For I am a Rain Dog, Too

It seems like it rains all the time in NYC now. Luckily, I love running in the rain. I've run two marathons in the rain, the Two Oceans and the Napa Valley, and they were both really great. Today was no different, as I happily splashed through puddles for an eight mile run through DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Carrol Gardens, Park Slope and Prospect Heights. The biggest challenge of running in the rain in NYC is that you may or may not get your eye poked out by an umbrella.

I was a little bit wobbly today because yesterday I went on an urban hike with Katie and Dave, my friends from NC, in search of food and booze. We walked across two bridges, the Brooklyn and Williamsburg. We started our day with a visit to Bed-Stuy's Dough for the world's best donuts and after a trip through the financial district, ended up all the way in Soho at Ed's Lobster Bar for clam chowder. I had my first oyster shooter here. From here we walked to Williamsburg to visit one of my favorite bars, Spuyten Duyvil. If you want a walking tour of a city, visit a marathoner.

And in case you're wondering where the title of this post comes from, here is Tom Waits, Rain Dogs.

Redemption: Race Report of the Turkey Trot

Happy Thanksgiving! Here is a brief post on today's Turkey Trot, organized by NYC Runs and Prospect Park Track Club.

This morning I ran in the Turkey Trot in Prospect Park, a 5 miler which consisted of a small loop plus the big loop in the park. It was so much fun! All I wanted to do was redeem myself from last year when I ran in the Turkey Trot and felt really miserable. And I did just that! I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a race so much; I felt like I ran strongly without struggling.

Me and the two Elizabeths (one "Betsy")

Last night I prepared for the race by eating two baked potatoes (they were small potatoes) and drinking a cup of my dynamite hot chocolate. I watched "I Love You Phillip Morris" (good movie) and went to bed at a decent hour. 

This morning at 8:00 a.m. I headed to the park with my friends Betsy, Jon and Elizabeth (and her sweet kids). It's great to live so close to the park. The race started at 9:00. Jon and I ran together for the first few minutes and somehow split up less than a mile in. Okay, I surged ahead. I can't help it! I really wanted to beat him because he beat me last year. Spoiler alert: I did.

Some professional Turkey Trotters. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Nelson. 

It really helps to know Prospect Park so well. The race started on a downhill, so I was able to cruise the first mile really comfortably, relying on a bit of gravity. I knew when zoo hill was coming and I knew I'd only have to run it once, so I ran it pretty hard. Around the park, I hit the downhill again and coasted a bit. At the end, a couple of dudes passed me and I waited a few seconds before sprinting past them to finish. 

My results came back as 41:17 but my chip time said the same thing while everyone else's time was adjusted. Since I can see the two dudes that I ran past one and two seconds behind me in the results and I know that Jon and I crossed the start at the same time, I can adjust my own time to 40:27. I'm pleased with myself.

Betsy making a strong finish. 

Santa, why are you at the Turkey Trot? Photo courtesy of Betsy Leto.

I'm going to make up for the fact that this post is lacking so much detail by including the directions on how to make this smoky popcorn that I'm taking to a Thanksgiving dinner tonight. It's out of this world. All you do is pop the popcorn by heating up vegetable oil in a pot. Test the temperature with a couple of kernels and when they pop you can put the rest of your kernels in and cover with a lid. Shake over the flame until they all pop and put into a bowl. Add a little vegetable oil and stir. In a blender (or spice grinder) grind up raw brown sugar and sea salt. Mix the sugar and salt with a lot of smoked paprika and a few pinches of chili powder. Taste and adjust accordingly (like I did my chip time!). My mixture was heavy on the paprika. Add your spice mixture to the popcorn and stir a bunch. Pop more popcorn and repeat if necessary. Enjoy!

Smoky Popcorn

Recap of my day volunteering in Staten Island

I considered today my first day of training for the Kyoto Marathon, which will be four months from now on March 10th. I didn't go for a long run through Prospect Park, but I did go running through Staten Island with a backpack full of supplies for people who need help after Sandy's devastation. Starting this way, to physically and mentally prepare for the Kyoto race, seems fitting since the Kyoto Marathon was created to raise funds for the Great East Japan Reconstruction after the earthquake and tsunami in 2011. You see, runners really aren't dicks.

I held the really unpopular opinion that the NYC marathon didn't deserve all the vitriol it was getting from what seemed like everyone and everyone's facebook page. Almost every media outlet was reporting on the gigantic generators being set up in Central Park while showing images of Staten Island and its destroyed homes. Finally there was something to put Staten Island on the radar, which was very much needed. The cost to the runners of not getting to run the marathon is something I don't think fair to measure because everyone's attachment to the race is different. No doubt that a lot of runners were in shock when the announcement was made just two days before the race.

This might seem trivial to most but if I were to have to evacuate my home and had 5 minutes to do so, I would grab my animals and a couple of important personal possessions, namely my marathon medals. If you come visit me at my home I will probably spend at least a few awkward minutes showing you my medals and explaining what each one meant to me. Forty-five thousand runners didn't get to take home a medal today. Feeling this disappointment for the runners and feeling compassion for folks in NYC and beyond who are struggling to repair their lives after Sandy, are not two mutually exclusive things; I can feel both of these things. And volunteering today really helped me solidify my love for both runners and communities in need. 

In the wake of the controversy, a group was organized over the course of two days called New York Runners in Support of Staten Island.  Their goal was to organize a group of runners to show up with backpacks of supplies and use their legs and lungs to deliver them to people in need. It became obvious throughout the day yesterday that we would not only be delivering supplies but we would also be asked by people to help clean up and repair their homes. I needed to do this and signed up yesterday. My friends Betsy and Shamala joined up too, and Shamala and her husband Paul organized a huge group of people from Warren Street Runners. We met at the Staten Island Ferry this morning at 8:30 and in addition to the things we brought, our group met up with some folks who had a car full of supplies and couldn't get to the island. We were in Staten Island by 9:30 to hand off the additional donations, and then we took off in small groups using maps and directions provided by the organizers of the event.

Running with a backpack is hard! I felt like a firefighter running with the determination to put out a fire, albeit at a slow trot. The whole way inland from the ferry seemed to be uphill. The neighborhoods were quiet except for some cars on the road. We passed gas stations that were obviously closed and one that had a long line that had to be taking hours to get through. We passed huge houses with beautifully landscaped yards that I was told were mobster houses, and I immediately pictured Al Pacino. But I was starting to wonder if we were in the right place. Other than the occasional person we'd pass who would say "Thanks for coming, runners," it didn't seem like we were doing any good and we'd been running for an hour. It's true that I didn't know what to expect, but after seeing all the cars driving by I started to think of the running as less of a necessity and more of a symbolic gesture of giving a damn.

We finally turned at an intersection and started heading toward the beach, and we reached what we thought was the Midland neighborhood. We'd been running for about five miles or so but it felt to me like 15. We happened upon a community center where we went to see if we could at least unload our bags. The friendliest group of volunteers, who looked like they hadn't slept in days, greeted us with, "Are you the runners? Do you want some soup? Do you want a sandwich?" Dozens of bags of clothes lined the hallway of the center. The woman in charge, who had dark circles under her eyes and kept apologizing for being so overwhelmed, explained to us that the space was going to become a polling station the next day and they had to get everything out by 6 am. I watched her turn people away who kept bringing more carloads of clothes. It became clear to me that clothes weren't what they really needed.

We were quickly sent out with an address in hand of a family who needed help cleaning up debris. Stocked with bottles of water and a bag of bagels from the center we went in search of the house, running into other runners for the first time along the way and directing them to the community center. The house looked alright from the front (it had a statue of Mary in the front yard and I couldn't help but wonder if it'd ridden out the storm in the grass by the front stoop), but people were coming from the back with pieces of the basement. The backyard was a disaster area, and the basement had been flooded. I later learned that houses in the neighborhood cannot get their power back on until they can get the wiring inspected and then approved by their insurance companies. Also, if a family's house does not pass the inspections it will be labeled condemned. Betsy, Shamala, I, and a couple of other people that made up our group started taking everything out of the backyard and putting it in the front yard. After awhile a garbage truck came and we started putting stuff directly into the garbage truck (too bad this was sad work because garbage trucks are really really neat!). Everything had to go.

I still feel bittersweet about the day. I'm glad I was able to help, but I don't feel like I helped enough given all the work that has to be done. We passed house after house of families going through the same process of throwing everything out on the sidewalk, and it was clearly neighbor helping neighbor as we saw no sign of FEMA or the Red Cross. One house in the neighborhood was set up as a station where people could come for supplies and chicken soup (enough to feed 100 people we were told). I made a note to myself: the next time there is a hurricane, people need work gloves, masks, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, food, and toothbrushes and toothpaste. Socks and hats were also welcome."What can I do to help?" is also needed.

Betsy and I with our backpacks

Runners waiting for the ferry

Running up a hill

The Community Center

At the Community Center

Getting directions

 Shamala doing some heavy lifting

Race Report: Grete's Great Gallop (Half Marathon)

Hold on Meb Keflezighi, I'm gonna let you finnish, but Grete Waitz is the best NYC marathon runner of all time. 

Today I ran in Grete's Great Gallop, a half marathon named after the greatest NYC marathon runner of all time, Grete Waitz. She was a Norwegian long distance runner who won the NYC marathon nine times. And by all accounts she was an amazing human being with incredible sportsmanship and an advocate for women and sports. She was a very close friend of Fred Lebow (the founder of the NYC marathon) and can be seen in the documentary Run For Your Life, running her final NYC marathon in 1992 with him after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. It took them over 5 hours. In 2011 she lost her own battle with cancer. I know several people who have been touched by her legacy.

I wasn't sure how today would go. I knew I was going to finish the race, but I didn't know how I was going to feel. It was the longest distance I've run since finishing the race in Cape Town in April.

Waitz's husband and long-time partner opened up the ceremonies, someone sang the national anthem and we were off! I made myself hold back a bit during the first few miles, which I think was the right thing to do. What kinds of things do I think about during a long race? Holding back for one thing. Today I thought about how four years ago (November will be four years since I ran my first marathon, NYC 2008) I thought of myself as a solid ten-minute miler. The NYC marathon was not only my first marathon but it was also my first race ever. Even though I've been a runner since my middle school years I never hung out with serious runners before and I didn't have a real frame of reference for what ten-minute miles means. I thought that was pretty good, I guess. I still do! I guess I just hadn't experienced what it was like to feel competitive, both competitive with others and with oneself. Today I thought about this, and I thought about how it is somehow miraculous that now it's hard to run as slow as a ten minute mile. I looked down at my watch: 8:30s on the uphills and 8:00s on the downhills. I'm in better shape than I was in my 20s.

At some point my shoe became untied and I had to stop and tie it. It happened again. This time I double knotted it but it was too tight. I had to stop and retie it a third time. I don't know how much time I lost. After stopping for the third time, I looked down at my watch and saw a 12-something minute mile and cursed outloud. I looked up and saw one of my coworkers in the crowd. Oh shit, I thought. I hope he didn't see me say "Goddamnit. Fuck."

By mile 8 I had slowed down to about 9 minute miles, give or take. At mile 10 I hit a wall. I don't remember ever hitting a wall in a half before but my legs felt really heavy and I felt like I was running against air made of oatmeal. At this point, on an uphill (is Central Park made completely of hills?) when I was really feeling defeated, a cool breeze seemed to come out of nowhere and I swear I felt like it was Grete's spirit uplifting me, encouraging us all to keep going. These are the things I think about when I'm running a long distance, to keep me going. Thank you, Grete.

Earlier, around mile 8 I think, I ended up near a woman who was making really loud and dramatic sex noises on an uphill. I mean she was one "oh god" away from being Sally in the restaurant scene in When Harry Met Sally. I kind of laughed a little because I'm juvenile (between blowing snot rockets: I'm not saying I'm not responsible for doing weird things when I run). I bring this up because I could not get away from this woman. For the rest of the race, every time I thought that I'd lost her, there she was, still making Sally sex noises. Uphill, downhill, it didn't matter.

At mile 11 I realized that I was in real danger of not getting under 2 hours in this race. How is this possible, I thought. I was in a real panic. I kept looking at my watch and doing the math and really did not know how I had run this race so slowly. This is when I ran my hardest. My legs were tired and I felt disoriented but just like the Grateful Dead, I kept on truckin'. Because of this I felt pretty strong finishing even though I was probably running a full minute slower than my pace at the beginning.

Final time was...wait for it...1:59:57! Not my best half marathon time ever, but I got under two hours.

They passed out bagels and smoked salmon at the end of the race. 

Me and Shamala. Her husband, Paul, got 7th place overall! 

I enjoyed a veggie burger topped with a fried egg at Maggie Browns, with my friend Jon (who also ran today) and his girlfriend and kids. 

Friday Picture Wrap-Up

If you live in Brooklyn then you're familiar with the habit of people leaving their unwanted books out on the sidewalk. This past summer I started to take pictures of these orphaned books whenever I passed them. The piles almost always make sense somehow. I can imagine what kind of person has left each particular pile. Or at least this is what I like to do.

This Friday Picture Wrap-Up is dedicated to imagination, and what imagination says about you.

I Just Spent all my Money at the Vet Potato and Leek Soup

Last week I pulled something (a good guess would be a muscle) on the inside of my thigh. Not from running or doing a funky interpretive dance in my living room or something else fun, but from walking several blocks to the vet with my cat in my arms (Kitty Gus has made previous appearances in this blog here and here, as well as here). He was in a carrier, and I don't know how much that weighs but Kitty Gus is a heavy-weight champ at 14 lbs. The average weight of a cat seems to vary wildly on the internet, but to put it in perspective, a gallon of milk weighs about 8 1/3 lbs.

How does a person pull a muscle in their leg carrying something heavy? I am not sure! But it could have been the stress because he was sick and I was trying my hardest to cradle him gently and not jostle him too much since he was pain. It turned out he had a blocked bladder (with crystals and debris!), and he was straining but unable to urinate, which meant he had to go into surgery immediately to clear it out. I'm happy to report that he came out of surgery well and after a few days in the hospital he was sent home after he ripped out his own catheter in the middle of the night and used his litter box. Did I mention he is a heavy weight champ? 

Yesterday I ran for the first time in four days, for a little over an hour at a slow, easy pace. I didn't listen to music so I was able to hear a drunk man tell me that I looked like I was ready for the marathon. Thanks, dude!

Since I just spent roughly eight million dollars at the vet I made a huge pot of this soup yesterday after my run. I will call it "Oh Shit I Just Spent all my Money at the Vet, Potato and Leek Soup". You can make this for less than $10 and it tastes even more delicious the next day. It pairs very nicely with free faucet water. 

Potato and Leek Soup

In a medium size pot heat up 1/4 cup of olive oil. 

Add 4 cups of chopped leeks (I found large leeks at the farmers market and used two).

Throw in some salt and sweat the leeks stirring constantly at low heat.

Throw in 6-7 cloves of garlic (whole is fine since you will be using a blender later).

After the leeks have turned bright green and cooked down, add about 4 cups of water.

Throw in 5-6 large chopped potatoes, with skins on.

Add more water if the liquid does not cover potatoes. Add salt and pepper. Add two large sprigs of Rosemary's Baby...err, I mean rosemary. And boil until the potatoes are very soft. 

Remove rosemary sprigs (if some leaves have fallen off into your soup, leave them) and ladle your potato/leek mixture a little at a time into a blender and add vegetable stock (from a qt box of vegetable stock).

Puree the potato/leek mixture with the stock a little at a time and transfer to larger pot. Keep repeating until everything is pureed and you've used the whole qt of stock. 

Simmer on the stove adding a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) until the soup has thickened. 

Pita Crackers 

I had some stale whole wheat pita bread so I turned it into crackers for my soup!

Massage oil into both sides of pita bread and on one side sprinkle with course sea salt, paprika, and dried parsley flakes. Place pita directly on oven rack and heat in oven at 350 long enough for the pita to be very dark and crispy. 

I just started reading Haruki Murakami's memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, and I learned that he likes to listen to Lovin' Spoonful when he is running. So, in honor of this fun fact about this literary genius and in honor of Kitty Gus I have here Lovin' Spoonful's "Nashville Cats". Meow. 

Trainin' and Bloggin'

"Congratulations!  You have been selected to run the 2013 Tokyo Marathon."

Oh boy-oh boy-oh boy! I found out last night that I got one of the coveted spots in the Tokyo Marathon for February (over 300,000 people entered the lottery), so I thought this deserved a quick blog entry to begin what is going to be another bout of intense trainin' and bloggin'. You know how the Beastie Boys are all rhymin' and stealin'...I'm trainin' and bloggin'. Aaaaaand there goes any cool points I might have had.

However, hold the congratulations, toasts and balloon drop. Thanks everybody.

My friend Ayako, who is currently living and working in Tokyo, didn't get into the marathon. But she had the bright idea that we register for a back-up marathon in Kyoto. This one is in March, a few weeks after Tokyo. So fingers crossed we both get into Kyoto and our friend Dominic, who incidentally also got into Tokyo, also gets into Kyoto so the three of us can run together, smiling and laughing and holding hands like people do when they run marathons together (we don't really do this). 

Either way, I am going to Japan, baby! And my secret goal of running on all the continents will be one more continent closer to being achieved.

Here is some inspirational music from the Japanese band Shonen Knife:

Race Report: Underwear Run

These colors run - Faust

Yesterday was a fairly typical day. I took Oscar to offleash hours in the morning, went to work, ate stuff, and ran in Central Park in my underwear.

Every year there is an underwear run in Central Park to kick off the weekend of the New York City Triathlon. It's a 1.7 mile fun run and this year the theme was "Celebrate America". A group of awesome ladies was brought together by my friend Betsy, who also happens to be competing in this weekend's tri. She and her friend Faust have a great blog about their training. 

We met at 6:30 to undress and bedazzle our outfits as was our patriotic duty. I'll do anything for my country. 

AMERICAN GLADIATORS

For a free fun run on a Friday evening, this race is super organized with water and salads (yes, salads) handed out at the finish area. There was a costume contest with the winner receiving roundtrip tickets to anywhere in America. Because we love our country. I think we may have entered the contest, but I'm not actually sure. 

SEX, DRUGS, ROCK AND ROLL, AND RUNNING

BETSY GOT THIS GREAT PHOTO AT THE START

I managed to get a few pictures while I was running.

AMERICA, FUCK YEAH

OUR TEAM WORE BOWS ON OUR BUTTS

WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THIS?

Race Report: The Al Goldstein 5k Summer Speed Series

Yesterday was the first official day of summer and the 3rd 5k race in the summer speed series in Prospect Park. It was too darn hot to try to break any personal records. The last I checked before the race, it was 97 degrees with 77 per cent humidity. Walking to Prospect Park was like walking through a bowl of hot oatmeal. I thought about what I'd learned recently reading Scott Jurek's book, Eat and Run, heat acclimatized runners sweat earlier, longer and with less sodium in their sweat.

Fun fact: I'm a very salty sweater.

Running in the heat is a common runners' forum topic. I don't enjoy running in hot weather or running fast so it's natural for me to slow it down and be smart about it. Drink lots of water, wear lots of sunscreen, don't do anything stupid.

So with this in mind I decided before the 5k that I would just have fun and not run so fast that I was having trouble breathing. The first two miles actually felt really good and I ran a comfortable 8:30 pace. During the last mile I slowed down involuntarily and started to feel the effects of the heat. I passed a really fit-looking guy who had started to walk and tried to offer some words of encouragement, "You're almost there!" After this I got a little burst of power and passed about 5 people on the way to the finish line. I still finished in my worst time, 26:20. But I was first place in my division! Was there anyone else even running in my division?

Another fun fact: I dropped the F-bomb at the finish line. 

I compared peoples' times from the 2nd summer speed series to the 3rd and everyone seems to have been slowed down by the heat, and this week's winner finished in 17:28 while last week's winner finished in 16:11!

RUNNERS AT THE FINISH LINE

Race Report: Portugal Day Race

Several months ago some of my coworkers and I decided to run the Portugal Day Race together since Portugal currently sits on the UN Security Council. I've run with colleagues before, Shamala after work for fun (and once in the NYRR Mini) and Nick back in February in a race in Prospect Park, but we've never done anything like this. One of SCR's staff members, Paul, even went out of the way to invite us all to his place afterward for a fun brunch with the whole SCR group and folks from the Portuguese Mission to the UN. I think we were all pretty excited for today to arrive.

And one of us really wanted to win. That would be me [insert two thumbs pointing at myself].

Usually for a 5 miler I wouldn't really worry too much about it. I'd drink a beer or two the day before and eat whatever was available. But yesterday I worked hard to stay hydrated (no beer) and I ordered a huge meal from an Italian place in my neighborhood and feasted on baked clams and pasta with shrimp and asparagus. I got seven hours of sleep. At 5 am I was pumped. "What time are you planning on finishing?" Shamala texted me so she could be ready with her camera to get a picture of all of us finishing. "I think the question is what time is the winner going to finish," I responded.

Portugal Day wrist bands!

I didn't see anyone before the race except for Nick and Tara for a brief second out of the corner of my eye. I saw a huge Portuguese flag draped around Nick's shoulders. Good, I thought, that is gonna slow him down big time.

A woman sang the Portuguese national anthem (a very good rendition I heard later from a man from the Portuguese mission) and then another woman sang the American anthem. I clapped enthusiastically and then put my game face back on.

I don't run in Central Park very often and I wasn't sure what the hills were going to be like or where they were going to be along the course. I started out running a sub 8 minute mile on the west side of the park and even hit a 7:30 on a downhill. The course looped clockwise around the park, cutting right at 102nd street. The first two miles came and went easily, and the people around me started to thin out so that we weren't elbow to elbow (this was a very popular, quickly-sold out race, with what I heard were 7,000 runners). On the East side of the park I got into a little trouble with the hills because I didn't expect there to be so many going up. But I still looked at my watch periodically (okay, very frequently) and I was mostly under 8:00, even when I went through a water station and dramatically grabbed a cup, took a sip, and poured the rest of it down my back. Winners have to stay cool.

The whole time I was thinking that my coworkers were behind me. I imagined them plotting the time when they could get me on a slow uphill. I imagined them running past me and then me running past them. I thought about Scott Jurek and how in his 100-plus mile ultra races he would turn his headlamp off at night so that the runners behind him wouldn't be able to tell where he was and thus catch up with him (psyching them out, so to speak). How could I psych out my coworkers? Should I weave in and out, side to side?

So much drama was going through my head.

Finally, the finish line appeared. NYRR used the same exact spot as the NYC marathon finish for the Portugal Day Race, and maybe not surprisingly, even though I've run the NYC marathon twice, I do not remember the finish line being in this spot. I think I'm so out of it by the time I finish the marathon that I don't remember what it looks like. Also, it looks a lot different with 40,000 runners and screaming fans in bleachers and medals being given out, etc. But I digress. I crossed the finish line thinking that maybe I'd actually beat everyone.

But I didn't. Turns out Nick and Eran were ahead of my the whole time. Doh!

My results:
Overall Place: 1,523
Time: 40:12
Pace: 8:03

The group left to right: Paul, Nick, Eran, and moi

Afterwards we had a great time at Paul's, noshing on pastries, bagels, salmon, fruit, and drinking coffee and wine. After one glass of wine I had to go home to shower and nap! It could have been all the competitiveness that exhausted me too. 

Me, Tara, and Shamala. How are they clean and pretty and I'm still stinky and sweaty?

Friday Picture Wrap-Up

This Friday Picture Wrap-Up is dedicated to sometimes-just-wanting-to-look-at-something-pretty. It comes with a very special soundtrack, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Matt Sweeny singing "Only Someone Running". One of my favorites. "Through your eyes I swallow Flowers."

TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN

TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN

TABLE MOUNTAIN, CAPE TOWN

FISH EAGLE LODGE, LAKE MALAWI

FISH EAGLE LODGE, LAKE MALAWI

FISH EAGLE LODGE, LAKE MALAWI

THE HIGH LINE, NYC

THE HIGH LINE, NYC

THE HIGH LINE, NYC

Race Report: The Al Goldstein Summer Speed Series

Spoiler alert: Nobody called me a "Fucker" during this race. 

Summers in NYC are crazy hot, sometimes gross and hot. But two things happen here during the summer that make me happy to be living here: the Al Goldstein Summer Speed Series in Prospect Park and the outdoor summer concerts.

Yesterday was not only National Running Day, but it was also the second race of the Summer Speed Series, presented by JackRabbit, our local running store. They are 5k races taking place every other Wednesday in Prospect Park. I did a few of them last summer and had a blast. And since the race is so small it's possible to place 2nd or 3rd in my age group (last summer I ran a 23:30 and placed 2nd in one of the races). Oh, and they are only $5!

I've been on a hiatus from running since I got back from the Two Oceans Marathon. It's been good. I feel rested and like some stuff healed and I can get back into it. But I didn't know what to expect from yesterday's race. I'd had a tough day and things could go either way. I could either totally kick ass and blow off steam or I could go in feeling really defeated and suffer. Luckily, the former occurred! The race starts at the bottom of "the hill" in Prospect Park or "zoo hill" as locals call it. I started out really fast, doing a 7:30 pace up the hill; Sometimes I can't help myself. I was pretty winded at the top of the hill and started to slow to a 8:04 pace till I got to the other side of the park with the nice downhill. I relaxed on the hill, picking up some speed again. By the 2 1/2 mile mark I had slowed to 8-something, but I felt okay. When I finished I believe the clock said 24:44 but I haven't gotten my official results yet (if it's correct then I ran just under 8 minutes-sweet!). I collapsed in the grass instead of looking at my Garmin or remembering to stop it.

I hate trying to run fast, so these short races are really good for me because I'm forced to push harder than I normally would running for fun. I'm not a naturally fast person. This is why a 7:30 pace is so difficult for me to maintain for any stretch. This isn't even really that quick! It's not embarrassingly slow, but it's not burning a trail in the asphalt either. I prefer to cruise at a slower pace for much longer and have the time to pretend that I'm in the lead and going to break the tape.

In honor of outdoor summer concerts, here is some Beck. I have tickets to see him and some other folks outside at Randall's Island in a few weeks.

Race Report: The first 5.38 miles of the Brooklyn Half

Today I experienced the firsts for two things: 1) The first time I didn't complete a race and 2) The first time I got called a "fucker" by another runner.

I decided yesterday that I was going to run the Brooklyn Half Marathon after a bunch of deliberation and good ol' fashioned ribbing by my dog park friend and fellow runner, Jon. He didn't believe me when I told him that my knee hurt. It really did hurt, but yesterday it miraculously felt better. I even walked from my office at 48th street to New York Road Runners at 89th street to pick up my race bib and shirt after work, in heels (not recommended), and my knee felt fine.

But I wasn't in the best shape to spontaneously join a half marathon. I haven't run much since my race in Cape Town, and earlier this week I felt like I was getting sick and even left work early one day. Then my knee started to be uncooperative, and that's when I ate beer and chocolate for dinner.

My sweet Aunt sent me this t-shirt in a care-package 

(congratulations for running the ultra)

But I felt decent when my alarm went off at 5 am this morning. I walked to Prospect Park and saw lots of other Brooklyn runners out on the sidewalks, heading to the start line.

On a side note, I heard an awful conversation on my way to the park. One woman said to another, "My housekeeper asked for a raise. She said, 'I've been working for you for a few years now and I want a pay increase.'" (The women laughed.) Then the other woman said, "She isn't even a good housekeeper, is she? I mean, my housekeeper worked when she was pregnant and even brings her daughter with her to work to help out." I didn't stab either one of them, but I did think to myself, New York I love you, but you're really bringing me down.

And I haven't even gotten to the part where I got called a "fucker."

I got bumped up a corral because of my 7:49 pace in the last race I did. The start to the Brooklyn Half is now near the museum. It used to start inside Prospect Park and circle the park twice before heading to Coney Island, but now it starts outside the park and does a couple of out and backs around Washington and Flatbush Avenues. Then it enters the park for a loop and then it heads to Coney Island. This new route allowed NYRR to open up the field of entries from 5,000 to 15,000. There were a lot of runners out there today. The first couple of miles had a lot of downhill. It was sort of unbelievable; I felt like I was roller skating. I was doing a sub 8 minute mile.

A strange older man ran by me a couple of times and tried to be chatty. Both times he started conversation by saying, "Is the finish line coming up soon?" And both times I said, "Yup, it's just around the corner." The second time he came up to me he said, "My lieutenant back there had to stop." (Where are we? Vietnam?) "She seems to have hurt her leg and she had to stop. She always seems scared whenever she sees me. I don't know why! But she is a good girl." On this last note he pulled ahead and I called out after him, "Woman! She is a good woman!" But if he heard me he didn't react.

At some point before entering the park a woman who appeared to be in mid conversation with someone slowed down abruptly to cross the road in front of all the runners to get to a water station. It's okay, it happens. But I was right behind her and my foot brushed her leg and could have tripped her and I kind of stopped to avoid a head-on collision and said, "Oh sorry!" And she scowled and said, "Fucker".

When we entered the park I started to feel really hot and sluggish. At the top of the hill inside the park I made a sharp right and headed home. I had mixed feelings about my decision, but now I'm grateful that I didn't run all the way to Coney Island. I really just wanted to come home and nap with my animals. It's Saturday and I don't feel like being around New Yorkers.

So I can only really report on the first 5 1/2 miles of the race, which I did in 46 minutes. Seemed organized and not too crowded in my section. At some point I'm sure some folks, many of whom have questionable politics, crossed the finish line at Coney Island, filled up on hot dogs and beer before noon, and returned to their sanitized homes sunburned and proud of themselves.

The Bee's Knees

The bee's knees. What does that mean??

Today I started my run home from the office in the rain, which seems to be more common than not lately, and after a couple of blocks my left knee protested very loudly. I was forced to stop. Stretching didn't help. So I did what any normal runner would do in this situation: I bought beer and chocolate and took the subway home.

I hear a lot of people say all the time, "I'm just not cut out for running..." because it hurts. I think pain management is a normal part of life. Having your heart broken doesn't mean you aren't cut out for loving; it just means you aren't a sociopath. I think everyone with two working legs should be able to run for at least 20 minutes because at any moment there could be a zombie apocalypse. It doesn't have to be fast because everyone knows that zombies run slow.

If you're feeling discouraged volunteer for Achilles International and experience what it's like to run with a blind runner.

I'm not opposed to taking a break from running when it hurts. I say that now because I don't have a major race on the calendar. Only the Brooklyn Half this weekend (we'll see if I'm up for it). And the summer series coming up in Prospect Park (my knee will have to cooperate by then!). I am going to register for the Tokyo Marathon (and get the 4th continent under my belt, literally) and visit my friend Ayako, who says she will do it with me! I think she is the bee's knees. But that's not until next year. 

Until then I'll ice and stretch and drink beer and eat chocolate*. And listen to this for inspiration. 

*I am not a certified personal trainer. 

On Getting Healthy: Beats for your Beets

I went for a little run yesterday and another one today. It wasn't anything too serious; today's run included lots of stopping for some grass rolling (by Oscar, not myself). I found myself looking at marathon calendars today, to see if there are any races in August or September that I can sign up for, but I couldn't decide on one. I need a new running adventure to look forward to. I don't know why, but I'm not feeling that fit right now even though one month ago I completed my first ultra marathon. So this week I am going to eat a lot of veggies (watch out carrots!) and get some long runs in after work. Maybe join the folks at JackRabbit for a group run. I'll work on hydration and getting a lot of sleep (I don't know why I added this sleep bit because I tend to sleep a lot already). It's not a weight thing or how I look that is bothering me. It's how I'm feeling. I actually lose weight when I haven't been running regularly because I get lazy about eating and skip dinner, but when I'm running a lot I am very hungry (watch out chocolate croissants!). Skipping dinner isn't fun. And a girl needs to keep her curves.

With all of that said, here is a delicious, healthy and completely outrageous salad that I created this evening. It is so good that I had to eat two.

Pickled Beet and Sauteed Tofu Salad
I used "Organic Girl" mixed greens for this.

Pickled Beets (do this first)
One large beet cut into matchsticks
One gala apple cut into matchsticks
4 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
a chunk of fresh ginger (about 1 1/2 cubed inch or so) grated
liberal sprinkle of salt
Mix all these ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Even though the beet is raw the vinegar will break it down and "cook it".

Sauteed Tofu
4-5 tablespoons of peanut butter
4-6 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons of fish sauce
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
a squirt of sriracha sauce
Mix all these ingredients together in a large bowl until the peanut butter is creamy, adding a bit more vinegar to get a loose consistency. (You can taste this sauce and adjust any of the above to fit your tastes accordingly. Essentially it should be a peanut buttery-salty-sauce. With a little kick.)

Cut 12 oz of extra firm tofu into small cubes. Add it to the peanut butter sauce. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and add the tofu. Let the tofu brown and develop a crunchy skin on it and then turn. Repeat until it's nice and brown. You may have to play with the heat a bit so you don't burn or over brown.

Serve together on top of the mixed greens. You can use a little bit of the pickling juice for a little dressing.

I drank kombucha with my dinner.

And some dinner music...if you see me playing very mean air drums while I am running down the street (and you're like, "Whoa! Is that woman some kind of famous musician?"), the chances are good that it is because I'm listening to this song. Beats for your beets!