Joe Coffee Running Team

Today's Run

2012-02-02T16:57:00.003-05:00

29 weeks. Looking large, but feeling good!

Ran for 48 minutes with my employee/friend Charrow. It was cold but beautiful outside.

Definitely running Saturday AM with Team Joe from Waverly at 10 AM if anyone wants to join. Who's out there reading this anyway? If you have never run with Team Joe, come on by! We are the least intimidating, friendliest team in the world.

Free coffee after the run!

Running for Two

2012-01-31T15:30:00.003-05:00

This woman with child has a one-track mind. Runnning, not chocolate.

Yes, I am very lucky to be able to have gotten to 7 months and to still be able to run. I am taking it day by day, and this could end at any moment. I know that the most important thing I do is to have a healthy baby, not to be Paula Radcliffe, my personal running hero.

Every Saturday when I show up for the Team Joe run, invariably people ask me, "you're not still running, are you?" Well, heck yeah, I am! The more I read about exercize and pregnancy, more I find out that it's great for the baby as well as for me, will supposedly make giving birth easier, and most importantly, hopefully shows people that pregnant is not a sickness or a weakness.

I do still want your subway seat though...and maybe an extra cookie.

Rave Run!

2012-01-06T16:07:00.003-05:00

This Sunday, January 8th, 9AM, we will run rave through the streets of NYC, from Joe to Joe (to Joe to Joe to Joe to Joe), so 6 in total, in case you got lost after counting to 3.

Starting at Chelsea Joe, we'll run to Waverly, up to 13th street, all the way up to Grand Central, up and across the park to Upper West Side, and then back across the the new store on Lexington and 74/75 for bagels, coffee and mimosas! It's 9 miles in total, but you could always stop at GCT with me and meet up at Joe Lex, or just run straight up to Lex.

All are welcome. I will, myself, be running at least till the GCT store.

Speaking of, I am still running. Now am almost 6 1/2 months pregnant. It can be done. I may get some funny looks, but I will go as long as I can. The baby (TBA) seems to enjoy the circus-arts in my belly.

Any of you out there knocked up and jogging or have in the past??

Cheers. I hope to see a few of you Sunday!

David Graham Photography Show at Chelsea

2011-10-19T14:38:00.002-04:00

These are a few of David's vibrant photos. The colors are radiant and the subjest matters very interesting. I love the juxtapositions among his work. Come to Chelsea Joe and see them in person. They are for sale, framed or unframed through the artist. As always, Joe does not take a commission; we are just honored to have great local art.

www.davidgrahamlocations.com

Knocked up...and still running..well, jog-waddling..

2011-10-17T16:16:00.002-04:00

In case you missed the Facebook announcement last week, I, president of Team Joe (what a laugh! Nobody voted me in!) am now going to be brining up the rear in the team Joe jogs..for a while.

Although I don't feel or look all that pregnant yet, I sure feel it when I try to lift both feet off the ground at the same time. My pace has plummeted from a 9 munite mile to about an 11+ minute mile and I am still huffing a little bit. Does this bother me at all? Nah...just so long as I am still running.

Tried biking today at the gym: Level 3 instead of the usual Level 9 was tough!

If anyone has any insight, empathy or bad advice, please comment!

Team Joe Dekalb Market Sundays

2011-08-02T14:51:00.002-04:00

We just opened a new "store", more like a pop-up for a few years, in Downtown Brooklyn. The concept is a Market, called Dekalb Market. During the week, it provides some services that are lacking, like coffee, lunch places and fun shops. It has lots of shaded picnic tables, a DJ, an organic farm, a beer garden, and on weekends, also plenty of Flea Market stalls.

The "stores" are within repurposed shipping containers, outfitted by each business owner to reflect his/her style.

Joe's container sits sext to the entrance by the subway entrance off Willoughby. We'll be open for coffee business 7 days a week. Monday-Friday at 8AM and weekends at 9AM, serving the same delicious treats at the other 6 shops.

The important thing to note about Dekalb is that because of the proximity of the market to my apartment in Brooklyn Heights, we will be moving our Sunday runs from the Columbus Avenue store to Brooklyn! Yay!

Still 9:30 AM, 10 AM in the Fall. Drinks are still free, but please tip.

The route is a straight shot down Flatbush to Prospect Park, around and back..6.5 miles. It's uphill there, but thankfully what goes up must come down on the way back.

I hope to see some new faces there this and every Sunday!

Running New Routes

2011-06-30T10:31:00.003-04:00

I know I sound like a member of a cult with all the repetition about how much I love living in Brooklyn, but I love living in Brooklyn!! Everyone should live here.

That being said, it took me a while to get into a rhythm with finding new running routes. Running an living in the city, it was always the same routes. For 10 years I lived on the UWS and ran Central Park every day. Then I lived in mid-town and also ran Central Park, but from Columbus Circle, which actually made it seem a little different.

Then I was living in Chelsea and SoHo pre-marriage. I started running on the west side highway. Seeing the Hudson River and the statue of liberty took my breath away and rarely got dull, though the winter winds were fierce.

When I moved to Brooklyn, I didn't think the running would be so great. There was no park nearby, just the BQE and Red Hook. We were 2 miles from Prospect Park.

The first Summer in Brooklyn, I would run to Fairway/Ikea in Red Hook and back. That was 4 miles of really interesting, industrial road. If you have never been out to Fairway, it sits on the very end of the road on the edge of the water. Old train cars sleep forever behind the old warehouse that is now Fairway. It's really cool.

Slowly, my husband and I began trying out other routes. We ran to the brooklyn Bridge, over and back, also about 4 miles with the most spectacular views. Other times we would run to and around Prospect Park and back, almost 8 miles. Now on Saturdays we often run over the Brooklyn Bridge to Waverly place for the Team Joe runs that we tack on for a 9 1/2 miler.

I just now came across this other blog that's just abour running in Brooklyn. I guess I am not alone in my romance with the greatest of Boroughs!

http://brooklynruns.blogspot.com/

Hey -if anyone ever wants a tour of Brooklyn in their Asics/Sauconys/Brooks, I can take you on a great one!

Facebook killed the Blogspot Star.

2011-06-13T17:25:00.003-04:00

So sad. I am such a fair-weather friend. When I needed to start a blog, Blogger was there for me. Now I am always posting on Facebook. I need to spend some time here. Relationships take work.

Sadly, not much is going on in my running blogosphere. I got new shoes. They're Asics 7 Wide. Apparently my feet are expanding.

The west side highway continues to be worked on, which is nice.

The water fountain at Christopher Street has a weak pressure. Almost had to lick the spout.

Team Joe has the sexiest women around. Where are all the single men for them?

Christopher Stephens will be on Jeopardy July 11. He's super smart. And he runs a lot.

These are my thoughts about running these days. I will work on it. Maybe if I do Tuesday's crossword, my brain will start simmering with new thought.

I'll keep you posted.

Find Team Joe on Facebook

2011-03-28T09:58:00.005-04:00

Be sure to check out the new and improved Facebook group. Go to http://www.facebook.com/groups/teamjoecoffee and click the "Ask to Join Group" button on the upper right to join!

The "old" Facebook group is being phased out, so please join the new group for the latest updates. Unfortunately, Facebook doesn't offer a way to automatically convert the old group to the new group. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Running, Coffee and Jeopardy!

2011-03-24T16:11:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago I headed out to California to appear on a game show. But that's not the important part of the story.

I was scheduled to tape the show on a Tuesday, and rather than flying out the day before and risk that my flight would get delayed, cancelled, or otherwise messed with by winter weather, I opted to build in an extra day. Who wouldn't want to spend an extra day in Los Angeles, right? Early on in the planning of the trip, I also decided that I wasn't going to rent a car. While LA without wheels might seem like heresy, of at least a bad idea, I saw it as a challenge. Also, I find driving in LA to be far more stressful than driving in other parts of the country, and the last thing I wanted the day before appearing on national TV was more stress. I e-mailed some locals about renting a bike, but the logistics didn't seem too favorable, as there was nowhere near the hotel (where I happily asked for the "Jeopardy contestant rate, please") for me to rent a bike.

I also e-mailed Caitlin, a fellow Team Joe runner who spends a good deal of time in California each spring. I asked her for any suggestions for running routes, and she enthusiastically recommended I run in Santa Monica. A few Google Map searches later, I had found the surprisingly comprehensive bus routes that would take me from my hotel in Culver City to the start of her running route.

Having packed my running gear (as well as some flashcards about the US States and Presidents - gotta get that last-minute studying in), I left cold, rainy, dismal late-winter New York for LAX, where I was disappointed to learn that the weather was to be unseasonably chilly. Turns out that the weather forecasters were wrong. I woke up on Monday morning to blue skies, a slight breeze, and temperatures in the low sixties. I put on my running shoes, hopped on the Culver City bus, transferred to the Santa Monica bus ($1.40 with transfer - a bargain!), and soon I was at the shore.

I walked along the manicured space that is Palisades Park to San Vicente and started my run, admiring the real estate as it moved from multi-million dollar apartments to multi-multi-million dollar homes. Caitlin had suggested I run the four miles to the Peet's Coffee in Brentwood, where I might spot the likes of Reese Witherspoon and whomever she was dating at the time. While Reese was nowhere to be seen, I took my latte outside. At the next table, a Brit was telling his table-mate about "some horrible Harrison Ford project". Pronouncing it "PRO-ject" rather than "PRAH-ject" made the moment perfect. The latte was fine, but not up to Joe standards, of course. Observe the lack of latte art:

I started back towards the shore, spotting actor James Frain (True Blood! The Tudors!) eating lunch outside the Whole Foods, not as exciting a celebrity spotting as Reese, but good enough. As I picked up my pace, I realized the best part of this experience was not just the exercise or the scenery or even the weather. It was the luxurious feeling of going running in the middle of a work day. I was not the only runner out there, and I did wonder what these other folks were doing not behind a desk. Actors between auditions? Housewives, desperate or otherwise? Don't these folks have jobs to go to? All the same, I couldn't think of a better way to spend my free time. I got back to the beach, crossed over the highway and made my way to Venice and Marina del Rey to catch the 183 bus to Culver City, where I could not have been more relaxed and ready to do battle the next day.

As for the game show, I can't say much, as I had to sign something that said Sony Pictures Entertainment retained the right to have their legal department crush me like a small bug if I revealed anything. I think I'm safe in saying that yes, they had (adequate) coffee (and pastries!) in the green room and that there was one category of clues that would be of particular interest to the readership of this blog. For more than that, you'll have to tune in on Monday July 11 (on Channel 7 at 7pm, if you're in New York).

And, finally, one last gratuitous palm tree shot. Because LA really does look like this sometimes.

I saw Daffodils and Sprouting Trees!!

2011-03-22T15:00:00.002-04:00

I sucked it up last weekend and ran both days! I have been lax, especially about the Sunday run at it-takes-me-an-hour-to-get-there Columbus Ave. Luckily we got a ride, so it was quick and painless!

We'd had a couple warm days, so the trees were sprouting, the earth rising and stretching, yawning and sleepy. Spring!

Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon

2011-03-09T00:06:00.000-05:00

As an alternative to the NYC Half and in celebration of another 30-something birthday I will be running the 1st Annual Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon.
March 26, 9:30am
It's a short Metro-North train ride, but a world away. I do fear I will have to run a few more hills than I'm used to.

Who goes running in the cold?

2011-01-21T18:09:00.002-05:00

Turns out, lots of people.

On Saturday I ventured downtown to Joe on Waverly ("Where Team Joe Began"). Although the temperatures were frigid, we had six runners, including Nico (from France by way of Vancouver), Marco (from Italy by way of Hoboken) and four of us ordinary vanilla Americans. The wind off the river was, er, bracing, but we made good time. Partly because Nico is really fast, and mostly because we wanted to get back to the warmth of Joe for coffee.

I followed up on Sunday at Joe on Columbus. Such a crowd! Gabby and Anthony, naturally, Simon (who just became a US citizen - congrats!) and Carly, their friend Evan (training for a marathon in Death Valley, which strikes me as a very bad idea - any race with "death" in the name??) Noah and Hannah (investigative reporter, wrestling coach and doula all rolled into one), and Laura, who is getting back to running after producing the adorable Maisie a few months ago. Maisie did not appear after the run, as she was helping her father watch a football match. After the run, I opted for a macchiato. Why haven't I been drinking these all the time? They're delicious!

So, the moral of the story is that even on a cold January long weekend, there are still plenty of people who are getting out of bed and running on the weekend. No excuses, people. No excuses. That delicious coffee won't drink itself.

Breaking the Cold Barrier

2011-01-17T10:01:00.004-05:00

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.

New Team President

2010-12-27T15:22:00.003-05:00

This may change the face of Team Joe for the Winter. Luckily the name of our team isn't Joe Runners. Now Team Joe may well be Snowshoeing Club.

Treadmill Much?

2010-12-27T15:18:00.002-05:00

Jingle Bell Run this Saturday

2010-12-09T14:34:00.002-05:00

Who wants to jingle their way around Prospect Park with Team Joe this Saturday?

Weather says cool but dry! I recently bought the best Winter running clothes from Jackrabbit. Now I am kind of psyched to get out there.

Cleanse is over, but the memory lives

2010-12-09T14:20:00.002-05:00

Last note about the cleanse, then I promise to move on to other topics. I am, a month later, still feeling the positive effects of Dr. Scott's magic elixirs and diet. My acid reflux completely disappeared! My digestion in turning on a dime.

While on the cleanse, I said I would never put myself through it again, but now Anthony and I both are willing to do it once a year.

Did I mention someone's Cholesterol went down 50 points?

Cleanse. Day 13. Love Thy Veg.

2010-10-27T14:14:00.003-04:00

Most of you probably already know about this cleanse that I and Anthony are doing right now. To quickly fill everyone else in, I'll just tell you that Scott Jurica is a Team Joe runner and is a Nutritionist, Chiropractor and all-around natropath doctor. He hosted a Happy Hour at his apartment (with a sweet back yard) a month ago. His wife, Lisa was telling me about how she had done this cleanse which had been amazing for resetting her digestion and for losing weight, getting out toxins, etc. I, who has never done any sort of cleanse in my life, was intrigued. I always thought cleanses involved only drinking water with cayenne pepper, lemon juice and maple, or just juices. However, Scott's recommendation was to do a special cleanse whereby one eats only fruit, veg, along with protein shakes and then cleanse supplements which help clean out the toxin-expelling liver, kidneys, skin, etc.

Now, I eat a lot of veg. Most of my diet is vegetables. Roasted, steamed, raw, I love 'em! This will be easy for me, right? Well, when you stop consuming alcohol, dairy, meats, nuts, seeds, sugar, beans and grains, you certainly get hungry more often.

For the first 7 days, I found it tough and began to obsess and stress about the 21 days of denial. I would snack all the time. Kind of nasty protein bars became a delicacy. Then, we were allowed to add a little fish, and that changed the game for me. Now, I am on Day 13 and really feel great.

What's been happening in our bodies?

Anthony: looks like he lost 10 pounds, skin in glowing, has more energy. Sexier(that could be just my interpretation though)

Me: look and feel like I've lost 5 pounds. Skin clearer, more energy. Need a stiff drink. Also, I do see the effects of toxins leaving my body. For instance, the bags under my eyes were darker than usual for a week, and now are subsiding. I felt hung over for also the first week.

Finale: I think this cleanse, while kind of extreme, is very healthy for someone who really wants to start over and reset. I think that even if you don't think losing a few pounds as being enough of a reward, there must be some reward that has more far-reaching results. For instance, just giving your liver a break from alcohol and sugar can probably reduce risk of liver problems. Eating all those anti-oxidants in fruits and veggies can help slow your body's aging because anti-oxidants stop the oxidization of the cells, which age the body and lead to cancers. Just a few little things.

We're not done yet, but have reached the last week, the final countdown. Next time I blog, I will add a couple recipes which have helped to get us through.

I'm SOOO Back, Baby!

2010-10-27T14:10:00.002-04:00

Just so glad that this trial has ended for me. There will always be more, but I am going to enjoy the next year or 2 of healthy running until the next time I decide to go trail running and twist my ankle or get a stress fracture because I look so cute in gladiators!

Last weekend, I ran both days! I was slow, but I was steady. It felt great!

I'll be running this weekend also, both days, so please come out and join me.

Foot is healing!

2010-10-07T14:32:00.002-04:00

I went to Dr. Minicapelli today and he is certain that the bone is all but healed! I'll take 2 more weeks off of running, then I am back, Baby!

Good Lord, do I miss running! Especially when Fall is the best running weather. Take today, for instance: 66 degrees right now and sunny. I'm drooling.

Tonight is the special Happy Hour and Nutrition meetup at Team Joe runner Dr. Scott Juric's place in Chelsea.

It's not too late to RSVP. Just email me at run23diva@gmail.com and I'll give you the address!

Yay Foot!

Great Minds...

2010-09-30T09:08:00.000-04:00

So, Eapan(spell check please!), one of my runners, happens to have blogged about Bob's knife grinding service several years ago when he moved to Brooklyn! Check it out!

http://chocolateroom.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_archive.html

I had felt kind of sad for Bob as I walked by; he was tolling his bell, hoping for knives to sharpen. I thought, how can this man possibly make a living? Does anybody come out of their homes with knives at the sound of his forlorn bell? What does he charge $2, $3?! Poor dear!

Well, I ran (or hobbled) home and grabbed 5 Globals and went back out. I handed him my knives and offhand asked him how much he charged. $8 a knife. Ten minutes and $45 later...hmm...could it be that maybe I could have invested in a stone for $10 and probably used it for the rest of my life? That would be a yes.

However, I did get some solid advice from Bob: you can use a stone or a metal pike to sharpen your blades, but do not use one of the crazy thingamabobs that you stick your knifes into and pull. They leave chips in the knives.

Bob also complimented me on my Globals. Sharp knives, he said!

As Gordon Ramsey said - not to me directly, but on Hell's Kitchen - "Dull knives make dull chefs! Now F-off out of my kitchen!"

So, I broke my foot and had an axe to grind.

2010-09-29T15:07:00.001-04:00

It may be that our brains don't get sharper as we age, but my knives sure do!

While I was not running last weekend, I was limping around my neighborhood when I came across this truck. It reminded me of the good old days - though those days were before my time - and I thought, hey! why not have my knives sharpened. So I did. End of story.

Just wanted to share.

BOOTCAMP IS CANCELLED!

2010-09-13T18:12:00.000-04:00

SO SORRY CAMPERS! THUNDER AND LIGHTENING - BOOTCAMP CANCELLED!!!

Please comeback for the rain date: Monday, September 27th.

Red Hook: Off The Hook!

2010-08-27T16:19:00.000-04:00

Baked. Yum.

Seriously. The view at the end of the road.

Red Hook. I love you.

How has it taken me 15 years to discover you? You are a natural beauty, only wearing few adornments. Your streets are cobbled, your history is long. Verily, few people come to you as tourists or in Jimmy Choos looking for action. I never really understood what obsession was until I was sent by chance to your shores.

Red Hook, how I love to caress your cobbles with my Asics. Your streets are flat and empty. To get to the end of your limbs takes only 20 minutes from my home. To you I run with a full heart, sick of Chain Stores and in need of the freshness of businesses like Baked, The Good Fork, The Dry Dock, Hope and Anchor, and other lovelies with a nautical theme.

May you never get a subway which would destroy your isolated charm.

Summer Streets Make Me Feel Fine

2010-08-17T11:00:00.001-04:00

Go nyc.gov for giving the streets to the people! I was honestly a little ferklempt by it all. The beautiful city streets, the skyline, the water stations, the volunteers and the free hugs. It felt like a cheesy utopian movie. Take me with a grain of salt because I also get ferklempt during tv commercials.

Anyway, Anthony and I ran from home, over the Brooklyn Bridge which never loses its shine, and took Summer Streets to Waverly where we picked up folks and continued up Lafayette to Park and all the way to the end at 72nd street. Then, we doubled back to Grand Central to Joe for a Granita.

Next Saturday, I encourage you to take to the streets. Meet us at Waverly at 9:30AM and experience Utopia for yourselves.

Sunday's post-run tally

2010-08-01T11:41:00.001-04:00

Shoes: three Brooks, two Asics and one Nike (you rebel, Chris).

Drinks: four iced coffees, one granita, and one small latte. Because I think the latte art is pretty.

Miles run: five at five miles, and one at six. The NYRR Long Training Run was going on, so we passed lots of people who were running twenty miles this morning.

Run and Micro-Loan!

2010-07-28T13:48:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-26T20:45:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-22T18:43:00.000-04:00

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?

2010-07-15T16:22:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-07-15T14:14:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-09T14:50:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-06T17:28:00.000-04:00

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

2010-07-03T12:32:00.000-04:00

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!

shelter Island 10K

2010-06-24T13:47:00.000-04:00

Diana, Tony C., Doc Danielle, Lysa Lee, and me in purple sports bra.

Shelter Island is heaven. Rolling hills, large old mansions that speak to a different, slower era in a more genteel world, and a very relaxed place. I, myself, am NOT genteel, slow or relaxed. However, for this one race, I decided to do a "when in Rome" and slow the heck down.

Firstly, I decided to run slower. What is the benefit of running fast in a race outside NYC that is NOT a qualifier (and even if it were, I am officially retired from Marathons anyway)? Plus, it is so beautiful there that it's a shame to miss the views of the water and the homes and a chance to chat up the locals as you are jogging by!

Now, I am going to share something with you, my readers - if you exist - that I probably shouldn't tell anyone. I drank my first mid-race beer! I didn't even slow down (further). Someone handed me a Coors Lite, and I made a split-second decision to take it. It was way tastier than it would normally be because I was thirsty. Thanks Guy Who Handed Me The Beer!

I hope this little blog entry will inspire you to 1.run the Shelter Island Race next year, and 2. do something crazy in the middle of your next race! We, runners, tend to be such goodie-goodies! We're generally nice, well-behaved people-people, squeaky clean tax-payers. Well, I say rebel once in a while! The best part is, whomever you piss off, you can probably outrun.

Deep thoughts.

Joe to the End of the Isle

2010-06-22T17:10:00.000-04:00

Not run-related, but while Gabbs n' Tone were jogging relatively nearby at Shelter Island this weekend just gone, Team Joe were represented crosstrainingly on the Ride to Montauk by Judge Stephens and this Joeshirted lout:

The Athlete's Palate Cookbook

2010-06-10T11:17:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I found out some exciting news! A new cookbook just came out for athletes! Runner's World Magazine published a compilation of every Athlete's Palate column from every one of their mags since they started the column in 2004.

Inside there are amazing recipes that are delicious and healthy! Some of the chefs are celebrities like Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, Dan Barber, and my favorite cooking show reality star Gordon Ramsey. Other chefs are more regional. All of them are athletic, from Iron Men to 5K-ers.

I cannot believe this, but it's true. I hate to brag, but there is a 2-page spread of your very own Team Prez, me. heehee. I was as shocked as anyone! There're my recipe for Espresso Granita and for Cold Brew Iced Coffee.

If you want to buy a copy(I am telling you, it's awesome!), I'll be happy to sign it for you. Just don't email Gawker immediately after till I've left the building.

p.s. This weekend the runs start at 9:30 AM until the Fall.

Achilles Hope and Possibility Race

2010-06-10T11:09:00.000-04:00

Achilles International and Trisha Melili (author of I Am the Central Park Jogger) would love if you join us at The Achilles Hope & Possibility 5 miler race.

ACHILLES Hope & Possibility – 5 miler

WHEN: Sunday June 27, 8:30am (regular start)

WHERE: Central Park – West 67th & west drive

If you needed any other reason to sign up for the GREATEST race in the world. There is another reason…

For the first time ever ACHILLES – Hope & Possibility is an ING New York City MARATHON – QUALIFIER!!!

You heard that right! This race will count as one of your 9 races for the marathon….

I, Gabby, your fearful leader, am running this race. Don't make me have to run it alone.

5 1/2 Weeks Married

2010-06-03T16:41:00.000-04:00

How does that affect my running, you may ask? I have no idea, but I do notice my mind thinks about different stuff now that I am not a Single Lady anymore. I realize that before, I would think about drama having to do with who I was dating, or not dating, where I was going to meet someone to date, interspersed with deep and meaningful thoughts, of course...I mean really!

But it's a little different now. Since I have no drama or complaints with my husband(at least for now, and hopefully not ever), I find the world of thought is now open unto me. I can now think deep thoughts the ENTIRE time I run. Mostly I think about who I can set up with whom, when the White Stripes will put out a new album or what I might cook for dinner.

As I said, DEEP THOUGHTS.

Hey, I was brutally, and sometimes fabulously single for 36 years. As traumatic as that CAN be, it also gives you moments of wonderful fantasy and yearning that make you feel alive; that you know something's coming for you.

SINGLE LADIES out there, he's coming. For now, enjoy the deep thoughts, the fantasies, and the knowledge that the love of your life is out there. He's just jogging on a different path...until he runs into you.

Marathon Spots Available through Teenok Heart Foundation.

2010-06-03T16:33:00.000-04:00

If you are interested, contact Marc Lessner at less316@yahoo.com. Marc is the founder of Big Heart Racing Team.

To see more about Teenok Heart Foundation, check out the Facebook page. They seem like very nice and fun individuals! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=88776084239

Cheers,

Gabby

The NYTimes Wedding Story

2010-05-24T15:38:00.000-04:00

This has to be the best non-traditional wedding photo ever. It really captures exactly the spirit of our wedding. Even more importantly, my arms look super buff.

If you want to read the story and see the pics, click on the link below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/fashion/weddings/16VOWS.html?ref=weddings

Relayed

2010-05-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

Joester Kelly sprinting in to finish Leg 9 of the 185-mile NY Ragnar Relay from Woodstock to Dobb's Ferry:

Coffee Cantata

2010-05-06T23:02:00.000-04:00

It's finally happened! I get to sing about coffee!

Bach's Cantata No. 211 satirizes the alarming popularity of coffee in 18th century Leipzig. Coffee is still alarmingly popular, and Bach's music has withstood the test of time. NYMVAE presents this staged version paired with a contemporary opera The Art of Eating, by Jeffery Leppendorf.

I (Mary Thorne) sing performances May 21 & 23, and fellow Team Joe member Elizabeth Munn sings performances May 20 & 22.

Thursday-Saturday, May 20-22, 8pm
Sunday, May 23, 3pm

The Bernie West Theater
Baruch Performing Arts Center
17 Lexington Avenue (between 21/22 Streets)
9th Floor

Free Coffee = LOVE

2010-05-06T20:53:00.000-04:00

After about 4 years I'm finally convinced that free coffee can lead to love. It was that small sign at Joe Waverly that got me, it that read "Joe Saturday runs and free coffee to follow".

I’m Lysa, Gabby’s running partner, travel companion and best friend. Even from that first day we met years ago, I knew s he was the one for me. The one who could convince me to order steamed veges over fried food, the one who convinced me to run through rain and snow because it was ‘good for us’, and the one who always sees the good in people. She saw that in me, the girl who wanted to run better and earn that iced vanilla latte.

Over years of Saturday runs followed by brunch with the girls, a movie and shopping, one of those 'girls' became much more. I am so amazed at how Anthony went from being just another Joe Runner to the love of Gabby's life. I truly saw their love grow from being each others running partners, to best friends, to soul mates. I'm blessed to not only have witnessed all this, but be a part of it. I now have a best friend who always gives me free coffee, with or without a run. I'm also lucky to have Anthony in my life, my new best friend who no matter how many times I ask, is willing to meet for a burger and beer ;-)

Happy to Serve You

2010-05-04T11:40:00.000-04:00

It's been a hard few weeks for fans of local icons. First we lost Alberto Arroyo, aka, the self-proclaimed Mayor of Central Park and Reservoir Running Dog. On Thursday, it was Leslie Buck, aka Laszlo Buch.

Unlike Arroyo, Mr Buck's face would not have been recognized by many New Yorkers. He wasn't, to my knowledge, a runner. And he didn't even live in the city. But though anonymous, his contribution to NYC culture is so widespread it's hard to imagine the city without him. He was the creator of what is perhaps the most potent symbol of the city: the blue and white coffee cup. It's a testament to how powerful an icon the cup is that despite the fact that Starbucks cups now outnumber the "Anthora" (yes, the cup does have a proper name) roughly 6 million to 1, it's the blue-and-white Anthora that movie directors and Law & Order prop scouts flash in front of the screen when they want to signal an authentic New York attitude. The Anthora—which was introduced in 1960—is the granddaddy of to-go caffeination, a beloved if slightly old-fashioned relic among younger, spiffier receptacles such as the ones we quaff our excellent (and - thanks Gabby! - free) coffees from each week post-run.

Here's something I love about this story: Mr. Buck wasn't a graphic designer. He actually worked for the cup company. Having worked with many designers in my career - some that were legends; none that took design lightly - it definitely made me giggle to think that this iconic artifact was conceived an executed not by a creative professional but by a guy in sales. Vignelli*, eat your heart out.

I'm also tickled by the fact that this monolithic local icon carried on it a phrase most would not associate with NYC: "We are Happy to Serve You."

Fierce loyalty, surprising twists. "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere" attitude. That's New York in a nutsh--er, disposable coffee cup.

*From Wikipedia:

Massimo Vignelli (born 1931 in Milan, Italy) is a designer who has done work in a number of areas ranging from package design to furniture design to public signage to showroom design. He has said, "If you can design one thing, you can design everything," and this is reflected in his broad range of work.^[3]

1957 to 1960, Vignelli visited America on a fellowship, and returned to New York in 1966 to start the New York branch of a new company, Unimark International, which quickly became, both in scope and in sheer number of personnel, one of the largest design firms in the world. The firm went on to design many of the world's most recognizable corporate identities, including that of American Airlines (which forced him to incorporate the eagle, Massimo is always quick to point out). Vignelli also designed the iconic signage for the New York City Subway system during this period.

Running In Buenos Aires

2010-05-01T10:26:00.000-04:00

Usually when I travel I do loads of research about everything. I make a plan of action for each day. I never want to miss anything, especially if it includes munching. However, this time around I was too busy planning a certain party which involved getting hitched. It was a big project which barely left time for going to work, running, and staying sane.

That said, Anthony and I only planned the following for our honeymoon: 1. flights 2. Hotel Home (amazing!) 3. 1-day culinary tour (yesterday...still full and hung over from that lunch) and 4. San Telmo on Sunday for the antique market.

We did bring our Asics, however, with a loose plan to jog at some point. As we prepared to hit the airport, we realised we were both getting a cold. It was a full-blown mess by the time we touched down in BA. When we got to Home, we went right to bed. At 12p.m. We barely got ourselves out of bed for a measly hour before hitting the sack again for 12 hours. Some newlyweds spend whold days in bed, but I can assure it's not blowing their noses and popping cold meds.

Luckily, 3 days in, we are starting to feel better, and decided to pound pavement for an hour or so this morning. We ran with only a map and matching rings. We found a park much like Central Park, but only about 1 mile around. Lots of runners, a small lake with boats..we felt very much at home. We also saw at least 2 casual running teams. They looked a lot like Team Joe.

When we returned to our hotel, just in time for the amazing breakfast, of course, and feeling much better, we had a renewed energy. Although we still don't have much of a plan, we are ready for the adventures of the day.

It's just like I always say: running is a cure-all...except for bone spurs, that is.

Drink for Girls on the Run

2010-04-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

A few of you have met my friend Marit, who has come to the Sunday Joe run a bunch of times, and the Saturday run a few times over the summer. During the school year, she can't make it to the Saturday run because she volunteers on Saturday mornings coaching 8- to 12-year-olds for a group called Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run is a health and wellness program that introduces girls to the fun of running and paves the way for an ongoing active lifestyle and healthy self-esteem. The meet weekly during each school semester for a session that includes warm-ups, stretching, running, and games -- culminating in a 3-mile run at Asphalt Green.

As someone who 1) grew up in Manhattan and 2) until a year ago, hated running, this concept seems pretty cool. There are lots of great things about growing up in New York, but at least when I was a kid, running was not one of them. Unlike basketball, soccer, or softball, it wasn't activity that could fit neatly in a gym or on a playing field. Also - and this isn't specific to New York, of course - compared to team sports, running didn't seem fun to me. Soccer and softball were games; running was what you did when you were late or being chased by something.

Obviously, I've come around to running in my old age. But as much fun as I'm having with it now (thanks to the Joe running team!), it does make me think how much sooner I could have come to it if it had been more accessible to me and appealing when I was a kid.

Anyway, enough about me. And running. Let's talk about drinking! Girls on the Run is having a fundraiser next Wednesday, and you're all invited. Come by on April 28th, 6-8 PM at Lugo (1 Penn Plaza/Eighth Avenue at 33rd Street; lugocaffe.com). 15% of all food and drink sales will be donated to the Manhattan chapter of Girls on the Run. There will also be a charity raffle, which, according to the email I got, includes "cool accessories from the Bikini Thief." Not sure what that is, but clearly, it's not to be missed.

For more information on Girls on the Run, visit http://gotrm.org/

Pope is More Like It

2010-04-13T12:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the Central Park Conservancy dedicated the path around the reservoir to Alberto Arroyo -- aka, the Mayor of Central Park -- who died on March 25th. Arroyo claimed to be -- and was lauded as -- the first person to run around the reservoir. He made his first loops around what was then a maintenance path in 1937, after being kicked off the bridle path for disturbing the horses.

Arroyo was both beloved Central Park runner and a champion New Yorker. In 2001, he beat out Ed Koch, George Plimpton, and even Dr. Zizmor (!) for the cover of this book called New York Characters. I love this quip from a 2005 NYT article on his view of the afterlife: "You just go from one apartment to another." Only in New York, right kids?

For many years -- and well into artificial-part-age -- Arroyo ran the 1.6 mile loop up to ten times daily. By his own he count, he figured that he'd run around the reservoir more than 200,000 times -- more than enough to bring him from here to the moon.

Arroyo was known as the mayor of Central Park, a self-proclaimed title that not even greedy Giuliani could get his grubby mitts on. I have to say, though, this guys sounds less like a democratically elected official than divine leader of Her Lady of the Urban Joggers. No offense, Jackie O., but this guy ran circles (sorry! couldn't resist the pun!) around your eponymous reservoir. He hung out at the reservoir yelling "looking good" to runners as they made their way around the path. He let the Parks Department know when something needed fixing. Though he himself took a vow of poverty and lived on a single meal a day, he managed to raise $100,000 for an organization that helps disabled runners.

And he gave footrubs to runners he met in the park. The guy was totally running Jesus.

Let me end with noting -- should there be any unbelievers among us -- Mr. Arroyo lived until the age of 94.

Can I get an Amen?

Further Cross-Country Joejogging

2010-04-13T10:19:00.000-04:00

Just to add a couple of other Joesters-Running-Around-the-Country recent race tales since a full race calendar means I've been absent from weekend Joe runs recently....

I recommend the Richmond, VA 10K - a fun, fast 6 miles through the city centre with plenty of musical entertainment and costumed runners along the way.

The 13.1 series half around Flushing Meadows Park (OK, not really 'out of town'...) - the course is a bit repetitive, but it's flatflatflat and hence speedy, and you get to circle the Worlds Fair Globe etc.

And thirdly, the Danbury Half Marathon - a small and very hilly (jeyzuz, them hills) 13.1 miler in western CT. Good spring marathon training if nowt else. And they give you tasty pizza at the end.

From Tacos to Cherry Blossoms: A Tale of Two Cities, and Two Measurement Systems

2010-04-12T17:30:00.001-04:00

My story of my - yay! - very first ten mile run, DC's Cherry Blossom Run, starts, as I'm sure many good stories do, in Denver. To be more precise, it starts on the carpeted floor of the city's convention center next to an outlet as I simultaneously juice the iPhone and call the husband in between panels on Thursday, the first day of the American Writers & Writing Programs annual conference, known as AWP. (Writers are good with words; not so good with acronyms.)

"I think if I run tomorrow, then I can take Saturday off when I'm in DC, so I'll be fresh on Sunday," I say to Alex, briefing him on my ad hoc training plan. "And it's so beautiful here - maybe I can run to the mountains!"

"Caitlin, are you INSANE? Why do you think they call it the Mile High City? If you tried to run outside tomorrow, you'd probably pass out, Miss Altitude Training."

It is then that I realize that the chronic headache I've had since getting off the plane the night before isn't from bad soave in the JetBlue terminal but from the great heights of the city. So I bag my training plan, and instead focus my efforts on energy -- specifically, eating enough good Mexican food to power me through an Iron Man -- with a quick stint on the treadmill in the Marriott fitness center for good luck on Friday morning. Then it's bye-bye Mile High, hello Potomac!

I spend the day on Saturday walking around with the friend I've recruited to this race with me, alternately worried about the blister I'm sure I'm developing from my ballet flats and excited for this challenge I've inadvertently gotten us into. In DC, apparently, there are lots of ten-mile races. Here in New York, at least as far as I've seen, it's 5ks, 10ks, and half-marathons. So when I convinced my friend to do the race with me last fall after I finished my first 10k and she finished her first 5k, I thought I was signing us up for a 10k -- not a 10-mile run. My friend, being French, was, to her credit, extremely gracious when I corrected my metric mistake.

The morning of the race -- Sunday -- is much warmer than the day before. We powerwalk to the start line, picking up another (French) friend of hers along the way. I down this energy shot thing she gives me even though it taste like super concentrated Tang. We giggle nervously as we wait for our wave (actually, we couldn't figure out how to get to our wave, so we started with the last wave, which I nicknamed "the Rainbow Tribe"). I run the first mile with the Frogs, and start to pull away - slightly - when we make it to the bridge. I turn around a few seconds later and they are gone. Totally vanished in the crowd. Guess I'm running the next eight and a half miles myself.

And you know what? It was FANTASTIC. I thought I would be bored, or in pain, or just pissed that I had lost my friends, but instead I had the best time watching the other runners, the crowd, and the scenery (though not the cherry blossoms - they'd all been fried in the previous week's heat wave), and thinking about - really! - my run. When I got to mile 8, I felt like I still had a lot left, so I sprinted for the last two miles, which just felt amazing. My time was 1:35:46 - way faster than I would have guessed.

1sts are good places to draw lessons from, so here's what I learned:

1) There really are hills in Central Park! Who knew?! I didn't realize what a difference a totally flat course would make.

2) Running sunglasses are cheap and awesome.

3) Those energy/electrolyte beans are a good choice for someone like me who would absolutely gag on goo, but even those are not as easy to eat while running.

4) DC is a great place to do a big run like that because there are tons of hotels so it's very easy to avoid the port-o-potties.

5) Starting with a slower wave is annoying in the beginning but psychologically great during the race because you pass EVERYONE.

Perhaps a half-marathon is next? Or a 13k?

So, why didn't I run the New York Half?

2010-04-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

Because I was busy running the Canyonlands Half Marathon. As part of my project to run 25 half marathons in 25 states, which is the subject of a whole other blog post, I was in Moab, Utah that weekend, running along a canyon that was completely different from our more urban canyons.

The race began at 10, but they started busing us from town to the start, 13.1 miles away at 7:30. The first 11 miles of the course follow the Colorado river, which is nice, because the course is quite flat compared to, say, Central Park. And when I say nice, well, here's an idea of the scenery:

No cars, no buildings, no distractions. Since we had to wait for the start, they did have the most scenically situated row of Port-a-Potties in the world:

You'll notice that the sun had not reached the bottom of the canyon, which meant that we were all standing around, freezing, despite the coffee and hot chocolate that were being handed out. By mile three, however, we were running in sunshine, and did I mention that the scenery was glorious?

It wasn't my fastest race, but I think you'll agree I look happy at the end of it:

If you're tired of running past sky-scrapers, you should definitely consider the Canyonlands Half. Keep in mind that entry is by lottery (just like the New York Half), and hotel rooms book up fast.

Shape-Ups. I am in fashion hell.

2010-04-03T15:52:00.000-04:00

Do these shoes make my feet look fat? That would be a resounding yes.

These are my new look. Apparently, they can be worn with jeans, shorts or cocktail attire.

One thing's for sure: this look will separate my true friends from the hangers-on.

I used to make fun of people who wear these. Then my podiatrist told me I need to wear them to take the pressure off of my arthritic toe. I put them on in the store today and Anthony, who is now stuck to me for life(poor dear), burst out laughing. I joined in. I mean, hey, if we can't laugh at ourselves, we have no right laughing at others!

P.S. I was running the Scotland 10K today with Laura and Mary, and they started calling me Bone Spur. I like how it sounds. It reminds me of an old Western. The outlaw Bone Spur meets The Sherif at High Noon for a shootout. Bone Spur gets 2 bullets to the toe.

The End.

I Have Arthritis. In My Toe.

2010-04-01T11:04:00.000-04:00

Really?! Could I feel any older?

This is what I get from running for 14 years, 2 marathons, many half-marathons, working on my feet, running to catch lights, etc.

I went to a podiatrist with pain in my right big toe. There was also a strange clicking. I was assuming it was a broken toe or metatarsal bone. That would have been okay, minus the fact that I have to dance at a wedding in 3 1/2 weeks; my wedding.

X-Rays revealed that I have a bone spur in the smaller joint on the toe. Doc says it's not new and must have been cooking for a long time. I guess I have a high tolerance for pain.

Here is what I found on WebMD,

"What is a bone spur?

A bone spur (osteophyte) is a bony growth formed on normal bone. Most people think of something sharp when they think of a "spur," but a bone spur is just extra bone. It’s usually smooth, but it can cause wear and tear or pain if it presses or rubs on other bones or soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons, or nerves in the body. Common places for bone spurs include the spine, shoulders, hands, hips, knees, and feet.

What causes bone spurs?

A bone spur forms as the body tries to repair itself by building extra bone. It generally forms in response to pressure, rubbing, or stress that continues over a long period of time.

Some bone spurs form as part of the aging process. As we age, the slippery tissue called cartilage that covers the ends of the bones within joints breaks down and eventually wears away (osteoarthritis). In addition, the discs that provide cushioning between the bones of the spine may break down with age. Over time, this leads to pain and swelling and, in some cases, bone spurs forming along the edges of the joint. Bone spurs due to aging are especially common in the joints of the spine and feet."

My new doctor advises icing, advil after runs, and wearing Sketchers Shape-Ups that mimic the heinous Boot that doctors tend to make patients wear.

The one good thing to come out of this is that I have an excuse to wear slippers at the wedding after the ceremony!

So who's doing the Scotland 10K Saturday? I am!!! It will be the only run I do this week, but I'm not missing it.

Great Half-Marathon Times

2010-03-24T13:43:00.000-04:00

Joe is a non-competitive running club. We don't judge people based on time, endurance or gear. We generally don't like those people. However, I must brag just a bit about "my" runners. They kicked concrete last sunday in the NYC Half-Marathon.

Before I reveal their names and times, let me preface by telling you that a) I have run this two times before, and b) it was so hard and unpleasant I vowed there would be no repeat performance.

And now, the names:

Mary Thorne, running an 8:13 pace, came in at 1:47:31

Chris Gwiliam, running an 8:10 pace, came in at 1:46:51..(by the way, his first half-marathon.)

Simon Bird, running an 8:50 pace, came in at 1:55:37

Amazing!

Now back to being non-competitive, non-gear-heady runners...

Nike NY Half Marathon

2010-03-20T16:40:00.000-04:00

Good luck to our friends and Team Joe runners for tomorrow's Nike NY Half Marathon:

Chris G - running his first half marathon. Lets hope it's the start of a long future of running half marathons!

and our seasoned runners: Mary, Simon and Alice.

Remember - run hard or go home!!

Coffee + Running = Love and Better Running

2010-03-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

Okay, the Coffee and Love thing may be b.s, although I met my fiance while running in the coffee house team...but, for those of you who missed this article last year, click on the link to read about how coffee (caffeine, really), improves your workout.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=caffeine&st=cse

Here's a small snippet:

"Exercise physiologists have studied caffeine’s effects in nearly every iteration: Does it help sprinters? Marathon runners? Cyclists? Rowers? Swimmers? Athletes whose sports involve stopping and starting like tennis players? The answers are yes and yes and yes and yes".

I know some people are wary about drinking coffee before a run. Maybe they will need to "use the bathroom", or have stomach cramps. My advice to them, drink some coffee early enough to digest and have to "use the bathroom" before your run. Anyone who runs races, especially long ones, knows that you must "expell" before the race starts. Once you've done a couple dozen races, you will no longer be squeamish about talking or reading about expelling. I apologize to those who haven't gotten to that point and are squeamish now, reading this...

The point is this: get the benefits of the caffeine AND the quick expellation (Not a word, I know), and then have the Best Run Of Your Life. Especially when I am offering it you free at the Team Joe runs (no pun intended) every weekend.

Cheers

Heaven Is NYC Today!

2010-03-17T14:51:00.000-04:00

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I love this weather. It's currently 63 degrees and sunny. It hardly gets better for running weather. I went today and yesterday, and will try to run every single nice day. Based on the forecast, my next day of rest will be next Monday.

I may have to break out my running shorts tomorrow. I hope people will forgive my pasty swarthy skin tone and all the black and blue spots on my legs: I tend to walk into furniture.

This weather makes me sign up for too many races. So far, I am in for the Scotland 10K April 3rd, The Healthy Kidney 10K May 15th, and the Brooklyn Half May 22nd.

I know, I know....I promised last year that I would NEVER ever run the Brooklyn half again. I also said it the year before when I ran it. I guess I am an oath breaker....

oh well..

Scotland 10K

2010-03-10T13:03:00.000-05:00

Now that we have our first Scotswoman to call our own on Team Joe, Mrs. Laura Gwilliam, we will proudly will be running the Scotland 10K April 2nd!

http://www.nyrr.org/races/2010/r0403x00.asp

We actually ran it last year and I think the year before, but now we ARE Scottish, sort of!

The Scottish people are a great people. They have added so much to the world. Some of my favorites are Scotch whiskey, especially Balvenie, Haggis, men wearing kilts, and bag pipes.

More about Scotland's great history if you click on the Wiki link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland

Speed Socializing

2010-02-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

I truly cannot believe how cold this winter has been! It's been so so hard to get out of bed lately. Running early during the week? Out. Getting up on Saturdays to join my Team Joe friends...?

Well, that's the joy of running with a team. I would NEVER get out there alone. In fact, I almost never run alone anymore. It's just too bleak and chilly. And after going alone for the first 10 years I was running, I just got bored with music and my own dull thoughts.

Team Joe still gets me out the door on the weekend. I consider it the height of multi-tasking to exercise and socialize at the same time. Think of all the time we would save if while we were running, we were also having a staff meeting, shopping at Whole Foods, getting our nails done! It could put new meaning in the concept of Speed Dating (if you can catch me, you can have my number). But alas, my ideas will have to remain ahead of their times, and I will stick to my basic version of multi-tasting.

Anyway, I will be seeing you, probably jumping over drifts of snow from tomorrow's storm, Saturday at 10 a.m. from the new and much-improved Waverly Joe. Sunday at 10 a.m. at Columbus Ave. Joe.

Run For Haiti

2010-02-09T11:04:00.000-05:00

Lysa, Anthony and I all signed up for this NYRRC race. Join us! All the money is to be donated to reputable aid organizations. It's a whopping $40, but for a good cause.

Without preaching, I just want to say that yes, we all gave when the initial destruction hit Haiti, as we did for the Tsunami and countless other tragedies. However, it will be years before Haiti is rebuilt, so we need to continue to give when we can. Thus the race.

Plus, I bet there will be good t-shirts! And it's a qualifying race.

9a.m. February 20th in Central Park.

Concert February 4th

2010-01-15T10:33:00.000-05:00

Virgil Thomson: A Portrait In Song
Mary Thorne, Soprano
Elizabeth Hastings, Piano

Thursday, February 4th, 2010
1 pm
Concerts At One
Trinity Wall Street Church
(Broadway at Wall Street)

I am singing a wonderful program of art songs reflecting the musical life of composer Virgil Thomson. Songs by Bowles, Cage, Citkowitz, Copland, Hundley, Rorem, Satie, Wheeler, and Virgil Thomson.

If you work downtown this will make a wonderful lunch break or if you can't get away from the office you can listen to it on webcast. No tickets necessary, a donation can be made at the door.

How the Marathon became 26.2 miles

2010-01-01T21:38:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered why the marathon distance is 26.2 miles (or 42.195 kms)?

Originally the marathon distance was around 25 miles (or 40kms).

But for the 1908 London Olympics, it ended up being 26.2 miles.

Here's a brief summary I found on wikipedia:

For the official Trial Marathon on 25 April 1908, the start was on ‘The Long Walk’ – a magnificent avenue leading up to Windsor Castle. For the Olympic Marathon itself the start was on the private East Terrace of Windsor Castle, with the permission of King Edward VII, so that the public would not interfere with the start. Shortly before the Games opened it was realized that the Royal Entrance could not be used as the marathon entrance—it was raised to permit easy descent by the royal party from their carriages, and did not open onto the track—so an alternative entrance was chosen, diagonally opposite the Royal Box. A special path was made just outside the Franco British Exhibition ground so that the distance to the stadium remained 26 miles.

The finishing line was left unchanged, but in order that the spectators, including Queen Alexandra, could have the best view of the final yards, the direction of running was changed to "right-hand inside" (i.e. clockwise) and the total distance became 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km).

Why the history lesson?

Gabby and I recently went to Windsor, and of course, as a runner (and especially for Gabby as a marathon finisher), it wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Long Walk. For those of you who run marathons, as you run past the 26 mile marker and curse as you run another 0.2 miles, you now know it was all so that the royal family could get the best view.

Mary's Year In Review

2009-12-28T21:21:00.000-05:00

I'm ready to kick 2009 out of here. Here's why...

January 2009: I started 2009 with a half marathon. Unfortunately, the 13.1 miles and the 14°F temperature proved too much for my immune system and I got the worst flu/cold of 2009.

May 2009: I received my Doctor of Musical Arts degree. But only after a 200 page dissertation, an advisor still giving me revisions days before my defense, and nearly 7 years of humiliation.

Summer 2009: I worked at a girls' camp in the Berkshires during the rainiest summer ever. I managed to get in some running and hiking between thunderstorms. I was also a regular at Lenox Coffee. (Same routine, different place.)

November 2009: I got married on the beach in Mexico. It was a perfect day! Sadly, we had to adjust our honeymoon plans to accommodate Hurricane Ida. I'm hoping for a second honeymoon in 2010.

See you in the New Year!

UK and the downward spiral.

2009-12-16T14:04:00.000-05:00

It all started with good intentions. I packed my running shoes, socks, jog bra, sweats and sweatshirt. It took up, as always, half my suitcase. We arrived at Heathrow, with no sleep, at 7 a.m. We were scheduled for an Open Gym workout at 10 a.m. By the time we got to The Hotel Florence (aka Anthony's sister's gorgeous flat), we had enough time for unpacking, changing, brewing several lattes on their plumbed double-boiler espresso machine (praise god!) and to head off to the local park.

I fancy myself pretty sporty. However, jet-lagged as I was and with no sleep for 34-ish hours, I felt like I was having a bad dream. The class was circuit training. 8 or 10 little areas with their torture equipment, so-called weights and jump ropes. Evil little things looked so small and harmless until we were asked to spend 2 minutes on each until all were executed.

As I don't care to relive my torment, let's just say I have been as sore rarely before.

From that workout it was a downward spiral of exercise routines. By the following Saturday's second Open Gym class - don't ask; I am a gluton for punishment - Anthony and I had gone for 1 full hour+ run and one 1 mile run. That last run was shortened by the stiff Dublin winds.

I'll tell you what we DID exercise: our ability to drink copious amounts of ale and stout, nose to tale dining, umbrellas.

How does the tale end? We returned home none the thinner, moved house the next day and within a week were both on our way into winter flus.

The score? The last 2 weeks, 4 runs.

Guess what folks? 15K this coming Saturday in Central Park! That should be fun.

Get Relayed!

2009-12-09T08:49:00.000-05:00

Joesters -
A good friend of mine is organising a team for the Ragnar Relay that runs along a superb 178 mile route from Woodstock down to NYC on May 14th to 15th. We still need 4 or 5 people to make up the team of 12. Cost will be $90 per runner, and each pair of legs will probably run 3 legs of 3 to 8 miles long. Should be a blast and an overnight jogging adventure.
If anyone is interested, please let me know - we need to sign up by the end of the year to get the cheapo registration price.
Cheers,
SimonB

Chemex 101. Because it's not all about running.

2009-11-30T13:43:00.000-05:00

1. Grab Your 4 square Chemex Filter. Fold into cone shape keeping 3 of the 4 folds in the front.

2. Place the 3 folds side of the filter towards correct pouring end of the pot.

3. With hot water wet the filter and the vessel with a few ounce of water. This creates a better seal between the filter and the pot as well as pre-heat the vessel.

4. Add your ground coffee beans. 2.2-2.4 grams of coffee per ounce of water. Grind for Chemex setting with is more course then auto-drip but not as course as press pot.

5. Add your correct amount of water preferably using these coffee specific kettles which create a perfect stream of water for better pouring control and insulate heat well.

6. Add a few ounces of hot water into the center of the coffee grounds.

7. Let the coffee blossom and let out some of it’s oxygen. The bigger the bloom the fresher and higher quality the coffee.

8. After letting the coffee bloom for about 30 seconds, start adding the rest of the hot water slowly. Pour the water in a spiral motion starting from the center out towards the filter keeping the water from getting onto the side wall. Work the water back from the outside in towards the center until all of the water is emptied from the kettle.

9. The coffee should start flowing through the center of the cone.

10. Watch the magic happen.

11. Take out the filter. Pour.

12. Enjoy!

-Rickie Hecht, Manager of Waverly Joe

2009-11-28T14:58:00.000-05:00

11/28 Waverley Joesters (all 3 of us) went long and bridgewards:

Dreaded ITBS & the Lands of Badness

2009-11-22T13:31:00.000-05:00

...and post-run at Waverley on Saturday, the topic of the dreaded IT band syndrome came up. Thought it might be useful to share my collated notes re. proactive stretches and drills given that I was out with ITB knack for all of March this year and spent a good chunk of time finding info. Pdf can be grabbed here. Includes the quadballer & foam roller stuff plus a set of core excercises that the 'experts' suggest can help prevent injury, not only to the ITB, but also calf, hamstring, etc.

Unrelated, this time last week, I was jogging a few miles through the Badlands in South Dakota. If you're ever out west and want to feel like you're running on the moon, I recommend heading into the semi-arid wastes:

The end of the world as we know it

2009-11-22T12:57:00.000-05:00

After this morning's run from Joe Columbus, the conversation drifted, as it does, to the concept of magnetic north. I managed to stun some of my fellow runners with the news that eventually, perhaps even soon, magnetic north was going to shift to magnetic south, a switch that will be pretty chaotic and would probably make a good premise for a disaster movie a la "2012". This was met with a certain degree of skepticism, and to show you that I wasn't making this up, here's the link to the Wikipedia article that explains this phenomenon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_reversal.

See, Gabby, this is what happens when you leave us on our own. We finish a beautiful 5-mile run in the park and end up talking about gloom-and-doom science. Come back soon!

London Bound!

2009-11-20T12:11:00.000-05:00

Not sure what that's all about, but I found it on the Hash House Harrier's website. It's the drinking and running club started in England. While I admire the sentiment so much, I prefer to drink coffee before a run instead than beer. Not that there's anything wrong with it - what could possibly go wrong when you mix alcohol and speed? - but I am a little old-fashioned and like to be wearing more clothes in respect to the booze.

So, Anthony and I are off to London for Thanksgiving week. Nothing says thank you to the Native Americans for teaching us to a hunt and plant then a pint of Guiness at the factory and a Nose to Tail meal at a local pub!

We'll definitely be running all that fat and beer off, so stay tuned for updates of running in Great Britain.

Team Joe runs are still on, so please run, drink the coffee free and tip the baristas!

I'll also be checking out the coffee scene, including Monmouth Coffee and Flat White.

Cheers!

Manage the Damage [11/19]:

2009-11-18T11:33:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night, Jackrabbit has a special free class on holiday nutrition. Joe coffee will be served as well!

Have you ever longed to take a nutrition class where they told you it was ok to  eat dessert and mashed potatoes?  Then come to our holiday food workshop, where  we cover "healthier" alternatives to traditional holiday cuisine.  Learn about  ingredient substitutions you can make without sacrificing flavor, and which  desserts top our "wholesome" list (and maybe even allow for seconds)! Thursday,  November 19th, 6:30-8pm, Union Square Store.

ASICS Fun Run NYC!

2009-11-11T14:50:00.000-05:00

If you are up early this Saturday, and the following 5 weeks, come by the ASICS store on 42 street!

Whether you’re training or looking to get in shape this season, it’s time to lace up and join us at ASICS Fun Run NYC. Runners of all levels meet to run 3.5 miles at your pace.

It’s free, fun and a great way to meet other runners! Come join us on Saturday mornings at 8:00 AM, followed by post-run refreshments and so much more!

Sign up is required: http://www.asicsamerica.com/asicsstoreny/

Going the distance!!!

2009-10-30T05:59:00.000-04:00

Good luck to everyone running in the marathon this weekend. . .

And just a little more evidence in support of distance running:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/health/27well.html?em

Marathon Day!

2009-10-29T10:50:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite days of the year. The others: Hallowe'en(the little munchkins in costume), Hanukkah (Latkes, Latkes, Latkes), Christmas(more like Christmas tree envy..it's a Jewish thing).

Marathon Day!!! The energy in the air is unmistakable. Maybe it's more the stench of 30,000 sweaty bodies than an energy...but to me, those are 30,000 amazing sweaty people. Last year and in 2003, I was one of those people, and I can tell you (or maybe you could tell me) the challenge, the finish, the crowds, the 5 boroughs - all these things make up an amazing day.

New York spectators are the most important thing to a runner, besides port-a-potties with tp, and this year we will be out there screaming our lungs out for the friends we know (Pooja, Viviana, Tod, Simon, Adam, Christopher Stephens...probably more that I can't remember...), and the friends we haven't met yet.

Here's where and when we will meet: 9 a.m. at Joe Waverly (Free Coffee), we'll take the F-train to 4th ave at 9th street and we will stand on the west side of the street there until 11/11:30.

There may be a pitstop in Chinatown for some dim sum, and then we will squeeze our way into the line at 5th avenue and 110th street, east side of the street from about 1/1:30.

I'm probably wearing running shoes in case I decide to run with someone we know in Brooklyn.

See you Sunday...and Saturday, of course, for the regular Joe run!

p.s. those of you interested in signing up for the NYC Triathlon, sign up starts at midnight November 1...I got ready October 31st at 11:59 pm and got in...20 minutes later it was sold out. That means there are a lot of keen and crazy people in the world...

Let's Catch Up

2009-10-22T16:45:00.000-04:00

I apologize for my negligence with the blog of late, but as my friend Lysa said today, "could you have any more going on at once?"

This has been my Autumn - the time we are supposed to start nesting for the winter, eating slow-cooked stews and having Twin Peaks marathons:

a. looking for and finding a new apartment in brooklyn.

b. making wedding date for 6 months from now...and now starting to plan it. Who knew there are about 100 things to do to just take a short strut down the aisle?

c. making a big change at Joe (new coffee yesterday) which required many days and hours of training, studying, drinking of coffee. It's awesome, by the way!

d. trying, as always, to see my new niece Sally a few times a week.

e. trying to get in especially great shape for my wedding..did I mention my upcoming nuptuals...in 6 months??!!

I feel like life goes a lot quicker the older I get. It needs to slow down! Whoa Nelly! Last New Year, I made a resolution, which I rarely do, to slow down, do less, just be a little bit. Have I had any success?

Happily, it's been mostly great things filling up my time, so I really can't complain.

Team member Mary Thorne is getting married on Marathon day in Mexico. Congrats Mary! Jen Jennings is in Georgia - The country - with Doctors Without Borders, and she's doing great, finding time to run, even with her 6 day work week. She plans to run the Paris Marathon in the Spring.

Meanwhile, this is a running blog, so let's talk running.

I've been loving the weather, mostly, running about 4 times a week. I have just signed up for 2 races in December, the 10k and the 15k. I miss racing, and can't wait to start again! I also am excited about watching the Marathon.

I hope to see some more of you now that the weather is getting cooler. I miss you!

Gabby

Apple Cider Doughnuts

2009-10-18T15:48:00.000-04:00

On a recent uptown Joe run one Sunday morning, a few of us were discussing apple cider doughnuts. To our collective shame, we all admitted that we weren't exactly sure what made a doughnut an apple cider doughnut, though some of us were highly intrigued at the concept.

Today I came across a posting at the always informative kitchn blog (part of the equally stellar group of Apartment Therapy blogs) which tackles this subject:

Impossible to Resist: Apple Cider Doughnuts

I look forward to sampling some of these seasonal delicacies. With coffee, of course. Followed by a run.

Georgia On Her Mind

2009-09-23T22:14:00.000-04:00

I miss Jen "Jenkins"! No, that's not her real last name. That's the name I thought was hers for way too long, and although I know her real last name, I prefer Jenkins. Jen Jenkins.

To the Southwest of this blog entry is a picture of her with myself, Anthony, and Pooja.

Jen has gone to Georgia - The Country - to work with Medecins Sans Frontier (anyone have spell check in French?), otherwise known as Doctors Without Borders, for 6 months. Bra-Vo Jen!

Jen, we will miss you. However, Jen has left us with something, besides her amazing ability to dress funky while running (Fashionista Runner Girl is her Super Hero persona). She started a BLOG in Georgia - The Country - about her runs, her experiences, hopefully her new cuisine that we can all enjoy in the place of her dazzling in person self.

http://abkhazblog.blogspot.com/

Become a Follower and enjoy Jen's unique style up to the moment!

Congrats Runners in Queens Half Today

2009-09-20T17:54:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that people would travel to Queens for a reason other than the great food (see Sripraphai in Woodside). I, myself, wouldn't...subways on the weekend, et al...

Two of our runners, one from Waverly, one from Columbus, ran, and ran hard!

Pooja Pandit, a senior at NYU and running her first NYC Marathon this year, ran it in 2:06:08, running a 9:37 pace. Not too shabby.

South African Gary Berchowitz, new to Team Joe's Upper West Side runs, ran like the Dickens in 1:41:10 at a 7:43 pace.

Former Team Joe member, and current Central Park Track member (yes, it smarts) Kristine Riisberg, ran in 1:39:39, at a 7:36 pace.

Meanwhile, our new 10 a.m. time was a lovely gift of Autumn. We ran a gorgeous 6 mile route today on the bridal path in Central Park, and finished with a cortado and a visit from Baby Sally Rubinstein, who enjoyed some pear.

I hope to see you all (200 of you) next weekend.

YAY! AUTUMN!

2009-09-17T10:07:00.000-04:00

I love the Fall. No, not the Fall Of Man, because that was bad(except for all the knowledge and the apples)... but let's not get the two confused. I am talking about the cool temperatures, the sweaters and jeans, the change in color of the trees, the apples, the stews (why does it always come to food with me?), Hallowe'en and tiny masked monsters asking for candy.

But best of all, the Team Joe Saturday and Sunday runs will be moved back to 10 a.m.!

You are welcome.

I came, I ate, I ran on treadmill in hotel...

2009-09-08T00:12:00.000-04:00

Hi friends,

I am sorry I broke my promise to you, my readers, that I would write from HK. This will be my only post from here. I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much, as I know all 25 of you really look forward to me timely cutting-edge reports on the world of running and eating. Heehee.

It has been a whirlwind tour here in formerly-Brittish HK. Five days here felt like months because it is so transporting from what I am used to in NYC. In some ways, HK is so much like NYC: the massive highrises lined up neck and neck, the hordes of busy people, the reckless taxis. But nestled uncomfortably in every spare inch of room are old-school Chinese ways and means: tiny restaurants in alleys, giant outdoor markets hawking all sorts of goods. Kind of exactly like NYC, but in a Sci-Fi parallel universe sort of way. It reminded me of the novel Cloud Atlas, although that's a bit esoteric.

Here are a few things I noticed here in HK. 1. People wear deodorant. That was great. 2. Subways are so clean you could eat off them..if it weren't for the swine flu. 3. Phones work on subways, but no one talks on them; neither on the subways or on the phones on subways. 4. Customer service is off-the-charts amazing. It makes Joe employees seem like Hell's Angels gang members. Sorry guys, you're really great. 5. People eat constantly here, but are tiny tiny. That one just hurts. 6. The city is so much more technologically advanced and organized than NY. The Octopus card can be used on every mode of transport, minus cabs, and for buying things in stores. It's more amazing than it sounds. 7. People just seem happy here..especially the ex-pats from all over who get paid well and live like kings. 8. The pasttime people love the most, besides eating, is shopping. They are mad for it and have super-sized, icy-cold luxury malls all over the city. 9. HK is an island that is mostly a small mountain, and to get up and down into different neighborhoods there is a series of outdoor escalators that go all the way up, but let people off at each street. Wild!

A few things I explored here in HK were: The Big Buddha on Lantau Island at a Buddhist monastery where we finished the tour with a vegetarian meal; a cooking class for professionals where I was the only student and learned to cook "restaurant-style Shanghai cooking", mostly by deep frying in a wok, recipes I will never attempt at home; The History Museum, which is incredible and has the only buildings (in exhibit) that look at all like "Old China"; a meal in a real HK neighborhood with Anthony's relatives where I was the only western person there - maybe ever; general walking and drifting in different neighborhood soaking up local culture, which includes mostly shopping and eating.

As for running, tempertures being in the 90s with at least 80% humidity, I used the hotel gym a few times. Tread mills aren't my favorite, but I was in a pinch. I did see quite a few runners in the heat of the day, and was surprised to find out through a friend of Anthony's who lives and runs here, that there is a pretty large running community and races all the time starting in October.

That was just a taste of what I discovered in HK. I really kind of miss my own little city-island, filthy and disorganized as it now seems, and can't wait to start running outside again, and with my wonderful little team.

See you next Saturday at Waverly!

The Gonzales Cantata

2009-09-02T23:54:00.000-04:00

I (Mary Thorne) sing the title role of Alberto Gonzales in The Gonzales Cantata on the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

Miss America meets PDQ Bach on Capitol Hill in this choral work by Melissa Dunphy with a libretto taken directly from the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Thirty performers in concert present one of the most dramatic moments in modern US politics—with genders reversed.

Other singers include: Jessica Lennick as Patrick Leahy, Danya Katok as Arlen Specter, Julia Mintzer as Orrin Hatch.

Friday, September 4th, 7pm
Saturday, September 5th, 7pm
Sunday, September 6th, 2pm

The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

And find us on the Wall Street Journal Law Blog. That's me singing in the clip at the bottom!

Philadelphia

2009-09-02T23:03:00.000-04:00

Not that Philadelphia compares with Hong Kong (or business class or a diamond ring), but I thought I would share my Rocky moments.

I have been rehearsing here in Philly for a few weeks (see next posting for performance details) and running in Philly. I'm staying a couple miles from Fairmount Park and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, thus the Rocky reference (yes, I ran the steps).

On my run I pass the Eastern State Penitentiary, which I thought might be in a shady neighborhood until I learned that Eastern State is now a tourist destination. Opened in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary was the first modern building in America. Imagine, prisoners had central heating and running water when Andrew Jackson still had chamber pots in the White House!

Eastern State Penitentiary provides some reflection for citizens on our current prison system. Initially built to house 250 inmates in their own private cells, when it closed in 1971, Eastern State held 1,700.

On way to HK!

2009-09-02T09:24:00.000-04:00

Am sitting in the Brittish Airways First and Business Class lounge. Nice. I could get used to this. Hanging out with Tracy Morgan...well, not so much hanging with, but looking at from afar. Same diff.

They are pre-boarding Business class, but I don't want to be a showoff, as I pass the commoners on my way into my fancy cabin, complete with beds, servants, and gold-leaf covered dinnerware. Let's face it, I'm a mench.

I want to enjoy the Business Class experience for a few hours before I take an Ambien, but I am afraid I won't make it past lunch, after taking an extra strength Contac for my head cold. G-d, I love cold meds!

They just called Business Class in again...I guess I should go. Champagne and foot massages await me...but probably just in my drug-induced dreams...

kisses

Off to Hong Kong

2009-09-01T22:15:00.000-04:00

I'll be blogging from HK (you thought you were getting a break from me, but think again!) Don't know that I'll be running there, but I'll keep in touch.

Also journeying is our good friend and Team member Jen, Fashionista Runner. She's off on the 8th to Georgia - the country - with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) for a 6 month stint of goodness. I will miss her very much! Au revoir.

Exhausted and can't remember what I packed. Kind of threw everything in suitcase, as usual. Taking with me a budding head cold, which I will mask with extra strength Sudafed so that I won't be turned away from the airport with a Bird Flu or Swine Flu scare.

Happily I'll be traveling Business Class (thank you miles and Anthony), so that will be a "pleasure". I get to test drive those cool pseudo-beds, and the famous Seinfeld episode("More of Everything!")

Cheers mates! Next time you hear from me, I will be severely jetlagged...don't hold anything I may write against me.

Changing subject for now..

2009-08-31T16:59:00.000-04:00

I never want to be that girl...you know the one who goes on and on about being engaged, her fiance (that word just makes me think of Seinfeld..i.e."the dingo ate your fiance"...), the wedding(cake, bridesmaids, giant pouffy dress - blech!). Anyone who knows me knows I am not that girl. I am the girl who slings coffee for a living. Who does races, gets her hands dirty cooking, wipes spit-up off her shirt every time she visits her niece Sally(Oh, Sally!).

In short, I like to think of myself as earthy, humble, salt-of-the-earth.

In other words, that last blog was making me self-conscious, so I am changing the subject.

Off to Hong Kong Wednesday to check out the running scene. Ok, it's actually in the 90 degree range and 85% humidity there right now, so I'm not sure there will be running.

I'll tell you what there will be in Hong Kong: Massive eating, shopping and a crazy 7 1/2 hour cooking class! In the words of my Grandmother Belle, Oy Vey Iz Mir!

I miss all my Teamsters and can't wait till I can run with you again, September 12th!

p.s. I will show you the hardware when I see you. It's really beautiful.

First Official Team Joe Engagement!

2009-08-29T16:41:00.000-04:00

Part I

Dinner was great last night at Au Pied de Cochon. Lots of delicious fat was eaten, red wine from Vacqueyras washed down the bison tongue, lamb shank, boudin, maple pie...(extra runs needed).

Poor Anthony was nursing a head cold. We decided to forgo the jazz club and the funky lounge and head back to Hotel St.Paul so he could get some rest.

In the taxi home, the radio was tuned to the Opera station. Some gorgeous aria by Puccini was playing. I was feeling romantic...

We got upstairs and I was about to make Anthony a nice cup of Mint tea, when suddenly he pulled out a small black velvet box. He asked, I answered "show me the ring!", and then "yes, of course!".
---------
Part II

Some of you may not know this, but Anthony and I met through Team Joe. March 2007, Anthony, fresh off the boat from Australia and looking for a running club in his new home, saw a sign up at Joe about Team Joe. He sent me an email, and got back my generic response, "Dear Anthony, please feel free to show up any Saturday for our weekly run! I look forward to running with you soon! Cheers, Gabby"

Not only did he show up, but we soon became friends. After almost 2 years of being friends, my brother Jonathan said to me, "why don't you date your friend Anthony?". Hmm...for those of you who don't know Jonathan, let me tell you, he can be brutal about men I have dated. For anyone to pass his test would be high praise indeed. An eyebrow was raised...

New Year's Eve 2009. I had nobody to kiss. Neither did Anthony. I jokingly suggested we kiss each other at midnight and then forget about it.

Didn't forget about it, did we?

-------
Moral to story:

All The Single Ladies out there: Don't give up! It can happen anytime anyplace. Wait for the real thing!

Montreal 10K

2009-08-27T14:21:00.000-04:00

This weekend I am off to my old stomping grounds, the city of my Alma Mater, Montreal. I studied Le Musique, specifically Classical Voice(Opera). I had a wonderful experience both at McGill University and in the city as a whole.

What I think I missed out on while living there was running. I became a runner roughly one year after I graduated and moved to NYC. Now, I hear there are some great runs to be had in The City By The St. Lawrence, and I intend to right my wrongs in that respect with a couple good jaunts. To be fair, I will be eating a large amount of delicious artery-clogging food as well, so there is the need cleanse as well...Check out Au Pied du Cochon... absolutely heart-stopping.

I will be sure to report back to you Monday...

Hot Yoga? Hot Running!

2009-08-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

Gotta get the run in! Last week I ran once at 7 a.m. and once at 2:30 p.m., both when it was muggy. It's not easy but it's not impossible. Check out link in above title for tips to hot running.

My personal tips: run slowly, drink lots of water, stop and walk once in a while, treat yourself to a donut afterward.

Today in a few minutes, Deborah and I will hit the Hudson Park. I cannot say that I am looking forward to it.

Things I'd rather be doing:
eating donuts
watching the 30 DVR'd shows I need to get to before they're deleted
sitting in air-conditioning and finishing the stack of books I can't seem to get through
cook my way through Julia Child's cookbook
nap
eat dim sum

Anyway, wish me luck!

Gabby

New Team Shirts Ordered

2009-08-20T17:34:00.000-04:00

That's me above...did I ever tell you about my previous life as a sportswear model?

I went into Jackrabbit to visit Doug Oldiges, who is in charge of such things(don't remember his title) as team shirts. He's found us a new shirt from a company called Sport Science. It combines the feel of cotton with wicking properties for a soft sporty running top.

I ordered 5 each of Women's small and medium and Men's medium and large. They will be less costly than last time, at $20 a pop wholesale.

the design will be TEAM

on the front and the same logo on the back with "www.joenewyork.com" on the back.

Who wants one? Besides you, Dad...that one's on me.

Looks like a good time...

2009-08-20T17:30:00.000-04:00

Here we are together at the 10K, looking spry, then Anthony ("GQ picture") and me ("What NOT To Wear", especially sunglasses on hat and fanny pack around waste...nerd!).

Now that I can think again...

2009-08-18T10:28:00.000-04:00

Yes, the 13.1 mile ordeal was rough. Now that I've had some rest, I want to mention how nice the PBDS (Powered By Dim Sum) folks are! We all shared dim sum, and boy, can they eat dim sum. They know how to order, too! Chicken Feet, tripe, and all manner of dumplings.

PBDS seem to be pretty competitive runners, so I am not sure if they will be joining us for our weekly jogs. Maybe just dim sum. Fine by me. I wouldn't want to make a habit of running that half-Marathon again just for dim sum...maybe if there was a maple bacon donut at the end...

The Real 1/2 Marathon Story.

2009-08-16T22:10:00.000-04:00

First let me comment on the above pictures from today's race...(sounds of flatulence). Yes, that bad. I'd really like today to just be over and for me to be sleeping, so I'll get right to the point. It sucks to run long distances in the muggy heat of August. Period.

Alarm wet off at 5:30. By 6a.m., bagel toasted, coffee brewed, banana peeled. Visor on, ipod in fanny pack(cringe...but necessary), vanilla goo(only palatable flavor). In cab by ten past 6, and at race corrale by 6:30.

15,000 runners lined up, led by Paula Radcliffe, my personal hero (ran while preggers), and toilet paper in porta-potties.

7a.m. race starts. 7 1/2 miles in Central Park, then exit at 7th ave and 59th street. Run through Times Square, across 42nd street and down the West Side Highway. Hotter and more humid by the minute. Anthony was having leg pain and I had to go on without him(Jewish guilt ensued).

Did I mention that last year I vowed "never again!" to this race? How did I end up on the same lonely stretch of highway in the sweltering heat yet again? Ask Anthony.

Race ended, I found Anthony and we found the R train to Prince Street. Showered and we were off to dim sum at Jing Fong 20 Elisabeth street with our new friends PBDS(Powered By Dim Sum). We sit, Anthony turns green(pea soup color). I send him home in taxi. I eat copiously. I return home to check him for pulse. Pulse strong. I ask for new vow for end of the cycle of violence (to ourselves. No more half-marathons in summer).

p.s. really poor photos Simon Bird.

run, run,then maple bacon donut

2009-08-14T10:38:00.000-04:00

Unholy, un-kosher goodness. Maybe the best thing I've ever eaten. Definitely worth running 11 miles for...and even then I probably ingested more calories than I ran off. It was one whopper of a donut.

Maybe I should start from the beginning of the story. Last Thursday, my brother Jonathan and I flew to Portland, Oregon to attend the wedding of our Director of Coffee, Amanda Byron on Cannon Beach, an hour & a half away on the Oregon Coast. We went for a jog before dinner, and happened by this crazy donut shop downtown. There was a large line outside and a party atmosphere. I looked into the small window to the kitchen, where I saw people rolling and cutting donuts by hand. There was a man handing off a large and strangely shaped donut and I asked him what kind it was. Get ready: "The Cock and Balls", he said with a straight face. "Okay", I said back. Sorry I asked. What if a small child had asked? Portland's a wild town.

ANYWAY, we decided to be good and not donut (donut becomes a verb when they are one's favorite food). However, the next day, we drove on to Cannon Beach, an adorable seaside town with Nantucket-style houses and saltwater taffy. We went to the best coffeehouse in town, called The Sleepy Monk. It's a really cute coffeehouse that looks like a monk's cell. They also roast their own beans. However, most importantly, they get a shipment in every Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. of Voodoo donuts! Well, clearly it was a sign from the gods that I was destined to try one.

Saturday, when I woke up early, I decided to go for my long run to train for the Half-Marathon this coming weekend. I would go about 11 miles, or 1:45 and then be free and clear to get a maple-bacon piece of heaven. I had a glorious run, all over the beach, up a mountain, through a primeval forest, back down on the beach, through town...and then for the last 30 minutes, I pretty much just circled the Sleepy Monk, making sure there were still enough supplies for me.

Then the donut. Fresh, soft dough, perfectly baked, real maple syrup frosting, and to top it off, perfectly crispy, salty bacon. My Orthodox-Jewish great grandfather may have been turning in his grave, but I was in heaven.

If I could eat a maple bacon donut every weekend, I would be willing to run 11 miles beforehand. A pact with the devil?

p.s. I shared the donut with my rotten brother. Grrr....

Summer lovin' and Summer streets

2009-08-09T15:42:00.000-04:00

Summer time - gotta love New York City during summer - sure, the Hamptons, Fire Island or the Jersey Shore are fun, but if you happen to be in the city during the weekends, make the most of it and enjoy everything the city has to offer during summer time.

Yesterday, as part of my half marathon training, I thought why not take to Summer Streets and run up Park Avenue - so I did just that. Running along Lafayette in Soho up to join Park at Union Square and then up to about 60th St before doing a u-turn and heading back and eventually ending up at Joe Waverly for a refreshing and soothing iced skim latte. It was great to run places typically reserved for cars only, like up and the ramps around Grand Central. Incidentally, I forgot to charge my iPod, so all I had was the city and Park Avenue to keep me entertained. It was such a great atmosphere - cyclists, runners, walkers, tourists out along Park Avenue - water stations, mini tennis courts, bike repair stands, free roller blading as well. A hotel along the route even had its own water station out.

Summer Streets is on for the next 2 Saturdays (15th and 22nd) between 7am and 1pm. Get out and enjoy it.

Bird legs in the desert

2009-08-05T18:23:00.000-04:00

Just to add a quickie to the Joester reports of running in 'exotic' climes, I'm here in Albuquequequequque, New Mexico and have been jogging a few miles the last couple of mornings along the Rio Grande. (Or not so Grande, given that it's a 10-foot wide mud slick in most places this far north, it seems.) It's 'nice' and hot, so have been trying to get out early enough to avoid the Big Shrivel. Feels good on my recovering splinted shins to be running on the sandy trails and I've been treated to humming birds, hawks, bees the size of baseballs, and other desert wildlife skimming past. First time I went out, I took an interesting path along the side of an irrigation channel and ended up trapped on a never-ending path, water on one side and large, imposing fences of rich gits on t'other. Luckily a kindly bloke watering his cacti let me shin over his wall so I could double back and re-find my original path. I will, apparently, never learn when running and hiking in unfamiliar locales - not particuarly wise to do unplanned miles in these arid cities, eh?

New Friends, The NYC Half, and Un-Half

2009-07-31T13:44:00.000-04:00

&

Recently, I noticed a team at several races called Powered By Dim Sum..hmm..first I thought it was maybe a computer program, like Java, but no, it's a running group that likes to eat dim sum. Cool. If you read my blog regularly, you know I love dim sum (known as yum cha in Australia), especially chicken feet and any other 'nose to tail' parts. I thought Powered By Dim Sum and Team Joe Coffee. Huh. Maybe we could be friends. Jerry, who seems to be the Team Leader, has agreed to join forces loosely. We have invited his team to run with Joe, since they don't have regularly scheduled runs. In exchange, we get to tag along for dim sum...also, they have organized their own Half-Marathon the same date and time as the NYC Half. August 16th. 7 a.m. The difference is there is no fee to run...also no T-shirts, no water stations, no nothin'. Afterward, we will all meet up at Jing Fong. Read Jerry's email below.

Due to stronger incentives for PBDS members to be cheapskates, PBDS will be holding their 4th Annual PBDS Poor Runners' Half-Marathon on August 16th, 2009.

The PBDS Poor Runners' Half-Marathon is for those who found their net worth to be lower than the Titanic and for those who didn't wake up for several days to make it in time to sign up for the NYC Half before it closed out.

The PBDS format is causing NYRR to change their format for the NYC Half this year. For NYC half, its now First come first serve for race entry instead of lottery. For PBDS its first show up ON TIME, then run. Those who are late will not run because we will not be around. For PBDS, we have done our halves without any sponsorship. For NYC Half, NYRR has reduced their sponsors by getting rid of NIKE. The theme for PBDS Poor Runners' Half-Marathon 2009 will be Milking NYC for what we can get out of it. We will use their roads and pedestrian pathways for no money, we will use their bridges for no money. we will even use their water fountains in the public parks for no money. In return for the milking, you will receive nothing from us. No t-shirts, no water tables, no marked paths, no forced, smiling volunteers to guide us in the right direction. I know this is a culture running shock to some of you who before could afford the NYC Half but this is how it is done when you come down to our level. This year we must institute 2 pace group. Slow and Fast. I will be with the slow group. Those who are considering to be in the fast group should familiarize yourself with the route. We will not lose people or leave anyone behind. Those 2 girls that we somehow misplaced last year found their way back to the start. So technically we did not lose them since they were found.

Here are the details of the PBDS Poor Runners' Half-Marathon

PRICE: Free
START TIME: 7AM, That means START running at 7AM.

Course will be:
1ST LEG Start on South St. and Market St. (Chinatown)----Up East River park----To Williamsburg Bridge and over----around the Navy Yard----To Brookyn Bridge and over----to Entrance to Manhattan Bridge. 8.08 Miles http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ny/new-york-ny/103726283

2ND LEG Start On Entrance of Mahattan Bridge----Over Manhattan Bridge----Up Jay St.----Right on Tillary St.----Brooklyn Bridge and Over. 3.05 Miles http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ny/new-york/99509712

3RD LEG Start Off Brooklyn Bridge----left on Park Row----Left on Broadway----Continue on State St.----around State Plaza----pass South Ferry----Up South St.----Finish at Market Slip. 2.23 Miles http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ny/new-york/99516752

ROAD CLOSURE: None, unless you use your body to block the cars.
POLICE PROTECTION: They will be protecting the NYC Half. Not us.
WATER STATIONS: There are 2 water fountain in the 1st Leg. 1 water fountain at the beginning of the 3rd leg. If you have water belts, Bring it!
STRAGGLER BUS: More Like straggler walk back to the start for us.
MEDICAL SUPPORT: None, so don't get hurt.
BAGGAGE: Can be stored in my place.
SCORING/TIMING: whatever your watch tells you.
DISTANCE: Total distance is a little greater than 13.1 So train for that extra .1 or .2 miles.

If you can make it, Email me directly at blasphem@nyc.rr.com

More Recipes from the NY Philharmonic Extravaganza

2009-07-31T13:13:00.000-04:00

There have been many many requests for the recipes of the delicious food that was cooked by Team Joe runners at the NY Philharmonic picnic in Central Park (luckily everything was eaten before the rain came down!).

So fellow runners and readers, here we go:

Corn & Jalapeno salad(serves 6) - from Caitlin

1 cup walnuts

4 cups (from 4 ears) fresh corn, raw or cooked (I always do it raw, as I like the crispness)

2 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt & black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta (I always use a bit more!)

Toast walnuts in 400 degree oven for about 8 min, or until fragrant. Let cool and roughly chop.Combine all ingredients (including walnuts) except feta in a large bowl. Mix, let sit, and add feta just before serving. Freakishly easy!

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche (Serves 6-8) - from Laura

Rich shortcrust pastry:

6oz (175g) plain flour

pinch of salt
4oz (125g) hard margarine or butter
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water

Filling:

8oz (225g) frozen chopped spinach
1oz (25g) butter
1 small onion (peeled and diced)
4oz (125g) mushrooms (sliced)
3 eggs
1/4 pint (150ml) double cream or crème fraîche
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
large pinch of dried basil

Preheat oven to gas mark 6 (200ºC, 400ºF). To make pastry, sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut in margarine or butter, then rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Bind together with the egg yolk and water to form a dough. Chill for 20 minutes. Roll out the dough and use to line a 9-inch (23cm) loose-bottomed flan ring. Place a piece of greaseproof paper on the pastry, then fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Allow to cool. Turn oven temperature down to gas mark 4 (180ºC, 350ºF). Cook spinach according to the directions on the packet. Drain well. Melt butter in a frying pan. Add onion and fry until soft but not brown. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, spoon into pastry case. Beat eggs and cream together and season well with salt, pepper and the basil. Pour into pastry case and bake for 20-30 minutes (or until just set). Allow to cool.

Flapjacks* - bonus recipe from Laura

4oz butter

4oz soft brown sugar

3oz golden syrup or honey

8oz rolled oats

Preheat oven to gas mark 4 (350ºF, 180ºC). Melt butter, sugar and syrup/honey over low heat until smooth. Stir in rolled oats. Press into greased baking tin. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before cutting into fingers. Allow to cool completely in the tin before removing.

* In the UK, flapjacks are made out sugar butter oats honey etc, and pancakes are batter things that you fry.
In the US, the words flapjacks and pancakes are used interchangeably to refer to the same thing. The pancakes may have other ingredients in them, such as oats, honey, etc., but we still call them either pancakes or flapjacks.

Sorry readers, no recipe for the cupcakes yet - they are a secret - you will have to come to Team Joe Sunday run and get them out of our cupcake baker extraordinaire - Laura. Plus they have a shot of Joe espresso, so even better]

Hmm...What To Call This...

2009-07-27T10:54:00.000-04:00

Tri'd and Failed(to change my own tube)? Tri'd and succeeded(in never giving up)?

Yesterday was the NYC Triathlon. It was my 3rd NYC Tri and 6th Olympic Tri overall. I've been extremely lucky in the previous 5 in never having a flat tire or an accident, so yesterday, I actually was more or less expecting the flat. When it came, I just said to myself, "Oh yeah, there it is." and hopped off my bike to change the tube. I'd never actually practiced the move before, but had seen it enough to feel confident I could do it.

I couldn't do it. 20 minutes of trying and my hands cramped up. 25 minutes more of standing on the side of the highway with bikers racing past, a look of relief in their eyes that it was me and not they who were stranded. Finally a young woman with a flat wheeled over to me and we commiserated. She tried to get get my tire off and also was unsuccessful. 15 more minutes and I decided to fill the tube with a CO2 cartridge and try my luck at riding. When the tire was full, I could feel the spot on it where the air was escaping. I got on the bike and rode another mile or so before the tire was again flat. I tried to fill it again, but was unable to inflate it. Now, I was stranded AND alone again on the West Side Highway at around 165th street. Luckily there was a nice view.

Now, before the flat, I had been having the race of my life! My swim was great, my transition pretty quick, and I had been steadily passing people on my bike. Team Joe member and Tri coach Deb Mahanger had raised my seat an inch and it made such a huge difference! I almost felt like I was cheating! So, when I was standing on the highway, I got a mite frustrated because I knew I would have had my best tri time ever.

After waiting for over an hour, a passing cyclist told me that the Toga Bikes help truck was just behind and so in me awoke new hope for a finish! However, 30 minutes more passed before they came by. By then there were no more passing bikes. Not one.

Toga changed my tube. To make me feel better, the guy (with huge muscular forearms) said that my type of wheels and tires were really tough and hard to change. Thanks guy.

I called Anthony because I knew he'd be very anxious. He had to know SOMETHING had happened. The last time I called him during a race, I had a terrible ankle sprain (see earlier blog entry from January). Anthony was the go-to person for live updates to my parents and to our friends.

Finally, I got back on my bike and raced back to Transition. I put on my Team Joe shirt, grabbed some ShockBlocks and began my 6 mile run across 72nd street and up and around the park. 72nd street still had a few cheerers out and many finishers, all of which cheered for me as if I were a hero. It was so nice of them and their encouragement helped me along. The hills in the park felt different than usual. Steeper, longer, harder. People continued to cheer me on, last as I was. They looked a little surprised that I was last and was running pretty quickly, considering. I was probably running about a 9 minute/mile pace.

The finish line couldn't come fast enough or be a more welcomed sight. The announcer called out my name as I crossed the finish line. I got my medal and a wet cold towel. All was well again.

Triathlons are exciting for the very reasons we fear them and fear the challenges and unknowns in life. You know there will be pain, you don't know if you will fail or succeed, you have no control of the weather or of the people around you. There will be a flat one day, maybe today.

We do tri's because they test us. Do we give up when we get a flat or do we do everything we can to finish, even if it's in last place? We get scraped up, swallow Hudson River water, get kicked in the face, want to cry while riding uphill, face 6 miles of running when already exhausted. We want to just stop, but we don't. That is life in a 3 hour race. That is why I love triathlons.

That, and the free T-shirt.

Tri This!

2009-07-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

I THINK I can, I THINK I can...that's usually my motto when on the bike portion of a triathlon that I haven't trained enough for. How does one train ENOUGH for a race with 3 different muscle groups working against each other?

Sunday is the NYC Nautica Olympic Distance tri! .9 mile swim in the Hudson, 25 grueling miles on the bike, and 6 miles of running on brick legs. yay. I mean YAY!!!!

If you care to watch and get some great photos, there are several spots to watch the beginning or end of each segment. See below.

http://www.nyctri.com/Assets/Course+Map+$!2706.pdf

Team Joe runs are as scheduled. Saturday 9:30 from Waverly (you can wish me luck in person), and Sunday at 9:30 from Columbus...You can go after you get up at 5:30 a.m. to watch the swim start at 6:30, the bike start around 7, and the run start around 8:45.

Hey- I'm not the only crazy nutjob doing the race! Kristine Riisberg, Ani Go, and Laren Spirer are also doing it! Good luck Ladies!