An Almost Spring Update

Here I am more than half way through my Boston training and I haven't posted in almost two months! So, how is everything going? For those that don't know, the entire eastern seaboard was trapped in a mini-ice age for virtually all of January and February. Despite its exceptionalism, New York did not escape the arctic air. While I managed to do all of my weekend long runs outside (thanks to peer pressure), I did most of my mid-week workouts on the treadmill. This did not a happy runner make.

The East River begins to thaw near Sutton Place

Mercifully, the onset of daylight savings appears to have broken Old Man Winter's icy grip on Gotham with the mercury forecast to be above freezing for at least the next 24 hours (I won't look ahead any farther than that because the weatherman has burned me too many times this winter). This has brought about the seasonal banishment of running tights, as shorts once again safely enter the outdoor rotation. Of course I'm happy to be able to run outside without the dangers of black ice, slushy curbs, and frostbitten fingers, but I'm also relieved that my laundry bill will take a nosedive--winter running clothes pile up fast!


That's probably far more than you wanted to hear about the weather, so let's talk about actual running--a novel idea given the purported focus of this blog. After finishing Houston, I began training for Boston, mostly following my team's spring marathon plan. My own Boston build-up always includes a trip to Monmouth County, New Jersey for the annual E. Murray Todd Half, a tradition I kept alive this year, though a slow final mile killed any chance for a course PR.


This coming weekend, I've got the NYC Half on tap. Although I've volunteered at this race for several years in a row, I've only run it once before--way back in 2009 when it was still held in August. I got my bib somewhat late in the game so this race hasn't been a big focus for me. That said, the weather is looking great and I'm hoping to enjoy myself out there. Mercifully, even though it starts at 7:30 a.m., the starting line is a short jog from my apartment so I can enjoy a little extra sleep.


Regardless of how it goes this weekend, I'm excited for spring, Boston, and a lot of other fun non-running things in the future. We'll see if this excitement translates into more blog posting...