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.

Forced out of my Cocoon

and into the bright, biting breeze. Booh.

How's that for alliteration?

Why am I so unmotivated?! I blame everything on the cold. My tiredness, my soreness, my cravings for candy and my general laze-a-bedness.

But I was meeting the Vivacious Redhead. So I perservered. Rushing a bit this morning, as I hid out under the covers until 7:00am, I managed to snag a bit of breakfast. Which was likely unnecessary, given the copious amounts of pistachios I ate last night while huddled in bed readding. But reassuring and reminding me of routine: the breakfast I always eat when I'm about to go on a training run.

Off to the cemetery for a look at the beautiful, crumbling limestone monuments and the not-so-beautiful, crumbling old subway cars parked in the subway graveyard across the way. Back around the rest of the park and then over to Milk Bar. Then, a trundle home: it was warmer than waiting for the subway. Between 10 1/2 and 11 miles.

My left foot started swelling. My back causing everything to tighten? So frustrating. I stretched a lot afterwards.

I must roll: my quad is feeling it, as well as my hamstrings, and today was an easy run. Though maybe its the coldness of my apartment making everything spasm.

I can't feel my feet.

When is winter over?

A Welcome Reminiscence

Or, how I don't know how to spell.

I've noticed that I've fallen into the academic's habit of always giving subtitles. I must re-train myself!

9:15. GAP was the text reminder I got this morning. Whee! I plotted routes in my head as I ran to meet Superman. I hadn't run with him in ages! It was enough for me to get out the door, though it was COLD ( for me) and my quad was sore when I rolled it in preparation.

Ooh. Flatbush was being redirected. Problem for pedestrians? That was going to be part of my route!

"where are we going?" " you've got an hour, right?" "oh, maybe a bit more.".

I threw caution to the wind, which was quite strong and blew it away in a matter of milliseconds.

"Let's do the cemetery route, to avoid traffic."

So, off we went. Ran through a really weird protest, that included people saying things like, "we want more parking on Prospect Park West!". Which was supposedly a protest against the bike lane that merely made the parking move over about three feet.

Ah. Critical thinking ought to be required for life. I made a mental note to use this as an example against those normative ethicists who claim that we can think rationally all the time, if pressed. And yes, I do have a vendetta against this nefarious group. Which is arational, if not irrational. Luckily, my position supports my lack of rationality!

Back to the run. It was at a nice pace. A bit faster than I had been running up to GAP but, then again, I had been babying my leg in the freezing temperatures and wind. It was only about 50, after all! But, luckily, my leg did not protest. We were at Prospect Park West again almost immediately, it seemed. Superman and I had been gabbing so much that I hadn't even noticed most of the run around the cemetery!

Except that awful, decaying body/rotting garbage reek halfway past the subway cemetery. Yes, folks, that smell is back.

We went around the rest of Prospect Park, though I left him to fend for himself up Flatbush. I shot down Washington instead to run some errands on St. Johns and Brooklyn. So I don't know how that whole 'traffic rerouting' thing affected the sidewalk. Oops. Probably should have told him.

One thing I appreciate and miss so much about our runs is that he doesn't share a lot of the views that I do but he is still a thoughtful person open to changing his mind and open to crusades. One of the topics we discussed was the lack of women in certain levels of any job. He had interesting and insightful things to say about the topic and also listened to my points. Not something of the tyoe I usually get to talk about on a run, unless it is with Ivy League. ( that was a gratuitous mention of Ivy Leagues, by the way. Just making sure everyone is still confused about our status! Heh.)

Got in a bit over 10. I slowed down some after leaving Superman. Had to digest the conversation and plan my writing and reading day.

Plus, my quad was tired. Will it ne'er be right again?

Dramatic sigh.

I need to remember that its ok if I dont hit my magic mile number this week. It's more important to feel good, both for New York and for my running sanity,

Kudos for Coffee and Company

Worked this morning, waiting to meet the Vivacious Redhead at her kids' school. It was rough even getting up this morning.

Last night I fell asleep on the subway. Repeatedly. And I really can't sleep sitting up.

A talk tonight, classes and another tomorrow weighed heavily on me. Plus, I just didn't feel well.

But, I promised! So I ran out to meet her. As usual, after getting over my crabbiness, I was really glad that I did. She wasn't feeling well either but needed to get a run in. And, she had promised! So she was out and ready, too.

I think both of us felt better after the sun, the run and some coffee from the green plant coffee shop on Classon. Down 6th to the cemetery, then around and back over to Prospect Park Southwest, where we finished off the outside park loop, ran the Park Slop side of the circle, then down to Sterling Place and over to coffee. I'm hoping at least 10. We took it really easy, so these miles don't count for much.

Except maybe psychic strength. Assuming we aren't all just brains in vats, imagining our physical experiences and sensations.

Whew!

I had been nervous about this run for the past week. Don't know why: it's just a practice run.

But I had been. To the point where, Friday morning, as I was working on my lesson plans, I caught myself wondering why I didn't just go early, to stop the nervous anticipation.

Starting at 9:00 am is great for several reasons. The sun is out, I can eat more for breakfast, and Ivy League will grace me with his presence. However, it also gives me lists of time to think about how painful and long my run might be.

There is a bonus to being half-asleep for most of your run. Not Friday, though.

My goal was to run at least 21, if not 22. Met up with Ivy League with 1 1/2 under my belt and started down Prospect Park West with him. Besides the fact that I hate running loops in Prospect Park, I was glad we weren't trying to run in the park for another reason. The tornado had devastated portions of the park. So sad, seeing the carcasses of formerly majestic trees. I wanted to turn away, as there was something unsettlingly voyeuristic in staring - like seeing a former beauty in a bad strip club somewhere. But I looked anyway.

This year in general has been rough on the park. Winds, snows, and torrential rains.

So Ivy League and I run down to the cemetery. We had to go a bit slowly at first because of digestion issues. I couldn't keep on pace and kept surging ahead and chattering loudly about kids these days and their inability to disambiguate the logical implications of an 'if...then' statement and it's truth value.

If Ivy League hadn't been in a bad mood before.......I think, had I been listening to myself, I would have punched me. Luckily, even I don't listen to myself!

We started picking it up past the start of the cemetery. Especially because it smelled awful! Ivy League said later he didn't smell it but I don't see how. Fifth avenue side of the cemetery is annoying at the best of times. The combination of irresponsible pet owners, the drenching rain the night before, and the humidity created a miasma of horridness. I almost threw up. The smell lasted the entire length of the cemetery. But, finishing the cemetery meant that part four of the run was done.

Only twenty more to go!

We had amazing luck with the lights on Fifth, especially since we were running at the tail end of rush hour. Got to the park turnoff and over to Owls Head without having to stop. My water bottles were already feeling a bit heavy but the rest of me felt good. My knee had given me a scare under the overpass but had reduced it's screaming to a muted moan.

I tried to stick to one pace. I could tell I had been annoying Ivy League with my surging and falling back. "remember: he'll actually run with you during the week. Don't annoy him too much!"

Onto the Shore Promenade. I was excited about this part. I had never been to the end before. Plus, running on the Promenade, I feel like I'm in Vancouver, not in the middle of the city right next to Belk Parkway. I decided that the promenade was my next segment.

Ivy League splits the run up differently. He tends to pick landmarks and estimate how long it will take to get there. I never like to be reminded how little time we've been running, or how little time it actually takes to get to seemingly far-away spots, as it reminds me how much further I have left. though he is scarily accurate about the times needed.

We picked up the pace more on the Promenade. It was sunny and beautiful but with no water. Ivy League had been better about drinking from his water bottle than I had with mine and he had almost finished his already. We finally found a fountain near the Toys 'R' Us near the connector path.

My legs were feeling quite tired by this point but the excitement of running someplace new mitigated it. We were in the backwaters of Coney Island, as far as I could tell. One of those interesting places in Brooklyn that seems as far from truly urban life as you can get and still be in the city. Some sort of strange suburb. We managed to navigate this part pretty well, however, and found ourselves right near the boardwalk.

Seeing the beach, I wanted to stay here all day. But I used my willpower to keep moving. Part 13 of the run done. Now for running up Ocean Parkway.

By this time, I was really tired. The humidity, while not quite as bad as my last long run, was still enough that my eyes had been burning from sweat since the Promenade. My sweat band was so soaked it was useless. I started counting down the lettered avenues. The song in my head had switched to my 'i'm really tired and need extra motivation' song a long time prior.

Then we hit the lights. That was probably the hardest part of the run: hitting so many light in the middle of the alphabet. My legs didn't want to stop. When they finally did, they didn't want to start moving again. I despaired of finishing. We weren't talking to each other at this point. Too ready to be done.

Ivy League did an amazing pick-up around the park. By the time I got up to Washington and Eastern Parkway, he was a full block ahead - likely two. Knowing I hadn't really slowed down, this was impressive. I ran down to Rogers and back up a block, just to try to finish up the 22. Hope I made it but declared it good enough.

2;57:30 something. Not great but, at this point, I'm just happy I finished.

Introduced Ivy League to the pleasures of ice baths, too. I think everyone in the world is better at taking ice baths than me. Small children would be. Grannies. But I did it because I promised the Vivacious Redhead that I'd ice. Brrrrrrrrr.

Bagel Hole!

Ah. My long-lost lover, back near me. How I missed you on those overnight plane rides, when they tonged up bread-in-a-circle to accompany my sugar-added orange juice.

But first, the run. Trapeze Girl met up with me to jog to GAP. I haven't seen her in so long! That was a super bonus. There was an unusually pliable group there today - a lot of new people, who don't like to rock the boat - so I was able to railroad everyone into doing one of my runs. Yay!

The run I chose always seems so easy on the way there. Down Prospect Park West first. Was 'running' with Ivy League in that he was about 40 feet away in the bike lane. Had a repeat of 'Feed the Tree' stuck in my head. Wished for my headphones, which I didn't bring (gasp!). Was trying to keep up with him when a woman stepped right in front of me at the circle and asked me where Ocean Ave. was. I ignored her: Ivy League had gone through the center and I had foolishly taken the left part of the loop. The Photographer was right behind me and, apparently, the lady kept staring at me with a very unpleasant expression on her face after I passed her.

Don't ask someone who is clearly running for directions when there are 3-4 people around you who are not so doing.

Down to the cemetery and around. Ivy League was in front of us but the Photographer and I had a nice chat while we ran down to 5th Ave. Felt tired on the hill up to 40th but then got to play 'video game' with all the obstacles on 5th Avenue and 67th came up in no time at all. Took a right on 67th and went down to Owl's Head Park. Up and around to see the gorgeous view of the water from between the trees.

The Vivacious Redhead said "this is the whole reason we do this run - the view. Otherwise, it's pretty ugly."

I can see her point but I really enjoy seeing the people doing their Saturday business in neighborhoods that I never get to otherwise. My inner voyeur wonders where they are going and what they are thinking and who they are meeting.

Plus, I got to see all of the amazing icing on those cakes in the bakeries in Sunset Park. MMMMMMMMMM.

The way back was when it got difficult for me. Thank goodness Gorgeous nicely slowed down for me. I was tired from yesterday's run and the way back is mostly uphill. Likely the reason why the way there felt so nice!

Even better, she forced me to do the cemetery hills on the way back. My left knee was hurting again, like yesterday but it felt better on the hills because a) I got to run in the middle of the street and b) everything else hurt so much going up the hills that the knee felt better in comparison. The old 'if your head hurts hit your thumb with a hammer' trick really works!

Then we got to go to the Bagel Hole! Yay. Gorgeous shamed me into running just past Union then I stopped for coffee at Ozzie's.

Standing in line, I thought "Wow. Someone must have stepped in something because it smells really bad."

It was me. Oops! I stood by myself on the train back home.