Week in Review

87 miles
3 doubles
2 runs with the BAA girls
5 AFDs

Believe it or not, I actually spent the entire week at home--that's seven consecutive nights in my own bed, which is just craziness--and actually began forming some semblance of a routine. Jordan was gone from Tuesday until Saturday night, which made my solo Wednesday workout particularly challenging, but his absence also afforded me the opportunity to hook up with a new group of girls that I will hopefully continue to train with throughout my Trials progression.

On Friday evening, facing a completely empty calendar for the following day, I sent a note out to my friend Betsy who is temporarily living in Cambridge before starting a new job in January. Betsy resides full time in NYC and runs for the NYAC team; I met her through Heidi (who made a guest appearance in last week's blog for our NYC Marathon spectating/long run adventure) and she also ran at Dartmouth with my friend Melanie who is our favorite shirtless buddy Jeff's girlfriend. Got it? Good. At any rate, I hadn't connected up with Betsy since I was in NYC for 13.1 last spring, but in a recent email she'd mentioned that she often does weekend runs and workouts with the BAA competitive team. Turns out they had several runs scheduled for the weekend, so I happily agreed to drive into the city both Saturday (solo) and Sunday (with Jordan) to take advantage of the new scenery and company. And what a good decision--it was definitely worth it! On Saturday, Betsy and I met up with her friend Carly--whose husband, Terry, coaches the BAA team--for a fantastic 95-minute jaunt around the Charles River. The air was crisp and cool but our skin quickly warmed under the bright sunshine, and it was simply a gorgeous day to be outside enjoying the picturesque New England autumn. On Sunday morning I returned with Jordan in tow, and we set off again with Betsy to meet a larger group of BAA girls. Needing a more masculine environment, Jordan quickly parted ways, and I spent the next two hours exploring new territory and making new friends. I spent the final half hour with Emily Kroshus--a Canuck who actually went to high school with my North Carolina friend and competitor Heather Magill and also knows Meggan Franks--and it sounds like she will be a perfect training partner for me to link up with on my upcoming marathon-paced efforts. I can't tell you how I excited I am to find some like-minded women to run with, even if it's a bit of a hike to meet up with them, and I'm sure Jordan is just as excited to break away from my slow pace for a bit and actually meet a few guys. It's win-win!

Of course, next weekend I won't have to look far to find a training partner since Caitlin is coming to town. We're already planning a tempo run on Friday and a long run on Sunday--with any luck, interspersing several brunch outings before and after--and I can't wait to show her our perfectly quaint New England town! Things are still a bit hectic as Jordan and I get settled into our new lifestyles and surroundings, but life is very, very good.