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.

In a Time of Stress and Changes, A Reassuring Regularity

The weather changed today. Here I was, hoping it would be like Alabama forever. Alas, this was not to be.

I am currently wearing a scarf in my own apartment and am having trouble feeling my toes. Winter is here, even if the official start isn't until later. It likes to be that pesky early guest, who shows up before you've cleaned the house or finished putting out the hors d'oeuvres.

Wait. I do that.......

As usual, on Thursdays when I am in NY, I worked until near when I was supposed to meet the Vivacious Redhead, then underestimated the time it would take for me to get dressed in all those layers.

Plus, it really bothers me to leave the house without all the dishes being washed. Only in an emergency or possible lateness to work......

As usual, I was rushing down Eastern Parkway, trying to make lights. As usual, they were against me. Evil lights! I was also testing out my knee. It did not like the cold weather and started out in protestation but quieted down except for the occasional twinge on a sharp turn.

As usual, to get out of the house in cold weather, I was a mite overdressed. Thick tights. Long-sleeved shirt. Lined jacket. Hat and mitten/gloves. My neck missed my long hair.

At first, my rear went numb. "Drat! I knew I should have worn an extra pair of pants!"

But by the school, its circulation had returned. Whew!

As usual, we headed out towards the cemetary along 6th Avenue.

As usual, we had a delightful conversation and planned stuff that we needed to plan for PPTC.

Unusually for the cemetary run, we went around part of the park and then ran down to Brooklyn College, along the route of one of our other usual runs: Bedford Avenue.

As usual, we got coffee and argued about who would pay.

I loved all of it. The weather warmed up, the sun was out, the campus was beautiful and the subway ride back from the end of the 2 line dropped me off near my house in short order.

With everything else tilted askew recently, having a good regular is essential for a gal like me. Since I don't have a regular bar, I'll settle for what I've got. Seems like a pretty good compromise.

Self-Restraint?

"Remember the week that you really hurt your quad?" she asked. "Remember what training you did that week? Wasn't it a race, then speedwork, then a long run? And you are trying to go to speedwork this week? After a race and before a long run?"
My PT had a point. Not having been able to run yesterday because my plane was so delayed, I had been counting on the cameraderie of the speed session.
But, I'd rather have my leg feel ok. So I ran by myself on the cemetery/park run. After the pain of PT, the run eased the tightness and the acid buildup.
I hadn't been sore after the race but hadn't realized how tight my muscles were from the run and the flight!
Frustrated by the lights on Eastern Parkway - I had to stop for almost every light - but calmed down on the side of the park and over and around the cemetery.
It started to get dark pretty quickly and it made me think fondly of many dark runs around the park last year.
I got a couple of "nice tats!" today. Though humid, it had finally stopped raining and people seemed jazzed to be able to be outside.
I must have brought the Seattle weather with me! Besides the jet-lag, though, today was a great day. Work got done, PT got done, run got done, talking to people important to me got done.

:Contented Smile: Now, off to prepare for my run to work tomorrow morning.

The Calm Before the Storm

So glad that I ran in the morning yesterday. Had I run last night, I might well have been caught up in the tornado that hit Brooklyn.

Yes, I did just say 'tornado'. Sheesh.

In a rare turn of events, however, the tornado did not prefer the poorer parts of the area. Instead, it hit Park Slope. Trailer parks everywhere in the Midwest are cheering at this turn of events.

The morning gave no hint as to what was to come. Sunny, if a bit windy. Didn't meet up with the Vivacious Redhead until after school had started, so had a chance to work at home until about 8:30am, when I headed out to meet her. We were already in Park Slope, so we ran counter-clockwise around the cemetery and up to Bartell-Pritchard square. Down Prospect Part Southwest and around to Washington, we headed towards Ft. Greene. I was looking forward to Ft. Greene, as I hadn't run around there in quite a while. The last time I did so was before that disastrous long run in the summer with Superman and Ivy League, where I truly cemented my quad injury.

Hmmmm......Thinking of that, I remember that we then headed down to the Owl's Head Promenade after I ran around Ft. Greene. Ivy League and I are running the promenade today. I hope that doesn't presage any disagreeableness. (Knocks on wood.)

By this time, every aroma on Myrtle was met with my stomach protesting. I was so happy when we cleared the park and, through various dog-legs, got to Vanderbilt. Milk Bar was the featured presentation of this run! Mmmmm. I even had a mocha.

Don't tell the dessert police.

Just mapped the run. Now I know why I was so hungry! I didn't realize it at the time, as we were going such an easy pace and we were talking a mile a minute, but I went almost 13 miles on that run! Oops! (knocks on wood, again) I've still got to run a really long run today.

I see an ice bath in my future. Wish me luck......

Like a Whitesnake Refrain

I was running solo. Taking a version of the route the Chestershire Cat and I used to take on Mondays. A nostalgic route, good for what ailed me.

A couple of times on the run, self-pity forced me to stop. Thinking about how many friends have moved or will move in what, to me, seems like a short amount of time is not good for ones breathing when one is going up Cemetery hill!

But I got it together. The heat got to me a bit, so I only did 9-some. Then rushed over to the pharmacy to get iron pills. For the first time in my life, I am apparently anemic. Might explain some of these lackluster runs I've been having!