No NYCM for Me (This Year)

First things first, I wasn't chosen in the  New York City Marathon lottery. That means that 2012 will be the first time since 2009 that I haven't done this race. Am I bummed? Yes and no.

Yes because this is an amazing event. There's really nothing like running over the Verrazano Bridge with 45,000 people while Sinatra's "New York, New York" is blaring at 100 decibels, or reading the creative signs along 4th Avenue, or making the turn off of the Queensboro into the 1st Avenue wall of sound.

No because, like last year, I'm signed up to run Chicago. While running two marathons a month apart is doable, the recovery period after the second one sucks. Last year it meant that my whole fall was either taken up by marathon training or by marathon recover (look at October which was a combination of both!).

When I first moved to New York I went to watch the race in Central Park and had an amazing time. This year I have tons of friends who will be running it so I'll have even more reason to cheer. As for next year, I'm working on my 9+1 so I plan to be back. 

Two Great Runs

Now that I'm not in marathon training mode anymore I also have more flexibility with my schedule so this week I've been trying to get in [easy] runs with other folks.

Last night there was a run from the Upper West Side Jack Rabbit Sports hosted by Baker (of Beyond Defeat), Erica (of Erica Miss America), Abbe (of the Lewis Report), and one of the folks from the owner of Zensah. I always love meeting new runners and it didn't hurt that there were giveaways too. I scored some new Zensah compression sleeves. Zeeve, their repowner, called them Carolina blue, but I'm calling it Columbia blue. (Maybe I'll post a review in the future). Anyway, the run was a nice four miler around Central Park and I got to chat it up with some new acquaintances. Hopefully they'll put together another one of these runs soon. I'm especially looking forward to one of Claire's infamous beer runs.

Image credit: CentralPark.com

This morning I met up with some Whippets for an early morning run in Central Park (can't tell you the last time I ran in the park two days in a row was). They meet every Wednesday morning at 6am and yet somehow I've never made it this group run. There were only four of us so we got to stray from Park Drive (always a plus), doing a loop of Harlem Meer, running through the North Woods, and along the bridle path. It was one of those mornings that reminded me why spring is my favorite season: the sun was out, the trees were green, the flowers in bloom, and the air crisp. It was definitely a perfect start to the day.

Now I just have to try and get some work done while I wait for the results of the New York City Marathon lottery drawing at noon!
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Yesterday's Run: 4.7 miles at 7:58 pace
Today's Run: 9 miles at 8:08 pace.