So yes, I reached the goal of $2,350 on the nose.
But meeting some arbitrary goal is not what’s important here.
Continue reading “To Infinity and Beyond, Etc.”
Author: kenwheaton
Puke and Perspective
I’m standing there reading and I hear a kid crying. No biggie. But he starts crying again. So I look over. There’s a woman, a mother, standing with a baby strapped to her. The baby spits up. Blerrghh. White gloop flows out of the baby’s mouth, on the lady’s arm and clothes and bag and onto her other child who’s sitting on the subway seat in front of her.
He’s the one crying. And coughing. I think he’s gagging. And I might be doing both as well if someone–especially a younger sibling–was showering me with vomit.
The baby didn’t seem to mind at all. It’s the thing that amazes me about babies when they’re spitting up. And maybe it’s the difference between spitting up and throwing up. The white gloop–I’m assuming it was baby formula–was just coming up like there was no end and the baby wasn’t gagging or coughing or crying even. It was almost like a little vomit machine just doing its job–and doing it quite well.
I don’t know how much the woman fed this baby, but it just kept coming. And she was fresh out of napkins. And she was laughing. LAUGHING.
Now, I can’t tell if it was embarrassed laughter: Oh my god, my kid’s puking on my other kid and all these people are watching. I could just die. Or if it was maniacal laughter: Well, this is it. The last fucking straw. It is now time for me to get a gun and start shooting people. Or if it was just old-fashioned, what-a-life laughter: I’m not going to look back on this one day and laugh. Because I’m laughing now. I’m hard-core bitches!
A number of people rushed to assist her. I had nothing to offer, but luckily women just carry a shit-ton of paper towels, wet naps, Kleenex and the like in their purses. One woman even helped the older kid out, dabbing at the puke on his legs and shoes. So ultimately it was a nice little subway moment, New Yorkers helping other New Yorkers out.
But if you’re having a bad week, just remember: You could be a woman trying to get somewhere with two children, one puking all over the place and the other one crying.
Or you could be that kid, sitting there on the subway while baby puke just rains down all over you.
Coach Kenny and the Case of the Stomach Cramps
Sometimes the coach must do what the trainee needs, not what the coach wants. This morning the coach really, really wanted to stay in bed. But Cara’s been struggling to get her motivation going AND she wanted to do hill runs in the park BUT runs at 5:30 and wasn’t sure if it was safe to go alone before the sun was completely up. So Coach Kenny dragged his ass out of bed a full two hours before he typically does (hell, let’s be honest: a full three and a half hours) to go running in the park.
Also, we have Book of Mormon tickets for this evening, so there was no way we could punk out and say, “Let’s run tonight” (and then just get home after work and watch Big Bang Theory reruns and feel smug because hey, at least we don’t run like Penny and Sheldon).
Six-Word Review of ‘Prometheus’
Should have seen ‘Magic Mike’ instead.
Every Author’s Dream
How many of us would die of happiness if a couple of nerdy fan-boys wrote a song and created a video pleading with us to write more. Behold, “Write Like the Wind (George R.R. Martin).”
Just straight-up stolen from Dawn Summers.
Best Burger Poll Absolute Bullshit
This list right here? From Time Out New York allowing people to vote Best Burger in the City? Bullshit. If 282 Burger in Brooklyn isn’t on it, I’m not voting. End of story. Would 282 win? I don’t know. But I do know it would beat Bonnie’s and Burger Bistro in Brooklyn. Hands down. No problem. (Sorry FIPS, but I’m not voting for the Park Slope faves as Bonnie’s tastes like char and Burger Bistro was fine until we got to the long piece of blue thread in the beef.)
Tell you something else, too: 282’s hot dogs are better than Bark’s. So put that in your hot-dog bun and smoke it.
More Happy Endings, Please
Before most TNT Group Training Sessions, we have what is called a Mission Moment. As you’d expect, a lot of these stories are heartbreakers — friends, siblings, children getting the diagnosis, struggling to accept, suffering through treatment. Many make it. But too many don’t. As you’d also expect, sometimes before setting out on a group training run, we all have ourselves a good cry.
But not always! (READ MORE)
You Treat Me Like a Bantha and It Feels So Rough!
Just had to share this beyond Facebook. “The Star Wars That I Used to Know.”
Borderline genius, right there. I’m a big fan of the original song, but haven’t watched any of the covers, spoof videos and what have you supposedly making the rounds. I did, however, seek out Kimbra, the woman who accompanies Gotye (or as I often refer to him accidentally, Goatse, which isn’t nice, but it’s purely accidental, I promise).
Anyway, Kimbra seems cool. She’s got a weird vibe, but she’s still poppy enough to enjoy as music rather than homework, say, like Fiona Apple.
By the way, still raising money for TNT. Help a brother out! Fight cancer. Save lives.
Paging Nelson Muntz
What a beautiful morning for running. 58 degrees? No humidity? At the end of June? Get the hell outta here! If it hadn’t been a stupid conditioning day, I probably could have done a 10 mile run. Backwards. It was that nice out.
By the way, I’m till raising money for TNT, so bust out the wallet!
Bonus, non-running related anecdote. As I’m running into the park, there’s a woman running out and she spots something on the ground and for about three seconds starts to freak out. Eyes get big, hands start fluttering, feet start high-stepping and she says, “Oh my god, oh no.”
There was a smushed snake in the road. A smushed, plush snake, I should explain — some child’s discarded stuffed animal, soggy from last nights rain, it’s tongue hanging out. The woman saw me seeing her make a bit of a fool out of herself and blushed. Sometimes I wish I could do a Nelson Muntz impression, because, “Ha ha!”
Did 6 400M uphills with downhill recovery. I possibly could have done more, but last time I did these (before Brooklyn Half), I screwed up my hamstring. I’m also still breaking in the Spidey shoes.
1.15 mile warmup.
Uphill 1: 1:46.0
Recovery: 1: 3:00
Uphill 2: 1:48
Recovery: 2:56
Uphill 3: 1:49
Recovery: 2:59
Uphill 4: 1:53
Recovery: 2:58
Uphill 5: 1:53
Recovery: 3:08
Uphill 6: 1:49
Recovery: 1:24 (not a full 400 obviously)
Then stretching and a little strength training.
Also, in technology-related annoyances. Thanks to DailyMile for not syncing with Garmin this morning. And thanks to Garmin for finding the perfect beeping pitch to send one of the dogs into a mini seizure.
Governors Island Race
Yesterday, we ran the Get Outside on Governors Island 10K. According to the Garmin, I finished in 49:16. This is unofficial time, but I think it’s close enough to official time (which was posted on a board after the race but hasn’t been posted online yet, which is fine by me.)
I wasn’t going for a PR (that’s technical running jargon for Personal Record). Or that’s what I told myself. I ran a total of 8 miles on Saturday and yesterday’s was the hottest race I’ve run this season. And I didn’t get a PR. Considering heat and the previous day’s training, I’m perfectly happy with the pace, but it WAS slower than my Brooklyn Half pace. Started out strong, but faded. Oh well.
I’d highly recommend this race. It was a lot of fun. And different. Check out the map. Ridiculous amount of turns, narrow paths, cobble stones, bricks, grass, running through a moat. (Did not wear the Spidey shoes for this one)
Was a little concerned about the narrow paths, but aside from the first twenty feet after the start, this race didn’t feel crowded at all. And for the $20-something dollar entry fee, you get a really good shirt (Ladies, they had women-specific shirts as well), a decent bag and a metal water bottle. Oh, and a good race on beautiful Governors Island. Definitely will do this one again.
1 7:48.9 1.00 7:49
2 7:44.3 1.00 7:44
3 8:00.8 1.00 8:01
4 8:04.7 1.00 8:05
5 8:13.4 1.00 8:14
6 8:38.9 1.00 8:39
KEN WHEATON 