
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