My Return to Central Park

I was so excited to wake up in my own bed this morning and get back into my regular routine.

As regular as can be without the whole “going to work” thing.

I let myself sleep until 8 am, and then I hopped out of bed, excited to start the day.

While there are plenty of things on my To Do list today, the one I was most looking forward to was “Run.”

After doing some research on Twitter and Facebook, I came to the conclusion that Central Park finally seemed safe enough for running. Though I did wear my old running shoes since I don’t want my pretty new ones to get muddy just yet.

Well, I ran 7 miles, which I’m excited about.

It was hard, though.

It was tough because my legs felt heavy. It was tough because those hills never seem to get any easier. And it was really tough because the road conditions were so inconsistent.

Without further ado, my post-apocalyptic snowstorm photo tour of the Central Park running road:

The West Side is in GREAT condition. Mostly plowed, and the sun is melting away any remaining ice.

I didn't run the Reservoir loop, but there were lots of people up there and it looked pretty manageable.

The majority of the park looks like this.

This is the crossover at 102nd Street. Nice!

Everything looks clear, right?

Then you get to the East Side…

Messy, messy, messy.

The photo doesn't do much justice. The ground is ice.

My pace slooooowed on the East Side! I was dodging snow, ice, slush and tourists. No fun!

Overall, after today running in Central Park should be a breeze. The sun was strong and it seemed to be melting most of the ice patches that are still there.

Plus, there were kids everywhere having a blast. It was adorable.

The worst part of running wasn’t being in the park. It was getting to the park.

Slush and puddles (and snow mounds) everywhere!

I’m definitely glad I ran this morning. I had a healthy breakfast and I’m munching on some carrots now.

Slowly but surely my body is getting back to normal!

Still on tap for today:

• Unpacking
• Going to the bank to cash a check (only so I can write one, boo!)
• Painting my nails
• Grocery shopping
• Making my dessert for tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve party
• Taking a Refine Method class at 5:20
• Dinner with ABS and two other couples
• Playing Wii all night with ABS (this is not a joke)

Have a great day, everyone!

TELL ME: How do you re-adjust after being away and out of your routine? Any tips or tricks?