May 4, 2008

At Age 30 with a Swollen Ear.

I attempted my first organized half marathon in 1993. My friend David and I had been running short races together for several months and I figured that I would give 13 miles a try- the Brooklyn 1/2 was right around the corner. I promised myself that I would stop if I needed to and that it would not be "quitting" if I didn't finish. That resolution proved to be a good one, as when I reached Prospect Park that March morning and hit the ninth mile, I really thought that I would collapse. I promptly stopped, turned, and left the park, and to this day I can remember the encouraging words of the guy next to me, calling out, "Hey, don't stop now- you're almost there!" But I did stop and it was probably the best decision that I could have made. The following year, after training a little bit more seriously and remembering to bring a power gel, I finished the Brooklyn Half at a pace of about 8:30. Seven months later I ran the NYC marathon.

Here we are four years later. I ran the Brooklyn 1/2 yesterday, ill prepared after several months of spotty running and certainly not enough mileage under my belt. Still, I figured I'd give it a shot, repeating in my head that if I could run 26 miles at any point in my life, I could bang out 13 now. This was most definitely true, though last sleepless night gave me time to reflect on the following:

a) At age 30, my body does not bounce back like it did when I was 25. I feel stupid typing this...but it is so true. Four or five years ago, I would run 10+ miles rather unprepared or not quite stretched and hurt later, but not nearly at the magnitude that I do now. Not. At. All. And upper body strength? I need that much more now than I did then.

b) The middle miles of the Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon- basically miles three through nine- are like running on a treadmill, slightly on an incline, on Ocean Parkway. The last four are much more pleasant but, if you are a wee bit out of shape like I was, they are also murderous on your muscles. Thank you caffeinated power gel at mile nine. Thank you.

c) Based on my body's reaction to this last race, I am actually kind of worried about the prospect of running the NYC Marathon (should I get in via lottery) this year. I'm really not sure how I will cram in 30-40 training miles per week. And even if I do, I'm a tad concerned about feeling completely obliterated afterward (amazingly, when I ran the marathon four years ago I was absolutely fine the next day- just a little tired).

P.S. This morning at about 5 a.m. I got up to deal with an unruly cat. On my way back, my pajama pant leg somehow caught on the edge of the bed frame, which sent me flying right into the corner of my night stand, the edge of which slammed neatly into my ear. For the first few seconds, I actually thought that the corner had burst my eardrum (which I know was highly unlikely), as my head rang and rang as my poor half asleep husband rummaged around in the freezer for a bag of peas to help reduce the swelling.

Perhaps this wasn't the weekend for physical exertion and motor coordination. At least the sun came out today.

Comments (3) | Random , Running | Link

May 1, 2008

May!

Wow. It's May. Van Brunt Street has finally greened and after a little rain I think the pollen is almost washed away. Alexis and I are running the Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon on Saturday- please cross your fingers for us that the scheduled rain will hit after 12pm.

Two things that should be celebrated:

1. April 29 was the second anniversary of Lexacor's Red Hook Wedding Parade! Sadly, Pioneer Bar is no more, however a new establishment is moving in soon. I hope that the Brooklyn Ice House will live up to its predecessor. At the very least, I hope they open up the back patio.
2. Irving has fur again. We are completely baffled. The cortizone cream that the vet gave us WORKED. I feel awful chasing him around the house a few times a week (and more grossed out than anything else about one of the areas that I have to put the cream) but the benefits outweigh the negatives. All of his fur on his armpits, stomach and butt is growing back in. If this keeps going so well, we might actually be able to buy a new piece of furniture without the fear of him ruining it.

Comments (5) | City Life , Feline Musings , La Familia | Link

April 23, 2008

Oy Update, Plus Some

• Poor Little Oy has some sort of infection. The vet called us yesterday to say that his white blood cell count was double what it should be. This is most likely the result of his licking- he has one armpit that is licked raw and always at risk for infection. Unfortunately, any ointment or wash that the vet gives us just makes him lick more, which really makes me think that this feline is 99% neurotic and only 1% allergic. But who knows.
• I took a leave of absence from school this semester. It was a sudden choice predicated by four months of extreme anxiety and unhappiness. This is the first time in a while that I completely failed at the personal-work-school juggle...it was just too much.

  To make up for the break I am poised to take two intensive summer courses. The second is an Anthropology class that focuses on street culture. The final project is a mini-ethnographic/observational study of a street in NYC. I'm totally psyched and am seriously considering working on a piece about the B77.

  In the meantime, I managed to score the reading list, which is awesome, and I am working my way through some of the books now, just to get ahead. This week I am focusing on Norman Street: Poverty and Politics in an Urban Neighborhood (1982), by Ida Susser. It's about Greenpoint and Williamsburg during the fiscal crisis. I love it when I find lists of books that I've never seen before- and love it even more when I have the time and energy to dive into them.

Comments (13) | Feline Musings , History , Random | Link