Corporate Challenge
Well Thursday was the big day. The challenge was actually a lot bigger deal than I had anticipated. They estimated about 6,500 people participated in all. There was a huge crowd at the Empire Plaza, bands & radio stations, and people lining the streets of the course which had all been closed down for the race. The AMC team ended up with 16 people on it, mostly women .. mostly VERY fast women. My time was 31:15 (somewhere between an 8 1/2 and 9 min mile) and I was placed on the B-team. The top woman on our team ran a 21 min course. That is a six minute mile, which is ridiculous !
I was actually still a little sore from our soccer game earlier in the week, so I hadn't been running in between. TEAM NOVA finished it's first game with a 4-8 loss. It's a bit more competitive than I was anticipating and us girls only had one sub for the entire game ... but I did get one goal assist in there somewhere. I think I spent the rest of the time trying to figure out what position I was playing and trying not to touch the ball with my hands ...
Two more days until J & I are off on vacation !
Tulip Festival
May running mileage: 9Total running mileage: 44This weekend hosts the annual Tulip Festival of Albany. The festival takes place a block away from my house in Washington Park and lasts all weekend. Thousands of tulips are grown in the park, big noisy vendors put up tents to sell food & art, and famous outdated headliners like Joan Jett play to the crowds. It kind of reminds me of a watered down Boise River Festival. I checked it out yesterday but didn't spend much time since Jason is out of town and all dogs have been banned from entering the park ... instead I spent my Saturday working since we are so short staffed, and spent today doing some spring cleaning since I can't risk giving up my parking spot to go anywhere (tulip fest parking is insane). It has been a pretty shitty week at work. Tomorrow I have to fill another opening schedule at 5am. I have exactly 7 work days until my mini-vacation & it seems so far away (big sigh). Also tomorrow Jason & I have our first soccer game. He signed us up for some type of community team, and while I am excited to meet some people I am nervous to play seeing how I don't know the game well, have never played before, and we don't have a single practice ...
Exhausted
May running mileage: 7
Total running mileage: 42
It has been quite a long, action packed week this week. We had our ceiling almost cave in from a water leak in our apartment right above the computer desk, which has been an ongoing mess. Someone we work with got stabbed in front of a bank while cashing a check, really making me pause to think about a few things. Friday was gorgeous so we hit the road down to New Paltz, which is about an hour south, for the afternoon to climb (Jason) and go running. We got home fairly late that night and the next morning had to be out the door at 6am to meet a bus & head to Boston. I am a new member of the hospital "Recreation Committee" and this was my first trip to host, a busload of 50 people to Boston for the day. It was a drop-off downtown so I wasn't responsible for anyone once they stepped off the bus. Jason went with me and we mostly wandered around, loosely following the freedom trail, and visited the Bunker Hill Monument (254 steps!), the USS Constitution, Quincy Market, Beacon Hill, and the Boston Commons. We haven't made it over to Boston yet since living here so it was nice. I forget sometimes how much I want to live right off the water like that ...Today I went to the second day of the Pottery Fest. It was held at an old Quaker site which I never even realized existed. Everyone that participated were members of the Clay Guild I am in, but many were from out of state in Vermont or Mass and weren't familiar. The work represented was amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was very professional. They had Raku demonstrations, over 30 potters, live music, and turkeys! I wandered around and got some great ideas for things to try out. I also met up with a couple of people from the studio so we headed over there afterwards to put in a bisque load with the rest of my pieces that needed to be fired. I tried out the slab roller for the first time and made some tiles. If they turn out I will take them with me to my Raku class and see what I can do with them.At any rate I am beat and not at all ready for another week of work. The dreaded Monday morning should be only slightly better due to the much awaited grand opening of a Starbucks across the street. (The only reason this is exciting is because for some reason it's the ONLY place in existence in Albany to get a latte).
I guess it's good to feel this mentally & physically exhausted from time to time. Not sure how I will feel about running tomorrow though ...