what i did on my summer vacation

I decided to take a few days off this past week and spent some quality down time at home and in NYC.  It was great to relax, see friends, run, and do some shopping.  

Friday through Sunday, I was in Jersey City visiting Erin (see my last post).  On Saturday, she walked me to the entrance of Liberty State Park where I was able to run a scenic, beautiful 5miles.  Here are some of the sights: 

Why the water fountain picture?  It made me very happy to have some water on a hot day.  When I got back there were fresh New York style bagels and after a trip to the playground and Wayne's office, we headed into the city for some yummy tacos with some of Erin's friends.  So good and so fun!!  Sunday was spent in a number of public transportation vehicles, but when I finally got home I made dinner and went to bed early.  

Because on Monday, I planned to run 15mi.  I combined a couple of my regular loops to create a longer run...and with my helpful new watch I was able to know exactly how far I'd gone.  I strapped on my Camelbak filled with water, 2 Gu's, 1 package of Shotbloks, and my phone then headed out.  A bit later than I should have gone out (11am) but I figured if there wasn't a lot of humidity, it would be fine.  But let's be honest, it was still hot.  Whew.  

I have to admit that this was a tough one.  I've been struggling this summer with my runs and this one proved to be really rough for me.  I made it 14mi (at an 11min pace) but was really frustrated with the amount that I had to walk and the fact that I didn't make it the full 15mi.  Maybe I'm just going through a slump right now and maybe it has to do with the weather but I hope once fall comes, things will change.

Tuesday, I did a short 5mi run at a 9:30min pace and felt good about that.  Afterward, I went to the mall to do a bit of window shopping and get a couple new pairs of jeans.  However, nothing fit right and it was a big waste of time.  Meh.  The good news is that on Wednesday I went shopping again and was able to find some pretty sweet deals!  And I had a great walk with my roommate.  And I met up with one of my girls from church who is off to college in a few days.  Wednesday was a great day!

Now, I best get back to work!