Monday night, B worked late and I hadn’t gotten in a morning workout so decided to pair doggy duty with exercise. We hadn’t yet taught Sady how to run with us but I’ve been told she’s old enough now (4.5 months) so I laced up my sneaks, grabbed her stuff and off we went. I took her over to the Hudson River running path which she is somewhat familiar with. I was pleased at how she ran next to me and only a gentle “stay with me” would remind her if she got off track. I had been told there was a dog park in the world financial center so I took the rugrat over there, thinking it could be her break. About halfway there she wanted to stop but I encouraged her. She seemed like she was having fun. I let her play for a while in the park while I caught my breath. When we left, she must have realized we were heading home and bolted back. She definitely wasn’t staying with me but rather dragging me back. I found out later she and B run back from the dog park so she was used to this. Since I had only gotten about a mile and a half, I went to the gym and did another 15 minutes of intervals on the treadmill. It was a lot of fun running with Miss Sady and I can’t wait to take her out more!

Monday morning was a tough wakeup, even harder being a Patriots fan living in NYC. Rather than sulk over the loss, I thought I’d try to undo some of the damage done during the game and start the week off right. I went for a lovely sunrise run along the west side highway. With everyone being up late last night (and presumably eating and drinking a lot) the running paths were unusually clear. It was the perfect 4 miles of peace that I needed to remind me that every loss makes you appreciate every win. 

The only professional photo B + I were in from the Manhattan Half and it was with our friend M! 

Sunday B and I decided to try a new running route. We didn’t want to go too far since we had done long workouts the last two days. While we had been running south previously, we headed north and did a nice 3.25 mile loop by the Venetian Bay. Before knowing the name, I already commented that the area, filled with homes on the water and little boats on docks, reminded me of Venice. It was funny to see a place that reminded me of Europe all the way in southern Florida! My legs felt like lead during this run, but I was glad we got it in because the rest of the day was spent lazy on the beach and watching football. Go Pats!

B and I spent a long weekend in Naples, FL over MLK. We got in late Thursday night and slept in on Friday. With a half marathon next week, I was planning to do my long run the next day, but B suggested that we do it Friday because of all the eating and drinking we would probably be doing that night. It ended up being a smart plan. We went out for 9.5 miles and he showed me the area. B was kind enough to slow it down to my pace (he runs over 2 min/mile faster!) and we chatted the whole way. It was the perfect way to check out the town and beach. The weather was significantly warmer than home but a slight breeze kept us surprisingly cool and comfortable. We were so happy we got the run in and then relaxed on the beach the rest of the afternoon. Lovely start to our mini vacation!

For the last day of 2011 I took out on a familiar route along the west side highway in order to get some good mileage in before the 10K this weekend and half marathon in 3 weeks (eek!). Unfortunately we had gone out to lunch not too long before and I spent most of the run feeling pretty nauseous. I had hoped to do 7 but in reality it was closer to 5.5. The day was beautiful and it was nice to see people out getting in some fitness before the debauchery of New Year’s Eve. Hopefully this week I can bump up my mileage and feel comfortable enough to get in more miles after Saturday’s 10K.

Tuesday morning before B arrived with the pup I decided to take one last run through Hingham. All the Christmas decorations were still up and it looked beautiful. Despite eating and drinking way too much over Christmas, the run went well and left me with great affection for my hometown.

Christmas Day, after devouring a bunch of monkey bread and Barry’s tea, my sister and I brought Damon to Bare Cove Park for a run. It was freezing cold, but Damon’s energy and my desire to get back to the heat pushed us through our run. Colleen wanted to turn around almost 1.5 miles in so we got just under a 3 mile run in. When we got home, we stretched and popped into the hot tub. Little snowflakes that were falling during our run were building up and it was fun to be in the heat with the cold snow falling around us. 

A few years ago, my dad and I started running the Turkey Trot together. Last year he wasn’t ready for it so I ran solo. This year, he was determined to run with me and my sister wanted to join as well. We tried to get my brother to run as well but he stuck to his Thanksgiving tradition of a boozy round of golf with his buddies that morning. Though it was tough for my sister to roll out of bed, she really impressed me by being ready in time. The three of us decided to get there as close to the start as possible and just line up, otherwise you wait around in the cold! We were sort of near the front and I told the two of them to take their time. Neither had been running much, so I didn’t want to exhaust them. We had a lot of fun! I tried to chat most of the time, to keep my dad entertained and not focused on being tired. We finished the 5K in about 33 minutes, which is much better than my father expected to run! I think this may have inspired my sister to really train for Falmouth next year, I would love to have her by my side. 

Turkey Trots are really my favorite way to start off thanksgiving. The fitness gets my energy going and gives me a little more of an excuse to indulge in food, wine and maybe a nap, later on. I was so thankful to share this experience with my father and sister.