Honor 9/11

By | September 15, 2019

I’ve seen the article that floated around about whether running is a selfish past time. I don’t buy it – at least not any more than any solo activity. We do what makes us happy, and if we’re able to, we give back.

9/11 Memorial North Pool

But this week? There’s something bigger than all of us.

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?Were you in the yard with your wife and children, or working on some stage in L.A.?

Did you stand there in shock
At the sight of that black smoke
Risin’ against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

I’m not at all religious, but Alan Jackson’s song is always on repeat this week.

I was living in Japan – I’d moved there just three weeks prior. I realized I didn’t get into that when I asked where you all were on 9/11. Here is my post that I wrote immediately after. I’m glad I made it public as I’ve lost the password to the LJ account.

Weekly Run Down with Deborah and Kim:

Hudson River Park’s AIDS Memorial

Mural at the Oculus. Words to live by

  • Monday: September 11 snuck up on me this year. I’m not sure why, exactly. I realized over the weekend that with the anniversary on a Wednesday I couldn’t make it to the Memorial and trying to do the Rogue workout while running to remember just felt wrong so I decided to repeat last year’s run on Monday instead. I’d like to say it was easier not on the anniversary itself or that I didn’t tear up, but that would be a lie.
  • Tuesday: planned off. Met a friend for dinner and then went to the gym for yoga/prehab/strength.

Tribute in Lights with Museum at the right

  • Wednesday: Rogue. The prescribed workout:
The Workout: The Michigan: 
Runners will do 2-3 sets of the Michigan. 1 set equals: One mile on the road at half marathon pace + short jog to the track + 800m on the track at 10K pace + short jog back to the road.
Why? Ron Warhurst, head Track & Field at the University of Michigan, developed this workout back in the 1970s and it has become a staple workout for many distance runners.  The workout not only simulates the changing of gears in a race but also uses different energy systems and terrain all in one workout. This is  the ultimate aerobic strength workout that builds endurance and staying power in races, especially half marathon and marathon distances.
  • The reality: Sort of. But not my fault. There was some type of power outage in the park that made dusk turn really dark and as I completed the 800m portion of my second set, one of the coaches suggested I run back to the start (about a mile) and do a 400m out and back there. I agreed, mostly from a place of fear of twisting my ankle trying to get from the Great Lawn around King Jagiello. So my distance was a mile off and pace was all over the place due to the heat & humidity, but this workout felt good. I saw the Tribute in Lights from the Park and ended up going down quickly after we finished. Always inspiring.

happy drowned rat

  • Thursday: I can’t remember if I said this or not when I posted about training, but I decided early on that I wasn’t going to do the prescribed mileage. I knew the volume/training days was not something I could do with base and coming off the Achilles injury, and since my priority is getting to the start line healthy, I did not try. I committed to running three days a week with a fourth if it felt right. It mostly hadn’t, but the Sunday before last and this Thursday, it did. I’m liking this leg strength progress. I headed home after work as I didn’t want the crowds or hills of the park and had a delicious rain run. ~3 miles just puddle hopping and enjoying life.
  • Friday: off. Wanted to stretch and roll. Rolled with last week’s dinner, avocado with ranch dressing.

view crossing the Manhattan Bridge from Brooklyn

reward time

  • Saturday: 20 Miles. TWENTY MILES. I’m actually going to post about this on Tuesday as I want to touch on some marathon milestones that long run hit. It wasn’t perfect, but I’m excited and proud of myself. After spending the afternoon with a dear friend, I treated myself to a much needed pedi. I really just wanted the foot massage but it’s fall & purple time.
  • Sunday: off. Giants game. Technically a DNS on the NYRR 18 miler, but really that’s just a swapped run. Insane to think when I signed up that I didn’t think I could do it and instead ran twenty. TWENTY!

MIleage for the week/total: 34.03//274.27 No wonder my July shoes are creeping up there in miles.

Plan for week:

  • Monday: Run
  • Tuesday: Off/cross
  • Wednesday: Rogue
  • Thursday: Run?
  • Friday: Off
  • Saturday: 8-10, oh blessed down week

9 thoughts on “Honor 9/11

  1. Chocolaterunsjudy

    You absolutely should be proud of yourself! That’s awesome that it went well. I also think you’re wise to listen to your body about the weekly mileage. For me, training almost always is about weekly mileage and finding my sweet spot (and everyone is different and has different circumstances). Congrats again, well done!

    Yup, know exactly where I was on 911 and some other sad milestones over the years (like when the Challenger blew up).

    Reply
  2. Wendy

    Congrats, Cari, on your 20 miler! It’s a milestone and you should be proud of it! The first time I ran 20, I walked around in a daze all day–like I couldn’t believe I did it!!!

    On 9/11, I was home that day with the boys, and selfishly, I was really glad I was with them. If I’d been at work, I would have been a wreck.

    Reply
  3. therightfits

    You should be so proud of yourself! 20 miles! I loved all the kudos you were getting on strava. An awesome accomplishment! 🙂 yay you!

    Reply
  4. Deborah Brooks

    Look at you w 20 miles! Really impressive and hope you feel amazing about it. Sept 11th always makes me tear up. Living in DC then and now it was a day I will never forget

    Reply
  5. Laurie

    Woo hoo! 20 miles and a pedicure. Win-win! Sounds awesome. I think we all can remember where we were and what we were doing on 9/11. I was teaching. Teenagers, who are usually so cool, told me they were scared. I’ll never forget.

    Reply
  6. Coco

    Woohoo on the 20 miles! That is fantastic! Who could say running is a selfish activity? It’s no more selfish than any other sport or hobby. Thanks for sharing your 9/11 memorial pictures— so moving.

    Reply
  7. Kim at Running on the Fly

    It’s nice to see other runners paying tribute on 9/11. It’s a day that still makes me so sad…but it also inspires a lot of hope. Huge congrats on that 20-miler! That’s a huge milestone in your running career 😉

    Reply
  8. Liz Dexter

    You should be so proud of yourself.

    I was very thoughtful on 9/11, I was reading a few bits on Facebook about people’s experiences and mulling on the globalisation of a world where a women I know who worked very close by to the Towers saw nothing as she was in a windowless office, where I saw the second plane in real time on a screen in an office in South London. I thought about how Matthew was evacuated from his job at Canary Wharf (he worked for CSFB who lost a lot of employees on 9/11 which indirectly lead to Matthew being terminated from his contractor position and us moving out of London) and how I didn’t know if he was safe for hours, and how I had to shut my bedroom curtains so I didn’t see anything happen to Canary Wharf tower (of course it didn’t, but the big rumours were there). I’ve seen lovely heartwarming stories that remind me to look for the good, look for the person running towards, to help.

    Sorry, long mulling there. And I’m still so proud of you for your 20 and for your not following the training plan slavishly. I like to think I’ve played a part in you being empowered to do that.

    Reply

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