My 43rd Year

Jo Jo’s Super Dogs, Amy’s Omelette House, Harrison House, handups (are not a crime)...CX blues...It’s all about the pancakes...Breakfast club...Legacy, Metro, Colonial Diner, Local Links, Herman’s, Turning Point, New Berlin, Ewing Diner, Cafe Seventy Two...Human Village, Eclipse, Atco Brewing Company, Berlin Brewing Company, Screamin’ Hill, Slack Tide, Death of the Fox...ten bucks and a beer...ab mat, ab dolly, speed rope...core and abs, boot camp, battle rope, FitMix...the golden key, Donna's Fan...S-Town...Denver Colorado...Great Divide, pancake flights, robusty, brownies, Voodoo Doughnut, Left Hand , Christkindl Market, Rocky Mountain National Park...DFT, donuts and deadlifts, intermittent fasting, BCAA, Strong Lifts 5x5, AMRAP...Halo Top, Enlightened...chick pea pasta, black bean pasta, lentil pasta...spicy hummus, fit fuel, oh yeah one...Hello Fresh...Aldi, hot sauce, sweet potatoes...peanut butter sandwiches, hide ’til Thursday...Brooks, Asics, La Sportiva...Altra Superior, Lone Peak, Timp...Number Thirty Seven, CBLSL...Clement tires, MXP, LAS...No Tubes, Knog lights, Handup Gloves, Osprey...Focus CX, commute by bike...Voodoo Doughnut (again), I drive your truck, Picnik, playground, Mount Bonnell, Lazarus Brewing Company...Rizzeri Salon, Pantene beautiful lengths, nine inches, hairs the story...it will grow back...Chewy, Mr. Softee, Hazelnator...White Mountains...Joe Dodge Lodge, extra dessert, private bunk room, all up hill...Carter Moriah Traverse, Wildcat A, Wildcat D, Carter Dome, Middle Carter, South Carter, Moriah...Another round of four thousand footers...Highland Center, to go containers...Tom, Field, Willey...Rek-Lis Brewing Company, Schilling Beer Company...sunrise, Osceola, East Osceola...Serial...Kia Soul, popcorn, Starbucks...George Washington Bridge...Connecticut traffic...#milesformatt...Ford Focus, Lafayette Campground, Coleman air mattress...Cannon, North Kinsman, South Kinsman...cannon balls, wet socks, Fishin’ Jimmy, Lonesome Lake Hut, baked goods...Hancock, South Hancock, mud, scree, bad coffee, day old donuts...Katz Coffee, Texas Coffee Traders, Endgrain, Long Bottom, Koffee Kult...pleasant morning buzz...Cafe Bustelo, Reddi Whip...DD Perks, dollar coffee, chocolate milk Pisker’s, Randolph’s, L&M, Deluxe, Gallo’s, Mc Millan’s, Live Love Donut, Nino’s Pastry Sop, Donut Revolution, Di Bartolo’s, Broadway Bakery...Tour de Donut...#commuterlife #campfifty #cancersucks #livelikeroo #donuts #drinklocal #gymfamily #nofilter #gertiestrong #godblesstexas #montanastrong...my first year without you

Tour de Donut

My devotion to cream donuts is something that’s been cultivated over the past two years. I blame it on my training clients. It started when Diane’s husband brought me a chocolate chip cookie from Whole Foods. From there it progressed to bismarcks, ultimately ending with the chocolate frosted, chocolate cream donut from Randolph’s. Occasionally, a white paper bakery bag containing two of these treasures would appear by my stuff in the morning. Training clients began to take notice...oh, Randolph’s is good, but have you had L&M? They are the best. A box containing four donuts soon followed. Word has since spread and now, pretty much everyone at the gym knows. Cream donuts are gifted to me on a regular basis. Currently, I am averaging four per week. 

I was talking “donuts” over lunch with a friend last month. It was her birthday and I figured we’d grab a donut to celebrate. After scanning the internet for options, I deferred to the waitress. She lamented that there really weren’t any bakeries in the area to get a good cream donut and then suggested we could try Nino’s Pastry shop. I called ahead to confirm that they had them. There were only three left so I asked the woman to set aside two. They looked much better than they tasted. The cream was flavorless and the cake potion had an unpleasant aftertaste. 

I felt as though my friend had been short changed on her birthday donut. Knowing there is an abundance of good bakeries in my area, she suggested that we celebrate my birthday with a Tour de Donut. This was an AMAZING suggestion and I was slightly jealous that I had not thought of it. Route planning began immediately and resulted in a 26-ish mile ride with stops at five locations. 

The first annual Tour de Donut (Donna’s birthday edition) took place on September 16, 2017. 

First stop: Gallo’s Bakery, Cherry Hill 
Sandwich type, soft cake, cream is sweet but not overpowering 





Second stop: Deluxe Bakery, Runnemede 
Sandwich type, cake is more firm and has a yellowish color, cream is sugary sweet 
These actually taste much better frozen 
Best value at $.70 per donut 


Third stop: Donut Revolution, Barrington 
I decided to break with tradition on this one and support a new local business. This shop serves specialty donuts. I opted for the peanut butter cup. It looked much better than it tasted. In theory, it is a delicious idea, but the base donut had a spiced taste to it that was overpowering and clashed with the other flavors. 

Fourth stop, McMillan’s Bakery, Westmont 
YES, PLEASE! The cream donut with granulated sugar (as opposed to powdered sugar) is my current favorite. And, while I haven’t had all of the cream donuts in the area, this is the best I have tasted so far. 
Sandwich type, cake is not too soft, not too firm and the cream is smooth, almost buttery. Eat one now, save one for later. 
Priciest at $1.40 per donut but worth it

Fifth stop: Randolph’s Bakery, Maple Shade 
Ah, the place that started it all! 
Stuffed type, cake is soft, chocolate cream has just the right amount of sweetness. My only complaint is that they don’t have enough cream in the middle. 

The tour ended with a stop at Wawa for dollar coffee. 

My actual birthday isn’t until the end of this week, but I am fairly certain that there will be an abundance of donuts on that day.

#milesformatt New Hampshire Edition: Cannon and the Kinsmans

There were heavy rains on Tuesday night. I woke up to overcast skies, which were predicted to clear as the day progressed...that, combined with the fact that I had all day for this hike (which started just steps away from my campsite) had me in no rush to get started. I made my way up the hi-cannon trail in what felt like a rainforest. The trees were wet, the trail was muddy and the air was heavy...then came the fog. It was a miserable way to start the day, but the purpose of these miles kept me going. Thoughts began swirling through my head and then I smiled...”you fucker” I said out loud. The first hike my brother and I did together was Siyeh Pass in Glacier National Park. We were completely fogged in when we got to the cairns. 

I stood on Cannon, completely fogged in and smiled, recalling our hike and the memories of that trip. From Cannon I made my way across the Kinsman ridge. It was possibly the most miserable trek I’ve made in the Whites. The trail conditions sucked (slick and muddy) and the “cannon balls” kicked my ass. The skies had cleared by the time I reached the summit of North Kinsman. I made a quick stop then pushed on to South Kinsman, where I was rewarded with a 360 degree, a dry pair of socks and a peanut butter sandwich. 

It was a slow descent on the Fishin’ Jimmy trail to my next stop, Lonesome Lake Hut for a delicious baked good! There was plenty of time until dinner so I spent some extra time at the hut chatting with hikers and gathering information about the best local pizza place...which I promptly made my way to at the end of the hike.

the day my brother died

On the day my brother died I was working at the gym. I had a few minutes between clients to make a quick call to my mom. I was in touch with her several times a day to get status updates. The one I received the previous night indicated that his vitals were good and there was no need to change my Friday flight to Texas. That was not the case on Wednesday morning. She told me that if I wanted to see him that I had better come right away. 

I hung up the phone and booked a flight for that evening. I made arrangements for Hazel to be picked up and boarded. I got changed, packed my bag and pedaled home to pack. 

The next several hours were a blur…and then I was on the ground in Austin, TX. My parents picked me up and we made a quick stop at the grocery store before heading to the house. We were half way home when my mom’s phone rang. It was Mart (Matt’s father in law). Everyone had been taking turns staying over night at the hospice. Wednesday was Mart’s night. I answered the phone...Matt’s dying you had better come right away...

I will never forget those words. 

He was already gone by the time we arrived. My mom said she had a feeling that Mart was going to be the one there with him. I had a feeling that he waited until he knew I was there with my parents. 

In many ways August 17, 2017 is more difficult than August 17, 2016. A full year of holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and memories have passed without him...365 sunsets. 

I still keep his final text on my phone...just wish we had more time...

what's inside

I’ve been taking the long way to work in the morning. It’s only a few miles longer, but it’s safer and a more scenic.

I pass the man who walks the old, one eyed yellow lab...the runner whose left shoulder is three inches lower than his right...the lady who jog walks while talking on her phone. It’s predictable and it often feels like deja vu.

Last week a couple of strong storms rolled through the area. My morning commute along Newton Lake was littered with tree branches, which forced me to ride with a bit more caution. Glancing down, I noticed a folded dollar bill on the grass by the curb. I passed it, then circled back (because hey, a dollar buys me a donut at Randolph’s) and picked it up. There were two bills...on the outside was a dollar, on the inside was a twenty dollar bill.

And the moral of the story is...

another round of four thousand footers

Last June I borrowed a book from a friend. It was a small miracle that I finished it (I am not a reader). 

The title of the book was “Following Atticus.” It was about a miniature schnauzer who climbed all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four thousand foot peaks. As I worked my way through the book I started to realize that I had completed a good portion of the forty-eight. I joined a group on Facebook called “The four thousand footer club-climbing and hiking in New Hampshire” and decided to complete the list.

In July I completed the Wildcat Carter Moriah Traverse. Last weekend I made my way north for two days of hiking (Tom, Field, Willey, Osceola and East Osceola) and added another five to the list.

On Friday night I stayed at the AMC Highland Center, which provided me with an excellent dinner (as well as a to go container, ninja style). Saturday morning I was up early and had breakfast with an AMC volunteer, who completely understood that I was traveling on a budget and applauded my “forward thinking” when I once again pulled out some tupperware to store pancakes, oatmeal and peanut butter sandwiches.

The trailhead was located by the parking lot at the Highland Center. I spent most of the morning alone, which was nice (no one in NH seems to hike before 9am) and made really good time up to Avalon (which had a fantastic view) then on to Field, Willey and Tom. I only had to backtrack about a mile on this ten mile “semi loop” of a hike. I was off the trail in four and a half hours, well under the book time of six hours and forty five minutes. This allowed me the rest of the afternoon to explore the area and drink beer.

Seven hours of driving, six hours of sleep, ten miles of hiking and a few beers...the recipe for an EARLY BEDTIME! I checkin into the Lafayette Place Campground shortly before 4pm, set up my tent, ate pancakes, chicken, sweet potatoes and a peanut butter sandwich, then passed out only to wake up three hours later, starving. I sat in the car and ate a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter while studying the map, then went back to bed. 

It was an early morning. I was on the trail by 6am to ensure I’d get home at a decent hour. Mount Osceola was an afterthought. I originally planned on Cannon and the Kinsmans, but that was a longer, more strenuous hike and I wanted to enjoy it. 


The rocky terrain made it difficult to get into a rhythm. This was the first time I’ve been on a trail in New Hampshire with switchbacks. Usually, the trail goes straight up. I was thankful for this, even if it made the hike a little longer. An hour and twenty minutes later, I was on top of Mount Osceola all by myself. The view was amazing!


After indulging in a cold brew and biscotti, I made my way toward East Osceola. It was a short mile between the peaks, which included a technical section called “the chimney” which was basically vertical rock climbing.

The descent to the parking lot seemed much easier than the ascent (which is atypical for me). In the last mile I saw several groups just starting their hike, which made me happy that I got an early start. After a quick change of clothes I was in the car and headed south. 

Only 18 more to go!

one day early

I was almost half way to work by the time I realized that tomorrow is the 17th. Monday is a long day for me. This week, my parents are in Texas so the Hazelnator will be alone.

Fueled by last night’s pizza and Cheez-Its, I decided to scrap my original workout plan and ride my thirty seven miles this morning. 

Sunday morning is a good time to ride because the roads are quiet. The weather was perfect. I was making good time, despite wearing a backpack which contained 60 ounces of water and my work clothes.

At mile 33 I thought there wouldn’t be a chance I’d do this in under two hours. At mile 34 I decided to dig a little deeper and pulled it off. 

It felt good to suffer.

A few hours later I was walking the dog and found this. It was your way of reminding me that you are at peace.