Today was my attempt to have people come up from the City to enjoy the Rockies. But only a couple made the trip. Oh well.

It still was a beautiful fall day. A quick stop to pick up TK, and Steve at the Tarrytown Train Station. We drove the less than a mile to Sleepy Hollow High School. I was a bit nervous about sending TK out on her own for fear of her getting lost (Steve has been here before) even though I had come up with directions. But Paul and Sham arrived and I was saved since TK would be in good hands with Sham, who really knows the place, and a friend who came with her.

In the event, she had a great time under Sham’s stewardship, including running around Blue Hills At Stone Barns, even though she’s schlepped from Sunnyside, Queens to join us. I appreciated it.

Meanwhile, Herb joined us as well (Dave B couldn’t make it because of a late flight) so Paul, Herb, and I headed out down the street (since the OCA was, we thought, closed). Paul and Herb had done 20-milers yesterday — Herb is running Philly on Nov. 21 — and I  had my measly 6 from yesterday afternoon. As I’ve said before, I seem to hurt more for running slower in groups than running alone, and this was a case in point. On the same stretches in which I had done 7 flats last week, I was feeling worse although I was going much more slowly. I don’t get it.

Still, it was a fine run of about 68 minutes, getting me up to 40 for the week (with one day off), so it’s a further sign of progress.

Four of us — Herb, Steve, TK, and I — followed up with breakfast at the Horseman’s Diner down the street, although things got a bit heated in a discussion about what changes NYRR should make to allow more local runners into the marathon.

Rockies ElevationIt’s a beautiful place especially, but by no means solely, at this time of year. We saw loads of other folks, many presumably doing their final pre-NYC long run, and TK was impressed by how many we saw congregating in the parking lot. It’s a tough course, and as with the way she went it was largely uphill going out (and downhill coming back) (I post my Garmin’s elevation picture, which may exaggerate the steepness of the climbs but not their dominance, i.e., you can run them at a good rhythm but you feel them)) with Herb and Paul taking me up a long, gradual climb on the other side of Route 448 (which you cross by going under) that I’d only done once before.