Post Marathon Lazies

I have to apologize for not writing since the Marathon. I guess after than much buildup, training, talking, finally completing, celebrating and healing, I just needed some space. It's not you, it's me. Really. You're a great guy, but...oops, wrong speech..

I have to say that the first week of November was of the the best weeks ever! 1. Ran and survived the Marathon, beat my goal time, had a great day, 2. Obama, and 3. Spain for a week, where I was no longer embarrassed to be American on foreign soil. In the old days, if traveling abroad, and someone asked me if I voted for Bush, I'd just say I was Canadian. Is that so wrong?

Anyway, I have been moderately running again, and I tell ya, I already cannot believe I could have run a Marathon only 6 weeks ago! Anyway, I promised my Mom I would retire from Marathon running, and a promise is a promise, so I am going back to halfs and tris. Already some of Team Joe will be running the 10 mile Cherry Blossom Festival Race in DC April 5th. Should be glorious! It sold out in about 2 hours! Wild! I also signed up for the NYC Triathlon again. Last year I missed out, but this year I waited up on October 31st till the church bells tolled midnight and signed up, scoring a spot. 22 minutes later, it was full, or so the rumors have it.

Today was a Team Joe run day. However, it was slushy, icy, treacherous! I cancelled the run in favor of brunch and a movie with some Team Joesters. In years past, I would have battled it out against the elements. Maybe Steve Bookman would have showed and we would have run around Washington Square Park about 50 times. But now it seems I've gone soft. I hope I haven't disappointed anyone. These days, the idea of sitting on a stationary bike, listening to Heartless Bastards or Grateful Dead and reading whatever recent sci-fi embarrassment for my intelligence I am reading sounds superfine to me! 

Somebody stop me!

Ugh! Marathon! ugh! Grunt!

rrr...ggrrrr...hurumph! Drool....uuuuuhhhhh....ooowwww!!!! Wowwww!!!

And that's pretty much how it went.

_____________________________________

OK, now I'm ready to dish. Had a hot shower, hot soup, hot sex...oh, no, that was the dream I had while I was nodding off in my soup. Darn.

So, I'm gonna tell it to you straight. No adornments. Just the facts. Cause I'm ready to pass the #@$*& out!

I got up at 5:45(really 6:45). Made coffee, my first thought on any given day; made oatmeal;ate a hard boiled egg with the oatmeal..maybe I should fast forward to the good stuff.

So, I get to Staten Island at 8. I was with Miss Ani Go & Diana for the ride down and we huddled in the low 40's degree weather to keep warm.  It was chilly! 

The race this year was uber-organized! There had to be "like" 1000 "Johnny on the Spots" (aka "porta-potties"! And they were fancy schmancy ones! Actual toilet paper and hand sanitizer!

Sorry, back to the story. I started my run with a couple of menfolk, Bill and Bob. They were very kindly and we ran a couple miles together, but when it comes to racing, everyone's your best friend before and after the race, but during, it's every Gabby for herself.

The run felt fresh until mile 23. The crowds were out in droves! Special thanks goes out to the lady with the peeled banana around mile 23. May G-d bless you and keep you. May G-d shine his radiance upon you and bring you 10 sons. 

I saw lots of friends on the course, including from Team Joe, Riccke, Lysa, Kristine & Kryssie. Plus I saw my friend/manager from work, Carrie, and my brother! I admit I may have lost about 30 seconds stopping for hugsies, but it gave me the boost to finish with a smile on my face. 

Around mile 18, my left quad got seizy( new word), but I just thought to myself, "It's only another 8 to go. That's nothing! Think of all the delicious mochi you can eat afterwards!" And it worked! I finished very well! Click above to see my times. I finished in 4:04:05..BUT, my age graded time is 4:00:39. Now, if anyone knows what that's all about, please comment and let me know. Is a time not a time not a time? Is there sci-fi going on? Because I am 35, am I so old that 4 minutes gets shaved off my time? I can't walk around telling people my time was 4:00:39! Then again...

Anyway, I walked off the muscle cramping after the race, after I thanked heavens I was done and told myself I will never run a Marathon again(again). I walked for 1:40, because that's how crowded the streets were! However, the walking helped ease my sore muscles, and by the time I got home, I was barely sore at all! Yay!

I met some friends for drinks at 5, and am now home at 8:30. Not a bad day, all in all! Race, friends, food, drinks!

Plus, we raised about $1500 for Breast Cancer Research! 

Thanks everyone for your support, monetarily, emotionally, and any other -ally you can think of.

I'm going to sleep! 

food disappointments...and yes, i do eat that!

staying in, nice and cozy on a damp and windy day...

2 food disappointments in the last couple of weeks:

1) after THE BIG 20-MILE RUN Gabs & i, a few of our friends, and my hubby, went out for dim sum. YAY!!! we went to one of the biggest restaurants (on elizabeth st.) in chinatown expecting to drown in a bountiful feast of dim sum as a reward for running. what wasnt expected was the frantic chasing down of dim sum carts in a dining room the size of a football field and the knocking down of little old chinese grandmas to get food. UGH. somehow our stomachs got filled and there was actually chicken feet to be found. FANTASTIC! what an ordeal. next time we go to my usual place off mott st.

2) i told all my friends about the wonderful hot chocolate that the four seasons serve to the runners at the terry fox 5k race as an incentive to get them to do the race with me. and this wasnt a lie, the spread they have is one of the best ive had in any race aside from the cow harbour 10k (there's beer for the finishers!!!). so what happens? no hot chocolate for the folks who waited to have it after they finished the race. who be the man? not me. who be the doofus? that'll be me. had to go shuffling to starbucks for hot chocolate later. sad.

part 2 of the dim sum episode...we went to the chinatown ice cream factory, and that was good. around the corner from there is a place that i like for some (acquired taste) asian desserts. like grass jelly. which i love. and yes, i bought that. and ate it! with a generous drizzle of sugar syrup. refreshing!

marathon training and burnout...and food

it seems that in the last couple of weeks before the marathon, my friends and i are starting to show wear and tear from the weeks (and weeks and weeks...) of training. its time to taper, and we should be feeling good, but i got the worst cold right after my last 20miler with Gabs...and another 2 friends of mine are having ankle/shin/tendon issues. Di went to my sports dr and he diagnosed her with bursitis (! she asked...isnt that something old people get?! but no, its not). it seems to me that we actually need these weeks to recover from all the hard training, rather than resting up for a good race. maybe im just thinking that right now because im crabby that its 2:30am and im still up.

here is my contribution to the food section: http://www.basupperclubandcafe.com/

went there for lunch today! and here is somebody's review of it: http://midtownlunch.com/blog/2008/10/23/day-1-lunch-at-the-bon-appetit-pop-up-cafe-cora-batali-john-best-psilakis-new-york-city-ny/#more-2388

some of the comments are from folks who sound jaded and sour. accusations of others being "self righteous sheep" i think comes from someone who is insecure about their own taste. i just love food and trying new things. does that make me a sheep? or self righteous? why do i even care? enough of that!!!

time for bed. there will be more running this weekend and more food exploits all weekend long. and coffee. i love coffee! :)

(and Gabby. i love her too.)

Last 20-mile run before the marathon: Check!

So, Sunday morn, Ani and I set out on our very last very long run. We had a plan and we stuck to it. 6-5-4-5 -that's miles of loops. Many many hills were cursed, many goos slurped.  We had a date for dim sum and that alone (the fantasy of all-you-can-eat dumplings and chicken feet) put an extra skip into our steps. 3 hours later to the minute, we finished. We mostly ran sub-9 minute miles, only slowed down by hills, for an average of 9:01 minutes a mile. 

Less than 3 weeks till the special day for insane people with schpulkies (ask someones Jewish grandmother for a translation), I am feeling pretty darn good. Wasn't even sore the next day. 

Why do we do it; the long grueling runs, the blisters, the disgusting sports drinks and sci-fi meals in squeeze pouch containers? Adrenaline? Feeling like a warrior? Me, it's always been and will always be about the food. Anything I want, whenever I want. Period. Okay...maybe also the camaraderie of someone to run with while talking about food. 

As far as my fund-raising efforts, we've raised close to $900 so far! Pretty amazing stuff! What a great Joe community there is out there! Thanks to all who have supported so far, financially or emotionally...but mostly financially...

Next Saturday some Team Joesters are doing the Terry Fox run in Central Park. I hear it's a lot of fun, hosted by The 4 Seasons Hotel...so there's great food, and especially Hot Cocoa! It's not too late to sign up! And it's FREE!

Otherwise, we'll be seeing all of you, I am sure, at Waverly at 10 a.m.

My blog got a new outfit!

Isn't she just so dear!?

Grete's Great Gallop

Great race yesterday! Weather was perfect. A gorgeous fall day...until we got rained on a little.. 

3 Joe Teamsters ran the Great Gallop, moi, Kryssie Beneke, and Brigid Duffy, one, Tod Amato,  ran the 1.7 miler.

I actually have no complaints this time, although I usually don't enjoy 1/2 marathons. I ran as fast as I could (really due to time constraints), and felt pretty good about my pace at 8:45 mm. I think it may have been my second fastest half, my fastest being the Staten Island at 8:37mm, which I ran that fast because I just wanted it to be over.

It being only a month before the Marathon, I was just a tad anxious in that it was a little bit of a struggle and was only half of the actual battle. Well, next week will be my second 20-miler, the most important of the long runs. Then, it's all carbo-loading and rest.  Any Marathon advice from out there in the abyss of webland?

I'm Running The Marathon! Donate and Support me!

I am officially running the Marathon on November 2nd, representing Team Joe! I am raising money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation to eradicate breast cancer! Great organization. Click on the link and give what you can afford! I think it's even tax deductible!

My Big Fat 18.5 Mile Run!

So, I don't know how i got so lucky, but in the last year or less, I have had the honor of running with an amazing runner several times a week. Why she slows her pace to run with a Plebe like me, I will never know.  Ani is part of the elite and very fast Central Park Track Club, but sometimes runs with Team Joe.

We are both training for the NYC Marathon that's coming up a little too quickly for my taste, and somehow we have become unlikely training partners.  We have even started doing long runs together. In the past I have been "The Lone Runner" for such long and grueling times. One must really pick carefully who she will spend 2-3 1/2 hours with while achy, sweaty, smelly and downright grouchy. You may bond or bust over a 20-miler.

One of these times of testing came last Friday evening. Ani had had a great idea on Thursday, which was to get our 18 mile long run out of the way so that we could enjoy the rest of our weekend and sleep in. Sounded good to me.

Until...the rains started. Hurricane so-and-s0 made it's way up the Gotham. Ani and I texted each other throughout the day, "...Oh my G-d, we are gonna get drenched!"..."...you sure you want to go through with this?"... But in the end, we went bravely into the fray (notice the text gets more dramatic as we approach the crux of the story?).

So, off we went at 5pm, the hour when sane people start drinking, armed with only our shoes, our goos, and our song (more about that later).

First, we started with a warmup of 2 lower loops (1.7x2), then a full 6 mile loop, up "The Hill", all the while singing any and every song we could remember at the top of our lungs. We were almost entirely alone in the park, the other people seemingly fellow long-runners, probably insane thrill-seekers. Battling rain and shadows lurking behind trees(yes, I've been reading too much gothic English stuff), we made our way back down to 59th street to pick up another mentally-ill person, Mayumi, who ran one of the next 2 four-mile loops with us. 

I would say the music died around Mile 14. Then there was just "silencio" and inner prayer.

Somehow we made it all the way to mile 18, when I realized I had run an extra 1/2 mile froom my house! Yes, the 1/2 matters, just like the 1/4 inch that matters when asked how tall I am (5' 1& 3/4'').

Ani and I are still friends, tested but intact! Stay tuned to hear about our next long run "The 20 Mile Monster" coming up this coming Sunday.

And that, my friends in where the story ends...

Until I went out an hour later and ate Paella for 2 and a plate of Chorizo and Manchego and beer.  Somehow, that made it all worthwhile!  See link above!

17.72 sixteen miler.

Ugh! I thought I was running 16 miles and just finished a few minutes ago. I went on to WalkRunJog (check link above) to measure the distance and it turns out I went a little longer than I had planned! No wonder i feel like *%#$&!! I came home and my friend Gale, who was over, got a worried look on her face when she saw me.

Digestively, again I feel fine! Didn't eat before but had a coffee or 2 and a gu after the first 8 miles.

I get to eat anything I want now!! Woohoo!!!! I think a slice of cake may be calling my name later!

Billy's Bakery, here I come! I walked by last week and the fragrance pulled me in! I was riveting to the spot in front of the carrot cake and my feet refused to move until I bought a slice. I asked for a thin slice, but unfortunately they were already apportioned, so I was stuck with a giant wedge of carroty goodness. Needless to say, I ate the whole thing and then thought I could simply run it off. Mmmmmm... Billy's is on 9th avenue between 21st and 22nd.

http://www.billysbakerynyc.com/

Frittata Magic

I am the Queen of easy, relatively healthy meals.  I usually make the same couple of things, but recently was inspired to make a frittata - mostly because I like to say it- frittata, frittata, frittata! No, still not tired of it - frittata! ok, now I am done.

Anyway, I am telling you, it's so easy and delicious and you can use whatever leftover ingredients you have around, i.e. an old piece of cheese, some leftover potatos, those 2 eggs that you bought at the Farmer's Market sometime this summer. 

I had most of those old ingredients laying about, plus I bought some fresh sage, some Chanterelles (just a small handful), and some crusty grainy bread.

The other great thing about the frittata, besides it's endearing name, is that it's a one pan meal. It's great if you have a pan that's all metal so's you can move the pan to the oven for a broiling, dramatic finish!

2 eggs(can add a smidge milk)

2 small potatoes, new potatoes, fingerlings, etc., sliced thin

1 shallot or small onion chopped finely

1 clove garlic chopped(optional if you have a hot date soon)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil or butter(you are going to hell, yes)

1/4 cup Pecorino cheese or other old cheese

handful sage leaves or any other half-dead herb

handful mushrooms or fave vege, anchovies, etc.

Heat oily substance in small saucepan at medium high.  Add shallot and garlic and cook for a minute. Add potatoes and saute until soft and starting to brown.  You may want to cover the pan to cook through quicker. 

When potatoes are soft, make sure they are evenly distributed over the pan. They will form a crust. Beat eggs, adding salt and pepper to taste and chopped sage. Pour egg mixture over the potatoes. When eggs start to bubble, turn down the heat, shave the pecorino evenly over the eggs, add mushrooms or anchovies, etc...and cover with a tight lid for 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes have passed, take all the crap that you store in your oven  out, turn on the broiler, uncover the pan and move it under the broiler on high for 3-4 minutes, keeping an eye on it. When it becomes a pleasing color to you, take it out of the oven and eat it. Don't share unless you are getting something in return.

Finally got it right

I haven't tried the ENSURE method to nutrition before long runs, but I really have figured out how to feel great during and after long runs. It's so easy I can't believe I had to suffer for so long before coming to this conclusion. I have to thank again, Lee at Jackrabbit Sports. He is the one who told me that the digestion stops after a while of running. So what I have been doing is having almost no solid food. Just a banana, some water and coffee. Then after an hour or so of running, having a gel, gu or shockblocks gets me through. 

Afterwards, I also waited a good while to eat solid food. I had some more water, some sports drink, a shower and then an hour later, a meal. 

The next day I felt not at all sore, no indigestion, nothing! Yay!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, my latest long run was Saturday. My fellow marathon trainee, Ani,  picked me up at home in midtown and we run down 6th avenue to Joe Waverly to pick up our fellow runners for our usual 6 miles. We had a beautiful run down and back and then Ani, Kristine (who's not training, just crazy) and I ran down the closed-to-cars Lafayette, over the Brooklyn Bridge and back to Waverly for a gorgeous 14 miles! 

Afterwards, Ani felt compelled to get a Beard Papa creampuff and we took a few minutes to wind down while checking out guitars at the famous Matt Umanov guitars on Bleeker street.

Yesterday's gorgeous run!

It was one of those rare moments in life when you realize you are seeing something rare and just by chance. It reminds you why you love to run, why you love to be alive!

Yesterday evening I went for a run. I wasn't particularly happy about the prospect of banging my bones on the hard cement after a long day at Grand Central Terminal working at Joe and dealing with (mostly nice, but sometimes "trying") customers. I just knew if I didn't get my run in, my day would not be complete, nor would my weekly mileage.

It had been a lovely day, mostly sunny, but when I got to the park, it started to get very cloudy. The sky was heavy with storm clouds as I run up the east side, and when I turned into the 103rd street transverse, it started to sprinkle. Only fantasizing a little about the chances of lightening striking me down, the long-term effects of being hit by lightening, and how that's just the type of thing that would happen to me, in lieu of, say, winning the lottery, I rounded the corner to the east side.

The rain got heavier, but felt great. It made me feel like some kind of warrior, braving the elements, and as runners passed by in the other direction, we exchanged knowing smiles, acknowledging our shared adventure run.

As I neared 72nd street, I saw the sun shining from the west, lighting up each individual raindrop like a crystal. Then I saw it: The biggest, baddest rainbow I have ever seen. The ONLY rainbow I have ever seen in all my 13 years in this gray, colorless town.

It was a moment I hope I will always remember. It was a moment that will inspire many more runs in all weather.

Cheers!

Yesterday's long run and recup

So, I haven't really officially announced it, but I am planning on running the Marathon in November. Basically, I will train for it, but will be ready to step down if injured. Last year, I had a stress fracture in my right metatarsal in June, so I am doing better already!

So far, I've run some 10's, 12's, 2 half-Marathons, and 2 13.5-14 milers, including yesterday's  2hr & 11 minutes run. 

Yesterday's run was the most successful so far in that I felt well afterward digestively. I had been having stomach upset for the full day of the run and didn't understand why until...

I spoke to Lee who owns Jackrabbit Sports, my fave place to buy shoes. He comes to Joe(mutual appreciation society), and when I told him about my indigestion, he told me that 1)The digestive system basically shuts down after a certain amount of time of exercize, and that 2)The best thing to do is to drink one's caloric intake with something like ENSURE, which has lots of calories, but is easy to digest. Also, he said not to eat a lot afterward, but drink liquids for a while afterward, until the digestive system starts up again. 

Okay, admittedly I did NOT drink ENSURE, but will try that next weekend. I had a whole grain bagel with PB &J and a banana, and then waited an hour or so. I had a Vanilla gel after about 7 miles, stopped a few times for water, and walked after the run was over to cool down. I drank a coconut water that has lots of electrolyte. Yum!

I did not eat solid food until dinner, but made a delicious smoothie at home. Want the recipe?

8 ounces lowfat or skim milk

4 tablespoons fat free yogurt

2 Medjool dates, pitted

1/2 cup frozen berries(I used Raspberries)

BLEND & ENJOY!

Today, I feel great! Not even a little sore, although I didn't move from my couch the rest of the day, except to finally eat dinner, which was my favorite: Salad Nicoise! Want to recipe?

Tasty Pasta Carbo Recipe

I have been really enjoying cooking and thought maybe you might want a recipe now and again. This one's tried and true! It would be perfect before a race..maybe 2 nights before.

Pasta with tomato, basil, garlic and anchovies: In this recipe, you don't actually taste the anchovies..they just add a rich base flavor to the sauce.

Ingredients:
1 large and 1 small can of whole peeled tomatoes, preferably good Italian ones
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped in large chunks
1/2 a Valencia or sweet onion, chopped medium fine
1 small jar or can (about 1 ounce) anchovies
4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (or more to taste) fresh basil, ripped into small pieces
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
Good parmegiano cheese
Whole wheat (or favorite)pasta

In a medium saucepan, saute olive oil, add garlic and onion. When they start to turn shiny, add anchovies. Anchovies with melt into the oil; when they do, add basil and cook for about a minute, add tomatoes, squooshing them one at a time with hands(preferably clean hands), and adding the juice. Allow the sauce to boil and then turn it down to simmer for at least an hour, or until it cooks down . Add salt and pepper and red pepper flakes to taste while cooking.

Cook your pasta of choice until al dente. Drain and put back into sauce pan. Add the sauce and mix. Allow pasta to finish cooking in the sauce for about 5 minutes to permeate the pasta with the sauce.

Serve with extra fresh basil and freshly shaved parmegiano.

Report back to me.

Lysa Price, Ladies and Gents! NYC Nike Half

Go Lysa Go! What a hottie! She looks like she barely did anything but hung out and had grapes peeled for her! How is that possible? I felt like A*@$# afterwards!

NIKE Half-Marathon 7/27/08

So, can we talk about yesterday? It started with a bang, and ended with a fizzle, at least for me. I had rested all day Saturday (after a light 5 mile jog), carbo-loaded 3 days in advance, got to bed early, stretched like crazy...and yet...

I started fast, running and dodging slower peeps (who were obviously in the wrong corral). I ran too fast till mile 6, when I hit a wall. It was slow and painful from there on out.

And what's the deal with the Age Graded time? Is that why I feel so tired out? Is it so amazing that a 35 year old should finish a race, that they actually take a couple minutes off one's time? Thanks, but no thanks!

Lysa Price: 2:46:26 Age Graded 2:45:01

Anthony Cheong: 2:04:16 Age Graded 2:03:20

Gabs: 2:01:37 Age Graded 2:00:07

Jen Jennings: 2:05:29 Age Graded 2:03:57
Pooja Pandit: 1:57:50 Age Graded 1:57:45

Who did I miss? I know Cecilia was out there, but I can't remember her last name! Sad Face! She ran by me and slapped me on the bee-hind! It was the most pleasant part of the race.

Running Cleveland Style

July 4th weekend I went "home" to Cleveland. It's a beautiful place to run, and I was looking forward to some nice dirt paths and dreamy hills and dales(if I knew what those were, I might not like them, but they sound nice..). I decided to try a group this time around, maybe to understand what a newcomer would feel coming to my team.

I chose one that runs in the Metroparks, thousands of miles of said hills and dales. I ran with a group called Southeast Running Club. I showed up at 8a.m. A nice man in his late 50's, early 60's introduced himself as John, the "Gabby" of the club. As his friends slowly arrived, I realized I was going to be the only woman and the only person under 60 years old, and also that these guys were old friends for 30+ years. It was slightly awkward, but the men were kind in allowing an outsider into their inner circle. And John kindly ran alongside me, a jog for him, a run for me. These guys were pretty darn fast!

Cheers! Gentlemen! You are an inspiration!

The Balanced Runner Workshop

The Balanced Runner
Saturday, July 12, 1 pm-6:30 pm
Feldenkrais® Institute, New York, NY
call 212-727-1014 to register

Conventional wisdom has it that every person has a distinctive running style that can't be changed without risking injury and that performance depends on strength, endurance, and guts. Runners abandoning such beliefs face conflicting theories on the proper way to run, how to safely change their form, and how to prevent injuries and improve economy.

This comprehensive afternoon workshop will cover how to use the core muscles for maximum economy, how to align the hips, knees and feet to reduce knee and foot strain, and how to coordinate the upper and lower body for power. Competitive runners will reduce imbalances and improve economy, and beginning runners will get a thorough introduction to running mechanics. Runners at every level will learn the main elements of good form and the process that helps each person safely grasp efficient, healthy, and technically masterful running.

----------------------------------

P.S. Jae is offering a special TEAM JOE discount of $80, down from $100 at the door! I've taken 2 of them and they are very helpful and definitely given me confidence and new insight into form.

-Gabrielle

Mini 10k: women only!

You ladies are out of control! That's ridiculous!

Kryssie: 45:37/7:21 pace

Kristine: 47:03/7:35 pace

Ani Go!: 45:33/7:20 pace

Mooseman!!

"Thank G-d that's over!
No major injuries. Where's the beer?"

 -William Shakespeare









Gabrielle Rubinstein    35 F  384th/760; swim 19:46;
bike 1:52:32; run 51:45 - 8:20 pace; overall time
3:13:25F35-39 223/322 Females overall

Yay! I survived! What an experience. This may have been
my 5th Olympic distance triathlon, but I really felt like
a triathlon virgin. Let me walk you all through my
experience in shorthand. Friday morning I drove, with Mom
-such a great sport- 6 hours by no direct route;
luckily we had the GPS!

We arrived in time to check in at the B&B. Very nice owners, but they seemed
to be obsessed with Potpourri. We brought my bike to the transition area about
20 minutes away and then carbo-loaded at a local Italian place. The road had
made me tired, and luckily I was able to fall asleep around 10pm.

I woke sometime in the middle of the night and somehow decided I had made a huge
mistake in putting myself through the whole ordeal of the race. However, I was
thereand had gotten my Mom roped into it, so I was stuck!

I woke at 6am and readied myself with my usual ritual: don tri-suit,
put hair in pigtails, make coffee, eat my whole-grain bagel with PB,
honey and banana, go through checklist. Everything in place, we
took off for the race grounds. However, I somehow had ended up
15 minutes behind schedule. Damn that coffee addiction!!

On our way, we got trapped behind a car towing a boat which slowed us down
further,and by the time we got there, I had missed the pre-race meeting.
At that point, I started to panic, which one should never do before the
daunting challenge of puttingon a wetsuit. The first 2 attempts at that
ended with me wearing a wetsuit backwards. Finally, hands completely
cramped, 2 wonderful ladies took pity on me and helped me
learn front from back. Wetsuit on, I walked to the beach.

Newfound Lake, one of the cleanest bodies of water in the US, was
uncharacteristically covered in a heavy fog. The race couldn't start until
the giant red floaters were visible. It looked like they might have to
cancel the swim portion, but while everyone waited, I thought it would be
a good opportunity for me to pump air into my tires.

As I was inflating my tires, the little knob that you insert the pump into
(if I knew the name of that piece, I'd probably also be a better cyclist),
it came off and the tire was kaput. That's when I almost lost it. I ran to
the tech tent and luckily I just needed a new tube. Oh My G-d! What next, right?

So, I run the bike back to transition, and run to the beach, only there's
apparently still deliberation about what to do about the swim.
Meanwhile, putting my feet into water, I discover the temperature had surely
dropped from a tepid 63 degrees to about 55. My toes immediately started
to ache. That's when I started hoping they would just cancel the swim.
They didn't. They did shorten it however, and let me tell you, if
they hadn't, there might have been a lot of people with hypothermia.
As it was, although I was in a sleeveless wetsuit, my arms were warm
from the exertion, but my feet were numb. For an hour. When I got out
of the water 19:48 later, I could have stepped on glass and not known.
Completely numb.

At transition, still in shock from the cold, covered in sand, and
generally dreading what was still to come, it took me aeons to get
my stuff together. More than 7 minutes.

I don't really want to relive the pain and suffering that was the
1:52 bike ride. One hour and fifty two minutes of pain and suffering
says it all. Hills, broken asphalt, never-ending roads.
Nice views, but who was watching?

Now comes the ending to my little tale. I finally returned
(a changed person), so happy to be on the ground again, I took off like
a startled horse and ran faster than I think I have ever ran before.
Mostly, I was just pissed that so many people were passing me on the bike.
I flew by dozens of people (with an 8:20 pace), and finished
the race with  bang! Collected my medal, got a free massage,
and got the hell out of Dodge (i.e. Bristol, NH)!

I drove right through to NY, stopping to gorge on a giant burger
in a lovely town called Lebanon, NH, got to NY and slept for 11 hours.

Today, I feel great. Not sore and hungry for more!

3 sports is not better than 1..NYTimes Today

Interesting article about triathletes. I do tri's and find that I don't really excel at them. This articles explains why. Could it be the reason for my godawful performance on Saturday?

Mooseman Olympic distance June 7th! Kristine "The Greyhound" Riisberg and I will be there not excelling but having an excellent time cross-training!

Brooklyn Half-Marathon

So, first of all, I know it is said that the Brooklyn Half is many people's favorite race because it is so flat that many have their PR(personal record or something...). I am here to tell you it is not true. I hate to be a complainer, but my race sucked! It might have actually been my PW(personal worst)! Besides the cold, the boardwalk was a death trap, although it was fun to see Astroland. I saw at least 3 people trip and wipe out before the first mile was out! Secondly, who wants to run on Ocean Parkway for almost 9 miles? Nothing to see people. However, if I had run well, it would have been awesome!

On the less snarky, less "i sucked therefore I will now be bitter" side, we had a great group of Joe team members! It was our biggest turnout for a race AND our biggest race as a team! There! Now I feel better!

We rented 2 vans, which was a luxury, and had some Joe coffee and bagels at Joe beforehand.

At the finish of the race, we all cheered each other on! No Team Joe member left behind!

Good work guys!

Brooklyn Bridge Rave Run

Saturday's crowd was small. That must mean you are all in bathing suit shape! Can't wait to see you on the beach.

We ran over the Brooklyn Bridge and it was glorious! Check out the link to see the trip! It ended up being 6.4 miles! Way to go Team Joe! We took a field trip to Kritine's to surprise her. Boy - was she EVER!

We had Anthony, Julie, Kieron, yours truly, Steve, and Chrissie.


Today, after a large Passover lunch of Gefilte, MatzoFarfel Kugel, Turkey, wine, coffee and cake, I went for m 10 miler. Ouch.

Wish you were here.

Gabby

From Erin in Paris..we miss her!!

Hey Gabby!

How’s everything going in New York? I just wanted to update you on my travels -
it's been a loonng month. I went to Normandy with my Dad for part of my spring
break and visited some cute fishing towns on the sea. For the second week of
break, I flew to South Africa to visit my boyfriend who is studying in
Johannesburg. It’s one of those trips that might be hard to top. We spent 6 days
in the city – I saw some museums and played with the kids at the AIDS orphanage
where he volunteers. Then for the last 3 days we took a trip to Kruger National
Park to see some wildlife. We took a sunset safari and saw lions, WITHIN
TOUCHING DISTANCE, as well as elephants, rhinos, zebras, hippos, and giraffes. I
have so many pictures, it’s ridiculous. I’ll be sure to bring them some Saturday
morning to show the team.

Tonight I treated myself to a class at the Cordon Bleu. It wasn’t a pastry
class, although I’m hoping to enroll in one of those before the semester ends.
But I learned how to make a sesame chicken salad and sea bass & shellfish in a
lemon cream sauce. It was magnificent but SO time consuming and the chances of
me ever recreating it in a tiny NY apartment are slim to none. This weekend I am
heading to Greece for 4 days of sightseeing and perhaps even a beach, which
would be a nice change from Paris weather....IT SNOWED here last night. Gross.

I checked your blog and am so jealous of all the races you guys are running in!
I hope the team is doing well and that it’s growing in size with the warm
weather on its way. I can’t wait to get back to the city and join in again. Let
everyone know I say hello and I’ll talk to you soon!

-Erin

Sunday @ 23rd street

I can't believe Weather.com did me wrong! It said rain all morning Saturday, and then not a drop of rain. In fact, it was the most beautiful day in past memory!I am very sorry if I let anyone down.

However, Kristine "The Hare" and I "The Tortoise" ran in Central Park and clocked 12.5 miles! Actually we were meant to run 10, but then "someone" (aka "The Hare") sped up for the last 2 miles and "The Tortiose" couldn't find her and ran an extra 2 1/2 miles looking for her. No names, though.

I am now totally inspired for the Brooklyn half marathon and possibly the NYC Marathon. Don't wish me "break a foot", because that's what I did last year!

Last Sunday, we had a great turnout to the Rain Day Run at Joe's new store on 23rd and 9th. We had newbies, Kieron from London, and Jessica from Pooja-land..i.e.Pooja's roommate. Everyone was showing off and stretching, which never really happens...

Anyway, cheers Mates! (I stole that from Anthony from the land of Vegemite Sandwiches.

A Few Scotland Yards

So, first the good news..I ran my Personal Record last sunday at an 8:37 minute mile. I was thrilled! Not only that, but that was with playing dodge with 7000 people! The bad news is that almost everyone I know kicked my butt out there! I guess I shold be pleased, proud even, to have such great runners on Team Joe. Are we still the least serious running team? Maybe not!

Colon Cancer Race Results!

Great Race today! 8 of us ran from Team Joe. We had bagels and coffee at my place first. Jesse brought the Murray's bagels (aren't you jealous!?), I brought some Vienna beans from Joe.

The weather was clear and fuh-reezing! Once we started running, though, all was well. There were 3280 people who showed up minus an hour of sleep. Who are these nerds?

sunday's race for colon cancer

I'm really excited for Sunday's race! We are all meeting at my place at 8:30 for coffee, bagels and fresh oj! After, I will try to rope people into going for DimSum in China Town.

For those of you who haven't been running for a while, let me inspire you to return by telling you that the runners in our club are the moest friendly awesome people you care to meet! You are really missing out...unless you hate people and free coffee.

Winter In The City

It's been so cold, however, Team Joe has persevered all winter long! I've been kind of amazed, but there has been an intrepid group of us. Maybe it's the coffee...

Speaking of, next week there is a 9 mile race in Central Park at 10:15.  It's the colon cancer challenge! I'm thinking we can all meet chez moi around 9 for coffee and bagels and leaving our crap and go up together. We want to intimidate the other runners...grrrr.....

Steve Bookman found an interesting workshop on Wednesday, March 12th for pre-race season to prevent injury and improve performance. The workshop is suitable for all levels of athlete. It's through the Sports Rehabilitation and Performance Center at Hospital for Special Surgery. Contact Karen Juliano@ julianok@hss.edu. The class is $25.

Alright Ladies and Gentlemen. See you Saturday.

Great to be back from Mexico!?

22 degrees and sunny! Almost like being in Playa del Carmen. Almost. I got back last night. Actually, there were no delays or turbulence. That never happens.

Mex was great! Just relaxed, ate, drank(I make the best margaritas..., anytime, just ask.), read, played scrabble and Yahtzee(more fun than it sounds), and ran a few times.

Having eaten nary a vegetable for a week(you know how I am about my kale, i.e. Souen brunches), I went home to make literally 4 plates of the stuff. Kale, carrots, a whole fennel bulb, a head of broccolini. I think I ate a week's worth. Ahhh....back on track!

So, our NYU Erin in gone - sigh! - to Paris, poor dear! She's right around the corner from the Eiffel Tower and munching on buttery croissants. She mentioned a couch to crash on..anyone? I plan on getting out there this spring.

John(...of John and Molly) is in a new play starting this week...called Tender. I'm planning on Wednesday night. I've pasted the playbill writeup with info on where and when, etc in the heading.

I hope this cold front, also known as winter, doesn't keep you all from running with me Saturday a.m. Stiff upper lip and dress warmly!