Workouts and Summer

I can't wait for summer. I know it has technically arrived, but here in New York, it has been raining endlessly and hasn't felt anything like summer. It is on track to be the second coolest June ever, and the 5th rainiest. And my kids are still in school, as hard as that is for me to believe. They end Friday, June 26; when I was a kid we were out in mid-May.

And we also go away every year for July 4th. We go to the same place, Colorado, and over the years it has evolved from a newlywed trip to now my family taking an extended siesta in the mountains, which is quite a logistical production. That is when summer arrives for me -- being in Colorado, away from work, in the mountains, relaxing. And the town where we go has this spectacular 4th of July parade, with floats, and kids and everything.

I am also set to run a half marathon in Fairfield, CT on Sunday. That is the end to this training cycle, this diet, this stage. It will be the first non-NYRR road race I have run, and my first half in 2 years. MY PR is 1:47, and we'll see if I can top that.

We leave for Colorado in 9 days. Four days after the Fairfield half.

After we get to Colorado, training in the mountains is different. First, yes the air is thinner, which makes it harder, but you also feel better, more energized. The entire culture is outdoorsy, athletic and in motion and you feel part of it. So, the workouts may be harder because of altitude, but you feel part of the vibe and happy to be out there. Biking, hiking, running, whatever. Even if we went out too late the night before, it is wonderful. And the people are so nice and cheerful and friendly -- much different from the streets of New York

Heart rates are also higher at altitude for reasons that I don't know. For example, last year in a race, I hit 192, which is really high for a 40 year old.

Anyways just a rambling thought about how the page on the calendar is about to turn, and like sands in an hourglass, so go the days of our lives.