Hello NYC!

Wow! What a great couple of days.  The hotel I chose is the best too.  It was a lot more reasonable than usual place I stay and I have to tell you, I love it and will not stay anywhere else when I come back to NYC.  It would take this entire post to go into all the specifics about it, but between the “Sleep Menu,” the roominess, the balcony, microwave, frig with ICE MAKER.  Any marathoners coming to NYC, make note of the ice maker.  Also, the front desk told me after half marathon is over Sunday and I’m back in the room, to call them and they will bring up “buckets” of ice for me.  All this and more for an impressive 30 – 40% cheaper than NY Hilton, The Westin, etc.  Even the location isn’t bad.  This half marathon is in Central Park and it’s a 1.5 mile walk to the start of race.  That will be my warm up.  Note the rooms at the top of the towering hotel, my room wasn’t ready so the very nice desk clerk gave me this room which is one of the upper floors where the building narrows and it is awesome!

Last nights dinner was at a place called Papillon, Jim, Alex and I have enjoyed many meals there.  It was wonderful. 

As I’ve said before, if you know me, you know I love getting my hair done.  I love visiting the Jean Claude Biguine Salon at 1170 Avenue of the Americas.  They are the best!  Adele is from France and is one of their colorists.  She was such a pleasure to visit with too.  Then Olga who I saw on my last trip gave me another stunning cut and Jeanie helped out with shampoo and gave me some good tips for Alex regarding film school.  The first time I visited the salon was in 2006 – my first trip to NYC.  After that I’ve been hooked ever since…and girls, just as before, I love  how it turned out. 

 Today was the health expo and here I am below getting my race number.  Last year I remember I got kind of choked up when I went in to get it.  This year it wasn’t quite as momentus.  Still pretty cool though.  I moved up about 1200 runners from 9303 to 8127.  Not bad but still pretty far back of the pack – over 10,000 registered.  I got a higher number since my pace has improved. 

The health expo is great.  They offer a lot of information and vendors are there too.  You walk away with a lot of stuff.  I walked there from my hair appt and then back to the hotel.  Round trip was probably 3.5 miles.  The day started out though at 4:00 am – that’s when my alarm went off to get ready and be at the NBC Today Show broadcast at 6:45.  I met up with the More Magazine staff there and they were all really nice.  There were a lot of other runners there also.  One group that was in front of me was from Canada.  Another, from Ohio.  I was holding my umbrella, a thunder stick and this sign that I made with a “Swiffer” handle.  I printed pages out before I left home and taped to file folder. 

The More staff were really great to talk with and so accommodating.  I chatted with them about living and working in NYC.  I hope to maybe talk with them again at the Runners Dinner tomorrow night.  They were pretty busy at the health expo and I think the largest part of the runners are going to be at tomorrows expo.  I don’t know if they showed us on Today show or not, but going back tomorrow morning also.  The More Marathon group are holding the “Thunder Stick” – long narrow neon green balloons.   

There is so much to talk about – so much has happened and continues to unroll.  I also slept like a rock with all of my specially ordered pillows from the Benjamin’s “Sleep Menu.”  Check it out.  After the race maybe Monday, I will have a couple of wonderful glasses of wine on my balcony hopefully thinking about the great race I ran…  Last years experience was truly one that ranks up there with my biggest life moments.  This years won’t be quite like that but it’s still pretty special to be able to have the opportunity to do this.  It takes a lot of time preparing, training, etc.  and I can’t thank my family enough for all of their wonderful support but most importantly to Jim and Alex who never complained and always had words of encouragement for me. 

This has been a wonderful trip and another great life experience.  Now onto the “Runners Dinner” tomorrow night, then…the race.