Rhode Trip

Yesterday, I made my well anticipated road trip to Newport, home of Salve Regina University (5 to 1 girl to guy ratio....why didn't I go here again?) and my sister Melissa who is an undergrad at said university. I woke up after a semi-restless night on Saturday....probably from one too many hot dogs @ the HEAT picnic. I made my way down I-95 North and after an NDE outside of Groton involving a big rig on its way to Mohegan cutting me off as I attempted to pass and the guy behind me ducking right just as I prepared to..it ended up with me driving in my own lane for a few tense moments. Then there was grandma going to drop her granddaughter's Jetta off a URI nothing is more painful than going down a backcountry road I usually take at say... double the posted speed limit..@ 25 MPH...Road Rage Building! Well all my travel escapades aside I finally made it to Newport and decided to reward my aching legs with a 6-7 mile ( 10-12k ) run.

I started off on the cliff walk hooked up with two faster runners for a minute then got dropped, but decided to keep following the cliff walk to the beach. Now maybe it's just me but has anyone noticed that the salty air off the water tends to dehydrate you. Anyway everybody and their brother, mother, and uncle fester were out walking about...I felt bad having to dart around or call out "excuse me ...on your left" but things got a little less congested as I hit the beach and had a Chariots of Fire moment, running along the sand...I saw some chick in front of me running barefoot, now that's bad ass. Anyhoo, I ended up having to cross in front of a busy traffic island in Middletown, then another junction between RI 138 and RI 214 about a half mile up the road. Then to my surprise I foundout there actually are hills in Newport as I began to climb through this residential neighborhood. I asked some dude on his bike if this road would get me back to the center of town..he told me to take a right at the stop sign at the top of the hill and follow the road until it ends. Easy enough. The road ended at a little park, I saw the main road not too far off, but asked some woman walking her dog for extra directions, " Yeah you take a left up ahead and it'll spit you out at the cliff walk then you just follow that to Salve." I shot out onto some flat little side street and got spit out at a busy 4 lane medianed drag standing between me and the beach. After a few kind motorists let me through I began my bobbing and weaving through the sea of walkers, joggers, yuppies with strollers, a wedding party, and dudes just standing there and made it back to my car. Total run time 1:00.48, for all the waiting for traffic, and deft maneuvering I'll take it.

After calling Melissa and trying to figure out the directions to her place, I picked up Chrissy ( who was doing a college visit, she's getting so big so fast...tear..sniff.) It was off to IHOP with Chrissy, Liss, and Liss's roomates, then walmart, then a quick tour of then the shops of Newport, then the beach, then back home....all in all it was a pretty good day.

Today, not much on tap, my knee's acting up a little after 2 straight days of trail/sand running I'm giving them a break....also I need to type out at least 8 pages of my paper for the rough draft, so that will consume my afternoon, I might give the bike some love but it's doubtful, but I will hit the pool at 8-8:30ish and get 4000 yds. in.

Well that's all for me today. Oh and bleated good luck to Speed Racer and Cranky Runner running some little rink a dink road race in Massachusetts....at this point they're probably just at 20 mile mark .

The road worn wonderer
R.D.