The Joe Nation 2007 NYC Marathon Log

And the music is good too.

Hippy Bordy, Joe!

And today is the famous son's birthday as well, it seems.

At least that what the sparrows were chirping on the roof...

Hippy Bordy to the young master drummer, too!

Did I mention my duplicitous family? They told me back in March that they couldn't possibly all get together in April. Sister in China, niece in Japan, baby on the way in NJ, yadda yadda yadda, PLUS kid drummer in Dallas going to be on tour, youneverknow Spring weather besides I was running the Half Marathon and well, would need a nap for the rest of the weekend. (right)

You would have thought that I would have suspected something when my little akiddo showed, but no, I am both dense and susceptible to the most outrageous lies.

So...Sunday night after working at the store all afternoon, I get a call from my lying eyes wife. The one whom I told in no uncertain terms just a few days ago that it would be IMPOSSIBLE for her to surprise me as well as my brothers and sisters have submarined others - they are the real geniuses at this, I said sweetly, not you. "Yes," she said sadly then, "You're right. They are probably not going to do anything for you until August." So, I get a call. "Hey, l just got out of water aerobics, let's eat Italian over here on Ninth and Forty Fourth. Ben went to Brooklyn to see a friend, I'll call him and see if he can meet us."

I am tired, but then Ben shows up at the store. He got the call, but he has some things to do, can I wait, sure, we don't have to be there until 6:30 but we could go early, no, says he, actually I am hungry now I just ordered a sandwich and I am eating, YOU're eating? Yeah, I'm hungry why don't you read the paper or something? .......

yes. I'm dumb. He kept me waiting until there was just enough time for us to get to Forty-Fourth at 6:30pm.

They were all there. Laying in wait. Forty friends and family, like the thieves only nicer.

It was a great party. Lots of speechs and jokes and wonderful food.
I am wearing one of the new pairs of running sox I got and I also got SOX tickets for later this month.

liars. I love them.

Joe(I can't get this grin off my face.)Nation

Fantastic surprise, Joe. They gotcha good.

What a day!

SOX tickets? As in Red Sox - Yankees at Yankee Stdium tickets? WOW!

Such a good birthday, such neat family and friends...

So...
Have you been running since the race?
I got out today -- despite the rain -- for about four miles.

Let's face it. You deserved it, Joe! You really did.

What a son! (ok, also wife. and brothers and whoever else..)

and look at that george. he immediately zeroed in on the Sox tickets. That's how the native mind works around here. Pche! (as we Slovaks say).

Awesome, Joe. What a great celebration of your 60th birthday.

Final Surprise--Your Amex is paying for it

Priceless!

(Sounds like a great party, Joe. Many happy returns.)

You mean ya'll aren't chipping in?

====
It's been a great week.
Haven't run a step since Saturday which is going to depress my weekly average, but I still have Friday and Saturday to make things better.

Joe(off to return some gifts)Nation

What about Thursday?

It's cold and windy with a constant drizzle here.
I feel like joining Ishmael at the back of the nearest funeral procession.
Not being a seafarer, I guess I'll get out for a short, slow jog.

Thursday?
Is there a Thursday again this week?

Jesus, Coach George, give a guy a break!! I have a race on Sunday to get ready for but, just like where you are, the rain and the drizzle continue to continue and my role this week has been to take everyone to dinner every night.

Running tonight to go get my Sunday number, then early again on Friday even if I see a guy near the Central Park Zoo building a frigging ark.

Joe(pass the cubit measurer)Nation

Another race?
Joe, you're a racing machine!
What race are you doing Sunday?


There's a strange light in the sky here.
Looks vaguely familiar...

I got so inspired by your runnings that I picked up again. Well, I went twice, to be exact. I can run all the way to the Nieman Foundation (that's about five blocs, then I get all sorts of catches in my legs.
Annoyingly enough everything else is fine and I could run, but the damn leg won't cooperate. Must work some machines. I'm biking daily though, that has to help. I keep running though, just have to stop when it's too unbearable. Pathetic.
What's the Sunday race? Is it this one or the next one? I'll be in NYC from 25th till 29. Maybe I'll go running.... where would I go? My friend lives right opposite the UN on 42nd street. Any park or something around there?

Sunday's race is the Adidas Run for the Parks. Four miles and is divided between the joggers who never run a race and the racers who never jog.
I am in the unaligned nations group. I was going to try and run it fast but after sluffing off this week, I don't know.

And there is another race next Sunday (Run As One) but I may have to miss it because I'm having brunch in the Clubhouse at Yankee Stadium right before the game. (Go RedSox) (It's my birthday present from a friend)

Dasha: Take a cab to 90th and Fifth Avenue and run the Reservoir In Central Park. No traffic, flat all the way round (1.58 miles) and some of the best views of New York.

On a good day you will find yourself running with a couple of movie stars or Broadway actors or you can gaze out at the water and see if you can spot another species of loons.

Joe(Spectacular lighting effects at dawn or dusk)Nation

Well, the route will certainly be familiar!



> And there is another race next Sunday (Run As One) but I may have to
> miss it because I'm having brunch in the Clubhouse at Yankee Stadium
> right before the game. (Go RedSox) (It's my birthday present from a
> friend)

Words cannot express my envy.

Ah that sounds mahvellous. Hopefully I'll be able to run at least 2-3 rounds. It is getting better. I wasn't doing warmups before running and it was godawfully cold and rainy, so the muscles objected. They're learning.

Can't wait for sunshine in New York. On Saturday we'll be having a picnic near the Cloister convent, whatever that park is, maybe I'll run around before then. Yes.

Good luck with the races.... you've turned out to be quite a racist, who wouldda thunk.