Excite & Fright

There has been some crazy weather up in the NYC.

Biggest snowflakes EVER.

Not that I’m complaining – I love snow. I love early dismissals from work, and I love having an excuse to wear my Bean Boots. And it has been keeping me from running outside, which is probably a good thing.

Me and my beer at 4PM on Friday.

The last time I ran was last Sunday before the Superbowl, and I did just about 3 miles. I did some walk/running that my physical therapist recommends when I’m coming back from an injury, but I knew that I was going to be hurting when I got back to my apartment. I did some icing, but I could feel my knee pain coming through again. SO ANNOYING.

I think I’ve been a good patient, and very good to my knee. I’ve been doing a lot of strength training and cross-training, and not going very fast when I occasionally run. But my IT band is being as stubborn as a mule. So I am taking yet another hiatus from running. I’m not happy about it.

Plus, it doesn’t help that I got a semi-scary email from one of my future coaches in Team in Training (EEP!!!). He had some general beginner’s tips about what we should be doing before actual training starts in March. One of them being “DO NOT SHOW UP INJURED TO THE FIRST PRACTICE OR ELSE WE WILL MOCK YOU.” Not quite that scary, but that’s how I read it. It makes sense – now is the time that we should just be preparing our bodies for the next five months of training, which includes both work and rest.

The header to one of my training emails! EXCITING!

So I’m taking a full two weeks off from running, and trying to get in as much cross-training as I can. I also went to see my favorite Physical Therapist today (Dr. Ngo is back from maternity leave! Please don’t have any more babies, I missed you too much).

The other semi-scary part of the training e-mail told us to get in some biking and swimming before the kick-off. I’m not all that concerned about the biking part. I usually get to one spin class per week, and do some biking on another day as well. The swimming part, however, has been interesting.

I checked out the Greenpoint YMCA Pool last weekend, ready to doggy paddle with my swimcap, goggles, and newly purchased one-piece swimsuit from Jack Rabbit Sports. I don’t know what I was expecting. The building of the YMCA isn’t exactly huge, but in my mind I thought they had an Olympic-sized clean, beautiful pool hidden inside. Reality: It was about 40 feet long, with three lanes.

I’m also accustomed to relatively-nice locker rooms at NYSC. Sure, I can barely wrap the towels they provide around one leg, but at least they have towels. Plus, the single bottle in YMCA showers labeled “Hair and Body Wash” scares me a little. Call me a snob, but I wash my hair and body with different suds. 

So I don’t think I’m going to join that pool. I’ve been doing some extensive research on other pools in the city, and I’m thinking of switching gyms and joining NY Health & Racquet. Several of their locations have pools, and maybe I’ll even dabble in some racquetball one day. I’m going to try a one-week membership, and if I like it, it will be a sad goodbye to NYSC.

Sads.

On the bike front, I brought my “mountain bike” from home back to Brooklyn yesterday. It definitely needs a tune-up, but I think it will do O.K. for a little while. I’m preparing myself now for the looks I am sure to get at the hipster bike shop when I bring it in.

On a more fun note, I had an awesome weekend. Keith and I went out with our friends on Friday night and did the only thing you can do when there's a snowstorm: Play drinking games. We played Kings for two rounds, and I was supremely impressed with my ability to remember all of the rules. Highlight of the night was during the "Categories" round - Subject: Movies that the Rock wishes he were in. Endless possibilities!

Keith and I also went home to my parents’ house for an amazing showing of Casablanca at the New Jersey State Theater in New Brunswick. Casablanca is my 2^nd favorite movie, so when my dad told me he bought tickets to a viewing of the movie, where an orchestra would be playing along to the music, I was stoked. I’m pretty sure I was the youngest person there, and Keith the 2^nd youngest. But even though I didn’t have a wheelchair or a walker, I enjoyed my favorite scenes and lines more than I ever have.

I’m looking forward to doing some more biking, swimming, and watching of old movies this week. Here’s looking at you kid.