Tag Archives: hiking

Enjoying the Last Days of Summer

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This weekend was perfection. The weather, the adventures, everything. Enjoying the last days of summer was the only thing on the agenda and here is how it all went down.

foliage
(From my Insta – emilyh1020)

Friday

SL cooked dinner! Love when that happens. We ate dinner, laid low and hit the sheets early in preparation for Saturday.

Saturday

fall colors

We got out of bed early and made the 2+ hour drive up to the Kancamagus highway to hike Mt. Chocorua. This is a 3,500′ hiking and took SL and I about 2 hours to get to the top and was pretty challenging (for me). We stayed at the peak for about hour and enjoyed lunch and the amazing views. Last time we went hiking, SL proposed so this is an activity I LOVE LOVE LOVE to do!

mt chocorua

It took a little over an hour to get down but we kept a slow pace and made a few pit stops at the streams to cool off a little bit and to take festive fall photos like this one.

hiking outfit
Outfit: Mesh top – Reebok (old), Crops – LuLu (old), Sneaks – Mizuno Wave Hayate)

Saturday night SL and I joined 6 other couples to celebrate one of my best friends (and bridesmaids) birthday. Side note: She is a new mom and looks like she was never pregnant or gave birth. It’s amazing. She is amazing!

Sunday

boat day

Confession – I was supposed to do the Brickman Triathlon. I didn’t. I spent the day out on the boat with SL. Oops. The weather was perfect and this was most likely the last boat day of the season so I went for it. There will always be other races.

The water way s were PACKED! Seems like everyone on the northshore had the same idea we did because there were more boats out yesterday than we’ve seen all summer. I’m sure the fact that the Patriots are on tonight made for more people out and about as well.

boating

After spending 4 or 5 glorious hours on the boat we got back to reality which for me meant grocery shopping and food prep. Hello mass amounts of roasted veggies.

broccoli

This was 2 regular sized crowns plus one mini crown and there are minimal leftovers. It came out SO GOOD!

sweet potatoes

I also made a tray of sweet potatoes (3 potatoes, chopped) and there are only enough leftovers for one really hungry person or two not so hungry people.

I also cut up a honeydew but ate it and didn’t take any pictures. And that was the extent of my Sunday food prep. Now it’s time to take on another week!

Questions

Describe your weekend in five words…go!

  • Me: Hike, friends, boat, Scott, foliage

Do you do Sunday food prep?

  • You know I try! Some Sundays are good, some – not so much.
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Great Adventure Challenge {Race Recap, Part 3}

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Catching up?

Great Adventure Challenge – The “Run”

I use the term run loosely here my friends. By run I mean slow hike (walk) up the mountain then run down. No part of me had the energy to run up a ski mountain after biking for 16.5 miles. I did, however, finally pack a fresh pair of sneakers to change into post-bike. In years past I have just worn my soaking wet, muddy bike shoes to hike. What is a rookie mistake called when you make it over and over again? Oh well, I finally learned.

fresh sneaks

(please excuse my muddy, bloody legs and the weird looking angle)

I rocked my new-ish Mizuno Wave Hayates and loved them! These sneakers were made for trail running so were perfect for hiking up the grassy and rocky terrain of this course. They are also super lightweight (only 7.2 oz) which was nice for my tired legs. I couldn’t image lacing up heavy hiking boots at this part of the race.

One thing I tend to always do during this leg is to spend some time climbing up the mountain backwards. Not only does it help my tired legs but I can take in some stunning views.

Pleasant Mountain

Nothing beats it! Also, that lake below is where the kayak leg of the race takes place.

Pleasant Mountain

This picture doesn’t do the view justice at all but if you look closely you can see the mountains in the background. So beautiful. During most of this hike I think in my head how lucky I am to be a part of this race. It is physically and mentally pretty grueling at times but all worth it when taking the time to take it all in.

At this point I was about halfway to the top and knew the hardest part was behind me!

Competitors who I knew were only a little bit ahead of me were starting to head down the mountain so I knew I was really close to the top. And then I saw him…the guy who punches the lanyard signifying that I made it to the top and didn’t go halfway up then come down. I’m no cheater!

Top of the mountain

With my lanyard punched and my water bottle refilled with Gatorade, I was ready to dash down the mountain to the finish line!

All I was thinking as I was heading down was “Stay in control…no need to break your face or you limbs on the mountain.”

My legs were completely gassed and falling was a major concern but I wasn’t going to embarrass myself and my family by being the only competitor to tumble across the finish line.

GAC Finish Line

(Thanks to my aunt for this awesome pic)

Ran in like a champ!

Run/Hike time – 54:08

Past hike times:

  • 2010 – 54:16
  • 2011 – 1:00:00
  • 2013 – 58:31

Another awesome race in the books. Oh, and I came in 2nd place in my age group…NBD.

2nd Place Age Group

JUST KIDDING!! HUGE DEAL!! Pretty sure I embarrassed SL at breakfast the next morning when the results were posted online. I am so bummed I left before the awards ceremony but I never in a million years thought I would place in the race. Its such a challenge and draws an amazing group of everyday athletes.

Needless to say I am already looking forward to next year’s race. Until then…trying to get more kayaking, mountain biking and hiking in to routine! (I say this every year…)