Really Exciting News and AliOntheRunBlog Rules! (does that kind of rhyme?)

And it's official!!!  James's + my offer/rental application has been accepted!!  I am absolutely smitten!! Smitten about my new roommate!!  Smitten about our new apartment!! Smitten!! Smitten!! Smitten [Can you tell?]!!


While the real selling points here were the kitchen and the closets, the proximity to Central Park has me day-dreaming of trail running, hill repeats on the Great Hill, and timed laps around the bridle path.  And if knowing that I've only got a block to go to start my work-out doesn't get me lacing up and out the door (and into the ELEVATOR!!!  Oh my gosh...after FIVE+ years in NYC, no more carrying my suitcase up and down a walk-up's staircase...I know, I know...it's cross training)....

Please ignore misspelling of "reservoir" in the above photo.
Paint brush is freaking hard to write with and I'm not fixing it!! >:-(

...then the view of the reservoir's sparkling, sun-kissed waters just might do the trick!  Did I tell you, I'm smitten!!

Clearly this apartment will make me faster.  And I'll be a morning runner, too - how couldn't I be looking out the window when the alarm goes off??  So yeah, this apartment comes with magical properties that make you a morning runner - and faster, too.

Okay, okay...so maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself.  I have to remind myself that in order to run faster, you need to run faster.  But still, can you blame me for picturing all of the glorious miles to come in my back-yard-to-be??

The way I know it will be glorious [and that I can miraculously become faster] is that Ali more or less says so.  Okay, so she didn't exactly say so...I'm extrapolating.  Ali's is the first running blog I ever read, back when I was training for the NYC Marathon.  In the weeks leading up to the marathon my dear friend Jen sent me many encouraging messages to help me get through training, including inspiring links to Ali, who reminded her of me (because she liked to run and frequently had to stop for the bathroom mid-run).  It was www.aliontherunblog.com that got me thinking that writing a blog could be fun - and a good way to hold myself accountable for improving my running.  Soon I was hooked and eagerly clicking through older entries on her site.  As far as I can tell, Ali might be the peppiest person ever. In addition to peppy, she is inspirational.  So of course, it's Wednesday and I Wannabe like Ali.

The first thing that came to mind when I saw the view from our soon-to-be-apartment was actually Ali's blog, and some of the beautiful early morning sunrises she has shared from her pre-work reservoir runs.  Between Ali's pics, her relentless dedication to getting out of bed and pounding the pavement, and the 1 block distance to it, how could I not make it a goal to run the reservoir before work [assuming I ever get to go to work in NYC and not on the road]?  Consider it an official post-move in goal - hold me to it!

Another [long term] goal of mine has been to one day run a half marathon in under 2 hours.  Ali recently posted about, among other things, the evolution of her half marathon PR.  While I know a lot of people [am even related to - thanks for passing on those genes, by the way] who run really fast, I don't know as many who have evolved to become really fast.  (Although these past few weekends of friends PRing have given me hope and training tips for improvement)  Ali's first half was a 2:14:47, which she trimmed axed down to 1:44:48 in just two years.  That means that her jumping off point time was only about 5 minutes faster than mine is, and she demolished the sub 2 hour goal....there is hope!  Maybe you don't just have to be born with it [which I obviously wasn't]!  Interestingly, she points out that the main difference in her training was being more consistent.  Sounds like the advice I got from another early-rising, running super-star...sounds like I've got some good pointers to help me put together a speedy strategy for the upcoming Brooklyn half!

So, in summary, with motivation from Ali's beautiful reservoir runs, I will be consistently running the reservoir in the mornings and that will make me really fast.  Hooray!

Random closing:  Ali loves puppies.  I mean loves them.  So in honor of Ali, I'm adding a pic that my mom sent me yesterday of one of the two little furbies that my parents are currently watching.  For you, Ali:

Tell me Scooter is not the cutest thing you've ever seen. And I'm not even a "dog person" (Ali, I am, however, a puppy person, and I think Scooter's breeders have come remarkably close to creating the Eternal Puppy™ (just kidding...that's not really trademarked))

Incidentally, Scooter's real mommy wants my mom and dad to permanently adopt Scooter and his brother Spike.  Feel free to petition for my parents to keep them in the comments section below - they won't listen to me or my sister!!