Victoria Marathon Training - Week 4 (19K/12m)

NEW YORK CITY, June 29th-July 6th, 2008

I arrived in New York late Sunday night, after a surprisingly long and harrowing journey. After closing my apartment door behind me in Vancouver I spent approximately 12 hours being driven to the airport, checking in, clearing security, losing all my travel documents including passport at the airport, finding them collecting myself and chugging a martini before boarding, taxiing, taking off, cruising, circling the airport, landing, taxiing, clearing customs, collecting baggage, getting in the taxi line, riding in a cab from JFK to Manhattan, checking in, and collapsing into a strange bed.

I ran on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday - mostly in Central Park (pictured, left). The surroundings were not totally unfamiliar, since I did, after all, live just a couple of blocks from the park for 2 years between 2003 & 2005...But I didn't run very much back then and when I did it was more often than not on a treadmill at the West Side Y. The rest of the week went like this:

Monday
Met girlfriend JC for lunch in Soho, spent about 4 hours walking around. Met a few friends in Bryant Park for an outdoor film screening, but we were rained out before it even got started and went to rooftop bar at Metro Hotel instead.

Tuesday
Approx. 2 1/2 hour walking today. Did the 6 mile loop in Central park in just over an hour. Found it very challenging (hilly, hot & humid) - but quite interesting and different from my typical routes in Vancouver. Met a couple of girlfriends for lunch in Midtown. Treked up to Harlem to meet another gf and new baby, and checked out the Highline exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. Met friends B & T for dinner at Regional (Italian in UWS @ Bwy & W.99th).

Wednesday
Approx. 2 hours walking. Did 30 minute run including one lap of the Resevoir. Took a day off from visiting and touristing. Went to see "Mongol" at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas.

Thursday
Approx. 3 1/2 hours walking. Did a 30 minute run in Central Park. Spent a few hours at the Metropolitain Museum of Art, including the Jeff Koons exhibit on the roof. Met my former coworkers at old office & went for Happy Hour, then went for dinner with old friend SR at a Greek place in Tribeca on Franklin Street. Saw World Trade Site, it has changed a little.

Friday
Went for breakfast in UES at the Tramway Diner, E.60th @ 2nd Ave. Headed up to the Bronx to catch a game at Yankee Stadium (Red Sox). AMAZING seats in lower bowl near 1st baseline. Left after 7th inning rain delay. Never did find out who won (Doesn't matter).

Great dinner at a cute Cuban place in the East Village. Missed fireworks (sort of saw the tops of them from 2nd Ave).

Began night of debauchery and poor judgement (bar hopping in East Village, supposed to be the night of 10 bars - we only made it to 7). Great fun descended into reckless behaviour which soon developed into a sorority night gone horribly wrong. It all took a turn for the worse at the Karaoke bar - picture 3 women in their 30s stupid drunk and vomiting in public...not good.

Saturday
What was supposed to be a lovely last day in New York among girlfriends turned into mere survival. Checked into rehab, then somehow made it to the airport for a long flight home.

Sunday
Felt human again, but I had to concede a missed long run this week. No way, no how - nothing doing.

Back to the training schedule Monday...