Categories Running, Travel

Cape Cod, New York, and 89.98km of Doom

by Catrina52 Comments on Cape Cod, New York, and 89.98km of Doom

After Boston, the plan was simple: rest, walk a bit, and pretend running didn’t exist for a few days. Cape Cod brought quiet (mostly), New York brought chaos (of course), and both served as a short pause before the next big thing: an ultramarathon with nearly 90km of downhill “fun.”

But first: beaches and lighthouses!

We spent a few days in Cape Cod, which turned out to be a great place to decompress after the race. While it wasn’t as rural as I had imagined, it was still calm and relatively quiet. The off-season also spared us things like $25 parking fees and congested roads, so that was a win.

We went on plenty of easy walks and visited a few of the iconic lighthouses, including the one featured on the Cape Cod potato chip bags.

From there, we made our way to Long Island, which turned out to be a decent base for two days in Manhattan. The Airbnb had looked fine online, and reality matched the photos. However, there were some basic issues: patchy Wi-Fi, no top sheets or duvet covers, and a general lack of cleanliness. In hindsight, I should have taken the other reviews more seriously. It was the first time I’ve ever left a negative comment and rating after a stay – but to the host’s credit, he agreed with my feedback, and we avoided the dreaded “public comment war”.

I managed a short run around the neighbourhood, just enough to keep the legs moving.

The two days in Manhattan were a whirlwind: fascinating, a bit much, and everything in between.

Burberry’s scaffolding caught my eye (ingenious), and the flower show at Macy’s was a pleasant moment of calm amidst the noise.

And best of all: I got to meet up with fellow bloggers Darlene and Cari!

We landed back in Cape Town on Sunday. The routine is settling in again – but there’s one thing looming large in my head now: Comrades!

Comrades is South Africa’s iconic ultramarathon, clocking in at 89.98km this year (yes, I’m also wondering why they couldn’t find another 20 metres somewhere). It’s over a hundred years old and attracts around 24,000 runners, making it the oldest and largest ultramarathon in the world.

The direction alternates each year – “up” from Durban or “down” from Pietermaritzburg. This year is a down run, which sounds deceptively easy… until seasoned runners tell you what all that descent does to your quads.

Well. I’ll find out on 8 June!

For now, I’m bracing myself for a 60km group run on Saturday. Because clearly, 60km isn’t hard enough – the forecast says pouring rain. At least my mental toughness will get a solid workout!

Oh – and before I forget: here’s the Boston medal I somehow left out of my last post. It still feels a bit surreal that it’s mine. I brought the shirt along to Cape Town – I’ll be wearing it on Saturday’s long run for some good vibes!

  • Have you ever had issues with an Airbnb?
  • What’s the longest run you’ve ever done?

I’m joining Runs with Pugs and The Running Teacher’s link-up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner and Runs with Pugs.

52 Comments

  1. Liebe Catrina,
    wow, so viele neue Eindrücke noch zusätzlich nach deinem Mega-Lauf! Ich bräuchte da wohl ein halbes Jahr, um das alles setzen zu lassen, bevor ich wieder bereit für Neues wäre. 😉
    Aber du gehst schon mit Riesenschritten auf das nächste Großereignis zu. Wie geht es denn deinen Beinen mittlerweile? Hast du das Gefühl, du bist schon wieder bereit für neue Rennen?
    Deine Boston “Mitbringsel” sind super – das Shirt wird dir ganz sicher gut tun. 😀

    1. Liebe Doris
      Ich glaube, meine Gehirnzellen haben immer noch Jetlag – vor allem New York war ein bisschen viel. So laut, grell und überdreht… ich habe definitiv genug Reize für den Rest des Jahres gesammelt. 😅
      Die Beine fühlen sich erstaunlich gut an! Ich habe seit Boston bewusst wenig gemacht und steige erst diese Woche wieder ein. Ein bisschen Respekt vor Verletzungen habe ich schon, deshalb mache ich nur Intervalltraining “light”.
      Leider ist das Shirt nicht Orange! Das wäre noch viel motivierender! 😂

  2. While I do enjoy the joke of 89,98 and playing with numbers, I’m sure that I speak for a lot of runners that we always, always aim for exact numbers. Who hasn’t run an extra block or went back and forth in front of their house just to get those last metres to add up to an even number…

    1. ALWAYS!! 😂 No way you or I would stop at 89.98km!
      I’m sure you’ve done your fair share of front-yard zigzags and suspicious parking lot laps too. All in pursuit of that beautifully even number… it’s the only way we sleep at night! 😅
      Have a lovely week, Riitta!

  3. Eine wahrlich sehr, sehr schöne Reise, dazu noch der Höhepunkt, dann auch noch eine sehr gute Zeit – was will Frau mehr ?

    Sightseeing folgte – im übrigen sieht der Strandaufgang und die See dort aus wie bei uns !

    Und nun the next adventure !! Schlag auf Schlag, wusste gar nicht, dass es der älteste Ultra ist !!

    Na, dann auf ins neue Abenteuer, pass gut auf dich auf und viel Spaß bei der Vorbereitung, wenn man da von Spaß reden kann. Man darf gespannt sein !

    Mein längster Lauf war ein 24-Stunden-Lauf mit 147 Kilometern, denke gerne daran zurück, Herausforderung pur !!

    Weiterhin alles Gute – und – weißt ja !! Die Daumen sind wieder gedrückt !!

    1. 147 Kilometer bei einem 24-Stunden-Lauf – wow! Das ist wirklich beeindruckend. Ich kann mir vorstellen, dass man an so ein Erlebnis lange und gerne zurückdenkt – auch wenn’s zwischendurch wahrscheinlich weniger „gerne“ war. 😉

      Und ja, diese Reise war wirklich ein Highlight. So viel erlebt in so kurzer Zeit, ich glaube, mein Kopf ist immer noch dabei, alles zu sortieren. Die Küste bei Cape Cod hat mich übrigens tatsächlich an die Ostsee erinnert – diese weiten Strände, das Licht, die Dünen… ich habe sofort an deine Laufstrecken gedacht!

      Jetzt also Comrades – Schlag auf Schlag trifft es gut. Ich bin gespannt, wie sich 90 Kilometer bergab anfühlen. Aber: ich freu mich drauf! Danke fürs Daumendrücken, liebe Margitta. Ich werde es brauchen!

  4. Whoop-whoop! You’ve got this! I will eagerly dot watch on the day!

    1. Thank you, Birdie! Whoop-whoop indeed – I’ll try to make that little dot move along! 😄 So glad you’ll be tracking – knowing you’re out there cheering makes it a bit less scary!

  5. But of course you’re running Comrades! I would expect nothing less!. I’m excited to follow your training. I’m so glad you made the most of your time on the East Coast. I will admit to a little jealousy that Cari and Darlene were able to meet up with you!

    We stayed at an Air BNB in Colorado when my son and I ran Leadville and despite the barraage of emails strongly encouraging me to leave a 5 star review, I could not–they promised a pool and hot tub, which was not open and their were a few other issues.

    1. Wendy, you know me too well! Comrades feels like a good way to make the most of all that Boston fitness – fingers crossed the body keeps playing along. So far, so good! 😅
      Meeting Cari and Darlene was such a treat! We could have chatted for hours! I really hope I get to meet you in person one day – we’ll make it happen somehow. Who knows, maybe one day I get to do Chicago? 🤔
      And yes, those Airbnb guilt-trip emails… “Please leave us 5 stars or we’ll never emotionally recover!” 😆 No hot tub after Leadville sounds borderline criminal. You were absolutely right to be honest.

  6. Yaah. Finally the medal & shirt!😅💦 But but but. You are not wearing them!😅💦 oh well. Congratulations on Boston once more🎊

    AIRBNB. Dirty ones sounds too gross for me. No top sheet nor duvet cover??? What? It would have been impossible to sleep in that bed! Maybe bedbugs there too. I feel the place needs fumigating!😅💦 I would have rather slept in a tent in the backyard tbh. Oh well. I hope no bedbugs hitched a ride w you back home.

    Great you enjoyed NYC & Cape Cod. I guess you never made it to Walden’s Pond?

    Onwards to Comrades. Yikes downhills are brutal. This requires lots of leg strengthening above your normal running plan. Are you planning a specific leg regime to cope w the abundance of down hills? Good luck in prepping. A new kind of challenge that you will crush!

    1. Haha, the only photo of me with the medal is the one where it’s half-hidden under that glamorous heat sheet! Still, it’s a beautiful medal – definitely a keeper. 😍

      The Airbnb situation was… character-building. No bedbugs so far, thankfully! We wore long sleeves and joggers to minimise contact and wrapped the pillows in our own towels. Flashbacks to the Mt Blanc huts where they don’t change the sheets all season…same vibe! 😬

      We did make it to Walden Pond, but they wanted USD 30 to park…so pricey. 😳 We opted for Hopkinton State Park instead and it was lovely! (and free)

      Only five weeks to go now! We’re back at CrossFit and doing all the squats. A running friend who’s done Comrades three times said yesterday that downhill practice is key. So I’ve got a date with gravity tomorrow! 😅

  7. Liebe Catrina,
    die Ruhe in Cape Cod hattet ihr euch verdient! Wie malerisch es dort aussieht! Nur der Ärger mit dem optisch ja auch netten Häuschen hätte nicht sein müssen.
    Ok, und dann New York nochmal als Kontrast. Aber für 2 Tage kann man das sicher aushalten und immerhin gab es ein Bloggertreffen dort!
    Und jetzt – auf zur nächsten Herausforderung! Im Zweifel wäre mir trotz allem da auch die Abwärtsvariante lieber. Ich bin gespannt, was du davon berichten wirst. Auf alle Fälle würde ich auch mit dem Boston-Shirt trainieren, ganz klar! Gewandet in beste Erinnerungen, das gibt Power für die 89,98 km!
    Da ich keine Airbnb-Erfahrung habe, kann ich nichts beisteuern. Und mehr Marathon bin ich auch noch nicht gelaufen.
    Liebe Grüße aus dem windigen kühlen Rheinland!
    Elke

    1. Liebe Elke
      Ja, Cape Cod war wirklich ein Traum – so ruhig, leer und erholsam. Zumindest ausserhalb der Saison. Ich möchte lieber nicht wissen, was da im Juli los ist… Wir haben die Ruhe jedenfalls sehr genossen.
      Das Häuschen in New York war dann eher… speziell. Kein Toilettenpapier bei der Ankunft – gut, dass wir noch ein Päckli Tempos dabei hatten. 😅 Zum Glück nur zwei Nächte, das liess sich aushalten.

      New York selbst war das komplette Kontrastprogramm: laut, grell, voll. Mehr als ein paar Tage würde ich da definitiv nicht aushalten. Aber das Treffen mit Cari und Darlene war sehr nett. Währenddessen hat Kai Macy’s auf Herz und Nieren geprüft. 😄

      Und jetzt Comrades – 89,98 km bergab! Irgendwie klingt das einfacher, aber ich weiss, dass es das nicht ist. Ich werde berichten!

      Ganz liebe Grüsse ins Rheinland – hoffentlich bringt der Frühling bald etwas Wärme mit!

  8. Looks can be so deceiving – *sigh*. We once stayed at a VERY sketchy motel. There was a free breakfast the next morning and we usually don’t say no to free food but after the state of the room, we decided to pay extra to eat elsewhere. It was so bad, the whole experience has become a beloved family memory (dead bugs on the floor, the entire room flooded at one point and the front desk wasn’t even phased).

    The yellow is so bright and pretty and you earned the right to wear it as much as possible!!!

    I love NYC but when we took our kids for the first time a few years ago they hated it. They found the crowds and all the cigarette smoke lingering in the air very overwhelming. I wonder what they’d think now that they’re older?? I think European cities are much nicer to visit, but there is a special magic about NYC that keeps luring me back.

    1. Ugh! That motel sounds epically awful! I love that it’s become a family classic. “Remember the time the room flooded and no one blinked?” Instant legend. 😅 I would have skipped the free breakfast too. Sometimes paying for food is really paying for peace of mind!

      I totally get your kids’ reaction to NYC. The first time I went, I was also overwhelmed. All the noise, all the sights, all the people! It’s a lot, especially if you’re not used to it. I prefer European cities, too – they’re so much more walkable, too. And yet, like you said, somehow New York pulls you back in. It’s chaotic, but there’s something magnetic about it.

      And yes, I’m wearing that Boston yellow as much as socially acceptable. Possibly beyond. 😄

  9. What a beautiful trip! I love getting to see Cape Cod and NYC through your eyes. Did you get to go inside any of the lighthouses? And yay for blogger meetups!

    I’ve had mostly great experiences with Airbnbs but…I will say that there’s usually something a little odd about each unit. Maybe the wifi was their fault and maybe it wasn’t, but missing bed sheets and cleanliness issues are two things that should not have happened.

    I’m excited to start living vicariously through your next training block! It’s all downhill from here!

    1. We really wanted to tour the lighthouses, but unfortunately they were all still closed – everything opens up after the beginning of May. So we were just about a week too early… classic timing! 😅

      I agree, it’s fascinating how much an Airbnb reflects the host’s personality. The one in Cape Cod was an absolute gem – thoughtful touches everywhere, super generous, and above all: spotless!

      The dodgy one, though… no toilet paper on arrival, freezing cold, and the cleanliness left a lot to be desired. The one upside: the host responded really well and promised to address the issues, so hopefully the next guests have a better experience.

      And yes! All downhill from here, Birchie! Literally and figuratively. Let’s hope my quads survive to tell the tale. 😆

  10. Again, a huge congrats to you on your outstanding Boston performance!! Your upcoming ultra really sounds tough, but you’ve got the grit. My longest “race” was an overnight 12-hour gig. I passed the 60K mark (and that was with taking a lot of breaks, both walking and sitting intermittently. I’m excited to hear more as you approach this next start line!

    1. Thank you so much, Kim! That overnight 12-hour race of yours sounds seriously tough – running through the night adds a whole new level of challenge. 60K with breaks or not is still a huge accomplishment! I’m in awe.
      And yes… Comrades is looming large now. I keep telling myself it’s “only” two marathons and a bit – what could possibly go wrong? 😅 I’ll definitely keep sharing as the prep unfolds.

  11. Nach deinem beeindruckenden Marathon (eine schlicht-schöne Medaille übrigens) noch eine große Packung Sightseeing hinterher, so ists recht. Wer weiß schon wann man wieder in diese Ecke der Welt kommt. Schade das mit dem Airbnb, Kleinigkeiten dürfen ja mal vorkommen, aber kein Bettzeug?? Geht gar nicht. Und Sauberkeit gewinnt eh immer.
    Und jetzt geht los für den Comrades, das wird mega! Ob bergauf oder bergab, egal, das wird mega!! Du wirst superfit mit dabei sein, nochmal mega!!! Einfach drauf freuen und losrennen, die Distanz schmilzt ja automatisch 🙂
    Ist so ein 60km Trainingslauf denn notwendig? Und dann noch im Regen?? Ich wüsste ja was ich mache 😉
    Meine längste Distanz bisher waren übrigens die 108km letzten Jahr beim 12 Stundenlauf.
    Ich freue mich schon auf deine Strava Einheiten die nächste Zeit, rechen mit Kommentaren ; -)

    1. Ich bin mir sicher, du würdest beim Comrades voll aufblühen – und den einfach so weghauen wie Düsseldorf! 😄🙌
      Das ist wirklich guter Input: sich einfach freuen, mit Tausenden Gleichgesinnten gemeinsam unterwegs zu sein. Ich merke auch, dass ich mit deutlich mehr Gelassenheit rangehe als bei Boston – ich erwarte einen entspannteren Vibe, sowohl vom Rennen als auch von den Leuten.
      UND JA – dein gemütlicher Kaffee am Samstagmorgen! 😅😂 Erinnere mich nur nicht dran, während ich im Morgengrauen auf dem Weg zum Start mir einen abfriere…

      Dein 108-km-Lauf hatte ich auch so im Hinterkopf – ich schau mir deinen Post dazu nochmal in Ruhe an, vor allem wegen der Pace-Strategie.

      Wir sehen uns auf Strava! 😎😂

  12. Respekt! Fast 90 Kilometer … da hast du dir ein Brett vorgenommen, von dem ich sicher bin, dass du es bravourös aufbohrst 🔨

    Du bist wirklich viel unterwegs! Also wirst du die schlechte AirBnb-Erfahrung sicher unter der Rubrik “dazugelernt” als zum Glück einmaligen Missgriff verbuchen können. Dazu kann ich keine Erfahrungen beitragen; habe noch nie über diese Portale gebucht.
    Sieht ja sonst alles nach einem gelungenen Urlaubstrip aus mit allen denkbaren Komponenten: Training, Sightseeing, Socializing ….

    Mein länger Lauf ist gefühlt ein halbes Leben her. Das waren 2011 beim Röntgenlauf gut 63 Kilometer (drei Halbe):

    https://powerlizzy.blogspot.com/2011/10/chill-dir-nen-ultra-rontgenlauf-2011.html

    1. Ich hoffe es, Lizzy! Danke für den Link zu deinem Blogpost! Den werde ich mir gleich anschauen. 63 km als „drei Halbe“ – super formuliert! Ich werde meinen Comrades auch einfach als „vier Halbe“ angehen. 😂

      Genau, die Airbnb-Sache müssen wir als „Erfahrung“ buchen. Zum Glück sind wir an Berghütten gewohnt, wo die Bettlaken nur einmal in der Saison gewechselt werden (da benutzt man Inlets). Wir haben in diesem Airbnb mit Jogginghosen und langärmligen T-Shirts geschlafen und die Kissen mit Badetüchern abgedeckt. Trotzdem grusig!

      Der Comrades wird sicher nochmal eine ganz andere Nummer, aber ich freue mich darauf. Es wird ein Abenteuer!
      Und wer weiss, vielleicht packt dich der Ultra-Reiz ja doch nochmal? 😄

  13. Oh yes, you signed up to the Comrades! That’s fantastic! How do you feel about that? Maybe it isn’t your first ultra? A 60 km group run sounds like a good way to train for that although to me, gulp! It seems so soon after the marathon but it probably isn’t.. I love your gutsiness and kick-ass-ness (yes, that’s a word now!).

    1. I’m a bit nervous, but also really excited!
      I’ve done ultras before, though it’s been a while… I’ve kind of forgotten what they feel like, so I’m hoping this 60 km run on Saturday will help jog my memory! 😅
      You’re right, it’s pretty soon after the marathon, but luckily I can build on that marathon training and just keep going for a few more weeks. At least, that’s the plan, let’s see if it will work out.
      I love your new word creation, I’m going to steal kick-ass-ness! 😂

  14. Catrina, you certainly made the most of your time while in the USA. I love that you were able to meet up with Darlene and Cari – so fun! Your Airbnb looks lovely from the outside, how unfortunate that it wasn’t clean and didn’t live up to your expectations. We’ve been lucky with our Airbnb stays.

    I can not wait to read all about your Comrades experience! I’m sure it’s going to be epic! To answer your question, my longest run was the JFK 50-Miler back in 1997. I just glanced at my race recap to see if I’d noted the exact distance, but I didn’t. I think I would remember if it had been shorter than 50 miles, though.

    1. Thanks, Debbie! It was such a blast meeting up with Darlene and Cari – definitely made the trip even more memorable! The Airbnb was such a letdown, though; it looked so charming from the outside. Hopefully, you’ll keep your good streak going with your Airbnb stays! 😅

      I’m really excited about the Comrades too – it’s going to be a wild ride. I just had a look at your blog post about the JFK 50-Miler back in ’97. Amazing! I see you had IT band and blister issues – I hope I will not have to go through that! 😅

      1. Yes, hopefully no similar issues for you in this ultra. I ran the JFK 50-Miler just shy of a month after the Marine Corps Marathon (my very first marathon) so my body was still adjusting to those new distances even though I’d had a solid training cycle leading up to the MCM.

        1. Oh wait, I hadn’t realized your 50-miler was only a month after your FIRST marathon! That’s some serious grit! Sounds like your training paid off even while your body was still adjusting.
          That gives me hope for Comrades – I’m in a similar boat, trying to stretch the marathon fitness a few more weeks and hoping nothing vital falls off in the process. 😄

    2. Liebe Catrina,

      da habt ihr ja wirklich die ganze Bandbreite erlebt und erfahren. Sauberkeit geht über alles, auch wenn fehlendes Bettzeug doof ist, das kann man noch kompensieren, aber das andere?!? 🙊

      Manhattan haben wir an einem Nachmittag erlebt, haben übrigens in Ground Zero (1986) geparkt, war schon schräg, laut und voll. Leider zu neblig, dass ein Trip hoch zur Aussichtplattform des Empire State Building nicht lohnte.

      Jetzt wünsche ich dir, dass du alles gut nachverarbeiten kannst, trotz des Fokus auf Comrades. Dort am besten 20 m hinter der Startlinie aufstellen und du kriegst die 90 km voll. 😜 Ich würde lieber bergan traben, vor allem wenn es stetig aufwärts geht und nicht zu steil ist, oder leicht abwärts, dann sehr kontrolliert unterwegs sein! – Mal sehen, was du vom 60er erzählst. Genieße Vibes, klar musst du das Shirt tragen! 😉

      Mein längster Lauf war 101 km lang (im Wetterstein-Gebirge), der MegaMarsch 2023 hatte 103 km.

      Unterkünfte haben wir nicht so negativ erlebt. Klein und so lala, nicht sonderlich sauber, aber noch okay, war es kürzlich in Hamburg-Bergedorf.

      Liebe Grüße Manfred

      1. Lieber Manfred,
        an deinen MegaMarsch 2023 kann ich mich noch gut erinnern – und wie spannend, dass du bald schon wieder zu einem neuen in München startest! Ich wünsche dir ganz viel Energie und Durchhaltewillen für diese lange Strecke. Du bist da wirklich ein Profi.
        Deine Schilderung von Manhattan klingt genauso, wie ich es auch erlebt habe – laut, voll, schräg… aber auch faszinierend. Und ja, die Sauberkeit beim Übernachten ist mir inzwischen wichtiger als alles andere. Fehlendes Bettzeug kann man irgendwie überbrücken, aber wenn’s insgesamt grusig ist, hört der Spass auf.

        Dein Tipp mit den 20 m Abstand zur Startlinie ist grandios! 😄
        Deine Gedanken zum Comrades klingen sehr überlegt – das stetige Bergauftraben stelle ich mir auch angenehmer vor als die steilen Downhills. Ich bin gespannt, wie ich’s erleben werde.

        Mein 60er wurde übrigens auf Sonntag verschoben – das Wetter wurde dann doch als zu schlecht für Samstag eingestuft (Sturmwarnungen und so – ich bin froh, ha!)

        Liebe Grüsse aus dem Süden und alles Gute bei den Marsch-Vorbereitungen!

  15. I love Cape Cod and I bet it was a nice place to recover from Boston! And I grew up on Long Island! I can’t wait to hear all about Comrades!

    1. Oh, you grew up on Long Island! So did Darlene! It’s a really nice place – so calm and quiet and yet so close to busy Manhattan.
      I’m both nervous and excited for Comrades… it’s going to be a whole different beast!

  16. We have not had any issues with an Airbnb thankfully. So glad you got to visit Nyc and see Cari and Darlene. Next time you should take a stop in DC. A downhill race definitely is not easy! Looking forward to hearing more about it. Happy training!

    1. Thanks, Deborah! Yes, NYC was such a treat – so fun to finally meet Cari and Darlene in person! Oh yes, I would love to meet up with you in DC one day.
      And you’re right about downhill races – I wonder how my quads are going to react!! 😅

  17. I didn’t know you were doing Comrades. How exciting (in a dreaded, scary kind of way). I always read all the AirBnb reviews. I’m sure it’s saved me from some similar experiences. And while the ones I’ve stayed at weren’t always the top of the line, they were clean and affordable.

    1. Yes, Comrades is happening – equal parts thrilling and terrifying! 😅
      You’re so right about the Airbnb reviews. I usually read them too, but this time I let location and price win out… lesson learned! Next time, I’ll definitely dig deeper.

  18. How fun! And to meet Darlene and Cari! So cool! I love New York so much. My husband was born and raised in Long Island!

    We don’t stay in AirBnB’s often. If we are doing a group vacation or taking the pugs, we will, or going to a place like the mountains where the cabin rental is part of the charm of the trip.
    That being said, we’ve always done well… there was one place that we really liked, but there was a weird room. The whole place was older but renovated, and then there was just this old gross room that was closed off but not locked. It hadn’t been updated. I called it the murder room, and we kept that door tightly closed lol.

    1. Meeting Darlene and Cari was such a highlight – definitely one of the best parts of the trip! 😄 Your husband is from Long Island! So many are from there – it turns out that Lisa (Mile by Mile) and Darlene are both from Long Island too!

      I love how you describe the “murder room” – that’s hilarious (and a little creepy)! I totally get why you’d keep that door closed. Eek! Sounds like your Airbnb stays have been pretty solid overall, though!

  19. Oh my goodness, I forgot you’re doing Comrades! Yes, I know very well what downhill running does to your quads. Luckily there’s a lot of downhill in Boston so maybe that was good training.
    Your vacation sounds nice! Except for the Airbnb, ugh. How fun that you had a blogger meetup!
    GOOD LUCK with the run tomorrow! I want to hear all about it.

    1. Oh, you’re too sweet, Jenny! Yes, Comrades is coming up, and I can’t believe it’s so close now. 😅 As for downhill running – yes, my quads are still not the same after Boston, so that should definitely help with training for Comrades!
      My 60km run was actually moved to Sunday – the weather turned so bad that they decided it wasn’t safe to run tomorrow. I’m so happy about the change!
      Meeting Darlene and Cari was so nice! We could have chatted for hours – it felt far too short.
      Thanks for the good luck wishes! I’ll be thinking of you – after all, you did a 50-miler just the other day! 😊

  20. Congrats again on Boston — you really crushed it! And YAY for meeting up with Cari and Darlene. I’m so bummed my trip to Zurich doesn’t align with you being there.

    Ick on the AirBnB issues. I guess you do need to check the reviews. We don’t use AirBnB often but had a great one in Breckenridge.

    Funny story about downhill running. Years ago I moved to a new neighborhood which brought a lot more hills to my running routes. My quads were so messed up I went to the doctor and endured all kinds of testing. I think I’m the one that finally figured out it was the downhill running ….

    But you’ll do great at Comrades!

    1. Thanks, Coco! I would’ve loved to meet up in Zürich – what a shame the timing didn’t work out. One day, though! Who knows, you might be in Europe very soon again… or in Cape Town!
      Glad to hear your Breckenridge Airbnb was a win. Those good ones really are gold. I’ve learned my lesson now: charming exterior ≠ clean interior. 😅
      And wow, that downhill story! It’s always the quads that rat you out, right? I love that you went through all that testing only to realise it was just gravity doing its thing.
      I’ll try to keep that in mind at Comrades when my legs start filing complaints mid-race!

  21. Too bad about the airBnB. But it was great to meet you.

    I’ve never run more than 26.2 miles.

    Good luck with your training.

    1. But at least the location was perfect, Darlene! And so glad it worked out with our meet-up! 😀
      Four weeks to go!

  22. I’m so excited to hear you’re doing the Comrades Catrina! I only realised when I saw your 60km run on Strava (which you totally smashed BTW).

    Your time in the states looked wonderful, I can only imagine how busy the city was. It looks like something I would consider a sensory overload though!

    It’s a shame about your AirBNB experience, but the host sounded reasonable. It reminds me of our recent stay in CT (where you and Kai fetched us from to go hiking), the apartment wasn’t perfectly clean, and the shower and bathroom sink drains were blocked! I left some negative feedback about that.

    As for long runs, my longest was around 340km over 10,000m of elevation gain, although it had a few stops of a couple of hours sleep bundled in there, and was nothing like Comrades pace, (only in my dreams!)

    I’m happy to hear and see all is progressing well on your side!

    1. Thank you, Sean! Oh my – those 60k left me really tired! And it was only 2/3 of Comrades!! How ON EARTH am I going to do another 30k… I have no idea. 😅
      And yet, it’s only a fraction of your 340k run with 10’000m of elevation. I think I’ll need to reread some of your posts for inspiration, ha!

      New York was definitely next-level sensory overload. We were fascinated by it when we were there, but so glad to get out of it again. We were basically wide-eyed tourists the entire time!

      Your Cape Town Airbnb sounds… familiar! What is it with hosts not checking drains? At least yours didn’t come with hair in the bathroom and missing bedding. 🙈

      Thanks for the support – and all the best with your comeback to running! 🙌😃

  23. So glad to have met you! Can’t wait to cheer you on virtually for COmrades and see you in another city one day soon. I probably said it over coffee, but my longest is NYC marathon. I’d like to maybe do a 50K one year.

    1. Great to have met you too! Thanks for your virtual cheers, Cari!
      It would be great to meet up in another city soon – it’s a good thing you travel a lot.
      A 50K is a solid next step when you’re ready. Keep that goal in sight!

  24. A great looking Boston shirt and medal, Catrina. I am very sorry about the AirBNB, Catrina. I’ve actually never stayed in one. The closest to that would be in a Bed and Breakfast. That is going prechildren, which is further back than 33 years ago. It was clean and very pleasant to stay at. Hope the 60k run went well for you, Catrina. You will be amazing at Comrades. 🙌

    1. Thank you so much, Carl! The shirt and medal really are special souvenirs – I’m still not over how iconic the whole experience felt.
      As for the Airbnb… let’s just say it added “character” to the trip! 😅 I think your pre-kids B&B sounds like a much better setup.
      The 60k went well, thankfully – a good final push before Comrades. Now it’s all about rest and not second-guessing everything! Thanks so much for the encouragement – I’ll definitely be thinking of all the support on race day! 🙌

Comments are closed.