Late Friday nite flight.  Midnite.  Not always possible to office-scoot early Fridays 🙃  First red-eye cross-country trek in THREE years.  Notta HUGE fan of overnight travel & sleep deprivation but mighty good to have options.  Touchdown 9:30 Saturday morning: Welcome to Maine.

Toughest part?  Staying awake during the 3-hour layover in Newark.  Overslept a flight ONCE – my first marathon return from Alaska, 2013.  Still remember the panic of waking in Anchorage, at my gate/all alone ‘xcept for the humming of vacuums tidying terminal carpets overnight.  Yikes!

This trip, slept every opportunity/every flight.  Whole lotta sightseeing planned, sunshiny New England day.  AND FOOD of course.  LOVER of all sea creatures.  Lobstah, get in my belly! 🦞

Early hotel check-in, quick shower refresh, change of clothes, diner breakfast – Dutch’s.

Lotta diet change since Sunday’s gut wrenching DNS in Cheyenne.  Consistent pill popping, abdominal pain down, mind again engaged.  Not running this past week – that’s a fail – but food planning, big SUCCESS!  No bread, no dairy, no sweets/sugar, minimal fat, no alcohol.  SUPER restrictive me thinks; however month of October, all in.  Doc went to med school, not me – gonna give it a try.

Eggs, lean protein on the good list.  Diner fed.  Ready, ready to roll.

Scenic walk downtown, Portland Harbour slow stroll.  Did not disappoint.  Race expo at Southern ME University.  Bib pick-up, 50 Stater reunion site.  Next up?  Cape Elizabeth.

Think of Maine, ya think of lighthouses & rocky beaches.  Short 20 minute drive, Portland Head Light on Cape Elizabeth.  Gotta/hafta/must go.  Day’s WOW spot – Maine expectation met.  Bonus points?  Dropped to shorts & partner-in-crime’d a scenic/HILLY 4-miler.  Training miles for Stephen (half-marathon planned in Nashville), whoopie pie reward.

Hotel dash, ‘nother shower, dinner reservations at Grace.  Former church.  Stained glass, church organ, vaulted ceiling.  STUNNING.  What’s on the tonite’s menu?  Roasted clams & Frogmore stew.  Not exactly starving on October’s restrictive diet 😊