Run and Micro-Loan!

I am running in the following race. Lysa Price volunteers with this organization, and it's pretty awesome. Micro-lending is such an amazing way to fix the world, one entrepreneur at a time.

The Kiva New York Team is a team of lenders that are on Kiva, an organization that connects people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty. Each of their loans, when added up, can make a huge difference. As of 2010, Kiva has facilitated loans totaling more than $100 million - all through peer-to-peer loans. The beauty of Kiva is that once the loans are repaid, each lender has the choice to reinvest that money or remove their funds from Kiva.com.

Join them in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York for our first everRun4Kiva 5Kon Sunday, August 29th at 10:00am, in collaboration with the Brooklyn Road Runners Club. Sign up here: http://bit.ly/Run4Kiva

All proceeds go to support Kiva entrepreneurs through the non-withdrawable New York Team Fund. Any question - talk to us atrun@kivanewyork.com

Only $20 to sign up now.

For every non-Kiva lender that signs up, a loan will be made in your honor by one of our lenders, Vin Vajjhala, to the New York team on Kiva.org. This supporting more entrepreneurs around the world and empowering them to get out of poverty. Sign up today: http://bit.ly/Run4Kiva

Sunday's shoes

Five of us braved the heat and humidity on Sunday to run from Joe on Columbus. That makes it sound like we were running away from a guy named Joe, which was not the case. You knew what I meant, right? Afterwards, I noticed that the shoe line-up consisted of three pairs of Brooks and two of Asics. Anyone care to offer any analysis on that?

Not All Writers Drink Themselves to Death

Running is a fairly popular hobby among writers. It's easy to understand why. Writers live inside their heads; must be sitting for the majority of their working hours; and are frequently very poor. Running is entirely physical; must be performed standing up; and is cheaper than yoga or a gym. Hello, life balance!

For the past two years, I've spent many of my non-running hours in a dark, silent cubicle one flight above a sketchy massage parlor on West 14th Street writing essays for an MFA in writing program. Earlier this month I graduated, and one of the few things I'm professionally prepared to do as a newly minted mistress of fine arts is give readings of my work.

If any of you fellow runners are curious about what I've been working on -- and are not already booked on a Jitney headed for a beach weekend -- I'm reading next Friday night, July 30 at KGB.

The reading starts at 7pm. I'll be reading along with two other women, including a fabulous novelist friend. The other writer I don't know, but she sounds funny from her bio and hey, at least she's not a poet. (Kidding! Writing joke! We love poets!)

KGB is located at 85 East 4th Street, between Bowery and Second Avenue. Info on the bar and the reading is on the website:

www.kgbar.com.

http://kgbbar.com/calendar/events/paragraph_reading16/

Oh, and it should go without saying, but yes, there will be drinking.

Anyone For A Wednesday Night Run?

Liane Montesa, One of our team members, wants to start a group on Wednesday evenings at 6PM from the Chelsea Joe, located at 405 west 23rd street. It is in close proximity to the Hudson and the running path. This would be in addition to Saturday and Sunday mornings and is even more casual than the weekends. I believe Liane is a 10 Minute miler, but depending on who shows, there can be 2 or even 3 pace groups.

If interested, please email Liane directly! I may make some of the runs, but will not be in charge of them.

lianemontesa@hotmail.com

Drinks would still be on me after the run, but please tip the baristas!!!!!!

NYC Triathlon This Sunday!

And no, I am not doing it this year. For those of you who missed last year's little misadventure, here's what all happened.

I was kicking asphalt on the swim and the bike ride, UNTIL the ride back from "All The Way Uptown Past The Bridge and Toll" and was just telling some young woman I had heard her tire blow, when lo and behold, MY tire blew! In fact, tires were biting the dust right, left and center! This is a NYC highway folks! There's glass everywhere!

I can only blame myself in the fact that I never learned how to change the inner tube on my tire. So, an hour and a half after being stranded, the emergency tire-changing vehicle came to my rescue and I was able to finish the race. Very much last.

My poor boyfriend(at the time, now husband) was freaking out because I had no phone to call him. My friends had left. It was not good.

Of course at the end of the race, the good cheer returned for me, as it does with the post-exercise high, and I almost forgot al the pain and suffering. ALMOST. I remembered as I was about to sign up yet again on the eve of November first of last year.

So, this weekend, if you want to see the drama, the love, the sweat, blood and tears, go root for the men and women who swim, bike and run like hell to prove themselves to themselves.

72nd street between the river and the park is the best place to cheer the last leg of the tri on.

Destination: Opera

Norma at Caramoor
July 10th and 16th
Katonah, NY

This summer, I've been immersed in the Bel Canto tradition as an Apprentice Artist at Caramoor. I'll be singing in the chorus of the opera Norma by Vincenzo Bellini.

Well worth the trip to Westchester, Caramoor offers a great escape from the city. Order a picnic and enjoy pre-opera concerts and lectures on the beautiful grounds.

By Train - From Grand Central Station, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (five minutes away) is available by calling Sam’s taxi at 914-232-4949 or Katonah Taxi at 914-232-5772.



Norma
July 10th & 16th, 8:00pm
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts
Link for Tickets

Starring:
Norma- Angela Meade, soprano
Adalgisa- Keri Alkema, soprano
Pollione- Emmanuel di Villarosa, tenor
Oroveso- Daniel Mobbs, bass-baritone

Crider In Kenya

Adam Crider was a great Joe customer. Anthony and I used to see him in the mornings at Waverly on his and our way to work. We'd also see him later at Grand Central Joe for his late-afternoon break. Always happy, always friendly, always caffeinated.

Adam is a fast fast runner. In spirit he was always Team Joe. He received the weekly newsletter and we talked about running. I believe he even read my blog. Sadly, Adam never did make it out for a run with Team Joe.

No, Adam is not deceased; he is in Kenya with The Peace Corps for the next 2 years! A lifelong dream for him, now realized after years of wearing a suit and tie and working in mid-town.

I always wanted to join the Corps myself, but if I ever do, it will be as a retired person. I'll be one of those cool, funky older women with a long white poneytail, hiking shoes and knee length khakis running up mountains faster than women half my age.

Since that number on my bucket list may never happen for me, and since maybe you, oh readers, also wanted to join the Peace Corps, the Circus or be a Cowboy, now you have the amazing opportunity of reading the blog of someone who had the guts, and no strings, to pull it off.

Cowboy-hats and clown-noses off to you, Crider! I'll be following your blog for the next 2 years as you learn the local language, run in the Kenyan hills, tend to menopausal chickens and have the most amazing time doing good.

http://criderinkenya.blogspot.com/

Love,

Gabby

Holiday Run

While Gabby and Anthony are living it up in Cleveland, I just wanted to give a shout-out to the three newbies that showed up on a holiday weekend Saturday morning! Welcome David, David, and Caitlin.

6 miles, 70 degrees, sunny, and breezy. A great start to the 4th of July weekend!