Yesterday I took advantage of the weather and did my 7th annual solo run for my fave organization Big Brothers Big Sisters Cape Cod. Good timing for the weather, bad timing for the scant two weeks recovery from the Cape Cod Marathon, where I had a 4:32, which is all I can expect at my age, it seems. But also because I ran into a detour in Brewster on 6A which added about four miles to the course, as well as the time spent in me futilely trying to circumvent the length of the detour by getting across the adjacent marsh (the boggy brooks and streams of a marsh always look more fordable from a distance that they actually are up close!)
Thus the run was probably closer to 54 miles, and all the wasted time allowed me to make the second half of the journey in a very relaxed and loosey-goosey mood with my excellent crew and Man Friday, ultrarunner Doug Lavoise. Stopping for the Nauset High School media class interview north of Orleans turned into a nice discussion of what Big Brothers means to me, as well as a more extensive interview that my normal "race and time-saving attitude" allows. Good laughs and chuckles all around, thanks to its teacher Kate McCully and her director’s hat, not to mention the generous envelope of contributions the kids had collected that week.
So post detour and post interview, the rest of the run was a late Fall travelogue appreciating the successive towns of the Outer Cape’s late fall beauty. Several motorists gave appreciative honks and toots at the sign Doug had sequestered from the kids placards "Go Pete – "Ray Big Brothers!". At North Truro I was joined for the last several miles by current walk/jog member Nancy Flasher, who ran to the Provincetown finish line. Provincetown teacher and 2009 class member Amy Rolicki was waiting at the end of the rainbow with another check and a beautiful bouquet of flowers for yours truly.
Everyone knows this is an annual labor of love for two of my passions, but if anyone wants to acknowledge that they fully understand the difference BB/BS Cape Cod can mean in sending a little kid to camp in the summer, please send a check payable to this fine organization to me at 344 Bumps River Rd. in Osterville, Ma. 02655
Even five dollars will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you and Happy Holidays !
~ Pete Stringer
Promoting running and multisport activities on Cape Cod and the Islands since 1976.
