My Attempt at a Giveaway!

In the spirit of making the best of things and sending along a little fun, I'm going to try my hand at a giveaway. Ready? Here it goes...

I am addicted to Coke...(No, not that kind of coke!)...Coke Zero to be exact. I love the stuff! To me, it’s a million times better than Diet Coke and could be considered a morning caffeinated beverage. It’s just THAT good! There’s always at least Zero in our house, as Travis is addicted too. However, he prefers actual Coca Cola (full calories, sugar and all!), but I’ve since persuaded him and coaxed him to the “healthier” side of soda pop, if there is such a thing…

So, as a tribute to two of my favorite things (next to running, of course)--Coke Zero and watching movies--I’m giving away a Blockbuster Night coupon! Woo hoo! This can be running related, you know. You could choose to rent Prefontaine, or Spirit of the Marathon, or even Forrest Gump! See? I’m wicked clever. And, no, my blog name did not stem from Jenny’s “Run, Forrest! Run!” quote exactly.

What it is:
The coupon is good for TWO Free Movie Rentals at Blockbuster, TWO 20 oz. Bottles of a Coke Product and ONE Free Tub of Popcorn. Sweetness! (Expires 12/28/09)

Here's what you gotta do:
1) Follow me & 2) Leave me a comment with your idea of the perfect “vegging out” kind of night. Easy as pie. :)

I’ll pick a winner of the prize next Thursday, November 5th using a random number generator as an accomplice.

Yay!

Speaking Too Soon?

You'd think after my super stoked motivation post on Monday I'd be set. Eh...not so much.

After my run on Monday night with Travis, I noticed the ball of my right foot was a little sore, but not TOO much. Then yesterday morning I hopped out of bed and *A HA* major pain in my foot. It felt like a bruise, and it immediately made me think of my little stress fracture incident 5 years ago. OH CRAP...it CAN'T be this again. I mean, I was just on crutches last February!

So I'm limping and I decide to see if my podiatrist (which, lucky for me, is right next door to my work) has anything open that day. I got an appointment in the afternoon! YAY! I limp next door when 3 o'clock rolls around and I see Dr. L. He helped me last February and was super awesome (because he's a former runner slash current climber, etc). He really knows his stuff, so I have complete faith in his diagnosis. It turns out that he thinks the neuromas in both of my feet are getting bigger and are easier to irritate (despite wearing my wicked expensive custom orthotics). He recommends cortisone shots in both feet. Oh geez...my two worst nightmares: people touching my feet AND needles. Good grief, I think I might have made my arms bleed since I was digging my fingernails as I hugged my torso...thank goodness for about 3 layers of clothing to keep my skin protected.

The shots were a little painful, but nothing too crazy. My feet were numb for pretty much the entire rest of the day. This morning I woke up and NO FOOT PAIN! HURRAY! But, my foot started to get a little sore towards the end of the day again. :( Bummer. I iced it and kept it elevated for a little bit. So far so good.
Basically, I can't run until Saturday: Doc's orders. :(

Also, since I'm training for the Half in a month, Dr. L wants to make sure that this foot pain is under control. If nothing else is helping, then he's considering I get two of the 3 (or 4) neuromas removed surgically. :( Scary! Hopefully it won't come to that, but my feet suck anyway, so I'm not sure I can avoid it.

It'll be ok. I'm going to make the best of this and see what can be done. In conclusion, I'm sure you are wondering...

What in the world is a neuroma?
Here's what FootPhysicians.com says:

A neuroma is a thickening of nerve tissue that may develop in various parts of the body. The most common neuroma in the foot is a Morton's neuroma, which occurs at the base of the third and fourth toes. It is sometimes referred to as an intermetatarsal neuroma. "Intermetatarsal" describes its location - in the ball of the foot between the metatarsal bones (the bones extending from the toes to the midfoot). Neuromas may also occur in other locations in the foot.

The thickening, or enlargement, of the nerve that defines a neuroma is the result of compression and irritation of the nerve. This compression creates swelling of the nerve, eventually leading to permanent nerve damage.

Do Overs

Not the greatest running weekend, but that's ok. It can't be speedy and "perfect" 100% of the time. Yesterday's 4.6 miler was good. I purposely listened to Coldplay and Imogen Heap to run at a slow pace (targeting 10 min/mile), and it worked. My goal was to just get some miles in, and I did. The run was cut a little shorter than I wanted because my stomach became upset towards the end, but oh well. 4.6 miles is good.

Lifted a little yesterday, too. Stretched a bunch. Watched some really terrible free scary movies on demand. It was a lazy Sunday overall.

This weekend I realized that my running has had an impact on some people in my life, and it feels fantastic. My oldest sister told me she got a trainer and that she's beginning to run a little. My hope is that she will join me and my friends in the Iron Girl race next year (because this one was a blast!). Liz has told me that my running motivated her back in June. Since signing Travis up for the Pineapple Classic, he's been hopping on the treadmill daily now.

It's feels weird that people would look up to me in that sense. It's really flattering/humbling and makes me not want to let them down. So, this is why I'm not going to have any more bad runs...who cares if I don't make that 6th mile? I ran. Who cares if I have to go slow one day? I ran. Who cares if I have to take little breaks every mile on the treadmill BecauseTreadmillRunningIsHard? I still ran.

Like Coach Fish says, "It's all about the miles," and that's what I'm going to be about.

Just run for the fun of it.

Defeated

Wanted to go six miles today, it's a gorgeous day out. Ended up being a really pathetic 2 miles that was 1/3 walking. Felt really weak and faint.

I guess this means my blood donation days are over.

Blood & (NotSoMuch) Guts

No running yesterday...I gave blood again. Apparently my body doesn't like me doing this and makes me see spots and get dizzy afterwards...but I'm still determined to make it work. Since the flu season is upon us, healthy donors are needed more than ever, and I wanted to do my part. Trust me, I hate needles (and the thought of them make me queasy), but I can do it, and so you can too. For more information and to find a donation center near you, please check out GiveLife.org. You never know who you could be helping. :)

To go along with my non-running post, I just want to thank Kerrie from Mom vs. Marathon for the shout out yesterday! She tagged me in her new series Thank You Thursday and so I want to show her some love. You should check out her blog because she's a tough running mama with an adorable running buddy, doggies and a supportive Mr. ;) Oh, and she's kicking some butt on the mileage front too!

So here's what I have to do:
The rules are to use only one word to answer the questions below, then pass it on to six fellow bloggers and tell them you did so.

Ready? Ok!

1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Your hair? Dark
3. Your mother? Miss
4. Your father? Spontaneous
5. Your favorite food? Bagels
6. Your dream last night? Weird
7. Your favorite drink? Margaritas
8. Your dream/goal? Owner
9. What room are you in? Cubicle
10. Your hobby? Blogging ;)
11. Your fear? TractorTrailers!
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Complete
13. Where were you last night? Couch
14. Something that you aren't? Loud
15. Muffins? Lemon
16. Wish list item? Tattoo
17. Where did you grow up? Seattle
18. Last thing you did? Stairs
19. What are you wearing? Trends ;)
20. Your TV? Flat
21. Your pets? Burmese
22. Friends? Love
23. Your life? Unpredictable
24. Your mood? Anxious
25. Missing someone? Always
26. Vehicle? Mustang
27. Something you're not wearing? Pantyhose (ugh!)
28. Your favorite store? Employer
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When was the last time you laughed? Earlier
31. Last time you cried? Week
32. Your best friend? Lifetime
33. One place that I could go over and over? Massachusetts
34. One person who emails you regularly? #4
35. Favorite place to eat? Subway


Alrighty, up next is:

Sarah from SkinnyRunner: Talk about a wicked funny running girl! She blogs about celebs and is a fabulous fashionista.

Beth from Shut Up and Run!: This woman is incredibly hilarious and always makes me smile. And she knows what it's like to be stuck in a "boot" for weeks unable to run...

Glenn from The Running Fat Guy: Though his blog says "fat" he is very far from it! He's a very inspirational (and hardcore) marathoner.

The Shabby Princess: Her first marathon is approaching and she's clearly ready to go. Plus, she's super sweet and has style, bay-bee!

I'm only going to nominate four people today. Too many fun bloggers to choose from! Plus, I've got to come up with my strategy for the Nike+ Human Race tomorrow...

Runner Profile: Meet Sara

I met Sara during the last two years of college when we were Business School and the biz Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi. Earlier this year she completed some races and posted pictures on Facebook. After seeing her awesome stride and smile after finishing a marathon, I was determined to follow in her footsteps. (Well, not entirely in her footsteps because hers are wicked fast!) She just got her acceptance letter to run in the Boston Marathon in April of next year and that is so exciting! Here's Sara's story...

1. What is your favorite stretch?
I have had IT-band issues in the past so I like a good IT band stretch. I do this one where you cross your right leg behind your left leg and cross it as far as you can (almost like a side lunge). Bend at the waist and lean to the left. I also apparently have weak/tight butt muscles so I like this one too.

2. Do you have any pre-race rituals?
I ALWAYS eat pizza the night before longer races. It's the tastiest way to get some carbs in.

3. What motivates you to run?
It's fun, keeps me healthy, and I like the competition.

4. When did you start running?
I started running my freshman year of college to stay in shape and I needed a competitive outlet after high school sports ended. I started with 5ks and 10ks here and there, but really didn't run consistently until 2007 when I did my first half marathon.

5. Running shoe of choice?
Right now Mizuno Wave Nirvanas for the road and Brooks Cascadias for the trails. I also like Brooks Adrenalines and Glycerines, but I haven't been running in those as much lately.

6. Best advice received?
Run mostly easy, sometimes hard.

7. What do you think about when running?
A lot and nothing. I only wear my iPod like 1% of the time so I'm usually left with my thoughts and the scenery. Much of the time I can't remember what I was thinking about or more than likely I wasn't thinking at all. Other times I think about what I am going to eat when I get home, what I have to do that day, where to step so I don't fall on my face, what races I want to do next, the meaning of life, etc., etc.

8. What is something you cannot run without?
I try to keep it minimal and can go without most things, but one thing I can't run with is underwear. Doesn't work. Sorry TMI.

9. What race distance is your favorite?
The marathon.

10. Most outrageous running story you've heard or experienced?
Well, I have two recent ones that come to mind. The first happened this last weekend. Around dusk, I was running on a local paved trail that is generally fairly populated. About half-way through my run, out of nowhere a guy on a bike comes flying by (going same direction) and slaps me hard on the ass. Dead serious. I screamed in shock and shouted "f*** off!" as he sped ahead of me, but I was otherwise helpless. There was no one around at the time and he sped up while laughing. He was going too fast for me to catch up to him (believe me I tried) so I couldn't knock him down and rip his face off like I was planning in my head. For the next few miles I fought the urge to cry, scream, and throw big rocks at every other cyclist I saw thinking it was him. I still can't believe there are people that think this is acceptable. I didn't get a good look at him or the bike and I still feel totally violated, helpless and angry. I guess I just wanted to share this to remind women to be careful out there. This is far from the worst that could happen when you are out there running alone.

My other story is better. Last month I ran my first 50k and the pre-race briefing was totally inspiring. I showed up to the race and 10 minutes before the start the Race Director was nowhere to be found. Just seconds before the start he comes running into the campground that served as the start area to give the briefing. This guy had apparently left the night before at 10PM to mark the course...by himself. So he was out there all night, with no aid stations, running on no sleep, and hanging tape so we would know where we were going. It look him 9 hours and he covered the entire 33+ miles (course was long) including 8,000ft of elevation gain. I couldn't believe it; I was so impressed and humbled. This successful ultrarunner was telling us how tough the course was while still catching his breath. His tired and ragged appearance did not help my nerves, but he finished with a good point. He said, "You all are out here because you are choosing to make life harder than it has to be. If you figure out why while you're out there...let me know." So true. It gave me a lot to ponder over the next 7.5 hours.

Race Flashback!

Woah, I found race results from my second road race (with Uncle Doug) back in 1999 on the web. I don't have any pictures from that race, but I remember wearing french braids and that it was 100% humidity and in the 90's that day. It was July 18th and part of the "Village Days" of Osterville called the "Run for the Library." I had run this race back in 1995 with my Uncle Doug and here's a picture I found while back in Massachusetts!

Coach Fish & Little Me at age 11

(This is a picture of a picture. The original photo was actually printed from a computer, so the ink has kind of morphed and bled over the years of Cape Cod humidity. Crazy that it's from a printer though!)

Back to the Run for the Library of 1999...I was 15 and going to be a junior in high school. Apparently I wasn't that fast in this race, but I just remember nearly dying from the heat! It was incredibly hot! I actually doused myself with the water station cups. Here's the results:

Distance: 4.12 miles
Time: 43:41
Overall: 235 out of 274
Division: 7 out of 9 (F 14-18)
Sex Place: 86 out of 107
Pace: 10:36

Crazy, huh? Uncle Doug even let me "beat" him in the race. I'm sure he would have won the entire thing overall if I wasn't holding him back. Good times. :)
Perhaps next summer I'll run the race again...and dominate! Ha ha!

Dawg Dash 5K Recap

It didn't rain! I didn't beat John Curley! I don't care! The course was hilly! My time according to Gus was 24:09. We shall see if that stands.

The weather was overcast, but not a single drop of rain fell, which was refreshing after yesterday's soggy run.

So, I didn't know what to expect with this race as the link for the course map on the website was broken AND dogs were allowed to participate (oh boy, terrifying). I had no idea that we would be running every hill imaginable on campus. Ugh. This is why I didn't PR today. Hills. My current PR was on an extremely flat course that probably had a 10 foot hill at some point. Yeah, I'm going to say that I'm proud of myself for at least staying under an 8:00 pace. Woot! ;)

Hmmm, apparently a "Bella Swan" raced today. I wonder if that's her real name. *wink*

Two things happened at this race: 1) During the national anthem trumpet, a dog was barking/howling along (pretty cute) and 2) John Curley was only delayed 57 seconds and he passed me after the mile mark...and it was devastating. Pooey. As he ran past, I said "noooooo!" and he gestured like "come on, speed up, slowie." Yeah, in my head he called me my old nickname (that I'd like to forget): Slowie. Don't ask.

It was a beautiful day and I'm very thankful for a good race...and especially for my one-man cheering squad Travis. It makes me very grateful that he comes along on race days and gets up earlier than he'd like. It means so much to me! *Thanks, babe!*

And now for the nitty gritty...

FINAL STATS:
Mileage - 3.1 miles
Time - 24:08
Overall - 136 out of 1040
Division Place - 20 out of 212 (F20-29)
Sex Place - 32 out of 641
Pace - 7:47

Soggy Slip-n-Slide Run

A Former Sea Gal +
Tattooed Badass Momma +
Little 'Ol Me +
Extreme Downpour =
Endless Laughter and Soapy Knees

Woke up at 8, looked out my window and was met with a dreary, gray, rainy AM. Oh well...let's do this! I had a run scheduled with two fun girlies at 8:30, and we said rain or shine. ;)

We met at Liz's house and carpooled to the trail, chatting and catching up with Amy along the way. It's been about 3 years since Liz and I have seen her, so there was much to be said! I realized that I missed hanging out with bubbly little Amy. She's fun!

Anyway, the parking lot to the trail was deserted, so it was going to be an interesting run. Gus found a satellite in record time (must be the rain?) and then we were off! Our pace was a nice 10:15 mile as we chatted along the way. I think we were completely soaked within the first half mile...the weather was relentless! We were dodging puddles and avoiding the slippery leaves on the ground from the earlier wind storms; it was a mini obstacle course. Somewhere around mile 2 Amy stopped and pointed to her knees and asked "what's that??" There was foam on the outside of her athletic pants on the knees...and it was detergent! Her knees and the rain were agitating extra detergent right out of her pants! Hahahaha! They would foam up, then she'd wipe it off, and so on. I told her that apparently she uses too much laundry soap, and now she'll be saving money on that! Although, I think she's onto something...because it was like a shower while running in the rain...hmmm. Soap infused running gear? Ah, nevermind.

The rain let up around our turnaround point at three miles, which was a little relief. We were drenched! The rest of the run was uneventful until I was blasted on the cheek by a renegade torpedo bug. I felt like I was hit in the face by a small rock or a bug dart. Seriously??? Me and bugs, I just don't get it. There was another one earlier that I nearly collided with...perhaps torpedo bug was out for revenge for that? I will never know...

We finished the run at just the right time because it started to get pretty stormy out, with thunder, lightning, the works. Yikes! But, six miles done, and with GREAT company! Hopefully this will become a regular Saturday morning ritual. Well, minus the monsoon. :)


Tomorrow's the Dawg Dash! I'm pumped! Already had my little wheat pasta dish. Yummeh.

WOOF!

Officially registered for the Dawg Dash 5K on Sunday! It's been nearly a month since my last race and I have the itch. AND, I've also signed up to beat Mr. J. Curley! But he only has 15 challengers (only 45 second delay!)...and he's fast...so come on people! Sign up for the Dash!

Mr. Curley and I have some unfinished business. Or more like I have unfinished business: I need to kick his butt in a race. WORD.

Running Rut

I'm just not feeling it this week! Nooooo.

The past two days my shins/ankles have been wicked sore and tender, and I'm convinced it's because I've been slacking on my vitamin intake. Tsk tsk. So, I'm starting that up in full force once again. Also, the killer heels I'm wearing at work today are probably not the best antidote for sore running legs, but hey, they look good. ;)

Hopefully I'll be running a 6 miler with Liz and another friend tomorrow morning and I'm reallllly looking forward to it. I must say that running with Liz makes me feel giddy (girl time!) and the miles/time just flies by. It could even be pouring rain and I'll still run tomorrow AM.

Possible 5K on Sunday AM, and it's for my alma mater! Haven't signed up, but I should because I want to drag the hubby along too. (FYI, that's where we met...awwww). Today, however, is the hubby's b-day. I might partake in a glass of vino. :)

Boring Post

Yesterday's 6 miler was fairly brutal.  After lifting weights on Monday, my quads were bricks, so the run made me feel like I was using cement legs.  Oh, and it was pretty gusty outside (a lot of downed tree limbs, I had to be careful!).  AND, to top everything off, I stepped in gum.  GAH!  Gross!  

All in all, though...it was a good run!  

I'm thinking of running in a small 5K this Sunday at my alma mater.  Travis doesn't want to run it with me because he hasn't been training enough, but I'll drag him along. ;)

Loving everyone's race recaps! :)

X Training

Did a lot of lifting tonight...I have a feeling I will regret that tomorrow.  Instead of running I ran up and down my indoor stairs with ankle weights and dumbbells.  I'm positive I looked like an idiot, especially since I had to use legwarmers to protect my delicate ankles from the mean velcro of the weights.  :)  I didn't get a picture, but I'll be sure to do so next time!

But I did chase Murphy around the house for fun! ;)

Salonpas Patches Rock My World

Yup, 10 miles made my legs a little sore.  Thank goodness I restocked my Salonpas patch inventory and popped a couple of those babies on my ankle/calf.  Relief!  

This morning was a Remembrance Walk for parents/families that have lost babies, and I attended with Liz and her hubby and kids in memory of their angel baby, Janell.  It was only 1.5 miles according to Gus (yes, of course I had to use him), but it was a pleasant start to the day and the weather was unbelievably gorgeous.  The turn out for the walk was amazing and very sweet to see so many people come together.  For those of you who don't know, I volunteer and am on the board for a local nonprofit called A Small Victory (named in honor of baby Janell), which was founded by Liz and her husband to help ease the pain of people who lose babies to miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death.  Yes, it's a sad concept, but unfortunately it happens to more people than you would think. :(  

Well, I ended up running only 2.5 miles tonight on the 'mill.  2 miles at an easy 9:00 pace and then a half mile barefoot.  Still a little tight from the long run.  Hopefully more stretching and lifting will help...

I just want to say that I really enjoy following and reading everyone's running blogs and twitter updates.  Everyone is so inspiring to me!  Especially today where there were so many peeps running in marathons and halfies.  You guys make me excited to run my first half next month.  Thanks for the motivation!!

Who ran?

Glenn rocked the Long Beach Marathon

Danica PR'd like a rockstar at the Long Beach Marathon

Morgan kicked her first Marathon's boo-tay in Chicago

SkinnyRunner PR'd by dominating the Long Beach Half

Shelly showed the Long Beach Marathon who's boss

I know I must be missing more runners, and I apologize.  

Holey Sheet

I ended up not running the 5K race as Liz was busy. Bummah. However, I was determined to go the distance. What distance? 10 miles. My longest run so far has been 8.3 miles, and since I've got the Seattle Half in 1.5 months, I thought I should step up my game. And I did it!

I'm now in the double digit running club! Woot! 10 miles, total time of 1:31, at a 9:08 pace. Not too shabby. However, the dreaded mile 8 greeted me again...the stupid toe/foot pain that burns and radiates in my foot. I'm pretty pissed off. I even anticipated the foot pain and took an ibuprofen before the run, but it didn't work.

So, I'm beginning to think that I'm not cut out for these longer distances, and quite frankly I feel like I'm failing as a runner. Yeah, dramatic, I know...but I really want to be able to run a marathon someday, or more half marathons after the Seattle Half. Today, the pain was excruciating and only subsided after I got in the car. At the last 1/4 mile I stepped on a small bump in the trail and my foot felt like fire and I bit my lip really hard after cursing like a sailor. Good grief. How awful. BUT, I did run the entire time, even up the stupid Hell Hill. Now, I don't like swearing in posts but @&*!(%*(@*(#&!!!!!!

On a better note, I signed up my team for the Winter Pineapple Classic and I'm STOKED! Apparently this race fills up uber fast and I didn't want to miss it. Travis, Luke, Alison and myself make up team The Quick Pickles. YAY! At least it gives me a race to look forward to soon. And Travis has been running on the treadmill to prep for it. Awww. :)

My 10mph Dork-ness

Well, 10mph is done. It doesn't look that hard, but man, I was laughing so much that it was difficult to run. Trav is filming and Uncle Doug (a.k.a. Coach Fish) is in charge of the emergency stop pulley. Ha ha! I present to you, me being a dork on a treadmill:


And, here's Trav and I in Massachusetts...running into the Atlantic. BRRR.


Embarrassing enough? I think so. ;)

So glad it's friday, I say! How about some Pumpkin Beer to celebrate autumn? Or anything pumpkin related? OOOoooo! Speaking of Pumpkin stuff...Beth at Shut Up and Run! is giving away a bag of Pumpkin Spice Hersheys Kisses. I know, right??? Sounds too good to be true...pumpkin & chocolate is delicious!

Bring on the weekend! :)

EEK! A Week!

I feel terrible that my last post was on the 1st of the month. Sorry about that folks! There wasn't the greatest access to a PC to blog, so apologies for keeping you in suspense...because, you know, I'm assuming everyone is just dying to hear about the last week in my life! Ha! *right*

This Saturday is a local race for Down Syndrome that Liz and I are going to run, but we are registering at the event. It's just a little 'ol 5K. We're trying to recruit another friend to race with us, but we shall see. It's fun to see people around me running and that means I'm not alone! Yay! Starting a little group! Oh, and BTW, Liz started running in June and she's completed two races and lost 20 pounds and she looks fantastic (if I may say so myself). Running is fabulous, ain't it?

Speaking of recruiting more runners in my group...I believe there's another runner under my roof:

M
U
R
P
H
Y
!

I actually turned on the treadmill after snapping this pic...and Murph just sat there and was rolled off the back. It was pretty funny just watching him look around like "what the hell?!?" (Eh, my cat loves me so I'm allowed to have a little fun with him)

OH! You know how I was going to go the maximum speed (10 mph) while on my Uncle's treadmill? Well, I did it! I will post the video soon, but it's nothing too crazy because I didn't fly off the back of the 'mill! Hurray! But I do look like a complete dork. :)

Last night was my longest treadmill run so far: 7 miles. Ugh. It's still difficult. Couldn't sleep this morning either, so I ran an easy 2 miles on the treadmill. AND since Travis is working late tonight that means another treadmill session is in the cards...bummer dude! I need to run outside! Too much of this treadmill is going to drive me nuts!

Another random thing: While on a regular 6-mile run last Sunday I ran the first 5K in 23:34 which is a 6 second PR from my best 5K...and this was just a normal run! Gus didn't lie to me, folks! Does that mean that I have more potential than I imagined for myself? Have I been slacking in races? Oh geez. I guess this weekend's race will hopefully have something to show for it. ;)

Enough of the randomness...Now, I must catch up on my blog reading!

Today's Adventure

Went for a drive up Cape and saw the Cape Cod Light in Truro, MA. It's my favorite lighthouse! What makes it super awesome is that it used to be 450 feet closer to the cliff, but since the cliff was eroding quickly, it had to be moved inland. Crazy! When the lighthouse was first built in the late 1700's it was made up of 10 acres of land, since then the eroding cliff has claimed all but 4 acres. Poor lighthouse.

Cape Cod Light

View of lighthouse from the cliff lookout

Trav

Then Travis and I drove to the tippy top of the Cape to Provincetown (affectionately known to locals as "P-Town") and hiked up the 250 foot tall Pilgrim Monument. I haven't climbed that thing since I was a kid, so it was nice to revisit and make the climb. The rest of P-Town was great and Travis really liked the place. It's wild in the summer, so we didn't get to see the town in full swing, but oh well. We had great pizza and coffee, and bought some local wine. ;)

Pilgrim Monument, built 1907 - 1910

View from the top of monument