running

Sunday quick-scramble

Gorgeous weather makes all the difference in the world.

Yesterday morning I did the writing-at-Starbuck’s thing, getting there earlier than I usually do, by 9:30. About an hour later, I looked up to see – Derek Jeter! He was on his way out with big iced coffee in hand. No one in the cafe seemed to notice, and if there was any hubbub beforehand, I didn’t hear it since I had my headphones on.

At first I thought, That guy looks a hell of a lot like Derek Jeter. Then outside someone came up and shook his hand, and then someone else asked for his autograph so that pretty much guarunteed it.

Later in the afternoon I had my Loop run. It was quite sunny so the run was a bit tougher than usual. But my knee and hamstring didn’t bother me much at all.

I had my first encounter with an annoying fellow runner. He was pretty far ahead of me, but when we hit a hill, I was able to slowly close in on him, not on purpose or anything. I wasn’t even paying attention, but suddenly I was right behind him. I know it’s annoying to have someone running in your blind spot, so I pulled ahead.

Then he decided we were competing and caught up to me, and ran right next to me. It’s like, dude, either go slower or faster, I don’t want you as a running partner, thank you very much. So I forced myself to pull ahead again, going faster than I wanted. Luckily I didn’t poop out towards the end.

On my walk back home, I saw that SB, her hubby, and Ellie were sitting outside their building, eating popsicles. The Manhattan equivalent of sitting on a porch on a summer evening. I had a popsicle too – which surprisingly hit the spot – and suffered Ellie putting her freezing cold hands on me every two seconds.

This morning is writing and maybe some pilates if I can squeeze it in. This afternoon YP and I are heading to Central Park to take pictures.

I wish I had my camera yesterday when I was in the Park; I had to make do with my cell phone when I saw this dog sitting on a bench like a person.

You can barely make out the German shepard on the left. He has his back to me.

I have to get back in the habit of carrying my camera everywhere.

new york / running / sick / weekends / writing — 1 Comment
16
Jul 07

Quiet week into a quiet weekend

Which was fine by me.

Saturday morning I headed out to my favorite Starbuck’s and wrote for a bit before SB called. It was such a beautiful day, we took a walk, Ellie in tow of course, stopping at Sephora’s to ogle beauty products we didn’t need.

Afterwards we had lunch at her place – well, SB and I did. Ellie licked cream cheese off pita bread (gross) and then resisted her nap, getting crabbier by the minute. When she finally ate, the faces she made while immensely enjoying some delicious banana were hilarious. Are all kids this expressive?

That afternoon I spent a lot of time in the Park – wrote on a bench and ran the Loop. 6.1 miles! Woohoo! While I was running, my left hamstring and knee were achy, but today my leg feels okay. Maybe the pilates is working.

There are some excellent hills on the Loop. It’s interesting to see the entire jogging/biking/rollerblading population start to move in slow motion when we hit a steep one. Suddenly we runners are pulling ahead of rollerbladers, and some cyclists start walking their bikes. Then of course when we reach the downhill portion, everyone’s zipping past us.

I love the Loop because it takes me to parts of the Central Park I don’t otherwise see, like who knew there was a giant public pool? Probably lots of folks, just not me.

I was thinking yesterday how it’s taken me two years to really begin exploring the city. My first summer I was caught up with getting used to this new life, post-divorce, living on my own again. I spent most weekends wandering up and down 3rd or Park Avenue, visiting the same museums over and over.

Last summer I was caught up with dating DK, but I did start to get to know the Park a little then. Sometimes we’d meet at the Bandshell, and since he lived almost directly west from me, I learned to maneuver across the Park, rather than taking the very slow bus.

This summer I’ve finally gone out of my way to delve into this huge playground just a few blocks from my place, whether it’s reading by the Alice in Wonderland sculpture, climbing up Belvedere Castle, or trying to find peace in Shakespeare’s Garden.

On July 4th, I went running in the rain, and on my way home, I passed the little pond where people sail miniature boats. Usually that area is packed, but that day of course it was empty, and I was amazed at how peaceful it was with the rain falling on the water.

Yesterday I did some more exploring, this time walking to the East River. It’s pretty nice from the low 60s to about 75th Street, but after that you’re pretty much on the FDR, which between the fumes and kicked up grime, is not so fun.

I also woke up with a sore throat yesterday and was feeling kind of run down. So I didn’t mind staying in for most of the day and working my writing. I ended up revising three pieces, two of which are close to being finished, one of which kind of stinks.

This morning I was hoping to get up early and go to the gym, but last night some idiot stood below my window and screamed into his cell phone for a solid hour. I didn’t get to sleep till after midnight.

My throat hurts today too, and I still have that fatigued feeling. Lots of liquids and vitamin C, and a light workout at lunch. Hopefully, it’ll go away in a day or so, and not grow into a full-blown cold.

running / tcob / work / writing — 3 Comments
14
Jul 07

TCOB Friday

Well, except for a post.

Friday morning I did a lot of work for a change. Just hunkered down and did it. I complain about my job, but it’s not the work I dislike. If I’m just left alone to do what I need to do, it’s fine.

It helps one of my new co-workers seems pretty cool. We’re working on this project together, and agree our boss has been very unclear about his vision. Since she’s new, she was able to go to him and say, “I don’t get it” (though not in so many words), and so at the meeting he was able to clear things up. I’m still not sure if the project has any value, but at least we’re all clearer on the direction.

Had a meeting at noon (no lunch! had to concentrate on keeping from stomach from growling) and that consultant I have an on-and-off crush on joined via phone. I was hoping he’d show – I even wore a cute outfit (yes: I’m a loser) – but I think his office is in New Jersey. I got all giddy when he addressed me by name directly. So high school.

I accomplished even more work after the meeting, and was still out by 3.

Oh yeah, I also finally made dentist and eye doctor appointments. Well, the eye doc appointment is on time. The dentist is overdue from April. Also made my travel arrangements for a meeting in Chicago at the end of the month. For some reason, I’m really looking forward to it. Probably because I won’t be presenting, just participating in different trainings. Plus it’ll be my first time to the windy city, outside of stopovers in O’Hare.

Today’s reserved for writing and running. I’m looking forward to my jog in Central Park, and the weather seems perfect for it right now. Tomorrow there will be thunderstorms and I would prefer not to be hit by lightning. Ouch.

friends / running — 3 Comments
06
Jul 07

Rambling on Friday

No Boston for me :( I have to wait for the darned exterminator on Saturday. I tried to get him to come earlier this week but understandably they’re short-staffed.

I ended up not checking out the fireworks on Wednesday. In the late afternoon, I ran in the Park although it was raining. But really it was only drizzling and the trees provided good coverage.

On Sunday I ran 5 miles of the 6.1 Loop. Wednesday I wasn’t sure if I had the energy so I hit the Reservoir path instead, which is 1.58 miles. I think I ended up doing 5 miles again.

When I finished, it started raining really hard, and the several-block walk back to my apartment kind of sucked. Oh well.

I’m feeling sort of addicted to running in the Park. I thought about going again yesterday although my hamstring sort of hurt and I needed a rest. Didn’t go, mostly cuz I didn’t have time.

I also started doing pilates again. I feel like I’m losing both flexibility and strength, hence the aching hamstring. Pilates is HARD. I have a DVD, but I guess it’s been about two years since I’ve done it, and I was sweating bullets. Plus I’d like to do yoga more often. I only do it once a month or so, basically when I remember.

The challenge is my apartment is pretty small. I need to move my coffee table out of the way in order to do anything.

Yesterday I bought a pilates mat. My hardwood floor, even with rug and four towels, is killer on my bones. I figure the mat can double for yoga as well.

Rambling rambling.

Work is absolutely dead today. I’ll work on some writing, then hit the gym this afternoon. Oh yeah, last night YP and I went to this birthday party at this bar in Tribeca (straight one this time, where, ironically, the guys were available but far less attractive). Swanky! That whole area is adorable, very unlike Manhattan: wide streets, townhouses instead of highrises or walk-ups – I never knew it existed.

Speaking of Manhattan, that’s what I had. Woo! Yummy but strong. Maybe I drank it too quickly, but afterwards, I basically couldn’t feel my hands. That feeling faded though. It helped to down a club soda and gorge myself with some pesto pizza.

Mmm, pizza.

running / weekends / what i'm reading now / writing — 1 Comment
02
Jul 07

A nice weekend in the city

On Friday, I was able to take advantage of summer half-day Fridays and leave at 2 to hit the Container Store for some sort of storage facility for my collection of shopping bags that I simply cannot part with.

Before, they were stashed in other bags under my table in the kitchen. Then earlier this week, a cockroach the size of Danny DeVito zoomed out of my bathroom, into the kitchen, and behind those bags!

The roach was so big it made rustling sounds as it passed behind the bags, and moved so slowly – relative to that type of vermin – that I was able to contemplate for a moment whether or not to take a picture of it before finally killing it with an old Time Out New York magazine (the cheap issue!). That’s a long of saying I felt I needed to remedy the shopping bag situation.

After much musing at the store, I finally settled on two folding mesh cubes, one large for big bags and one small for little ones. At first I wasn’t 100% sure about them, thinking I needed something with a cover, but after going through the bags and not finding a squirming, hairless nest of baby mice like I’d been imagining, I felt better about my purchases. It also helped to throw about 2/3 of the bags away.

What’s cool about the cubes is that I can fit one inside the other, and also when I’m not using them, they can be folded and stored away without taking up much space.

While I was organizing my kitchen, I thought I’d clean it too. Also did a load of laundry and read quite a bit of The Kite Runner, which by the way is AMAZING. I cry about every five pages.

Saturday my plan was to write a lot, but I didn’t get as much done as I wanted. I wrote a scene for my memoir and had also wanted to start revising a couple of pieces, but I didn’t get that far. Instead I cleaned my bathroom, then walked down to Home Depot for a shower curtain liner.

I also stopped in Sam Flax for some fabric paint and brushes to finish the T-shirts I started in DC last weekend. I found the fabric paint but not the brushes, so I inquired.

“Oh, those are new,” the salesgirl said dismissively. “You’ll only find those in a big store.”

The Sam Flax I went to was pretty darned big by Manhattan standards. “So a regular brush would be okay?” I said.

“It worked for Rembrandt,” she responded.

I wasn’t sure if she was being snide but my gut reaction was feeling wounded. I put back all the fabric paint and decided not to buy the laptop sleeve I was thinking about.

As I walked back uptown, I started to get more and more pissed off. Later that night I dashed off a complaint, saying that I’d probably never shop there again. To their credit, they wrote back pretty quickly, apologizing, wanting details (who, when, where), and giving me a $10 gift card. Sweet! Though I’d have to pick it up at that store. Eep.

Sometimes I don’t know if I’m being sensitive or if someone is really rude. Usually I think the latter, but there are times I doubt myself. I think customer service in NY is pretty sucky overall. When I go out to L.A., I’m amazed at how nice everyone is.

Anyway, I wanted to clear my yucky feeling so I walked up to the Met and took a quick look around. Being in a museum always restores a feeling of peace for me.

By the time I got home it was already 5. I was seeing a movie with YP later so I only had time to clean the bedroom before getting ready. (Cleaning takes such a long frigging time.) We saw Nancy Drew, which was cute and fun. It’s nice to see a girl as an action hero – and an action hero in penny loafers! Her outfits were so adorable. I want every single one.

Sunday I finally was able to get a lot of writing done. I find I get more work done if I’m sitting in a cafe rather than my place with all of its distractions. In the late afternoon I went for a run in the Park. Five miles around the Loop, yay!

This run was much better than my first one, when I pooped out after just a three miles, having not hydrated properly and starting out too fast. This time I made sure to drink a ton of water beforehand, and to begin very slowly. It helped that there was this guy in an ING Marathon shirt in front of me. He was going much faster than I was, but I was able to keep him in my sights. Little did he know he was my rabbit.

The weather couldn’t have been better. Cool and dry. Running in the Park is so much fun. I’m totally doing it again over the days we have off this week.

At home I finished cleaning my place – finally! Now let’s see how little work I can do this week. ;)

awareness / relationships / running / weekends / writing — 3 Comments
15
Apr 07

Another one bites the dust

Weekend that is.

Today was a hermit day. It’s been raining and raining, and I haven’t wanted to go outside. I definitely didn’t want to take mass transit, and I didn’t want to walk in the rain just to get soaked. Plus I may have a tiny cold.

The vibe in my writing class is very good. Maybe because the teacher is a good combination of mellow and assertive – and he knows what he’s talking about – and everyone gets along so well. Well, almost everyone. But it’s not like she’s mean, just annoying. And she wasn’t in class on Thursday. Woohoo!

This week’s nugget: literary voice is biological. Some French philosopher said it. Don’t fight your strenghts but play them up. My literary voice is spare and clean. I’ve wished it were richer, like Michael Chabon’s, but I just can’t do it. So I don’t try anymore. I go with what I know.

Friday I took the day off to hit the Small Press Center’s fourth annual New York writers’ conference. I went to almost all nonfiction panels, except during the agent one I left because the focus seemed to be on commercial nonfiction rather than memoir, which is more like a novel. So I popped into the fiction agents panel.

Nuggets from the conference:

An author on writers’ group feedback: “If one person says it, grain of salt. But if two people say it, it’s something to consider.”
A great title is important. Duh, right? Examples of great titles: The Year of Magical Thinking, Angela’s Ashes, The Lucifer Effect.
Something important to agents is to show that you’re really a writer, not someone for whom writing is a hobby or a whim. Show that you’ve tried to get published in the right places, even if you haven’t actually gotten published.

Yesterday was a quiet yet productive day. Spent the morning updating my checkbook and organizing my files. Hung out with SB and Ellie for a few hours in the afternoon. Ellie insisted on walking most of the way to the farmer’s market so that took a year and a half.

She also insisted I come inside afterwards to play. What’s hilarious is that one of her stuffed toys, a hedgehog, somehow got named after one of my friends, Aki, who visited a couple of weeks ago. So all afternoon we’re calling this stuffed hedgehog Aki. “Where’s Aki, Ellie? Go get Aki!”

When it was time for Ellie’s nap (although of course she insisted it wasn’t), I booked, hitting a few stores for provisions. Late in the afternoon I actually felt inspired enough to run. Four miles, woohoo! though my left leg is sore today, from my hamstring through the arch of my foot, which always seems to happen when I run hills outside. I probably overextend.

Today, like I said, was extremely lazy. I’m not dreading work this week, for a change. Last week I finally tackled some stuff I’d been putting off for a long time. I bought this book on how to stop worrying, and I’m beginning to understand my procrastination and worry go hand in hand, that they’re like this vicious cycle that I can break out of by assigning to each “worry” simple steps that have immediate action.

That’s productive worry. Then there’s the unproductive kind, like that I’ll never remarry. But there’s only so much control I have over that and also I should look at the reasons behind this worry. Right now? I just came out of something that seemed promising so I’m bummed and lonely. Am I afraid of being alone? No. Do I feel like I have nothing else in my life? No.

An uncertain future doesn’t necessarily equal a bad future.

Usually I peruse the marriage announcements in the Times to see if there’s anyone I know, but today I looked for people my age or older. There were quite a few actually.

Today I was struck with the idea of saving up to a buy a little house by the water. By what water, who knows. I got a tax refund this year for a change so I feel encouraged in the financial area. I’ve been resistant to looking for something to buy, maybe because I thought I had to live in the city, but I like the idea of a little spinster house, all my own. That would be my dream, to write in my little house and come to the city for long visits, and other friends’ cities for visits, and travel everywhere.

rant and/or rave / running — 6 Comments
31
Jan 07

Why I Love Running

Because it feels good
Because even when it doesn’t feel good, it feels better afterwards
Because I always feel better afterwards and never worse
Because no other exercise is its equal
Because it makes me feel superior
Because it makes me feel like an alien being who does this crazy thing and barely gets out of breath
Because I can climb stairs and barely get out of breath
Because my red blood cells love it
Because my lungs love it
Because of the sweat
Because of the hot shower afterwards
Because of the peace afterwards
Because I can pig out afterwards
Because it makes me crave healthy food
Because it helps me sleep well
Because it keeps colds away
Because of runner’s thighs, butt, and calves
Becuase of skinny ankles
Because it gives me good posture
Because it makes me nimble
Because it’s free
Because it’s freeing
Because it clears my mind
Because it’s one of the few times my mind and body meld
Because I’m not such a great dancer but running to dance music makes me feel like I am
Because of the high
Because it saved me when I was at my lowest low
Because I love speeding past people on the sidewalk
Becuase I was always one of the fastest kids
Becuase it’s the closest I get to childhood
Because I can do it
Because if I were ever on a Lord of the Rings-type journey, I could keep up with Legolas, or at least Aragorn
Because of the sprint
Because of resisting the sprint
Because it’s the closest I get to flying

friends / running / sleep / spa / weekends — 1 Comment
30
Dec 06

I hate my upstairs neighbor

I know I’m a total old lady for wanting to go to sleep at 10:30 on a Saturday, but I was up at 7:30, ran 5 miles, had lunch with SB and played with Ellie for two hours, walked 25 blocks to my facial, made the mistake of trying to battle through holiday crowds down 5th Avenue to get to Koreatown, started to walk home, tried to take the subway at 59th Street only to find out the trains were screwy, and walked the 18 blocks home.

So I’m tired and don’t appreciate John Cougar Mellencamp – yes, that’s right, John frigging Cougar Mellancamp (yes, I thought the ’80s were over too) – being blasted, followed by much pacing back and forth in what can only be cement-filled shoes. Of course it’s quiet now that I’m thoroughly awake.

Well, the good thing is I did indeed have a lovely day. The 5 miles this morning came surprisingly easily, especially considering I ran 4 miles yesterday. I could have done 6 today but my achilles tendon felt sore.

I came home to find a voicemail from SB. I thought she, her hubby, and Ellie had gone to DC for the week, but unfortunately she and her husband caught some stomach flu over Christmas. I went over to her place for lunch. (They’re better now, by the way.)

Ellie was her usual hilarious self. Her new thing is pointing at me and saying, “Who dis?” when she knows perfectly well who I am, but gets bent out of shape when I say, “I’m Ellie.”

“No!” she cries. “I Ellie!”

If you’re gonna dish it out, kid, you gotta take it.

I told SB how I’ve decided a very long break from dating. She seemed surprised, which surprised me since everyone else I’ve told has been supportive. I know she thinks I want to have a kid and that I’d better hurry it up and meet someone quick. No thanks.

Although individuals in passing have appealed to me, I have no desire to actively seek dates right now. The idea of on-line or speed dating gives me a headache. I guess I still want to have kids someday, but, and this may sound silly, but I want it to happen serendipitiously. If I happen to meet the right someone, or if the right circumstances come about, or if the universe knocks me unconscious with a sign.

Maybe it’s passive, and I suppose if I really, really wanted a baby, I’d be more active about it, but I’m not interested in having that as my mission at this time.

Anyway, around 3 Ellie needed to go down for her nap so I took that opportunity to head to midtown for my facial, a special treat for myself. I enjoyed it but I didn’t appreciate the woman telling me my face looked like I never exfoliated it when I use that damned exfoliating mask at least twice a week, and then telling me I had oily skin when just a few a weeks ago my forehead was flaking off. I’m surprised she couldn’t tell that some parts are oily and some very dry. It’s hard to trust any of these people. The best facial I had was at Oasis Spa. I may have to go back next time.

If you’re ever in New York around the holidays, definitely STAY AWAY FROM 5TH AVENUE. Good God! There were an unbelievable number of people. The corners are especially bad, where folks just mill about like cattle.

The police have already started blockading the sidewalks in preparation for New Year’s Eve. A couple of us slipped through and took to walking in the middle of the street to avoid the crowd. A female police officer told one man rather calmly that he couldn’t. Then she saw me and barked, “Get in there!” indicating the barricade. Just what I need. To get into an argument with a cop. Things were calmer the moment I got away from 5th Avenue.

Tomorrow I planned on taking the bus from Port Authority up to Woodbury Commons to do some shopping, but now I’m thinking coming back to the Times Square area in the late afternoon/early evening on New Year’s Eve is probably not such a good idea. Instead I think I’ll stay in my area and hit a bunch of museums.

Another problem with being up late: I’m hungry all over again.

friends / holidays / new york / running / weekends / work — Comments Off
24
Dec 06

Off for the holidays

I realized I won’t be able to post again till I return from my parents’, who still have dial-up which is about as slow as watching plants grow, so I thought I’d do a quick entry before taking off.

Friday was YP’s last day. It felt weird to me though I think he was distracted by having to get all his stuff packed up and by being sick. Although the office was empty well before noon, I stuck around with him. I wanted to see him off and as well staying gave me the chance to do some grunt work that I’d otherwise would have put off for another year. We left around 2:30.

I keep thinking this is goodbye forever and I have to remind myself that it’s not like he’s moving to Zimbabwe.

Yesterday I finally got up early and saw all the store windows like I’ve been meaning to. Since I’m sort of rushing, I won’t post any pictures just yet. Is it just me or does Blogger get all screwy when you post pictures? Like a million spaces will be inserted after I do. Anyway.

So yesterday I got up at 6:30, left the house by about 7:30, and finished seeing all the windows by 11. Along the way I stopped for a breakfast sandwich and some lovely coffee, which was weirdly the best part of the morning. Then I went down to Jacques Torres, got the last part of my mom’s gift, and was back home by before 12.

Spent the rest of the day lazing around. Played with my pictures, read, packed. I hurt my toe somehow. Just the skin but in the wrong shoes it KILLS. I don’t know what happened. I ran more than usual last week – 4 miles on Monday, 1 on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday, 4 on Thursday, and 5 on Friday – but I don’t know if that’s it. I won’t run again till tomorrow.

In the evening I watched part of the Sound of Music, still one of my favorite movies.

I gotta get outta here soon. I really want to avoid the crowds and I can’t believe how much stuff I have. Gifts mostly.

Happy holidays, everybody! (Happy holidays, Dr. Nick!)

nanowrimo / running / weekends / writing — 5 Comments
06
Nov 06

Writing and running

This weekend was all about NaNoWriMo and the NYC marathon.

As per my trusty NaNoWriMo word counter to the right, I’m currently at 10,926, putting me about 2,000 words ahead of schedule. Of course cranking out the words during the week is tough with the job and all, but this weekend it was easy.

On Saturday I got in my word quota by about 11:30, having gotten up at 7. I didn’t work continuously for four and a half hours. I tend to write in bursts, interspersed with some staring-into-space-and-thinking, which looks a lot like doing nothing, and pure procrastination. An example of the latter:

nanowrimo%20triptych.jpg

The pretentious title I came up with for this concoction is “NaNoWriMo Triptych: Fuel, Tool, Inspiration.”

By the time I finished, I needed to get out of the apartment so I checked out the exhibits at Asia Society. They were okay. I took a bunch of pictures before being told by the security guard that I wasn’t allowed. Whoops.

I wanted to check out the Picasso and American Art exhibit at the Whitney, but there was a line out the door. Next time.

Sunday took me a little longer to get my word count in since I also needed to clean my apartment and see the marathon. I went out at about 12:30, first to 1st Avenue which, on the Upper East Side, marks miles 17, 18, and 19. I live slightly west of mile 17.5. I climbed onto a lamppost to take some pictures.

nyc%20marathon%202006_1st%20ave.jpg

Hello, guy in red.

Next I hoofed it to Central Park, which marks miles 23, 24, 25, and 26. I stood at about mile 24.

nyc%20marathon%202006_central%20park.jpg

I love the runners against the fall foliage.

Last year I watched at the same spot but a couple of hours later, so it was a different population. Some of the participants looked like they had never run before, or had gotten up that morning and thought, Think I’ll run the marathon today. But I shouldn’t knock them because there they had it to mile 24.

I’m determined to run the race next year. I thought completing 9 RoadRunners races before November 2007 would qualify me, but I read that incorrectly. I would have had to do 9 races by the end of 2006. Obviously that’s not gonna happen.

Another option for guaranteed entry is to do it for charity, which is what I should have done this year. Team Fox, of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, strikes a chord with me. Plus I like the name – Team Fox! Like we’re all fighter jets or something.

Somehow I hurt my leg while I was cleaning. I must have been in a weird position and stretched too far to attack a dust bunny. So now I’m limping around like I ran the marathon. Whatta joke.

Angela Tung Oversharing on the internet since 2005.