5 For Friday

1. This week I registered for two more races. My calendar is starting to fill up! I registered for the Brooklyn Half Marathon on May 21st and the New York Mini 10K on June 11! I'm really excited for both of these. I haven't run the Brooklyn Half before but since I want to run at least four half marathons this year, this one seems like a good one to do. I have run the Mini 10K twice and it's a great race. It's a women's-only field and instead of starting in Central Park, it starts on Central Park West and goes north for a bit before turning into the park. It's a nice little twist on the usual race routes for NYRR races and all the women are so encouraging and supportive!

2. The other day I saw a tweet about free races in NYC. I was immediately curious so I clicked the link. Some group puts together races with holiday themes in Van Cortland Park up in the Bronx. The races are free but they ask for donations to cover costs. As you can imagine, the races are pretty low-key, with what sounds like a do-it-yourself atmosphere, but who knows, they could be fun! They do come with amusing race souvenirs! I'd love to hear if anyone has run one of these! Next one is this Sunday for Valentine's Day.

3. New York Running Company at Columbus Circle is having a big winter gear sale this weekend. When I was in Grand Central I noticed the Super Runners Shop there has a sale going on too. Check them out if you need another long sleeve top or jacket to make it through the rest of this super-cold winter!

4. Busy weekend ahead starting with a 6 mile run on tap for tomorrow morning. I have a little craft project to do in preparation for the NYRR YPC fundraiser on Thursday night, Woody and I are finally going to see The King's Speech! (I've had a celebrity/Englishman-crush on Colin Firth since Bridget Jones.) Yoga Sunday morning and then we're taking a trip to Red Hook, Brooklyn via the IKEA ferry to do a little IKEA and Fairway shopping plus a stop at BAKED.

5. BUT, before all that, I'm more than excited for tonight! I'm going to see Adele perform music from her new album, "21"! I haven't seen her live since 2009 when she was here touring for her album "19" and it was such an incredible show. She has an amazing voice and a sharp personality. I can not wait! Work will not go by fast enough for me! Here's a great video from the new album:

• What races are you looking forward to?
• Have you ever run a free race organized completely by volunteers?
• Have you seen The Kings Speech? More importantly, are you also in love with Colin Firth? (if so, I know we'll be friends forever!)
• What's on tap for your weekend?

***********
Today's workout -
4mile run
3x10 cable pull push-down
3x10 leg press
3x10 weighted side bends
100 jumping jacks
1x50sec planks