A fun run after the dust settles!

This morning I did an RPM class followed by an abs class at the gym and after work I joined Chris, Andy and Jen at Parliament House for a training run. The strong winds from earlier in the day had eased and the rain never eventuated. In spite of the storms of the last two nights and the dreadful dust storm that hit Canberra yesterday it was a very pleasant evening and I really enjoyed the run even when Andy and I lost the others and ran back to the start a slightly different way due to serious lack of direction from both of us!

Photos from speedygeese dinner: Mr B and Jen, Chris and strewth.

Total distance: 10km

Time taken: 1:03

Average pace per km: 6:20

Calories burned: 570

I Hear Thunder!

Last night instead of training we had a speedygeese dinner at La Capanna in Kingston. Only 16 of us attended but it was lots of fun. We arrived home just before a huge storm struck. I went for a run again after work this evening and home just before another storm and at this moment I can hear huge claps of thunder outside which probably means I should turn off the computer!

However, I will just record the stats first as it was only a short run tonight.
Total distance: 6.03km
Time taken: 35:56
Average pace per km: 5:58
Calories burned: 350


Photo: Our speedycoach with his lovely Jenny

Running in the spring sunshine

Floriade - springtime in Canberra

World Age Group Championships Triathlon

Today, Monday, I have just been for a 15km run from home and round the lake. Tonight is the speedygeese dinner so there is no official training session. It has been a lovely day in Canberra today but now there are threatening black clouds on the horizon.

Such a Busy Little Life!

Having been gallivanting once again, this time in Noosa and the Gold Coast, in stunning weather, it is now time I returned to some serious training and healthy eating habits. CJ and I joined Mr B at Noosa for four days before driving on to the Gold Coast. I ran and walked every day in Noosa on lots of hills and undulations and the weather, shopping and coffee was fantastic. Then on to the Gold Coast for a week - lots more running and walking but this time on the flat - no hills whatsoever.

The world triathlon championships were great. Mr B took part in the age group championships and was placed 31st out of 43 in his age group. His cycle and run were really good but his swim let him down. However, the whole experience was fun and we enjoyed the social activities with him. My daughter joined us from Sydney for the weekend of the race and we all had a really good time.

I returned to Canberra late on Monday when Mr B then flew to Melbourne for a squash competition for the rest of the week and I returned to work and routine. I ran on Tuesday, returned to the gym for RPM and abs on Wed and to training on Thursday.

At training only four people turned up and we ran on the oval without lights against a nasty wind and threatening rain. In fact we just finished our session before the rain really came down - excellent timing. Craig led us as our speedy chief was on holidays. We had two warm up loops of the oval, one long, one short before our main session of 10 x 300m fast and 100m slow.

On Friday it was back to the gym for a Body Balance class and yesterday I ran an 8km run. Today we enjoyed a visit to floriade as spring has come to Canberra. It was really beautiful. Tomorrow the plan is for a long run and more constant blog entries. Yes, twoapples, I am alive!

How can she possibly be turning 80??

It's about time I caught up with my blog. I think I'll just start from yesterday and forget the last few weeks. I'm too far behind now.

Yesterday was a fantastic adventure. I ran early (8km) instead of going to the Vets handicap today as Ewen and I decided to go for a road trip and visit LL in Mittagong for an early birthday surprise. As I leave for Noosa and the Gold Coast on Thursday, this weekend was my only opportunity to visit.

A few weeks ago I made a ladybird birthday cake for my grand-daughter and posted a picture on my blog. LL commented facetiously that she would like one of those for her 80th. Now, I thought about this and originally thought that I would make 80 cup cakes, one for every year and then I reconsidered. How would she cope with that many ladybugs, what if she didn't like them?? Thus it was that on Sat I made a mummy ladybird and lots of little babies instead. My girlfriend came over to help me decorate them and it was such fun.

After our respective runs on Sunday Ewen and I drove off to Mittagong to surprise LL. And surprise her we did. LL was in the shower when we arrived having just completed a 20km training run (she boggles my mind). Jim showed us inside to wait and this gave us an opportunity to set up the cake, cards and wee gifts in the kitchen for when she emerged. It was a wonderful reaction and we had such a lovely afternoon enjoying a cuppa, a ladybug each and a tour of her pretty garden. We also met their three beautiful little dogs. What a pretty location and what a great place to run. How can this lovely lady be turning 80? She is such an inspiration and a treasure. We just love her.

And as for running, today I went to training at Parliament House to join the speedygeese in about 14 x 200m sprints in relay teams of three - challenging, tough, exhausting but fun! Is that possible?

Total distance: 7km

Calories burned: 390

Spring is springing!

Monday

This morning as the sun was shining I decided to dust down the bike and go for a ride. It's been a very long time! The sun was deceptive as it was bitterly cold and I fought against a head wind on the outward trip. The return trip was much more pleasant as, apart from the fact that the wind had dropped, I had warmed up considerably and my legs were starting to work. However, I had forgotten the discomfort of a bike seat - ouch! I will get back to cycling as the weather warms up as it is a quite pleasant form of exercise and is good cross training. Today I only rode 10km but it's a start!

5.30pm - Parliament House training

This evening after the warm up loops our main session was 8x400m with 400m jogs on a 600m course. It was tough but the pain was completely alleviated when we celebrated Helen's pending 50th birthday with champagne and dip - very civilized! Thank you Helen.

Total distance: 8.64km

Today - Tuesday

6.15am - Gym - upper body strength and abs exercises

5.30pm - I ran from home. It had been an absolutely glorious day with little wind but at this time it had cooled down somewhat and I needed a long sleeved top. However, it was still an enjoyable run. As I ran along listening to my music I was shaken from my 'stride' when a lady cycled up beside me and said, "excuse me, can I ask you something? I noticed your strides are much shorter than mine. When I run I get sore joints." I asked if I looked funny - after all, I've been told I look like I'm 'running in a bucket' and I know my style is less than ordinary.

"Oh no" she replied. "I thought to myself that this woman looks like she knows what she's doing so I thought I would ask about the short strides."

"Ah", I said "Our coach says that short strides are more efficient."

"Thank you so much. I will defnitely try that next time. I appreciate your help!"

Wow, thank YOU speedycoach, you have taught me something which I could pass on to someone else.

I continued on my way feeling quite motivated and happy to finish my run in the dark.

Total distance: 8km

Time taken: 49mins

Average pace per km: 6.18

Calories burned: 467

38 years on!

Hmmm - dreadful fashions back then! However, here we are 38 years on and so much has happened in the interim!

Last night we went out for a lovely dinner and came home to watch old black and white videos of Route 66! This morning I went for a long slow dodgy run - tight hammies, sore quads and dodgy tummy (probably too much wine and rich food) - not the best way to run but it was a stunning day - sunny but breezy.

Total distance: 16.29km

Time taken: 1:46:59

Average pace per km: 6:34

Calories burned: 970

A very slow time but at least I didn't waste the sunshine!

Short and Sharp!

Tonight's speedygeese session was a mix of 100m and 50m sprints in relay teams. After our warm up loops we were divided into four relay teams. We were evenly matched in terms of gender, being six guys and six girls, but we were obviously mixed up in terms of speed. Marg and I ran as one person splitting our 100m into 50m each as speedychief supervised the relays which meant an uneven number otherwise. Thus it was that in the first ten 100m sprints Marg and I ran 10 x 50m. This was followed by a reshuffle of teams where we were next divided into two teams and everybody ran 10 x 50m sprints - short, sharp, challenging but fun. Afterwards however the hammies twinged and I knew I had really worked!

Total distance including warm up and cool down: 7km

City to Surf - Slow but Fun!

Golly gosh, it's a week since I last blogged - oops, where do the days go? On Saturday CJ and I caught the Murrays bus to Sydney Central where we were met by Mr B (who had driven to Newcastle a few days earlier to try out his wetsuit in the sea) for the start of a great weekend. As our daughters live in Sydney we managed to spend some time with them as well as some Canberra friends before and after the run. It was a great day for the C2S - rather chilly to start but ideal really - just very crowded with 75,000 starters. I felt very comfortable even running up the hills (although Ewen did comment that was because I was running so slowly - quite true) and enjoyed the atmosphere. This was one of my slowest results for C2S, proably due to lack of training and excess kilos, six minutes slower than last year. However, it was fun and I was just happy that I ran it. CJ, who has an injury, walked briskly and we all had a fun weekend. It was amazing too that we came across quite a few Canberra friends in such a big crowd. The evening before we had met up with a couple of friends and as we were deciding where to eat we were suddenly bombarded by a large crowd of running friends including a number of speedygeese - it was such fun seeing them there!

I think my happiest moment was when my daughter (who is not a runner) managed to run almost the entire 14km without stopping in a time of 89mins. She trains in the gym doing RPM classes and has never run more than 5km in her life! It was a great achievement for her and made me feel very proud.

CJ, Mr B and I had rooms in the Hilton Hotel where we had a special deal - two nights for one - and it was just amazing. The shower even had a television on the wall - aquavision! The hotel also had a huge gym and on the Monday morning before a delicious breakfast CJ and I did an hour's workout. We had a luxurious and fun weekend.

Distance: 14km

Time taken: 86:07
Average pace per km: 6:07
Calories burned: 813

Wednesday

Yesterday was my son's 32nd birthday - eek, now that makes me feel really old. Steak and kidney pie was the request for the family dinner at our place. We are the only family I know who all love steak and kidney (apart from our vegetarian daughter-in-law)!

In the morning before work I went to the gym for my RPM class followed by the abs class - always a good way to start the day!

I'll start my diet (again) this weekend!

Ladybugs!

Yesterday was my grand-daughter's seventh birthday - how the years fly! I squeezed in a short run after work before joining in the family celebrations. The conditions were ideal, cool but no wind and I made it home just before dark!

Total distance: 8km
Time taken: 48:19:64
Average pace per km: 6:04 (almost down to 6 Ewen)
Calories burned: 470

This afternoon I have been making ladybugs - a mummy and lots of little babies for Talia's birthday party. It was lots of fun but as I was in the throes when it was time for training I missed it tonight. Looks like I may have to go for an early run before work tomorrow - a last hit out before City to Surf on Sunday.

It was a gorgeous sunny day today - maybe, just maybe, the coldest days are over but I won't hold my breath. Anything can happen in Canberra!

Bring on the Warmer Weather!

Tonight at Parliament House I ran just a little warm-up, meeting up with five other early geese on their return run just by the lake. Our main session consisted of the usual warm up laps before a similar session to last week in the same spot, except tonight it was 5 x 600 repeats as fast as possible with jogs back to the start each time. I managed 4 repeats before the warm down loop.

Total distance: 11.2km
Calories burned: 662

It was good to see Cathy M and Ewen for the first time since I returned from the States except Ewen didn't stay for the main session having already run 8km with speedychief earlier. Quite a number of speedygeese are heading for the City to Surf in Sydney this weekend. It will be fun even if I am totally unprepared this year.

I am so looking forward to the warmer weather. I am so over the cold and I've only been back in Canberra three weeks.

Sunshine and Great Friends!

With a very full weekend ahead I squeezed in a longish run early Saturday morning before reuniting with a friend we hadn't seen for more than 22 years. I just ran my usual route from home and round the lake. The sun was out early and although there was a bite in the air with a cold headwind in parts I still warmed up enough to run in singlet and short (and gloves!) for the majority of the run.

Total distance: 16.54km
Time taken: 1:48:32
Average pace per km: 6:34
Calories burned: 982

Obviously I'm not getting any faster and I used up those calories on a very full-on weekend - too much food, wine and loads of fun!

Geese Outnumber The Bilbys

We had 15 starters at Dickson Oval for training tonight (including a couple of new people) and outnumbered the Bilbys triathlon squad by 3 which I believe is a first! Perhaps us runners are pretty hardy people on these cold Canberra evenings.

Tonight after our warm-up loops we ran round and round the 400m track up to 12 times with a sprint on the straight. I managed 10 laps after being lapped twice by the fast runners. We finished with a cool down lap of the oval in the opposite direction.

Total distance: 7.7km
Calories burned: 450

The Anti Taper!

Next weekend is the City to Surf in Sydney for which I am totally unprepared. Since returning from the States I have felt lethargic and although I have been back to the gym and running I feel sluggish and I have not yet lost the weight which I managed to gain while I was away. I find these days that it takes months to gain a good fitness level and only a few weeks to go right back to square one and even gaining a few kilos can make all the difference to my speed and how I run.

This year I will not expect any PB's in my races but I do hope for improvement when the warmer weather arrives and I can run comfortably again.

Yesterday I went to my RPM class and abs class at 6.15am before work. Our usual coach was back to take abs class but I think she must have been on a course as she came back with all sorts of new exercises and it was very challenging!

After work I ran from home at about 5.30pm. It was dark half an hour into the run and I ran with caution along the back paths.

Total distance: 8.05km
Time taken: 49:59
Average pace per km: 6:13
Calories burned: 475

I have very recently finished reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. It was very exciting and if possible more gripping than the movie. Part of it was a race to find a bottle of anti-matter before it destroyed the vatican. At the moment I am working on an anti-taper (referred to in speedygeoff's blog recently). I need to building up my distance and speed with the C2S and the Vets' Half Marathon on the horizon and very little time left to train!

Speedygeese training on a cold Monday

It was sooooo cold out of the shelter tonight. I arrived at training about half an hour early but too late for the early session. However I ran on my own down to the lake and met speedychief and a few early starters on their return run. Training officially started at 5.30pm and after our warm up loop of Parliament House our main session consisted of:

8x400m with a 400m jog between (I only managed 7 repeats) along the south and west side of the road around PH sheltered from the cold wind on a fairly flat course

We finished with another loop of PH.
Total distance: 12km
Calories burned: 700

Blewitts Forest Monthly Handicap

On a brisk Canberra winter's morning a large number of hardy veteran runners turned up ready to face those nasty hills for the July handicap run. Many started in long sleeves and beanies but soon warmed up on the many challenging hills. It was good to be back out there again and I ran (generous terminology) all the way. It was great to catch up with lots of running friends out there even when one certain mountain goat ran up behind me calling "I can see where those extra kilos are strewth" as he flew past up the hills. Hmmmm, what are friends for if not to say it how it is! Methinks there is definitely lots more work to do!

Distance: 7km

Time taken: 44:30

Average pace per km: 6:20

Calories burned: 396

Handicap Group: 20

Place: 67th in the Thomas series (out of 88)

This is the first time I had run in an event using my new gandalf3 so was glad it seems to work okay. It's certainly more compact than gandalf2 but will take me a little time to adjust to using it.

Need for Speed!

Our favourite running spot in New York - Central Park

Friday
6.15am - Body Balance - I find this class excellent for me as there is a lot of stretching and of course the balance and coordination is extremely useful for someone with a body as unflexible and uncoordinated as mine. There is also abs work included and the lovely little relaxation to finish.

In the afternoon I ventured out for a middle distance run. Although it was a sunny day it was still cold all day as the wind was cold. In sheltered spots there was some warmth in the sun but not much. I ran my usual lake from home route but did not feel wonderful. I had to stop half way for a nature stop and struggled a bit during the run.

Total distance: 16:45km

Time taken: 1:47:45

Calories burned: 975

Average pace per km: 6:33

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head!

It had poured during the afternoon but the rain stopped for long enough to make the decision that I would go to training at Dickson Oval. There was still a light drizzle during the warm up loop and I was surprised at the number of people who turned up. We even outnumbered the Bilbys triathlon group who train at the same time as us.

Session: warm up loop of the oval followed by handicapped 8 x 400m efforts with 200m jog in lane 4 on 4mins.
Total distance: 7km
Calories burned: 395

I started on zero every time as I was the slowest and most unfit! Of course I found it hard work to say the least. I was freezing at the start but by the time I finished I had stripped off the beanie, gloves, long sleeved top and spray jacket and was running in tights and t-shirt.

Struggling to Regain Fitness

This morning I set the alarm for 5.30am (yes really) and went to RPM class at the gym. Boy, it was tough after a six week break and to top it off I next went to the abs class where there was a stand-in coach who absolutely killed us. We had to do 300 - yes 300 crunches AND front plank, side plank on both sides alternating with front plank without a break over and over and over. Boy, I knew I had abs when I left that class. I next returned home, changed into running gear and went for a run. Surprise, surprise it was a slow pace again after all that gym work!

Total distance: 10km

Time taken: 1:02

Average pace per km: 6:30 approx

Calories burned: 572

At the time of day I ran the sun had just emerged and although there was a bitter wind there was warmth in the sun and I ran in a singlet top. Later in the day it rained so I fitted in my run at the perfect time.

A Lot of Work Required for Improvement!

This morning I took the plunge and actually went to the gym to do an hour's strength work. Wow, it hurt! Then this afternoon I went for a short run as it really was a stunning day reaching 16deg. It's lovely being able to run at that time of day but I do have to return to work next week when all the red tape has been sorted out and I become permanent part-time. After all I have a little holiday to pay for!

Total distance: 6:6km

Time taken: 40:49

Average pace per km: 6:12

Calories burned: 386

I would not usually record these slow times but I have decided I just want to ensure that I improve by shaming myself into it!!

Strewth - I'm Slow!!

Tonight I returned to speedygeoff's training. I met up with Marg a little early and we ran a couple of km to warm up. What a misnomer - it was absolutely freezing! I could hardly move, it was really really cold and we were both struggling to run against the bitterly cold air. However, by the time we ran up the little hill back to the carpark we had warmed up ever so slightly! I still ran the training session in a long sleeved top, beanie and gloves however. We ran a warm-up lap of PH and then ran 20 hill repeats - what a way to start back at training - phew! Still I was happy to run every single repeat even though I was definitely at the back of the pack! It was great to see everybody again after more than five weeks.

Total distance: 9km

Calories burned: 460

Saturday 18 July

Today Marg and I decided to attempt a gentle longish run starting from my house. We ran to and round Lake Ginninderra and back via Giralang. It was great to have company but I couldn't believe how slowly we ran when I checked our time. Never mind, it was a start and we at least made the distance!

Total distance: 17km

Time taken: 1:57

Average pace: 6:52!!!!

Calories burned: 1030

All Good Things Must Come to an End!

Thursday 9 July

It was a much cooler day today and we started the day with our 7km Central Park loop. It was really quite pleasant but I was still very slow.

After a shower we took the subway to East Houston Street to check out some of the addresses of possible ancestors that we had investigated at the public library. A lot of walking was involved but all the original homes had been pulled down and replaced by Government housing apartments about 40 years ago - very ugly ones at that! It was not the most salubrious part of town but that is part of the charm of NY. One minute you're in the upmarket glitzy NY and the next you're in a rather scruffy area with its own unique personality. We also checked out a few places in our guidebook such as an impressive and popular deli called Katz which was the spot "where Harry met Sally!"

Later after lunch and changing into appropriate clothes we headed for the Ed Sullivan Theatre in Broadway to watch the recording of the David Letterman Show. It was fantastic being part of the audience and during the commercial breaks of the program we were entertained by a great band and vocalists. We were really lucky as all the guests were terrific. They were Bruno (aka Borat - the movie starts here tonight) and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and a Russian ballet dancer with the NY ballet. It was a really great experience with lots of funny anecdotes and jokes at the expense of the just-resigned Sarah Palin and the just-jailed Bernard Madoff -extremely entertaining.

After the show we crossed the road to watch the action outside the premier of the new Harry Potter Movie - The Half Blood Prince. Was that a glimpse of red-headed Ron Weasley, or of Hermione? The murmur went round the crowd that Professor Snape had just arrived! Actually we only saw the tops of heads and the red carpet but the excitement was intense and it was great watching people and some celebrities arriving in their variations of dress code - some very over the top, some quite casual. There was lots of screaming and it was fun being part of the action! The movie is open to the public from 15 July.

We returned to the hotel just in time to watch the David Letterman show all over again on telly but we couldn't spot ourselves in the brief glimpses of the audience.

Friday 10 July

Today we had our last run in Central Park - another 7km. Then later we headed for the Rockefeller Centre and went to the "top of the Rock". Wow, that was an amazing experience. In some ways it was even better than the top of the Empire State Building as the views were very clear. It was only 70 floors up this time but the top of the lift was a view in itself, as we zoomed up and down we could see interesting patterns appearing above us.

Saturday 11 July

This morning we met up with our namesake James and his girlfriend Nora at West Village for a delicious hot breakfast - a great way to start the day. It turned out to be a hot sunny day and after brekkie Nora and James took us to some local street markets before we headed off to Soho for some last minute shopping.

In the evening we had a huge NY pizza at Angelos near Carnegie Hall. It was delicious and we washed it down with a great bottle of Californian Sav Blanc.

Sunday 12 July

All good things must come to an end and this morning we packed our bags filling our extra suitcase and crossing our fingers that we would be ok with our luggage allowance! We then headed for the local Sunday markets. However, it was an extremely hot day and the novelty soon wore off. Instead we bought some bagels and headed for Central Park to eat lunch and sit and watch the turtles in the part of the lake where the green algae is cultivated for them. It was peaceful and lovely sitting there for our last little time in Central Park which has become our favourite venue in NY. It's so pretty and full of surprises. Later we walked to the Buttercup Bakery for one last cupcake before heading back to collect our bags from the hotel and catch a cab to the airport for our long long flight home via LA and Brisbane.

It was a nerve wracking time waiting for our bags to be weighed but we were cleared this time without any problems. Phew - the extra bag saved us as they are more concerned about each bag weighing more than 23kg which then becomes a health and safety issue. Spreading the load seems to be the answer!

Tuesday 14 JulyYes, we lost a day and arrived safely home on Tuesday morning. It took ages to unpack and we were determined not to go to bed too early to try to overcome a bit of jetlag.

Thursday 16 July

Yesterday (Wed) was definitely a write-off as we were both suffering from hot and cold shivers and felt dreadful. We assume it was jet lag. This morning, feeling better, I went for a run. My garmin needed recharging so I went out with no idea of speed. However I know the distance of that particular loop. The first half wasn't too bad but after that I had to stop and walk a couple of times. I had no energy and felt very sluggish indeed. This does not bode well for C2S which is in 3 weeks - looks like I'm heading for a PW but ah well, it was all worth it.

Distance: 8km

Footnote: We had an absolutely fantastic holiday but five weeks was definitely long enough to be overseas. I have had a great coffee or two since arriving back in Canberra and gee, we are appreciating our lovely comfortable bed! Indeed, there is no place like home!

Now I have some serious training to do!!

Why I Love New York!

We left Pennsylvania on Saturday and headed back to NYC in time to celebrate Indpendence Day. What a difference a week makes. The temperature had risen and the sun was shining as we drove into town in the late afternoon. We found out the best spots for viewing and later we walked along the Hudson River along with half of New York and watched 25mins of absolutely amazing fireworks, the most fantastic display we have ever seen. We had a really good spot and were so glad we had decided to return on time to see them.

Next morning (Sunday) we updated our week's laundry and walked round Central Park enjoying the sunshine. Dave queued up for tickets for the free showing of Shakespeare in the Park which is held each evening but it turns out that people arrive to queue for tickets from 3.30am along with sleeping bags and lots of supplies. The queue by mid morning goes for miles. There are 1800 tickets given out plus 50 standby tickets after 1pm but people still stay there until 8pm in the hope that people will hand their tickets back. It's extremely popular and the queue is the same every single day - not much chance of us being successful with those tickets!! I think we draw the line at a 3.30am start which may involve at least a 10 hour wait!

In the late afternoon we went for a run - yay, at last - back to Central Park where we ran from the hotel and the loop of the resevoir a couple of times. After a week of NO running it was hard work but it was still so good - definitely slow and very hot as the last time we ran there was no sunshine!

Total distance: 7km

Monday 6 July

Today we walked heaps exploring the city and our local area. We investigated a Runners' Shop but didn't buy anything (honest) except a triathlon magazine! We also discovered Alice's Teacup, a delightful little cafe based on an Alice in Wonderland theme. The choice of teas was seemingly endless - pages and pages and a lovely selection of scones and cakes. We had a look at the Natural History Museum with the intention of returning there and just generally had a lovely day of walking and rediscovering NYC.

In the evening we took the subway to Times Square and were sucked into attending a stand-up comedy act which lasted about an hour and a half and only cost us $10 each. The catch was that we also had to buy 2 drinks minimum each! It was fun though and something entirely different with six comedians with varying degrees of funniness! It did however require a bit of concentration to understand them. Sometimes it amazes me that we all speak the same language. Our accent must seem just as strong to Americans I guess.

Tuesday 7 July

Today was quite a day! We started it with a repeat of the run course we did on Sunday - another 7km - still slow, still hot!

After lunch we caught a bus to the MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art). What can I say? There was so much to see and after over 3 hours we had still not covered everything. It was mind boggling.

We walked back to the hotel and had a bit of a rest before taking the subway to Broadway to see the musical Chicago. Oh wow! We absolutely loved it. It's been on at Broadway for about 8 years but tonight was the debut show for the main character (Roxie) - Samantha Harris. She was fantastic and is apparently a co-host for Dancing with the Stars here. Anyway it was a great night and we had a light meal very late at night before wandering round Times Square and just enjoying the atmosphere well after midnight.

NYC is just always alive - there's a constant buzz even in the quieter areas where there's always something happening and people around. It's fabulous.

Wednesday 8 July

This morning we queued up for free tickets at Broadway to be part of the audience in the David Letterman show either tonight or tomorrow night. It turned out to be a lottery system so there were no guarantees. However, we had a telephone call to our hotel early this afternoon advising us that we had been successful and tomorrow night we will be part of the audience on the show - woo hoo! This requires us to arrive at the theatre before 3pm. The show is recorded from 4.30pm to 5.30pm but not shown until late tomorrow night here and possibly in Aussie the night after. It's very exciting!

Today we also visited the NY Public Library. I saw the gorgeous stairs which were shown on Sex and the City and we visited the amazing reading rooms - really incredible. Mr B was investigating some microfilm history of his family data and I perused other parts of the library while waiting. It's certainly extremely impressive.

Tonight we ate a superb meal at what we score as our favourite restaurant here. We ate a wonderful meal here a couple of weeks ago and we were not disappointed on our second visit. It was just beautiful - melt-in-the mouth food (salmon for me and veal for Mr B) and excellent service.

Reasons I love New York (in no particular order)

• It never sleeps
• There are lots of dogs but everybody always cleans up after their dog. They carry little plastic bags and you never ever see doggydo on the streets unless it's being picked up!
• Everybody is friendly
• The food and restaurants
• The theatres
• The museums
• Central Park
• The efficient subway system
• The shops
• Times Square
• The atmosphere and the constant buzz
• People watching
• The multiculturalism

Things I miss about Canberra

• My family and friends
• My running group
• The coffee!
• The open spaces
• The clean air
• The solitude
• Good eating habits
• Being fit
• A healthy lifestyle
• Lots of places to run
• MY OWN BED!
  

Cruising the Islands then Finding our Own Village!

Views of 1000 islands

Wellington Ontario

Tiny bridge separating two little islands between USA and Canada
Wellington - paddling in Lake Ontario

As we sat eating breakfast In Kingston Ontario on Tuesday morning (our time) we spotted two little black squirrels preening themselves outside the window. They were too quick to photograph but they were really cute. Since then we have spotted quite a few squirrels and they can move really fast!

After brekkie we drove about 30km from Kingston to Gananoque where we went for a three hour cruise of the 1000 Islands. In spite of the bleak day and odd sprinkles of rain (surprise, surprise) the cruise was really interesting with beautiful views of the islands which actually number 1,865 not the purported 1000; many of them are inhabited some with only one house! They lie in the St Lawrence seaway between Canada and USA and the boat criss-crosses between them.

After our boat tour we drove back to the US and stayed overnight in Watertown, not much there, just a convenient stopover, before driving 600km to Lancaster, Pennsylvania yesterday where we have booked an extra night because there's so much to see.

We had a very full day today. We visited two very interesting villages - the Village of Intercourse and the Village of Bausman! Now there has to be a good story behind Intercourse, Pennsylvania - apparently the village was called Cross Keys, but because it was the entry to the local horse race course it became known as Enter Course, which eventually became corrupted to Intercourse.... Or maybe someone simply had a sense of humour and an eye for a profit - the "I love Intercourse" t-shirts seem to sell very well! No, I didn't buy one - I would be too embarrassed to wear it in Canberra!! Then there's Virginville, Paradise, Bird in Hand, and Blue Ball, all villages in the countryside around Lancaster - Amish country, very quaint, green and prosperous. They really do travel around in horse drawn carriages, disavow electricity and television, make most of their own clothes in traditional style, wear straw hats, and teach their children themselves. They also have special Sunday clothes and the men wear black hats instead of straw! We were told all this on the Amish village tour today .... and it's a myth that they don't pay taxes. So there you are, an interesting and downright quaint part of the world.

The main reason for coming here, however, was to visit Bausman, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Lancaster. It turns out to be a small residential area, with no facilities other than a post office with a very friendly postmistress who is willing to stamp our postcards with Bausman as evidence!

Today we also explored Kitchen Kettle Village (very pretty) and Strasbourg which had a fantastic model railway and a Thomas the Tank Engine shop - our grandchildren would have loved it here! Our hotel is actually directly opposite the Dutch Wonderland and there are a number of very excited young children staying here as it's the school summer holidays.

To top off our day we had dinner in a gorgeous little old pub dating back to 1740. The food was delicious and the ambience just fabulous.

In Which a Speedygoose is the Victor!

I was reading about the history of Niagara Falls and came across the story of the first men to organise a tourist stunt at the falls. This occurred in 1827. They decorated an old schooner like a pirate ship and sent it over the falls with a buffalo, two bears, two raccoons, a dog and a goose. Reportedly only the goose survived! It must have been a speedy goose even back then!

Last night at 12.30am after settling down to watch a re-run of a Sex and the City episode there was a sudden very loud fire alarm throughout the hotel which obviously wasn't going to stop so we pulled on some clothes and went outside as we had to wait for the fire engines to arrive to ensure everything was ok. It took quite some time for them to give the all-clear but finally they checked everywhere including the attached restaurant, found a set of keys to turn off the alarm and we were ok to go back to bed at 1.30am!

After brekkie this morning we set off on our next adventure heading towards Kingston Ontario. It was a drive of about 400km and we stopped at a few interesting little places on the way. The roads were in slightly better condition than on the other side of the border - not as many potholes! There were some interesting houses which looked like they had their basements dug out to provide extra space with windows making the houses look two storied from ground level. The landscape was also extremely green which is what we're finding everywhere, something to do with the changes in weather - lots of rain interspersed with bright sunshine. We have to always be prepared for sudden changes.

Another interesting little fact is that Canada uses celsius for temperature readings and the metric system for distances whereas in the USA they still measure in miles and fahrenheit. Petrol is very slightly more expensive in Canada but still only about $1 a litre.

One interesting place we stopped was Wellington. As we lived in Wellington, New Zealand for a large majority of our growing up years it was fascinating to find this little gem tucked away in Ontario. It was such a pretty place beside Lake Ontario and we even paddled in the clear water and a friendly lady took a photo of us with my camera.

At one town we had to cross the lake on the car ferry to reach the next town. That was fun. Tonight we have booked into a little hotel in Kingston and our plan tomorrow is to explore 1000 Islands which are purportedly very beautiful indeed.

Niagara Falls - Canada!

Today it rained and it rained and it RAINED! We parked nearer the Falls and went to stare in awe. In spite of the weather the Niagara Falls are just stunningly beautiful. After being awe-struck on the American side we walked across the bridge and crossed the border (passports stamped by customs) into Canada. That was so exciting! There we were completely blown away (the umbrella almost was too) by the sight of the unforgettable and breathtaking sights of the falls - oh wow!

I think Charles Dickons sums it up really well:

"Niagara was at once stamped upon my heart, an image of beauty; to remain there, changeless and indelible, until its pulses cease to beat forever."

There are three distinct falls: the Horseshoe Falls (crescent shaped) on the Canadian side; the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls on the American side. When we walked beside the Horseshoe Falls we became thoroughly soaked not just by the rain but by the spray which became quite heavy as we drew closer. It was quite noisy too and just so impressive.

(For some reason I can't download my photos tonight so will try again another day).

After walking back to USA we then drove back to Canada and tonight are staying in Ontario (I hear the thunder outside again). Tomorrow we'll head further into Canada. On our long trip yesterday we noticed how lush and green it is everywhere. We know why!

On The Road Again!

Friday 26 June

We collected our hire car (this time a VW Jetta sedan with a huge boot) in the morning and left NY having re-booked our hotel (with a queen sized bed next time) for our return on 4 July to enjoy the celebrations in the city that night. Today we drove a couple of hours out of town to Woodbury Common factory outlets. There are hundreds of shops here but we only visited a very small number of them. While we were busy shopping the weather changed suddenly from bright hot sunshine to a severe thunderstorm with the temperature dropping considerably at the same time. Out came the spray jackets and umbrellas but we were drenched. The storm didn't look like easing in a hurry and we ended up staying in Middletown, about 20miles (30km) up the road, for the night. As we emerged from our car and headed towards the hotel entrance we spotted a strange little animal sheltering under the next car. We were told this was a woodchuck - so cute! I hope it found a safe warm spot for the night as it certainly wasn't there this morning when we left.

Saturday 27 June

Today we drove over 400miles (approx 600km) and have just arrived in Tonnamunda which is very close to the border of Canada and just a few miles from Niagara Falls which we will visit tomorrow. It's very exciting. We drove through parts of Pennsylvania today and through NY state which is very extensive indeed. Again the weather did strange things, hot and sunny one minute, cold and raining the next - no guarantees of staying one way or the other.

We passed through lots of interesting little towns and stopped at Corning where corningware and glass is made. It was a fascinating place with lots of gorgeous pieces of glass. We also detoured off the main road to investigate the car racing track at Watkins Glen. There's a Indies series race being held there next weekend and we spotted some racing cars doing some practice laps. However we were unable to go through the gates to have a close view.

Tomorrow will be exciting. We will see another beautiful wonder and will cross the border into another country!

Enjoying being New York tourists!

Central Park

Strawberry Fields in Central Park - "Imagine"

Tuesday 23 June
This morning we took the uptown bus tour. This included a tour through Harlem and past various sights of Central Park. The rain held off and the sun shone in patches and it was almost hot. Later we went on a 75min ferry trip, also part of our bulk tour tickets. This was a harbour cruise showing different aspects of NY sights from the water. We managed to catch a few good photos of the Statue of Liberty and the tall NY high-rise buildings and the contrasts of the very old and the very new. We were also shown Ground Zero from the water. We had glimpsed it from our downtown bus tour.

In the evening we walked to Little Italy for dinner in a lovely Italian restaurant. I had American white wine and Dave chose Italian white wine and to be perfectly honest they tasted very similar!

Wednesday 24 June
Today we caught a train to Battery Park where we took the ferry to Ellis Island (still part of our tour tickets) passing the Statue of Liberty and giving us great views on the way. Ellis Island Immigration Museum showed all the history of immigration to America from 1892 to 1954.

We spent some hours there but still could have seen more. It was fascinating. There were excerpts of people's experiences, fantastic photos and treasured items, clothing and bags that they brought over with them from their home countries. Over 5,000 immigrants passed through Ellis Island in a day. The museum gave a great insight into their experiences both on the long slow boat trip over and on their arrival on Ellis Island. Some of the dormitories showing their sleeping arrangements and the primitive conditions were pretty horrific. It also showed statistics of what happened afterwards and the procedures they had to follow before being permitted to stay in America. It really was a huge and fascinating museum.

The highlight of our day however was our meeting this evening with James who we met on facebook. He shares our surname spelt exactly the same way and we believe may be related to Mr B in the dim dark distant past. We met up with him at the Heartland Pub and had a meal together and really had a very pleasant evening. He was so interested in all the family history that Mr B has been pursuing and it was so amazing to meet up with him. He is such a lovely young man - surely he must be related!!

Thursday 25 June

Today was our last full day in NY - this time. However, we are returning on 4 July and will spend our last week here relaxing a bit more and also visiting a few more museums and spending more time in Central Park. The sun shone again today and it didn't rain at all. The temperature has risen to the low 30s and hopefully it will be even better when we return in 8 days. This morning we made the most of the weather and went for another run in Central Park. This time we went on the harder surface of the road. The road is divided into three lanes, one for the cars, one for the bikes and one for runners. It's great and so very pretty with all the lovely green grass and trees. It's just gorgeous out there. We ran to and from the hotel and the full loop of the park.

Total distance: 11km

We ran slowly (at least I certainly did) but I kept wanting to look at everything and take in the sights. There were quite a number of runners even for a Friday morning and lots of cyclists too. I really enjoyed it.

Later we took a bus to the fancy part of the city to look at the classier shops - soooo beautiful. I went inside and checked a few prices, some reduced by 80% but still expensive! One lovely Jimmy Choo bag was reduced by 50% from $1,650 to $825 (plus tax) - tempting!!!! Anyway, it was fun looking and we walked heaps today. In fact we've walked heaps every day - there's so much to see and do.

Tomorrow we are collecting a hire car (a Mazda 6 or similar this time) and driving north with the intention of visiting Niagara Falls and Pennsylvania among other places before returning to NY on 4 July to enjoy the fireworks!

The Real New York!

Couldn't resist snapping these geese in a shop window! Geese are all over the world (not just speedy ones)!

Thursday 18 June

The flight from LA was uneventful on Thursday apart from a little glitch checking in our luggage! I left Aussie with a bag weighing less than 18kg and this time it weighed in at 30kg - how on earth did that happen? I haven't even started on New York - oh dear me! Now apparently the weight wasn't the problem, it was the fact that each bag must not weigh more than 23kg as it's an OH&S issue with lifting them - a new rule. I swear they see us coming! Anyway they handed me one of those stripy little beach bag numbers and I proceeded to kneel down and redistribute luggage into backpacks and the little stripy bag until the checked-in bag weighed the right amount and we could go to the next procedure - the scanning station. Security is pretty tight in LA and it looks like we might need to buy an extra bag for our return. Apparently we can take extra hand luggage so that may have to happen or I may just not be able to shop in NY - ummmm?

Our next little glitch is our hotel room. It's a beautiful 'olde worlde' hotel - lovely decor etc but we have been given a twin room not a double one which means we have a large desk separating our narrow single beds and they do not have any spare double rooms so we're stuck with it. Of course, this could mean I gain extra sleep or something!!

Friday 19 June

When we arrived in New York it was raining which apparently it has been doing for some time. However this morning there was a patch of blue sky so we donned our running gear and crossed the road to investigate Central Park. Our hotel is situated on the west side of the park and just opposite it. It was so green, absolutely beautiful and a lovely place to run. We ran to the reservoir in the middle and ran round it twice before running back to the hotel. I noticed a couple of men with large brooms sweeping the puddles of water off the pathway. It seemed a bit of a thankless exercise but I for one appreciated the fact that it helped me avoid such wet shoes and splashes up my legs. No wonder it's so green in that park. There's also some lovely trees and lots of other little pathways and tracks to walk and run. It's very pretty and just as I imagined. We ran a total of 8km and I felt much better knowing that although I was sluggish I could at least still run the distance of the pending race on Sunday.

Later we bought $25 subway tickets which last a week and can be used on any train or bus. We caught a train to the East side of town to collect my race number, chip and t-shirt (yes, the entry included a t-shirt - yay) for Sunday then we browsed around that side of town for a while before catching another train to Times Square - oh wow! It is so fantastic there. People were sitting on plastic chairs in the square in the middle surrounded by high rise buildings, bright lights and a general buzz of excited noise. We bought half price tickets to go to a show that night and just took in the ambience and the wonderful feeling of really truly being part of all this excitement - New York, we have arrived!

In the evening we returned to Times Square to go to the live theatre and this time all the night lights were dazzling and oh, it was wonderful. We went to see The 39 Steps and it was so funny and very clever with only four actors performing a number of roles. We just loved it. Later we wandered through Times Square until it was very late before catching a train back to the hotel.

Saturday 20 June

This was a catch-up day in some ways. We caught up on a huge pile of washing and drying at the laundromat while it absolutely pelted down outside. Thank heavens we took our umbrellas and spray jackets! While our washing was doing itself in the machines we tried bagels for lunch at Zabars nearby. They were pretty tasty with smoked salmon and cream cheese and the coffee wasn't too bad. The only other place we have found half decent coffee is Starbucks but it does vary. Sometimes it's like dishwater! Other times it's not too bad.

Later we caught a bus to Soho - a really interesting place to browse. We spent ages there before catching the train back to our area and going to the Uno Grill for dinner. I had pasta in preparation for the run in the morning!

Sunday 21 June

Today was Fathers' Day in America which is why I had entered a FD Race in support of prostate cancer research. There were about 8000 entrants and we were sent to our appropriate "corales" ready for the start. I was in with the 3000 numbers. The rain held off for the morning although it had rained solidly all night and the ground was very wet. There were huge puddles to circumnavigate! I enjoyed the run, I was slow and the course was far more undulating than I expected but the atmosphere was great. There were a number of water stations and we ran with timing chips on our shoes. After crossing the finish line and having my chip removed, I followed everyone else to join the queus. First I queued for a bag of salty pretzels, then I queued for a banana, then I queued for the official photo and then joined another queue not realising for some time that it was full of men and then I realised I was queuing for a free prostate check. Oops - I left that queue quickly after that! I never did find the water queue. There was a barrel drawer later and a good band playing. It was great being part of a NY race even if I was damn slow. It was all about taking part as far as I was concerned and my entry fee did include a t-shirt which is exciting!

Time taken: 48mins

Distance: 5miles

Place in age group: 16th out of 46 women

Place overall: 3090

In the afternoon we decided to go on The Sex and The City Tour. It was such fun. I think Dave surprised himself and actually enjoyed it thoroughly. It was really fantastic and our tour guide was a hoot. The first thing we had to do on the count of 3 was to all say "f***"! That was to relax us. She took us to lots of places we would never have seen otherwise including the real Magnolia Bakery (we found a different one the other day) and a sex shop full of interesting items!! We spent time with a girl from London who showed us photos on her camera of places she's been including the Niagara Falls. They look spectacular so I think we're going there after we leave here. She also told us about a great Diner where there was fantastic entertainment so after the 3.5hour tour we headed for the Ellen Stardust Diner which was in Broadway. We had burgers and they were yummy but it was the entertainment that made the evening. All the waiters and waitresses were wannabe Broadway stars and they sang Broadway numbers taking turns to wait on tables or sing. They were seriously talented and it was just like being entertained by the real stars. I'm sure they sang just as well. They were dressed the part and it was heaps of fun.

Monday 22 June

We're really enjoying NY and all the hive of activity. Today we went up the Empire State Building - wow! My camera is working overtime! We zoomed up 80 floors then caught another lift to go up 6 more floors. The view was just fabulous - something like a major legoland! We could pick out so many landmarks.

We also did a tour on one of those 'hop on, hop off' buses. We were on top of course and when it started raining we were all provided with attractive plastic raincoats!! We were taken to lots of interesting spots. Our tickets include a night tour and a boat tour and a few other tours and museums which we'll do over the next few days. This is full-on but so amazing.

This evening we went to a restaurant recommended in our Guide Book. It was definitely worth a visit - just fabulous. The service was great and the food and wine superb. Unfortunately I decided to have a coffee afterwards - bit of a mistake as it spoilt a beautiful meal. I should know by now that you have to be very lucky to get a good coffee here although I've had more luck in NY than other States! It was a good day - so much to see and take in and so many memories to take home.