Month: June 2016

My Bermuda top 10

I know I said that if I had to leave Bermuda after one day it would have been enough, but I’m sure glad I got to stay for all the other days too.

My top 10 Bermuda takeaways:

  1. Oracle Base Tour– I know I already wrote about this, but it was truly an experience to see how it all gets done and can’t wait to see them Bring the Cup home in 2017!
  1. Bread– not only did I eat it, but I also got to watch Cody, the newly minted “domestic goddess” bake all her own breads. I left the island with some Asiago Bread and with the exception of the fact that my backpack smells like cheese it was a tasty take home treat.
  1. Private Yoga classes– I had the luxury of going to not one but two semi private classes while on the island and meeting two beautiful souls who taught the classes. My favorite was “if you’re a runner this might be a little much and you might start to feel nauseous.”
  1. Internationally bad at golf – They always say a bad day on the course is better than any day at work and I have to say between Cody and I, we must have lost upwards of 10 balls, but we had a lot of laughs and fun!
  1. Every experience with your waiter is like an SNL skit.- I often wondered if we were being punk’d.  I kept wondering do they hate us?  hate life? is it just lost in translation?
  1. Après beach– going to the beach on this beautiful island is always a treat, but who doesn’t love the post beach cheese and cracker spread
  1. Sunsets– I live in one of the best spots to watch Sunsets in the city, but dang if Bermuda hasn’t gone and one-upped that experience.
  1. Not being married to your phone– I love that I could only use my phone when there was Wi-Fi service and on an island like Bermuda that was pretty much only when I went to sleep at night. I loved that it forced me to be present in the moment and just enjoy the time I had with my friends.
  1. It’s a Small World After all–  Not once but twice while lying on the beach in Bermuda, I met friends of friends of mine back in San Francisco! Getting to meet all of Cody’s friends was great. Knowing she has made such a nice core group of friends makes me happy for her.
  1. Present Friends- I had not seen my friend Cody in over a year. She and I could go months without a message, but the second we are together it’s as if no time has passed and nothing has changed. I feel so fortunate that I met Cody all those summers ago in Michigan when the two of us along with my other dear friends Ashley and Katie spent one wild and crazy summer together that we would never forget. Many years have passed and all of our lives have changed drastically, but what has remained is a true friendship with each of them and all it takes is being together to bring all those memories (new and old) back.

I’m sure there is more that I could talk about but enjoy a few photos instead. On to the next adventure!

Church Beach, where we swam and snorkled with the parrot fish.
Church Beach, where we swam and snorkeled with the parrot fish.
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One of the few times I kept my eye on the ball. Belmont Hills Golf Club
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C is for cool calm and collected..oh and Caitlin
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Even when it wasn’t nice out, it was gorgeous
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Bermuda, where your straight hair goes to die
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See what I was talking about here??
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My guess is 6 feet under has quite the different meaning in Bermuda. Graves above ground due to volcanic rock.
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View from my last run
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One of the quotes in the gym that I liked from the late great Ali!
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Looking back on a great time had…hope to see you again soon!

 

Simply Bermudaful

If my time in Bermuda ended just after one day it would be enough. In just one day I was able to witness what a day of “thunderstorms” looks like on the island. In case you didn’t know it looks like rain for 20 minutes and then the rest of the day it’s blue skies smiling at you. If I can leave any advice for you, don’t waste a second looking at the weather app on your phone because it’s not right and you could be using those precious seconds to soak up the beauty that is Bermuda.

Doesn't get much better than this.
Doesn’t get much better than this.

My morning began with me heading out for a run in those said Thunderstorms. I quickly learned the Bermudian custom of honking not to tell you to get your running butt off the road, but to simply say hello. I also learned that there are hills in Bermuda. I guess I just thought it was this flat island and my six-mile run would be a cinch. It wasn’t and when I came back I looked as if I had just jumped in the ocean. Humidity + Hills did not equal my friend.IMG_6964

I was lucky enough to get a personal tour of the Oracle Base and meet some of the sailors and shore crew. I was amazed to see the amount of work that goes into sailing those boats and not only just from the sailors. I’m sure by the time my tour was over, my tour guide had had enough of my little-to-no-experience-with-sailing questions, but he took them all in stride and I learned a lot.

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Chaser boats..check out those seats!

I spent the rest of the glorious afternoon tooling around all the different bays and coves on the boat. I kept saying how I couldn’t believe how beautiful and blue the water was. I almost didn’t believe my friends when they told me, “just wait it gets better”, but it does. When we anchored at a small cove I jumped in and was quite shocked it was salt water, not some pristine pool. After the initial shock and we were out there for a while whether we were snorkeling by a reef or just floating on a noodle, I forgot again and was only reminded when I’d get a friendly salty slap to the face.

checking out the coral reef
checking out the coral reef

Just when I thought the day couldn’t get better, I got to spend a night out…on the patio that is, enjoying a home cooked meal, some fantastic company and of course the mating sound

rainbow in the clouds at dinner
rainbow in the clouds at dinner

s of the little tree frogs:)

Bermuda First Day – A+

 

 

 

smallest drawbridge ever
smallest drawbridge ever

Who Says you can’t go home

With just over 48 hrs in between flights I found myself on the corner of I just want to nap and wanting to squeeze out every last minute of visiting friends and family.  Knowing full well I had to get up early to make my flight and even as the clock read 1:30AM, I couldn’t bring myself to leave my best friends house last night where a few of us were pouring over old photos and practically peeing ourselves in laughter (okay maybe it was really peeing ourselves for one of us, but I wont say who).  I’m not quite sure why those pictures and memories never get old, but sitting in my friend’s childhood living room where we’d pose for many a first or last day of school and prom photo just put that warm feeling in my heart.

If you’ve never heard of Everett Mass, we are most known for our football, Richie’s Slush and now apparently even Eminem is now coming here to get in his bar fights.

I often joke and call my home the Dirty E, but it’s more of a term of endearment really. I love that as I scrambled to get a couple miles in on my run yesterday in our 2.5 square mile town and within two miles, I had stopped to chat with 5 people.  Being gone so long I always think I wouldn’t know anyone, but clearly not the case.  As I walked into dinner at my parents local I was greeted by an old classmate who I hadn’t seen in years.  He was very sweet to compliment me and say I still looked 30.  I enjoyed it for  a hot minute, until he followed it up with “Did I tell you I was running for Mayor.”  Always the politician that one.

I know my city is different from when I posed for those first day of school photos back in Junior High, but so am I.  My high school is now used for movies and maybe its not quite as safe for me to walk home from my friends houses now.

EHS before it became a movie set
EHS before it became a movie set

But the one thing that hasn’t changed is that I never forget where I came from and how it’s shaped me to know where I’m going.  Roll Tide!

 

The Double Dipsea in the Eyes of One Very Average Runner:

Yesterday I kicked off the Summer of Shanley the Sequel by running the 47th annual Double Dipsea. The race in numbers is 13.7 miles, 4,500 feet ascent, 4,500 feet descent, 1,342 stairs and 724 participants. The race described in a gentle warning from the race directors is “just stupid” and “sadistic.” That alone could scare someone like me who is just your average runner, but it didn’t. If you know me and know my Type A minus personality, you know that “average” is not my favorite word.   But the nerd in me also knows that there is no denying the numbers and that’s just what I am average (20/49 female in my age group, 141/269 overall female, 438/724 overall.)

 

I used to be embarrassed that I’ve gotten much slower or that I never was quite as fast as my friends, but I’ve gotten over that. Someone once reminded me that my medal after a race looks the same as the guy who came in first. Yeah, he or she probably got an additional medal or some cash, but you get my point. This average runner along with everyone out on that trail worked very hard to make it to yesterday’s starting line and there should be nothing but pride felt in that.

Another thing they say about the Double Dipsea is that it’s not for everyone. Maybe not, but I sure did see a lot of different types of someones taking on the course yesterday. I not only had the pleasure of having the lead runners pass me twice as I jumped to the side and stood in awe as he bounded both down and up very technical trail, but I also saw Daryll the 79 year old gentleman who was dead last but still had a smile on his face when you cheered him in passing.

Before I go on and on I figured I’d make a list of some of the highlights. I hear lists on the Internet are all the rage.

Top 10 highlights of running Double Dipsea as an average runner:

10. “Not to put a feather in my cap, but I’m pretty well known in the running community.” When I complimented an older woman on her very fancy bow and she proceed to let me know just how fancy she was. Somebody was clearly feeling herself.

9.Coke: Races and training for races I allow myself to drink tonic and even warm, it’s pure magic during a race.

8.Say my name say my name. All of our race bibs had our names on them and big enough so you could cheer for each other in passing. It was a huge boost.

7.Never Say never: Not only did my body not want to quit, but more importantly my head didn’t either.

6. Other people’s sweat: When you are coming and going up the Mill Valley stairs it didn’t matter that you would knock into folks because you’d simply glide right off them.

5. It’s no Secret: That I forgot deodorant because I announced it in the car ride to the race, but as I was in some tight quarters on the stairs, I realized soon enough that I wasn’t the only one. That was some Stank!

4. Triple Dip: After my Double dip, I went for one more dip in the Ocean at the finish line, totally saving my legs.

3.Next-level Picnic: Spending my post race hours basking in the sun with friends, great food and yes more Coke!

2. Oh I think I found myself a cheerleader…or two… There were my friends who saw me off in my time wave with smiling faces and cheering voices. And since those same friends are above average runners they were also there to greet me as I finished. The encouragement from my Team Grind pals as they came upon me on the trail. My pals waiting in Old Mill Park to see me just for a few moments and then see me off again. And to every unsolicited “Go Caitlin” from other runners, I thank you.

1. Just keep running: “Dead Last is greater than Did Not Finish which trumps Did Dot Start.” So, in this case, I guess I’m a little above the curve.

There was only one downside to this whole adventure that began back in March when I registered. I never figured out who the shirtless runner was who’d be out there training every Sunday like me and who put a little extra pep in my step when he passed me coming or going and gave me that nod. Looks like I need to just keep running to see him again;0

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One of the amazing views you get in the home stretch
Finisher's medal
Finisher’s medal

 

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PRs for all Three ladies today! Congrats!
Slow Jamz letting me come in first to the turn around.
Slow Jamz letting me come in first to the turn around.

 

Welcome to the Summer of Shanley Part Deux

This summer I will be taking my adventures to a few new places.  Typically my summers consist of my two favorite places, Harbor Springs Michigan and Boston, Massachusetts.  Both of these places bring me such joy that it was hard to let one of them go this summer.  I know that the 5th Avenue Dock and my Harry Potter nook at 6th 5th Avenue will always be waiting for

Sunsets or Sunrises...any and all are welcome
Sunsets or Sunrises…any and all are welcome

me when I am ready so it was Harbor Springs that I chose to sacrifice.

In a few days I will close up my office for 9 weeks and do my very best to not check work email until I return to San Francisco in August.

From now until then I will challenge myself with the Double Dipsea race, spend much needed catch up time with my friends living in Bermuda while one trains for  America’s Cup, take my super speech geek skills to South Africa to work at The Learning Vine School and finish with some quality summer in the city time back in the Dirty E with my family and friends.

Richie's Slush...a summer staple in Everett
Richie’s Slush…a summer staple in Everett

 

 

Hope you will come visit the site and see if I made this summer worthy of a good sequel.