Ailsa in Boston, The Golden Jubilee & Marathon training starts!

Tuesday afternoon Ailsa arrived! This was the last stop on her US tour and she turned up looking tanned and VERY relaxed!! I dragged Ailsa out for a run along the Charles which she appreciated in the end although there was some grumbling at first! So lovely to run with one of my girls and as it was the first week of my marathon training program it seemed very appropriate to be running with Ailsa who was a key training partner along with Carla and Toni when I did my last marathon in 2005!

Wednesday I went to work and Ailsa mooched around Boston, got her hair cut and then at 4pm sent me a text saying she was sat outside my local bar with a glass of wine and so I quickly left work and went to join her!! Lovely!! We then met Meg and Liz and went off for an evening of Wine tasting at a restaurant on the waterfront - a very pleasant girls night out! I love the way that Ailsa is one of the Boston girls even though she doesn't live here!!



On Thursday Ailsa again chilled in Boston until I got home at 3pm (I was in work at 6am so didn't feel too bad leaving at 3... although there were comments from colleagues.,... I HATE the work culture in the US - it will drive me back to Europe for sure!!) I dragged Ailsa for another run and then it was time for her to head back to London.... booooooo

Ailsa its been FANTASTIC having you Stateside to chat to and see so much and I am missing you A LOT now that you have gone!!! Come back soon please!!

Having dropped off Ailsa at the airport it was time to head to Cape Cod with Liz & Lucy (Liz's dog!) to meet Denice & Ed (Denice's dog!) for the Golden Jubilee... Denice had decided to have a weekend of partying to celebrate turning 50 - and why not hey! So after a 3 hour drive... (why didn't we take the 1 hour ferry!?!?!) we arrived at Barb & Lisa's gorgeous cottage in Province Town and the celebrations started. We had a lovely dinner and just spent the evening chatting and singing and drinking Rose wine! Perfect!!

On Friday we had a wander round town which was very entertaining! P Town is the gay town on the East coast and it is a real case of anything goes..... you have to see it to believe it but lets say the people watching here is better than in Vegas!! Then we all decided it was far too lively in town and we headed for the beach and chilled!!

The beach!


Part of the party crew!

So everyone in P Town kept talking about the T dance....... which happens every day between 4& 7pm apparently this week's tea dance was not the normal affair because 'The Bears' were in town... typically its wear everyone congregates for a few beers and a boogie to cheesy music. I cannot comment on what its usually like as this was my first time in town but we arrived and you have to picture this because I couldn't take photos to capture the scene accurately! So you have to imagine an out door bar and then an indoor dance floor/sweat pit and A LOT and I mean in excess of 200 probably tall, hairy, half naked, hells angels/red necks lookalikes all walking around with their tops off and their jock straps showing above their shorts and they are all gay so they are walking round eying each other up and smooching each other.... it was hysterical..... I have never seen so many men on a dance floor, we were going to go on but it was way too sweaty for us girls! Hazel I WISH you had been there because only you could describe it in words!

Honestly I have never seen anything like it and I probably never will again but I am glad I have seen it - just simply too funny!!

After the T dance we headed back to Barb and Lisa's and had a BBQ and Denice opened her presents and we all chatted and drank pink wine which was really lovely! And then we went to see some friends of Denice's who were playing piano and singing at The Crowne & Anchor, they were playing lots of old show tunes and Denice was in her element - and quite rightly so afterall it was her Birthday and on your Birthday you get to eat/drink/do what you want to! This was a new Birthday rule for Denice but she got into it very well!!

Me with Liz and Denice!
Denice with friends Barb and Lisa
Mark and Tony
Here's the beach opposite the hotel where we stayed - nice!!

On Saturday morning we headed back to Boston there were things to get done and traffic to be avoided and naps to be taken before Saturday night out! I actually bailed on Saturday night's party my body had had enough alcohol so after going for a run to get rid of the alcohol in me I chilled out but well done Liz and Denice for partying a 3rd night in a row!!

Denice - it was lovely to spend your GJ with you and meet so many of your great friends - it was a great weeekend and you truely deserved all the love that you were being showered with! Happy 50th!! Based on yours I am looking forward to mine already!!!!!

On Sunday morning I headed to Cambridge to meet up with Camelle and head for the Minute Man trail which is a running, biking, walking trail that starts in Arlington near Cambridge, so whilst I ran, Camelle cycled and chatted away to me which really did help me along my 9mile run! The rest of my Sunday was very chilled catching up with family and friends and then doing 5 hours of work - serves me right for taking Friday off hey!!!

All in all a good week of balancing work, fun times and running - the log for this week was 5 runs totalling 30 miles!