Tuesday April 28

Well, I'm home again. We got in yesterday afternoon but there was no way I was fit to get out for an evening run. I was exhausted from the journey and busy saying hello to the cats and picking up our puppy, who had been away being taken care of during our U.S. trip. I was awake before 5am and thought it might be an idea to get out for a run to get the gremlins out of my legs. It was pretty awful - just under 5 very slow KMs, but that's to be expected after a long flight. I'll go to intervals tonight since I've had a good few days off since my 32km, but I expect I'll be slogging it out. No matter, just getting back into it will be good. I must say, it is good to be home - I can't wait to be back running with my buddies again :)

Friday April 24

Well, today is d-day for my big run. I got up early, having left my running gear in the living room the night before so as not to wake Sugar and Sassy (they need their recovery sleep) and headed off from our hotel on East 50th Street in NYC towards Central Park. The first KM or so was a bit slow going since it involved crossing streets and weaving through people. Fortunately at this hour (6.45am) there aren't too many people or cars to manoeuvre so I wasn't slowed down too much. I reached the park after about 1.5km and began to pick up the pace. I weaved my way through the park and soon found the running path that circles the centre of the park. For most of the run, I stuck to that, stopping a couple of times for water and gels (a little more logistically difficult than in a race situation, but doable). I was very happy with the pace - 5.30 minute pace for 28km of the 32km. The last 2.5km were slowed by the fact that I had no idea where I was and had to stop frequently to ask directions to get me back to the south east end of the park where I entered, and then when I got to that point having to weave through the now busy corner of the park and even busier streets. Frequent stops for traffic meant the last KM was less than perfect, but overall this was a fantastic run. New Yorkers are lucky to have such a lovely place to run. It's very hilly, so my hills running really came in handy, but so pretty and very runner-friendly. I felt I'd earned a day (or make that 3 since we're travelling home Saturday night and won't get in until Monday afternoon) off.

Thursday April 23

Today we're heading off to New York on the train, so I got up early for a short run. Logistically it was too hard to head into Boston today, so it was back on the tiny path in East Boston. To the end and back was just 4km, so again I did a little detour around a park to get it up to a grand total of 5km. I took it slowly today and didn't worry about the time I was out as tomorrow is the big 32km!

Wednesday April 22

After a leisurely start and breakfast at the apartment, a very sore Sugar and Sassy caught the train into Boston with me. I left them at the common with my warm clothes and a promise to join them at Starbucks in a bit over an hour, and headed off around the river for an 11km run. The legs felt a bit stiff at first but warmed up and I kept a pace of around 5.40 without pushing it, so that seems to be my easy pace these days if the legs are cooperating. It was the same run I'd done on Sunday with friends, but this one was solo. Lots of runners were out on the course and plenty were happy to say "hi" or at least smile, which was nice. I saw a number of marathoners (you can tell from the finishers jackets) out walking and some lovely marathoner yelled out to me, "you're going well". I felt a bit humbled. The last couple of KMs were slowed by road crossings, bridge crossing, steps and for the last KM running along a footpath past shoppers, but it's a nice way to finish - especially with tea and warm clothes waiting at the end of the street.

Tuesday April 21

Yesterday ended up being an enforced rest, since there was some marathon thingy going on. The logistics of getting to the finish were unbelievable so fitting in a run wasn't an option (not that I cared much). Today, I set out from our apartment in East Boston to check out the local tracks. It soon became apparent that the path was very short. It was interval day so I found some way of getting in a 20 minute warm up, then did a Mona's session going around and around on an improvised track. It felt pretty good so that's the main thing, then I jogged back to the apartment, doing a small detour to try to get my time up a bit. Ultimately I managed only a 17 minute cool down - just not enough path. Tomorrow, I'll head into Boston proper!

Sunday April 19

Today was my first run with other people since leaving home. I got to run with my colleague and now friend, Robin, and another long-time friend Tom. We did a lovely little 11km tour of the Boston waters on a cool spring day. It's a lot of fun running somewhere new and seeing the sights, though I'm glad I normally run somewhere less congested. The path around the river was fine, but once we got into town it was near impossible to run along the street. Still, it was very pretty and really gives you a feel for the city. We finished at the ubiquitous Starbucks for a much needed hot drink. Sugar and Sas, Tom's wife Carolyn and Robin's partner Mike met us there and we squeezed around a tiny table. Sugar and Sas kept up their carbo loading for their little trot tomorrow, while Robin and I endulged in a lara bar (the best energy bars I've ever found - gluten free and full of yummy goodness; I wish we could get them in Australia).

Tomorrow, I'll run sometime in the afternoon - there's a matter of a small run going on in Boston today that Sugar, Sas, Biscuitman and Terrific are taking part in - I think it's called the Boston marathon. No big deal I'm sure - just a couple more people than our home races.

Friday April 17

Long run day today and it was a perfect morning for it. My legs felt fatigued after a week of running without any days off, so tomorrow I've earned a breather. Nevertheless, it was a glorious run. To spend more time in the park and on trails, I caught a taxi to a point further up on the path I've been running all week. It was then a short 3km to Wissahickon park - 2 to 3km on a lovely, quiet bitumen path running alongside a creek, before turning into the park and running on a wide, graded dirt road. What a stunning spot - if I lived here I'd have to live near this park and run it everyday - beats running alongside a busy road, pretty though that other run is. I ran along this path for around 5km then turned back and back along the bitumen path, before crossing a road and heading back along the busy Kelly Drive that has been my haunt these past seven days. It turned into a total of 27.25km - it might have been .25km more but I stopped at the Starbucks at the corner for a much needed cup of tea. I got some very funny looks in my shorts, sweaty top, peak and fuel belt, but I needed caffeine badly enough to ignore this. The last 8km were tough and the last 4km really tough, but I was happy to see my pace was pretty constant even when I was getting tired. It was only in the last 2km that I slowed a bit, due in large part to being back along the road and having to stop for cars frequently (how inconsiderate - don't they know runners come first!)

Tomorrow we head for Boston, for the very exciting marathon that Sugar, Sas, Biscuitman, and Terrific Terry are competing in. It will be a pleasure to be a spectator and to support all these fantastic runners and great people. I have a nice surprise also in Boston, with the chance to run with a colleague who I've become friendly with (virtually) but as yet have never met. Life is full of fantastic adventures.