Summer Already

I don't like cold weather...so don't take this as me complaining...but this is a picture of my car dashboard today.  It is April 15th.  39*C.  That is about 102.2*F!!  We had to get a car inspection done and me and my Volvo roasted while we waited for the men to finish their inspection.  Ouch it was hot. 

Our first summer here this meter would regularly read 42* on the way to and from work.  I didn't understand metric so well, so I figured "its hot..42 must mean like 80 or 85*F."  Ha!  That was one of the hottest summers on record which lead to a drought lasting until October which led to a butter shortage at Thanksgiving!  Already the grass is dead in our circle and the ground is cracking. Glad we'll be leaving this heat before it gets too hot.

Tel Aviv Marathon 2012

March 30th was the Tel Aviv Marathon and Paul and I both ran!  Well...not the Marathon portion.  I ran the 10k and Paul ran the half marathon.  As you can see from the pictures, tons of people ran. 

My goal was finish in 1 hour so I set my running watch.  There is this great "training buddy" feature where a little stick figure runs against you and the watch tells you if you're winning or losing the race, and by how much. So the whole race I didn't watch how far I had run or for how long...only if I was beating my little racing buddy.  I did great in the beginning...then the race got close...then I let him get ahead by just a bit.

My course went down 3 of the most popular streets in Tel Aviv and when I thought I was about two-thirds of the way done, there was a Marathon sign posted to a light-pole that read "5k."  I can read some Hebrew, but not that fast.  There was no way I could do double what I had already done...so I considered giving up.  For a moment.  Luckily I didn't because that sign was supposedly for the half marathon and I really was almost done!  I admit...that last mile was pretty tough, but when I crossed the finish line I stopped my watch - 56 minutes!! Yeah!!!!

Paul also did a great job.  He always does.  A couple of people from the Embassy ran and Paul got the fastest time of all of the half marathoners!  And he beat our boss!