So once again it is Saturday morning and time to run a 2 mile race. Once the race got started I didn't feel so fast. Maybe it was the very humid conditions, because some of the fast runners that usually beat me easily, were only just in front of me for most of the race. In fact I just beat out one runner that I had not beaten for 2 years. My time was 14:55 which is 13 seconds slower than last week, but now I have gone under 15 minutes 2 weeks in a row, so that's good.

The humidity by the way was 84%, so yes it was a little sticky !

Along with a sore back I had a sore neck last week before the 2 mile race. The back got better, but the sore neck kept coming and going during the week.Finally a couple of days ago I realized that the source of this problem is the small fan I have blowing on me while I sit at the computer. It is blowing cold air into my left ear and this somehow is making my neck ache. It has never happened before and I am wondering if in some strange way, the fact that I am on this raw food diet has made my ear sensitive. It only really bothers me for a time after I wake up

For some reason starting this morning and going on all day, I have the the "Smith's " song "Girlfriend in a coma", going through my head.
Today was really humid but wasn't that uncomfortable. One of the guys at work is on vacation, he is the one that does my old job, so I have been covering it and someone else is doing my current job. It's a nice change.

On my way to work I walk past these 2 EMT vehicles parked on a lot behind a padlocked fence. If you look closely you will see that they are supposed to be on call 24 hours a day. So for them I guess there is no emergency.

Well it turns out the sewer was broken, which is not surprising as it is about 80 years old. Fortunately they don't have to dig up the pipes anymore, they insert an epoxy lining and then put a bladder in the pipe, to hold it in place while it sets. This did however mean that we could not any water down the pipes or flush the toilet, for 24 hours. After that we should never have another problem with it, plus it has a lifetime warranty.

I have seen this window decal a few times as I walked home from work and finally decided to take a photo of it. My brother in law is a volunteer fireman so I found it interesting to see.
Our sewer is backed up at home and we have someone here fixing it, but it is taking a long time and we can't use the water while he is doing it. So I am still waiting to take a shower after my run and am not able to do my laundry.

My back is still sore but it doesn't seem to bother me when I run. This morning it was really humid as we went out, but the temperature was nice. I decided to run only 6 miles and Utpal continued on when I turned back. I stopped by the 3100 mile race and everyone seemed to be doing well. I was sweating so much that one of the guys said it looked like I had been for a swim.

Well when I woke up this morning I had a sore neck and a sore lower back. That combined with the fact I ran 50k last week and have been on my raw food diet for 6 days, left me wondering how my race would be today.When I started out to run over to the race my back was so sore that I was not sure if I should run it.
However once the race got under way I felt good and I knew I was doing OK, because I was with runners that usually beat me easily. It actually felt like I was running well so I just tried to maintain my pace. I had to hang on for the last 1/2 mile, but finished with a time of 14:42, my best time this year so far.

Someone told me that today is the summer solstice, though I am not quite sure that it is. Anyway it was a beautiful day, I have noticed that some local produce is starting to come into the stores, so I get a tasty choice for my raw food meals.
My run this afternoon felt really good, I am down about 5 lbs at the moment, but still a few lbs above what I was at this time last year.

So the government here has given out stimulus checks to those who deserve them, to apparently encourage them to buy something to help improve the economic state of the country. Though I have heard that some people will just put it into savings accounts I plan to spend mine. I have a nice Laptop computer picked out, just have to decide when to purchase it.
I have adjusted my protein intake and that seems to have helped my legs when I'm running

For the last few days we have been experiencing normal temperatures, although here in New York normal is actually the average temperature based on past records. After the warm humid temperatures we had, these "Normal" temps actually feel cool.
I have noticed that while I am on this raw food diet my legs take a few minutes to get warmed up when I go out for my run, but once they do I feel like I have a little spring in my step.

I have noticed this before, but when I am on my raw food diet, my sense of smell seems to be really good. This of course can be good and bad. It not only makes the sweet smells of flowers and trees so much better, it makes the noxious smells of the city that much worse.

I'm on the second day of my current raw food diet and I feel pretty good. I did however feel quite sore still from my race on the weekend. I am not sure if this is also partly because of the raw food thing. Anyway I think it is just a matter of allowing myself the time to adjust. At least the weather has turned cooler

yes I felt some soreness this morning, but other than that I'm OK. We had thunder storms over night, but it was still quite warm and humid this morning.
The world's longest race started this morning in New York, it is 3100 miles long. In the photo you can see some of the participants. I jogged out there to the start and back. I will be going out there everyday for the next almost 2 months to see how things are going on. They run around a scool that is about 10 minutes from my house

Just too hot I woke up nice and early and walked the 3 1/2 to 4 miles out to Flushing Meadow for the 50k race. I got there just in time to see the 100k race start. It was already warm and the humidity was high, but as we started the 50k race an hour later it didn't feel too bad. I was mostly running on my own, though there was almost always someone not too far ahead of me. The weather seemed to be getting quite hot and the Sun was feeling quite strong, but everything seemed to be going OK. At 21 miles I was on pace for a sub 6 hour time. Then I started to really feel the heat. I had been drinking a lot and making sure I was well hydrated, but then I started to feel a little dizzy, then nauseous and in the space of 3 miles I had lost it. As I completed 24 miles I knew it was a mistake to carry on. I discovered that 3 other runners had become sick and on medical advice, the 100k race had now been reduced to a 50 mile race. I spent a half an hour sitting in the shade and drinking lots of fluids and started to recover, but I had no feeling to go out and try to complete the 7 remaining miles. I had a problem with a heat related sickness about 20 years ago and have tried to be smart and avoid that problem since.
Once I felt well enough I packed my bag and walked the almost 4 miles back home very casually, getting more drinks on the way. When I got home 1 1/2 hours after I had stopped and after consuming about 50ozs of fluids, I finally went to the bathroom. When I weighed myself I was down 4 lbs even after re hydrating myself. So a lesson learned.

This guys car was still there today, the plates show that it's from the state of Georgia.

Shortly after leaving my house this morning someone walking in the opposite direction wished me a good morning. This simple act really added a spark to my day. On arriving at work the security guard for the building did the same.
On my way home I stopped in to my bank and as I came to the door 3 separate women were walking also to the door, I promptly held the door open for them and was rewarded with a smile and a thank you. I think it made my day and theirs.
My run this afternoon was comfortable and I feel as though I am ready for the 50k race tomorrow, I hope the weather is good, it's supposed to be a little warm, but I remember that it was a little hot last year for my 50k at the end of May.

This happened a couple of blocks from my house. I feel sorry for the person who is going to come home from work and find this surprise waiting for them. I am not sure if this is considered an act of God by the insurance company, or if the insurance covers it. This car is not going anywhere in a hurry.

Walking out the door this morning into a beautiful breezy cooler morning, almost quiet and peaceful. Only to have the quiet broken by the sound of a Police helicopter flying suddenly near by. After walking a few blocks I crested a hill and came around a corner, to see several police vehicles and several police. Standing with some people in front of a house. Everything seemed quite calm,but the people looked a little disturbed. I continued on, not finding out what had happened. This was a reminder that I live in New York City.
With a temperature in the mid 80's F and 33% humidity I had a pleasant run this afternoon. It happened to be the 50th straight day I have run. My streak is starting to become something.

Oh by the way the photo is of a deer in Italy that was born with one central horn, kind of like a Unicorn. It apparently is quite rare for a deer to be born with one horn and usually they are to one side or the other, amazing !

Such a different day from yesterday. Although the temperature in the mid 70's F when I left for work this morning it felt much nicer. It's nice to work in the basement though it is starting to warm up down there too.
I could feel the difference in the air as I walked home in the afternoon, it was 90 F , but there was a cooling breeze. After a short nap to kind of break the day, I went out for my run. By this time it was down to 86 F ( 30 C), but it only felt a little bit better than yesterday. I was trying out my new pair of Addidas Urahu, which I knew would be good since I had a pair before. Yes they felt comfortable on my feet

After what seemed like a cold Friday night the days began to warm up and the weekend was a little un-comfortable. I guess I adjusted a little and last night seemed to sleep pretty well, but when I woke up this morning it was already 79 F ( 24 C). Fortunately I work in a basement of an industrial building and it was nice and cool down there when I got to work. Un fortunately I only worked for a few hours and had to come out into the heat. By the time I got home it was 91 F ( 32 C ). At the time of writing this post it is 94 F and with 44% humidity they say it feels like 98. This would probably be normal for July or August, but this is just the second week of June and it comes after much cooler temp's last week.
Yes it is hot out there. Maybe this is getting us ready for some hot August nights.

The temperature was already 74 F ( 22 C) when I went out the door this morning and the humidity was 85%. So yes it was a hot run. I had decided to continue following my paln and only run 6 miles today. Utpal is training for a marathon in August so he wanted to run longer, so after about 3 miles we parted company. Shortly after that I had a drop in energy, even though I had eaten a granola bar about 45 minutes before we left. I ran through it and later regained my energy, I was in fact feeling quite strong at the end, though I was sweating a lot.
I like my new Addidas Duramo shoes!

Keeping to my idea of tapering for the race next week, I did not run the 2 mile race today. Instead I went out a little earlier and ran about 3 miles nice and easy. It actually felt good not to run hard and near the end I could feel myself running at the start of the race next week.
It is supposed to be really hot today, but I think it got a little bit cooler in the night than expected, so we will have to see.
The European Football (soccer) Championships has started , so we get to see if Greece can defend there their surprise title from 4 years ago.

Last week I mentioned that I got a pair of running shoes. Well while I was there I saw another pair that were on sale, they were also a model that I like, but I decided not to get them at that time. So I went there today and they had been reduced for clearance, they only had 5 pairs left and one of them was my size. So by waiting a week I got just what I wanted and at a cheaper price. I have to say though that it usually works out the opposite way, I go back and they have sold out, so I was kind of lucky this time.
Today has been very nice, there is a quite strong breeze and the temperature has stayed in the 60's F. It is however supposed to be quite hot this weekend.

I got a message from my agent manager about an opportunity to submit my Dilly and Dally books to a new publisher that is looking for authors. I have to fill out a submission form and then we wait and see what happens. I also have to deal with them directly, but Beth my agent manager will help me out with any advice I need or any questions I might have.
So my plan to run easier this week seems to be going well. I guess I have started to taper before the race next week.

There is a song I remember called "Summer Breeze". Well this morning as I walked to work in the rain, I started singing this song to myself. Though I did replace the words Summer Breeze with Summer Rain. When the temperature is pleasantly warm and it is raining, it is actually kind of nice. Of course I was wearing my rain suite and my wellies. on the way home in the afternoon however, my feet did get a little warm .

The last 2 summers I have followed a raw food diet, I have found that it seems to detox my system and re-energize me. Last year I started at this time, but with the 50k race coming up in 11 days time I have decided to hold off until after the race.
However with the warmer weather coming around, I was inspired to stop at my usual fruit and veg' market and get some nice salad things, so as to start eating a few more salads for lunch at work.

I had a feeling today that maybe the combination of running a hard 2 mile race on Saturday and a long run on Sunday, may be too much. It did feel like my legs were tired today and it has been taking me 2 or 3 days to recover. The only way to really know, is to not run the race the 2 mile race this week and not run too long on Sunday.. I have recovered from 24 hour races and then run 50k races in 6 to 7 weeks, but never tried it after a 10 day race, so maybe I have to adjust something.
I ahve been walking around in my new Addidas Duramo's for the last couple of days. This afternoon I ran in them. They feel very good, I am happy with them.

This morning was the first time this year that it has been quite warm when we went out for our run. It was already 65 F when we started at 7am. Since it had rained during the night it was also quite humid. The run as usual went out to Shea Stadium and back. During the run however we covered about 80% of the course that will be used for the 50k race I will be running in 2 weeks. After about 9 miles I started to get a numb feeling in my left foot, similar to that I had 2 years ago when I developed my foot injury. It did however go away and was fine for the rest of the run.

For the last 3 or 4 days I have been fighting something, with on and off headaches and a need to cough, especially when I lay down to sleep.
This morning when I woke up the headache I went to sleep with was still there and my mind said that maybe I should not run the 2 mile race. My heart really wanted me to run. So I found myself on the starting line ready to run. Once I got going I felt quite comfortable and my first mile was 7:31. I tried to maintain my form and my pace, but was finding it hard. My second mile was 7:43, for a total time of 15:14, just 5 seconds slower than last week. I actually found this encouraging, because I feel it shows that I am in fact stronger than last week, since I ran almost the same time when I was sick.
It feels kind of strange that there is no football to follow on this last Saturday in May, but next week the European Championships begin and that will keep me going until the new season starts in England.

On Mondays and Fridays as you know I only work a few hours. I then take the long walk along the avenue to my favourite eatery. This morning I counted 21 gentlemen of the Hispanic persuasion, spread out in groups of 4 looking for a ride out to Long Island. Where they hope to find work on various construction projects. This is a phenomena that has shown itself over the last year or so.
On my way home I stopped off in a local sports store and got myself a new pair of running shoes. When I paid for them I got a $20 coupon which I duly spent on 2 new pairs of running shorts.
We are now only a couple of days away from June and finally the days are getting warmer, buy late morning the temps were already well into the 70's F. I had a very pleasant run in the afternoon

Well I did feel a bit better today, though after lunch I had the same nagging headache I had on Saturday. This time I did something I don't do that often, I took some over the counter medication, it took the edge off.
So my run this afternoon was definitely better, though that may have something to do with the meds. I have to say though I have been running the same distances this week, the quality of running has been better, so that is encouraging.

I am not sure if it has something to do with the recent spell of warm weather, but I noticed today, that when I am running I am wheezing a bit. I usually do not have a problem with Hay fever, but if there is a lot of pollen in the air that can sometimes give me problems. Anyway it is not a major thing since I am just trying to run easy at the moment.
Last night I kind of did a little "Spring" cleaning and my room looks a bit better, but I plan to do some "Major" work over the next few weekends.

As I left my house to walk to work this morning it was just starting rain lightly, the temperature was a nice 60 F and it was quite refreshing to walk. I did however feel quite sore from yesterdays run. Although it was only 4 miles, I guess combined with the 12 miles on Sunday it was a little too much for me right now.
I was reminded that the machines we use for our work can sometimes be quite fickle, as I had what seemed like silly problems getting started. Once all was working well the day just went by very quickly.
When I came outside from my days work it was a pleasant, if somewhat humid afternoon and completely different from the start of the day

Yes it's Memorial day here in the US and it's a real beauty! Went out at 7 am and ran 4 miles with Utpal, the sun is up, the temperature is in the mid 60's F. Of course it is laundry day for me, so that has to get done and I have to do some "Spring cleaning". I was sensible and didn't go out for a second run yesterday and probably enjoyed my run this morning more as a result.

Woke up feeling pretty good. So it was out the door at 7 am and off to run with Utpal. Apart from a little soreness in my hamstrings I was feeling good after the 2 mile race yesterday. I guess Utpal was feeling good too because we went out a little faster than we usually do. The weather conditions were really nice and we had a good run out to Shea stadium.
The water fountains are on in the park so we stopped about half way and had a nice drink of water. There were no aches and pains this week and I felt really good at the end of the run. Yesterday afternoon I had the feeling I wanted to go out a second time to run and was feeling that again today, but I have to be sensible and wait for my 2 a day weekends. I do not want to over train and get injured.

The weather for the 2 mile race was very pleasant this morning. It felt like I was actually running. I have been running a little harder in training this week and my legs were feeling a bit tired.Once I got going I felt good and knew I was running faster than last week. I did struggle a little bit with my breathing in the second mile, but pushed about as hard as I could at the end. First mile 7:38. second 7:31, finish time 15:09.

I get to see this kind of sky in the morning on my walk to work, though it's not as dark as the photo looks.
Many years ago I got to run with a couple of local legends and there was a photo that was taken at the time which was displayed at the Multi day races, well after the 10 day race 3 weeks ago, was given the photo to make a copy of. For a mere $3 I got a 5x7 made of it today, as soon as I can scan it I will put it up here. There is a Holiday on Monday so we have a long weekend.

Around this time of year in 1973-yes 35 years ago. I was in college and with an Irish friend of mine, sang Irish folk songs at local folk clubs At one gig at the college we got to be the support act for Linda Peters and Richard Thompson, who were touring after leaving Fairport Convention. We got to talk with them before the show and they were very nice to us. The reason I mention this is because I was listening to one of their albums today at work, "Pour down like silver".
So I have started Slovenian lessons, in preparation for my going there to live next year. a friend from their is sending me lesson by e mail, plus I have installed some language software on my computer.

Man Utd just won the Champions League, beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation and a scoreless 30 minutes of extra time. I am not a Man U fan, but I am so glad they beat Chelsea. The winning penalty was scored by Ryan Giggs, who also broke Sir Bobby Charlton's Man U appearance record when he came on in the second half for his 759 th game. So a truly great day all round for him.

I seem to have adjusted back to my work schedule after the 10 day race and noticed today , that everything seemed to go by quickly and before I knew it, it was time to go home.
When I got outside it was raining again, May has been quite wet, which is good for the gardens.
After catting with some friends in Europe, I put on my rain gear and went out for my run. It happens to be my 28 th straight day of running, so it seems I have a new running streak going.

Last night I watched the DVD I bought last week. It's called "The Runner" and it's all about a guy named David Horton. It's about his 2700 mile run along the Pacific Crest Trail. Which stretches from the Mexican border to the Canadian Border on the west coast of the US. It's an amazing film and I thought very inspiring. I think I may have met David when he ran in the race across America some years ago, but just briefly.
I felt pretty good when I got up this morning, no major problems from my run yesterday, My feeling while walking home from work were, that I am about 90% recovered from the 10 day race.

This my latest photo of Citi Field the new Mets Stadium. Utpal and I ran out there this morning just as we have done many times over the last few months. It's about 12 miles round trip.
Yesterday I went to Staples to get a new headset for my Skype calls. I found the one I wanted but it didn't say on the box how long the cord was. I asked customer service but they didn't know. They did say we have a return policy so if it's not good I could bring it back. It took me a few seconds before I realized something, I asked if I bought it then opened it there could I give it back it wasn't what I needed. They said yes. So I bought it asked for a pair of scissors and opened the box, discovering it was just what I wanted. They even offered to throw away my garbage. I think that worked out pretty well, don't you?
By the way Portsmouth won the FA Cup 1-0 there second time the last time was in 1939.

Ran the 2 mile race again this morning and inside the first 1/2 mile my legs felt tired. This did ease up, but it made me feel like I was running slower than last week. I concentrated on trying to keep my form. I could see my house mate in front of me running very well, I don't think he has ever beaten me in a race. Unless he was going to slow up a lot this was going to be his first time. I pushed it in at the end and managed 15:59, which is 27 seconds faster than last week, so I can't complain.
It's the FA Cup Final today, Portsmouth v Cardiff.

Yes it's the weekend, well Friday is a bit of a wet one. Not a lot, but a steady rain.
I took the opportunity to put all of my most recent poems on to my computer and it seems I am 1 poem away from completing my latest collection. Once it's complete I can work on getting it published. It will be my 8th book of poems.
Being a gardener I actually like the fact that it is raining so much especially since the city planted all those trees, it should help a lot of them survive, which is a good thing

On the weekend I ordered a running DVD from Amazon. Since I was not in a rush I used the Super saving shipping option which is free but slow. On confirmation of the order I was told it would ship on May 15 and arrive on May 22. A couple of days ago I got an e mail saying it was shipped, then when I arrived home from work today it was in the mail box. It had actually arrived on the day they originally said it would ship.
For the last few days I have been taking a nap before going out for my run in the afternoon, I guess my body needs the break before I exercise.

The flag on the bottom left of the scoreboard is interesting. It's the Old Yugoslavian Flag, it hasn't been seen for 20 years. They found it with all the others when they were decorating for the awards ceremony. A lot of people didn't know which country it was.
Seemed to slog a little at the start of my run today, but pretty good at the end. It's warm so it's easier to run.

Now it seems my fourth toe on my right foot is bothering me, but it's nothing I can't handle. It's now been 10 days since the end of the race and these things sort of pop up to say hello.
A nice spring day here in New York with the temperature reaching 71F. So it was nice to go out and run in T shirt and shorts this afternoon.
Oh I forgot to mention that my sister is on holiday in the Cape Verde Islands, that should be nice.

It was one of those days in New York. There was a very strong wind blowing, making it feel quite cold in the morning. Then it started raining, which it did on and off throughout the day.
After running 9 miles yesterday I felt a little sore this morning, but that seemed to feel better during my walk to work. However as the day wore on started to feel more so, especially in the lower back, which was probably due to my hamstrings. Anyway it was maybe a little too much too soon. It was quite tough running this afternoon, but I will survive.

Just like on the Sunday before the race , Utpal and I ran out to the race site and around the lake. You can still see in this photo the faint patches where some of the runners camp tents were. We ran about 9 miles and though I did have to mix in a little walking, I felt good going that far. So I guess this week I can start my training for the 50k race around the lake on June 14.
Here in the US it is Mother's day, so Happy Mother's day out there!

Well it's Saturday morning and technically a few hours less than a week after the 10 day race. So why did I decide to run the 2 mile race, because I like to run. I didn't feel that great since I had a little lower back pain and didn't know what to expect.
Well I ran as hard as I could and produced a time of 16:26, easily my slowest 2 mile time this year, but I felt pretty strong and it made me feel good. That in the end is all that really matters.

There are so many squirrels here in Queens that this is occasionally what happens to them. This was what I saw while walking to work the other morning.
It's one of rainy spring days here in New York. Luckily I only had to work a couple of hours today and got to be lazy in my room the rest of the time.

my friend Sadhak gave me the new Steve Earl CD, "Washington Square Serenade " to listen to and I really like it. He has great observation on life in NYC. Check it out!

It seemed like every night a muskrat came out near the lake to feed, in fact one night I saw one chasing another. Well it is spring I guess. This one came out one afternoon and didn't seem bothered by all the people running by.
I did feel quite tired near the end of the day at work today, I guess everything is finally catching up on me. I will take a short nap before I run later.

I have been sleeping pretty well since the race, though I do wake up at different time just like I did during the race. This morning I woke up at 2:30 and after a quick pit stop was back to sleep. I noticed that my bothersome toe seemed better as I walked to work. I seemed to get through the day with out feeling tired, so that's an improvement.
All this week I have gone out and run a couple of miles, just to help my recovery and it feels quite good. I am planning to run a 50k race in the middle of June so I have about 6 weeks of recovery and training.

When you are running around a city park in circles for 10 days, you get to see a lot of things going on. These 2 guys came out one afternoon and practiced some boxing moves. You also get a chance to reflect on many things, when you are away from the outside world as it were.
For me I realized that I have a few emotional ties that may or may not be helping me, so I need to step back from them and see what I want to do about that.
Being back at work is something that is familiar, though my feet hurt a little, which reminds me of what I was doing last week.

When I lived in London in the mid seventies I was involved in a relay run to celebrate the American Bicentennial. Three friends and I ran from the George Washington Statue near the National Museum,to the JFK Memorial at Runnymede. We got some newspaper coverage and this was a clipping from the time. I am the one on the right, I believe I was 22 at the time.

One of my friends, Luis Rios had his 60th birthday during the race. This was his birthday party, held in the runners kitchen just before lunch was served at the end of day 2. Luis walks most of the race with a little running and usually averages 50 miles a day.

This morning my quadriceps felt a little sore and of course I am still in my race sleep pattern, but I did go out with Utpal and run a couple of miles, just to shake things up a little.

Well I am back from the 10 day race in Flushing Meadow Park. I managed a total of 427 miles, which is right in between the 1st and secondary goals I set for myself. As you can see from this photo we did have some rain,but we managed to deal with it and I will tell you more about the experience in the next few days.

In about 1 hour I will go and have breakfast and then get a ride out to the race site. It is quite hard sometimes to stop myself from getting excited and just relax. In the few hours before the race you get a chance to meet up with old friends from other races and tell a few stories about what has gone on since last we met. I will be back in a week and a half to let you know how things went

I am just doing some last minute shopping and packing my last bag, which I will take out with me in the morning. It was a beautiful day today and promises to be pretty much the same for the next few days. There will be 40 + runners starting tomorrow, so it will be busy on the 1 mile loop course. Then after 4 days 30 + 6 day runners will join us. I will have the chance to chat with a few friends that I have running in both races, so I won't get lonely. Will let you know how things go.

This what the 6 & 10 day race site looks like 3 days before the start. The area where the cones are will be filled with personal tents. The big white ones are the dorms. In a couple of days this place will be buzzin'.
I got home in time to watch the last hour of the Boston Marathon streamed live on the internet. It was great because it continued without commentary when the TV coverage went to a commercial break. The womens race was the closest finish in Boston history.

OK so this is me running in the Ottawa 24 Hr race, but in 3 days time I hope I will look something like this as I start running in the Self Transcendence 10 day Race. The race as usual is in Flushing Meadow park New York, which is not far from where I live.
This morning Utpal and I ran out to the race site to see how things are going with the setup. It was pretty quiet, but just as we got there a runner from New Jersey showed up with some of his things, including his tent which he wanted to set up. We chatted for a little while and then Utpal and I headed home. He will drive me out there in an hours time with some of my stuff, in readiness for the race start on Wednesday.

So I was out all day. It was my turn to be at the gate of our local tennis court. When I sign up for this thing I hope that it will be a nice day. Well today it was. It was nice and sunny with a cool start and I even had a few of my friends stop by for a chat. I got free lunch from a local restaurant, that had been closed for a couple of weeks but had just re opened today. How great is that!
Wolves could only manage a draw today and it is not looking good for the playoffs this year. Manchester United also only managed a draw in the Premiership, making it interesting for the last 3 games of the season.

It's that time of the year again. One of my Clivia plants is starting to flower, actually it started to flower while I was away. Because I was not here to water it it lost some of the flowers. Since I am going away for 10 days in the race that is coming up, I will give it to my local barber to take care of. It gives others a chance to enjoy it's beauty.
I am making some of my final preparations for the race. I got a couple of pairs of shorts from Models today.

This pipe was taking water fro the Buna River into some kind of turbine house. Of course the river was too powerful and there was too much pressure.

The last few mornings I have been serenaded by the dawn chorus on the way to work.

My final count of trees planted on Jamaica Ave was 28. However I have noticed that we have lost 2 of them already. One has gone completely and another has been sawed off just above the root ball. I hope the others survive.

I Have mentioned our cat at work on many occasions and yes her name is Nipples ( Don't ask). We here is a video of the said cat that I took last week. It gives you a chance to see just how cute she is.

When I visit Zagreb in Croatia, I usually stay near to a place called Jarun. It is a park where they have a rowing course, in fact I think they may have had a World Championships there recently. It is a nice place to go and run. Lining to main road around the park is a sort of hall of fame of Croatian sporting greats. I took this photo of Janica Kostelic on my last visit. There is a short Bio of each athlete, in English on one side and Croatian on the other.

When I was in Brcko a few weeks ago. I participated, along with a few friends in an interesting race. You had to follow instructions and run to different parts of the city. When you arrived 1 member of your team had to perform a task. After completing these 3 tasks you then raced to a finish line. There were staggered starts, so you had no idea until everyone had finished what the placings were. It was a lot of fun!

Here you can see one of the cherry tree the city planted yesterday, ready to be planted and subsequently planted. It is very nice that it happened yesterday, since today is the 44th anniversary of my teacher Sri Chinmoy's coming to America and the first since his passing last October.
Utpal and I ran a different route this morning, running our old 10k loop out to Francis Lewis Blvd. It has the makings of a beautiful day out there. happy April 13 th.

This was us getting ready for dinner at the Hotel in Brcko. In the distance is the entrance to the function hall.

Hey my sister has Skype, my nephew installed it for her, but she is still figuring out how to use it.

The city is planting Flowering Fruit Tress in our neighbourhood today. Which is very nice, there are some Cherry and Pear trees. It should make the area even more colourful.

The place where I stayed in Sofia was surrounded by old buildings and new construction. The building in front is a children's Hospital I believe. Do not let the bright sunshine fool you, the temperature was very cold and the snow on the ground did not melt.

I started off the week by lamenting the lack of trees, on the stretch of Jamaica Avenue that I walk to and from work. Today I counted 25 newly planted trees. That will make my walk so much more pleasant.

This is taken from the castle tower above the stone city I visited in Bosnia.

The last couple of days have been warm and many of the flowers have been just waiting for such days. many buds have begun to pop . As I was out running this afternoon I noticed the smell of Magnolia on the air.
While I was running I met one of my Macedonian friends and we ran a few laps around the school, where the 3100 mile race is run each year.

This is friend's restaurant in Belgrade that I visited when I was there.

Each morning I walk along part of Jamaica Avenue on the way to work. This morning I was thinking to myself, that there are not many trees planted there. well this afternoon when I came out from work, the city had planted about 10 of them along the first 2 blocks that I walked. I must have somehow picked up on the vibration.

It's not a good picture but that is the soon to be tallest building in Bosnia. I took the shot from the place where I was staying in Sarajevo. Some businessman decided to increase his fame and fortune in the area by building it.

In personal news. It is hard to believe that on this day in 1978, I moved to New York thinking that I would stay a couple of years just to experience the city. Today I was treated to a beautiful spring day.

This is near the source of the Buna River in Bosnia, as you can see it was running very fast on the day we were there. You can just see the cave that the water comes out of at the base of the rock face. Near the cave is a Dervish House which houses a kind of museum. They charge 3 euro to enter, but if you are with Bosnians and don't speak English within hearing distance, you get in for free.

I took this photo in Bulgaria, I like the mix of light and shadow. The weather was warm and we were walking around a lake reservoir.
This morning Utpal and I resumed our weekly runs out to Flushing Meadow, Shea Stadium and the new Citi Field. It gave us both a chance to talk about our trips and also to get all the traveling out of our systems. It was a bit overcast, but the temperature was OK. I did feel yesterday's 2 mile race though.

When I passed through Zurich Airport on my way out to central Europe in February, I saw 3 of these. They were up for auction, you could bid on the internet, the minimum bid was 200,000 Euro's.
Ran my first 2 mile race in 6 weeks today. I had gained a couple of pounds on my trip and was not race fit, but I did OK. My time was 7:46 for the first mile, 8:05 for the second for a total of 15:51.

This was the view from the balcony of my aunt's apartment in Rijeka, Croatia. Where I was about 4 weeks ago.
Yesterday it seemed like the jet lag finally caught up with me when I got home from work, but after a short day today and a little nap this afternoon, I am back on track.

This is what is known as Tito's train. The story is that the Nazi's where chasing him and he supposedly escaped on this train across the river and blew up the bridge, so that they couldn't follow him. He was in fact in a bunker on the same side of the river as them.
There is a museum nearby that as the whole story, but it was closed when we were there.

This photo is of a piece of Roman wall near a market place in Sofia, Bulgaria.
First day back at work after my trip. Woke up bright at 2 am. Managed to doze and sleep for another 2 hours. Didn't seem to bother me to much at work though, of course I will probably be struggling to keep my eyes open soon.

I am sleepy. It has been a long day up at 5 am, made a wrong turn on the way to the airport, but made it in time for my flight. A quick transfer in Zurich and a nice flight to New York. My head thinks it's 2 am in the morning now, so it will be an early night before work tomorrow.

Today I begin my journey back to New York. I have a flight this afternoon to Slovenia where I will spend the weekend.
I really that this trip has been quite fruitful and I will give more news when I get back to NY.
Last night I was invited to have dinner with an old friend. We had not seen each other for a couple of years and I got to meet his wife and daughter.

After Brcko I went to Banja Luka, which is the capital of Srpska Republika in Bosnia. I have been there a few times in the past, but this time I noticed that there seems to be a lot more construction going on. I guess this means more foreign investment. The second morning after arriving I woke up to snow, but it did not last long as the day warmed up. On one of my runs while there I went by the river which is very swollen from winter rain and snow melt.

Last weekend I entered into Bosnia, I was actually in a place called Brcko, very close to the Croatian border. It is an interesting place because it is like Washington DC in that it is a district and is able to make laws. One of them is that dogs have the freedom of the city and there is a 500 Euro fine if you harm them, so there are a lot of dogs.

went for a nice run this morning by the river in Skopje. It is still a little cold, but is getting warmer and the Sun is shining, which of course helps.
I met with a small group of people who wanted to here about my experience with running and meditation. I am staying with an old friend who runs a small number of gift shops here.

First internet access in a week. I went into Bulgaria for a few days, where I got to experience a lot of nature. It did turn cold just before I left and there was snow. Travelled by bus to Macedonia today and it is still cold and rainy, but they do say it will get warmer.
My sister's dog Shadow was put to sleep yesterday, he had been sick for a while. He will be sadly missed he was a real character around the house, but I think he is happy now.

So I finally got some internet access time. I went from Rijeka to Zagreb for a few days where I had a good time. I am now in Belgrade, I arrived yesterday on a really nice train which cost me about $30. I usually take a bus but this was so much nicer. A freind of mine recently opened a vegetarian restuarant here and I got to have lunch there. Oh and the weather is really warm so that is a extra bonus.

Went for a run this morning and the wind was so strong that it almost blew me over a couple of times. Then to top it off it snowed this afternoon. Though I have to say I am having a great time and will be a little sad to leave in a couple of days.

Well after a short train ride I am now in Rijeka, Croatia and just like it was when I left the last time I was here, it is raining. Well it was when I got here, today it is not, but it is quite cold.

I went with some of my Slovenian friends to Germany this weekend. To a place near to Hiedleberg. The drive took us 10 hours due to some heavy traffic near Munich and Stuttgart. We had a great time and I would definately go there again. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to run so my streak was broken at 60 days. The next day I started again, so we will see how it goes from here on.. Tomorrow I travel to Croatia to visit with my cousin.