The Maine Thing

This time last week I was just starting a 20-mile (32K) run with Dusters Heather and Jessica. We ran over the Triboro and Queensboro bridges, and around Randall's Island and Roosevelt Island, and then in Central Park. The fantastic views from the Triboro Bridge were a surprise.

Sunday I flew up to Portland, Maine, where Dead Runner Josh met my plane. I spent a couple of days in a cottage he and Mary Ann had rented for a fortnight at Indian Point, on Georgetown Island. It's not far above the high tide line, and the views were stunning. We ate local seafood and talked, and I did a little work and took a couple of short walks. Had a bit of a look at Portland on Tuesday before Josh dropped me back at the airport.

Busy with work all week, though I took some time off on Thursday, my birthday. Holly and I went to see the play "Time Stands Still". Laura Linney and Christina Ricci were both excellent.

I managed to meet Tavia for a 10K run around the park yesterday, but my cold had taken firm hold. I had hoped to do a Shorewalkers walk today, but I'll be lying low instead.

I've been a bit of a hermit...

My priority over the last 10 days or so has been staying on top of my workload. I'm not on a working holiday; this is my lifestyle now. I may be working in different places around the world, but I'm still working full-time. And work makes it all possible, so I have to take deadlines seriously.

I'll be taking time out on Saturday, though, to do a badly needed long run with my Dusters pal Heather. Then on Sunday I'm flying up to Maine for a couple of days.

Last Saturday I had lunch with Cy Adler, author of "Walking Manhattan's Rim: The Great Saunter". He has self-published a few other books as well. Holly and I spent a couple of hours in Central Park. It was a beautiful day for John Lennon's 70th birthday, and the park was filled with beautiful people and beautiful dogs, some of whom we met. Lots of boats on the lake and brides at the Bethesda Fountain.

On Sunday I caught up with friends from Oz (Geelong) for a fun and yummy dinner near Greenwich Village. On Monday, Tamar and I saw the excellent documentary "Waiting for Superman", and I saw the Facebook movie ("The Social Network") yesterday. I thought Jesse Eisenberg was brilliant as Mark Zuckerberg.

I need a pedicure!

I've just finished editing a book about manicures and pedicures (or 'pedicares', apparently), and my poor old feet could do with one of the latter.

Last week I ran and walked the whole way around the island of Manhattan – or at least those parts of it that are accessible to pedestrians. Tamar and I ran the first 10 or so miles up the Hudson River from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal early one morning. Then the next day Holly and I walked from where I'd finished the run, at West 125th Street, right up to the top of the island and around to East Harlem via the Harlem River. I finished that leg at East 96th Street. The next afternoon I started from there and went all the way back down the East River to my starting point. It was good fun, but my right knee was sore at the end of the second day and my feet were sore by the end of the third. I've just written my next column about it.

It was also a social week, with a fun catchup over lunch in Midtown with Tavia and Robert from the team I ran the Green Mountain Relay with last year, and a really nice dinner with Heather, Joe and Marie from the Dusters.

On Friday I took the train to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where I stayed with Dead Runner Peg and her husband Larry. On Saturday, they and their daughter Laura showed me around central Lancaster (the market, etc) and the neighbouring areas where Amish families have farms and businesses and there are some covered bridges. We went to a nice place for dinner.

Yesterday, Peg took me over to Hershey, near Harrisburg, for the inaugural Hershey Half Marathon. It was good to spend time with her. I was really pleased with the way I ran my race. I was very focused and able to keep my momentum going very strongly without overdoing it. I placed second woman in my age group.