Welcome Back

First time back at NYRR in a year.

Mission: The ever-hated, ever-dreaded East River run. With a bonus of running across the footbridge. Awesome. In impending rain. Awesomer.

Goal: Don’t be last (and I chose to run in the last group since Im lame these days).

Result: Achieved (finish time of 10 min mile pace both ways)

Likeness: Using the stairs to wade into a cold pool instead of being thrown in.

Class lesson: Run tall and running downhill
Personal lesson: Buy new running shoes ASAP!

Things I missed:

• Stretching on the dusty gym floor.
• The rhythmic and unexpectedly soothing cantor of Shelly calling out stretches – point and flex and point and flex and point and flex, twice more, last time
• Listening to people’s random conversations during the warm-up and cool-down
• The coaches (Laurel – Doug sends his love!)
• Laurel, my fellow runner complainer. Who am I supposed to complain to about annoying people?! (see section below)
• Other people with ridiculous and awkward strides like me. These are my people!
• Picking off just…one…more…person…before the finish line

Things I didn’t miss:
Annoying people (new this year: aviator sunglasses girl, ya know? girl, and people who don’t understand how much space they take up in the world or their trajectory and cut you off)

All in all it was not too bad of a day. Im not commenting on how Im running with the slow group. It’s just a temporary glitch and systems will be back online shortly. Or in a month. Or two