Monthly Archives: November 2013

Bucket List Check Off: Run the City of Oaks

city_of_oaksFor the seventh year in a row, I’ve run in the City of Oaks half marathon. So adding this race to my fall bucket list was special. Why? Because it was my 20th half marathon—and to run that in Raleigh and cross the finish line at the NC State Belltower was awesome. For anyone new to Raleigh, running in a road race is a great was to enjoy the sites.

The weather was perfect for race day. Runners gathered at the start line, near the NC State Belltower, and headed downtown via Western Blvd. The course took us into Downtown Raleigh with a great view of Red Hat Tower, then through Boylan Heights for one of the best views of the Raleigh skyline. Runners then went through the heart of downtown, up Fayetteville Street, over City Plaza, towards the State Capital. Continue reading

Bucket List Check Off: Experience and NC State Football Game

ncstate_07For anyone new moving to the Triangle, one of the first things you’ll hear is that you need to pick a team. Whether your fancy is football, basketball, baseball, or some other college sport, fans in the Triangle almost require you to pledge your allegiance to either NC State, Duke, or Carolina. I graduated from State, so my allegiance comes with an earned degree. And I’ll be the first to tell you that the tailgate scene at an NC State football game is one-of-a-kind. Continue reading

Garden Report for 2013: Over 2000 Tomatoes and Peppers

garden_03It was a good year for salsa at Ramsgate Manor. It was also the first year for my garden in full sun. Last fall, we had a 70+ year old Oak tree removed that was struggling with a disease. We decided it was best to remove it rather that spend the money to repair it. And the garden reaped the benefits. Here’s the breakdown of the tomatoes and peppers from the 2013 growing season. Continue reading

An NC State Sports Trifecta

ncstate_22 On the weekend of November 2-3, the family enjoyed a trifecta of NC States sports. We started out with football game against rival UNC Chapel Hill. Then we headed over to the PNC Arena for an exhibition game the basketball team was playing. Finally, on Sunday, it was a trip out to the ballpark.

It was a beautiful fall Saturday with a chilly morning and a 12:30 kickoff time. Michaela and David Huff joined us for the game. Jim also joined the family. The tailgate scene was off the chains with Carolina in town. There’s something about the tailgate that draws you in. The sights, the smells, the anticipation. Whatever that is, it was in the air at Carter Finley stadium this past weekend. Continue reading

My 20th Half Marathon: Raleigh City of Oaks

Post race party in Manteo

Post race party in Manteo

I have so many things to look forward to in late summer and early fall. Football season, good surf in North Carolina, and of course, race season! I maintain my running year round, but really start to focus on training right around Labor Day.

This year was no different. I started doing 10+ mile runs in late August and my training peaked with a 13 mile run in early October. October was a great month to train as the weather cools down here in North Carolina, but the distance caught up with me and I had to nurse some runners plantar fasciitis on my right foot. I somehow managed to still get in 100 miles last month. Continue reading