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Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Newport, RI Marathon April 13, 2024

Newport, RI Marathon

April 13, 2024

4:54:30  810/875 Overall  3/4 in 70-74 

            For our latest adventure, Jodi and I were joined by Nick for a 10-day trip to New England. We ran a race in Rhode Island, watched the Boston Marathon, and ventured into Maine and New Hampshire.

In Newport, Jodi and I enjoyed some beautiful ocean scenery for much of the race. There was also a lot of wind so we saw lots of waves. We also saw some of the 1.2 million daffodils that are out this time of year and ran by some of the mansions we had toured the day before.

I ran strong throughout the marathon and went up the hills steadily with some walking, and down them at a nice pace sometimes at 9:30 or so. The elevation gain was 1093 feet which by comparison is twice as much as hilly Napa Marathon which has 576 feet of elevation gain. I was happy that my fastest mile was the last  one (Jodi was at mile 25.7 to take pictures and cheer for me coming in) at 10:36. Overall, I ran at 11:13 average (doing 4min run/:30 walk) and got 3d in my age group.

We learned a lot about the Vanderbilt family when we toured the Breakers Mansion on Friday. It was very interesting and beautiful, but the thought of living in what felt more like a museum than a home seemed odd. I also toured the Tennis Hall of Fame and saw some very historic players and memorbilia. On Sunday we headed to Boston where we watched a Celtics game at TD Garden and had pasta and cannolis in Little Italy. Monday Nick went to the Red Sox game while Jodi and I watched the Marathon at mile 23. We got to cheer the first American, our friend CJ Albertson from Clovis; other friends I’ve coached; stars like Sarah Hall and Des Linden and the last American winner Meb Keflezighi. (Jodi had gotten to see Meb at the top of Heartbreak Hill when he won in 2014. It was also the year I proposed to her there.)

Tuesday we took a tour of TD Garden which highlighted many moments in Boston sports history. That night we took in a Bruin game; first hockey game attended by Jodi and Nick!

Wednesday we visited the JFK Library and took an informative boat cruise of Boston Harbor. We alo saw Bunker Hill Monument and Old Ironsides. No trip is complete without going to the Boston Common where we rode the swan boats and saw the Make Way for Ducklings statues.

            Thursday and Friday we went to Maine and New Hampshire where we toured a submarine in Portsmouth and saw an historic library in Kittery, ME (where I found Make Way for Ducklings on the shelf and enjoyed touring the towns. We also got to have dinner with John and Linda Duncan who were our long-time connections in CT when we ran Boston, but now live in ME and NH. Saturday we headed back to Fresno.

Photos: https://photos.shutterfly.com/album/1797229969670995

            This was Marathon #185; 43 states+DC on 2nd go-round; All 10 Canadian provinces.

Next marathons: CO 5/19/24 





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