The Errandonee Final Days

Errandonnee #7. “You carried what?” Pastries.

The final days of The Errandonnee were cold and rainy, but with determination to finish the challenge, I continued on. I banged out four errands by bike on rainy Earth Day, which was rather symbolic as I’d have normally driven by car given the weather.

Errandonnee 7: April 21. To the bakery to get pastries for Easter. (4 miles) Category: Baked goods. "You carried what?" 

Errandonnee 8 & 9: April 22. To the Post Office and Town Hall. (2 miles) Category: Personal Business (Mailed a package at the post office and completed an absentee ballot application for Will at town hall.)

Errandonnee 10: April 22: To the vet to pick up allergy meds for Rigby Category: Non-Store (5 miles) (During my ride: Stopped by Swampscott Pier to take a photo for 30 Days of Biking.)

Errandonnee 11: April 22: Trip to the market to pick up limes and scallions for dinner. Pad thai is on the menu. Category: Store (1 mile) (Observed on my ride: Ran into my dad.)

Errandonnee 12: April 23: Delivered flowers to my sister for her birthday. Only one got a little crushed. Category: Wild Card (5 miles)

Errands 8-11, Post office, town hall, vet and market

Delivering flowers to my sister. Alas, she wasn't home.

12 for 12 on this Spring’s Errandonne. I believe I met the category requirements. I certainly overshot the mileage. (All rides, of course, recorded on Strava).

Mission Accomplished.

Vacation Week Errandonee

Errandonnee #3 to the pet shop to get Rigby some treats

It’s been a challenge riding daily for 30 Days of Biking while also training for Alaska. My legs often feel like lead the day after a run and it takes a lot of energy to gear up for a ride. I added The Errandonee into the mix to spice things up, giving me a purpose for some of my low-key rides. It may be a challenge I can’t finish.

It's Vacation Week! To date, I’ve completed the following tasks for The Errandonee. (Categories noted.) I don’t know if I’ll get all 12 by Tuesday, April 23, but we’ll see.

Errandonnee 1: April 12. Ride to the school to drop something off at the front office. (7 miles)  Category: School. (Observed on my ride: Boston Tow Boat dragging one of the SHS sailing team boats capsized during the week.)

Errandonnee 2: April 13. Plum Island Ride to the ice cream shop for an iced coffee. (1 mile) Category: Non-store. (Seen on my ride: Herons on the salt water marshes.)

Errandonnee 3: April 14: Pet shop to pick up treats for the dog and pharmacy for various items. Category: Store (10 miles) (Note: Took a detour to the pier to check the harbor.)

Errandonnee 4: April 15: Taco Ride with Chip. Category: Social (5 miles) (Noted on my ride: That my son has ordered the same burrito for the last three years.)

Errandonnee 5: April 18: Ride to CVS to pick up Cadbury mini eggs to replace the bag I ate. Category: You carried what? (5 miles)  (Noted: Took a ride through the neighborhood I grew up in. Looks the same.)

Errandonnee 6: April 20: Ride along the coast to map the route for my five mile run on Sunday. Category: Personal Care (10 miles) (Observed on my ride: A pretty rough surf caused by a coastal storm offshore.)

Errandonnee #4, Taco Ride with Chip

Errandonnee #5, replacing the mini eggs I ate.

Four mile run, CHECK! Plus Errandonnee 2 and 3

Tortoise and the Hare 10K. I completed 4 miles of my training plan

It was a busy weekend with the Tortoise and the Hare 10K on Saturday morning with the girls. My training plan had my long run at 4 miles this week, so I didnt complete the full 10K, but had a great time meeting up with Alison (bib #1), Jaclyn (2), Amy (3), Jennifer (4), and Lila (15! Cover the 1!) -- I was bib #6.

After the race, I headed over to Plum Island with my mountain bike to ride some flat roads and sand. It was a gorgeous day! As I was heading back to the car, I passed a cute ice cream shop, and as I continued on, realized they might have iced coffee. Rather than stop at a Dunks on the way home, I turned around and headed back to the shop. I wonder if it would count as an Errandonnee ride? Maybe? I'm saying YES! Errandonnee #2.

Sunday, was definitely an Errandonneuring day. I was feeling tired from Saturday, but still rode ten miles around town with stops at the pharmacy for some items, (including a Kit Kat for Chip), and the pet shop to pick up some treats for Rigby, (who we adopted TEN YEARS AGO this month!) I had a full backpack headed home for Errandonnee #3.

Errandonnee #2, Mission: Iced Coffee

The challenge within a challenge

Day 12, 30 Days of Biking included
Errand #1 of The Errandonnee

With quite a lot on my plate already — training for a half marathon and several charity rides, swimming on Tuesday nights, and doing anything and everything I can to prep for Alaska — I’ve been squeezing in small rides to fulfill Year 6 of 30 Days of Biking. I hadn’t planned to participate this year, but it just didn’t seem like April without forcing myself to get out on a bike every day.

Adding to that quest, I’ve opted in for The Errandonnee as well — 12 errands in 12 Days (minimum total, 30 miles), from April 12-23. It’s a challenge within a challenge!

Like the Coffeeneurring challenge I love so well, The Errandonnee has a few rules. For example, your 12 rides must cover seven of nine categories; Arts & Entertainment, Store, Non-Store, Personal Care, Personal Business, You Carried What?, Work/Volunteer/School, Wild Card etc.; You can’t repeat a category more than twice; and you must document it in some way.

Today I kicked off the challenge by including an errand to the school! Chip left a check at home for his Track team fundraiser, so I opted to ride to the school and drop it off! On the way home, I stopped by the beach to watch a few folks hauling out the turtled sailboats the SHS sail team capsized this week. (Lol. I know Chip misses sailing, but I’m so glad he’s running track.)

Tough luck in the harbor this week for SHS Sail