Breathless in the park

I discovered in my own naive way that training for the NYC Marathon is a challenge. 26.2 miles is just a number until you actually have to run the distance. I’m a strong believer in the human body and the endurance it can sustain. However, my mental determination might be stronger then my body. An ache here and there on my run and I get nervous, scared that I’ll injure myself and destroy this opportunity. After all I applied once and was selected, so luck seems to be on my side. After a very slow start to my training regimen of 20 miles per week, with my longest run of only 7-8 miles, I knew some serious progress was in order. On Saturday my goal was to run the loop at Prospect Park three times, covering 10.5 miles. Once I started my legs ached and I had to talk myself into continuing the run. After the second loop something happened, a burst of energy took over. Also, a kind stranger offered me a banana. (appeared to be left over from an in-line skate marathon) I quickly thanked him and took off, eating and running on the go. I felt great and was determined to run two more loops. After awhile my knees were aching but not enough to make me want to stop. I persevered and even managed to sprint near the end. 13.4 miles was the distance I covered in 2:17, the longest I’ve ever ran. I felt a sense of accomplishment and wondered what it will feel like to crossing the finish line in November. Also, did I mention my goal is to finish under 4 hours, the hardest part just began. Any tips or words of wisdom are welcomed.
Countdown to the Start, November 5, 2006: 68 days 21h 05m 10s

Budapest at night

I took this image of the Széchenyi lánchíd or Chain Bridge from the boat/restaurant on the first night of the trip. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring a tripod and had to rest the camera on the boat. Most of the shots are too blurry but this one is my favorite.

Reliving Romania

After editing the film from my trip it occurred to me how quickly the memories faded until I looked at these images and was reminded of the experiences that took place, the beauty that I saw and felt.

Photos from Lunca

While in Romania, 2 weeks ago, I went to visit my extended family at Lunca Ilvei. A very remote, small and timeless village tucked away between Transylvania and Bucovina. The majority of people there are farmers who live off the glorious land.





















I had the opportunity to visit this shepherd who herds 300 sheep and according to him, drinks too much palincă.

Love in Budapest

I had the opportunity to attend my cousin, Tivodor’s wedding in Budapest, Hungary two weeks ago, this being his third try at marriage. This celebration also set the mood for the rest of the trip. Reuniting with loved ones, family that I haven’t seen in ages and missed. Through out my travels in Budapest and Romania I realized the importance of my roots. My grandmother, who died of cancer when I was 2, was the eldest of 13 children. I remember as a child having a hard time memorizing the names of all her siblings, all Hungarian names that were foreign to me since I only spoke Romanian. Many and most have passed on to better lives free of wars, famine and Communism, all are missed very much by the living. Today my family is a lot smaller. I hope that love brings us together again for another celebration and the tree continues to grow more branches and stronger roots.