The Crossings of Colonie

Guys, I found the coolest park full of running paths on Wednesday morning. I flew up to Albany Tuesday night for yet another AmeriCorps program director training and they have us staying at the Radisson on Wolf Road. The Crossings Park is a 130-acre public park in Colonie, which I believe is a suburb of Albany. Fun fact - I spent two years of my life researching the Capitol District and Western New York when I did new site development for Teach For America, and I randomly know the zip codes of a bunch of suburbs. I also know that you're never supposed to say Upstate New York unless you want to offend someone who might give you money.

My plan was to run 2 miles and then figure out how to get back to the main road so I could stop at Dunkin Donuts for my 32 oz iced coffee. When I don't want to get up and run, I find it helpful to build in a fix for my iced coffee addiction and then I walk back caffeinated and happy. The weather was beautiful, i.e. sunny and cool, and the park had so many trails that I was able to complete an easy 5 mile run. I was pretty pleased with myself even if I did get lost in the woods.

I didn't bring my phone because I am the worst blogger on the interwebs. I fully intended to get back to take some photos but it rained yesterday and we had a 7 AM start time today (like what in the actual fuck?) so y'all don't get any photos of this idyllic place. Maybe it will motivate you to go check it out yourself the next time you're in Albany.

But here is the front of the hotel so you can see that the trees are changing colors!

I was apprehensive about this trip. For starters, I had never been to Albany, except for that one time my plane got redirected from LaGuardia during a snowstorm but they didn't even let us off the plane. I didn't know any of the other program managers yet and so I didn't have any friends to look forward to seeing. I'm trying to keep my expenses down so I can pay for a sweet vacation and that means choosing running over CrossFit drop-ins. (I've got a marathon in a week and the longest I have ran since August is 10 miles. Yes, I am out of my mind, and yes, I am going to PR.) And I looked so good last week that I was scared of fucking up my macros.

Professor Java's is In Shape Out of Mind-approved.

Obviously there was nothing to get so worked up about. Albany is lovely. The hotel was close to the airport, several establishments that sold iced coffee, and a park of fantastic running paths. I made some solid program manager friends. I found two restaurants that I highly recommend - the Reel Seafood Co (best bread I've ever eaten, blue cheese bacon butter, and order the Giovanni pasta) and Ted's Fish Fry (get the scallops instead of the combo platter.) I probably overate but I didn't lose my shit and binge eat McDonald's, which has definitely happened more than once on these trips.

I like restaurants with fish tanks.

I'm heading back to Atlanta and meeting my parents at the airport. I'm very excited to have them in town this weekend.

And if anyone is ever skeptical of the wonders of Lasik, I was fully capable of reading the man in the window seat's book from the aisle and on an angle.