Monday night, my mother and I went to our "Pre-Night Out Block Party" at the parking lot down the street from us. Apparently, Tuesday was National Night Out, or something to that nature. If you know what that is, can you share it with me?
So the DJ was blaring music and it's about a hundred million degrees outside. I'm having fun grabbing pamphlets from the tables of the police and fire department (they were just too cute!) and made it over to a few politicians tables as well. Then at one point, someone running for the U.S. congress on a REPUBLICAN ticket came up to shake my hand. He looked awfully familiar. So I asked him "Did you go to NYU?". He said "No, you recognize me from The Apprentice". I only caught a few episodes here and there, but it was Raj - the guy who always wore a bow tie. Turns out he's from Montgomery County (who knew?). I chatted with some of the girls that were with him.
One of the girls went to Nazareth Academy (a rival of my catholic schools) and the other girl went to Fordham - the Lincoln Center campus - just a few blocks from my Upper West Side apartment. None of this is relevant really accept, maybe i'm trying to intimate its somewhat of a small world.
Raj asked what I studied at NYU and when I told him Performing Arts Administration, he looked puzzled. Then, as if it registered in his brain (ah - the arts - she's not going to vote for a republican), he was on his way. He had hired a camera woman who was filming him shaking hands and recording these interactions. I was very close to mentioning that one of the things I learned in my line of work is, of course, signing waivers to allow you to use my image.....I mean come on, he was on The Apprentice for god's sake! He should know these things! What if I happened to be a union actress??
I don't want to totally knock the guy. Maybe he could legitimately run for congress and make a difference. But i'm more inclined to believe that the horrible invention called reality t.v. is not only dumbing American audiences (and i'll be the first to admit that I get sucked in to some series as well), but also falsely empowering these reality celebrities into thinking they can do whatever they wish and rule the world. I suppose it doesn't only have to be a reality celebrity - look at the Governator and even Ben Affleck thinking that he was actually someone important and smart enough to positively persuade the voters to vote for on the Democratic ticket.
That's what bothers me about society - An EMT - a person who SAVES LIVES makes $9 an hour - this is before taxes - $18,720 per year for a standard 40 hour workweek. Yet A-ROD gets paid $25 million to take a wooden bat and make connection with a 95 mph fastball - and when he doesn't do it the team starts to complain that the fans should give him a break??? As a culture, Americans place more value on the few very attractive individuals who read lines off of a page pretending to be someone else than those who foster creativity and genius in our children's minds.
I know that i'm to blame for this as well - I love sports and i'll continue to pay my $52 per seat for my yanks season tix like everyone else that keeps this sport and these salaries going. I do this despite the fact that it tears me apart to walk by the homeless man that was laying on the side of 15th Street in the sweltering 100 degree heat this afternoon as I was walking with my leather kenneth cole briefcase, about to take the train to my $25k car and my air conditioned home. I give what I can to charity - ok, that's probably not entirely true - I could make more sacrifices in my own life (like my season tickets) to give more to others. But even then, I don't know how much I can help change the way our society operates.
I hate it that one person gets paid millions of dollars a year to catch a ball while that poor old man can't even get a warm (or cold) square meal 3 times a day, a shower, and a roof over his head. People walk by him not even acknowledging his existence - nobody is going to call him to wish him a happy birthday - no one is out there worried about him since he has failed to return home. On occasion i'll stop and talk with someone or i'll take them to the store to get some food or even give them some change (although I do fear they will just drink it). I hate that I feel helpless in trying to help them and I hate that i'm also a hypocrit.
These are the thoughts that run through my mind...and this is why I run. I always try to put a positive spin on my thoughts - be more of an optimist. It doesn't always work.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Never leave your partner
Army rangers are trained to never leave their partners side. I was reading about that in a book I bought this week, "Ultramarathon Man" by Dean Karnazes. The author participated in the Western States Endurance Run, a grueling 100 mile footrace in which he would climb a total of 36,000 feet. 75 miles into the race, he caught up with two runners, both military men, one of whom looked as fresh as could be, the other couldn't hold his head up and could barely lift his feet. Together, they wouldn't be finishing this race, but seperately, one could have. Yet, they were trained to never leave each other's side - therefore, together they perished.
I pulled into the parking lot at 7:22 am - a bit later than I wanted to. I had just enough time to fill up my fuel belt with gatorade and water and run to the bathroom. Our head coach wasn't at last week's run (nor was I) but he had heard that the yellow group was spread out and most were running without partners. So he encouraged us to branch out and meet new people in the group and try to find someone who runs the same pace.
30 of us started in a nice pack together. Once over the bridge and onto the trail, the pack generally starts to spread out a bit after the first mile or so into the trail. We seemed to be going at a comfortable pace - I was mid-pack - and was running the same pace as another woman, Sam. She is a first time marathoner like myself so we shared our concerns with each other about completing the full 26.2 miles this fall.
About 2 miles into the trail, we lose the shade and come out to what another runner has phrased the "death valley" portion of the trail. It was just before 8 am, the temperature about 80 degrees, with about 90% humidity which made it feel like it was close to 100 degrees running on the asphalt with the glaring sun beating down on us.
The reason I had missed the prior week's 9 miler at Wissahickon was because I had taken a little trip to the ER the day before. I had a headache for 4 days, with other accompanying ailments, and my doctor suspected Meningitis. So to the ER I went. Fortunately, it wasn't meningitis and they gave me a shot of some wonder drug that made my headache go away. I normally wouldn't have been so concerned about it - its just that i'm a fairly healthy person and never get headaches. They believed it was heat related.
2 weeks ago we had run 7 miles on our Saturday long run. It was muggy that day but overcast - I paced myself nicely and recorded a negative split (ran faster the second half of the run), sprinting to the end. I felt pretty good. Since that run, the headaches began and temperatures skyrocketed. Every time i'd try to run, my head felt like it was going to explode. So in the past two weeks, i've only run once - and it was 45 minute easy run on a treadmill. Not only have I not run, i've only gone strength training once, no cross training, no yoga, and my diet has consisted of too much junk food and not enough fruits and veggies.
So we hit the sun, and my head starts throbbing a bit. Then i'm finding it harder to breath and the people in the back of the pack began to pass me. When the pack started pulling away I told my partner to keep going, I was going to have to stop and walk it off a bit to catch my breath. She said she'd stay back with me but I insisted. It was going to be a long 10 miles for me.
I started a walk/run pattern and once I came to the bridge at the 3 mile mark, I could see the group in the distance but knew I was going to lose sight of them shortly. I felt so defeated, but I knew I had to keep going. I'm 4 weeks away from participating in the Inaugural NYC half-marathon and next week's 12 miler is a crucial training run for that. If I don't get in this 10 miles today, the 12 miles next week is going to be even worse. If only I could turn down the sun.
I came around the bend to see another runner from the yellow group walking back towards me. I asked him how he was doing and he said he had a cramp and was heading back. I asked him if he wanted to stretch it out and he said it was a stomach cramp - he was getting over the flu. I told him to join me in my walk/run adventure and he agreed. We were both hurting but we were going to get through this together.
We made it to the Oaks trail which was about 4.5 miles from our start. So we decided for the sake of time with not running the entire way, we'd head back and be happy with getting 9 miles in. I'm not sure I could have done it without him. We shared our running stories, work stories, personal stories. You start to forget about your pain and we'd take turns motivating each other to run another half mile before we'd give ourselves a walking break.
Once we were back in the shade, the woman that I was initially running with caught up with us. Turns out after I pulled out of the pack, she was running with this guy who also had to pull out. She was beginning to think she was somehow a jinx for everyone. Sam confessed at one point she also had to walk a bit to catch her breath. That humidity was just a killer out there.
So now, the three of us were on the homestretch - talking to each other, motivating each other, pushing each other to a sprint at the end. I'm not sure what I would have done if it wasn't for my partners today...I might still be out on the trail. It made me realize why I do this - sacrifice my Friday night out with friends to try to get enough sleep so that I can wake up at 5:30 in the morning to hydrate, eat, and get out there to run in the blazing sun in pain. It's the connection you make with others who will stick by you and struggle with you and help you accomplish something that inevitably will give you more confidence to face other struggles in your life.
The dog days of August are now upon us - the miles are critical for my summer/fall half-marathons and the Philadelphia Marathon on November 19th. The success I will have then relies on the success I must have now....so come hell or high water (or heat and humidity), I have to keep going - with everything now - with the strength training and nutrition and cross training and meditation. Easier said than done...so feel free to check in on me to see if i'm getting it all done. I could always use a little nudge here and there.
Cheerio mates!
I pulled into the parking lot at 7:22 am - a bit later than I wanted to. I had just enough time to fill up my fuel belt with gatorade and water and run to the bathroom. Our head coach wasn't at last week's run (nor was I) but he had heard that the yellow group was spread out and most were running without partners. So he encouraged us to branch out and meet new people in the group and try to find someone who runs the same pace.
30 of us started in a nice pack together. Once over the bridge and onto the trail, the pack generally starts to spread out a bit after the first mile or so into the trail. We seemed to be going at a comfortable pace - I was mid-pack - and was running the same pace as another woman, Sam. She is a first time marathoner like myself so we shared our concerns with each other about completing the full 26.2 miles this fall.
About 2 miles into the trail, we lose the shade and come out to what another runner has phrased the "death valley" portion of the trail. It was just before 8 am, the temperature about 80 degrees, with about 90% humidity which made it feel like it was close to 100 degrees running on the asphalt with the glaring sun beating down on us.
The reason I had missed the prior week's 9 miler at Wissahickon was because I had taken a little trip to the ER the day before. I had a headache for 4 days, with other accompanying ailments, and my doctor suspected Meningitis. So to the ER I went. Fortunately, it wasn't meningitis and they gave me a shot of some wonder drug that made my headache go away. I normally wouldn't have been so concerned about it - its just that i'm a fairly healthy person and never get headaches. They believed it was heat related.
2 weeks ago we had run 7 miles on our Saturday long run. It was muggy that day but overcast - I paced myself nicely and recorded a negative split (ran faster the second half of the run), sprinting to the end. I felt pretty good. Since that run, the headaches began and temperatures skyrocketed. Every time i'd try to run, my head felt like it was going to explode. So in the past two weeks, i've only run once - and it was 45 minute easy run on a treadmill. Not only have I not run, i've only gone strength training once, no cross training, no yoga, and my diet has consisted of too much junk food and not enough fruits and veggies.
So we hit the sun, and my head starts throbbing a bit. Then i'm finding it harder to breath and the people in the back of the pack began to pass me. When the pack started pulling away I told my partner to keep going, I was going to have to stop and walk it off a bit to catch my breath. She said she'd stay back with me but I insisted. It was going to be a long 10 miles for me.
I started a walk/run pattern and once I came to the bridge at the 3 mile mark, I could see the group in the distance but knew I was going to lose sight of them shortly. I felt so defeated, but I knew I had to keep going. I'm 4 weeks away from participating in the Inaugural NYC half-marathon and next week's 12 miler is a crucial training run for that. If I don't get in this 10 miles today, the 12 miles next week is going to be even worse. If only I could turn down the sun.
I came around the bend to see another runner from the yellow group walking back towards me. I asked him how he was doing and he said he had a cramp and was heading back. I asked him if he wanted to stretch it out and he said it was a stomach cramp - he was getting over the flu. I told him to join me in my walk/run adventure and he agreed. We were both hurting but we were going to get through this together.
We made it to the Oaks trail which was about 4.5 miles from our start. So we decided for the sake of time with not running the entire way, we'd head back and be happy with getting 9 miles in. I'm not sure I could have done it without him. We shared our running stories, work stories, personal stories. You start to forget about your pain and we'd take turns motivating each other to run another half mile before we'd give ourselves a walking break.
Once we were back in the shade, the woman that I was initially running with caught up with us. Turns out after I pulled out of the pack, she was running with this guy who also had to pull out. She was beginning to think she was somehow a jinx for everyone. Sam confessed at one point she also had to walk a bit to catch her breath. That humidity was just a killer out there.
So now, the three of us were on the homestretch - talking to each other, motivating each other, pushing each other to a sprint at the end. I'm not sure what I would have done if it wasn't for my partners today...I might still be out on the trail. It made me realize why I do this - sacrifice my Friday night out with friends to try to get enough sleep so that I can wake up at 5:30 in the morning to hydrate, eat, and get out there to run in the blazing sun in pain. It's the connection you make with others who will stick by you and struggle with you and help you accomplish something that inevitably will give you more confidence to face other struggles in your life.
The dog days of August are now upon us - the miles are critical for my summer/fall half-marathons and the Philadelphia Marathon on November 19th. The success I will have then relies on the success I must have now....so come hell or high water (or heat and humidity), I have to keep going - with everything now - with the strength training and nutrition and cross training and meditation. Easier said than done...so feel free to check in on me to see if i'm getting it all done. I could always use a little nudge here and there.
Cheerio mates!
Friday, July 28, 2006
I've joined the world of bloggers
I've had more time on my hands than i'm used to having and with this time, my mind starts to churn. Ok - it always churned. I've never known how to turn it off. If you have a one on one conversation with me, it's only a matter of time before I go off on tangential spurts. While i'm in the conversation with you, I am fully engaged in both talking and listening. However, my mind has most likely gone off on several tangents by some word or phrase that was mentioned, and you may notice that somewhat distant looking glimmer in my eye. I've always been this way. Perhaps it A.D.D.
So I decided to join this world of bloggers to do precisely what my mind does - to go off on tangents. I'm not sure anyone will care to read this and if they do, they might become puzzled and question if i'm really the same person they know. The mind can be a scary, scary place. I'm not going to use this space to complain about work or my love life (although, some tangents might be spun off of certain events). I'm not here to talk about other people (ok, well maybe George Bush or T.O. - not that either of them deserves my attention) and if another person is involved in a story i'm telling, I won't disclose their identity.
I have no idea how often i'll post. Only time will tell. But if I do post a blog and you do happen to read it, i'd be more than happy to read any comments you may have. After all, there is only so much one can learn by herself.
Cheerio Mates!
So I decided to join this world of bloggers to do precisely what my mind does - to go off on tangents. I'm not sure anyone will care to read this and if they do, they might become puzzled and question if i'm really the same person they know. The mind can be a scary, scary place. I'm not going to use this space to complain about work or my love life (although, some tangents might be spun off of certain events). I'm not here to talk about other people (ok, well maybe George Bush or T.O. - not that either of them deserves my attention) and if another person is involved in a story i'm telling, I won't disclose their identity.
I have no idea how often i'll post. Only time will tell. But if I do post a blog and you do happen to read it, i'd be more than happy to read any comments you may have. After all, there is only so much one can learn by herself.
Cheerio Mates!
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