day21

nyc half today.

Got up, 3 am, no coffeee, no nuttin, just get out. Stop @ 7-11 for coffee, on the road by 3:45, parked @ 96th n' fifth @ 4:30. Perfect. Nap time. Woke up @ 5:45am, in time to set up, last minute prerace shit, by that time, 6:15. Temps warm. @ least no rain.

Lined up, next to last corral. Lovely. AND bib was, again, shit brown. Lovelier still. Felt a cold finger on my shoulder blade-Pesa. Nice to see a fellow Wearer of the Green. Damn cold fingers, wow.

Made it through Central Park ok, felt good, tough to avoid the split clocks and hoses-hate running soaked, but made it out. Then Carnegie Hall-never gets old. Lots of cheers for the AP singlet. Odd, they ran out of water very early on within the park-Gatorade as well.

Mamma Mia playing @ Times Square giant live karaoke-just missed (I'm gonna walk) 500 Miles-Pesa caught that. Actually ran down that avenue backwards-what a howl. Remembered they had Power Gels @ mile 9. Nice.

Then to the West Side highway-only 4 miles to go. Passed Warren Drezen-asked if he was doing the cookie run, Wendy was working the last water stop. Odd, once you left Central Park, plenty of O2 and Gatorade. The park itself wasn't well prepared.

Through the chutes to the finish. Alot like The Marathon, lots of human gridlock, but wonderful. AND yes, Virginia, a medal.

Hooked up w/DP @ baggage, she was waiting for her peep so we hung for a bit. She did very well, I sucked, but not so bad. Slower than last year-just over a 10min pace-SHIT!!! For the Ap peeps I was in the middle. Elik, Deb, Me, Nella, and Ira. My usual mid pack, but PISSED. By the clock (net) I really came in @ 2:02, but they had me as gross 2:23, net 2:12. WRONG. But, fuckit, I'm thrilled to have done it and don't feel too too bad.

Caught "It Might Get Loud" on the way back @ the AMC Times Square. When passing it during the race I was tempted to veer over and check showtimes, but alas, no.

All the memories came flooding back, Port Authority to take the bus to High School, my mom busting her balls without a car to be there for me, Times Square in the funky 70's-the cheap drugs, cheaper hookers and diseases I somehow managed not to get (without rubbers no less!!!), all the booze, all the post-sobriety dinners/concerts/races. Wow. Really a snapshot of life.

You really can't get the flavor of NYC unless you've run it. Nowhere else could a run like this feel so epic. Reinforces the notion of "NY and everywhere else." REALLY cool having a closed down Times Square AND half 8th ave. Wow.

AND...what's playing @ mile 11? "Finished with my woman 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind." LOVE it!!!

Came back to Toxichouse, Keith alone, again, left there all day. Fuck me. Did the lawn, @ least I made progress somewhere.

Really wish I had someone there for me, but I need to be there for Keith and man up.
When I see people hooking up after races like today it hurts. But, such is life. Would'a hurt worse if I hadn't run it.

I console myself with the fact that my splits were deadly consistent-within 5-7 second-the time it took to run behind the water tables to get water and NOT get trampled. If I'd have set a faster 5k pace to start, I'm sure I would'a broken 2 hours-but wouldn't have had any of the fun. I really enjoy these runs. Also, this year there was no one to pace me-last year there was Tom, the year before P. Oh well, I got in, the club represented well. Bring on The Marathon!!!

***News flash: It comes home, again, in full on rage mode: wakes me up to scream at me, throws my laptop to the ground, my Fender, and assorted microphones. Thnik SOMEONE is suffering from anger related displacement issues? Jeeeeez. Get it right kiddies: run a half marathon, mow the lawn, take care of the garbage, and this is the result. So nice to be "home."