Only 2 or 3 weeks into our relationship, I was so confident that this was the real deal that I booked and paid for an Air B&B for a weekend in Acadia to celebrate Ryan's 40th birthday. I figured if I was wrong about us, John and I would go, but my confidence was accurate and we got to go on the first "vacation" in almost a year for me. If I had had actual vacation time accrued, I would have taken a day off work, but I don't even have enough yet for a full shift. I didn't tell Ryan about the trip for over a month, but when I finally did, he was super excited, and we both couldn't wait. However, it came close to almost not happening. We only knew for sure the morning we were supposed to leave when I was relieved to receive a negative Covid test after a possible exposure to a co-worker who had tested positive. Luckily, I didn't quite fall into the definition of "exposure", but it was too close for my comfort not to take a test. I was so excited we were able to go, but it still wasn't without issues. Ryan caught John's bad head cold, and it was full blown by the time we left. Then it was rainy and cloudy our first two days there. But it didn't really matter. We had a really good time and absolutely loved it. We had both been there once before, but for him it had been 12 years and me, 8 years, with no time to do much exploring. Definitely planning to go back next year.
Acadia is such a beautiful place. The trails are amazing and so unique. Being a National Park, it is so much better managed. It makes the White Mountains look like the slums. And while there were still quite a number of tourists there, the National Park Service is set up for it with the fees, rules and staff. I used to hate that aspect of National Parks, but after seeing how tourists were allowed to run amok and destroy the White Mountain National Forest and surrounding area this year, I would be all for the NPS taking it over.
We left Friday morning and made the 4.5 hour drive to MDI. I had booked an efficiency apartment in Seal Cove which turned out to be the absolute best spot. Beach and the Park Road right out the door, basically. It was VERY quiet, yet still close to Bar Harbor. I couldn't have picked a better spot. Despite Ryan feeling pretty sick, we still wanted to run when we got into town. We chose something close and only 5 miles since we didn't have much time before dark. Decided on a loop from Jordan Pond up Jordan Cliffs to the summit of Penobscot and back. So much ridge running, and the cliffs were super cool. We still had a view despite the low clouds and mist. The forest was so unique and beautiful. We had planned our last mile to be on the carriage road but stumbled upon super cool trail instead. I was in love with this place immediately.
We were starving when we were done so we drove into Bar Harbor to eat at Havana. They advertised themselves as a tapas bar, but it didn't quite fit the definition of one. It was still really good, though, and we had a private table outside with our own heat lamp.
The next morning was rainy and cloudy, but we still headed out for our planned 12-ish mile loop starting at the Beehive, going over Champlain and over Cadillac before looping back. The Beehive was as insanely crowded as expected which made it hard to run up, but we did our best and quickly moved past the summit onto Champlain. The run was nice... until we started the descent from Champlain. I've run on some slippery rock before, but this honestly took the cake. It was so treacherous that I was moving at a snail's pace and it just wasn't fun. Ryan was still feeling pretty terrible with the head cold so it was a no-brainer to bag our plan and loop back to the car. It was still slow going on slippery rock that I fell once, but it was a short distance down to the turn off for this awesome runnable trail that followed the road going into the Beehive. 5.5 miles total for today's run.
We drove back to the Air B&B via the Park Rd and stopped at Thunder Hole which was pretty crowded and tourist behavior made me cringe. Got a cool shot of this girl who probably fell to her death after we left. Ok, not really, but it could have easily happened.
After we got back, we showered then walked out to Seal Cove Beach with some beers and hung out on the rocks just talking and watching the waves. It was so nice to have a private spot by the water. I had missed the ocean air so much.
Since we had shortened our run, we decided to go for a hike up Eliot Mt and through Thuya Gardens. The summit was wooded, but you don't need a view in Acadia to be amazed.
We were starving and headed right into Bar Harbor for dinner. Unlike the night before, the town was jam packed with people and finding a place to eat didn't pan out as planned. Outdoor seating was available at most restaurants, but the wait turned out to be hours. After walking around and getting frustrated, we ended up just leaving and picking up food from Sweet Pea's which is what we should have done in the first place. There were only a few people there, but unfortunately, most of them were sitting next to each other by the fire so we just took it back to the apartment. The food was REALLY good.
The next day was our last day there, but it was the most beautiful. The sun came out! We opted for the western side of the island doing a loop up Beech Mt and then a loop up Mansell Mt. Omg! This was so awesome. The run up Beech was easy and the trail so gorgeous. We were loving it!
The run got even better when we hit the Perpendicular Trail up Mansell and found ourselves climbing up never-ending rock steps so intricately designed that I was in awe. If that wasn't awesome enough, we ended up with ocean views from the ridge run on the way down. I couldn't get enough of this place. Only 5 miles of running, but it was all amazing.
I so wasn't ready to leave there, but I'm glad it's so close that when we're ready to go back, it's only a little over 4 hours away. We were in such good moods. Ryan was feeling slightly better, and then he got a text from his boss telling him he had to quarantine for 14 days. If it had made sense, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but he was never knowingly exposed to anyone with Covid. They did it because my co-worker tested positive. There was just no common sense involved in this decision so Ryan was pretty upset by it. Not the way we wanted to end our trip. We at least stopped at Bangor Beer Co for beers and lunch on the way home to make it a little better.
Got home to find John and the dogs made it through the weekend without us. It's so weird now that John wants to hang out by himself now. He did hang out with friends on Saturday, but other than that, he took care of himself and dogs with no issues. I'm kind of missing him, but I guess he's growing up and doesn't want to hang out with the coolest mom ever anymore. Haha. Ok, he'd probably disagree on how cool I am... maybe. Haha.
Ryan's birthday didn't actually happen over the weekend, and I had to work on his actual birthday, so I made him a cake on Tuesday night to celebrate. John actually came out of his room to join us since he doesn't pass up cake. Happy 40th!
The week prior to Acadia, we made the trip up to Mt Abram for the Mt Abram Ascent Race. I had last run it the first year in 2014 and won it outright. The weather was extremely hot and humid and I was just starting my upswing of getting fast for the following 2 years. Fast Forward 6 years to rain, snow, mud and frigid temps, 9lbs heavier, old and slow as fuck. Haha. Despite all of that we still had a really good time. It was our first race together as a couple, and it felt so awesome being there with Ryan. After so many years of traveling to races alone (excluding John), I finally had the person I'm in love with there with me.
We warmed up 1.6 miles then headed to the starting area where we would start whenever wanted with starts every 15 seconds or so. Ryan and I started together, but he quickly moved ahead of me. This really young girl had started ahead of us. I could still see her so she pulled me along. The course was super slippery with snow and mud, but it was really short at 3.3 miles. Up Mt Abram, down Mt Abram. I couldn't gain on the young girl at all since she killed the climb, but once I saw her having trouble in the mud, I knew I would catch her on the downhill. By the time I got to the summit, though, she was nowhere in sight, but I didn't let up hope. It took awhile, but I finally came around a turn and there she was struggling in the mud. I passed her easily thinking I'd have it in the bag, but the course got less steep and slippery for the last half mile or so making it runnable again. I had to put in a full effort for her not to catch me back, but I held on for the win by only 32 seconds. In a dry race and with trail shoes, that girl would have smoked me. I expect to see her at more mountain races in the future. Full Results
We hung out in the rain and cold after for beers and chatting with Adam, the RD. Despite the weather, it was still fun hanging out post-race again. Stopped at a bakery in Bethel after then headed home.
The weather turned really nice so I decided to make John join us for a walk on the Conway Rec Path. He had a really bad head cold that meant 2 days off school and a Covid test, that was luckily negative. I actually thought he was feeling better, but the walk ended up making it worse and also what probably made Ryan catch the cold. I only caught a mild head cold, but this cold knocked both of them out. I felt really bad making John walk with us since he felt so much worse after.
The next day was gorgeous so Ryan took me on a loop in the Ossipee Mountains on some trails I didn't even know about. We both overdressed and also underestimated how racing even such a short distance the day before had worn us out. Despite it being a beautiful run, we both felt like shit and stumbled the whole second half of the run. 15.4 miles. 3,395ft of elevation gain. Probably wasn't the best idea the day after a race, but we got through it. Haha.
Tree eating a horseshoe...
Even though Ryan was annoyed about being out of work, since it wasn't a true quarantine, he was able to have an extended vacation. Did some running with Gabe Flanders one day and then we actually had the chance to run together during the week which is unusual. I worked A LOT this week at all 3 jobs (I even got to give Ryan a Covid test on Friday at my hospital job haha). 70 hours over 3.5 days basically so I didn't have a lot of free time, but Thursday we ran in the rain up Middle Sister via the Champney Falls Trail. Only ran into 3 people the whole time. 6.7 miles.
Over the weekend, we made the trip out to Newport, NH for the Six in the Stix Race. I had run here before for the Pinnacle Ultra Challenge 50K in 2013 so I had some memory of the trails. It was a sunny but cold morning. We did a very quick warm up then ran into Haley Heinrich, whom I hadn't seen in forever. She would go to win for the women. Gone are the days of me being able to compete with Haley, but I'm ok with it. I want to see her do well. Ryan was hoping to pick up his first masters win, but unfortunately someone faster showed up. The course was fun and hard. Despite the snow the day before, the trails were in good shape. A lot were ice covered but it was grippy ice so it didn't slow us down. I started right behind Ryan and managed to keep up for the first half of the run, but as soon as we got to more downhill he left me in his dust. I didn't see another single racer the entire second half of the race. Finished second to Haley in 49:26.
There was no post-race hanging out so we grabbed our maple syrup awards, talked to Haley a bit then headed out for a hike up Mt Cardigan with the dogs. We weren't really prepared for the conditions of this hike since it was in a couple of inches of snow and then quite a bit of ice for the last mile, but it was still a nice hike. I looked like a beginner day hiker. Ryan at least looked like he'd hiked once before. It was kind of funny. But we knew what we were doing and would have turned back if it got sketchy. I'd never done Cardigan, and it turned out to be way cooler than I expected. It was such a beautiful day, and the dogs were so happy to get out. Stupidly, we never ate anything post race so we struggled a bit towards the end of the hike. Such a great time together, though.
Newbie day hiker...
We drove up to Plymouth after the hike for food and beer at The Last Chair Brew Pub. It was so cold out, but we were not sitting indoors. What we couldn't understand was why they had an outdoor seating area with a fire pit, yet no fire or heaters. I really don't get the indoor dining. They place ended up packed with people all sitting in there without masks. I can't believe this is still a thing. We froze to death, but if that's the only way we could enjoy the place, then we were willing to be cold. But, come on, people. Covid outbreaks in many restaurants in NH, yet people are STILL doing it. It's not that hard to make your outdoor seating area a comfortable place for those people not willing to sit packed like sardines with strangers. The beer ended up being really good. The food was not. It definitely has the potential to be better, though.
Sunday, I showed Ryan some of the trails on Pleasant Mt in Maine. We were hurting a bit from Six in the Stix so we opted to cut out the steep out and back on the Bald Peak Trail. Still hit the open ridge and ran up and back on the Southwest Ridge Trail. 8 miles total. It's fun showing him new trails, but there aren't many he hasn't been on. Haha. Yes, we're dorks wearing matching hats. 😁
Yesterday was Ryan's last day of "quarantine" so we got one last weekday run in together on Rob Brook Rd. With the light snowfall, we didn't want to run trails. Turned out we both had the same idea to run Rob Brook. It was still lightly snow covered the whole way, but it was totally runnable. We ran out 5 miles pretty easy, but then for some reason we picked it up almost a minute faster per mile so that there was no talking and only working. Haha. Hard for me not to get in that mode when road running. 10.2 miles total. Kind of nice putting in some miles in such a short time so that we were able to do other things for the rest of the day and not feel rushed.
Some random photos and things from the last few weeks...
Ryan brushing Chill. The dog gets scruffy so fast. And his hair is all over the house...
Once again surprised with flowers from Ryan. ❤❤
Worked a JV football detail for Conway a few weeks ago. It was just me so I was crossing my fingers for no serious injuries. All I did was give out a cold pack. Phew. Pretty boring and freezing. Football isn't my thing...
Michelle and I got called back from Memorial to cover 911 in Tamworth. We got a call on our way down but were cancelled just before Chocorua Lake. Decided to pull in there for a few minutes before heading back to Memorial. Everyone's beautiful mountain, which is in Albany, btw. Haha.
John came out of his cave briefly to join us on the couch...
One of the many awesome dinners Ryan makes us every night. How did I end up with a guy who likes to cook?! I scored big time... (That's polenta, in case you're wondering.)
Couldn't resist one of the last warm days outside at Saco River Brewing when I went to pick up some cans...
Phoenix in a tree at East Bear Paw...
As you can see, someone still sleeps in the bed with us...
Drawing by Lauren in the ED at Memorial...
On Monday, I finally damaged an ambulance for the first time ever in over 9 years on the job. Really bugs me that I did this since I pride myself in how good of a driver I am, but it is what it is. Backed into one of the frame posts that was out of view of my side mirror. I thought I had cleared it and looked in my other side mirror to eye the truck behind me, then BOOM! Ugh. Still bothering me. It's a common thing in EMS to damage ambulances so it's not actually a big deal, but it's still really bothering me that I did that.
So not much super exciting, but I still like to catch up on my blog. I know the mushy, happy posts are probably getting boring, but it's better than my whining posts of the past. Haha. Ryan and I are just enjoying life together. I'm still amazed how quickly everything clicked between us, but it feels so right. Ryan moved in with us early on, but it immediately felt like he belonged there. All of this space I thought I would need wasn't the case with him. We do usually do our own thing during the week, but I don't feel like I need more space than that. I never thought I would enjoy being with another person, other than John, as much as I do with him. This is the relationship I never thought I would be lucky enough to have.
Upcoming... the Blackout 10K at Black Mountain on Saturday. We signed up as soon as registration opened. Not sure how excited about it we are now. Haha. Getting back into racing is hard. And of course, crazy ex-wife must have seen we were registered and signed up too. *eyeroll*. I don't give a crap if she beats me. All I want is for her to stay the hell away from us and not cause a scene. Fingers crossed. Should be a good time as long as the drama queen stays away.
No other races on the list, but I'm sure one or two will pop up that we'll do. Lil' Rhody RunAround is happening, but I'm opting out this year since half of the reason for doing it was going to Jonny's house post-race. Maybe it will be back to normal next year.
As I write this, we're all still waiting on Presidential election votes. Really hoping the Trump pig loses, but at this point it could still go either way. I don't know how to do another 4 years of this lunacy. Also really sad to see that half of our population is of low intelligence. Makes us vulnerable to enemies. With Trump leading the way, we're sure to see another war and never-ending civil unrest in our near future. Scary times if he wins.
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