Party? Party! Party......

Whew.

Moving and parties do not mix.

Nor do fizzy drinks with beer or martinis.

Oi.

Both moving and parties can be tiring, draining and produce a sweet melancholia.

And make for little quality sleep.

Oh, and don't forget the headaches!

After a really awesome party sending me off, orchastrated by LSE and Suave,I had a lot of last-minute packing to do.

And a serious headache. See above and add "no dinner" to it!

Plus, a serious heartache. My PPTC teammates are awesome. Some of them came to see me off even though they were racing the next day.

And even though I haven't raced for real since last year.

Ok. Have to stop talking about that. I'm tearing up.

Instead, I'll move to my first post-move run.

I'll have another first post-move run: I'm staying, temporarily, in Cambridge but have not yet gotten to my ultimate stopping point of Washington DC.

But this one was good, for a first post-move run.

Driving a car for 7+ hours on a 4 hour estimated trip makes me cranky and achy.

I almost made Suave regret his letting me stay for a month Sunday night, after one too many snappish comments.

The run pulled (almost) all of that snappishness and achiness our of me, thank goodness.

Using LSE's map of the Charles, which estimates distances, I think I got in about 10.

It's a great map but I can't do it justice: you see, I don't know what many of the bridges are named, which rather limits the usefulness of a map of bridges and loop distances over the Charles River!

But I believe I went from Harvard's campus up to Arsenal, where I crossed over and went back down to the Mass Ave bridge and back up the Harvard side of the river to JFK.

At 1:20pm onwards, this was a hot, hot run. Good call taking my water bottles! I drank through about half the water and could have used more but was afraid of the stomach slosh factor.

Good run. Lots of time to think. I now have a killer runner's tan/burn, as I forgot sunscreen.

Sports Bra tan lines are hot!

Now to figure out how to drop more weight so I can actually run faster. Ideas? I'm already planning on scaling back my portion size. And trying to do more push ups.......

Superman and I are Breaking Up

And it was sad.

My last run with Superman.

We met at GAP.

"I've got to get to 21st and Broadway."

"Ok. I've got two water bottles and no plans for distance."

"Williamsburg?"

"Sure"

More of the same humidity. interesting: it wasn't very hot outside on Friday in New York. Maybe 70 or 75 degrees?

But by the time I finished the run, I had heat exhaustion. Or, at least, something that felt an awesful lot like it.

A sweaty run at a good clip back to Bedford and then up to the Williamsburg Bridge.

Got in a bit extra as the pedestrian side of the bridge is closed for repairs. For the second time in less than a year. Maybe the surface isn't holding up?

It was certainly hard to grip with the shoes going up the incline on the other side of the bridge. The rubbery surface becomes really slick when there has been rain or other moisture. Gorgeous and I had the same problem when we ran on the surface right after they had installed it.

Superman and I were happy for my water. Strange that even I sweated through my shirt by the time we hit the bridge.

Over the bridge and into Manhattan we went, finally wending our way over to Houston and down to Broadway.
Superman wanted me to run up to 21st. I had had enough of the people and the lights, however.

It was about 11:30am on a tourist Friday, after all.

So I turned around. Tired already, I was glad for the half gu I had consumed before going over the bridge.

Taking advantage of the fact that I would have to go down the longer side of the bridge anyway, I set out on a once-familiar route that had fallen into disuse.

A great urban run, this is.

Around the park to S 5 street then across the BQE and over to Union Street.

Nausea and asthma kicked in right around there. I walked by the police station as I took my inhaler and tried not to puke.

Feeling a bit better, I continued running down Union Street to Flushing. Taking a right on Flushing, I ran over to Nostrand Ave.

Which is where a totally new run started!

Previously, I had always been trying to add miles to the run at this point, which meant doubling back over to Washington or Underhill or some other street to the west.

Instead, needing no more miles, as I have no training plan, I decided to run down Nostrand, in the heart of Bed-Stuy.

Some really neat buildings. And a lot of people standing around.

Stoop-sitting, Baltimore-style.

I liked it.

I turned onto Fulton, waved goodbye to the Applebees, and took a right onto Brooklyn Ave, which I took home.

And promptly curled up on my bed for a while, moaning piteously.

I had lost a lot of salt.

A bit over 13 1/2 miles. Funny how that's a long run for me now.

I need to change that!

Last Run Home

Or, at least, last run to this particular home. I'm still alive and running!

In my office for the last time for a while. One place I really failed with the packing. There are still books everywhere. I kept bringing backpacks-full home.

Should have brought two bags home a day. But then I would have had to schlep them to my social appointments.

It's hard being so popular! Hehe

Anyway, back from fantasy world.....

The Speedy Blonde and Roll Call had graciously offered to wait for me to be done with student appointments and to run with me most of the way home.

As it turned out, we could have gone earlier, and down the East side, which was both of their preference.

Thanks, guys, for being so accomodating! I wasn't sure when I'd get out, so I arranged for them to make the arduous 5:45pm crossing of Midtown to get all the way over to 10th Ave.

Keep in mind that the Speedy Blonde lives and works in East Harlem. Quite a trek and a commitment from her. I still appreciate so much that she took the time and effort.

I had a backpack, so I was the one lagging behind, as usual. At least I had a backpack as an excuse this time!

Backpacks are great excuses....."Oh, I'd love to do fartleks but I've got this backpack....."

we got on the West Side Highway and started trekking down. As there were three of us, we ran on the pedestrian path by the river whenever possible - a path I usually avoid because of the time of day that I'm often running and because of the stone, which is bad for the knees.

Much more beautiful than the bike path, though, where you get glimpses of the river. Instead, you are right on it, without the distraction of watching for cyclists.

Down through the Courthouse area (I was amazed when the Speedy Blonde said that she had never been through this way before! All those years in Brooklyn......) and over the Brooklyn Bridge.

I got in a few last tourist photographs and gave a few more a "New York Experience" they can tell their friends about.

"Watch it, idiots! What the H are you doing in the bike lane?!" Etc.

Well, you have to give the tourists what they want, right?

We dropped off the Speedy Blonde at the Borough Hall station and kept running down Court Street.

Down Union and then a tough hill up to the park.

I wonder how I'm going to deal with real hills when I move, given that I now consider the hill on Union up to the park from 4th Avenue to be a 'real, tough hill".

It would barely have been a bump, after all, in Durham/Chapel Hill!

Maybe I can improve my times by hill work. I certainly can't seem to get speed work going!

Roll Call and I exchanged brief but meaningful 'see you laters' and I ran home.

Company=awesome run=ok

So much humidity in the air, I was sweating and sweating and sweating.

Plus, with moving stress and saying adieu to people, I had slept about 2 hours the night before.

But I am so glad I ran this run. A bit over 10 miles.

Milk Bar!

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

I love their coffee.....So smooth......

Oh, and I ran today, too.

Met up with the Vivacious Redhead at PS 321. The sky was threatening and my lungs were spasming from the upper respiratory infection that had grounded me the day before.

At least I know why I was dragging so much on my run on Monday! Yellow phlegm = yuck and lymph node swelling

Anyway, we fought through the immense humidity and ran around the cemetery, going back down Prospect Park West and around the circle to Sterling, then over to Vanderbilt and Milk Bar.

Yum.

Then a nice run down Sterling to home. About 8 to 8 1/2

Well, The View Was Spectacular

The run, however, was horrible. Who knows why? I'm sure it was all of these things:

1. I went to bed by 7:00pm Sunday night and didn't eat that much before I did.

2. I woke only about 4 or 5 times and, so, didn't drink nearly as much water as I normally would at night.

3. When I woke up in the middle of the night, my throat and lymph nodes were incredibly swollen. They went down later on but I still felt weird.

4. Stress? Who knows what else? I hadn't run the day before, so you'd think I would have been rested.

Actually, the run TO Owl's Head was worse than the run FROM Owl's Head. Not that either were good. But, on the way down, my legs were so tired that I was walking up to intersections when the lights were red. After getting into the park, I actually WALKED up the big hill. Again, I had to take my inhaler. And I WALKED the rest of the way around the park.

Shameful!

But, I got to see that gorgeous view over the river: the view that made me attempt the run today, even when I didn't feel great in the morning.

And, in the park, I drank some water and ate half a gu.

After beginning to run again, my right quad started hurting a bit. Had it gone on any longer than the 8 blocks or so that it did, I would have found the subway and ridden it home!

But it started feeling better. I still ran down 4th, though, on the way back. Just in case I needed to take the subway. I think the gu really made a difference. Oh, and I'm sure I wasn't running nearly as fast as I did during the first part of the run. Plodding away!

An additional stop for some gatorade and I actually felt ok enough to run all the way back to Nostrand, where I stopped for some food.

And almost puked. The run really took it out of me.

I'd like to finally have some runs that don't feel like pain. Will need to figure out why these keep happening! It wasn't even that hot today: maybe around 80, tops?

Frustrating.

But I got to see the view.

Small Runs, Small Groups

Neither group run worked for me this weekend.

Sad to be in Brooklyn but not get a chance to enjoy the bridges and the weather with my teammates. But I'll have to get used to that!

Instead, I ran on Saturday with Superman, LSE joining us as a surprise for the first loop. We ran a full loop and then the longer shorter loop in Prospect Park.

Neither Superman nor I felt very good on this run. Legs felt leaden, breathing was off. The humidity was affecting both of us.

Should have been a warning to me. Yesterday, I felt so sluggish that I skipped running altogether. Last night, the swelling struck.

Lymph nodes got so large I was having problems swallowing again. I'm hoping that my epic sleep last night went a fair ways in ameliorating my illness.

I don't want to be sick my last week in New York!

Chestershire Cat's Run

Penance. I needed to be penitent after Wine Club and no dinner the night before.

Of course, I was lagging a bit in the morning. Why else would I need to be penitent?

I have done this run with many different people, and have probably done this run with the Vivacious Redhead more than any other person.

But I can't help but mentally label the cemetary route the Chestershire Cat and my run.

Every Monday, at night, before she left, we would meet at GAP, run down Prospect Park West to Green-Wood Cemetery, then counter-clockwise down and around the cemetery.

The subway graveyard looked better with the cloaking of the night, like an aging prostitute in soft lighting and a beer haze.

It smelled better, too, without the direct sunlight upon it.

Gasping up the hill on the last side, leading up to the turn at Prospect Park West, we'd try to race each other a bit.

We are always a bit too competitive with each other.

Then, back down to Prospect Park Southwest, around to Parkside and Ocean Parkway and another race up Flatbush Avenue.

We'd split up near Underwood with hugs, waves and winks. I'd run home to Tiny and some steamed spinach.

Today, I ran it myself. The overcast weather led to cooler, yet humid, conditions.

I tried to race myself up that last hill around the cemetery.

I lost.

I didn't bring water, so I had to wait until Prospect Park Southwest for the first working waterfountain.

The night before and the lack of water during the run served to make the rest of the run feel pretty hard, though I wasn't running very fast.

I did try to race up Flatbush, feeling the perky shadow of the Chestershire Cat dogging my steps.

I waved near Underhill.

Ziiiiiiiiiiiing

Sleeping has become erratic for me. I might not fall asleep. Or two am might find me staring at my email with lists churning through my head, sleep not returning until five or so.

Yet I haven't been drinking caffiene for months. The combination leads to some anemic runs and apathetic days.

Thursday morning, my eyes were burning - not just from the pollen blowing around. The lists I occupied myself with Wednesday night included meetings, meetings and more meetings, as well as wine club.

"Ok. It's time. I'll only take half."

Into my mouth oozed half a packet of orange goo. With caffiene.

Not so much: half a cup of coffe, maybe?

My mouth went wide and froze into a gappy grin. I hadn't had the rictus face since.....well....it's been a while.

I couldn't stop! And I was zinging around my house. Flit. Flit. From kitchen to bathroom to bedroom to bathroom to kitchen to bathroom.

Wow. The effect was startling. When I started running, I felt airy and slightly numb.

Interesting, as I had a backpack strapped onto my back.

An additional minor jolt or two, thanks to Superman's shot blocks, got me over the Brooklyn Bridge and through the humid stickiness of the West Side Highway.

By about 23rd street, though, fatigue broke through the caffiene wall. Sweating and heavy-legged, Superman and I slogged through the last blocks on the West Side Highway, crossing over at 59th street.

I think the caffiene actually helped my asthma. Unlike my other recent runs, I didn't get an asthma attack until almost the end of the run. The hill on 59th did me in.

Boy, did I feel like a weenie when I made Superman walk a half block to 60th!

Over to Columbus Circle, where I left Superman to a lower loop and his own devices, I then ran back to 9th.

Whew. I was crystallized by the time I got to my office! Crunchy and Salty.

Brooklyn's Even Smaller Than I thought!

At least, the Crown Heights to Park Slope area is!

Again, no companions for the run. Again, I started off trying to bite back my emotions.

Being self-indulgent isn't attractive in anyone! And I've had a great time here. So why be sad?

Though my body seems to be asserting something different.

"That's it. No more sad, regular runs. I'm going to Owl's Head and back."

Determined, I picked it up a bit. My quad still doesn't feel great, even after I rolled this morning.

And then, right in front of the library......dashes the Vivacious Redhead!

In a meeting all morning, she had some major energy to burn! My legs were sore but she was really going fast!

"Off to Target!"

"Ok! Let's go!"

We ran back down Eastern Parkway to Washington, then ran down Washington to Park Ave. Back up to Myrtle, we caught the water fountains and the edge of the park - including the steep stairs! Ouch!
Over we ran to Ashland, where we headed up to Target.

Dropping her off with a wave, I girded myself up for more. My asthma was really acting up and my legs were wooden. But, if I had been planning to do almost 13 today, I had to try to get in at least close to 10!

So I trundled up Atlantic Avenue to Washington, where I headed back towards the park. I actually had to stop on the hill and take my inhaler. This is the second time recently in a short-ish run that I've had to do this. Worrisome, as I don't need my asthma to get any worse.

But, after a brief break to hack up my lungs and open up my airways, I was back at it. I had decided to do the outside of the park the harder way: clockwise.

Down Washington I went, slowing to pick around all the school children. This was a theme all the way around the park. It seemed that absolutely every class in the area was going to the zoo.

Around to the other side, then up Ocean Avenue and Parkside. The hill was rough! I stopped to 'hydrate' at the water fountain.

Up the rest of Prospect Park Southwest, then down Prospect Park West, around GAP to Eastern Parkway and then home.

I was hungry and tired at the end. I might need to take tomorrow off. Especially since I didn't get a chance to eat and refuel until several hours later.

Thinking......

A Surprise Companion

My two Monday people bailed. I was left to run alone.

And alone is sad right now: too much reminiscing. I need other peoples' thoughts to drown out my own head.

There, waving away on Prospect Park West, was my colleague! We'd never ended up running together, though she runs in Prospect Park a lot.

Companionship! I persuaded her to run around part of the outside of the park. Slowed down to stay with her but that was ok: last week, my heel split open. I limped for a couple of days. With a heavy backpack. My right quad has been feeling kinda bad ever since. Slow might be good.

She waved off at the bottom of Prospect Park Southwest. I shortened the loop by going up Washington and heading home. A much more satisfying 6 miles than I had imagined at the beginning. Brooklyn is a small town, in certain ways.

Reliving Grad School - But Only the Good Parts!

Rapier was in town. She volunteered to help me pack. Incredibly nice of her.

And pack we did. A lot of it.

But not too much to miss galavanting around as if we were still in grad school! Late nights, different venues, a beer garden.

Whee!

And I even managed to run once. Superman and I ran two clockwise loops of the park on Saturday. Great conversation, though I got into a seriously self-reflective mood afterwards.

Now, I just need to stop feeling nostalgic and weepy as I gird up to leave the city that I love so much in the summertime.

Sniffle.

Lovely

"Are you totally against running by yourself?" Storyfinder asked, shock in her voice.

But I spent a whole year enjoying the solo runs I took, solace from tension and stress in my career and my life!

I thought again before answering. And I realized that, while I do run a lot by myself when I'm training, I'm really cognizant of the fact that I'll be running alone for at least the next month, in Boston and then in D.C.

And I'll miss my running group terribly. They're my first.

So I've been trying to run with other people for all the runs that I can before I leave NYC.

But I struck out today. So I laced up my sneakers and went out solo.

Humid, creamy blue sky weather. Yum.

Hard on the lungs but easy on the eyes. Especially people-watching in South Manhattan. Gorgeous people + little clothing = distractions from my tired legs

I ran up Bedford to the Williamsburg Bridge, planning to stop for water by the Brooklyn. I should have brought/bought some earlier than that, as I was pretty dehydrated by the time I got to the Brooklyn Bridge.

The fountain is on at the Courthouse, though! Gulping down water, I braved the schoolkids and tourists.

That was rough. Elbows were thrown. Oops!

Down to the park by the bottom of the bridge. The fountain wasn't working.

Pasty feeling in my throat. I had to take my inhaler on Delancy and I was still feeling wheezy. The water fountain at the Brooklyn Court House saved me. Up Court and down Union, enjoying the shade on Eastern Parkway and off to get a huge iced coffee at Dunkin' Donuts.

Delicious.
About 11.5 miles

That Was Hard!

And Pre-Law Boot Camp was pretty hard, too.

Glad both are over with!

I won't run late at night. I doubt anything would happen to me but, if it did, I'd get no sympathy.

"You were running where?! When?! What did you expect?"

Given my crazy schedule for the past week, that would leave 5:00am-6:30am as the running time slot.

Late evening appointments and problems sleeping - moving stress - nixed that time slot.

I hadn't run since last Thursday. My waistline, friends, and job were suffering as a result.

So, when Boot Camp ended early yesterday, I jumped on the opportunity to fit in a run before Pizza Tour with the Vivacious Redhead and Gorgeous at Tottono's in Coney Island.
Much needed. Must fit in extra pizza, you know!

Out the door I went at about a quarter to 3:00.

Did you know that Heat Advisories are put out especially for asthmatics?

And I'm an ashtmatic? WIth severe pollen allergies?

The loop of Central Park was a slow one! I couldn't get air in very well. But I'm still happy I went.

The Vivacious Redhead: "At least tell me you went out, realized how awful it was, and turned back around?!"

Me: "Um.........No?"

The Vivacious Redhead: Looks at me like I'm an idiot. Shakes her head and sighs.

But I went slowly!

Happy to get out there. But it was hard.

Mixing It Up!

Things haven't changed since the Bryn Mawr gym, fellow classmates chatting nervously while glances skittered like cockroaches in a South Baltimore walk-up.

The mixer.

At least this time I wasn't wearing bilious green front-pleated corduroy pants. With cuffs.

And when I ventured to speak to the ultra-hip North Brooklyn runners, I didn't get a sneer and behind-the-hand snickers dismissing me, making my granny glasses fog up.

They were actually quite nice! Though I maintain that it's the uniforms, and not the extreme beauty and youth, that creates such an allure to North Brooklyn.

Actually, it was an unusual running day. I spontaneously decided to run from work to the National Running Day event in Prospect Park. Being spontaneous is unusual, made more unusual by what often happens when I am spontaneous. It can be disaster.

I neglected the weather, and it being day 4 in a row of running, when I'm not used to that, and general weeniness.

So, extremely unusually, I found myself sweating in splendid isolation on the 2 train tirades Grand Army. I made it only to the courthouse before my legs cut out on me.

Given the conditions, it shouldn't have been surprising. But I still have mixed feelings. Was I smart or was I being a whiny quitter?

Off to Grand Rmy where, after much waiting around, we started a loop of the park with other teams.

"Is this a race?" "Is this a race?"

So many singlets in one place! And I got to run with Baltimore again.

Unsurprisingly, most people ran with others on their team. Not much mingling there.

I forgot my inhaler in my backpack, which I nervously left with a member of nyrr at GAP. Given the smog, I didn't want to push too hard. My legs still felt heavy and stiff, though.

So we didn't try to pass other teams, though some of our team-mates tried.

Off to a bar on 5th in Park Slope. Just like middle school, teams separated off.

But I started a conversation with North Brooklyn. With that ice breaker, and additional free beer, some of us PPTC-ers found ourselves fraternizing with another team! Gasp.

Especially the men. Heh. No more defectors to North Brooklyn, please!

A slow run back to home. About 5 plus 3.4 plus about 2.......10 miles, maybe.

Three Redheads

Three redheads were running down the road........

Panic! Sun streaming down, attacking my poorly-pulled-back ponytail.

Had I lost an hour?

No. Lazy-bones hadn't been up to run this early in a while. Who knew the sun was now rising by 5:30?!

Glowing redly in the bright light, the conflagration of outfit, hair and yesterday's sunburn blazed onto Eastern Parkway.

Up to GAP, where I met the other two Titian beauties. If only Gorgeous had been able to come! We would have been a complete set!

The Chestershire Cat, the Vivacious Redhead and I ran counter-clockwise around the park, running much faster than if it were just the Vivacious Redhead and me.

The Chestershire Cat was unsympathetic to any Memorial Day barbecue excuses. Onward she pressed the pace.

Whew.

After tackling the Washington hill, we searched for water.

Found the one working water fountain but were repulsed by the taste and odor.

Boy was I thirsty! Too much sun!

Running down Union, we dropped the Chestershire Cat off and I ran into a bodega to get some much-needed water. I could have drunk the whole thing but knew I still had to run home. Hard to resist!

Hugs.

Hills.

Home.

A bit less than 9 miles.

Steaming and Exfolliating

Whew!

My pores were opened and my stomach looks like that of a 16-year-old!

Cleansing.

The consequences of relying solely on race T-shirts for tech wear. Rough!

Oh, and deciding to wear double-ply shorts.

LSE and I met in the glaring sun of GAP at high noon.

Stupid? Or hardened road warriors?

A nostalgic route around the side of Prospect Park, down around the cemetery, and back around the outside of the park: the Chestershire Cat and my regular Monday night route.

The subway cemetery smells as bad as Chinatown in the heat!

No water was rather rough, as was the hill back up to Prospect Park West. LSE's back got smaller and smaller while I struggled not to hurl.
I made us stop for the light before we ran back to the park.
Didn't need to pee for about three hours afterwards. Maybe some water bottles would have been in order!
10.5-11 miles and a gorgeous afternoon in the backyard!
And remembrance for those who were killed in action.