NY trip continued
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind (and I don’t just mean the weather) so far, but here’s hoping for a nice, relaxing weekend, full of eating, reading, chilling and, of course, training! The weather has been up and down, mostly rain, humidity, and overcast, but there has been some sun – in fact, it looks pretty nice out right now.
I have managed to get in all my training, as well as doing some work and spending some quality time with Elizabeth and a few friends. Charlie’s definitely NOT getting the attention he’s used to, but he’ll survive.
The highlight of the week was going back to the City for a couple nights. It was our first trip back since we moved and it was really nice to be back. The sights and smells were all so familiar and it felt fairly natural to be there. I stopped into my favorite triathlon store, Jackrabbit Sports, got my traditional summer haircut at my old Cuban barbershop
and walked and walked and walked, something I’ve definitely lost touch with since the move. We were staying in Times Square, which was a total trip – mainly because I avoided the place like the plague for the 9 years I lived in NYC. I wish this picture came anywhere close to showing the chaos that is Times Square. (BTW: these pictures were taken with my new iPhone! Just because I don’t have a job doesn’t mean I can’t have new toys!)
I also got in a good, hard run in Central Park on Wednesday morning. I got a little later start than I’d planned, so I missed most of the running crowd, but there were still a bunch of people out there who I “raced” against to get that extra push. Even though training in LA has been incredible, I still think Central Park is one of the best places in the country for running. It has varied terrain with a few good, short climbs, there are enough cut-offs and side roads that you can run short or long, for the most part you can run protected from traffic, there is even some off-road running that you can do and there are always good runners out there. I ran a little too hard, but was having a blast and feeling really good.
We came back out to Wainscott last night and I went for a great run – my longest since the marathon. I ran pretty easy for the first 55 minutes, then pushed the pace for the last 25. I was cruising, but felt relaxed and calm. Very encouraging stuff. This morning I went for a ride. It was drizzling a little when I started, but the rain stopped pretty quickly. Then, on my way back, about 20 minutes from home, the heavens opened up and it began to pour! I mean torrential. I started counting between the lightning and the thunder to try to see how far away the lightning was striking and to make sure it wasn’t too close! It was probably a little dangerous, but frankly it was mostly fun, particularly because I was on my way home anyway. I hope to get in one more ride out here on Sunday. That will make three good rides during this trip and would make dragging the bike across the country totally worthwhile.
Swim – June 23
Distance: 3,200 yards
Time: 1:00
Run – June 24
Distance: 6.9 miles
Time: 53 minutes
Average heart rate: 150
Course: Central Park
Conditions: 70 degrees, some clouds, humid
Run – June 25
Distance: 10.25 miles
Time: 1:20
Average heart rate: 137
Course: Wainscott
Conditions: Evening run, clear, comfortable low 60’s
Bike – June 26
Distance: 45.0 miles
Time: 2:24
Average heart rate: 121
Course: Route 27 towards Montauk
Conditions: Cloudy and low 60’s at start with a few sprinkles, POURING rain, lightning and thunder last 20 minutes