<p>I do actually love the TJ gazpacho - unfortunately the closest TJ’s is an hour away so not easy to reach. I like it because it’s still kind of chunky. :)</p>
<p>My TJ is within walking distance (as is a Starbucks, Weight Watchers, and a boxing club), which reminds me if the weather is nice tomorrow, I’ll walk there!</p>
<p>Had kind of a not-so-good week without a lot of time to exercise (pulled 2 all nighters) but kept the eating mostly in check, so tomorrow is another day.</p>
<p>PG, I hope you get a chance to catch up on a few Zs this weekend.
BB, good luck! Hope I have the right weekend this time…
KMC, hope you’re having a blast on vacay.
Gazpacho on, all. 
Me, just another rest day cooling my jets until tomorrow.</p>
<p>I’m totally bummed–have to stay off my feet for the next few weeks and take antibiotics. The ortho guy hopes this will help me avoid surgery to take the last hardware (a screw) out of my ankle.</p>
<p>Ouch, Bromfield! Sending you virtual hugs. Hope you will not need any invasive procedures this time. </p>
<p>Thank you, friends, for your support! I’m excited and look forward to my race. :)</p>
<p>Good luck, BB.</p>
<p>Hike 3 done. 5.5 miles of one of the flattest trails in the White Mountains, although It did have an extremely steep rock “staircase” up to the hut. It was a good thing. I don’t think I could have handled a whole lot of climbing today…</p>
<p>Made it home. Time for a shower and a big salad!</p>
<hr>
<p>Bromfield: </p>
<p>Aarghh. After your struggles with ankle infection, I know that this was not what you wanted to see. Hopefully, this will clear up quickly.</p>
<p>Good luck BB! Important stuff-what are you wearing? I’m sure you are going to look great!</p>
<p>Deb, the race I’m running in tomorrow is going to be a lot shorter than BB’s and not a big deal, but I still find it exciting. I might actually wear the tee that came in the packet. I like this one. :)</p>
<p>How did it go cooking the salmon, iDad?</p>
<p>Good luck, Deborah! Have fun!</p>
<p>Thanks, MOWC. It’s in a town where we almost ended up buying a house but didn’t, sniffle, sniffle.</p>
<p>Run fast, Deborah, and have fun! </p>
<p>Yes, we’d love to hear the report about campsite cooking, idad!</p>
<p>Salmon was the low point of my culinary efforts! However, my coffee brewing was A-OK.</p>
<p>Camping was awesome overall, though. Lows around 40 degrees, so it was definitely a little nippy.</p>
<p>DebT - good luck. Run don’t think!</p>
<p>Ohio, lol, yeah…</p>
<p>iDad, re salmon: the best laid plans…</p>
<p>I can’t figure out what races Deborah and BB are doing, I can’t find the posts that say it. Is it the zombie run? That one sounds just hilarious!!</p>
<p>OK, I just uploaded the [YouTube</a> version of my Mt. Eisenhower hike](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube).</p>
<p>The photos start with one looking down at the Mt. Washington Hotel and end with three looking up from the Mt. Washington Hotel. In the very last shot, Eisenhower is the tallest mountain in the frame, the rounded hump just right of center. The taller mountain behind the hotel is Mt. Washington, with the cog railway line running up the side. </p>
<p>This was the hardest hike I’ve done. It’s 3.3 miles to the top, with an elevation gain of 2700 feet. 900 feet per mile is pretty steep going, but that’s a little deceiving. The first mile and the last half mile have some long flat sections, so the middle mile and a half is climbing at a rate of 1200 feet per mile. That’s a sustained 21 degree pitch. Only a couple of really steep sections, but just relentlessly up. Took me seven hours to do the 6.6 miles, including two stops for apples and almonds and many, many stop and pant for minute moments on the way up.</p>
<p>This entire ridge, above treeline, is crazy exposed to the weather. The prevailing west winds just slam it. In most of these photos, the summit of Washington is just in the bottom of the clouds. It was 51 degrees at the summit, but the wind was howling. It was pretty brisk. There are also some places up there with pretty challenging footing and where a stumble would not be good. All in all, it gets your attention. </p>
<p>The totality of the experience, from the scenery, to the wind whipping, to the exposure on the steep bits made for quite a workout.</p>
<p>Oh. And these kids. Sheesh. In one group of young guys, one dude was climbing with a weight vest from the gym!</p>
<p>And, a couple of teenage girls, hiking with their parents, were climbing up to the summit in flip flops! :)</p>
<p>More power to 'em…</p>