Found A Couple

August 28th (Wednesday): Just shy of 5 miles (34:56) with Derrick in the morning before work. Work 7:30am-4:30pm. Busy day at work. Veggie wrap (beans, spinach, and mushrooms with French dressing) for lunch. Home to do work. Called about 10 dealerships and found 2 exact matches of what I want. A 2010 and a 2012 Honda Accord EX (both manual transmission) in Hartford, CT. Checking them out this weekend!

Cleared the head with an evening run of 8+ miles (56:44) at 7:45pm. Surprisingly not sore from the mile repeats. High visibility vest worn to ensure I wouldn't be hit by a car. Home to make a protein shake and FaceTime with Katie. Gave her the virtual tour of the townhouse. Watched some television and bed by 11pm.

13 miles on the day for a solid recovery day.

6 x Mile

August 26th (Monday): Tired. Slept in until 6:50am. Protein shake for breakfast and off to work. Chicken wrap for lunch (made the night before with Sweet Baby Ray's). Home by 5pm. Run with Goup and Shaun in the Luther Forest trails. Just shy of 10 miles (68:08) through the pouring rain. Lots of slipping and sliding, but a solid run. Home to make more chicken wraps with some hot mamas for dinner.

From the farmer's market in VT.

 Pickled cucumbers and hot peppers.

August 27th (Tuesday): 6:10am wakeup. Out for 3 miles (20:52) at 6:30am on my own. Protein shake for breakfast. Work 7:30am-4:15pm. Home to relax and I am officially fed up with the Subaru Outback's constant issues. I am attached to it, but I could use a new whip. I started to research away online and finally changed up for my workout around 5:30ish. 6xmile with 400 rest. Derrick stopped by before I could make it out the door so it delayed my departure a bit. Finally I was on the road to Burnt Hills High School at 7pm.

3.25 mile warmup (21:08) through the neighborhoods. Over to the track to do a couple strides and switch up the kicks into these babies:

I forgot how amazing these Nike Streak 4's feel on my feet.

6 x mile: 5:05, 5:04, 5:03, 5:01, 4:58, 4:56.

Kept the rest honest at 1:40-1:45 (last rest interval at 1:31). Everything was wicked even and smooth. Streaks felt great and happy with the results. Total time: 40:17. 5:23 pace overall.

3.25 mile cooldown (21:29) through the darkness. On a huge runner's high towards the end of the cooldown and on the car ride home. Protein shake and a spinach/onion omelet for dinner to rebuild the muscles I just ripped into shreds. Bed at a decent hour. 14 miles for the afternoon and 17 miles on the day.

Topped with ketchup and pepper.

Weekend Shenanigans

August 24th (Saturday): 8am wakeup. Some breakfast snacks. Out for 6 miles (41:58) at 9:15am. Back to stretch, foam roll, and shower up for the harness track in Saratoga. Watched some horse racing, placed a bet (lost), and hung out with some co-workers for a few hours.

Headed out to meet up with Sean Gavs at SPAC for an easy 7 miles (50:11) through the trails. Back to the house to shower up and grab some food before making my way back up to Saratoga to hang out for the night. Crashed on a buddy's couch for the night.

Souvenir cup.

Worth the 5 bucks.

August 25th (Sunday): 8:00am wakeup and back to the car to drive back to the house. Stopped at the grocery store for a Gatorade, orange juice and a frozen Kashi pizza. Oat bran with almond milk and maple syrup for some morning fuel. Chilled on the couch for a while before cooking up the pizza in the oven around noon. Lots of vegging out and refueling/hydrating for the long run (with a tempo at the end). 

Out the door by 5:00pm for a 12+ mile loop warmup in 77:13. 5 mile tempo loop through the neighborhoods. 5:15, 5:22, 5:23, 5:07 (overall downhill), 5:12. 26:19 for the 5 miles. Walked off a bit before a 1.5 mile cooldown back to the house. 18.5 mile long run. Total time: 1:51:43. 92 miles for the week with a good workout and a pleasing long run.

Sunday consisted of a 4 Cheese Pizza with bleu cheese dressing, the blog update and TV movies.

Smooth Like A Baby's Bottom

August 22nd (Thursday): 3 mile (20:44) morning run on my own. Protein shake for breakfast. Leftover Pie In The Sky pizza for lunch. Stayed late after work to escort a couple guys running the fire extinguisher training from 4pm-6pm. Zumba class being conducted in the cafeteria when I was walking back from the training. Cool.

Grocery store for a some major grocery shopping. Home to relax before heading out the door with Goup at 7:15pm for a run. 9.5+ miles (68:08) along some of the main roads in Ballston Lake. Started to pour rain in the middle of the run for about 10-15 minutes. Then it stopped. Helped cool us off.

Back to stretch, foam roll, and make a spinach and onion omelet for dinner. Bed by 10:30ish.

August 23rd (Friday): 4 mile (28:28) in the morning with Derrick at 6:00am. Work 7:30am-4:15pm. Taught New Contractor orientation for the first 2 hours of work. Chicken with spinach and avocado in a garlic and herb wrap. Busy day all around at work.

New safety specs.

 

Stopped down in Clifton Park to help Derrick out with some money. Back to Ballston Lake to change up for a workout. Goal was 5xmile at goal marathon pace with 400 rest. Over to the high school by 6:15ish. 3.25 mile (21:33) for a warmup around the neighborhoods.

5:17, 5:15, 5:14, 5:11, 5:08. Kept the rest at 1:41 or faster. Total time of 34:24. 5:32 pace overall. Felt wicked smooth and relaxed. Happy with the results. Cooldown of the same 3.25 loop (21:50). 17 miles on the day.

Home to stretch, foam roll, and make a protein shake. Dinner below. Bed at a decent hour.

Local frozen blueberries and pumpkin flax seed granola with French Vanilla yogurt.

Trapp Family Lodge (Stowe Part 2)

August 19th (Monday): Slept in. Some snacking before hitting the trails at 10am with Sarah, Bob and my mom. 12+ miles (1:46:41). All sorts of running/powerhiking done during this time. Some slower warmup running with everyone. A decent climb up to The Cabin. Powerhiked/ran up to Roundtop Summit with Sarah and Bob. They conquered their first experience with mountain running. Dropped them off and continued on some single track dirt/rock bike path.

Back to stretch, foam roll and eat some pineapple Chobani yogurt with coconut granola and a sliced up banana. Showered up and out for the day for some shopping and whatnot in downtown Stowe.

Photobomb by Bob. Blurry.

 Killed it.

 Shopping. Owls kill things. Peace.

Lots of food was consumed. Lunch at the deli. 1/2 pound of fudge with marshmallows mixed with it. Stopped at the Alchemist Brewery. Ended the day with some brewskis at the Trapp Brewery/Pub. Down to the Pie In The Sky for a few large ones. Pesto, Hawaiian, and a veggie. Destroyed 5 or 6 slices.

Crashed for the night on the pull out couch.

August 20th (Tuesday):  Slept in and tried my workout on this dirt track at the Stowe Middle/High school around 10:30am. I should of gotten out earlier because it was a little toasty out and no shade. Made it 3x1000 (3:06, 3:06, 3:15) and attempted a 400 (81). No dice. 8 miles on the day total and no 2nd run. A mix between the heat, the late nights, the not super great nights of sleep the last couple days. No worries. Reported to Goup and we pushed the Thursday workout to Friday.

Uneven and slow.

A creek soak for 30 minutes with Bob, my mom and Dad. Felt amazing. Sarah headed down to Massachusetts for a 12pm interview so she was MIA for the afternoon. Lunch at The Whip. A burger with lettuce, tomoato and chutney. Just what I needed. Relaxed back at Trapp Family for a short while. Bob set up a tee time for 9 holes of golf at 4pm. Bob made a great suggestion with our skill level and being late in the day to play best ball. Made for a fun round and everyone contributed to our +3 score. Individually, I would of shot +10 to +15 easily. A couple nice tee shots, chips and putts. 

Back to the house to make salad with grilled chicken. Some random stuff to go with it. Nice light dinner to fuel up for the next day. Craving ice cream late night, but everything was closed. Bob and I drove down to the gas station and picked up a bunch of pints of Ben & Jerry's.

 View from the balcony. Can't complain.

August 21st (Wednesday): 11 miles (79:05) on the bike path. Some with Bob and Sarah. Some with just Sarah. And the last few miles by myself. A short creek soak before another killer Gables Inn breakfast. Go big or go home!

Poached egg, pancakes, sausage, and French toast. All to myself. 

Up to Smuggler's notch for a short walk. Car began to smoke because the boot on the CV joint cracked. Leaking all the grease on the exhaust system. Will be getting that fixed very soon.

Back to Trapp to relax by the pool before departing back to NY. Finished off my whole milk Stonyfield French Vanilla yogurt (1/2 a pound) with some granola before leaving. We all stopped at Ben & Jerry's for a traditional ice cream. Large sugar cone with Chocolate Therapy. Stuffed and ready for the ride back. Home by 8:45pm to unpack completely (that is a 100% first). Laundry in the hampers and all other clean clothes put away. Bed early.

View along the scenic route from the car.

Always a good time in Vermont with the family. Couldn't ask for better weather and better experiences. Can't wait for the next family gathering.

Trapp Family Lodge (Stowe Part 1)

August 17th (Saturday): 7 miles (46:47) first thing in the morning. Back to have a protein shake, pack up some food and all my clothes before hitting the road to Stowe, VT. Met up with my parents at Quechee Gorge for lunch. Ordered the Glorious Rachel with French fries. Hit the spot.

Vermont is always so breathtaking.

Arrived in Stowe around 4pm. Checked in to the place. My dad and I changed up for an easy 5 miles (44:15) in the back trails of Trapp Family. Lounge for dinner. Wienerschnitzel. Black Forest Cake for dessert. Ate like a king. Everything was so good.

Back to crash on the couch. Bob arrived around 11pm. Grabbed him from the parking lot and back on the couch to pass out until about 1am. Zombie walked to the bedroom to make sure I got a decent night sleep.

August 18th (Sunday): Woke up at some point and changed up for a "tempo" 15 miles. Found a secluded road on MapMyRun.com. Explored the route and it ended up being some Vermont State Forest that was a dirt access road. Siiick. 50+ minutes out and back quicker. 15 miles (1:35:20). Strugglefest on the last couple miles (due to the uphill battle for about 1.5 miles). Oh well. Work was done.

Back to stretch, foam roll and shower up for breakfast. Gables Inn for the special. Once done, we met up with Sarah at the Farmer's Market and went hard. Almond honey, Hot Mamas, local bacon from The Frozen Butcher, blueberries, and some other goods.

The rest of the day was relaxing. Outdoor pool, indoor pool, sauna, hot tub, late night walk over to watch the sunset. BLTs for dinner. Bed at a decent hour.

87 miles for the week. 2 solid workouts and 1 solid long run.

Pictures speak for themselves.

World Culture

August 16th (Friday): 6am wakeup. 3 miles (20:57) on my own at 6:30am. Protein shake for breakfast.

Busy day at work with tying up all the loose ends and making sure there is proper coverage while I go on vacation to Stowe, VT. Chicken, spinach and avocado mini wraps for lunch. Conversed with a guy from Singapore. He let me know that people (I think locally in the area of NY) are gracious when you drive. People wave you through and let you go while in traffic. In addition, complete strangers acknowledge each other in a passing by with a greeting or at least eye contact an a head nod. He said that doesn't fly in places like China. If you are friendly to someone you don't know, they are expecting you to want something from them or steal something from you. Hmm. Always eye opening to interact with people at work.

Home by 5:30pm to just relax and watch some television (after so many weeks of cable problems and crappy service). Sat on the couch for a few hours before trudging out for 9++ (64:55) at 9pm. Breezy and soothing run in the back neighborhoods.

Home to have a protein shake and a bowl of Autumn Harvest. Bed at decent hour.

 

Free sheets arrived this past week (with my purchase of my mattress)

4 x Mile

August 15th (Thursday): 5:50am wakeup. Rolled around in bed before using the bathroom. Changed up and out for 4 miles (28:15) with Derrick. Protein shake for breakfast. Pasta with green peppers, mushrooms, spinach and beans for lunch. Home by 5pm to change up for the evening workout.

Renee (Mom on Fleet Feet) let me borrow the keys to the high school she works at so I could use the track. Stopped at her house and chatted a bit. Over to the track to warmup 2 miles (13 + strides) around the neighborhoods. Track workout goal was 3-4 x mile (4:45-4:50). Depending on how I felt on the 3rd one, I would decide on whether to do a 4th one. My mindset was 4 x mile.

Cruised each one. 4:51, 4:47, 4:47, 4:44. Kept the half rest honest at 3:18, 3:19, 3:23, 3:07.
32:19 for the 6 miles. 5:23 pace. Sweet. 2 mile (13:22) cooldown. 14 miles on the day. Solid day.

Stopped at Renee's house to drop off the keys and hang out for a bit. Sydney and Addy (Renee's two daughters) were up so played with them for a while. Helped them clean up the living room and timed them cleaning up their playroom. Home by 9pm. Some chicken wraps made for dinner and lunch. Bed by 10:30pm.

Late Night Runs

August 13th (Monday): Slept in until about 6:45am. No morning run. Protein shake for breakfast. Busy day at work. Veggie wrap for lunch (mushrooms, spinach and beans). Home to have a protein shake and a Clif Bar before picking up Derrick to head up to Saratoga for the harness track mile.

Up to Saratoga by 6pm. Trotted out 4 miles for a warmup. Changed into flats and a couple swigs of Gatorade. Some strides on the track before a 6:55pm heat  (the fast heat of sub 5 guys). An aggressive start and lead until the last 100. 4:32. Happy with the even race. Just don't have that closing gear. 5+ mile cooldown on my own back to our buddy's house. Chilled for a bit before making it back to Ballston Lake.

Spinach and mushroom omelet for dinner.

Tastes better than it looks. Added ketchup.

August 14th (Tuesday): 3+ (23:50) with Derrick at 6am. Protein shake for breakfast. Cold pasta salad made that morning for lunch. Up to Saratoga to grab a new cable box. Checked the mail and did a little grocery shopping before making it back to the house.

Thunderstorm rolled through hardcore around 6:45pm. Made it out for my tempo 10 at 8pm. 10 mile loop (normal one with lots of rolling hills) was on the agenda. Through 5 miles in 28:20. Finished up in 55:42. Trotted off 5:42 for an easy cooldown and 14+ miles on the day.

Yogurt and granola (wicked delicious) for dinner with a protein shake.

Great combo. Coconut chia granola.

Boom.

 
August 15th (Wednesday):3+ (21:40) miles with Derrick in the morning, Protein shake with some local (co-worker's father in law) blueberries. Mmm. Kicked it up a notch! Out for BBQ for our weekly staff meeting, Slop bucket. 10 bucks for coleslaw, curly Q fries, pulled pork, and baked beans. A side of corn bread. Destroyed. No picture since I was with a bunch of co-workers and I was wayy too hungry.

Great source of antioxidants.

Home by 5pm. Passed out on the couch for a couple hours. Up at 8pm. Out for an easy 6 miles (43:43) in the pitch dark at 8:30pm. Hi-vis vest and blinking light utilized. Back to stretch, foam roll, and a small couple chicken wraps for dinner. Lunch already made this morning for tomorrow. I forgot we were heading out BBQ for lunch. Worked out well though.

Mixed in a bowl and tossed in a wrap.

Weekend (Clay Pigeons, Sushi, and Pizza)

August 10th (Saturday): 7:30am wakeup. Over to SPAC for a easy run on my own. 7.5+ miles (56:53) through some trails and paved paths. Back to Ballston Lake to shower and get ready to head down to southern NY for some trap shooting via the sporting clay course. Met up with my dad and my uncle David. Stopped at the local grocery store because I was starving. 8 rolls, a pound of Boar's Head ham, and a thing of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. Two hefty sandwiches before we starting shooting. One in the parking lot of the grocery store and one in the parking lot of the shooting grounds.

Diesel.

 Safety is no accident.

100 rounds on a beautiful day and shot pretty decent. 43 which is good for only shooting about once a year or less. Lots of fun. Down to CT to stop off at the Caraluzzi's for sushi and drinks.

With a side of seaweed salad.

August 11th (Sunday): Slept in like a champ until 9:30am. Some breakfast. Bowl of cereal and snacks. Changed up for a run eventually and ate some eggplant casserole for more fuel. Mapped out a 15+ mile run. Out the door by 2:30pm.

15+ (1:42:39) on my own on a beautiful breezy day. Back to stretch, foam roll and grab some food. Outdoor shower and over to a family friend's house before hitting the road at 8:30pm. 83 miles on the week with a couple of solid workouts and a relaxing long run.

Smooth ride and stopped at Hannaford's for some frozen Kashi pizza. Heated up in the oven and destroyed it with some bleu cheese dressing. Bed by 11:30pm.

Mediterranean. 

Sliced into 4 convenient pieces.

Week 2 of MT

Made it home all the way from Rhode Island.

Old VHS holder converted into a shoe rack. Flashy!

August 5th (Monday): Protein shake for breakfast. Normal day at work. Cucumber salad and some snacks for lunch. 10 miles easy (69:35) after work at 7:15pm. Nachos for dinner.

 Devoured.

August 6th (Tuesday): 3 miles (NT) at 6:20am. Shake for breakfast. MOAB (mother of all burritos) for lunch. New employee for Colden started up at GLOBALFOUNDRIES today. Home to have a Clif Bar and get out for a run at 7:30pm.

Stopped at Target right after work to pick up a few things:

A small shelf for toiletries. 

Hooks for my towels to dry.

10 miles with 3 sets of 30, 60, 90 in the middle. 10.2 mile loop mapped out. 3 mile warmup (17:27). Started at the 3 mile mark and cruised a 5k in 16:30 through covering my 3 sets. Trotted off a 7ish minute mile from 6+ to 7 miles. Closed it up for home the last few miles for a 55:56 10 mile workout. Felt wicked smooth and happy with my specific work in the middle and the distance I covered.

Cooked up some chicken and made some wraps to eat for dinner (and lunch the next day).

August 7th (Wednesday): 6am wakeup. 3 miles (21:07). Shake for breakfast. Teaching NCO first thing in the morning. CEO of GLOBALFOUNDRIES walked around site so we were out in the field for most of the morning. Confined space inventory with a co-worker in the afternoon.

GNC after work to purchase 10 pounds of whey protein. Saved over 50 bucks with the Buy 1, Get 50% Off deal plus the Goldcard! Home to run 7.5 miles (53:52) with Derrick at 5:30pm. Home to stretch, foam roll and chill out.

Healthy mix of orzo pasta, broccoli, beans, onions, and garlic.

August 8th (Thursday): 3+ miles (22:55) with Derrick in the morning at 6:15am. Protein shake. Leftovers for lunch. Clif Bar for a snack once I got home. Passed out on the couch hardcore for an hour because I couldn't even keep my eyes open.

Over to the Burnt Hills track with Goup for a tough (classic Keene) workout. 6 x 800/400 alternating with half rest. 800 interval, 400 rest, 400 interval, 200 rest, back into another 800 interval. The toughest part (obviously) is the 800 after 200 rest. Made it happen even in the humid weather.

2:25, 72, 2:23, 70, 2:23, 70, 2:23, 70, 2:23, 68, 2:22, 65. 37:13 for total time (5:31 pace). 2 mile warmup (13:16 + strides) and 2 mile (15:02) cooldown. 14 miles on the day.

August 9th (Friday): 5 miles (36:35) in the morning. 5 miles (33:31) right after work. Easy Friday. Down to Saratoga for going away outing for a co-worker. Crashed on my buddy's couch and anticipated a night over so I brought running clothes for a Saturday morning run at Saratoga State Park.

Run 4 Kerri Weekend

August 3rd (Saturday): Easy 5 miles (44:58) with Sarah in the morning hours. A couple garage sales. Cleaned up on the only 2 we stopped at right down the road. Cider Mill and OMG antiques for some searching of nicknacks. Late lunch at Rye & Thyme. Split a sandwich and salad with Bob. Yeah, we close like that.

Breakfast with my Dad via FaceTime.

Downloaded a new app called The Vine and sat on there for a few hours. Never made it out for a 2nd run. Oops. Homemade pasta and sauce for dinner with Bob and Sarah. Bed by 11ish.

August 4th (Sunday): 5:50am wakeup. Some oat bran for breakfast. Made the drive down to Wakefield, RI. Arrived by 7:30ish. Inside to pick up my number and relax in the elite suite in the school. 3 mile warmup (21 + strides). 9am start. Lots of competition so I knew it was gonna be a fast start. Kept within my means and ran a tough race. 5:00 (shock to the system and felt wayyy faster), 5:10 (hurt, but okay), 5:11 (pushed this mile and not much came of it), 5:04 (strong finish with some downhill). Finished 6th overall in 20:25 and grabbed some money. Sweet. A couple boxes of  "The Switch." A sparkling juice drink. 5 mile cooldown (35:32). Over to the race director's house, Scott Bessette. Pizza, burgers and hotdogs. Hung out for a bit before making the trip back New York.

Ripped.

Terrible arm swing while sprinting.

 Boom.

Pain face.

Another 5+ miles (38:11) once I arrived back at the house around 8:30pm. Back to stretch, foam roll and make a protein shake. Bed at a decent hour. 70 miles on the week. Happy with my workouts and the debut on the roads after a few months of mountain/trail racing. Staying healthy and enjoying the time out on my legs.

1st Week of Marathon Training (M-F)

July 29th (Monday): 6:30am wakeup. Protein shake for breakfast. Nonstop day at work. No real lunch break. Home to snack, chill and get out for a easy run at 7:45pm. 7 miles (46:02) with Goup for 4ish of it before we split to go separate ways. Smooth run and cruised right through it.

Chicken salad for dinner. Spicy!

July 30th (Tuesday): Oat bran for breakfast. Sausage, peppers and onions on a roll for lunch. My mom made a mozzarella and cherry tomato salad that was delicious. Destroyed the rest of that along with the sub.

Over to The Recovery Room for a bunch of waters with some co-workers. Home by 8pm. Out for a late night tempo. 10+ miles (59:29). Officially 10 miles at 59:08 with 3 sets of 30,60,90. Felt smooth and relaxed. Surprised my legs have bounced back to run this. Protein shake for dinner. Cut up chicken and marinated them in the two go-to marinades.

July 31st (Wednesday): 3 in the morning solo. No watch worn. Protein shake for breakfast. 3 mini wraps for lunch. Covered the SIPP meeting today. Home to chill and get out for an easy 7 miles (48:11) in the evening. Normal day overall and a two good recovery runs.

August 1st (Thursday): Nothing special on the day. Forgot what I ate. Most likely it was a protein shake for breakfast, wraps for lunch and a snack before the speed session.

Goal was 8x400 and times were gonna range from 65-70 depending on how I felt on the track. Goup and I carpooled down to Burnt Hills high school. 3 mile warmup (21:11 + strides). Ran smart and relaxed. 71, 71, 70, 70, 69, 69, 68, 68. Nothing crazy, but felt good after the 1st one. Total time: 16:20 for the 3 miles on the track. 4 mile cooldown (28:20). 10 miles on the day.

August 2nd (Friday): 5.5 miles (40:52) with Goup and Ken Little (Fleet Feet guy that runs for the team and lives right down the road in the same complex) for a morning run at 6am. Sorta a quick pace for a morning run, but it was a good group run.

 Some cucumber salad for a snack before hitting the road.

Home from a quick day at work. Packed up and cleaned up. A snack (above) at the house before traveling down to Leominster. Some snacks and Gatorade on the way over.

Amazing sky while driving to Leominster.

 

Out with Sarah for 5 miles (43:44) at 8:15ish. Rocked the vest for high visibility while Sarah carried the light. The vest was a bit small, but looked very slimming on me. Back to stretch and foam roll. Slept on the couch. PB&J in the midst of dozing on and off.

Parents Weekend

July 27th (Saturday): 7am wakeup. Breakfast and finished cleaning up the house. Parents arrived around 9:30am. Out for lots of garage sales in the area and some general shopping in Clifton Park. I had to teach my parents the rules of "tagsaling". Not too much chatter, don't show interest in anything publicly, always bargain, and if we pass a garage sale in the car, we cannot turn around for it. We ended up staying at one house for over 45 minutes (mostly conversation). Hmm. That's alright.

Eggs with mushrooms and onions. Wore sunglasses due to the sun (and no shades).

Over to Home Depot to purchase blinds for my room. Block out some of the sunlight in the morning. Finally home by 7ish. Late night run with my Mom and Dad at 8:15pm. 4 miles. Felt good to trot it out. Did lots of stretching and foam rolling before/after the run. Back to chill, snack on some food and watch television.

Long day, but a productive and successful day. Let the parents take the new bed while I slept on the air mattress. Ended the day with a quality strainer for 2 bucks that I can strain my orzo pasta with now.

July 28th (Sunday): Slept in. My mom and I headed down to the new bakery (Leah's Bakery) in Ballston Lake (Round Lake Village) and grabbed some pastries for breakfast. Cinnamon buns and a strawberry/cream cheese pastry.

 Bomb diggity.

The day was spent putting up the blinds and relaxing. My mom went out to buy blinds for the living along with a bunch of house warming gifts :) 9 blinds put up with ease (for the most part). The room and house is getting there. Settling in well.

Blinds and set the bed in the middle of the wall.  Tapestry up. Dresser from CT.

My mom bought me an ironing board & iron, a sponge holder for the kitchen sink, a new strainer drain thing for the kitchen sink, and a couple chairs for the porch to relax on after a run. Sweetness!

Relaxed for a bit once my parents headed out around 5:30ish. Always a great time hanging out with them. Destroyed the last of the Tasty Cakes so I can start clean eating tomorrow. Out for a longer run at 7:45pm. Just shy of 9.5 miles (62:32) and legs felt solid.

Marathon specific training officially starts tomorrow and I am feeling good. Excited to hammer some serious mileage. After a grueling New England Mountain series completion and being classified as a mountain goat (finished all 6 races), I am looking for the toughness to transfer over to the roads.