#New Balance Bronx 10 Mile

[dealz-are-sweet]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: New Balance Shirt Size Medium New York Road Runners Bronx 10 Mile Run 2017 NYRR.

[dorevenge]

where ignorance is bliss - chapter 2: where grass was green

SUMMARY: Obadiah is off to Washington to assist with the war in Vietnam, and Peggy and Maria grow closer, as Maria learns something she wishes she didn't. [AO3 LINK]

CHAPTERS: 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ☆

November 15, 1959 – Bronx, New York, Obadiah’s Apartment

Struggling to find ways to pass the time after the war, Peggy frequented my apartment. The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (or, S.H.I.E.L.D., as everyone says to save precious time) has been involved in the fight with Vietnam for a few years now. Obadiah left for Washington right after the Stark Expo to give weapons consult in the war, and I haven’t seen him in almost three months. We would write letters sometimes, and phone even less. I moved into Obie’s apartment to take care of the place while he was away for an indeterminate amount of time, and Peggy crashed in the living more times than she would care to admit.

“Did you love him?” I ask, fixing the two of us another round of Old Fashions. The empty Chinese carryout containers are scattered across the coffee table before us. There’s a good restaurant between the S.H.I.E.LD. Headquarters and the apartment, and Peggy will frequently grab something on the way here.

“I only knew him for a couple months,” Peggy replies, taking the glass. I curl up next to her on the couch, our heads leaning in towards each other. “So it’s hard to say. It could have been. We were both young, thrown together during some of humanity’s darkest days. We were all looking for something to believe in.”

She swirls the glass in her hand, lazily watching the whiskey fall back down the side before continuing.

“What about you and Obadiah? Is this love?”

“I don’t want to talk about him.” The corners of my mouth curl downwards on their own. Peggy notices. Peggy always notices.

“Trouble in paradise?”

“It’s more like paradise when he’s gone rather than when he’s here.”

“Why is he your boyfriend if you don’t even like him?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I take a large gulp of my Old Fashion, the whiskey burning the back of my throat. “He’s my fiancé.”

Peggy sits up, and my head slides off her shoulder to the cushion of the couch.

“Your what?” She takes my left hand into hers and finds my ring finger bare.

“I keep it in my sock drawer. Whether out of safekeeping or embarrassment, I’m not sure.” I sit up.

“When did this happen? And why did you say yes?” She looks at me with a tight expression, concern and worry on her face. Her red lipstick is all but gone, a faint imprint of it left on the rim of her class, and her usually tight curls hang loose around her neck and chin. If she weren’t so upset, I’d reach out to tuck one of them behind her ear.

“The last day of the Expo. He… He’s comfortable. We have our routine. We play chess together, I straighten his ties, I smile at the men he wants to invest in his company. I get some of the profits for my charities, and we make each other look good.” I frown at the empty glass in my hand and contemplate fixing another.

Peggy sets down her unfinished drink and looks at me. She has a way of effortlessly shifting her gaze from disapproving to comforting in a second. I never know if I’m going to be talking to the “unrelenting founder of S.H.I.E.LD.” Peggy or the “let’s go shopping and day-drinking” Peggy.

“I’m sure there’s a man out there that complements you and makes you feel good. You just-”

“-haven’t found him yet,” I finish her sentence. I’ve heard it from everyone – my parents, coworkers, strangers who learn I’m 23 and still unwed. 24, I remind myself; my birthday was on the fifth, less than two weeks ago. I feel the effects of the whiskey settling in, my eyes growing heavy and my weight shifting to my stomach. “You’re lucky to have experienced two great loves.”

“Daniel is far from a true love, hence why I stay with you the majority of the week. I’m also fourteen years older than you and have had more time to find them. I was 24 when I met Steve; there’s still plenty of time.”

“There doesn’t seem to be many men like Steve left.”

-

Peggy was gone without a word the next morning, and I am left alone with a pounding headache. By the time I wake, its well past noon on Saturday, and the mail’s already been delivered under the door.

I rifle through the envelopes once my toast is done, the coffee pot almost full, and the majority of the mail is addressed to Obadiah. Bills and letters of interest from inventors that I’m supposed to forward to him in DC. There’s a letter addressed to me in his precise, meticulous handwriting, but the one that interests me most is from Roxxon Oil Company, a large, thick packet with “CONFIDENTIAL” stamped across it. Naturally, I open it.

Maybe it’s the lingering hangover or the knowledge that Obie would forgive me for anything under the sun, but I rip open the envelope as I sip on my morning coffee, pouring all its contents out on to the table.

Most of the information doesn’t interest me, talking about drill efficiency and rigs and pipelines, until I find the balance sheet and investing information. I did get my master’s in accounting, as Obie tends to forget as he relegates me to a trophy wife. As I drift back into sobriety, the pieces start falling into place. Roxxon isn’t investing in Stane International; Stane is investing in Roxxon, and they were already profiting, working together, inventing together. The copies of the blueprints are of Obie’s design, seeking to create clean energy to replace gasoline down the road. In the last two years, Obadiah has made hundreds of thousands of dollars, with deposits and withdrawals from countless accounts, and reinvesting it, the paper trail deliberately as confusing as possible. I’d call it embezzlement if it weren’t his own company.

I get a scratch piece of paper and start doing the math. It isn’t adding up. Nothing is adding up, the dates and locations, let alone the cash, with several documents addressed from Russia. I sit up, my heart in my throat, pulsing so hard it feels like the world around me was shaking.

Obadiah is not a sneaky man by nature. I knew that he was interested in me before he realized it; I knew when he was going to ask me to go steady with him; I know when he is on the brink of a great new idea. He tries his best to hide things, but every move of his body betrays him. I’ve caught him sticking things in the back of his closet and under his bed more times than I could count, and I’ve never had the opportunity to check with him there. But seeing as he’s away…

Kneeling, I fumble underneath the bed frame until my fingers find purchase on a briefcase, and I slide it out. I wrestle with the knobs until I realize there’s a four-digit code keeping it locked. Before I mess with the dials, I notice the number. 0213.

“Oh, Obie. Do you have to be so predictable?” February 13th was our first date; he chose the day before Valentine’s Day because he believed the holiday of romance should be reserved for people already together, and he made a spectacle on 14th because we were together at that point, by his logic.

The top of the briefcase pops open at my touch, and inside I find numerous telegram slips, copies of both those sent and received. I sift through them quickly, none of them really catching my eye, filled with code words that I didn’t have the motivation to try to decipher. One of them caught my eye, and this is one of the only times Obie’s over-organization paid off because the telegrams were in chronological order.

RECEIVED

September 21, 1957

To: Stane, O.

O., I am glad to hear you secured the trust-fund. Let me know what day you’ll tie the knot, and I’ll tell you where to wire the funds. I might just send you a gift to celebrate.

NEFARIA, G.

SENT

September 28, 1957

To: Nefaria, G.

I’ll be traveling for work extensively the next four months. Please send files to Location 2. She can’t know anything.

STANE, O.

RECEIVED

September 30, 1957

To: Stane, O.

O., safe travels. Remember the end goal – the reactor that threatens our future. It cannot be manufactured by anyone but us, for our sake.

NEFARIA, G.

Prior, my heart had felt like it was running a mile a minute; now, it feels still in my chest. Dead in the water, like a stunned minnow tossed in to attract larger fish. “The trust fund.”

I had been courted before for my parents’ wealth. In college, a boy had pursued me relentlessly. He made me feel beautiful, special, and like the only star in his sky. He had convinced me that love was this roller-coaster rush of emotions, one collision after the other, until his dormmate clued me in on his intentions. That’s why I try to keep Obie in the dark about what I’ll inherit, how big my trust-fund really is. Growing up, I was unaware of how good we had it; all my friends in boarding school were from the same social and financial class, we all vacationed at the same spots and shopped at the same boutiques. It took a lot of eye-opening experiences at university for me to realize life was different for others, and it honed my ability to detect insincere motives. Too little, too late, but I won’t let it happen again.

With shaking hands, I put the papers back in their order, and I snap the briefcase closed, pushing it back under the bed with a force. I return to the kitchen table where I had spread the other documents out, collect them, and place them back as they were. I’m not sure if I need to try to seal it to make it look unopened, or if I should destroy the whole thing. He hadn’t asked me about forwarding this one specifically, so he might not be expecting it. Under the documents, I find the letter addressed to me again. Obie’s handwriting hits me differently now. How well do I actually know the sender?

Mar- (God, I hate it when he calls me Mar.)

I am writing to you with success here in Washington DC. We have made valiant efforts with the war. We expect Vietnam to concede soon. Our troops are vigilant and the best America has to offer, and their farmers pose no threat to us or the hope of victory. I expect to return home to you Friday the 15th of November. I’m sorry, darling, that I missed your birthday, but perhaps I can make it up to you.

See you soon at home,

Your Obie

Friday. Today was Friday.

The living room was a mess. Peggy’s and my drinks and dinner dishes scatter the room, the mail on the table, and I look equally disheveled. I know Obie would be disappointed, as the apartment is always speckless when he’s here.

I am a flurry around the house, collecting garbage in the bin and dishes in the sink. I tie the heaping garbage bag and leave it by the door, and rush to check my appearance in the bathroom. A scarf around my hairline will make the windswept, frenzied style look intention, and I change into a simple blue sundress. Obie didn’t have a dishwasher, so I put an apron on to protect my dress from the dishwater.

As I was setting the last glass out to dry, a knock resounded from the front door. I could feel it reverberate in my chest, and my heartbeat pulsed in every finger in my hand. Shaking, I set the glass down, wiped the water off my hands, preparing myself to smile and wine-and-dine the man I’ve already committed myself to.

[nycrunning]

November was something… I ended up with the most mileage and tons of great runs… It started with the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, a hilly 5K through many NYC touristic attractions like the United Nations, Grand Central Station, the NY Public library, Central Park, etc, all the way to the NYC Marathon finish line. I made a little video if you want to see what it looks like. It’s quite fun.

The next day, of course, was the marathon… I started the day early with a 12 mile run before spectating. It was a gorgeous day.

The Argentinian flag by the finish line!

We started the cheering around 10:30, when some of the wheelchair athletes were still going through First Avenue. We saw the pros and a LOT of friends, a LOT.

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We then moved the cheering party to Fifth Avenue for a few hours. I had little voice left but we managed to yell and cheer for a few more hours.

After a quick lunch and regroup we headed to the finish line to cheer on the last finishers. That is the biggest party!

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November has a lot of races and amazing runs… because the leaves change, it’s just magical out.  Here is one example:

I run a bit of the 60K to keep Michael company, that was fun:

The next day, I was signed up for two races. I know people who have done this but I never had. First, a 4 Miler in Central Park, at 8 am:

That went fine. Then some caffeine and up on the 1 train to Van Cortland Park for a trail 5K at 11:30 am.

That was intense… Legs were stiff right at the start of the 2nd race (it was a bit cold) but once we got moving it was fine. Happy it was a short race or I would have gotten hungry.. it was noon and all!

A few days later was Thanksgiving and spent it with family!

I am also lucky that I have a friend who lives close to my family and took me out for a 7-mile trail run, post-Turkey.

Looks sunny but don’t be fooled: it was freezing!!

That weekend we also did an exploratory long run into Queens and the neighborhoods that would be affected by Amazon’s takeover of the area. The LIC QNS waterfront has been evolving a lot in the last few years and it looks amazing. For now at least.

Told you it was a LOT!!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 173, that IS GOOOOOD!

Downs: Not one.

Ups: All the fun fall folliage runs… Running can be quite epic in November, when there is daylight to see it! Also, finally caught up with my yearly mileage!

Balance: ALL so good. Hey December, TOP THIS!

October

Don’t call it a comeback, but I wish it was! In October, my legs finally felt good to go again, after about 3-4 months of some twinge, strain or whatever it was. I should have stopped running and I would have been fine in a month or two, BUT I was not going to miss Summer Streets… that really messed it all up. And I was managing it properly so I didn’t have to stop running but it took waaay too long because I didn’t really take the time to fix it. Anyway, I did the Bronx 10 miler (here is the report and here is a short video of the race),

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and a week later I did the Divas Half Marathon in Long Island -a tough race for me as I was all alone after mile 4 (how do the elites do it??). Here is a video of the race.

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Then, I took a last-minute flash trip to Argentina to see the family, especially my pregnant sister and I had some amazing runs. I did a long run from Palermo to Vicente Lopez and back, and a few more runs around Palermo and inside El Rosedal. It was epic. Here is a little video I put together.

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When I came back home, there were many great runs, as it was the few weeks before the TCS New York City Marathon and there are really waaaay too many events. Which is a great thing if you can clone yourself. Otherwise, it’s FOMO all day long as it’s impossible to go to everything. Take your picks and don’t look back!

The last weekend of the month, and the week before the marathon, I do the Polland Spring 5 Miler. It was a great run with Michael, we chatted the whole way and it was my 21st race this year, a PR. Not a really a PR but I’ll take it! I am behind on mileage and still really really slow so that’s all I have these days…! Good enough for me!

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Closing up the month with a visit to the marathon expo to pick up my bib for the Abbott Dash 5K, will report on that soon!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 140, oh well. SO behind my goals this year

Downs: NONE

Ups: running in Buenos Aires was literally epic. I can’t get over how fun that was!

Balance: ALL thumbs up!

September

hello Friends!

September was more work and socials and running… Is that a good thing? emmmm. You can decide (and keep it to yourself, as I like to say). There were some epic runs and some crappy runs. Mileage was pathetic not impressive. Some runs made it all worth it. We did a run to the Little Red Lighthouse, which was awesome.

I had no pain and I felt strong. The next long run was awful. The day after was AWESOME. Get the jist? A run to the Bronx and back last week was great. I was a bit all over the place (meaning: not just in Central Park) but I really like that. Had a few long runs with Kettia and Khris (as you can see I have a favorite pair of Oakleys).

The run to the Bronx was awesome but I got no pictures. I get distracted sometimes, I AM truly sorry!

Ah the sad part: Juan was ready and all packed to leave to China for his half Ironman and the RACE GOT CANCELLED…

Sad. Now we’re BOTH going to another one in November… in China also. It’s about 33 hours door to door, exciting! Gotta learn some Mandarin, help please!

and then I started feeling better. It was instantaneous. The little itch I had in the back of my leg went away last Thursday and voila… there goes 4 months of what the hell is this? but I am back! 

And Sunday was the New Balance Bronx 10 Miler, ohoooo. I’ll refer you to the official post, but it was fun. Slow as F but fun. Oh well, here comes the time to pick back up the speed. yeeeeeey.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 116, ooops, went from the biggest month to a very small one. OK.

Downs: my knee had a weird twitch and I was getting very tired of it. Had to skip the Newport Half to make sure I was giving it the rest and time it needed.

Ups: I finally felt ok in the last week: strong and ready to push back. 

Balance: Good now. I feel I am back to normal. Slow but normal.

August

is always a good month because of SUMMER STREETS, literally, I should be hired by the Summer Streets People because I feel like a community evangelizer. That is all I talk about to anyone all year long. You know it. Anyway, to recap: I like Summer Streets. A bit. If you just met me or this is the first time you read this blog, Summer Streets happens 3 weekends in August, on Saturdays: they close traffic on Park Avenue in the Upper East Side all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge, for 5 hours. It’s MAGIC.

If you missed it, shame on you (and, how are we friends???). If you never heard of it, pen it in for next year and don’t make vacation plans or don’t say yes to weddings. If you don’t live in NYC, get tickets now. 

So, Summer Streets was awesome, even though it RAINED ALL THREE SATURDAYS as you can see in the pictures (ugh) and we have to chop one run short because there was lightning, thunderstorm and flash flooding (but mostly because with all that water I couldn’t keep my contacts inside my eyes…!). It was still awesome. 

The day after the first Summer Streets, July something, a Sunday, I run the NYRR Manhattan Mile, a new race and a distance I’ve never run. So, automatic PR you say? Meh I don’t count those, but I WILL COUNT THE NEXT TIME I RUN THIS DISTANCE because I run it as slow AF. So, here we go: I have a bum knee. It’s not chondromalacia patellae, it’s not ITBS, I’ve ruled out a lot of things but it’s just weird because it hurts VERY randomly. AND, if I take time off, it hurts more. Go figure that one out. Good luck. Anyway, that day my knee was hurting so I struggled to finish. It was also like one hundred million degrees celsius/fahrenheit. 

Luckily I had Jackie, Michael and Brian to not only keep me company but throw power boosts at me during the last mile where they all decided to pick it up and I was just not into it. Aw, friends that throw stuff at you while you want to curl and cry are the BEST! ❤ I guess.

HA.

The next weekend was another combo of Summer Streets and a race. This time I attempted to do two races on Sunday and it didn’t work out AT ALL. I wanted to do the France Run, a 5 miler in Central Park at 8, and then scoot out to Williamsburg (in Brooklyn, for all my international readers! This Wsburg is in BK, not Colonial Pennsylvania, as I had to be told a few times in my first years in NYC coming from Philly!!!) (where was I?) then scoot out to Williamsburg to race the Brooklyn Mile. My heat was at 9:30 am. Possible?? Not really. What was I thinking? Not only David and I run France Run as slow as we possibly could without bursting into a walk spider-crawl, BUT we then proceeded to be extra stooopid fun after we finished and pretend talk in French and rename everything. We then also decided, while it rained, to taste and eat all the French things they had… chocolate, financiers, it was good… oooops, it’s 9:30! CRAP. And the truth is, I wasn’t in any shape to race a mile. My knee agreed (probably).

The last weekend of August (am I missing one???) it was a doubleheader. I did the Percy Sutton 5K in Harlem on Saturday and the Henry Isola 4 Mile XC in Van Cortlandt, Bronx, on Sunday. Who knew I could handle it? The knee was stoopid all week so I run to the 5K with Kettia and David SUPER slow, like 11 pace and was thinking to maybe cheer. I felt 100% pain-free so I decided to race. It was slow (23:06 It think, 7:24 pace) well, yes, I haven’t done anything hard in 2 months so I couldn’t expect much more but I felt good and that is all I cared about. Plus it was fun. We met lots of people, Frankie run me in, we had an hour-long stop on the run back… it was all shit and giggles, the way a race morning should be (to me, don’t judge!).

We run back. I ended up with like 10 miles… then… the next day, cause I felt ok… (who feels ok the day after a 5k?) I decided to run to the Bronx to run the Henry Isola 4 miler. It’s in the trails and it’s cross country. Ummmmmmm I was an XC virgin and had NO IDEA what I was doing. I didn’t even know why my age and gender was on my bib! Or how we all run on the grass and not the path…? it was all so weird. So, I’ve done trail races, like ultras, or like Bear Mountain 50K, or stuff like that. But this was SOOO DIFFERENT. Fast but also trails, crazy. Anyway, I run to the Bronx, got there at 8 am, race was starting at 9 and it was SO BURNING HOT already… I started feeling all the heatnessticity before we even started. It’s a smaller race than the typical NYRR race, like a LOT smaller. 40% of it were we out of the trails and in THE SUN. The last loop was hard and I won’t admit this to myself but there’s a chance I didn’t negative split this race. It was still great though (if can call walking up Cemetery Hill twice because your legs can’t run up, then yes it was great).

I think you can tell how HOT it was. Maybe by the sun situation, or my sweat situation, or maybe becase my hair is fried. I didn’t run back home. At all. I tried. But no.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 157, biggest mileage month so far this year. Just checked and my biggest month was 187 miles in October 2016. 

Races: Four. Two were miserable/slow. One was ok, one was awesome.

Ups: UM, HELLO, SUMMER STREETS. Did you forget already??? Also, that’s the most miles I run in a month this year. Catching up.

Downs: THIS STOOOOPID KNEE. Sorry, sorry, I still need love you knee, please don’t hurt me, anymore, prettyplease?

Balance: I wanna feel un-pain again and run hard, and do speedwork and I hate this crap. 

July

I barely remember July already and it was just now. My parents were still visiting so we kept touristing around and we had an amazing Fourth of July with all the official NYC fireworks on the East River. Epic. I did two races, with meh performances. The first one was the NYRR

hair working hard for the picture, post-Retro 4 Miler

 Retro 4 Miler, and I was really lame to not dress up, or back?  I seriously will wear any costume but just like happens every single Thanksgiving Halloween, I don’t care enough to remember more than 1 minute ahead of time. Every year I tell myself I am totally going to dress up next year and then I forget. Then every year, when the costumey event happens, I tell myself I am gonna set a reminder in the calendar for a month BEFORE Halloween/race/etc so I can plan ahead… but I am a snooze-hitter with things I don’t really want to bother with (NOT the alarm, you KNOW I wake up before the alarm even goes off!), and I use my go-to motto: if I didn’t bother doing it so far, no chance in hell this is gonna get done ever. Just like with the emails at the bottom of my inbox. If it’s been 2-3 days, there’s a high chance they won’t get opened/read/replied to… AAAANYWAY, I didn’t wear a costume for the Retro Run because I am lame. But people do, and it’s SUPER fun and I really really really always wish I did. mooooving on. Ah, so, the race. Wasn’t feeling it. I met with Courtney to do about 4 or 5 miles before and I kept wanting to go home. I was THIS close. Does that ever happen to you?

Then, I also did the NYRR R U N 5K in Central Park last week. Also wasn’t fast or anything special. It was a bit like hell hot so I decided to hold it in a bit. I managed to not kill myself. It was meh, but I love that course, it’s pretty fast with just one hill. Saw like a million people I knew, which was fun as always to catch up and chit chat and all those things with lots of chs in them. cha cha cha.

If anything else exciting, fun, amazing happened, I either don’t remember or it’s totally private or NSFW! HAAA, got you thinking!!!

DATA DOWNLOAD

exciting huh? I am behind on my mileage… been behind since,… January??? I am lazy or having too much fun, you decide.

Total Miles: 152, not bad, not bad… not amazing but the most this year. July is a good month to run!

Races: 2. LAME!!!! Last month I had 6… so… AH THAT’S WHY MY MILEAGE IS UP!!!

Ups: I heart running in the summer. LOVE IT. JULY NEEDS TO BE 325 DAYS PLEASE.

Downs: omg my hair in the weather. HELP. Send the firemen or the paramedics or Paolo Puttanesca asap.

Balance: I have no idea. ALL I CARE ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS SUMMER STREETS. SUMMER STREETS STARTS IN TWO DAYS. SUMMER STREETS IS THE BEST. SUMMER STREETS HERE I COME. SUMMER STREETS IS THE BEST. DID I TELL YOU I LOVE SUMMER STREETS?

can you tell I am melting?

June

was a great month. Let me break it down before I forget it all (photos and a super organized calendar really do help!). I often wondered if I should do these weekly… there is so much to say but then I forget. Anyway, JUNE was BUSY, My parents came to visit from Argentina, which is awesome, they come every other year, for about a month and it was amazing. We did everything, we went everywhere, I got myself them so tired every single day…. it was awesome and rough at the same time. We literally did it all in a month. We even went to Miami for a few days of untamable hair and sticky skin. I forgot how insanely hot Miami is in the summer. #protip, don’t effing go to Miami in the summer, ever. or really, at any other time but definitely NO in the summer.

Anyway, the month started with the Italy Run NYC, a 5-mile race in Central Park, sponsored by Ferrero where I proceeded to smear Nutella all over me post-race, best celebration possible, correct? Before you ask, there are no pictures of that because it’s a LIE. Race was good; my performance… meh (actually, I don’t remember anymore!).

Literally 3 days later, I did another race, the Summer Series 5K in Prospect Park. It’s on Wednesdays at 7 pm, which REALLY messes up my sleep AND my Thursday morning run with my Flyers friends, BUT…I kinda love showing up because:

I see lots of friends I don’t see every day in Central Park

I cherish (and also hate) racing in a different course than the ones I did one million times in CP (though it’s also harder)

Love the small race ambiance

Also, don’t remember much I think (given there is a picture of my holding a medal, duh) that I placed and I got a medal. Oh, and I totally remember I got something like 71% AG. YEAH, nbd.

And… 3 days right after this one, I had the 3rd race in 6 days… can you imagine how that one is gonna go???? So, Saturday morning was a Mini10K, which is a mega party, so I wasn’t going to miss it. BUT, I also wasn’t going to miss the other mega party Friday night… So come Saturday morning I was a MESS… my feet hurt (from the heels or dancing, who knows!) and I was sleeeeeeepy, SO SLEEEEEPY. I have no idea why, NOT ONLY I SHOWED UP TO THE RACE, BUT I also met Elizabeth (she is real, I promise) to do 4 miles before the race. MENTAL.

But, it was all worth it. I run it, EASY, with 3 friends, and it was a frigging BLAST. I regret nothing. #noregerts.

Told you it was FUN! Yeah, I was physically miserable but no one remembers that… smh. So then my parents arrived and we started the daily tour of all the food and all the things we don’t tell the tourists about. AND the World Cup. June was literally mental. Somehow I managed to get to Queens the next weekend, early, to run the Queens 10K. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make the trek because Argentina was playing at 9 am against Iceland and I’d miss the first half, but so happy I went… Not only I had tons of fun at the race, I SOMEHOW (…miraculously) managed to do OK. Noooo, not a PR or even close but I got up to 69% AG, I was just one minute off from my PR, which is from frigggggging 2013! Does that even count anymore? I say NO.

I am a sucker for high-fives!

Then, wait for this because the madness doesn’t stop there…. I did TWO races the next weekend!!!! YEAH, again, NBD! Crazy, right? I agree. It’s good that I am a biomechanics coach and I know what I am doing because otherwise my leggies would have fallen off by then… Saturday was the Pride Run and OMG I WAS NOT GONNA MISS THAT. I always race the Achilles Hope and Possibility race (which was going to the next day), so I decided to take the Pride Run easy and save my legs for Sunday. Only… I didn’t quite do that. I ended up with a lot of fun AND 12 miles… oooops. #mischiefmanaged (for you all PotterHeads!)

Jackie, Mary, Michael and I run the whole thing chatting from start to end. And the outfits were ON POINT.

Sunday I woke up to do a few miles before the Achilles Hope and Possibility race and I was wishing I had raced the day before… It was muggy, humid, gross and I was tired. You do what you can.

David and Patricia (and corrals B,C,D,E and F) smoked me but I was happy. My parents had come to spectate and it was AWESOME. They came both days. They LOVED IT. Those two races and really something. REALLY REALLY something.

The next weekend was a wash because I was out of town, and back just on July 1st to watch the husband race the NYC TRI, with the parents and my cheering crew along. TRIATHLETES ARE CRAZY, just saying. But he’s so cute, it evens out.

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 139, eeeeeek. too much racing makes the mileage go puff!

Races: SIX. 6 races in month. That’s probably maybe a PR, at least this year… ha, I have 12 races this year, 6 in ONE MONTH. 

Ups: All the fun things I did with the parents…!!! The Nutella at the Italy Run was HEAVEN. The Mini10K was SO FUN. Queens was a MEGA REVELATION. Pride and Achilles get me teary every time…

Downs: Mileage was yuk and I am behind my yearly goal. Tapering before races and how sore I am sometimes after…

Balance: ALL AWESOME!!!! I can’t believe I did all those races with all the other stuff I had going on…!

May

May was a whirlwind!! So much happened, and so many races also! I remember I started the month with something we had planned since September last year: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!

Call me a Potterhead, That was awesome! Twelve hours later, I was up early for the Newport 10K, just over the Hudson, one of my favourite 10Ks, because 1, it’s flat, 2, the finish line bagels (and I don’t really like bagels!). The race was a blast as usual: I’ve run it a few times and it always delivers! It’s usually hot but I love the vibe and the views!

Of course, as usual, there were many runs and stairs workouts sprinkled through the month:

And then there was the Japan Run. I remembered being tired from something but then, at the start, I met with Brian and Nick and Jackie, and we all decided to run together and pace Jackie. Those are my favorite types of races!

Way too much fun was had!! The next weekend, just so I wouldn’t fall off the wagon, I run the NYPD Memorial Run 5K. It was HOT and humid but I rallied and for the first time in months, I did OK. I measure my race performances by AG and I feel I do ok when I get close or over the 70% AG mark. Lately, I had been around 64% to 69%, and in this race I went back up to 70% wohoooo. Also, it was super fun to run on the West Side Highway. I really like how wide it is there.

Then, three days later, after a brutal stairs workout and speedwork, we raced the Prospect Park Summer Series 5K: no biggie. The course was slower (as there is a hill in Prospect Park) but I managed very similar results! Just like 10 or 20 seconds off. I find it so weird to race at night (well, 7 pm), that I find it quite amusing to try to figure out what to eat, how much, when, etc. Of course, then I slept like crap after because I was so wired!

That was a lot of racing…!

DATA DOWNLOAD:

  Total Miles: 147, coming back up, but it’s hard with those short races because I feel like I need a good taper before and then my legs are thrashed for a few days…

Races: FOUR, here we go. Racing season is upon us!

Ups: the NYPD and the Summer Series 5K were definitely a surprise! I wasn’t expecting to do so well (NOT IN PR SHAPE YET THOUGH, ok?) and even though I don’t feel as strong as I used to, feeling in control of the situation really helps! One more thing: Central Park blossoming is the BEST!

Downs: how tired my legs feel two days after any short race! YUK

Balance: VERY HAPPY

So, I need to race more. Even if I am not in fighting shape or without any kind of expectations, I really enjoy it. The fewer expectations I have, the more fun I have, and so I go out there controlled and just let the race happen. I’ve actually started measuring races and performance by the amount of time it takes me to get back home, aka “how much fun I have”. For example, the NYPD Memorial Run was at 9 am and I got home at 4 pm: THAT is a successful race in my eyes now. The truth is I am not always (or ever again!) be as fast as I used to be or as I would like to be or as I would expect to be, so what should I do? Stay home until I feel I am in shape? HECK NO. To me, races are not a test of my fitness or “what I get from the work I put in” but a chance to enjoy with the community of friends who like to get out and enjoy the park with one foot in front of another trying to stay healthy. Yes, I’ll push hard here and there, but if one day I don’t feel like it or I decide to stick with a friend, it’ll be no different: it just HAS to be fun. 

April

We started the month in Argentina, which was great because it was WARM and hey, it was vacations. Got to see the fam and a few touristy things of course, and yeah, a few runs with Juan. Oh and of course I ate my face away. Lots of asado and steaks but also a lot of nikkei, my favourite non-native cuisine while in Argentina (my favourite non-native in the US is Japanese and French, you always gotta know where to get what!). I got back, I did a 4 miler in Central Park, the Run as One… it was so long ago, I can barely remember, or maybe it’s because I’ve been racing a lot the last two months! Oh yeah, I remember I got really hot (I was overdressed) and started way too fast or something, here is one picture!

I obviously spent some time running around, exhibit A:

or working:

or with Juan, usually eating crap:

and/or usually with friends, running or not!!!

DATA DOWNLOAD:

Total Miles: 119. Ooops. That’s low. I really vacationed in Argentina… IT HAPPENS, OKAY?

Races: just one but it was more like a tempo, wasn’t expecting to go all out.

Ups: the fun runs!

Downs: didn’t get a lot done!

Balance: it was good -> lots of blossoming happening all over NYC made it amazingly beautiful!

March

March is always a good month because it is my birthday!!! HA. I started the month with a race, the NYRR Washington Heights Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K (there is a post there), which wasn’t great time wise but it was fun. See proof here:

There was a lot of running, maybe not tons of miles, because it was still cold as hell Alaska? ok Alaska, but it got done. 

And the United NYC Half happened. I saw so many of you there. That was an intense week and I was REALLY just a bit jealous of everyone running the new course. I got to run parts of it last year and was on one of the Pro lead trucks on race day and it looked amazing!! and everyone looked SO happy at the finish line… Really jelly So happy for you all!!!

We then went to San Antonio for a few quiet days of pulled pork and warmer weather. For my bday. We ate a LOT.  We run a bunch too:

DATA DOWNLOAD:

Total Miles: 151, it’s starting to pick up

Races: one. and I was so not wanting to race!

Ups: I did a lot of really great runs

Downs: still not feeling my best.

Balance: not letting it get to me. Let’s hope the nicer weather brings better running!

Also, one more thing I forgot to report on this whole year. A few friends and I have been doing monthly challenges. January was squats, February was pushups, March was planks. We usually just grab one from popsugar.com. Basically it tells you how many to do every day and each day is a bit more. It’s interesting. Maybe you’d want to try it with a few friends? we all text each other to make sure we’re all doing them EVERY DAY… Protip: it works better with a reward at the end of the month!!!!!!!!!!

February

was weird. I happened so quick I barely noticed. Instead of ice-fest, we had a few meltdowns (all kinds of meltdowns!) and even one day in the 70s… OH OH what are people going to use now to discredit “””global warming“””? I feel so bad for those polar bears, and hey, we won’t be moving to Venice anytime soon. Glad I live in a 2nd floor too, but I digress… Anyway, my body decided also to have a meltdown and I had a couple of stooopid issues (my hormones have decided they need more attention than any Kardashian!) and even some very very easy runs where my heart rate was about 50 over the usual… anyway, I was signed up for the NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4M, and I was literally too tired to get up. Of course, I ended up running 11 miles in Central Park instead but my pace was 10:00 and my heart rate was at 82%. Insane. You just can’t win them all, can you? About two weeks ago, I spent the husband and I spent two hours shopping for half marathons for me… I came up with not a lot. If you have any ideas, let me know. Also, my running is so up and down I’ve started questioning if I should try to take some weeks/months off so my body doesn’t feel pressured and maybe that would help?

ha, I was just kidding! I’d be super hyper and way too annoying after just two days and waaaaay unhappy. So, let me just slow down, do it when my body is ok with it, and just enjoy it with no pressure. Deal?

So, I had a few awesome runs, still.

  Plus it was Valentine’s Day and who thinks we’d let any reason to celebrate pass by? any excuse works!

Also, I got to spend some quality time at work (at NYRR) with some people you might know… Meb and Jenny. Do you even need last names? Don’t think so! Meb is now a Team for Kids Ambassador and Jenny is a Rising NYRR Ambassador and both were in town to run the Virtual For the Kids 5K race. If you haven’t check NYRR’s Virtual Races, you should.

  Anyway, it all went waaay too fast!

DATA DOWNLOAD

Total Miles: 124, emmm, got lazy a bit!

Races: big old zero for the year

Ups: weather got surprisingly “hot”. 40s and some 50s even.

Downs: not feeling my best.

Balance: i am getting a bit frustrated. cause, wtf.

January

was really cold. The first two weeks we set cold weather records. It was awful. Running was awful. I started the year working at the midnight run and it was really really cold. I wore everything and it was still crazy cold. But it’s a super fun race!

It was so cold that the races on the second weekend of January got canceled. I managed to run both Saturday and Sunday but it was insanely cold. Everyone kept asking me what I was training for, as most people assumed I had to get the miles in for some marathon or something. I am not really training for anything, just trying to not let the winter win. I can’t say I loved it, but I got out there.

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As you can see there was a couple of blizzards in there, snow, ice, and all the layers. Luckily we had planned a trip to Mexico for mid-January to escape the cold. The vacation part was uneventful but we had a few epic runs with Juan (the husband!).

First night in the hotel, a guy who worked there came up to talk to Juan as he was wearing his 2017 TCS New York City Marathon shirt, to ask him if he had run the marathon. Turned out that Armando, our new friend at the hotel, was a runner too and invited us to his team’s workout the next morning. So, at 6:30 am we went out to meet up the Red Runners, who were having a special run as one of their teammates had passed that week. There was a half an hour of a warm-up, everyone in a circle, probably around 130 people, and the coach had a microphone and big speakers. Before we headed out, we all got one white rose to carry for the memorial. We all run together to a gorgeous lighthouse I never would have seen, we got there with the sunrise, there were speeches, even a triathlete pastor, there were prayers, and we run back with the boombox in tow. Everyone was together. It was very moving. And everyone was so welcome to this stranger. It was very special.

  When I travel, to me, the best thing EVER is to hang with the locals. Nothing could have beat that run.

Juan and I did have a few osom runs. The day after the run with Red Runners, there was a race in town, which we didn’t sign up for because registration was miles and miles away but we run to the start and finish to cheer/spectate. Funnest part: Kukulcan road (the main drag) had no traffic for the race. Quite FUN!

  The next few days we did great. We did a tempo together and we run back to the lighthouse so Juan could see it. We managed to get the sunrise too.

  And like that, we were back and the month was over!

DATA DOWNLOAD!

Total Miles: 140

Races: not even one. But we spectated at one..!

Ups: the runs in Mexico!

Downs: running in the sub 10 temperatures (which is like minus 20 in Celsius). NOT FUN. WITH WIND!

Balance: can it be June now? I really miss racing a LOT.

November 2018 - the year is almost over! November was something... I ended up with the most mileage and tons of great runs... It started with the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, a hilly 5K through many NYC touristic attractions like the United Nations, Grand Central Station, the NY Public library, Central Park, etc, all the way to the NYC Marathon finish line.

[xyinle]

2022 United NYC Half Marathon to kick off the 2022 race schedule. . . . . . 2022 Race Schedule 03.20 United NYC Half ✅ 04.24 Big Sur International Marathon - Confirmed 05.15 Geneva Marathon - Pending 05.21 RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon - Confirmed 06.04 Adidas Stockholm Marathon - Pending 06.18 NYRR Queens 10K - Confirmed 08.20 Reykjavik Marathon - Pending 09.18 New Balance Bronx 10 Mile - Confirmed 09.25 BMW Berlin Marathon - Confirmed 10.16 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon - Pending 11.06 TCS NYC Marathon - Pending #UnitedNYCHalf #NYRR #HalfMarathon #Run #Manhattan #Brooklyn #ParkToPark #ProspectPark #FlatbushAve #ManhattanBridge #FDR #42ndSt #TimeSquare #CentralPark #RunForLife (at Central Park, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbbo2PuulEL/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sportsclassic]

New York City Marathon

The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon (42.195 km or 26.219 mi) that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 51,394 finishers in 2016[5] and 98,247 applicants for the 2017 race.[3] Along with the Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon, it is among the pre-eminent long-distance annual running events in the United States and is one of the World Marathon Majors.

The race is organized by New York Road Runners and has been run every year since 1970, with the exception of 2012, when it was cancelled due to the landfall of Hurricane Sandy. In past years, it has been sponsored by the financial group ING. In 2014, Tata Consultancy Services, a multinational information technology (IT) service, consulting, and business solutions company headquartered in India, began an eight-year term as the title sponsor. The race is held on the first Sunday of November and attracts professional competitors and amateurs from all over the world. Because of the popularity of the race, participation is chosen largely by a lottery system. Guaranteed entry to the marathon can be gained by satisfying the requirements of the 9+1 program or the 9+$1K program (where NYRR members run in nine sponsored races and either volunteer at another event or donate $1,000 to support NYRR programs for young athletes), having completed 15 or more previous NYC Marathons, or meeting time qualification standards. In addition, runners can gain an entry by joining a team to raise funds for one of a number of charities.

The race was founded by Fred Lebow. Ted Corbitt helped plan the course of the New York City Marathon. The initial course of 1970 consisted of repeated racing around Central Park. From 1976, the course covers all five boroughs of New York City. It begins on Staten Island, in Fort Wadsworth, near the approach to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The bridge, which normally carries only vehicular traffic, is closed for the event. Runners use both sides of the upper level of the bridge and the westbound side of the lower level. In the opening minutes of the race, the bridge is filled with runners, creating a dramatic spectacle that is closely associated with the event.

 After descending the bridge, the course winds through Brooklyn, mostly along Fourth Avenue and Bedford Avenue, for approximately the next 11 miles (18 km). Runners pass through a variety of neighborhoods, including: Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Park Slope, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint. At 13.1 miles (21.1 km), runners cross the Pulaski Bridge, marking the halfway point of the race and the entrance into Long Island City, Queens. After about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in Queens, runners cross the East River via the Queensboro (59th Street) Bridge into Manhattan. It is at this point in the race when many runners begin to tire, as the climb up the bridge is considered one of the most difficult points in the marathon.

Reaching Manhattan after about 16 miles (26 km), the race proceeds north on First Avenue, then crosses into The Bronx via the Willis Avenue Bridge for one mile before returning to Manhattan via the Madison Avenue Bridge. It then proceeds south through Harlem down Fifth Avenue and into Central Park. At the southern end of the park, the race proceeds along 59th Street/Central Park South, where thousands of spectators cheer runners on during the last mile. At Columbus Circle, the race reenters the park and finishes beside Tavern on the Green. The time limit for this course is 8½ hours from the 10:10 a.m. start.

 In 2008, the race initiated a corral system. Professional women runners were given a separate, earlier start and the balance of the runners began in three staggered starts. The official times are those recorded by a computer chip attached to the back of the runner's bib number, which calculates when a runner crosses the start and when she crosses the finish, known as "net time" (as opposed to "gun time"). Runners also pass timing mats at 5 km intervals along the course, and e-mail notifications can be received by people following runners during the race to track their progress. Whereas the distance is the same, there are different courses taken through Bay Ridge and up Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn until the course reaches Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn at Mile 8. Although the marathon publicity material uses miles, the timing mats are at 5 km intervals to accommodate the publishing of splits and also enabling potential world records for 20 km, 30 km and other sub-marathon distances to be recorded.

[blueanddeepblue]

10/6

I've seen my dad once in the last seven years. We haven't spoken in the past year and a half. We're not even Facebook friends. When I came home from college one semester with a Rolling Stones CD with the song Bitch on it, he told me either the CD had to go, or I did. Before that, when I left for college, he told me I was throwing away a god-given gift by not playing college basketball. He may have been right about that one. ----- Right now A and I are sitting in the car in the middle of the Sturgeon River National Wilderness in Michigan's Upper Peninsula escaping the weather. Our tent is holding fast; it is both dry and secure, but I've spent too much of the past 24 hours losing to A at gin rummy to want to be trapped in there any longer. Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 15 is playing on the car radio, and we've reached the climax. Earlier, we ate dinner underneath a tarp in the cold and rain. Dinner was absolutely stellar. There were moments before the rain, as I got the fire going and A prepped our dinner, where the sun came out for a rare appearance, shooting light up towards the gold and red of oaks and birches and maples beginning their fall display. Our camp is along a bend in the river five miles down a dirt road, and we're the only campers here for the second night running. The solitude of the forest is immense after the din of tourists at several of our previous Michigan stops. Today when I went to rinse a dish in the river, a Bald Eagle flushed from his perch and A yelled "Up, up, up!" until I heard her above the babble of the rapids and looked to see him rise over the pines and out of sight. ----- I think some small portion of my love for birding is due to my dad. He would always point out hawks as he was driving, ducking his head so he could get a clearer vantage point beneath the windshield. I'm not sure he took much interest in birds in general, but he showed the excitement of a child whenever a hawk made a highway appearance. When he drove, he always had a toothpick to chew on, a holdover from his smoking days, which I never realized was the case until I quit smoking two and a half years ago. On the dashboard, he'd also keep a comb with all the rounded bristles knocked off so to better scratch his head as he drove. I don't remember him ever getting a traffic ticket. And one of his claims to fame was that he was never in a car accident, not even a fender bender. It's hard not to write about him in the past-tense. Sometimes I feel like the part of my life that had him in it was eons ago, and I was a different person. Now, when the family gets together for christmas, it feels whole and healthy, it doesn't feel like there's a missing piece; it feels like a weight has been lifted. But of course, there's this hole that exists, somewhere, even though I know it's better this way. This past week, talking with my uncle, I noticed, how he too, referred to his brother in the past-tense. ----- One of my favorite parts about traveling is the people you encounter. The relationships that A and I have fostered along this trip are of a certain mettle only tempered through the road. In Virginia we see my friend, Ava, and her and Mike's new baby, Onyx. They live on a farm on the bend in a creek near the Appalachian Trail with chickens and a garden and a self-built sauna and diesel powered hot-tub. They are the type of people who inspire you to do. To find ways to improve your life by your own means. To build a treehouse or learn to fly a plane. To live according to your own rules and not be bound by cultural norms. Ava and I met in undergrad, on a study abroad trip in Mexico. I've kept several friends from that study abroad trip, maybe because forging a friendship in a place outside your comfort zone helps you know that miles-between don't really matter. I remember joining Ava and her family one time at a Gary P Nunn concert in Luckenbach, Texas. I remember eating BBQ and dancing and having too many drinks and laughing at it all, every one of us crammed into the same small hotel room afterwards. I remember being struck by how her parents could still talk amicably after divorce. How they could even laugh a little at each other. How experiences could be shared because they were family. Seeing Ava and her own family is beautiful. We eat french toast and drink too much coffee. Mike is already out on the tractor, discussing methods of hauling brush with a neighbor. We leave feeling torn, lingering longer than intended, wishing we could stay to help the small community that's gathered to help cut down trees and make space for Onyx's outdoor play area. In D.C., we meet up with A's friend, Rhonda. We crash on her couch and wander the town, being tourists and visitors. Rhonda shows us the nearby farmer's market, and spoils us with drinks and stories and delicious meals. Years ago, A used to nanny Rhonda's boys, who are 16 and 14 now, all grown up with deep voices and polite manners, as driven and intent as their mother. Rhonda is a burst of constant energy, a whirlwind of goodness.The kind of person who radiates action and fortitude. As most everyone in D.C. does, Rhonda works in government, balancing home life and the nearly impossible demands of her job. In the garden, she found a caterpillar capable of devouring an entire tomato plant in one night. According to the internet, the appropriate remedy for such a pest is to cut it in half with a knife. Rhonda opts to leave him out on the sidewalk in hopes the birds will find him a tasty morsel. On a nearby leaf, a similar caterpillar is discovered, immobile, and riddled with white wasp larvae devouring it from the inside out. The best practice for a caterpillar being devoured from the inside out is to leave it alone, let nature to do its bidding. There is a theme brewing, a pattern; here, too, a father (but not a husband) stays involved with his kids, cajoles them about their homework, takes them rock climbing. ----- Later, in Pennsylvania, we stay two nights with my best friends' mom, Ann, and her husband Rocky. They live on a farm in the hills surrounded by cornfields and little villages with picturesque churches down winding country roads. When the wind blows, the corn rustles like the rattling of hollow bones, like a million wind chimes made of old newspaper. We have dinner on the patio overlooking the garden and the 100 year old barn and the next-door church and cemetery. We eat mussels and caprese and Rocky's own Golumpki recipe. Rocky and Ann regale us with stories of sailing adventures and hiking trips, tales of family and old friends, and opinions on politics and philosophy and life. I tend to wax poetic. Rocky tells good jokes. Evening on the patio turns into night and new bottles of wine keep appearing. It feels like home away from home. The next day we kayak on a nearby lake and lunch by a waterfall. The trip is also beginning to revolve around waterfalls. When we paddle back, there is a kingfisher and a little green heron and I can imagine the lake when the leaves fall. How it turns into a liquid carpet of gold and orange and red that the boat cuts through like a knife. In New York, we eat pho and gawk at passerby. Chinatown flows by, and we're mesmerized once again by the energy and the pace. New York is a city of no limits, no boundaries. In many ways, you are invisible. Always, everywhere, there is someone louder, more stylish, crazier, more artistic, or more outlandish than you. We stop to see A's friend who's opening a gallery. Later, we stay in the Bronx with my friend Jill, whose wife, Jess, is out of the country helping with hurricane relief. We share a dinner and beers and conversation, the three pillars of almost every good interaction. I fall asleep astounded at the goodness of people, at the way my life is surrounded by amazing people, humbled by the hospitality we're shown stop after stop. ----- My dad was 31 when I came along. In pictures from this era he appears rugged and handsome. He wears cut-off jean shorts and waterskis, barefoot, on some Texas lake, maybe even Canyon Lake, where I grew up. His hair is dark and wavy, and his eyes flicker a mystery, belying the thrill of speed, the roar of a powerboat, the splash of the wake against a barreled chest, strong arms. The pictures themselves have the golden tint of years past, the nostalgic glow of easy living. In one set of pictures, he sports a thick mustache and throws a football to friends. He drinks beer from the types of cans that advertisers have brought back into vogue now that enough time has lapsed, now that the trends have come full circle and they can again benefit from the aesthetics of collective memory. I did not know this version of my father. The one who lived easily among friends. The one who drank beer and waterskied and rode motorcycles and found ways to live fast and large. Or maybe I should say I did not often know this version of my father. Maybe these pictures of him are really card tricks, fanciful sleight-of-hand maneuvers that the mind plays on perception. Maybe the amber-tinged version of my dad is a mythology I've constructed, a story I've built up over the years to protect myself, to help explain why he's faded into the background of my life. Instead, I knew the version of my dad who couldn't handle it when the toothpaste wasn't rolled up from the bottom or the laundry didn't make it into the correct bin. The version who pulled us from sunday school because the message wasn't strong enough. Who changed the channel when beer commercials came on. Who had few friends that seemed to last. Who felt slighted and wronged by the world. Whose eyes shot sideways and clouded over with righteousness when he was begging to lose control. This too, is an illusion, a shifting myth tinged by the murkiness of memory. He also laughed at himself, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He took us fishing and played basketball with us, even though he grew up near Detroit, Michigan, where hockey is the sport of nobility, the sport his Texan kids would never quite comprehend. He wrestled on the floor with us or made himself into a launchpad at the pool, hurling us up and out across the water until we imagined ourselves to be birds, spaceships, shooting stars. ----- Here is a partial list of birds that A and I have seen thus far: Black-Throated Green Warbler Yellow Billed Cuckoo White Breasted Nuthatch Pileated Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Black Buzzard Eastern Wood Peewee American Goldfinch Hooded Warbler Dark Eyed Junco Golden Crowned Kinglet Red Breasted Nuthatch Canada Goose House Sparrow Raven Grey Jay Green Heron Cedar Waxwing Blue Jay Belted Kingfisher Pine Warbler Northern Flicker Red Tailed Hawk Red Bellied Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Robin Wild Turkey Crow Eastern European Starling Great Blue Heron Tufted Titmouse Brewers Blackbird Yellow Rumped Warbler Black Capped Chickadee Brown Thrasher Bald Eagle Wood Duck American Redstart Turkey Vulture White Throated Sparrow Least Flycatcher Ruby Crowned Kinglet Common Loon Hermit Thrush Northern Mockingbird Some of these are new birds, like the Hermit Thrush and American Redstart, birds that flash new color and make us hold our breath, or others that require we lean in to see the subtlety, those that mystify through the mundane. Some are as familiar as friends - a Kinglet among the underbrush. Other times, we jump to our binoculars at the flash of movement among the trees, against the sky, only to be disappointed by another mangy robin, another buzzard riding the thermals along the cliffs. We camp along every single one of the Great Lakes, marveling at the oceans of fresh water, at the gentle pulse of the waves lapping the shore or at the rainbow of color among the rounded stones. We stand underneath the falls at Niagara and on the boat that takes us in closer to where the mist shoots like needles into our eyes, where the sound is deafening as eternal thunder. Along the shores of Lake Michigan, we haul our camp chairs to the beach and look at the Milky Way among the night sky. We drink box wine and watch the fog roll in. Later, we swim in Superior, clear as glass all the way down to our toes. We emerge fresh and alive, reborn. We also run away from the biting flies, layer up to avoid the gnats, the mosquitos. Nature churns on according to its own whims. We're merely visitors here. ----- So much has gone by that I can't cram into this post. So many thoughts and feelings slipped through the cracks. Elusive. Flitted away. Things I glimpsed but that I could not identify. Ways to cinch the threads on this loose narrative. I am sitting in my sister's home in downtown Minneapolis. My niece is building blocks on the living room floor in front of me. I am aware that she is where the secret exists. That the most important person should always be the one right in front of me. That these memories I revisit and these things I chronicle are also fleeting. My sister and her husband have a wonderful family. The nieces share and play together wonderfully. Their home is wonderful and the meals we share around the table are wonderful. It's grey and rainy on the streets right now, but the warmth inside this home seems to stem from something deeper than an efficient central air system. My brothers camped with us in New York. We swam in the lake and fed spiders to the fish below the dock, watching them emerge from the depths like in the best Attenborough documentaries. We hiked around the lake. We watched a sunset explode over the hills behind us. We shared a fire and ate s'mores. We drank beers and swapped stories as the fog rolled in. I'm proud of my little brothers, who are bigger than me and have been for quite some time. I'm proud of their decisions and the people they've become - solid, thoughtful, caring, and articulate. I'm proud of their ability to grow up. Proud of their tenacity and perseverance. Proud of the kindness that seems innate. I'm proud of them. I'm proud of them all. My sister and brother back in Texas who aren't as much a part of this story merely because this trip and their paths have not yet intersected. I'm proud of the family we've become. The people we are. ----- There are no tidy endings here. No clean conclusions. Narratives seek a wrap-up, a way of putting all the pieces back together, but this is real life; it is neither as messy, nor as poetic as I make it seem in this account. I know that Dad is a part of the family we've become. I know that he, too, has much to be proud of. That he, too, should look at his grown children and see their success as part of his own. But I also know that he is broken. As all people share in brokenness. And that his brokenness keeps him from sharing in our success. Keeps him from calling, or writing, or staying meaningfully involved in any of our lives. In Michigan, we met up with Dad's brother and his wife. We kayaked down the Au Sable river and stayed at their home along the shores of Lake Huron. We slept with windows open to the sound of a lapping lake and woke to sunrises made of gold and fire. I wasn't planning on writing any of this. Not really. But somewhere along the dirt roads of the Upper Peninsula, or while passing a ski boat towed by an eager truck, or while walking on a sandy beach of Huron (all of these places of Dad's own childhood, fragments of the stories I remember him telling), or maybe even before all that, maybe before the trip began, I noticed a thread. Somewhere in all this space and beauty, somewhere in the rush of a waterfall, in the purple of a flower, somewhere between hiking-strides or in the sweep of a vista, I noticed a memory that hasn't quite yet finished playing itself out. A memory that is stranger still because it holds no finality, because there is still a chance at redemption, at a happy ending. So I'll put this here, mostly for my own benefit, like a soup simmering on low, to come back to at a later time. When I'm ready. And I'll walk with the realization that life isn't passed on, it's shared. That beauty is right in front of you, inviting you to get down and share with someone, inviting you to pick up the pieces and build something.

[animepj]

A few other pictures plus a video from the New Balance Bronx 10 Mile Run. #nbbronx10m https://www.instagram.com/p/B3AUJ9BJnXm/?igshid=1ph0ucrgaoqos

[savetopnow]

2018-03-15 02 BEAUTY now

BEAUTY

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[biofunmy]

Gerrit Cole, the Yankees and the Value of the Long Game

The Yankees tried to spin their latest playoff knockout. After losing in six games in the American League Championship Series — the third time in five seasons that the Houston Astros had ushered them off the stage — they insisted they had been strong enough to win.

“Was this roster championship-caliber?” General Manager Brian Cashman said a few days after the loss, which sent the World Series elsewhere for the 10th October in a row. “The answer to that is yes, and I’m not going to lose sight of that in my discussions with ownership and my recommendation of where we need to continue to go.”

Cashman never wants to seem desperate; it is the worst kind of negotiating position, and besides, the Yankees have won 100 games in consecutive seasons. With a few more timely hits in October, they could have won the pennant.

But Yankees fans do not want to hear about 100-win seasons that end without a parade. They remember being shut down by other people’s aces: Dallas Keuchel in 2015, Justin Verlander in 2017, Gerrit Cole in 2019. It is past time to get a lockdown ace of their own.

The Yankees seem to recognize this urgency in their courtship of Cole, 29, the free-agent right-hander who went 24-6 with a 2.39 earned run average and 373 strikeouts last year, postseason included. This is their third pursuit of him, in three different forums, and the setting in which they probably have the most control and the best chance of success.

They drafted Cole in the first round in 2008, but were told that no amount of money could sway him from enrolling at U.C.L.A. They made a trade offer to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Cole before the 2018 season, but when they held on to third baseman Miguel Andujar, the Pirates chose the Astros’ offer instead.

Now, in free agency, the Yankees are trying again. They have met with Cole in California, where he lives, and introduced him to several people who could preview his life in pinstripes: Cashman; Michael Fishman, the data-savvy assistant general manager; Matt Blake, the new pitching coach; and Andy Pettitte, the five-time Yankees champion (and former Astro) who thrived in the Bronx spotlight.

Cole’s affection for the Yankees is well-known. During the 2001 World Series in Arizona, The Star-Ledger ran a photo of him, at age 11, holding a sign that said: “Yankee Fan Today Tomorrow Forever.” This June, Cole giddily watched the Yankees’ Old-Timers Game from the top step of the visiting Astros’ dugout. He beamed after meeting Chris Chambliss — “A U.C.L.A. Yankee!” he said.

While the allure of the Bruins kept the Yankees from signing Cole out of high school, they have long viewed the drafting of Cole as a long-term, long-shot investment, because they began to forge a bond and parted on good terms. Cashman alluded to this when he spoke to reporters on Friday in Stamford, Conn., before his annual practice run rappelling down the Landmark Building as part of the city’s holiday festival.

“Various members of our franchise — Damon Oppenheimer is our scouting director still; him and a number of our staff members — they got a chance to know Gerrit Cole because we drafted him way back when,” Cashman said. “So some of our people know Gerrit Cole already on a personal level, him and his parents.”

Cashman also said, predictably, that the Yankees enjoyed their meetings with Cole and Stephen Strasburg, another elite free-agent starter represented by Scott Boras.

“You see how they carve lineups up, but you never get a chance to know better the person,” Cashman said. “So in both those cases they’re really good, genuine people, good family people, so despite their competitive nature when they have the ball on the mound every five days, you walk away realizing that they would fit in anybody’s clubhouse in a real positive way.”

Niceties and comfort are necessary factors in free agency, but the highest bid almost always matters most. The Yankees understand that signing Cole will require more than the largest guarantee ever given to a pitcher — David Price’s $217 million deal with the Boston Red Sox before the 2016 season — and possibly more than Zack Greinke’s record $34.4 average annual salary for a pitcher.

Their primary competition seems to be the teams closest to Cole’s home: the Angels, who play about five miles from Cole’s high school in Orange, Calif., and the Dodgers. Cole has told the Yankees that geography is a factor, but not a deal-breaker. The true difference maker most likely will be the desperation of the teams involved.

The Dodgers have not won the World Series since 1988, but they already have the majors’ best pitching staff (a league-low 3.37 E.R.A. last season) and may have a greater need for another Boras client, third baseman Anthony Rendon.

The Angels have hired a prominent new manager, Joe Maddon, after a devastating season in which the pitcher Tyler Skaggs died of a drug overdose in July, with team officials reportedly already aware of his drug abuse. The Angels have baseball’s best player, Mike Trout, but have not won a playoff game in his eight-year career. Last season, they didn’t have a single pitcher who made 20 starts.

The Angels also have a general manager — Billy Eppler, a former Cashman protégé — whose contract expires after 2020 and an owner, Arte Moreno, who has overwhelmed free agents with huge offers before. But will the folly of his deals for Albert Pujols (10 years, $240 million) and Josh Hamilton (five years, $125 million) hold Moreno back this time?

The Yankees must hope so, because their own motivation is obvious. A rotation of Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino and James Paxton, supported by a dominant bullpen and a powerful lineup, could tilt the A.L.’s balance of power away from Houston and to New York at last.

After a lackluster middle of this decade, the Yankees have grown their farm system, taken control of their payroll (relatively speaking) and resumed their annual visits to the postseason. Now comes the next move, the kind that has worked for them with Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson in the 1970s and C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira in 2009: the bold free-agent grab that tells their roster and their rivals that the Yankees are really, truly all in.

James Wagner contributed reporting.

Sahred From Source link Sports

from WordPress http://bit.ly/2rakf5T via IFTTT

[sustainhealthmagazine]

New York City Marathon Runners Can Cash In Miles For Pizza

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As New Balance enters the third year as the official footwear and apparel sponsor for NYRR, the brand will launch the NB Pizza Co., a temporary pop-up location in Murray Hill at 47 East 34th Street that will open to the public on Friday, October 11th and every weekend thereafter leading up to and including marathon weekend. The NP Pizza Co. pop-up location builds on the Runaway Pub that was part of the 2019 New Balance “Everybody’s Race” campaign at the London Marathon, where runners could cash in miles for pints.

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What better way to engage with runners in NYC and around the world, then to offer them delicious NY pizza as a reward for their training,” said Tom Carleo, VP of Running at New Balance. “We are excited to open our very first New Balance pizzeria and look forward to welcoming runners to exchange their miles for slices. We hope NB Pizza Co. will motivate runners through their last few weeks of training, offering a unique escape and a place for the running community to come together with our brand and support each other.”

Runners from around the world can join the “Miles for Pizza” Challenge through the Strava App and log miles from wherever they are, then cash those in when they arrive in New York and visit the NB Pizza Co. shop during operating hours. Runners in NY will have additional opportunities to cash in their miles on the weekends leading up to the race. To start earning free pizza runners can download the Strava App, join the “Miles for Pizza” challenge, which starts October 2nd and ends November 4th, and start running. To cash in those miles, runners can visit the NB Pizza Co. pop-up and show staff the miles logged in the Strava App and redeem for free pizza provided by L’Industrie Pizzeria in Williamsburg. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday the NB Pizza Co. will offer regular programming including Friday Happy Hour Run, Saturday Long Runs and Single Sundays where the first 50 runners to join receive a free branded singlet. For more information on the NB Pizza Co. please visit www.newbalance.com/milesforpizza and runner’s joining the regular programming are asked to engage with the brand by tagging @newbalancerunning or @newbalance.

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Miles for Pizza Calculator:

5 Miles = 1 Slice

10 Miles = 2 Slices

25 Miles = 2 Slices

50 Miles = 4 Slices

75 Miles = 6 Slices

100 Miles = Full Pizza

NB Pizza Co. Hours of Operation:

Friday - 5:30-9PM (Oct. 11th, Oct. 18th, Oct. 25th, Nov. 1st)

Saturday - 9AM-9PM (Oct. 12th, Oct. 19th, Oct. 26th, Nov. 2nd)

Sunday - 9AM-9PM (Oct. 13th, Oct. 20th, Oct. 27th)

Race week hours are:

Thursday, October 31st – 5:30-9PM

Friday, November 1st – 9AM-9PM

Saturday, November 2nd – 9AM-9PM

Sunday, November 3rd – 3PM-9PM

Monday, November 4th – 9AM-5PM

New Balance will once again transform the expo experience by bringing the streets of New York to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The famous storefront shopping experience found throughout New York City will be brought to life on the expo floor with hero displays drawing attention to the collectors Marathon Windcheater Jacket and pinnacle Capsule Collection. To further honor the runner’s journey, New Balance will create a sensory experience that allows runners to engage with the brand through various photo opportunities as they exit the retail space at the expo. Visitors to the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance can expect this elevated shopping experience without the inconvenience of a long checkout line, average wait times last year were less than 8 minutes.

In addition, throughout the month of October the New Balance social channels will highlight activations happening at the NB Pizza Co. location and allowing the world to engage before they arrive in NY for the big race.

For race day New Balance will once again host a block party at mile 16 featuring the Brooklyn United drumline. Joining the Brooklyn United drumline this year to cheer on and encourage runners as they take on the last few miles of the race are Fogo Azul NYC (an all-female Brazilian Samba drumline), DJ Cory Townes, Cobra Performing Arts Majorettes drumline and dance line, the Pinettes (an all-female brass band) and Ltrain Brass Band. In addition, New Balance will be handing out free swag including branded cow bells and foam sneaker signs to spectators.

New Balance will blanket the city in the marketing campaign creative with out-of-home advertising starting October 28th, including the ABC Super Sign, Footlocker and Champs digital signs in Times Square. The New Balance TCS New York City Marathon Collection began launching on September 19th and is available at select retailers, including the NYRR RUNCENTER Featuring the New Balance Run Hub, New Balance Flatiron, New Balance Upper East Side and www.newbalance.com with suggested retail pricing ranging from $30 for graphic t-shirts to $285 for the lifestyle capsule, NYC Marathon Sport Style Heat Down Men’s Parka.

About New Balance

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. Manufactured in the U.S. for over 75 years and representing a limited portion of our U.S. sales, New Balance Made U.S. is a premium collection that contains a domestic value of 70% or greater. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 6,000 associates around the globe, and in 2018 reported worldwide sales of $4.1 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com.

About the TCS New York City Marathon

The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world and the signature event of New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world’s premier community running organization. The race is held annually on the first Sunday of November and includes over 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to runners of all ages and abilities, including over 9,000 charity runners. Participants from over 125 countries tour the diverse neighborhoods of New York City’s five boroughs—Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan. Race morning also features the Rising New York Road Runners Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon, a race within Central Park that ends at the marathon finish line. More than one million spectators and 10,000 volunteers line the city’s streets in support of the runners, while millions more watch the globally televised broadcast. The race is a founding member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which features the world’s top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon. The 49th running of the TCS New York City Marathon is set for November 3, 2019. To learn more, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.org.

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READ NEXT

[angleaknudtson]

Yanks' wives and girlfriends run to raise funds

A handful of the Yenkees' significant others joined CC Sabathia's wife, Amber, in the New York Road Runners' New Balance Bronx 10 Mile race on Sunday morning, which finished right in front of Yankee Stadium. They were raising money for the Sabathias' PitCCh In Foundation. via NYY Homepage News https://ift.tt/2y2gEpH

[nitestar]

RT @ShannonLGilstad: Shannon Lee Gilstad is fundraising for New Balance Bronx 10 Mile Run for Community: http://bit.ly/2POan8s

Shannon Lee Gilstad is fundraising for New Balance Bronx 10 Mile Run for Community: https://t.co/mjS1vNfyHA

— AllDayIDreamOfTravel (@ShannonLGilstad) September 19, 2018

via Twitter https://twitter.com/NiteStar September 19, 2018 at 11:45AM

[rickhorrow]

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF SEPT. 17

with Jamie Swimmer & Jacob Aere

Florence is not a sports fan. While the destruction and loss of life caused by Tropical Storm Florence has thankfully not reached the level of Hurricanes Harvey and Katrina, sports entities in the Carolinas and beyond have felt Flo’s impact. The chaos caused by Florence saw a half-dozen college football games in Mid-Atlantic seaboard states canceled or moved, with many decisions made by bottom line implications. Clemson’s 38-7 home win over Georgia Southern came in the face of a reported $2 million loss by canceling the contest, and Virginia chose to move its home game against Ohio 500 miles northwest to Nashville rather than forfeiting a “home game” opportunity. On the NFL front, the Panthers, playing out of harm’s way in Atlanta, are taking a "multi-pronged approach to relief efforts that includes first making contacts with nonprofits," many of whom owner David Tepper and the team have "worked with in the past,” according to the Charlotte Observer. Meanwhile, NBA Hornets owner and North Carolina native Michael Jordan is "urging the team's fans to donate to relief funds in response to the impact of Hurricane Florence." As always, sports teams, leagues, and athletes are there to help in the wake of disaster, providing much needed morale boosters and dollars.

As the postseason nears, MLB continues its September celebration of Hispanic heritage. Major League Baseball once again commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month with a slate of events and efforts designed to spotlight the contributions to baseball by Hispanic and Latino players throughout the month of September. According to Cynopsis Sports, initiatives include “The Bronx Stickball Classic” – a new youth-focused Stickball tournament in the shadow of Yankee Stadium – special MLB Network vignettes highlighting Latino stars in the game today, social and digital content across MLB’s bilingual platforms, and in-park Club celebrations. MLB has also debuted new media platforms designed to provide real-time, quality content to the Spanish-speaking Hispanic and Latino audience, including @Corte4 and Corte4.com. In parallel, however, baseball’s minor league players – a significant number of whom are Latinx – are considering aligning with the United Steelworkers for union representation and bargaining for a reasonable living wage. Stay tuned.

The SEC continues its dominance on the field and on the balance sheet. According to Forbes’ annual college football program valuation, the SEC currently boasts five of the country’s top 10 most-valuable programs from a financial perspective, led by Texas A&M. The Aggies had revenues of $148 million and a profit of $107 million last year. Despite not being the conference’s most successful program, A&M’s rise to the top has been fueled by its move to the SEC in 2012 and contributions for massive renovations and expansion of Kyle Field. The other SEC schools are Alabama (No. 4 — $127 million in revenue), Auburn (No. 8 — $112 million in revenue), LSU (No. 9 — $112 million in revenue) and Florida (No. 10 — $111 in revenue). Texas was second on the list, Michigan came in at third, and Ohio State rounded out the top five. Moving into Week Four, the SEC continues to dominate on the field as well as the balance sheet, with four of the Associated Press’ Top Ten – Alabama (No. 1), Georgia (No. 2), LSU (No. 6), and Auburn (No. 9) hailing from the SEC.

The NFL has been struggling to combat a drop in TV ratings over the past few years and Wall Street has taken notice. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the league’s ratings are being closely observed and scrutinized by financial analysts in the country’s financial capital. “We continue to believe the NFL is the single biggest swing factor for media earnings and valuation,” read a research note from MoffettNathanson. “Any sign of continued NFL ratings weakness could pose a long-term risk for broadcasters who may be forced to bid up for rights.” Broadcast industry analysts have cited that numerous media rights packages are currently overvalued, which could have a direct impact on the next wave of negotiations between the league and its broadcast partners if ratings continue to decline this season. Disney’s (ESPN) current “Monday Night Football” package has “a cost/rating point ratio that is 260% to 400% more expensive than any other package.” CBS, FOX, and NBC each spend about $1 billion annually in rights fees, while ESPN spends a reported $1.9 billion for “Monday Night Football.”

As the WTA prepares to fly to Asia for its fall season, U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka continues to bask in the glow of her shiny new Grand Slam trophy and numerous new endorsement deals. While the women’s final was tinged by the controversy surrounding the behavior of finalist Serena Williams, there was nothing questionable about Osaka’s play, and sponsors definitely took notice. Nissan Motor Co. has signed Osaka as its "next brand ambassador, tapping the tennis star's youth, drive and Japanese roots to appeal to younger customers." She will appear in "global promotions and advertising" under a three-year contract. And Osaka has signed a new clothing deal with Adidas worth an estimated $8.4 million annually, making it the biggest contract in women’s tennis according to the London Times. Additionally, due to her Grand Slam win, bonuses "will now be triggered" in some of Osaka's existing deals – she also currently endorses Yonex, Citizen, broadcaster Wowow, and Nissin Foods Group, among others. Asia’s Mumbrella notes Osaka "represents a unique opportunity for other brands looking to back her as well." With her cultural diversity and emotional honesty – not to mention the upcoming Japan Olympic Games – Osaka has the potential to be the face of global tennis for years to come.

The fallout from Serena Williams’ U.S. Open loss continues, having nothing to do with her defeat on the court. According to the London Times, umpires are now contemplating refusing to officiate matches that Williams is playing in after seeing how Carlos Ramos was treated following the final. Williams’ loss has since been overshadowed by the drama incited during the match when she went head-to-head with Ramos. The Women’s Tennis Association and United States Tennis Association supported Williams on her claims of sexism after she was handed a game penalty, while it took the ITF almost 48 hours to defend Ramos. Numerous umpires are citing the USTA’s lack of support for them, and have claimed that “Ramos was thrown to the wolves for simply doing his job and was not willing to be abused for it.” Like minor league baseball players fighting for a reasonable living wage, tennis umpires are now considering forming a union to defend themselves in future situations like this.

Major League Soccer All-Star Game heads to Orlando. MLS has formally announced that its 2019 All-Star Game "will be hosted at Orlando City Stadium," though an "opponent and exact date for the match are still to be determined,” according to the league. This will be the "second time in MLS history" Orlando will be the event site after it previously hosted in 1998 at "what was then known as the Citrus Bowl" (now Camping World Stadium). The 2018 game at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium drew a record crowd of 72,317. The 2019 edition "won’t draw anywhere near that large of a crowd because soccer-specific Orlando City Stadium has a maximum capacity of 25,500." MLS Commissioner Don Garber told Pro Soccer USA and assembled media that Camping World Stadium was "never" in consideration. The All-Star Game venue decision mimics the widespread trend of MLS clubs playing in “proper” soccer-sized stadia. Bigger isn’t always better.

Set to play its first season in 2020, Nashville’s expansion MLS franchise still lacks an official name. According to the Nashville Tennessean, bringing a new MLS team to fruition takes a significant amount of leg work and takes years in the making, but time is ticking for Tennessee’s first top-tier soccer franchise to finalize business. “We’re trying to be uniquely Nashville, be ourselves and build something that is right for the city and this league,” said Nashville MLS CEO Ian Ayre. The club is hoping to use the downtown Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Titans, in its inaugural season while its soccer-specific stadium is being built. Many expect the club to be named Nashville SC, the current name of the city’s USL club, but that has not yet been confirmed. Entering the league in two years will also be an expensive venture for the ownership group, having to pay a $150 million expansion fee while also funding part of the new $275 million stadium.

Building a new stadium from scratch is not a cheap venture these days, but it is costing Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur significantly more than it ever expected. According to The Sun, Tottenham’s new $1.11 billion White Hart Lane is still behind schedule and the team is being forced to play games at Wembley Stadium until construction is complete. In order to expedite the already-delayed building process, Tottenham is paying construction workers as much as $5 million per week — “50% more than the club pays it players.” Just last month, at the peak of the building process, as many as 3,800 workers were at the site around the clock. Industry publication Construction Enquirer calculated that on average, workers at White Hart Lane were being paid $1,305 per week over a period in August. The construction of this facility also impacts the NFL, which has a long-term contract to play at least one game at the stadium going forward; just like Tottenham, the NFL will play those games at Wembley.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ new arena is finally open to the public. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the $524 million Fiserv Forum highlights a complete transformation of the downtown Milwaukee arena and will hopefully act as a centerpiece for the city going forward. The grand concourses and “soaring spaces” give the stadium a unique and special feel, while a “21st-century digital aesthetic” shows off the future-oriented approach that architects took when designing the arena. The entire seating bowl is darkly colored, which makes it stand out like Madison Square Garden. The stadium was designed to be multi-purpose, as the $250 million in public funding is expected to be returned through the diverse set of shows, performances, and events that it attracts. This is the NBA’s newest arena and the only one that will open its doors in 2018, coming a year after Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena and two years after Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center came online.

11.South Korea is considering a bold plan to host the 2032 Summer Olympics: joining forces with North Korea. According to Yonhap, the Korean Peninsula has long since been an area plagued by war and tension, but a joint Olympic bid would go great lengths toward achieving “regional peace.” The proposal calls for Seoul, South Korea, and Pyongyang, North Korea, to host the summer’s events — the cities are separated by about 120 miles. The North and South intend on discussing the bid later this month at the third summit in the North Korean capital. If awarded the 2032 bid, it would mark yet another Games being held in the Asian Pacific; South Korea hosted this year’s Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Tokyo is set to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, and Beijing is preparing for the 2022 Winter Games. In addition, Seoul Sports Minister Do Jong-Hwan noted the country’s interest in co-hosting the 2030 World Cup alongside China, North Korea, and Japan.

Elite French soccer side Paris Saint-Germain is teaming up with cryptocurrency platform socios.com to bring fans closer to the club. According to Le Parisien, the deal between PSG and socios is set to last five years, valued at $2.3 million per season. Apart from branding at Parc de Princes, the main outcome of this deal will be the development of a “coin” offered to fans. The coins, which will eventually be made available to purchase by fans, will give buyers “diverse benefits and voting rights for polls conducted by the club” — the more coins one buys, the more benefits and voting rights one receives. The coins are expected to be made available to the public in a year. PSG has already noted two potential projects for which it could start using the coins: choosing the colors for an alternative jersey and picking the location for a friendly match. This marks an innovative and fun way for one of Europe’s biggest soccer clubs to expand its fan base even more.

13.The Milwaukee Brewers are already looking toward October as they continue their quest for the playoffs. According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, the Brewers’ unexpectedly-good season thus far has left team executives anticipating a “banner year for merchandise sales, season-ticket renewals and keeping fans engaged.” The team’s attendance at Miller Park is set to exceed 2.8 million this season, up 200,000 from last year and the best figure since the club’s 2011 playoff appearance. Despite not having clinched a playoff spot yet, the Brewers have begun selling playoff tickets to “existing season ticket holders who renew for 2019 and to fans who sign up as new season ticket holders.” This year’s performance is that much more impressive when you take into account how strong the NL Central has been all season; the division is likely going to snag both of the NL’s Wild Card spots.

14.As Seattle inches closer to being awarded an NHL expansion franchise, city officials have stated that they will not allow the demolition of KeyArena to begin until they are guaranteed a team. According to the Seattle Times, the $700 million renovation of the iconic arena is expected to make the venue a “top-third” revenue producer for both the NHL and NBA, though the city wants to delay any construction at the site until the league’s executive committee signs off on the new team. December is currently being eyed as the start date for KeyArena’s total demolition, which is speculated to be the latest date possible to allow the renovation to be finished on time by October, 2020. “We are focused on and expect to be ready for the 2020-2021 season should approval be given,” said Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke. “Should that direction from the NHL change, we are prepared to move to 2021-2022.” Just like the American midterm elections, all should be known by early November.

15.Details regarding Calgary’s bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics are finally coming to light. According to the Globe & Mail, the committee currently exploring a bid for the Canadian city is relying heavily on upgrading existing facilities to bring them up to Olympic standards instead of building from scratch. A few new venues will need to be built regardless, but current infrastructure in Calgary and other Canadian cities is expected to constitute the bulk of the facilities. The committee wants to keep the cost of hosting less than what Vancouver spent in 2010 — $7.7 billion (all figures Canadian). The Draft Hosting Plan Concept estimates a cost of $5.23 billion; organizers are predicting $2.23 billion in sponsorship revenue, ticket sales, and the International Olympic Committee’s pledge to contribute $1.2 billion in cash and services. To keep costs down, Calgary could use Whistler’s facilities to host the ski jump and Nordic combined and Edmonton’s Rogers Place for hockey and curling events. A bid has not yet been finalized or proposed, but this marks a big step forward for the city.

Tech Top Five

XTECH Protective Equipment records huge sale increases in the football demographic amidst its record adoption among the pros, collegiate athletes, and high school players. According to JohnWallStreet, XTECH Protective Equipment has increased its sales by nearly +400% year over year as players including Odell Beckham, Khalil Mack, and Von Miller have embraced their lightweight, breathable, flexible, water-resistant, and comfortable protective padding. No player or team is paid to endorse the high-tech protective equipment, but the unrivaled quality of XTECH technology will have more than 70% of NFL players wearing their padding during the 2018 NFL season, as well as student-athletes on over 400 NCAA football teams and more than 500 high school football teams. Although they are known for shoulder pads, XTECH is helping college teams comply with a new NCAA rule which requires players to wear padding that covers the knee by introducing a line of thigh and knee inserts for the 2018 season.

MGM Resorts International and new professional football league, the Alliance of American Football, strike a massive transaction. According to Cynopsis Sports, MGM now has a stake in The Alliance and a three-year sponsorship that solidifies MGM Resorts as the league’s official sports betting sponsor and exclusive gaming partner. Since a federal ruling lifted the ban on U.S. sports betting in May, savvy businesspeople have been hungry to capitalize on the money to be made in sports gambling, which is exactly what this league is now doing. “We are excited to team with The Alliance on this unprecedented partnership, which allows us to fully engage with fans and revolutionize the fan experience,” said MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren. “We look forward to expanding our customer base into this exciting new league and sports betting opportunity.” As NFL ratings continue to decline, an Alliance season that begins directly after the Super Bowl is sure to cause a further ruckus in the football business.

Bobbleheads go digital in L.A. The Los Angeles Dodgers will hold their first-ever Digital Bobblehead Night on September 21 where fans will have the opportunity to download a Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, or Kenley Jansen Crypto token, the team announced. The promotion is the first of its kind in Major League Baseball, and believed to be the first Crypto giveaway in sports. The first 40,000 ticketed fans in attendance will receive a card with a unique code and directions to a website where a digital bobblehead can be unlocked and added to their Ethereum wallet. The Left Coast continues to be known for its innovation, and the Dodgers, with their solid, seasoned, ownership, are no exception.

The Sacramento Kings are now using RCS texting to send tickets and schedules to fans. The basketball team has teamed up with Zipwhip, a business text messaging company, to become the first pro sports club to use next-gen RCS texting. According to Engadget, the richer format texting allows the Kings to send tickets, schedules, and other rich info without using outside media such as email or using a specialized app. The club’s feature is available now through the Kings' toll-free number, but there's just one problem: since RCS is still a growing field, there's a good chance you may not be able to use the newly implemented technology. Unless you have an Android phone on a Sprint network, you won't get to see the power of RCS just yet. Nonetheless, this might be a peek at how sports teams operate in the future if RCS overtakes SMS messaging. Don’t panic, the Kings aren't about to give up on email or apps. The RCS messaging will act as an aid to transmit information for fans who'd rather not split their attention across multiple platforms.

As over the top (OTT) content grows, FloSports is ready to battle the transitioning sports media giants for coverage. FloSports has become successful by going all-in on niche sports and developing loyal fan bases. Embracing sports like wrestling, track, and gymnastics is a long term play that has brought the company a dedicated base of subscribers. According to Sports Video Group News, FloSports is celebrating a milestone, having netted its 150th unique-rights agreement of the calendar year. The deal covers thousands of live events, many more new subscribers, and exciting opportunities with USA Rugby, the Professional Bowlers Association, and the NBA Junior League, in addition to expanding its existing relationship with USA Wrestling. While ESPN has launched ESPN+ and the Champions League has moved mostly behind the paywall of B/R Live, FloSports co-founder and COO Mark Floreani believes that his organization has an advantage over the oncoming competition because of the loyalty that has been built around each sport’s OTT community.

Power of Sports Five

With Hurricane Florence soaking the Carolinas, it begs the questions: What damages will arise and who will help? In past natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey or Hurricane Katrina, many athletes and sports organizations have been great contributors. The NFL was the largest contributing sports league towards Katrina relief efforts with more than $21 million donated, or about 1% of its annual payroll. Personal mobilization efforts by NFL quarterback brothers Peyton and Eli Manning also delivered 30,000 pounds of water, Gatorade, infant formula, diapers, and pillows during the aftermath of the storm. After Harvey pounded the Gulf Coast, Houston Texans defensive end J.J Watt, began a page on YouCaring to fund money for victims which has raised over $32 million, including a $100,000 donation from Watt himself. As Florence-related storm damages are totaled, expect to see local sports teams and hometown athletes led by Michael Jordan and the Panthers’ owner Dave Tepper to reach out and help stitch the Carolinas back to their post-hurricane glory.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has donated $85,000 to charity supporting indigenous children. According to CTV News, the NHL superstar and the Oilers’ community foundation announced last Tuesday that they will donate $85,000 over the next three years to support Canadian Tire’s Sport as a Platform for Resiliency program. More than just donating, McDavid stuck around and played floor hockey with the kids he’s helping at the Commonwealth Community Recreation Center. “He’s an incredible athlete and an incredible human being to do what he's doing today,” Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities President Scott Fraser said. “His love for sports and the benefits he's had — we hope we could pass those on to millions of other kids across Canada.” The Ever Active Schools initiative will help more than 7,000 Indigenous children play sports next year and Jumpstart has helped 1.7 million kids in Canada — including 135,000 in Edmonton — participate in sport since 2005.

Stiliyan Petrov and James Milner's “Match for Cancer” ended in an entertaining 3-3 draw between Celtic and Liverpool. This match saw Leukemia survivor Petrov and squad go head-to-head with Milner’s Liverpool mixed team. According to Sky Sports, both teams were formed by current managers Brendan Rodgers of Celtic and Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool boss. Petrov and Milner were teammates at Aston Villa FC and the temporary squads were composed of current and former footballers, with an actor and a freestyler thrown in for extra excitement. All money being made at the game is going to the Celtic FC Foundation, the Stiliyan Petrov Foundation, and the James Milner Foundation, with the first two charities confirming that money will go towards Beatson Cancer Charity and the Schiehallion Ward through Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. Celtic and Liverpool’s professional teams resumed action later on in the week and left the future possibility for charitable acts being integrated into pseudo-pro or professional soccer matches.

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon organizers plan to help more than 50 charities raise a total in excess of 2.5 million Rand. Designed to spur positive societal change for local and nationwide South African communities, the Run4Change Legacy Program focuses on five key pillars, including charity. The program’s philanthropic portion directs funds into South African areas that need a greater degree of awareness or grassroots assistance, with the main focus on children, community, education, environment, health, wildlife, and women. The other four areas of focus are personal health, environmental sustainability, community peace, and athlete development. According to IOL, the weekend-long festival of running has attracted top-flight international and elite local-athlete support, with countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Australia, Namibia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and countries from the United Kingdom represented. South Africa’s top marathon runners Stephen Mokoka, Desmond Mokgobu, and Nolene Conrad will also take part in the festivities – which demonstrates how running can rally attention, athletes, and funds for social change.

In Dana Point, California, professional athletes, celebrities, and over 400 faithful supporters came together in support of Ryan Sheckler’s Gala and 11th Annual Golf Tournament. According to the Citizen Tribune, the two-day event held at the AAA 5-Diamond Award Winning Monarch Beach Resort and Golf Links hosted professional athletes like NBA All-Star Klay Thompson, Football Hall of Famer Andre Reed, and actor Cris Judd along with members of Linkin Park, Green Day, Of Mice and Men, and Avenged Sevenfold. This year’s record-breaking gala surpassed last year’s fundraising total as it raised $380,000 to benefit the Sheckler Foundation “Be the Change” initiative. The excitement kicked off Sunday with a Mardi Gras-fueled evening with music performed by New Orleans natives Kings of Brass and continued into Monday where celebrities, athletes, and loyal supporters of “Be the Change” arrived at the Fat Tuesday-themed golf tournament. Sheckler highlighted the intersection of sports, politics, and philanthropy and created waves of opportunity for other athletes to rise to the occasion and chair events as a means to give back to the communities around them.

[animepj]

Some pictures from the New Balance Bronx 10 Mile #nbbronx10m (at Yankee Stadium) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2_-r9zJjVg/?igshid=1hi7xygqszy4h

[mikemortgage]

Millions of Americans are still trapped in debt-logged homes 10 years after the housing crisis brought the nation to its knees

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — School bus driver Michael Payne was renting an apartment on the 30th floor of a New York City high-rise, where the landlord’s idea of fixing broken windows was to cover them with boards.

So when Payne and his wife Gail saw ads in the tabloids for brand-new houses in the Pennsylvania mountains for under US$200,000, they saw an escape. The middle-aged couple took out a mortgage on a US$168,000, four-bedroom home in a gated community with swimming pools, tennis courts and a clubhouse.

“It was going for the American Dream,” Payne, now 61, said recently as he sat in his living room. “We felt rich.”

Today the powder-blue split-level is worth less than half of what they paid for it 12 years ago at the peak of the nation’s housing bubble.

Located about 80 miles northwest of New York City in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, their home resides in one of the sickest real estate markets in the United States, according to a Reuters analysis of data provided by a leading realty tracking firm. More than one-quarter of homeowners in Monroe County are deeply “underwater,” meaning they still owe more to their lenders than their houses are worth.

A sale sign advertises a price reduction on a house in Pennsylvania.

The world has moved on from the global financial crisis. Hard-hit areas such as Las Vegas and the Rust Belt cities of Pittsburgh and Cleveland have seen their fortunes improve.

But the Paynes and about 5.1 million other U.S. homeowners are still living with the fallout from the real estate bust that triggered the epic downturn.

As of June 30, nearly one in 10 American homes with mortgages were “seriously” underwater, according to Irvine, California-based ATTOM Data Solutions, meaning that their market values were at least 25 per cent lower than the balance remaining on their mortgages.

It is an improvement from 2012, when average prices hit bottom and properties with severe negative equity topped out at 29 per cent, or 12.8 million homes. Still, it is double the rate considered healthy by real estate analysts.

“These are the housing markets that the recovery forgot,” said Daren Blomquist, a senior vice president at ATTOM.

Lingering pain from the crash is deep. But it has fallen disproportionately on commuter towns and distant exurbs in the eastern half of the United States, a Reuters analysis of county real estate data shows. Among the hardest hit are bedroom communities in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, where income and job growth have been weaker than the national norm.

Developments in outlying communities typically suffer in downturns. But a comeback has been harder this time around, analysts say, because the home-price run-ups were so extreme, and the economies of many of these Midwestern and Eastern metro areas have lagged those of more vibrant areas of the country.

“The markets that came roaring back are the coastal markets,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. He said land restrictions and sales to international buyers have helped buoy demand in those areas. “In the middle of the country, you have more flat-lined economies. There’s no supply constraints. All of these things have weighed on prices.”

In addition to exurbs, military communities showed high concentrations of underwater homes, the Reuters analysis showed. Five of the Top 10 underwater counties are near military bases and boast large populations of active-duty soldiers and veterans.

Many of these families obtained financing through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA makes it easy for service members to qualify for mortgages, but goes to great lengths to prevent defaults. It is a big reason many military borrowers have held on to their negative-equity homes even as millions of civilians walked away.

A poor credit history can threaten a soldier’s security clearance. And those who default risk never getting another VA loan, said Jackie Haliburton, a Veterans Service Officer in Hoke County, North Carolina, home to part of the giant Fort Bragg military installation and one of the most underwater counties in the country.

“You will keep paying, no matter what, because you want to make sure you can hang on to that benefit,” Haliburton said.

These and other casualties of the real estate meltdown are easy to overlook as homes in much of the country are again fetching record prices.

But in Underwater America, homeowners face painful choices. To sell at current prices would mean accepting huge losses and laying out cash to pay off mortgage debt. Leasing these properties often won’t cover the owners’ monthly costs. Those who default will trash their credit scores for years to come.

The windows of a house are boarded-up with plywood in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, where in 2013 almost one in 10 properties was vacant.

Dreams deferred

Special education teacher Gail Payne noses her Toyota Rav 4 out of the driveway most workdays by 5 a.m. for the two-hour ride to her job in New York City’s Bronx borough.

“I hate the commute, I really, really do,” Payne said. “I’m tired.”

Now 66, she and husband Michael were counting on equity from the sale of their house to fund their retirement in Florida. For now, that remains a dream.

The Paynes’ gated community of Penn Estates, in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, is among scores that sprang up in Monroe County during the housing boom.

Prices looked appealing to city dwellers suffering from urban sticker shock. But newcomers didn’t grasp how irrational things had become: At the peak, prices on some homes ballooned by more than 25 per cent within months.

Today, homes that once fetched north of US$300,000 now sell for as little as US$72,000. But even at those prices, empty houses languish on the market. When the easy credit vanished, so did a huge pool of potential buyers.

Eight hundred miles to the west, in an unincorporated area of Boone County, Illinois, the Candlewick Lake Homeowners Association begins its monthly board meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.

Nearly 40 per cent of the 9,800 homes with mortgages in this county about 80 miles northwest of Chicago are underwater, according to the ATTOM data. Some houses that went for US$225,000 during the boom are now worth about US$85,000, property records show.

By early 2010, unemployment topped 18 per cent after a local auto assembly plant laid off hundreds of workers. At Candlewick Lake, so many people walked away from their homes that as many as a third of its houses were vacant, said Karl Johnson, chairman of the Boone County board of supervisors.

“It just got ugly, real ugly, and we are still battling to come back from it,” Johnson said.

While the local job market has recovered, signs of financial strain are still evident at Candlewick Lake.

The community’s roads are beat up. The entryway, meeting center and fence could all use a facelift, residents say. The lake has become a weed-choked “mess,” “a cesspool,” according to residents who spoke out at an association meeting earlier this year. Association manager Theresa Balk says a recent chemical treatment is helping.

Annual homeowner’s dues of US$1,136 are being stretched to pay for all the upkeep. But those fees may be a big deterrent for many would-be buyers at Candlewick Lake, said association board member Randy Budreau.

“A gated community like this, with our rules and fees, it may be just less attractive now to the general public,” he said.

© Thomson Reuters 2018

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