Saturday, December 26, 2009

Where love lies the heart will follow


First let me wish everyone a Merry Happy Holiday season (whichever holiday you chose to celebrate). I was fortunate to be able to spend Christmas with my family, though I teetered back and forth as to if I wanted to plan the entity since it required a bit more than just driving up there. I ending up leaving super early Christmas morning since I have absolutely NO patience to sit in traffic (I realize most everyone's like that but I get super anxious & seriously can't deal...I literally plan trips around traffic times for that reason). I sat on traffic.com the entire day the 24th trying to find the "perfect" time to leave and never actually came to terms with anything I liked, then by the time I did I didn't want to drive. Alas I settled on setting my alarm for 4:30am and driving the 4+ hours to NH in the morning. Of course I set the alarm for that time but I didn't actually get the car rolling until about 10 til 6 (no surprise there). With my method of madness I was able to catch a gorgeous sunrise and pretty much no cars on the road to boot. Brilliant. The rest of the morning was spent at my Aunt's house for our traditional Christmas breakfast and a Yankee Swap. Then I got in the car and drove more to my parents' house for a bit of R&R and dinner. After all of that about an hour before I was set to drive again, it started to snow. What a perfect ending to an great day. No material gifts where exchanged but no worries that's just the way I wanted...there's a whole back story that maybe another time I will explain. Instead I received some of the best gifts: a to die for sunrise, time with my family, a track meet, friends and snow.


Saturday is another early wake up call, 8am this time around not 4:30. I decided that it would be best to park and leave my car in my grandparents yard in NH, rather than bother with it here in NY. I don't really need it though it would make getting out of the city a bit easier, but since I'm downsizing I figure that's probably one of the 1st things that should go. Since I was leaving it my grandparents were so very kind enough to drive me to Boston so I could partake in the 2nd series of Mini Meets at BU, and so I could just catch the bus from there home.
The mini meets are great low key tune-up meets where there is no pressure, it's still the beginning of the season. I use them as an extra workout. Seeing as I just got on the ball with training again, my endurance and a little bit of speed if off from what it normally would be at this time of the year, I decided to roll with an 800. It was eh, I may have been able to pull a little better out but it wasn't a surprise. I definitely didn't try quite as hard as I could have, but it definitely wasn't easy, no need to injure myself by pushing my body to it's brink. Honestly it just made me happy to see some of my friends, yet slightly sad too because I knew I was staying.

I'll always leave a little piece of my heart in Boston on the track so I can always go pick it up to leave it there for the next time.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

On Track

In getting myself in a routine, running/workouts are one of those things that needed a serious makeover from recently. Since taking my break from the outdoor season, then coming back only to break my toe, setting training back another 6-8 weeks, then working like crazy then deciding I'd "check out" NYC, to moving to the city, I had lost my way. I was running sporadically, there was no structure whatsoever and I certainly didn't feel like myself. It's slightly sad to say that my craziness is my calm, but it is. I never want to feel like stepping on the track defines me however it does make up a big part of who I am. It's my one true love (another really sad truth, I tell myself I know I've met the perfect man when he makes me feel the way running does).

After spending a week pulling the apartment together, I knew it was time that I made my way to the only indoor track in Manhattan, the Armory. Dragging my feet, not because I didn't want to run (well actually I kind of didn't, my body was not looking forward to the self inflicted pain), but because I knew that it would make a nice dent in my savings. I do have a specific account that I set money aside for all things track related even so I still didn't want to part with that big of a chunk of it knowing that I don't know when I'll be able to contribute to it again. Also the fact that the fee only includes track time and nothing else, with extremely limited times and lots of rules. I got over it quickly and schlepped up to 169th St in Washington Heights with my waiver all filled out, bank card in hand, and gym bag stuffed with my running gear.

In case you were wondering I will train by myself and continue to run affiliated with GBTC for the time being until I am certain that this move is more than a year. Not that I don't think that the teams here aren't better but rather than switching back and forth it's just easier. Also leaving my teammates was one of the few things that really made me not want to leave Boston. I have been in contact with one of Central Park Track Club's coaches and she has invited me to train with them if I get too lonely, which was really nice. Seeing as I will eventually need a runner outlet, it's good to know that it's there.

I started off my first workout to get used to the track with just some repeat 200's at a comfortable pace then threw in a modified hurdle workout. After which I was let known that I was a bit overzealous on my first day by slamming my trail leg the hurdle leaving me with a lovely black and blue prize. Count for the season is Deanna's knee:0 Hurdle:1 I did however get quite a few passes unscathed at the high hurdle level so it wasn't a complete bust.


I now have 3 real workouts down and I'm feeling good. Still adapting myself to the track since all my workouts will be done in mainly lane 2, which I hope doesn't wreck too much havoc on my body. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season and what it brings. Not quite sure what races I will race in but as they come I will weigh them out how they'll fit for me. Really I'm just happy to get back in the game and stay in it.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

I'm Back

I know that I've been really bad on keeping this blog updated in the past 6 months or so, but I'm back, I promise. I'm starting with this one and I plan on catching prior posts up to date, I have most of them started just not completed. Don't hold me accountable though if it takes another 6 months to finish them, I do live in the present not the past.


As most people know I just moved to NYC a couple weeks ago, in a whirlwind crazy uprooting. I had no particular reason, the opportunity presented itself perfectly in a timing that things were a bit off in my life and I just jumped head first.
It all was prompted by an impromptu visit to the city at the end of September to meet up with an old friend from Richmond who happened to be visiting the city, with a broken toe I hadn't been working much so I needed to break away. After buzzing around and ending up at a fundraiser I was hungry and wanted to go on a search for cupcakes. As I hobbled along the streets I had a weird sense that I could live here. I passed it off and went on my way*. Then as the weeks passed some ridiculous ordeal happened in my life and in an unexpected turn of events combined with a friend's desire to move to NYC spurred a big move. On November 3rd a friend from Boston and I went to Manhattan on a 'let's just look at what's out there'. The first night we looked at one place that was small but the price was right, then the next day we looked at 10 places but we kept going back to the 1st. The broker was awesome and told us that he'd be away until Sun so we had a few days to decide if we wanted to take it. After riding the emotional roller coaster and almost having a severe panic attack, I just decided to go with the flow and do it while I have nothing tying me down. And besides when else would I have this chance again? We called the broker on that Sunday and he sent over the application, we filled it out and before we knew it we had the place. So after last minute changing moving dates, on Dec 6th myself, my friend/new roommate (who did the exact same uprooting as me), my Dad and a few friends each on both ends, packed us out of Boston, drove the U-haul, and moved us into a quaint Upper East Side apartment. A very interesting task nonetheless. Just a side note: We are so very grateful to all those who helped us out in this move- we couldn't have done it without you guys- Thank you so very much!!!
I didn't have a job lined up, not that I wasn't looking prior to the move but it's hard commuting 4 hours each way, so I gave in and waited until I was settled here. After countless resumes emailed and dropped of as well as open calls and interviews I am sure something perfect will turn up in time (I know some of you may be worried but don't I'll be ok until it all pans out).
In the meantime I'm trying to pull myself together getting some kind of routine in, learn my way around the city, meet up with old friends, meet new friends and make where I lay my head feel like home. I never thought in a million years that I'd end up here. I'm taking each day by day and trying to savour every moment!

*Coincidentally where I ended up living was exactly where I was roaming/hobbling along when that odd sense came over me.