n' away we go!

leaving for Albany this am, 2 day Leadership Conference (can you FEEL the energy???). Good excuse to get in @ least 18 holes-course across the street.

Got an e mail from a Strider, reacting to members' selfishness. Very good points made, but they don't seem to get that when you die one and only one goes in the box. Essentially we're ALL selfish, but some overcome themselves. Again, living with Shebitch is good training. I made the writer aware of the fun we had @the run Sunday. Never did I think I'd actually ENJOY standing in place for 6 1/2 hours and NOT getting a medal for it! And WHY was it such fun? My peeps! Knowing Tom was there clipping chips, hangin' with Debbie, good fun! But kiddies, ya' gots 'ta be there to understand! Did I freeze? YES!!! But it wasn't about the "Great I am. " It was about giving, being there for others just as you want them there for you when YOU run. Thanks peeps! I feel surrounded-in a good way-peeps @ the run, peeps not @ the run (via e mail). In the big picture does anyone give a shit re: my existence? NO! It's all about what I bring to the table, NOT what's in it for me. Lesson reinforced.

Then, lo and behold, Tom calls re: the upcoming weekend. Decisions decisions. I'm preregged for the Run as One, but this is another of those "too much @ once" weekends. Delightful predicament.

...and yes I DID check, there's a Y in Albany-2.


...all I hear is the sound of raining falling on the ground................

wow!

did the volunteer thing @ the More Marathon/Half. Wow. I'm talkin' wow.

Got the 4:22 outta Hicksville, got to Penn @ 5:15, got the 1 train to 66th, got a cup of Dunkin', headed to Tavern on the Green. Signed in, found out my assignment had been changed-I'd signed on for bibs n' shirts, but...no race day pickup. Shit. So much for MY script getting followed. Reassigned to course marshall. Meant I'd be there 'til 3 pm. Damn. Not exactly the spirit of the thing eh wot? Not to worry, assigned to a great supervisor-Solomon-way to go! Asked us all "what time you guys wanna leave???" Perfect. Made us wanna stay longer. THEN, asked the million $$ Q:"Who wants a bullhorn?" ME ME ME!!! Yummy! Toys!!! They gave us a bag lunch (very nice actually), then we headed out.

Got a call from Tom, he was on the way-chip removal, plan was: do my thing,then head over to chips.

What a SEA of female humanity!!! A total gas! Most did the half-over 5,000! Saw Andrea, Sue, Laferne, Fran, Christina, Nella, and Vince-on bike leading a lead runner. Didn't wanna bullhorn 'em-hee hee!!!

Then, 'bout 11:45, DP saunters over. Nice! Turns out 3 had in fact met @ the Parkhouse after all, DP, Dave, and Hank. Pity peeps don't read the bulletin board. Got my long overdue smack, then we hung out for what seemed like seconds-but was in fact 45 mins. Right to time to split. She made a good point-for someone who likes being invisible, I seem to know alot of peeps. Just keep running and you do overcome yourself.

Went to see Shine a Light after, took the 7:05 home, exhausted, but smiling. Nice job all around. Thanks G!

SUCCESS!

Not crippled! nice.

Did the Aspire 10k as an excuse to test the gimp.

Tom called @ the crack of dawn to see wassup wit' the day, of course his call prompted a challenge-park or race? Of course by that time I was already @ the course. Learned from my mistake-went to King's Park to drop off race flyers, by the time I was back in God's Country-Queens-rain stopped.

Changed my stride to accomodate the injury, did ok. Shorter strides than usual. Sue, Vince, Tom, Carmen (college point-but a Strider by default), and the usual Long Island suspects. Nice to see familiar faces-also threatened more with the 5m challenge, as in: "If you're not there, I'm takin' it personally." Mike from LIRRC is doing his part to assist in bringing the worlds together.

After the run, went to AP to see who's around, no peeps. Oh well. Such is life.

Manana: More!

whew!!!

close one there. REALLY didn't think we'd make the week. Can't run due to the shin shit, Sybil's off on a tear, Keith refers to Mommy getting a divorce, Me telling Keith Daddy has to sign the papers n' that ain't hapnin', joy joy.

Get thee to the Y. ASAP.

soooooo close!

Made it through hump day! Beat the odds yet again (drama drama drama). Got my eval @ work, let's just say the boss has a few years 'til retirement-as he sees his waistline grow and diabetes becomes more a part of his life, his happy place appears more and more distant. Of course, my eval reflects it. Oh well, hope he's happy. It hurts to not have my hard work reflected on paper, but then again, if the opinion of others mattered that much to me, I wouldn't be who I am.

Shin splints really getting to me-miss the Zen of running. Ellip can only get you so far. Still, forced cross-training in and of itself is good.

Membership meeting tonight.

OH, big news: today is 24 years drug free! Don't think I haven't been tempted. April 3, 1985 I was addicted to everything and grotesquely overweight. Now I'm still addicted to everything, just not using any of it. Progress?

One month to LI.

was it worth it???

ok, some time has passed since Marathon # _____. Recovering (shin splints, shit!!!). Was it worth it? Yes, no doubt. Esp happy I ran the whole thing, and did it within a second @ splits.

Prob is: 65 degs. DAMN! Wanna go out there n' get me some. But no, it'll be this temp again. Gotta heal.

Make do with weights and ellip. Thank G for the Ipod.

STILL can't overcome Wednesdays. Miss the way things were. Life goes on.

NIIICE posts @ Athlinks. Well done DP!

the week that was

we're baaaaaack!

What a time THAT was! Did the National Marathon, quite an experience.

Expected warm temps, it was cold as ____@ the start, about 34 degs, the day prior was 50! Shorts and long top. No nipple tape/guards/bodyglide-had an underarmour TYPE shirt, worked perfectly-no chafing/no blood/no shi_. Nice. Forgot ONE crucial item: gloves. Left 'em @ the hotel. DAMN. Well, THAT was actually mistake #2. First was a crucial miscalc, marathon wasn't Sunday but Saturday. Ouch.

Did the expo Friday, volunteered @ t-shirt pickup (sleazy way to load up on shirts, I'm set for the year). Not much of an expo, a smaller marathon so it figured. Left @ 1, went to a flick, then to see the Nats (DC for "Nationals") in the first game @ their new stadium, an exhibition vs. the Orioles. NIIIICE stadium-the run goes by it as well. But again, we get ahead of ourselves. While @ the expo, I inquire re: details. I figured the half was Sat, the full Sun. WRONG boyo! SHI_!
This threw a monkey wrench in the plans-so much for carbo loading.

So, back to the run. GREAT logistics-water/gatorade every 3 or so miles, GU every 5, Red Bull every 3rd mile starting @ the half. @ this run they did the same as LI last year, held the half and full @ the same time, so there was a turn off/split. Hate them.

Made this into the: gloves every mile race. As in ; since I left mine behind, every mile I picked up another pair someone had discarded. Kept things fun.

Did ok, nothing great, but I finished. Good news: maintained the SAME time for the 10k & 1/2 splits-as in to within 1 second. Bad news: time STILL sucked, but sucked consistently. Didn't walk at least. Literally, maintained the same pace from start to finish. Gotta find positive reinforcement somewhere! Only real downside: shin splints. G's way of telling me to take it easy. Right.

Why do I put it that way, let's just say I again came home to disaster-Keith missed MORE school, Sybil out @ work all day-leaving him alone @ home, THEN It goes out @ night to one of It's almighty AA meetings. I should never ever go home, but I must. I have to know Keith knows I'm there for him. Garbage (literally) in the living room since before I left. Pray for us, this is bad.

Suffice to say, I did a drive by-spoke with Keith, got the lowdown, then went to spinning. Had to. You know how THAT is. Cheaper than alimony, less guilt than homicide.

Running easy, life-not so much. Thank G for my peeps, really came through for me.