My 2 mile race this week was not as fast as last week, but still probably my second fastest time in a couple of years. My breathing didn't feel so great, but everything else was going well. My time was 14:28 and I am very happy with that. We were very lucky that the temperature was in the mid 6o's F and the humidity was also in the mid 60's. So good conditions and a good result.

Abichal Watkins from Wales, who I consider a good friend finished the Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race race today in a New Welsh and UK record of 54 Days 11 hours 36 minutes. I was very happy to hand him the Welsh flag during his last lap.

My friend Abichal is on his lat full day of the 3100 mile race. He has been out there for 54 days and should finish about half way through the 55 th day. He trained hard all winter for this race and will improve his best time by almost a full day. Pretty amazing!

In my post yesterday I mentioned missing things. Well our cat at work has been missing for 10 days now. She has been known to go away for a while in the past and has been gone as long as 2 weeks, only to return happy to see us and apparently none for the worse. So of course we are hoping she will be back soon.

When I got to work this morning one of my tools was missing, I did eventually find it, but it sort of messed up my day. As a result I made a couple of mistakes, which were correctable, but it kind of unsettles your day when something like that happens.

I have mentioned the problem with my Achilles before and that I thought the real problem was my calf. Well it happens that a friend of mine from Chicago is in town for a couple of days and he is a non practicing Chiropractor. He uses the Applied Kinesiology technique. He diagnosed it as a stretch response problem with the fascia of the calf and gave me a treatment. This is the same guy who fixed my foot problem last year.

The weather was really nice this morning, not so humid and a cool breeze. I ran 8 miles in the morning. When I went out again in the afternoon, it was a little hotter and even less humid. I did 4 more miles. I had enough time to get home and shower, then get back to the 3100 mile race in time to see Pranjal from Slovakia finish. The Slovakian Ambassador and his family came out. It was a nice ceremony

It has become a tradition for the 3100 mile runners to run in the 2 mile race, before and after they finish. So today Aprihanal ran the race after 4 days of rest. He ran an excellent time of 12:42, finishing 3rd amongst the men and 4th overall.
I was also very happy with my race. From early in the race I was running with 2 sisters who usually beat me quite easily. When they passed me as they usually do, I kind of looked inside myself to see if I had the capacity to stay with them and I did. For the next mile we see sawed back and forth, with them eventually opening up a 7 yard gap on me. They had however pulled me along to my best time in at least 2 years. A time of 14:08. Very very happy!

Yesterday was the 100 th day that I have run at least 2 miles each day. I had gone 60 days at the beginning of the year, so this is my longest streak for quite some time.
With my increased training and the summer heat, the extra pounds I gained after stopping my raw food diet have almost all melted away. It is just 3 weeks now to the marathon. I was thinking of running a 12 hour race tomorrow, but decided against it.

I know I keep talking about the humidity, but at this time of the year in New York it's a big part of the day. This morning it was 93% while I was walking to work. It was not quite sauna weather because it was only 73 F, but it was pretty close.
As I write this a 3rd runner in the 3100 mile race is approaching the finish line. Grahak Cunningham should finish at about 12 hours into day 47.

For the last 2 weeks cryptic cardboard signs have been showing up, taped to light poles and street sign poles all around the neighbourhood. There is a small notice on the back of each of them that says "Cardboard Bandits". It is a mystery, but quite entertaining.
2 years ago today I found a large green caterpillar, which I videotaped crawling on my hand. I put it up on youtube and it has now been viewed just over 158000 times.Check it out it's called What a Monster.

3100 mile finisher
Asprihanal Aalto the Finnish runner was the first runner home today in the Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race. He finished just after breakfast in a time of 44 days 2Hrs 42 mins 15 seconds unofficially.This is I believe his 7th finish in his 3rd best time. Congratulations !!!

Yesterday we had a lot of thunderstorms throughout the day. Then in the evening it was so nice and cool. When I left for work this morning it was just 66 F which is good for the last few days of July in New York.
I have been taking my Slovenian lessons over Skype, I think I am progressing slowly. Time will tell

About 30 minutes before I went out for my run this morning, thunderstorms passed over the area. Needless to say when we went out it was quite humid. With my second run yesterday afternoon I had completed 9 miles. This morning I ran another 8 and will go out again this afternoon. Not too long after I came back from my run more thunderstorms passed. So I had managed to run between them, however I was so wet from the humidity, it would probably have been nicer to be in one.

I said I was feeling good this week, but as I warmed up for the race I felt some pressure in my neck and shoulders. Once the race started however I felt good. An old friend of mine was running just behind me and told to keep the pace. I felt I was running fast and was really feeling it when she passed me with 1/2 mile to go. I tried to stay as close as I could and came in with a time of 14:20. My best time this year and only 4 seconds slower than my best time last year.
I jogged 2 miles as a warm down and was very happy with my race today.

During the week I was feeling tired and my running was a bit of a struggle, But today that all seems to have changed and I felt quite light and lively on my run this afternoon.
The photo was taken during our visit to the Serbian restaurant Kafana last weekend.

I think I have mentioned before that one of my workmates has been battling Cancer for some time now. Well this week he was told that after 12 different types of treatment, it is spreading and basically there is nothing more they can do. Needless to say it is a bit of a bummer.

This by the way is my 1000 post since I started this blog, it's been just about 3 years since I started, so not bad.

On my way to work in the mornings I pass an area where someone has planted some Mint. It is actually growing through the fence near to the sidewalk. So for the last few mornings I have been picking some of it and making tea at work 2 or 3 times a day.
The copy of my Birth certificate that I ordered came today. They said it would take 3 weeks, but it came in 9 days. I am getting closer to Croatian citizenship and purchase of the farm.

A much cooler day, about 10 degrees cooler than they predicted. It feels nice and there is a nice breeze.


It's not such a great shot and it's a week late, but this is Beth Orton performing at the Celebrate Brooklyn concert I went to 10 days ago.

It is a little too hot and the Sun is a little too strong to do much today. Of course it is Monday and it is a perfect day to do washing, there is even a bit of a breeze to go with the sunshine.
Two of the stores near to the apartment building have been closed for a short time and 6 families have been found temporary housing by the red cross. It seems the landlord had a building inspector say the building was safe 3 weeks ago. So I guess some heads will roll.