Running Through The New England Holidays
We’ve been settling into our new spot in New Hampshire really well. Life here is so much slower-paced compared to New Jersey, and we’ve welcomed the change. At the top of our to-do list during this contract was our goal of running a half-marathon in every location we live. However, there weren’t many options in New Hampshire, and the next race wasn’t until spring. So, we got creative! While we usually stick to the state we’re in, we found a half-marathon in Haverhill, Massachusetts, that fit our timing perfectly. We’ll still have enough time in New England to check New Hampshire off our list next spring. After the race, we celebrated by exploring the charming coastal town of Portsmouth, which had some of the best holiday decorations we’ve seen in the state.
Mile: 54,689
Quote of the Blog: “Live Free Or Die” - New Hampshire State Motto
Song of the Blog: “Cant Stop” - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The night before the race, Peterborough had a really cool holiday lantern display in the downtown park. There are not any real christmas decoration downtown, so we had to check out what they were doing to get the town festive. It turned out to be a really cool and unique hoiday lantern display. People had come down with ones they had made, and the local community art programs had built a lantern replica of the town of Peterborough. We had some fun checkin that out.
Haverhill, MA, is only a 45-minute drive from Peterborough, NH, making it easy to get up early, race, and still have time to explore. Before heading out, our landlord gave us a crash course on New England town pronunciations, correcting us on how to say “Haverhill”—apparently, it’s more like “Havrill.” This was just the first of many lessons in New England dialect, where places like Worcester become “Woschtah,” Portsmouth is “Potsmath,” and so on. When in doubt, it seems the key is to shove some marbles in your mouth and give it your best shot!
The race itself was called the Haverhill Jingle Bell Half-Marathon, and it was the largest race I’ve done in terms of participants. Amity once ran a bigger one in Kansas City without me, but this was our quickest turnaround yet—just six weeks after our last race. Training was tough, and we were definitely slower this time around. Our main goal was to finish injury-free since we have a ski trip to Montana coming up. The course was hillier than we expected, and the 25-degree weather didn’t make it easier, but luckily, there was no ice or snow on the route. We both finished with times we were happy with and felt accomplished putting this race in the rearview. With this, we’ve officially hit our goal of running a half-marathon during our New Hampshire contract.
Post-race, we refueled at a New Hampshire brewery called The Lost Cowboy Brewery, where we enjoyed brisket nachos and some fantastic beers. We also made a stop at Trader Joe’s, one of our favorite grocery stores, to stock up on snacks like Scandinavian Swimmers, Chocolate-Covered Almond Butter Pretzel Bites, and a holiday treat called Jingle-Jangle. Back at our rental, we soaked our tired muscles in the jacuzzi tub, which was a perfect way to unwind after a long day.
We had a midweek mission this week. That was to check out the local bowling. It is called Candlepin Bowling, and nothing like I have done before. We were able to get in and play. The lanes are much shorter than regular bowling, the balls are the size of a grapefruit and the pins are skinny like a candlestick. Overall, I would say it is really fun, if not a little more fun that regular bowling. You dont have to put your fingers into holes, games go faster and there is a full dose of novelty involved! Win for us!
The following weekend, we headed to Portsmouth, a coastal town with a lively downtown full of restaurants, shops, breweries, and festive holiday decor. After some last-minute Christmas shopping, we stopped for a drink at Surf Seafood and Bar, overlooking the harbor. For dinner, we tried Row 34, which ChatGPT suggested for the best lobster rolls in town, and it did not disappoint! We shared a lobster roll and crab cakes, and both were absolutely incredible. It was a reminder of how lucky we are to sample such fresh seafood during our travels.
To wrap up our Portsmouth trip, we visited the historic Strawberry Banke Museum, a neighborhood preserved to represent different eras of American history. Each house showcased a slice of life from the 1700s through the 1900s, and while I’m not usually into interpretive activities, Amity loved it. The night ended with ice-skating displays in the museum’s center and a nightcap at Earth Eagle Brewing. Their cozy space and great beer left us eager to return during our time in New England.
The drive back to Peterborough was just over an hour, making for an easy trip home. We’re thrilled to be so close to the coast while soaking in New England culture at a slower pace. With ski season around the corner, it’s time to swap out running shoes for ski boots. Here’s to conquering our goals, learning new pronunciations, and diving into everything New England has to offer—Living Rad and Skiing the East!