Central Park Running Date

Running is easier, with a little help from my friends! R CAME RUNNING WITH ME! She's awesome. She's a new runner, wife, works in finance, and a fabulously amazingly wonderful friend. She has been doing so well and building up her endurance the smart and proper way! (10% increases). We had a grand time running. We started with a mile and a half on the 6 mile loop, then opted for the less hilly reservoir for a couple of loops to finish out a 5 mile run. 5 miles? Well, I actually ran to the train because I was running late, then decided to jog it out and clock it on my way home because I was feeling extra stellar, so that ended up being an extra mile! (.5 each way). That's the longest I've done since the marathon. I ran 4.5 at the beginning of December and felt confident to start building a long run on the weekends again, but I got sick for almost two weeks. Then, you know, Christmas happened.

Needless to say, I'm feeling better and more excited about running. I was getting a little down there for a while. The holidays were a tough season for my family, and after the marathon it appeared that my body was rebelling against me (Kidney infection, massive cold...). Now, I'm feeling the "get to" rather than the "have to" urge to get out and pound the pavement. By the way, R and I seemed to have planned our poses. Outside knee bent and turned in, arm on the hip, what?! Twinsies. Hey R, running a half marathon in March would ALSO make us twinsies. (I may or may not have sent her the training plan last night and infomercialed her today to convince her to join me...)

We met some really nice tourists! Kind people took our pictures...even though we live here...but we had to document our first run together! Even more exciting, it was R's first run in Central Park! Those are my marathon tops inside out...I love these two shirts, but felt weird wearing my World Vision tee with my name written loud and proud on the front. I didn't want every day New Yorkers shouting out my name in the street...just crazy Marathon supporters on 11/6/11.

What better way to celebrate a great run and the beginning of New Years weekend?! Thai. Mr. Miller and I went to our favorite Thai restaurant in NYC. Below are our entrees of choice; sadly, we don't really deviate because they're that. stinking. good. Seriously.

Thai beef salad. YUMMY.
Pad Thai. Hello old friend.

However, there was a show stealer from the excellent run. On the way home I stumbled upon some construction work. Look what they were constructing:

4. Blocks. From. My. House. Oh my. It's about to get real. I mean really real.

Any big New Years Eve plans?! Mr. Miller and I are going to R and her Mr.'s apartment for our third annual celebrating of New Years! So far on the menu: MANY RIDICULOUSLY YUMMY THINGS.

Tomorrow is New Year Goal time!