Mary's Year In Review

I'm ready to kick 2009 out of here. Here's why...

January 2009: I started 2009 with a half marathon. Unfortunately, the 13.1 miles and the 14°F temperature proved too much for my immune system and I got the worst flu/cold of 2009.

May 2009: I received my Doctor of Musical Arts degree. But only after a 200 page dissertation, an advisor still giving me revisions days before my defense, and nearly 7 years of humiliation.

Summer 2009: I worked at a girls' camp in the Berkshires during the rainiest summer ever. I managed to get in some running and hiking between thunderstorms. I was also a regular at Lenox Coffee. (Same routine, different place.)

November 2009: I got married on the beach in Mexico. It was a perfect day! Sadly, we had to adjust our honeymoon plans to accommodate Hurricane Ida. I'm hoping for a second honeymoon in 2010.


See you in the New Year!

UK and the downward spiral.

It all started with good intentions. I packed my running shoes, socks, jog bra, sweats and sweatshirt. It took up, as always, half my suitcase. We arrived at Heathrow, with no sleep, at        7 a.m. We were scheduled for an Open Gym workout at 10 a.m.  By the time we got to The Hotel Florence (aka Anthony's sister's gorgeous flat), we had enough time for unpacking, changing, brewing several lattes on their plumbed double-boiler espresso machine (praise god!) and to head off to the local park.

I fancy myself pretty sporty. However, jet-lagged as I was and with no sleep for 34-ish hours, I felt like I was having a bad dream. The class was circuit training. 8 or 10 little areas with their torture equipment, so-called weights and jump ropes. Evil little things looked so small and harmless until we were asked to spend 2 minutes on each until all were executed. 

As I don't care to relive my torment, let's just say I have been as sore rarely before.

From that workout it was a downward spiral of exercise routines. By the following Saturday's second Open Gym class - don't ask; I am a gluton for punishment - Anthony and I had gone for 1 full hour+ run and one 1 mile run. That last run was shortened by the stiff Dublin winds.

I'll tell you what we DID exercise: our ability to drink copious amounts of ale and stout, nose to tale dining, umbrellas.

How does the tale end? We returned home none the thinner, moved house the next day and within a week were both on our way into winter flus. 

The score? The last 2 weeks, 4 runs.

Guess what folks? 15K this coming Saturday in Central Park! That should be fun.

Get Relayed!

Joesters -
A good friend of mine is organising a team for the Ragnar Relay that runs along a superb 178 mile route from Woodstock down to NYC on May 14th to 15th. We still need 4 or 5 people to make up the team of 12. Cost will be $90 per runner, and each pair of legs will probably run 3 legs of 3 to 8 miles long. Should be a blast and an overnight jogging adventure.
If anyone is interested, please let me know - we need to sign up by the end of the year to get the cheapo registration price.
Cheers,
SimonB