Louse Life

Deja vu all over again. Sort of.

I woke up today thinking, next week at this time I'll be running in Anchorage. I ran the same 6-mile run--and had the same crummy feeling--three weeks ago when I did the final 6-mile run before the San Diego marathon. The weather was sticky as it was then, and I moved sluggishly down the West Side Highway bike path. The first time around I remember thinking if I feel this crummy running only 6 miles, how the hell am I going to run another 20? This time I thought how the hell am I going to feel running another 6 miles. It's hard not to smile at the thought. 13.1 miles is a decent distance, but I know it can be done. Of course I'm no more fit than I was on June 1. What I have is the confidence to know how I will do it.

Notwithstanding that knowledge, I felt a worrisome pain on the top of my left foot. I don't need new problems as I try to approach the new race as a race rather than a training run. Whatever. I did a walk/ran back to our bagcheck in Riverside park where I ran into the McGrory clan. The whole family is training for the NYC tri. I saw Ken first, but he didn't recognize me. He said I lost 20 pounds. Actually, I haven't lost any weight. It's just been redistributed. Marie is graduating from high school and their 15-year old son got special permission to compete. Barb told me tearfully about the special graduation ceremony they held at Memorial Sloan-Kettering for kids who were treated there and were now graduating from high school. Of course I got all choked up, too. I directed Barb to the Orchard Street Corset Center for an uplifting experience.

After the run, I walked over to Central Park to see Ramon in action. Our intrepid coach was celebrating his 41st birthday by running the northern loop (aka the Great Hill) 41 times. By the time I got there, he was on his 25th loop (35 miles) and had several folks in tow. I got there too late to see Ant and other teammates, but there were plenty of groupies from other teams and seasons ready to keep him company. How does someone run 2 marathons plus? How and why. How? I don't know. Why? Because he's planning to run 100 miles on July 19. What more can you say about that sort of goal? It's beyond comprehension. All I can say is that I don't think he's an android. You can never be sure.

The lovely critter to the right is a little memento I picked up at the WNYC stoop sale the other day. Jad Abumrad of Radio Lab told me he bought a bunch of them at the gift shop at the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital when he was reporting a story, and he has been giving them to all of his friends. He autographed the tag. I had to have it. I can't imagine why they sell a stuffed parasite, but it caught Jad's eye and, in turn, mine. Is it possible that the folks there have a keen sense of irony?

Today 6 miles (and a whole lot of walking: 3 miles to Central Park and then some)
Miles to date: 350.4