summer in the city

By | June 21, 2020

I really need to start a revelations on the run tag, because they’ve been happening a lot.

This week’s? I love running. I’m so glad it’s a part of my life and the reason I met all of you, but I don’t like it when it takes over my life. I touched on this in the Cost of Marathon Training coffee chat last fall, but I realized it these last couple of weeks when I got in long walks. I’d missed walking. I can now walk and run pain free (touch wood), and I love being free to just go our for a walk between running days, or if I just don’t feel like running. There’s no have to.

Taking advantage of no commute to walk and run before work and not feel like I should be doing something else when I opt to sit in a park with a book. I’ll worry about training in the fall. Next long race on my schedule is a half in February. There’s plenty of time. For now, I’m just running.  It’s like reading, I love it, but don’t assign me a book because I probably won’t do it.

Tomorrow starts Phase II here. It’s not going to have much of an impact on my day to day life, but glad some restaurants will be able to open for outdoor dining. Sushi might happen next weekend if Yuka is able to do it. I quit counting how many weeks this was when I ran out of fingers.

Weekly run down with Kim and Deborah:

  • never miss a Monday: walked to Shakespeare Garden to meet Elizabeth for a chat. It was a beautiful June morning with a damp chill in the air. Perfection

Tuesday’s office

  • Tuesday: running errands, literally. Bob had arthroscopic knee surgery at HSS so I ran to get mom & I breakfast and then back to the hospital to meet her and then we walked back to the overpass to sit by the water.Around midday when we were walking up to 84th for the park bathrooms I realized there was an overpass at 71st-oops. The southern end is prettier and quieter anyway. Great office to work from while we waited to hear that he cleared recovery (all good).
  • Wednesday: late start, but they opened the river path past Gracie so I was able to go that way. Flatter, cooler.

summer in the city

  • Thursday: 8:30 AM meeting meant I couldn’t get in a long walk –well I could have if I got out the door at 6. Oh well. Short walk and then a longer walk after work to chase sunsets. Magic.

iSpy

working river

surprised to see the coast guard over here

  • Friday: our office was closed in honor of Juneteenth. Really appreciated this decision by leadership. Day didn’t end up quite as reflective as planned, but I did have a new vantage point to watch the river traffic. We also played a fun game of spotting me — thanks Target red bag – from 11 stories up. Sometimes it’s the little things. This was the first of two back to back ten mile days. 4.25 miles running to start the day off, and 5+ miles walking later.
  • Saturday: five mile walk in Central Park with Elizabeth. Not a run walk as neither of us wanted to run today so we walked, chatted, enjoyed the flowers. 5 miles later walking leading up to some quality time reading in the park. Can confidently answer yes, there is summer in quarantime. The dust from the bridle path stuck to my sunscreen.  Since I was a kid, dirty is a sign of summer. Flip flop tan also a vote in that direction.

clematis siamese twins?

  • Sunday: about that no have to? No rule that says you have to run 3 miles if you’re d-o-n-e at 2.7 and much of that mile was a walk into headwind anyway. Muggy morning, later than I’d wanted to go out, but was in dire need of a not popping out of bed at 6:30 morning. Also was slightly dehydrated from a couple days of being distant from the bathroom and not drinking as much as I typically would.  Hydrating in the shade with a book is the plan for the rest of the day.

21 thoughts on “summer in the city

  1. Beckett @ Birchwood Pie

    I couldn’t agree more – there is no “have to” in any of this. The only reasons that anyone should ever run is b/c they want to or someone is chasing them. I enjoy half marathons and I also enjoy the freedom of running shorter distances right now. I don’t care if someone ran 100 miles or 0.10 miles this week – either way they’re a runner.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Exactly. And I think forcing it takes the enjoyment out of it, or it does for me. I think my weekly happy place is 10-15 miles since 4-5 miles a run is my jam. While my injuries weren’t connected, I don’t think it’s a coincidence for me that the injuries piled up when the mileage began to. My body and high mileage aren’t a pair

      Reply
  2. Deborah Brooks

    Sometimes it is nice not to “have to” run because you have a race to train for. I like to have the option to just run for running’s sake and enjoy it. I also have really come to love my walks as well.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Seriously on the walks, Discovering new nooks and crannies and with warmer weather, venturing further than my immediate neighborhood. And some days just trying to go the smidgen faster to get in on ethat counts for Runbet.

      Reply
  3. Coco

    I mostly agree with you, but some days it’s hard to get out of bed unless I have a plan, and I don’t always have a plan since it really doesn’t matter, and then I end up hitting snooze too many times, and then the easiest workout to fit in is a run with Scooby (since I have to take him out anyway).
    So, I always say “knock on wood,” and you say “touch wood” — I wonder where/when that phrase developed two versions?

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yeah, I absolutely felt that earlier in quarantime. So far with this routine of wanting to read after work it gets me out the door. If I don’t get in at least 2.5 miles in the morning there won’t be time to read after my evening walk. Self bribery?
      Apparently touch wood is the British version? Who knew, and who knows why I use that. I’m assuming my mom does/dad did, but neither is British or spent any time in the UK. Wonder if I used knock before living overseas
      https://grammarist.com/phrase/knock-on-wood-and-touch-wood/

      Reply
  4. Chocolaterunsjudy

    I have to admit, I probably should’ve bagged my run after mile 5 yesterday. Oh well, the last mile (after 2 miles of walking up steep hills) didn’t kill me.

    Summer certainly came in with a vengeance this week! And it looks like there’ll be a round 2 next week, as well.

    I think there are times to push hard, but there also ought to be times to cut back & relax.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yep! And I think resting when we don’t need to helps us push hard. Walking into the headwind actually felt refreshing and cooling. Lesson learned to get out early for me. Running on Sunday still doesn’t quite work, so have to be better about Saturdays. This week was deliberate as I wanted to run Friday

      Reply
  5. Kim G

    I hope that the start of Phase II goes well tomorrow – fingers crossed!

    Summer and I are not friends – in fact we have been enemies for years, lol. The heat and humidity just sucks all the energy out of me. I just suffer through the summer so that I can enjoy all the glorious Fall weather LOL.

    I actually love that I’m not currently training for anything – it’s nice to run just to run.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I love sitting outside in the shade in summer. Breeze, no bugs. Can we run in a permanent shaded tailwind? I think this is likely because it’s mainly cooler outside than in my apartment. But otherwise yeah I agree, no extremes for me and it’s too early for this week’s weather

      Reply
  6. Wendy

    While I ‘have to’ run a certain amount of miles for my training plan, I don’t ‘have to’ hit any kind of pace and that is so nice! I’m really enjoying my miles right now!

    Nice that your work made Juneteenth a holiday. Obviously, my work can’t but they did observe 19 minutes of silence.

    Reply
  7. Kimberly Hatting

    Absolute total agreement on the “have to” aspect of training. Most runners seem to crave a schedule, but not me. I do keep to a routine, and (obviously) “have” to train properly for a race, but being told to do something (rather than merely electing to do so) elicits resentment in me. I’ll gladly (well, sort of gladly, LOL) run all the miles if it’s my initiative but will not be as eager if a piece of paper is dictating it. And, I’m a nice person…I typically don’t go looking for trouble or rebellion…

    Reply
  8. Liz Dexter

    Lovely just to run when you want to, for the sake of it. And Matthew’s office had Juneteenth off, too, as it’s an American company. He started a new audio book by a POC and had some reflective time. Love your pics and your walks and reads.

    Reply
  9. Marcia

    Hope Bob’s surgery went well.
    I’ve been in that no “have to” space for awhile now, and I love it. I still run because it’s ingrained in me, but on those soul-sucking humid days it feels glorious not to “have to” bang out a certain number of miles. I love how much you get out and enjoy your beautiful city.

    Reply
  10. Renée

    actually it sounds like you’ve found the good in all of this and are enjoying and reflecting along the way. I think it’s like that for a lot of us. I have been thinking and reflecting and really considering the things that are truly the most important to me. And while I LOVE running, I also love not having to run. Now that marathon training has started (for a race that will likely not happen) I am a little bit sad. But I will do it and find the good in it and if Chicago cancels then I’ll likely rethink whether a marathon is really ever in my future again.

    Reply
  11. Zenaida Arroyo

    I LOVE seeing your pictures! Everything about NY looks so pretty.

    I found “touch wood” to be interesting. I say “knock on wood”.

    Reply
  12. Jessie

    Summer is definitely “dirty.” I had to remind myself of that when camping, haha 🙂
    I love how much you’re getting out to enjoy the weather!

    Reply
  13. Jenn

    That’s the beauty of being an adult. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. This is what we were made for LOL!

    It does sound like you had some great time for reflection, as well as some solid walks and runs. I hope Bob’s procedure was a success. Flip flop tan lines are absolutely the mark of summer.

    Reply
  14. Darlene S Cardillo

    Hope Bob is doing well.

    I had to work June 19th but now I get a free day off anytime.

    I ate an outdoor restaurant for the first time…pretty exciting.

    I am running (and mostly walking) when the mood strikes except for the mandatory long run. It helps that I’m not alone for some of the 10 miles.

    I am glad that the pandemic is in the summer…so much nature to enjoy. Walking in my boring neighborhood is getting old so I am trying to walk after work in the nature preserves. Miss the Big Apple and you & Elizabeth, of course.

    Reply
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