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.

I'm Famous! (Okay, only sort of)

Last night I met up with fellow members of my running team for an easy downtown run. We met at Alamo also known as "the Astor Place cube." This run was a little different from normal runs, however, because we were followed by cameras! Somehow the folks at Vitamin Water heard about our group and asked if they could film us. (Confession: I'm not a Vitamin Water drinker, I'd rather have tap water.) Apparently their slogan is "Water, only better" so they wanted footage for a clip called "Running, only better."

The whole experience was kind of surreal. They outfitted one of our members with backwards facing camera on his head and he led the way. For much of the run we were tailed by a mini-van equipped with cameras. If you've never run along a New York City street while someone slowly follows you with a camera, let me tell you, you get a lot of looks! There were also two cyclists, one with a video camera on his helmet, who followed us since they could go places the van couldn't.

Perhaps the best part came after the run when they gave us free Vitamin Water interviewed several of our members. Because it was getting darker, the film crew had to bust out some bright lights. They also had a boom mike. In other words, it looked like a serious shoot. As we stood huddled around each other and the film crew, random folks came up to us and asked what was going on. Basically, we all got to play celebrity last night. If an when this thing airs or gets posted to Youtube, you can bet I'll mention it here.
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Yesterday's Run: 6 miles at stop and go pace.