Days are getting shorter, runs are getting longer!

Today's run was awesome!  Granted, it was quite long. But awesome all the same. I ran 16 miles around the city - woohoo! Kinda can't believe it if we're being honest here. That's a long freaking way. Also kinda can't believe that I'm going to run 26 miles at one time in about a month but I guess stranger things have happened.  

So today I met my friend Diana in Central Park (again, I have great friends. Thanks buddy!). She ran the first four miles with me along the bridle path around the reservoir. She then emphatically informed me that she was done and that I was crazy. So I took off across 58th street towards the west side highway. I ran down the west side all the way to the bottom of Manhattan and then around the tip and up the east side and then looped around Stuyvesant town. You should go plot this on mapmyrun.com. I'm a little impressed with myself if you can't tell.  

I really do love New York.  One second I was running along the water with a view of the Statue of Liberty. The next I'm running by this bus stop sign.  

I made an amazing discovery today. I LOVE Gu. As I mentioned last week, Gu is an energy fuel/calorie/carb supplement thingy. I've never really gotten on board with the whole Gu thing.  Until today. Chocolate Gu tastes like chocolate cake batter. And you get to eat it while you run. So basically, I ran 16 miles today while sucking down chocolate cake batter. Could life get any better?  

Disclaimer:  I haven't actually tried the Mint Chocolate yet.  This was a prop.

Note to anyone about to start using Gu: despite it's amazing deliciousness, it does make you hella thirsty so make sure you have access to water. Thank goodness for the hot dog vendor selling water on the west side highway path. Those water fountains are too few and far between. 

After my run, I had to high-tail it to Cinema Village where Tibet in Song is currently playing (and the run has been extended until October 7!  Yay!). At this point, I was so hungry I thought I was going to die. I scarfed down some peas and cheese before I left my house but that only lasts you so long when you just burned a gajillion calories. So then I went to STAND, the burger place next to Cinema Village, where I proceeded to eat back all those gajillion calories in the form of a salmon burger with cheese, a lavender honey milkshake, and french fries. Oh well. Can't win em all I guess.  

On a more positive note (although really, the lavender honey milkshake was pretty close to being the highlight of my week) - a BIG thank you goes out to Richie for donating this weekend! You're the best!

Thanks to everyone who has donated!! I love you all! 

Just in case you've somehow missed how to donate ; ) here's the link: www.crowdrise.com/ashleypatterson

And in case you're wondering about my cause, visit www.witness.org or blog.witness.org to learn more.