Cycling Cari?

By | June 26, 2022

crosstraining Cari?

However you want to call it, a fun thing happened this week. I was on Roosevelt Island Sunday and wanted to go to the northern tip to see the renovated lighthouse and new Nellie Bly installation, but wasn’t feeling the walk. Not pain but my legs were just tired. Less activity but not too different to the Monday after Cherry Blossom. Since I’m definitely not comfortable working out indoors, nor do I have an interest in exercising in a mask, the gym is off the table and I’d been lamenting the lack of cross training opportunities. And then I remembered I have access to a Citi Bike membership through work. Duh.

Pride shirt. Pride bike

2.75 miles to the lighthouse and back south to the ferry on Sunday (7.3 mph) and 5.97 miles (8.4 mph) after dinner Monday aren’t much to write home about, but they were fun and curious to see where this goes. It could well be an option when I can’t run commute to work. Plus there’s nothing more childhood deja vu than a bike ride after dinner in the summer.

I’m not going to say anything about the SCOTUS decisions. There isn’t anything to say that hasn’t been said. If you’re angry, please remember to vote. And volunteer with organizations such as Vote Forward.

Linking up with Deborah and Kim for the weekly run down

Happy Pride. Love, Roosevelt Island and FDR

  • Sunday: since it didn’t make it into last week. I did indeed go see Jurassic World:DOMNINION. So much fun. After that I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go other than outside/away from families. After an aborted trip to Sutton Place Park (construction), I decided on Roosevelt Island. I’d seen the stairs from the ferry but didn’t realize it was the city’s largest Pride flag. Read for a good few hours before the aforementioned bike ride. An active recovery day was wonderful.

Fred says “faster!”

  • never miss a Monday: are Mondays the new speed work day? If two weeks in a row makes a routine, then I guess they are. Our office was closed in observance of Juneteenth. I had no plan (story of my life!) but ended up on 400s. 7x400s with 60s rest. Why 7? Well I couldn’t count in 2019 when we were doing these in training and I definitely can’t when solo. I did have a feeling I should do one more but 7 was already a push. Under fueled, and it was warmer than I thought, but I saw some 8s on my watch, which, wow. I got to thinking about how 400s are essentially a return to C25K and when I went to look for something else, I realized that occurred to me four years ago too. LOL, oops. Cool down turned into a Target run. If I’d bought the one thing I went for, I could have run the rest of the way home, but can anyone leave Target with one thing? All necessary items and cheaper than my Peapod order so a win win. 6 mile ride balanced out the shorter than normal Monday run, as did the speed work. It was a good one.

Disco Fred!

doesn’t everyone take their vacuum for a walk ?

  • Don’t usually have the chance to do CP on a Tuesday morning, but had a (routine, all fine) doc appointment that left me with some time to kill, and where better? Loved the glasses he modeled while serving as lost and found. No solstice sunset as it was raining, but still got out for a walk to get takeout. Apparently someone felt their vacuum needed a walk too.
  • Wednesday: what do you do when you’re running too late to walk to work but really don’t want to take the subway at rush hour? Thanks, Citibike! Dinner after work with friends to celebrate one’s new job.

changeable skies much?

Might love this even more than 2019! 2018?

  • Thursday: is it the official return of the Office Run Group if we start from Columbus Circle like the old days? Maybe! I actually ran there from home as I had to pick up my bibs for the weekend races. Yes, plural. But I’m not that crazy. Coupled with the run home from the end of the run group, this ended up at 8+. I love long summer daylight. Useful too since I knew myself well enough to know I wouldn’t add miles to either weekend run.

Living with the Walking Dead, Museum of the Moving Image

  • Friday: oh hello eerily relevant museum exhibit! While I read some horror, I’m not a horror TV/movie person and the show clips from The Walking Dead were downright creepy. But like Uvalde, grateful to be in a museum when the SCOTUS news hit. Even before I saw the back of Frank Darabont’s Director’s chair, my brain went to The Stand at the display above.

choices!

post run popsicles!

  • Saturday: Front Runners 4M.  Like the Mini, I’ve run this five times, and it’s one I will always run as long as I’m in town. It’s just such a special day. Although you can’t see my skirt in the photo, I actually/accidentally dressed the exact same as last year other than the hat. LOL. Choice on which Pride shirt came down to knowing I’d likely be wearing a popsicle again this year, so might as well wear the one that has a slight popsicle stain from last year. I knew I’d wear the other for Achilles, so it really wasn’t much of a hard decision. As soon as I walked out the door to run to the start, I knew we weren’t running this. It was already 80 and there was no breeze. So what do you do? Walk when you need to, run when you can, and dance always. Especially through the sprinklers. There is no need to be miserable and no heroes from pushing too hard. There were 7,023 finishers, which is just amazing on such a busy weekend of Pride celebrations. I love this race and will absolutely always run it, but sometimes it’s a pain in the ass to wait for that many people to cross the start. First world problems, absolutely. We hung around for the prizes and prize draws, which is always fun, especially thanks to Gotham Cheer.  I ran some errands and then rode to meet Elizabeth for dinner at Pier I. No where better to catch a breeze when it was almost 90!

friendses

show and tell!

  • Sunday: Achilles 4M. I actually have only run this once because I don’t like summer races or back to back races, but when we were spectating Brooklyn a friend decided to do it and… yeah why not? Great cause.  Achilles was slightly smaller than Pride and it was much easier to find one another in the corrals. I love the E. 69th Street start as it’s an easy warmup run for me, but the corrals in the sun are.. not fun. I had the glazed donut look going early. We walked/ran again because it was just too hot. Apparently we ran faster than we did yesterday because we definitely walked more, and still finished faster per Mom who was tracking us. I made sure to hit every sprinkler. I had to laugh at people complaining about the race being over, distance wise. It was a weird non loop, so may well have been, but do you want water and sprinklers, or to run the tangents? In summer that’s not even a question.  Also, it’s a charity 4m, not a BQ so maybe chillax a little. My knee didn’t hurt until mile three of back to back, and that was just a winge on the rolling hills. PT helped, as did the walk run. How did I like running in a tank two days in a row? I only chafed in one spot, but spent a lot of mental energy worried about chafing and sunburn. I now own four though  and can definitely see them in rotation for runrise as they are just so comfortable. It has been funny to learn what I like — full backs and not racer backs. Turns out the race shirt for Pride men’s cut was a full back. The arm holes seemed a little big so not sure I’ll wear for more than a cover up, but I might. Oddly? I care not one bit about the bra showing through a white tank. But on the side? Feels weirder. (For me-I don’t care what others do). Headed to Egg Rolls  & Egg Creams shortly, and then Pride.

So excited for a day off running and work tomorrow. Busy weekend of lots of good stuff, but I’m tired!  Three three day weekends in a row. Re-entry is going to be rough!

18 thoughts on “Cycling Cari?

  1. Darlene

    Definitely a fun weekend. I almost ran two races but my hubby wanted to cool off on the lake. I guess one hilly 15k is enough.

    If I lived in the city I might bike too. No mojo here with a car at one’s disposal.

    I have Monday off again too. Rain?

    Give Fred and Elizabeth my best wishes. Hope to see you and them soon.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      You’re here this week or next week?
      I rode again today. It was just the easiest way to get clear of the marches and back part of the way uptown until I could get a bus.
      Cooling off on the lake is the way better idea.
      I wouldn’t mind rain and some sleep

      Reply
  2. Marcia

    How fun to have so many long weekend! Sounds like you made the most of them. Love that you’re biking about town. That definitely brings back childhood memories for me as well. Love your Pride tee collection!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      It’s so much fun, and just sometimes easier. Had a whole lot of do not wanna yesterday in terms of walking two miles to meet a friend? The ride was so quick and almost breezy

      Reply
  3. Deborah Brooks

    wow you had a fun weekend! Back to back races how fun. Looks like a great time with friends and hot 🙂 Summer racing is not for the faint of heart

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I’m audibly advocating for your comment of fall in the mornings and then summer the rest of the day. I have one on July 4th but glad I’m done with races in this area for the forseeable future

      Reply
  4. Kimberly Hatting

    Yay for biking!!!! I’ll just leave it at that 😉 Care for a tank hack when the arm holes are wider than ideal? I wear a workout bra underneath (preferably in a colorful, contrasting color, LOL), so it looks “intentional” and not like “oops, my bra is showing.”

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Definitely. I didn’t even try with the teal one yesterday. Between sprinklers I knew I’d be running through and a semi sheer shirt I just went with what was on top of the drawer. I thought for a second that I should maybe own a white/beige sports bra, but what’s the fun in that!

      Reply
  5. Coco

    Yay for checking out the Citi Bikes — literally! Glad they are a fun option for moving outside and getting around town!

    Sounds like you had a fun weekend with friends and running and Pride celebrations. I love all your tops. Today I changed sports bras to one I thought looked better peeking out of my tank — black is always better imho. 😉

    I said more about Dobbs, but ended with the same advice. It’s all we’ve got but it’s powerful!

    Reply
  6. Wendy

    Looks like an amazing pride weekend in NYC! I love all your shirts.

    How great that you can access Citi bikes through work! What a great benefit.

    Have a wonderful week!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I love when they back up “be healthy” with ways to make it wallet friendly and accessible. I’d never cycle enough for it to be worth the $180 subscription but this? Perfect

      Reply
  7. Kim G

    NYC during Pride month is nothing short of magical. I always enjoy seeing all of the Pride flags and people coming together, especially during the Pride parade. I still need to do the Front Runners 4K race. Tomorrow is Pride Day at my OTF studio – it’s the first time they are doing it which I think it awesome.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      It really is special. I hope you can do it next year, but hope more we can meet up before then. Off to read about OTF Pride Day

      Reply
  8. Liz Dexter

    Brilliant weekend and well done on being so sensible. Bike riding is exciting, though now I’m fretting to myself about bike lanes and safety …

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I’ll be careful, I promise. I definitely try to stay on one way roads whenever possible

      Reply
  9. Michelle

    What a fun weekend! And 3 long weekends in a row? Even better!

    I’m glad you’re enjoying those Brooks shirts – the cut is so good.

    Great choice on the Citibike!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      The cut is just the best. I wish more tanks came like that and I’d wear them more. No fighting with bra s traps either which is my issue for other tank wearing

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Coco Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *