Thursday, July 28, 2005
Bring it on, winter!
Ain't nothin' like being clean after a long, sticky run. I don't think I ever appreciate my showered self more than I do, times like this. Add in the fact that it's actually pretty cool, breezy, and a bit rainy right now, and there ya have it. Life's good. At least until this afternoon.
I'd planned to get up silly-early and run all the way to the top of the island this a.m., then take the train back home--big surprise when that didn't happen. I instead had to settle for a routine out-and-back, which isn't my favorite these days. Oh well, pretty good run anyway. I felt strong up until the last 40 or so minutes, and even then it wasn't so bad. Plus it was signif cooler than in recent days, and the intermittent raindrops were 100% welcome. Anyhow, made it up past 132nd today; actually, I got off the trail out of necessity (construction) at 125th, then wove through the streets of Harlem for a few. Everyone was en route to work, so lots of activity. Many parks up that way, although the general upkeep of the neighborhood isn't what it is in, like, Soho (big surprise). It was neat getting off the trail for a while, but of course relocating it proved not easy.
Probably the high point of this run, scenery-wise, was the snow. Snow! Uh, ok, but it looked and felt damn near it. This wet, white powder--having something to do w/ construction, my guess--was strewn over a dozen yards, rising into a huge heap in the center. It even streaked like snow-turned-slush, and it crunched! Eee, I can't wait for snow here. Anyone who's lived here for more than a year will roll eyes (f-o-o-l she is), but I can.not.wait. Of course, I expect an eventual attitude shift, but until then... Oh, I also ran past a sign propped in front of a raised cement square surrounding a dozen trees: "Keep Dogs Off Trees." Off trees? Apparently a wording change is in order, as I indeed saw a small dog. But he wasn't on any tree--he was wedged, peeing, in between a couple. Smart dog.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
A chariot might be nice right about now...
For all the dead-appropriate punctuation they reject in favor of churning out wrecked copy, every so often they come around: I've just had a comma acceptance! This is so signif! (They may have put it in the wrong place, but hey.) Ahem, I've been at the ad agency all week, and I'm starting to feel a touch crazy. Pardon the glee.
So this morning after a particularly grueling 5-miler involving a 25-oz frozen Aquafina (I don't learn, and I've accepted it), I was feeling a little downhearted. In want of some uplift, I considered my options: 1) get a grip, 2) cry, 3) move to cooler temps, 3) stop training, 4) listen to Vangelis. 4) it was. Cheesy? Eh, I don't know or care, 'cause that song gets me every time, reminding me that, at the end of a marathon--and when I say *end* I mean once the finish line is behind me--all the grueling 5-milers and 5+-milers just make really great sense.
Oh, but to get to that point...
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Creative medicine
While on PubMed researching a hopeful Runner's World story, I find the typical dry study titles like "Physical and cognitive activity and exercise for older adults: a review" and "Social cognitive theory variables associated with physical activity among high school students" and "Influence of exercise duration and hydration status on cognitive function during prolonged cycling exercise."
Then, this: "Implementation intentions, perfectionism, and goal progress: perhaps the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
And why not?
Monday, July 18, 2005
16 down, many more to go
I typically run long on Sundays, but as my whole schedule was pushed back a day last week, I did yesterday's run this morning before work (Grey f/l this week). I knew what I was up against, having checked weather.com--which, btw, tries to tell me that 76 degrees with 92% humidity feels like 76 (bullshet)--but there's really no predicting the net result. Eh, ended up being a moderately comfortable one, following the usual *hard start, easy stretch, hard again, easy, hard* progression. The first four miles, always tough, would have been tougher still had I been w/o my new savior--a frozen 20-oz Evian. He only gets me that far before he turns to plain old water (you're pathetic), and well, lukewarm H20 is just sooo refreshing in sick-hot conditions. Yes, that element of my run needs work. (Ideas?) Anyhow, I was thrilled to finally have cracked the whole East River/FDR trail conundrum--before today, I hadn't figured out where the thing picks up after dead-ending at 34th St. 63rd: Now I know. So I stayed the northward course, passing the Queensboro and Triborough and a couple of smaller bridges, as well as John Jay and Carl Schurz parks and plenty of rich-y UES condos and apt buildings. It was a pretty quiet scene--probably something to do w/ the fact that it was 6:30 a.m. Still, there were a good number of people out walking/running, and I never felt out of my element. Of course, toted the pepper spray just in case. At about 11 miles in, I was cursing my shallow key pocket, responsible for dumping a packet of Gu somewhere near my starting point. This meant I'd had only the one in my hand to get me through the miles, the one I'd consumed at roughly mile 5. (I like to follow the *Gu every 45 minutes* formula.) Anyhow, such specifics are likely terribly boring for some to read, but hey, I'm all about the detail, no?
In sum, I made it up to 125th before turning back, and I got a kick out of discovering this new-to-me route. Nothing like a little variety. And now, in checking out my trusty map, I see that above UES, I skirted the neighborhoods of Yorkville, Carnegie Hill and East Harlem. Who knew? Actually, this is what I love most about running--the ability to cover a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time. And while walking is always preferable when it comes to taking in my surroundings in a relaxed manner, I just can't move fast enough to see enough. But w/ running, there's always the off-chance that I won't be dragging to the point of total tunnel vision, thereby allowing me to take in/appreciate long stretches of my city.
One of these Sundays I'll run all the way up to the tippy-top of the island (216th) and take the 1 or the 9 all the way back down. I'll want to kiss that A/C'd train, surely.