they didn't cry wolf this time

Itaska Street. Two blocks from my house. If you remember Mrs. Billiard, from Advent and First Church, it's her old house. Remarkably, no cars or homes were damaged.

The storm arrived, big time. Destroyed the Jersey coastline that was so beautiful two weeks ago. It will take years to recover. The eye of the hurricane came thru Atlantic City. The eastern edge of the storm flooded lower Manhattan and all of Long Island. They've even cancelled tomorrows New York Marathon. Yeah, it was that bad.

What hit us was a tropical storm. It's been cold and wet. Nothing tropical about it.

Locally, I was without power two days, Lyd three and Bonnie four. Lyd stayed her because there was a tree leaning over her house. Thank goodness it didn't fall.

My primary college was closed all week but I got called in. The magazine had to go to press. So I went.  Apparently graphic designers are "essential" personal. The boss dangled a "vacation day anytime they wanted" carrot, and people responded. Why wouldn't you? Lights, heat, and the gym was open for showers. Really, coming to work was the better idea.

The community college was open by Wednesday, and the online school never closed.

Tuesday-Thursday I didn't really go on many walks except with Adonis. There were trees and power lines down everywhere.

Friday Betsy and I went for our Friday afternoon three fast miles in south Whitehall.

This morning, Mary Liz called to walk. They are moving and her new place doesn't have power yet. So they came to her old place around the corner. She's still recovering from back surgery, so we did about 1/2 mile at a slow pace.

Last night, Bonnie couldn't stand the lack of sunshine anymore, and said "Let's walk tomorrow." (Lyd had a planned autumn cleanup party at her house.) So this afternoon we went. Up to Moravia, down Lechaukecki, behind the finally opened Wawa to the Stanley Avenue park. We swung for a while and continued to Hoffert. Down Hoffert, out Seneca, down fourth, and back Broadway. We just wandered and managed 3.25 miles. Not fast, but not slow either. Then I came home and did .5 miles with Adonis.

For a lazy butt mid-week, I made up for it today.

Tomorrow I'm doing a walking speed clinic with Michelle Stanten, the Walk Your Butt Off book walking coach and Canadian Lee Scott of WOW Power Walking.

To start, you’ll simply walk while we videotape you. That way you can see what you’re doing well and areas you can improve. From there, you’ll receive group and one-on-one instruction on posture and technique to improve your speed. You’ll also learn drills and exercises that you can continue to do after the clinic to get even faster. This is not race walking.

Hopefully I learn different things than I learned in WYBO. I'll be very disappointed and will have wasted a nice chunk of change.

I've been way out of control diet-wise, and my sugar tooth is working overtime.  I have a doctors appointment at the end of the month and that Prevention photo shoot coming up. So, I've also signed up for her 21-Day Eat-Move Commitment. You only have to walk a minimum of twenty minutes a day. And I guess stick to a non-processed diet. Motivational emails (golly how I hate motivational emails and posts on FB. They make me want to gag.) come straight to your mailbox and you have to email your progress daily.  I do so much better when someone holds me accountable. The thing that sold me on this was "Eat no added processed sugar (incl honey, maple syrup, agave, cane sugar)." Twenty-one days without sugar. More than likely I'll be a raving b*tch by the time it's over.

Time will tell. It starts next Saturday.

pt 2 – half-marathon day

We got up at 6 and headed for the boardwalk by 6:45. The sun was rising over the Atlantic. I could get used to morning like that, very easily.

We headed to the beach for our first start picture. I so wanted to step in the water. But I didn't want to walk 13 miles with wet shoes. There was nearly an hour before the race started. On the walk over we met Pat from Maryland who was run/walking. We stayed with her the first mile or so.

The walkers were supposed to start at 7:50 or 8:00 depending on what you read. Instead they started everyone at 8. So the walkers went to the back of the 10K people. We didn't, we went back some, left some runners go and then merged in. After leaving the boardwalk we met Ann, who more or less stayed with us the whole route. Her and Bonnie finished together.

We thought it would be flat, but it wasn't. They closed off the AC Expressway and we went up and down long curved ramps. And we walked thru our first tunnel. Then we walked thru some neighborhoods, casino service roads, and past the light house before ultimately reaching the boardwalk.

By that time the three of us were in last place, I was a few steps behind Bonnie and Ann and had a team of sexy guys of bikes with me. One said "You are the hottest girl in last place." I called him a liar and thank him for the compliment anyway.

On the boardwalk were tourists, bikers, pedi-cabs and all kinds of stuff. No clear aisle mapped out for the race. It was race-walking and dodge ball at the same time. I thought I had picked up a stone but was going to tough it out.

When we past the finish line for the last 4 miles (2 out, 2 back), I los Bonnie and Ann. Then I dodged a bike and pulled a glute muscle. The stone in my shoe hurt. I got slower and slower. They got further and further ahead. When I walk alone I slow down. I felt like quiting.

I stopped to deal with the stone. Put my shoe on and it hurt more. Stopped again. This time it was better but not much. Decided not to try any more. It was what it was.

Bonnie and Ann passed me coming back.  They were going to make four hours.

When I passed the final mile time sign it said 3:45:xx. No way I was going to do the last mile in 14 minutes.

"Compete, don't complete" was screaming in my head. I completed in 4:06:xx. See previous post. I was last. Lydia said she saw other half marathoners coming back after me, but they must have been running with someone. I had the sweep team on my tail the whole time.

My reward? Yummy lemon water ice.

After the race we went for burgers, then hiked back to the hotel. That's when I found out the stone was not a stone, but a giant blister on the ball of my foot. Luckily I had a free first aid kit that I had gotten at a 5K in my backpack. It had a 3" square that promptly went on my foot.

Wacked up and signed out and called the valet for the car. Then we headed uptown to the Absecon lighthouse.

Absecon was built in 1857, 171 feet tall and has 228 steps. It has it's original first order Fresnel lens.

Bonnie decided 13 miles was enough for one day. Lydia and I decided to climb. Apparently they had a buy a step program for the restoration. Every step was numbered with a dedication. In some way that was exciting information. In other ways, not so much.

After getting our books stamped, we headed for the Expressway and headed home.

one weekend, three lighthouse, one half marathon and a rescue station

A relaxing weekends down by the shore. I know people always rag on the Jersey shore, but I like it. I just must not be there on the days when medical waste flows in.

Saturday we left Bonnie's about 7:30 and headed down the turnpike. But instead of the AC Expressway we got on 95 and went around Trenton. We stopped at a DINER with local, organic, natural food. Jersey Fresh and farm names were all over the menu.

The hunter's bacon was the best I ever ate. Thick, unsmoked, not processed with nitrates. I didn't order any, Bonnie and Lyd did, but they gave me a piece. I was amazed for the quality that the prices weren't that much more than a traditional diner.

We waddled out of the dinner,  drove thru the Pine Barron's toward the Barnigate light. 

The Half Marathon coincided with the Lighthouse Challenge weekend. For that, you try to do as many lighthouses as possible. If you do all of them you get put in for a prize drawing.

We arrive at the Barnigate light,  we signed in for the challenge, and received our passports. You can see on the back how many lights there are, including two in the Delaware bay.

Barnigate is 172 feet tall, 217 steps and built in 1859. They had the biggest expanse of beach, a visitor center, potties, and a picnic area. Yeah, it was a state park.

Down the street is the museum, with the original Fresnel lamp. In three short blocks we had two stamps in our passports! This building was the town's one-room school house and post office. It had a beautiful garden

Next stop was the Tuckerton. There at the Tuckertown Seaport was the Tucker's Island lighthouse. Much small, more house-like with only 40 stairs to climb. The original was eaten by the Atlantic during a storm in 1927.

The volunteers were decorating the lighthouse for the big haunted seaport Halloween festival next weekend. It was a little scary during the day!

We got back on the Garden State Parkway, passed Atlantic City and headed to our next stop the US Life Saving Station #30 in Ocean City. Constructed in 1885 it was decommissioned in the 1940s, and used as a private home.

When we arrived it was gutted. The docent said that the Coast Guard even sent over volunteers to help. They are just as excited to see it restored.  Though now it's in a neighborhood, at one time it was on the beach, and there is a large room to take the boats out from. Next year the exterior will be done, and if all goes well in 2013 the interior will be done. They are hoping to restore it to it's 1915 appearance.

About 3:00 we arrived at the hotel. Just in time to check in. In the lobby was an exhibit of Miss America dresses. We looked at them all. On the second floor was funky parade shoes. Clearly these were not designed to walk in.

We then walked the half mile to Bally's AKA the starting line. On the 6th floor was the expo, and sign in to get your number, shirt ect. Leaving, we got lost in the maze and spent a good 45 minutes trying to get out.

Our plan was to eat and then head to the Absecon Lighthouse. It was 1.5 miles away and they were open for night climbs. We headed out the Boardwalk and walked and walked and walked. Didn't see it. At the Revel hotel I asked a pedi-cab driver how much further. He said another 10-15 minute walk. And m'am you don't want to walk there. It's a bad neighborhood.

We talked about it and decided to head his advice. When we got back to the hotel, I looked at the map. I think we were 3-4 blocks away. Sunday, we discovered we were about 2 blocks. I guess the skycrapers block it.

the results

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have time to type up a real post.

fat girl climbing

This weekend, Bonnie, Lydia, Sharon and I went to Cape May. The trip was postponed from Hurricane Irene weekend. Originally we were going as part of a whale watching fund-raiser for Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (Philly branch). What is SSCS? Think Jacques Cousteau. Think Steve Irwin and PETA, but for ocean life. My friend/client Tracy organized it.

Our bed and breakfast had a no-cancellations policy at 14 days. Hurricanes don't give you that much lead time. I wasn't able to get a refund, but I was able to rebook.

The Doctors Inn in Cape May Courthouse is beautiful. Over the top Victorian. A little pricey for my budget but I didn't plan far enough ahead of time to get something more reasonable. Motel 6 this wasn't. And it came with breakfast. If you went away hungry it was your own damn fault. Oh, and it's 33 steps to our room. Sharon and Lydia counted them.

Saturday morning we stuff ourselves and headed out on the Parkway On The Way to Cape May. (Click the link, you'll hear the song!)

First stop the Cape May Light House. 199 Steps, plus as Lydia points out, 5 to get in the building. A tight spiral staircase with several small landings. And of course we had to come down, so that's another 204. Then we went and played in the surf.

(My camera's battery was nearly dead at the Lighthouse. I forgot to recharge it. Normally I have a second battery. But this camera I didn't buy and extra one. Dummy.)

But we did some nice resistance walking in the sand and saw a sandshark wash in. After we took some pixs of it, one of the fishermen threw it back in.

Then we headed to the other side of the peninsula to check out the World War II Look-Out Tower (aka Fire Tower #23). 105 steps. These steps, for the most part were easy. Normal steps except at the top. Why? because the GIs had to climb up to the top using ladders!

Next stop whale watch.  No climbing or walking, but we saw lots of dolphins and a hump back whale!

We ate an early dinner and then headed to the Washington Street Mall and walked some more. I bought Fralinger's Salt Water Taffy and Fudge. I ate taffy but not fudge, yet. We took a ghost trolley tour and came back to the B&B and climbed up those 33 steps.

Sunday we got a late start. While everyone slept in, I worked in my on line class, then went for a walk around the neighborhood. They weren't up when I got back. I thought I'd give them till 9. But they got up on their own shortly before.

After another huge breakfast, we headed to Wildwood to go bike riding on the boardwalk. In North Wildwood we stopped at the Hereford Inlet light. Lyd counted the steps but I don't remember...55, I think. It's truly a house with a light. The Coast Guard still uses this one, with a mechanical light, and had the light tower locked. We couldn't go up there. One of the former light keepers son, Jack, was there talking to people as a volunteer. His dad kept the light till 1955.

As we drove thru Cape May on Saturday, Bonnie saw these surrey bikes and was fascinated with them. Sharon doesn't ride, so unless they had big trikes she'd be alone waiting for us. When we got to the bike shoppe they had 4-person surreys. That's what we got. Never again. I was a horrible front seat passenger, a worse back seat driver, and not a swell front seat driver. I was terrified the whole time we'd hit someone. Maybe early in the morning would be better? I think it was harder work then pedaling a real bike.

Out last stop was in Margate at Lucy the Elephant. I've seen her several times, but had never gone in. The others never even saw Lucy, we had a coupon, so we decided to wait and go in. It had tiny little spiral stairs in it's legs. The toughest stairs I think of the weekend. There has to be a size limit to get in there. I was afraid I'd get suck. Lyd counted the steps again, but I don't remember what it was. I'm guessing about 50.

All in all a good weekend.