so...how was it/was it good for you?

memories of the half-in chron ord:

-woke up, got outta bed...too much info? Awoke @ 3, listening to Newsradio 88, headed home to shut the windows-dayum!!!

-into Manhattan @ 4, perfect parking spot, ya know how after the adrenaline pumps, the post race rush, your head is up your ass n' you forget lil' things like.....PARKING??? Got the ONE spot tough to forget-no, not steps of City Hall, 'round the corner from NYRR, on 88th/side of the Guggenheim-right next to construction-solo spot. OK, so far so good. Tilt the seat back, get some z's, when BOOM! GODDAMNIT!!! RAIN! OK, don't panic, "passing showers," means just that. Keep firm in your conviction that G loves the righteous.

-knock on the veeeeeeehicle window-it's The Zohan! Yes, Yariv!!! Great to see a fellow Strider. Together, we await the passing of the storm, under the overhang of the Guggenheim. Actually understood one outta every 3 words he uttered.

-Rain stops, off to the start-6:10 ish. OK, so far so good.

-few announcements, start the run, feeling ok-warm/humid, but ok-beats slogging thru rain-shades of 2 years ago are inescapable though. Also, ghosts of races past-REALLY left a hole in my heart, life goes on.

-didn't seem like the majority of the run was in the park before (much to my surprise/lo n' behold, Maria's a spectator!!!), but no matter, split CP @ 72nd, just past 7 miles, hills done, ready for The City. SECOND WIND> This shit never gets old. Spectators lining the street, and-just as ironic as banana peels all over the asphalt @ The Big One, sponges all over. This some kind'a joke? No, they DID feel good-quite refreshing, but dangerous as shit.

-Midtown was an absolute delight, passed Nita's spot, passed, wait, is that??? Yes, doubled back and picked up an Ipod! NICE. Poor runner must've dropped it, tough, This is NY, deal.

-Get to Times Square, memories of an amazing meal @ the Hard Rock, my heart fills, and...what the.....YES! They announced Karaoke @ Times Square-n' this was THE SHIT!!! G was not only smiling, but laughing His ass off-what is everyone doing-miming along to "it's fun to stay @ the Y-M-C-A!!!" TOO FUNNY!!! Thanks G, when my heart wasn't with me, you put my peep there.

-Get to the West Side highway after passing Port Authority, memories of too many bus trips to High School (they DID have planes as I learned too late), my Mother meeting me @ the bus.....She was a tough one. Pass the Powergel station, Mr. "If it's free, it's for me," gavooned 4.

-the last 4 miles were muuuuuch easier, flat, enjoying the last part of The Manhattan Run. Hooked up with Vinny Croce-broke his balls "what, nothing on Long Island today?"

-Get to the finish, chip removal, individual bags of munchies, hooked up with Laughlin, introduced him to The Voice-Terry was @ the finish though not announcing.

-Looked for the rest of the peeps-Yariv was long done, looked for Debbie-nuttin', Dovid was prob long done as well.

-back to the veeeeeehicle, people on the street asking what event was happening. Good reminder that there ARE people not directly involved, though a thing like this really makes you think Nike owns NY. We'll return the city when we're done with it ;) . Few voicemails, bless Tom-he remembered-wish he'd gotten in. He's trying to tempt me to do Sayville tonight. No way, POURING rain. Though throughout this run all I thought was "use this as a training run for 8-31." Funny how we always look for the next big thing. Keeps us going.

-and yes, STILL look @ the finish for Spike. No matter what, my dream of seeing my "family" @ the finish will always be there. Gotta have dreams.


***On the way home, listening to Opie n' Anthony on XM, they're interviewing the tightrope walker who did the WTC years ago (he just had a movie premiere about the experience). They asked him why he did it, n' it sums up why WE do the voodoo that we do: because it's who we are. Not some philosophical doublespeak, not some health club horseshit, just simply because who we are calls for us to do it. We're fulfilling our nature.

Spoke w/Tom-he's STILL doing the Sayville run. Downside of being preregged. Since returning to Toxichouse, the rain hasn't stopped. I'm talkin' downfuckingpour. ALMOST took a ride out, but with this rain, don't think so.

-checked the results: came in next to last Strider-wise (not unusual, they be some improvin' peeps), but did ok: 2:05. REALLY consistent splits-30 mins per 5k. Good training run.