Yesterday could not have been a more perfect day.

We got up early and drove to Staten Island. I know, I know. Part of the NYC running ritual is to navigate the subway and the ferry over there. But as I wanted to have my cheer squad in tow, we took the car. Security was pretty tight at this race; it's so different to run the NYC races than the Oakland ones - the cops, the crowds.

I didn't really know what to expect of myself or of the course. The weather, I will say, was ideal: about 50 degrees and although there were some headwinds in places, it was sunny, but cool. I wanted to beat the time I ran at my last half - the Bay Bridge Half in May - but as 1) that course was a little short and 2) this training block, what with the moving and the weather, was so challenging. I really wasn't sure how fast I could go.

I could go fast. I ran at 8:26/mi according to my watch and 8:30 according to the official time. It was, indeed, a PR. I think I could have done even better if that massive hill at mile 8 hadn't drastically slowed me down. Even so, I was elated.

And my god, it makes all the difference in the world, when running distance races, to have people cheer you on. Kin and Poppy were waiting for me at Mile 6 and I saw them again at Mile 13. It's such a boost - the very Bette Midler cliche of "wind beneath my wings."

After the race, we drove home, ate a bagel, showered, drank some coffee, and then Kin and I headed to Greenwich Village for pizza at one of the classic coal-burning pizza oven joints, John's of Bleecker Street. Afterwards, he popped into a record store and bought some jazz albums. Then we got ice creams at Van Leeuwen.

To top it all off, we watched the Barbie movie before falling asleep by 9pm.

Like I said: pretty much a perfect day.

Indeed, the whole weekend was stellar. On Saturday, we went to Central Park early to take advantage of the off-leash hours with Poppy. Then Kin headed up to Absolute Bagels while I waited for the Doughnut Project delivery at home. So many carbohydrates. I am definitely in recovery mode today and I don't want to run, don't miss running at all. But I know in a few days time, I'll want to get back out there again. And I'll be sad too that I'm not training at a high enough intensity to warrant three doughnuts and a bagel in one morning. (I signed up for the first few 2024 NYRR races this past week, all in preparation to be eligible to run the 2025 NYC Marathon. I was just 2 minutes off from time-qualifying, so perhaps I can get faster for my April half marathon and run it in 2024. But that's a long ways off.)

I bought doughnuts on Friday too - my first ever trip to Kripy Kreme. (Overrated.) I had a pastry on Wednesday when I had coffee with my friend Alicia at Bibble & Sip. (Also overrated.)

Reading / Watching / Listening / Writing / Cooking: I finished Running Grave. We're still listening to the audiobook of Blood in the Machine. I started Your Body is Not an Apology. We watched the season finale of Only Murders in the Building. I listened to parts of Coach Bennett's podcast, and parts of the latest Barbell Medicine podcast. (I'm working on a Second Breakfast show which should be released this week.) I published the usual Second Breakfast newsletters. I can't think of anything particularly exciting that I cooked, other than this orange tofu in the air fryer.

For the past couple of months, I've told myself that I'd get to things after my half marathon. Well shit. That's today. So I have a massive To Do list today. No more looking back now; moving forward.