Blended Living

• Running at 10pm in NYC is really pleasant with very few people out
• that is during the summers
• in the winters it seems that is when most of the dogs get their last walk of the night
• its tough to run fast and not tick off one or more of them
• luckily our founding fathers, the ones that commissioned Olmstead
• had the foresight to create Central Park
• which still has dogs off leash at that time
• but they don’t seem to care about me huffing and puffing up some hills
• (they might pity me at that exact moment)
• as I’m so close to myocardial infarction anyway
• fartleks with speedwork up hills and catching my breathe downhill
• that will cure any thoughts about sitting too much
• as I sat on a bus back from AC for 5 hours because two trucks chose to crash into each other inside the Lincoln Tunnel
• Although any negative moment can have its silver lining
• as it was an interesting sociological observation absorbing all the passenger reactions.
• which reminds me of the science of shopping
• a fascinating book about our attitudes and perceptions within retail
• there probably is a transportation or travel equivalent
• I’ve yet to come across
• but considering 50,000 books are written each year
• the science of peoples reactions to travel probably exists
• back to running, I still get a rush when the runners world magazine shows up in the mail
• there was an interesting article about length of workout and immune weakening
• so I may keep my runs to 75 minutes and shorter during flu/cold seasons
• also another article about strengthening the core to help ease repetitive stress injuries
• something about proper alignment of the pelvis
• allowing stronger, surer foot falls
• kinda makes sense, but having difficulty adding these routines to daily workouts, but have to find a way otherwise plateauing will occur.
• that beach and ocean was pretty
• almost free vacations aren’t bad either

     The phone call was errant but well timed.  To go back to sleep or not, that is the question.  Suddenly I remembered the new running schedule that I planned on implementing… that is one of the new schedules that I was thinking of implementing.  Still, I was awake and enough so to pull on one of the not-so-new running shirts and tights that I start to grow familiar with.

I stopped asking myself if I look funny in these black tights, somewhat due to repetition mostly due to being thankfully warm during these last few runs.  It was 70 degrees 7 days ago, wasn’t it?  (I might still ask a friend if the tights are …)

Some lessons learned for winter running:

1. I need about 1 layer per 10 degrees F below 50F
2. Lip balm
3. Head and ear cover in the form of a cheap cap from the local 99 cent store.

So I headed out and woke quickly in the 15 degree’d wind-chilled air of a crisp New York morning.  I decided to go into Riverside this time…incorrectly thinking that it would be less windy.  I tried to focus on nasal breathing, to help the air warm and humidify a bit before hitting my lungs like sandpaper.  Also all that jazz about nitric oxide being good for you (another upcoming article).

My face burned from the wind before I got too far.  I pulled the black cap down a bit further and dealt with feeling good that my ears didn’t freeze like the other night.  Thoughts strayed to my late dog Lena – a Samoyed that never truly lived in the moment unless she was out in the park on days like this.  The thick white fur coat and huge smile that she brought everywhere with her still makes me smile every time I think of her and the nickname I gave her.  “Hostess of the park” I used to call her as she would grin and greet almost everyone that happened across her path.

Those reminiscenses got me through the first mile – as I turned by the empty tennis courts.  I looked out over the Hudson and saw the white breakers – if memory served that meant winds in excess of 12-15 miles.  Somewhere in my past there was a NYPL book that outlined little signs of what milage windage caused what.  Light leaves rustling?  2 to 4 miles per hour.   Branches moving? then 5-7 miles, etc.

The wind chill and frostbite table would have prepared me better, as I didn’t know till much later that it was “feels like” 15F.  I did decide to cut the run short as I got winded trying to pass a young coed that raced past me.   She was finishing her run as she circled the Dinosaur playground and exited.  I fed my wounded ego by running past her and back up the hill towards the north.  Thankfully it wasn’t windy in this section.  I could see my breath as I worked my way up the little hill.

A few minutes later I was home and warmly under my most comfortable comforter.  The post run nap was splendid.

It was finally cold enough to give my new running gear a test flight.  The Asics running pants or tights were perfect in the 50 degree weather as the sun was setting.  The wind just cut through them as I headed out walking, but as I picked up the pace, they proved to be very comfortable.

The leaves were falling in Riverside and made for a slight obstacle course as I headed down the hill and didn’t want to hit a wet patch and suddenly slide.  The setting sun made for some colorful hues as the choppy Hudson waters sparkled and danced for me.  Too bad I ate too recently and couldn’t hit my stride just right.  A couple miles was all I was good for today.

Still it was nice to be out there, not inside on these darkened days and nights.  The 20 minutes was enough to raise my spirits and put in another payment on my health mortgage.  These days that end so abruptly take their toll, so I’m trying to make it a point to be outside more under the sun.  That and the full spectrum bulb over my computer take off the edge of winter.