motoring through May

By | May 23, 2022

before I get into the week, a moment to think of David Reichman who died after crossing the finish of the Brooklyn Half Saturday. 32 is way too young. Not a race director or medical person, so I have no idea if the race was “unsafe”, but I was very glad to not be running it. I never entered the lottery due to a number of factors, but I’m not sure I’d have run even if I had. It was too hot to be comfortable even if the vast majority of the runners were OK.

Glad for a week with lots of outdoor time and a quick kiss of summer that was fleeting. We’re outdoor creatures. Adults aren’t meant for all the screen time either. Balance is healthy. While I will never be a summer running lover, there’s something about it warming up enough to be comfortable outdoors. Also, I read more which always makes me happier.

Weekly Run Down with Deborah and Kim:

Not a legal visit to the Met without seeing my knights

Mother Nature taking back her space

  • never miss a Monday: wasn’t going to run in the morning, but they had forecasted apocalyptic storms so I got in a couple of miles before a breakfast meeting at the Met and then walked into the office. This vacant lot has been so for about a year, and I love Mother Nature’s Design work. It’s definitely a changing landscape with all the construction projects. The one backing up to this has been abandoned for some years and I wonder if it’s going to be a super block? Spoiler: rain, but not RAIN. I could have run in it
  • Tuesday: I wasn’t going to run, except I was antsy after work on a beautiful day. A friend asked if I’d do speed work, and well, I’m not going to say no to running time with a friend even though I wasn’t particularly interested in speed work. We got dusty on the bridle path. Perfect summer night.

first day of school?

welcome back tourists. And the bubble man

  • Wednesday: another two museum week. Yay! Had major first day of school vibes with denim jacket, backpack here. No running, but lots of walking on a beautiful day. Grateful to live within walking distance of the office and to be able to walk and run.

Zen

  • Thursday: office run group was a schedule conflict but I sorely needed a screen break. I don’t run in the southeast corner of the park often enough, and I was reminded on the way to meet a friend that I really should fix that. Ended up walking some with her, and then running home. Turned into a walk run as I was under fueled for 5, since I hadn’t planned on it. Oh well.

never fails to hit me on my run to the dentist

  • Friday:  running four days out of five is not something I do — but there’s really no easier way to get to the dentist. It was a slightly eventful run as the sidewalk jumped up and bit me, but I was fine. Some pretty colors on my hip and knee, but wasn’t anything I couldn’t run through so I finished my dental commute via Walgreens to get some Neosporin. I’ve officially fallen on a trail, running path and sidewalk now. Running gods, we good?  I was glad to have gotten out for a run because by the time I finished a major project, it was raining. Like last week, I switched over seasonal clothes-folded this time and think I’m finally done.

Stephen King Mist meets Joyland vibes

can you guess which side of my body I fell on?

  • Saturday: a friend had asked if I wanted to spectate the Brooklyn Half, so we headed to Coney early on Saturday morning.  So early it was eerie since the train platform isn’t far from the  boardwalk at all. Like almost everyone else, massive heat wave so cheering between miles 12 and 13 was very strategic on our part too, although there wasn’t much of an ocean breeze. We saw our runners and then headed back toward the city for lunch and some riverside air as it was brutal once the fog had burned off. To no surprise, Tiki Chick was calling our names. I mean you don’t need to run a Half to eat a delicious sandwich, do you? I caught the ferry home from DUMBO and spent Saturday afternoon in my favorite summer way – crashed on a bench by the river reading. Despite what my knee looked like, it didn’t hurt to spectate, or anything else. And to be fair, some of that is residual from that being my bad knee, it’s not all fall related.

belated virtual race

good morning world!

  • Sunday: there are years where I make it to July before there’s a heat induced runrise. And then there’s 2022. I didn’t have to run, but I wanted to get out before it got too hot and a run is always a better motivator than a walk. Plan was to see how the knee/hip felt. While I’ve stopped doing virtual races for the most part, I’m happy to support charities and friends’ projects. As you can tell from the bib, I was supposed to do Callen-Lorde already. Oops, but not really. I’d made the donation to my friend’s team and ran 5K and 10K a few times over, but the bib and I were never in the same place. For Blythedale I opted against the shirt and bib because I really didn’t need any more stuff and just supported my friend who works for the hospital. I still wanted to do the 5K, and I was surprisingly peppy at 4: 30. The run was absolutely gorgeous and there was a pre-sunrise moon, which I always love. Best of all, the knee felt good. Still in the no have to zone, so I pretended this was a weekday and did four miles. There was no need to go longer and it was already disgusting out. A shower and nap left me refreshed for another afternoon of riverside reading. That became a pandemic habit when I didn’t want to take the bus across town, but it’s one I might keep too. Love both my rivers for different reasons.

 

16 thoughts on “motoring through May

  1. Liz Dexter

    Ooh, I like a moonset/sunrise! Well done on a good week, commiserations again for the fall and, indeed, thoughts with the family and friends of the fallen racer, David.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I think my body likes your Horizontal Running Club badge. Or maybe the sidewalk likes the assist! It’s good to be able to laugh about a fall.
      And yes, so sad. Running should be fun – not dangerous. Frightening how quickly it can change

      Reply
  2. Darlene Cardillo

    I love the “I wasn’t going to run but…”

    It’s like me saying I wasn’t going to sign up for that race but…

    Yes, the heat this weekend was very scary. I did run my half but I would not say I was in danger because I knew better than to try anything…I walked when I needed to which was often. I didn’t feel great after but after lots of water, pretzels and food, I was ok.

    Today I feel rested…

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      We make plans and god laughs, running edition.

      Glad you’re feeling OK. I think you have to know your own body. There’s no universal go/no go other than electrical storms. I bought the windbreaker we both love for a Fred that was a whisker from being cancelled due to weather.

      Reply
  3. Kim G

    I was so sad to hear that a runner had died after crossing the finish line of the Brooklyn Half. I know the temps on Saturday were definitely less than ideal. Sending prayers to his family and friends.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      It’s such a hard situation. No activity is without risk, but never feels like it could happen either. SO sad.

      Reply
  4. Chocolaterunsjudy

    I hadn’t heard about the death. It’s so tricky for both the runners & RD. prayers for his family.

    Love being outside in Spring/ Summer, although it can definitely be weather dependent.

    Sorry about the Fall; glad it’s not a big deal, but never fun, still.

    Reply
  5. Deborah Brooks

    ha you made me laugh with all of your “wasn’t going to run but…” almost every day! Yes, I also would be glad I was not running that race, We went out yesterday and called it quits on mile 5. Just wasn’t worth it!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      That was a hysterically accurate accidental theme of the week. It’s the running version of “we made plans and god laughs”
      Glad you were able to be safe and that you weren’t doing the race Erika did.

      Reply
  6. Kimberly Hatting

    Ouch on the knee! The running gods (or face-planting gods?) haven’t blessed me in awhile. I shouldn’t even admit that to myself or out loud, LOL. Our Relay race (the previous weekend) had similar temps…very warm and muggy and none of us had had any chance to acclimate, so we saw a lot of walking over the course of those 76 miles. Thankfully, most of us have run in those conditions many times before, so we knew the protocol of walk breaks, hydration , and electrolytes.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I was talking to a friend this morning on my cooldown about that acclimation element. This weekend here was almost like if we’d flown to Florida for a weekend race in early spring. I think the outcome would have been very different if this were a peak summer race where we were used to at least running in the temperatures. Glad you were all safe.

      *sends you all the bubble wrap* although I think you paid the gods and then sone with the foot injury and of course Voldemort back before I knew you.

      Reply
  7. Jenn

    I solemnly swear I will never ask you to do speed work!

    What a tragedy at Brooklyn. It’s just so unfair.

    I’m glad that your injury is feeling better. Falls can be so nasty 🙁

    Reply
  8. Michelle

    So so sad about the runner at Brooklyn. No words.

    Ouch on the fall – I hope your knee’s feeling ok.

    Reply
  9. Coco

    So sad about the runner. It sounds like conditions were brutal, especially with it being so warm so early in the season. Glad you aren’t too worse for wear after that fall. I still can’t believe how long it took my foot to recover from my non-fall.

    Love all your NYC pics!

    Reply
  10. Marcia

    I hadn’t heard about the runner who died. At 32 no less. So very sad.
    Hope your knee is improving. Falls are no fun at all. Yay for some good reading time!

    Reply
  11. Lisa @ TechChick Adventures

    Glad your fall wasn’t anything worse!
    The conditions at Brooklyn Half sounds a lot like what we had here for the Glass City marathon. It’s so scary when things like that happen, and then I think it could have been me. Glad I didn’t push it. So sad for the runner who died. What a great life cut short 🙁

    Reply

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