Chasing History

By | February 26, 2023

Take a Dream by Richard Toussaint

riverside wall, Harlem River Park

Spotted on Saturday’s long run. Harlem River Park is a very underused portion of the greenway. The entrance is so poorly marked, I’m not sure I ever completed it during my #GreatManhattanLoop project (ssh don’t tell!) and we definitely didn’t use it during the Great Saunter. Like so many pieces of the east side greenway, it’s in poor repair but they were doing a spring cleanup so I knew someone would see me if one of the sinkholes ate me. This poem really caught me, and the murals are gorgeous. Wish they could be maintained against the weathering.

Saturday’s run made me think of the Great Saunter, which I got an email for recently but didn’t remotely tempt me. I think my 2015 thoughts (whick I finished at the Polo Grounds!) still hold true, although with the decomposing of the existing Greenway, I question whether they’ll ever finish it. /rant.

It was the perfect place for my saunter to end – and end it did when I boarded the M2 Bus and headed south. I have no regrets. I stopped enjoying the walk somewhere between miles 14 and 16 and there is no shame in walking 18+. It’s always the west side that I’ve found prettiest and the city streets of the east side – which I know well – don’t appeal to me in the same way as the Greenway does. Maybe I’ll finish when they finish the Greenway.

Lots of Great Manhattan loop vibes as I planned Saturday’s route, more on that below. Overall, this was one of those weeks where I was just ecstatic to get the workouts in. Even with (or because of) the short week, work was crazy and the weather was as well.

Note to self, always pattern vomit. Took me far too long to find me in this batch of photos.

Linking up with Deborah and Kim for peak week of NYC Half training. Yes, so far so good with the 2023 goal of following Matt Wilpers’ plan. The workouts haven’t all happened on the days they’re scheduled, but they all happened and other than the cranky IT Band squawking, I appear to be not too much worse for the wear.

hello friend!

goodnight long weekend

  • never miss a Monday: well after running ten on Sunday, I definitely wasn’t running. But it was an amazing 60 degree day so I went for a walk to the Park and sat reading. Robins were about, a turtle sunning and a quick flash of sunset.

hi friend!

  • Tuesday: a 10a meeting meant time to run before an in person day, which has become rare. As you can tell, the weather changed quickly from Monday, but I really can’t complain about not wearing a hat in February.

shamrock season

  • Wednesday: all day, in person training. I’ll be honest, I prefer that to an eight hour Zoom. It was a late day in the office trying to get some work done after the training, and this was dinner. Once a year, I squeal about the arrival of Shamrock Shakes, remember they’re not really mint and I don’t much care for them. The McDonald’s near the office was out of stock, but I had the idea in my head and so had to try the Shamrock/Oreo Flurry. As much as I love oreos, no.

*of course* I’ll wear these together. Why do you even ask? 😀

happy hour, runners’ chapter

  • Thursday: office run group and a chance to try out my new Rainiers. They’re mesh so give me longer weather life than typical. Let’s be honest, I needed another pair like I needed a hole in the head, but I can’t resist. My current obsession with protein shakes has killed two blender bottles, so I’ve gone disposable. Of course this one came immediately clean.
  • Friday: off day. Mental as much as physical after a long week and knew my legs would need it ahead of Saturday.

no, Fred, you can’t have my hat. I need it today

chasing landmarks

  • Saturday: why do I even have plural hats? I swear I only run in Fred, with the occasional Turkey Trot one because it’s cute. It makes me laugh especially since I hated this hat at first and planned it to be disposable. Yes, some of it is sentimentally tied into my first Half, but it’s also super comfortable and the perfect weight. On Friday I was mapping out several route options depending on the wind, temperatures and mood: Roosevelt Island and Astoria Park, Little Red Lighthouse, Macombs Dam to the Lighthouse, etc. I also had the best laid plans of getting up and running to mimic race day, but when I woke, the wind chill was 17 and I wasn’t interested. I waited for it to warm up/wind to drop and headed out when the wind chill matched the temperature of ~25 degrees. As the last double digit run, it was a good opportunity to try out the Rainiers I plan to run the Half in, my new compression sleeves, and to continue to tinker with fueling. I also was really trying to heed the advice to run the easy runs slower. Luckily 3/4 podcasts I was listening to focused on that, so it was easy to keep in mind. That and a mean uphill in mile ten that I just walked. When I realized it was the Yankees’ first spring training game, I knew where I was going. Same place I went when the lockout ended last spring. After that run, or another to the Polo Grounds I realized how close I was to the Morris Jumel mansion and was determined to “find” it this time. The entrance to Sylvan Terrace is easy to miss (second photo), but I found it and did a loop around Morris Jumel, making it two historic houses on this run since my route also took me past Hamilton Grange. I circled south on Edgecombe to Coogan’s Bluff where I switched from podcasts to Terry Cashman’s There Once Was A Ballpark, one of two with And Brooklyn Almost Died that I find perfect for walking in the footsteps of baseball ghosts. Challenged to run the steps by another runner, I did so and then after my scamper over the Macombs Dam Bridge, I headed south along Adam Clayton Powell for some variety in my landscape. I happened on the entrance to Harlem River Park and while it didn’t give me much southern progress, it gave me some extra mileage I needed since I hadn’t crossed the full length of Macombs Dam. It’s really sad to see it in such disrepair, but is thick with flavor and history.  The end of the run had me wiggling down Madison and over to Park. Overall, a solid 11.5 ish. Fueling? Peanut Butter M&Ms and a NutriGrain bar. Do as I plan to, not what I actually do. But it worked better than the chews last week. My hip was very pissy by the end so post sushi was a nice long soak.
  • Sunday: pissy hip is pissy. Headed to friends’ Athleta party but otherwise chilling out. Three weeks and the half will be done. EEK/YAY.

19 thoughts on “Chasing History

  1. Wendy

    Nice job on that long run! What do you think made your hip so pissy? Hoping it’s better today. How did the peanut M&Ms work out for fueling? I’m open to suggestions for my 15 mile trail race coming up. Remember the one I bonked at? I’m considering Uncrustables. I’ll be trying out all this stuff over the next couple of weeks. But the M&Ms sound intriguing!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I LOVE Uncrustables. If I could figure out a way to run with them, I’d absolutely use them as fuel. Alas no crew spots along the Half but you absolutely should. The race is earth day ish? So shouldn’t be too to hot
      The m&ms worked well. Wouldn’t do it in peak summer, but they were fine.
      My hip is the IT Band mess. Hip/glute/piriformis mess. I gave in and put advil cream on it, which helped. I don’t like to take anything, but that I gave in to.

      Reply
  2. Chocolaterunsjudy

    Well I hope the hip eases up! You are ready, so take it easy now! I don’t usually have much problems running slowly these days. 🙂

    i do have multiple hats — but I also wear them. And there are running hats, and walking Bandit hats . . . . occasionally they do mix together. 🙂

    A little candy on the run never hurt anyone. 🙂 Glad it worked for you! As much as I love sweets, not so much for long runs.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      oh yes, I have other hats that I love, but they don’t work for running (fit, mostly). But all winter I’ve worn two. I’d imagine active aninal walking is the same type of hat as running at times
      I had Swedish Fish from passersby during the marathon o:)

      Reply
  3. Jenny

    Hey, it sounds like the peanut M&Ms worked, so why not? The run sounds like a fun adventure. And 11.5 miles- you’ll be in good shape for your half! And yes, I guess not that Valentine’s Day is over, shamrock season has begun.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yeah, Shamrock Bunny, pretty soon it’s Halloween again
      Definitely a fun adventure. Makes the miles go faster

      Reply
  4. Liz Dexter

    I love your Fred/hat photo! Really cheered me! Sorry your hip is pissy, maybe it’s been messaging with my glute about how to upset us!!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      We need to find more fun ways to twin! I will always have a Fredfie. One day I’ll flamingo with him

      Reply
  5. Debbie

    Nice job on your long run and I hope your hip takes a chill pill and settles down.

    Hmmm, I wonder how a York Easter Bunny would do as fuel? 😉

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Me too. Me TOO.
      I uh might have asked the Florida bunny for one since all we have are impostors. Although the reeese’s one has potential

      Reply
  6. Kimberly Hatting

    Ugh on the cranky hip. I hope it’s feeling better soon. I’m wondering if the sugar from the peanut M & M’s gave you a good carb fix, and the peanuts helped with the protein (?). I have several hats, but I seem to wear the same 2 or 3 all the time. I still prefer headbands…hoping the extreme cold is done for the season and I can just play with those, LOL.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes. Also team headband as the ears stay colder than the head does. I only got to wear the one mom made for TMNT twice since we’ve either been bare headed or tundra

      Reply
  7. Coco

    I think I”d choke on M&Ms if I tried them for fuel. I still prefer chews even though one broke my crown when I ran the NYC Half. Speaking of which, glad your training is going so well except for that hip, Grrr. I was having hip flexor issues for a while but that seems to have quieted down. I have gotten better at stretching that area.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I have a new Crown. I’m being VERY careful with all things chewy after your story. I had a lot of hybrid days lat week. That did my hip no favors.
      I found last week that the chews left me hangry, but that might have been running too late

      Reply
  8. Deborah Brooks

    Way to go on that 11.5! 13 is sounding long to me right now (insert emoji face for that). Hope that hip settles down. Would you believe I have never even thought about trying a Shamrock shake? Peanut M & M’s? Hey, whatever works for you!

    Reply
  9. Susanne

    I used to collect hats! But that was back in the day when berets were trendy and you could find them in all styles and sizes. Now I have two hats for casual use and one for running.
    Peanut M&M at least give some fast carbs and they should be easy to keep in your pocket during a run!
    I hope your hip gets back to normal asap.

    Reply
  10. Darlene Cardillo

    I need to get a Shamrock shake today!!!!

    What I love most about NYC is the places to walk and the sights to see.

    Though I can’t race NYC, I’m planning my walks… Need advice!

    And since I have to match, I have a zillion hats. lol Fred is one of my favorites, though.

    Congrats on the long run!! Can’t ait to meet up. This I realized is the first time I have ever spectated a race…

    Reply
  11. Michelle

    Great work on that long run! And boo to the pissy hip 🙁 Why are hips so damn disagreeable?!
    Peanut M&Ms – how did they work? I don’t think I’d trust myself with chewing crunchy things – though I did fuel with Pay Day bars way back when. I hope your hip settles down.

    Reply
  12. Jenn

    I hate that your hip is pissy! That’s no bueno!
    I was so excited to see your Shamrock/Oreo McFlurry. I am treating myself to a Shamrock Shake for sure this year. I only get one per year, but last year I skipped it.

    I have like one hat. I would rather wear a buff or ear warmer. I don’t have a good hat head.

    Reply

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