Month: March 2012

conquering the mountain

Posted in favorite places, Home, New YorkTagged , , , , , , , 4 Comments

It was June and the time had come.  I had been waiting for this day for a few years and it was finally here.  The kids were old enough to hike Mount Marcy!

At 5,344 feet, Mount Marcy is the highest peak in New York State.  It is located in my very favorite place, the Adirondacks.  My husband and I decided when we first had kids that we would not stop doing the activities we loved just because we had children, nor would we exclude them.  Instead, we continued to do what we loved and adjusted accordingly based on the ability of our children.  One of our favorite activities was, still is, hiking.  All four of our children have been on a hike (in a front carrier) during their first week of life.  By 4-6 months they have graduated to our Kelty backpack (best pack ever!) and by 4 years old they can hike 4 miles or so on their own.  So, the summer our oldest two were 10 and 8, I knew it was time to conquer Mount Marcy!

June is the perfect time to go.  Continue reading “conquering the mountain” →

why we race, part two

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This past Sunday I finally was able to run with two friends.  I have not done so since the fall.  Usually I work out in my basement, which is just a basement, first thing in the morning before the kids wake up.  It’s the only time I have!  I am able to work out and get ready before I have to wake them up from school.  It works well, but is quite boring!  I love training with friends, it makes time go so much faster!  But the amount of planning it takes to do so is often longer and more intense than the run itself.

Long gone are the days when my time was my own.  Four kids, one husband, a job, a house, and countless activities equal no time and lots of planning.  I cannot believe what goes into setting up one hour or so long run with a friend.  Continue reading “why we race, part two” →

why we race

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I’ve noticed something in the past few years about many of my friends and acquaintances that are around the same age as me.  We have all suddenly developed a desire to compete in some type of physical activity that requires training!  Marathons and half marathons, triathlon, mud runs, bicycle road races, Masters swim meets, even a first 5K; you name it, my friends are training for it.  What is it about this stage in life (mid 30s-40s) that suddenly makes a person have a strong desire to compete in a race that, just a few years ago, was not even a blip on their radar? Continue reading “why we race” →

grand manan island

Posted in Canada, favorite places, HomeTagged , , , , , , 15 Comments

One of my family’s all time favorite vacations  is a trip we went on  two summers ago.  That spring I was playing around on the computer, looking at summer vacation options and came across Grand Manan Island.  I had never heard of this island before and was curious as to where it was located.  It turns out, Grand Manan Island is in New Brunswick Canada off the coast of Maine.  It looked beautiful, rural, and rugged with plenty of outdoor activities, perfect for our family!  I spent a long time researching our trip and finally came up with a plan. Continue reading “grand manan island” →

we’re not lost, really…

Posted in Home, New JerseyTagged , , , , 2 Comments

This past Sunday we decided to go on a short hike with some friends.  It was a decent winter day and we were ready for a hike; it had been awhile.  The hike was at  Wildcat Ridge Hawk Watch, a 4.5 mile loop that would bring us through hills and valleys, past remnants of mining, and up to a lookout/hawk watch with great views of the surrounding area.  We met in the parking lot and on went the hats, gloves, and winter coats on top of the two or three layers of clothes I had already made the kids wear.  My husband just shook his head, but you can always take off layers…  Next we got out our Kelty backpack, ready to be used when our youngest got tired, and out came the items from our last hike: 5 rocks, a half empty water bottle, unidentifiable crumbs, and what I think was once a flower; either that or a dehydrated caterpillar.  We then packed it with the essentials: water, granola bars, space blanket, first aid kit, wipes, lighter, and a bag of toys for our geocaching.   I put the 30 pound, childless pack on and off we went on our nice little hike.  But it turns out we had more of an adventure than we bargained for. Continue reading “we’re not lost, really…” →