Breaking the Cold Barrier

Yesterday started out with a little sleep-in. That meant 8:30, so not completely lazy, but an hour and a half later than weekday wakings. Anthony and I had wavered about running uptown and after checking the weather for Sunday, had had decided maybe we'd skip. Nobody was going to show up with windchill in the teens.

At 9AM, I started getting antsy. We'd had our Chemex of coffee and oatmeal and ahead of us was a long day of CBS Sunday Morning, schlepping around Brooklyn Heights and to me, it seemed to be missing something.

Suddenly, I had the itch to run. With my people. I was almost afraid to broach the subject with Anthony, who looked very content in flannel PJs on the couch. Then I cracked. "I really want to go run Uptown today." "Ok", he said. Like hundreds of times before in the last 9 months, I knew I had married the right man.

We got to Joe Columbus at ten to 10. Shockingly, there were runners milling about outside. Some new faces as well as my dear friends Christopher Stephens, the passionate pie-baking judge; Laura Gwilliam, the Mommy of Maisy, about 3 months, and who works for Balvenie Scotch(score!), and who is Scotch herself; Hana, who went to my Alma Mater, McGill, studied languages, wrestled Olympic level, sings in an a cappella choir and is a doula; Noah, a classical pianist at Mannes, and a few more. Basically, we were a cross section of New York. A melting pot of countries, backgrounds, interesting jobs and differing ages, brought together by a mutual love of running and coffee.

Great conversations ensued and nobody seemed to notice to frigid air. I was really happy we went running with Team Joe. I now have a renewed enjoyment of Winter running that I thought I'd lost.