Brookside Gardens

Looking for something to do on a nice day that’s cheap and lets you get some fresh air? Check out Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. You can walk around the 50-acre park for free – yes, FREE. I’ve been wanting to take my mom to this park so I decided to scope it out beforehand. I’m pretty sure she’ll go ga-ga over all the plants and incredible landscaping.

One of Many Paths

I meandered through the park for several hours checking out all the plants and spying on this bee. According to this site, the orange mass indicates that its legs are full of pollen.

Popeye: Look at Those Legs

2012 BRR 50 Race Report

The short version: It was a much better day than I expected and I finished in 11:46:18.

The long version:

I was feeling very unprepared – both physically and mentally – for BRR. My mileage had been extremely low topping off with a single 51-mile week at the end of February and that only happened because of Hashawha. Most of my other weeks hovered in the high-30s to low-40s. My last long run was 26.2 miles and that was 3 weeks ago in Barcelona. I had also been blowing off most of my Sunday runs. Get the picture?

My mental training wasn’t much better. I had only gotten into the race the previous Friday so I didn’t have the months of mental prep/anguish to psych myself up for such a long day. Despite knowing that this day could end miserably, I showed up to see how far I could get.

My plan for the day:

• Don’t get injured. If things really got ugly, I would rather DNF than have to recover from a serious injury.
• Eat real food. Last year I bonked during the last 10 miles. I think my bonk was because I was relying primarily on gels and Chomps and not eating any real food at the aid stations. This year my plan was to supplement my hourly gel or Chomps with PB&Js.
• Stay hydrated. With the high forecasted to be in the 70s I knew I’d be a sweaty mess.
• Get in and out of the aid stations quickly. Since I knew what I was going to be eating, there was no reason for me to browse through the various goodies at the aid stations. My plan was to get in, get what I needed, and get out.

Rooibos Vest

Life is a journey, not a destination.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bummer dude. My 2.5 month journey to complete this vest ended up somewhere that was as uninspiring as Texarkana. Trust me; I spent a week there and never plan on returning.

The Rooibos pattern was exactly what I had been searching for in a vest pattern: casual (i.e., no lace or cables), falls just below the hip, and had an open front. I really wanted to love it when it was done, but I don’t.

Meh

Easter Egg Hunt

You’re never too old to hunt for Easter eggs.

Fierce Competition

Our eggs were filled with dollar bills; I think our Easter bunny may moonlight as an exotic dancer.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

This Might Hurt a Little

I didn’t get into the BRR 50-miler back in February and have been waiting patiently on the wait list. I got this email on Friday – 8 days before the event which is on April 14th.

Uh Oh

Running this event is probably not one of my wiser decisions, so wish me luck.