Back to New York

Despite the predictable unpredictability of work, I still managed to go for a bike ride with Neil on Wednesday evening and take a brief run around 11 a.m. Thursday. It was a quick, hot run, and I took it in my “old” pair of running shoes (the pair before my current pair).

I was wearing my old Asics cycling the other day and found that I liked the feel of them better than my current shoes. And they feel better on the road as well. So, when Neil and I get back from New York, I’m going to get my feet to Vertical Runner in Hudson—a running store that has been wildly acclaimed and recommended by just about everyone I know who runs in this area (which is about four people). It will be nice to know what my feet should be wearing these days.

This weekend, however, I will be wearing my dancing shoes because my friends Betsy and Dan are getting married in Montclair, NJ. Mariel has been gracious enough to let us stay with her on this trip, which is particularly useful because she a) is very hospitable; b) is an NYC tour guide/history doctoral candidate who has fascinating insights about the city; and c) has a much better handle on getting to Montclair than I do.

Most of my ideas about getting around the city don’t take party dresses and high-heeled shoes into consideration, so it’s nice to stick with someone who is swell and has a clue. Plus it’s going to be one steamy weekend, and I don’t think we would have much patience for any of my gaffes.

Perhaps I’ll even get to run in the city again. When we originally planned this trip (and I realized it was the weekend of the Cleveland tri), I looked around to see if any races were up on Sunday. What do you know? It's the New York Half Marathon! Maybe someone else will need to get married or engaged or house-warmed this time next year...

And then next weekend is the Greater Cleveland Triathlon! Charlie was nice enough to give me reassurance about commute-cycling vs. race-cycling (thanks, man). I’ve also been trying to get Neil to join the race as my insurance racer so I wouldn’t finish last. But then I changed my mind about Neil because I’d be pretty devastated if he could not train at all and kick my butt. And he’s competitive and naturally fit enough to do that (damn him!).