Gorge-Us!

Nothing like a trip up to Woodstock, Vermont, and a stop at Queechee Gorge to remind us of how beautiful New England is, and how lucky we are to be within driving range of beaches, the ocean, and the White and Green Mountains.

This E Streeter trip north coincided with us running the Covered Bridges Half Marathon, of which you'll read more of in a subsequent post.

For the purposes of THIS post, however, it's a chance to take in the beauty of Queechee Gorge, not to mention a pasta supper and a physcal exhibition the likes of which you aren't likely to find on too many blogs out there.  More on that later.

First off, a few breathtaking shots from atop the bridge over Queechee Gorge.  Breathtaking for the panoramic nature views, not for the beefcake getting in the way of those views.

Naturally, we needed to trek to the bottom of said gorge, to do some exploring.  A great landscape awaits, and another chance for some E Streeter father/son and group shots

There was a famous Saturday Night Live skit in the 1980s featuring Dana Carvey, where he repeatedly intones that "Mountains Do Funny Things to a Man."

  The following pics are modern day proof of that 1987 adage. 

When you hit rock bottom, however, you'd be surprised at the inspiration you can find all around you.  And not just in nature.  Take a read at this plaque resting at the base of Queechee Gorge.  Kinda helps put things in perspective.

Finally, the trek back up top, where the day's Main Event awaits.

Yes, pasta.  And for those of you so concerned, fret not.  Andrew got fed.  You might say he gorged.

And happily, we were able to rendezvous with the other members of our party.  Tommy shows off his healthy choices.  Sitting next to Sean, however, is not one of them.

Outside Suicide Six, the name of the ski resort, and the Start line for the the next day's race, it's the Sensational Seven.

And finally, the aforementioned physical exhibition.  Prepare yourself.

Off in the distance, Barry had spied a bar perfect for pull-ups.  After letting Spider-Man show off his acrobatic skills, and then turning down a pull-up competition with said athlete, Barry decided to show us how many pull-ups he could do.  Place your wagers now.

Here, he prepares his approach, sizing up the challenge.

Time to grab the bar!

And finally, success!

For the results, scan through the following pics in rapid succession, you'll see the motion.

Now go back, repeat the pics over and over and over and over and over and you'll figure out how many times he successfully pulled himself up to the bar!

A fabulous day in a gorgeous setting!  Time for a good night's sleep before a scenic half-marathon in  delightful spring temperatures.  Yeah, right.

Truly, A Run to Remember

The E Streeters hit the road this Memorial Day weekend to take part in a truly moving tribute to fallen law enforcement officers, this year made even more poignant by the loss of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier during the week of the Boston Marathon attacks.  And as you can see by our backs, we were only too proud to represent this fallen officer as we took the streets of Boston for the Run to Remember half-marathon and five mile road races.

First off, in case you're wondering, yes, it really was as cold as we look here before the start.  So much for May temperatures.  Of course, the race did start at 7 a.m., so this 6:15 a.m. pic reflects the weather at that ungodly time.

After finally winding our way over to the start, we connected with fellow E Streeter Gina Spaziani

And about 12,000 of our running buddies

These feet are ready to run

Just what the hell are these guys doing behind one another's back?  (See top pictures)

The first mile of the run offered some tremendous Boston skyline backdrops

Off through financial district and government center, we wound our way past Faneuil Hall, and finally to one of the cooler points, crossing the Longfellow Bridge.  We think Charlie was riding the T next to us as we crossed.

Heading past MIT was one of the highlights of the trek, as Massachusetts State Troopers lined the bridge overhead and we ran beneath the Sean Collier banner commemorating his life and the police department he nobly served

And next up was the true highlight of the voyage, as we passed dozens of police officers standing aside their police cruisers, high-fiving literally thousands upon thousands of runners as they passed.  Kudos to Barry and Andrew who took the time to stop and thank each of the officers for serving and protecting.  Even Tommy and Carlos slowed their pace to stop and say thanks.

It wasn't the Kenmore Square Citgo sign, but the Shell station heading into Harvard Square still provided a nice photo op for Andrew

And finally, after winding our way through Beacon Hill, the Boston Common, the theatre district, and back to the Seaport, it was time to display our medals.  And an orange.  Tommy couldn't join us, he was over at the Harpoon Brewery.  Kudos, also, to Gina, and to Nick Laganas, who ran the race but got lost amidst the sea of runners.

Glad we could support such a worthy cause.  Huge props to the Boston Police Department and the Boston Police Runners Club for helping race organizers pull everything off without a hitch.

Today, 12,000 runners ran Collier Strong.

Annie's Army on the March!

An Army came to town yesterday, marching for a good cause, and letting everyone along the way know who we were!
Sunday was the Lowell General Hospital Cancer Walk, an annual outing for the family, including all of our E Streeter extended family.  The walk raised nearly one million dollars!
This year, though, was a special outing, as we walked and ran in honor of Jack's sister Annie, who's currently undergoing treatment down at Brighma and Women's Hospital in Boston, gearing up for a bone marrow transplant this week.  That's her in the above pic, at least year's Jimmy Fund Cancer Walk in Boston, another outing folks undertake to help wage a fight against cancer.
On Sunday, it took an Army - Annie's Army - to wage the war on cancer, and we were only too happy to do it.
Because we never miss an opportunity to take pics with furry animals

Coming across the catwalk

Since it was for such a great cause, even Carlos was able to put his Baggo scars aside in the face of running with his undefeated arch-nemesis from the Baggo courts. 

Luckily for Barry, he's always got friends there to hold him up during those long runs 

ANNIE'S ARMY COMING THROUGH - that was Barry's mantra as we wound through the hundreds of out-of-state rowers on the banks of the Merrimack River there for a crew regatta.  They made a hole for us to pass, probably just out of base fear. 

Speaking of crew, here's our Crew, boats and all.

Coming into the home stretch, Carlos definitely has the edge over his 5K rival, 21:07.

Lest ye think running was the only exercise on the menu this day, I say thee nay!

Here's my two favoritest ladies in the whole wide world, and two of Annie's biggest and loudest supporters, getting ready for their 6.2 mile walk!

Them, and about 3,000 other walkers

Hand in hand, the walking buds tick off their first mile

The walk still gets the thumbs up.  Heather, obviously, never stops smiling out there.

Proud as can be of my two girls

 

Finally, back at the Tsongas Arena, the whole group is Annie's Army Strong!  This one's for you Annie!  We're all rooting for you this week, and are looking forward to having our general back in front of us leading the pack!