Dream BIG...It's The Only Way To Dream

Breathe Me...

2011-08-21T22:40:00.009-04:00

I hit a road bump of sort in my training about 6 weeks ago. A nagging sinus and ear infection came upon me like a bat out of Hell. And, I did what I do best when I get sick - I became frustrated and was convinced I was never going to get better. Even the doctor wouldn't put up with my bullshit and said, "Annie, you're sick and it's a bad one, but it's not cancer."

What the doctor said was like a slap across the face that woke me from a deep sleep of self pity. Not only was it not cancer, it's not Cystic Fibrosis. Here I was feeling sorry for myself and pissed that I couldn't train, but the reality was, I would feel better and before I knew it, I'd catch up with my training.

After a few weeks, I had the luxury to breathe better, my energy was at 100% and I continued life where I left it before getting sick. Looking at the big picture, I saw that it wasn't a big deal and I took the time to recognize that people with CF have to work at breathing every day of their lives. The more I learn about CF, the more it becomes clear to me as to why I'm running for Team Boomer . I contine to be inspired by one man's quest to single handedly bring awareness to CF and not only find a cure, but help those now living with it.

Anyway...below is this week's song that inspires me. It's actually a song I played during Mile 24 when I ran the marathon in 2009. Now, the title, "Breathe Me" has taken on such a different meaning....

Stay tuned for more blog postings and training ancedotes...

Priceless! The E-mail response from my Irish Twin...

2011-07-19T20:43:00.005-04:00

This was too hilarious for me to keep filed away in my E-mail saved folder. I have to share with all of you my Irish Twin's response to the last blog posting. She is the preggers one who can't run the marathon - wimp, right?! HA!

Warning: You may need some Depends after reading.

Hi-

It was my morning reading at 5am. Of course I am definitely upset that I am not your “Apollo” or the very least “the wind beneath your wings.” I mean without me, where would this dream be? And to think that I could not successfully train you from computer might be insulting. I mean I feel I could be a running nazi if I had to be (whoops that would be your title – lol!). All kidding aside, I liked the blog post and don’t worry my “eat my dust” competitive edge will be alive and well when I run it in 2012. I will just be running against your time – so you better make it good!

I am still working out to keep in “labor” ready shape instead of marathon shape. Of course, some would say, labor is worth more than a marathon but having done both I will have to say labor has been a piece of cake compared to the marathon! Every single labor was in way less time than the marathon!

I hope at the very least to inspire you to have creative blog entries!

I have also spent the last 11 days trying to explain to my children how we are the same age for 11 days. No need to explain the birds and bees - that will come at a much later time!

Sincerely,

Your Irish Twin

The Apollo to My Rocky Balboa

2011-07-18T00:03:00.016-04:00

We all need an Apollo to our Rocky Balboa. And, if you have no idea who I’m referencing here, or what exactly I mean, you’re probably too young to be reading this blog, or I’m too old to be writing it.

Ok, so let's get this out of the way first...it’s been awhile, but I’m back to blogging, because I’m back to running…so here it goes!

The last time I was training for the marathon, I said to my mom the night before a long training run, “Mom, next time I tell you I’m running the NYC Marathon, please talk me out of it.” A month ago I said to her, “Guess what? I’m running the NYC Marathon.” Like a good mom, she tried for about 30 seconds to talk me out of it. And, like a good mom, she then acquiesced and promised to support me.

Truth be told, the only reason I threw my name in for the lottery was my Irish Twin sister (who officially today is no longer the same age as me!) sold me on it: “C’mon, we can run it again 10 years after we first ran it together.” Sister code for this sentence: “C’mon let’s run it so I can have you eat my dust. See ya at the Finish Line sucka!” Reverting back to my younger days and the fear of flying Pepsi cans (inside joke for a select few) I was in. The Plan B for not getting in by way of lottery was we’d run it for Team Boomer. It’s a perfect fit – my sister, one step away from a face painting Jets fan – worshipped Boomer Esiason in the 90’s; I share the halls with him at WFAN; and most importantly he started a phenomenal Foundation that aggressively supports research and solutions for Cystic Fibrosis.

Well, neither of us made it into the lottery, so Plan B was in full effect. When I delivered the Plan B news to my Irish Twin, she replied, “I’m having back issues and the dr. doesn’t want me running.” Sisters have ESP. What I really heard was, “I’m preggers with my 5th kid and just don’t want to tell you right now.” And yup, weeks later she fessed up. I was right! And the due date? Exactly one week before the marathon. What a wimp she is - you mean she can't give birth and run? Sheesh!

So, “to run or not to run?” - that was the question. Would I do this alone? Could I do this alone? Quite frankly, the long training runs scare the hell out of me and I knew my summer activities would be limited drastically. (I know what you’re thinking – what summer activities? Don’t worry, I’m still asking myself this too.) And, the big question was, would I be able to run a respectable time? For me, that means Sub 5 hours.

I decided I had to do this and to cement the decision, I contacted Boomer's Foundation, filled out the paperwork, was interviewed and they gave me a number! Next step - I had to call in the BIG GUN. I feverishly started dialing one of TBDRPTLNM (The Best Damn Running Partners That Live Nowhere Near Me), Jess. The other one, Kerry, is in the middle of a career change (more on that in future blog postings) so she’ll come in to play towards later training runs...

I called Jess and she was supportive and practical and showed the utmost confidence in me. And, within 24 hours, a Run Less, Run Faster 16 week training program showed up in my e-mail in box. She then became my official virtual coach. She might be in Texas, but I can hear her as if she's running right next to me(or in her case, usually in front of me!)

So, Jess is the Apollo to my Rocky. She’ll have me punching the meat, doing my chin-ups, sit-ups and yelling things like, “RUN FASTER!” Ok, so not exactly, but if she did live in the same state, I could TOTALLY see her racing me down a beach at the crack ass of dawn and yelling at me when I start to feel inept about this whole journey.

So, here it goes. Week 16 begins now…

Thanks Apollo.

Only ONE MORE Week Until...

2009-10-18T16:31:00.025-04:00

....NYC Marathon! (The picture to the left is the start of about 30,000 people crossing the Verrazano Bridge!)

Between the marathon training, work and lending some help on a fantastic all soccer film festival, Kicking & Screening, which recently wrapped in Washington, D.C., I have let the blog slip. Yikes! Last week my dad asked, "What's going on with the blog?" I had no idea he was such a fan and a good reminder that I needed to get to it!

For now, it's back to the top of my list and a priority. Even if my postings are limited to a quick snapshot of some life observations, my goal is to update it once every few days with the hope of transitioning it over to http://www.annievinton.com/ before the end of the year.

Admittedly, there's no real witty repertoire this posting, just some meanderings and thoughts that have invaded my brain over the last few weeks.

Marathon Training
(A) I blame it on Ethan's Cancer: Training's been tough but one week out and I feel good and couldn’t be happier to be doing it for Grassroot Soccer (http://www.grassrootsoccer.com/) The reason I'm running too, I blame it on Ethan's cancer. One of the founders of GRS, Ethan Zohn, constructed a site for anyone to blame anything on his cancer, which he was diagnosed with this past Spring. It only seemed natural for me to blame his cancer for being crazy enough to run 26.2 miles. Check it out - you can blame him too for anything: a crying kid; a fight with your boyfriend; a husband who won't serenade you and lavish you with gifts on important occasions. You get the "gist' of it! It's fun to do and free for you, but $1 will be donated to a charity every time you blame Ethan's cancer. To get to Blaming Ethan's Cancer as well as read some of the hilarious "blames", click here.

(B) I am in pain, but grateful: During training, when my legs began to lock somewhere around Mile 14 and I all could think about was the ice cold Coors Light I’d be having after limping up the stairs to my apartment, I remembered to be grateful that I can indeed run. It’s a gift. But, please, please someone remind me of this when I’m in the last 5 miles of the November 1st Extravaganza.

(C) Skinny thighs, where art thou? All of this running and training unfortunately for me does not = skinny thighs. I had fantasies of snuggling into super skinny jeans for the big post marathon suarre, but it’s a pipe dream. I only hit my Phase One Skinny Jeans – that’ll do – I like to eat.

Dating

Sadly the above was not intentionally left blank. I keep running (pun intended) into guys who are more interested in Super Models than me - go figure. Refer to (C) under Observations of Marathon Training that reiterates my non-model status.

Music/Movies
I’ve become obsessed with the following recently:

Makingof.com – amazing behind the scenes movie site. One of my fave interviews now is the press junket for Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut – "Whip It."

The following songs, in no particular order: Jay Z’s "Empire State of Mind"; Train’s “Hey Soul Sister”; Beyonce’s “Halo.”

To All You Ladies Out There – Touch Your Boobies
It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month – do a self breast exam. And, if you’re not touching ‘em, have someone else. Early detection is key. If you need some guidance, click here for an instructional link.

Before I wrap this up, a BIG shout out to all fellow marathoners in D.C. (Schneider and Verrone) this weekend and to all in this final week's preparation for NYC!

And, enjoy the video below - - it's one of the tunes that'll be pumping through my iPod as I trek up First Avenue next Sunday!

Chasing Men Through Central Park

2009-08-23T22:30:00.005-04:00

All right, this headline isn't exactly what it seems, but I was technically chasing men through Central Park. But, these aren't just any guys -they're in my marathon team training group. A couple of Thursdays ago we did three 1.7 interval laps around the inside track of the Central Park and well, while the guys paced a very fast 1.7 miles (along with fast gal Sandy) I basically chased and sadly, no, I didn't catch 'em. (Funny - it was like this run was imitating my life!) But hey, give me a few months and let's see if I can get 'em chasing me!

Here's the deal:
After crossing/crawling across the 2001 NYC Marathon Finish Line, I swore I'd never run another one and since have kept my maximum race distances at 13.1miles. But, life happens and things change along the way and I'm training once again for the coveted 26.2. In addition to chasing guys through the park, I've been wearing out the soles of my shoes while huffing and puffing along JFK Boulevard and River Road in New Jersey with amazing views of the glorious Manhattan skyline to distract myself from belabored breathing and tight leg muscles.

What changed my mind?
A few months ago, I had the privilege of meeting an inspiring young man, Ethan Zohn who once played pro soccer in Africa. While he was there he experienced the real culture of the continent and saw first hand the impact of AIDS/HIV especially when a friend of his succumbed to AIDS.

When he returned to the United States, he secured a spot on the show Survivor and it happened to be the one based in Africa. When he was there, he won one of his challenges by communicating through soccer and at some time during his stay there decided that if he won, he would use the money to help educate the young people of Africa about HIV/AIDS.

Well, that's just what he and a few of his very intelligent and ambitious buddies did. Fast forward 7 years later and Grassroot Soccer is flourishing with over 300,000 kids having been through the program in Africa. It's been nothing short of amazing.

It doesn't stop there - he continues to inspire. Soon after after I met Ethan he was diagnosed with cancer, but he's not letting this stop his marathon training! (Check out his updates with People by clicking here.)

Yes, I said I'd never run another marathon - it takes much dedication, stamina and a lot of "mind over matter" thinking. So, I find myself busting through my fear, completely inspired by Ethan and a quite a few other amazing runners!

In addition to the running part of this, I'm also working on a $3000 fundraising goal for Grassroot Soccer that I'm hoping to blow right past! I've started my campaign by asking 100 people to donate $30 each; and slowly but surely, I'm getting there. I do know times are tough so if you can't donate, I'd love to see you along the route that day! For info on donations and to check out my personal marathon page, click here.

And, yes, yes, I'll be blogging right here as I plow through the training!

Thanks all for reading and I appreciate your support!

Battle of NYC's Finest...On Stage

2009-06-16T23:06:00.038-04:00

Sometimes life gets in the way of our dreams but, when given a chance, dreams really can some true. This happened on Monday evening when Long Walk Entertainment in association with Live Nation gave seven bands with at least one member of the NYPD or PBA a shot at stardom, while raising money for the NYPD Widow's and Children's Fund. It’s the second in a series with this one following the Battle of the Bravest held in March, a benefit that pitted NYC Firemen head-to head in a battle of the bands.

The event was the brainchild of Long Walk Entertainment’s founder, Andrew Gerardi. Living in a neighborhood with many friends who are cops and firemen, Gerardi's no stranger to understanding the psyche of many of them who turn to music as a creative outlet after what really is a "tough day." His goal was to give back to these guys and provide an opportunity to fulfill a dream that seems so out of reach.

This inaugural event held at the Gramercy Park Theater had just the right mixture of celebrities like hosts Marky Ramone and New York's 104.3 radio talent Maria Milito; legendary concert promoter (and my former boss from the 90's) Ron Delesener; execs from the big labels and management; and among the fans, model and actress Paulina Porizkova, whose brother Kym took the stage as lead singer for one of the particpating bands Sweet As Ether.

Old school tactics were used in the selection process for participating bands - promotional flyers were hung in precincts throughout the five boroughs and a selected committee from Live Nation and Long Walk Entertainment narrowed the submissions to the lucky seven: The Bel Airs; Buck Pryor;Clubbin Eddie , Rattlin Hum ; Sweet As Ether; Tiger Uppercut; and Voxhound. Rules for the evening were each band was to play one cover and two originals and the winner decided by in-audience paper ballot, as well as weigh-in from selected judges within the music industry.

All seven bands were more than worthy of being there, but Voxhound was a standout from the first note played. The band's charisma along with a very marketable package of talent and good looks complemented their Pearl Jam and Velvet Revolver influences evident in original songs, but most impressive was their interpretation of Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer. Bass player and police officer from Manhattan's 20th Precinct Charlie Grimm said, “For the band, reworking Sledgehammer was more difficult than writing original music.” And, in the fifteen minutes they were on the stage, this band comprised of a cop, a plumber, a teacher and a litigation specialist, raised the bar significantly at this competition.

Overall, the line-up was well rounded and included a wide variety of musical genres from the rock funk sounds of The Bel Airs to the hard rock of Tiger Uppercut and Clubbin Eddie to the Allman-esque sounds of Buck Pryor. Voxhound’s steepest competition was Sweet As Ether. When introducing the band, Maria Molito drew attention to the drummer saying, "Hey, doesn't he look just like Kevin Bacon?" After a few nods and laughs from the crowd, the lights dimmed and Sweet As Ether jump started their set with an injection of energy into a version of the 80's pop song hit Strength by the Alarm. The band, together for four years, is comprised of two current cops, one retired cop and a "civilian" with a corporate day job. Thier seamless transitions and comfortable stage presence illuminated off the stage.

At the end of the evening, just after Marky Ramone performed I Wanna Be Sedated, Voxhound was declared the winner, which was well deserved and we should expect to hear and see more of them in the future.

Gerardi has created a real diamond in the rough with this event and hopefully it will snowball, taking on a life of its own in the future, continuing to give our New York City Heroes a shot at making their dreams come true.

For more information on this event or Long Walk Entertainment, please visit http://www.longwalkentertainment.com/

Paying Homage to the Mom Gene (Not to be confused with "Mom Jean")

2009-05-11T21:09:00.021-04:00

Happy belated Mother's Day to all of you mommies out there and to my fellow singletons, we'll get our own holiday someday soon - if anyone can make it happen, Hallmark will. I celebrated FTD's most lucrative holiday by way of a 5k run with my sister (a mom) and of course spent some time with my mom a day prior.

This 5k thing is becoming a bit of an annual thing. My sister, a bit of an ultra mom, with a full-time job and mother of 4 little girls (7 mos., 2 1/2, 5 and almost 7) chose, on a day she could sleep in and be treated like a "Queen" by her "King" and ever expanding "court", to wake early to join me. And, to give her a bit of a break after the run, I took her two oldest on a quick "adventure" to Starbucks and then we partied down at the car wash, singing along to the Sound of Music's "Lonely Goatherd (or as they call it the "Ladeedlay Song") and "It's a Hard Knock Life" from Annie. Yeah, I'm one helluva an aunt.

I would guess moms of all kinds everywhere yesterday celebrated in various ways surrounded by family and friends: brunches, flowers, breakfast in bed, savoring every word of a child's homemade card and just enjoying their "day off" (yeah, right!)

But, there really is something about a mom that differentiates her from the average person. I call it "The Mom Gene." It's that thing that transforms an ordinary woman into a super woman of sorts. It's the woman who once slept until noon; or the ultimate gym rat who'd miss a party to hit her favorite power aerobics class; or the fun gal who found it perfectly normal to dance on top of the bar! (CM, I swear I'm not referring specifically to you at The Pub!) Then when that precious bundle of joy enters her life, there's an amazing transformation. Well, she's still the same woman, but with some additions: eyes installed in the back of her head; bionic hearing activated; unbelievable instincts forcing "spot on" right snap decisions; multi-tasking if on steroids; and then one trait that mesmerizes me most - - high functioning capacity with very few hours of sleep!

After many years of amazement, watching friend by friend and sisters transform, I realized, it's gotta be "The Mom Gene" - an intangible, inexplicable "chip" that activates automatically when a woman becomes a mom. Yes, I know, there are in some cases dads who acquire this gene, but it's a rarity. Singletons like myself, well it's just not our time (yet) for the gene...but maybe someday...

A day or two late, but a huge cheers to all of the mom's out there, not just today, but every day and keep on rocking The Mom Gene!

The original and more familiar "Mom Jean"

A great song for all moms out there!

Keeping the Faith

2009-05-09T20:54:00.033-04:00

It's been awhile since I put a pen to the paper for this blog, because life threw a monkey wrench at me and I took a break, but I'm back! A few days before Christmas I was issued one of those pesky little pink slips. Looking back now, even though I'm still hustling like crazy for some steady work, losing a job doesn't seem like such a big deal now, although at times the stress can feel monumental.

I've self proclaimed myself as the "busiest unemployed person I know" spending a whole lotta time and energy throwing a lot of "you know what" on the wall to see what sticks and praying it sticks soon. I've also been writing, running and whatevering it takes to keep me from the fetal position. Well, until I find myself gainfully employed again, I'm taking it a day at a time, with all efforts focused on taking it all in, enjoying the journey.

Along the way, I've been enlightened by a few things and learned a bit too. The top things on my long, long list of things I've learned, goes something like this:

1 - It's just a job, I have my health - and there are people out there with much steeper mountains to climb

2 - This has been a great "weeding" process for lots of things in my life

3 - This has been a great way for me to make new friends and get closer to old ones

4 - My family is absolutely nuts (me being the lead nut) but absolutely supportive and amazing, and we Vintons will proudly and always remain nuts

5 - Listen to any and all advice; you don't have to follow all of it though

6 - If you're single, go ahead and date - if someone can tough this out with you, then they're cool, if not, well than, who needs 'em?

7 - If someone offers you money to do a job when you're out of work, as long as it's not illegal, put your pride aside and just do it...it's not forever...and remember to return the favor when you're once again rolling in the dough

8 - Listening to good music is a great elixir

9 - It was refreshing and uplifting to clean out my closets metaphorically, and for real

10 - Keep the faith

I guess some of the most fun I've had so far was covering the Tribeca Film Festival. (Coverage can be found at http://www.filmmonthly.com/.) I was far from the perfect journalist, but found msyelf right at home at the red carpet events; ran into Johnny Knoxville (Exec Producer of The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia) in the press lounge more times than I can count; ate lots of popcorn during the screenings; and most importantly met some great writers, with my fave being a Scot - - good news is I now I have an excuse to cross the Pond when I get back on my feet! Better yet, I'll be doing a follow-up exclusive with a young director Alexis Spraic and producer, Sasha Alpert of Shadow Billionaire. All and all, an amazing experience!

So what's next? I'll keep pounding the pavement and start writing a bit more and in fact, I'll be re-launching this blog as http://www.annievinton.com/. Ahh yes, and a new twist - it's not gonna be all about me and my running shenanigans, although they'll pop up from time-to-time. It's a simple concept, but one that hit me one day sitting at a Starbucks when I met one-time strangers and now friends, the wonderful Aussie Robyne and her boyfriend Ray: we all have a story to tell, every single one of us. And I wanna start telling them - from people close to me to a "stranger" I meet on the subway or in a coffee shop.

So, I'll get that site up and "running" soon, but until then, keep an eye out for some "diddies" posted right here and for all of you, whatever your challenges may be now - keep the faith!

And, last but not least and most importantly, Happy Mother's Day (dad, print this out for mom, since she still is baffled by the invention of the computer) to all of the wonderful women in my life who have the toughest 24 hour job out there!

Springsteen's Working On A Dream...Aren't we all?

2009-01-29T00:45:00.006-05:00

My Take: Good Springsteen
Songs You’ll Listen to Over and Over Again: My Lucky Day and if you’re feeling a bit somber, The Wrestler

Upon receiving Springsteen’s Working On A Dream , I did what made the most sense to me: I hopped in the car, hit the Jersey Turnpike and cranked up the volume. No, it wasn’t exactly the same as a cruising in a convertible on a summer day belting out his tunes, but in freezing temperatures, one must improvise.

I listened to the CD from beginning to end and I kept waiting for that quintessential Springsteen storytelling song that would make me believe in the plight of the blue collar man; have me feeling like a voyeur in someone’s life; or unleash a bevy of butterflies in my stomach knowing he is singing about me and that yes, my name should be Candy, Mary or Bobby Jean. He doesn’t totally veer away from story telling on this album and there are hints of his genuine connection to the common man in most of the songs. In "Queen of the Supermarket" he croons, “ I’m in love with the queen of the supermarket though a company cap covers her hair…” This song could actually have listeners yearning for a minimum wage job and a simple life where love is the main focus of life. I also questioned whether or not he might sing this during his Super Bowl appearance as an ode to the urban legend that tells the tale of how Kurt Warner, quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, fell in love with his wife when he was the stock boy and she the check out girl at the supermarket.

Working On A Dream seems to be more reminiscent of Tunnel of Love and less like the epic sounds of Born to Run, but nonetheless, Springsteen fans won’t be disappointed. He steers away from politics and even though there's not the storytelling style that's so craved, he keeps the tone of all of the songs personal and makes a connection.

"Surprise, Surprise", "My Lucky Day" and "The Last Carnival" have catchy refrains and rest assured a few songs on the CD will satiate your appetite with ample radio play.

The cliché of “saving the best for last” describes the "The Wrestler." This bonus track is a bit on the melancholic side and tugs on the heartstrings. As the story goes, the song was inspired by Mickey Rourke, who was about to embark on the comeback role of a lifetime. He contacted Bruce and asked him if he could write music for an independent film for which he was to star. Bruce responded and this title track for the movie nailed the emotions of the lead character and deservedly awarded a Golden Globe.

This CD’s release comes during economic times when we all need to hear from Bruce more than ever and Working On A Dream will keep fans at bay for now, but will make them wanting more, sooner rather than later. But, isn't that what Bruce always does?

Running in the New Year

2009-01-05T20:51:00.029-05:00

Prologue
As I took a look into my rear view mirror on 2008, it was a year much like all the others I have lived – filled with highs and lows. It’s the highs that keep me plugging along as happily as I can each day, but I‘m just as grateful for the lows. It’s those dark moments that force introspection and usually result in new doors opened and opportunities and without them, there would be no highs. Let’s face it though, I’m human and, oh the highs, they’re so much, much more fun. Rest assured, my friends and family can vouch, they like me better too when life seems rosy as they’ve been on the phone or out to coffee with me when I’ve been at both ends of the spectrum. (God bless ‘em all!)

Well, going back to the basics of my blog – it’s supposed to be about my running and anecdotes along the way. I’m happy to report that I was able to kiss 2008 farewell with a little bit of running and a lot of fun. We’ll see what 2009 and blogging brings…we’ll see what new turn it may take…stay tuned.

I Think I Need to Get My Head Examined
When most people think about a New Year’s Eve in New York City, they probably conjure up images of the large glittery ball dropping amongst millions crammed into the organized chaos in Times Square. In fact, I would bet that very few New Yorker’s have actually have subjected themselves to this surreal insanity. I did something even more insane this past New Year’s Eve in New York City.

It was about two weeks ago and one of my Best Damn Running Partners That Live Nowhere Near Me (BDRPTLNNM), Kerry sent an e-mail that went something like this:
Annie,

I’ve always wanted to do the Midnight Run in Central Park – you in?

Clearly I had to check my social calendar as who knows what I could have planned on that evening. (Read: my schedule was clear.)
My response:

Kerry,
Sure, sounds like fun. I just hope it’s not ridiculously cold – like 16 degrees or something.
Annie

NYE – Coldest NYE on Record
Fast Forward to NYE and I thought the media was exaggerating when I heard the same report over and over by my meteorologist friends and CBS, NBC, ABC and the weather channel: “Should be the coldest NYE on record with temperatures in the teens, but will feel like 10 below.” “No, No, No!” I yelled at the TV thinking that would help. It didn’t. Defeated, I stared at my closet for which layers would work best under my long black coat.

Laughing ‘Til You Cry Incident #1: Stick It Up Your Ass
Kerry was Bolting up to NYC on the 2:30. Ok, those of you unfamiliar with Bolting – it’s one of the best ways, well cheapest ways, to travel between New York and D.C. The Bolt Bus Line includes a fleet of brand new buses equipped with wireless and outlets at each seat to keep whatever you needed all charged up and ready to go.

When Kerry started bolting, texting ensued and with each blinking red light on my Blackberry, there was comic relief. Then an e-mail, yippee I thought! And, I saw that it was an ad from Match.com. Match was promising me that there were some great singles in the area just waiting for me. Ah, the marketing experts at Match tapping into the vulnerability of us singles on New Year’s Eve. I’m a savvy marketing gal and refused to fall prey to this, so on behalf unsuspecting singles everywhere with the same message in their “In Box”, I simply replied with:

“Stick it up your ass.”

Yeah, I sure told them! Right? I immediately texted Kerry with this and naturally, regardless that she was on a bus full of strangers, laughed out loud, grateful she didn’t have a beverage in her mouth at the time.

Stop #1 NYE: Meeting Up With Some Gals Crazier Than Me!
After I dressed in my 17 layers, grabbed a great book I was finishing up by John Grogan, Marley and Me (BTW, excellent and amazingly poignant movie) to read on the 1.5 mile ride into the city that on NYE would take no less than an hour through the Lincoln Tunnel. Then I was off to the bus stop fighting the wind and wondering if I really was certifiable.

First stop for me before Kerry arrived would be a beer and a burger with a friend I hadn’t seen in about 5 years, Susan L and her good friend Amy. I was so psyched when she Facebooked (that’s a verb, right?) me on the 30th telling me that last minute, she and Amy decided to cross and item off their Bucket List – NYE Times Square. I mean, who’s crazier, them or me? When I hopped off the bus at Port Authority, I was pleasantly surprised at how organized everything was in the Times Square area and we hunkered down at Smiths, a great little dive bar at 45th and 8th where the drinks were cold and we had a place to sit.

Laughing ‘Til you Cry Incident #2: You’ve Created a Monster
After a I carbed up with a couple of beers at Smiths, off I was to pick up numbers and race T-shirts at New York Road Runners at East 89th Street followed by meeting up with Kerry at 34th and 8th. On a night like this, God Bless the NYC Subways, iPods and a good book to make my trek all the more easier and entertaining. Just as I was about to reach Kerry, Jessica ever the supporter and my other BDRPTLNNM (see her at left finishing up the Vegas Marathon in less than 4 hours!), sent an e-mail wishing us luck. Kerry responded with:

Did you have any idea when you introduced Annie and I to each other what kind of monster you would create? It’s mother freakin’ cold here and we are completely crazy.

Now I laughed out loud, found Kerry at the very warm Roy Rogers/Nathan’s across from Penn Station and off we were to Barrow Street.

Stop #2 NYE: Party Time (not!)

A friend of mine Heidi R. was hosting a small gathering downtown and once out of the Subway, I scoured for a Starbucks. Nothing like a nice frothy caffeine laden chai tea before a race! We were in NYC so all had to do was turn around and there it was. Just the lift I needed before we reached Barrow Street. We kept kidding ourselves with comments like, "It’s really not that cold when you have the right clothes on.” Yeah right! Upon arrival, it took US about 5 minutes to strip down to about two layers. I looked at the clock. It was 9:37 pm, which meant we had about an hour until departure, which meant I had an hour to resist the amazing food and drink spread. There we were, standing amongst some very nicely dressed people and we had bad hat head and running tights clutching our water and tea. We told them what we were up to and comments of concern were spouted out like “You should just stay warm here and have some drinks.” And, “Are you guys crazy?” Yes. Yes. I was beginning top think yes, we were insane.

Stop # 3 NYE: Runners, Take Your Mark
We could not have planned it better. We left the party, hit the West 4th Street Subway Station; hopped out at 72nd Street and Central Park West; dropped our bags off at the “bag check” where I bravely removed the long coat layer, but changed out my regular gloves for my snowboarding mittens. (Yeah, I looked sizzling hot!); hit the john, meaning the port-o-potty – ew!; and took our places on the start line. We waited no less than 2 minutes and then the countdown, " - 5,4,3,2,1. Happy New Year”! The fireworks blasted above us and we were off and running!

We ran the race at a nice steady pace and soaked in the gorgeous cold winter NYC night and were grateful for the lack of wind. The water stops were more like ice in a cup stop and the “sparkling” beverage promised was sparkling cider, not the champagne I’d been dreaming of, so we just kept running, trying to get to the Finish Line as quickly as possible! As we approached the final turn, there it was, part of NYC’s amazing skyline peaking through the stripped down tree branches. It really was beautiful and reminded me why I love this city so much.

Cooling Down
Ok, so even when you run in 17 degree weather, you do sweat and there is a cool down period. This meant that within about 5 minutes of finishing, we were freezing as our bodies were cooling down. There were no hot beverages in sight so we tried our luck for some water – frozen. Then a bagel – we saw people walking around with what looked like scrumptious NY bagels. I went bounding over to the table, grabbed my bagel, umm I mean hockey puck – it was just about frozen solid. I took a few bites and after nearly cracking a tooth and not wanting to waste my calories on something unenjoyable, tossed it before we went to pick up our bags. Kerry was in shock they were still there and untouched!

Final Stop NYE: C'Mon, Can't We All Just Get Along?

Feeling my runner's high, I insisted that before we board the short bus (no joke intended here - there really are white, short buses that operate 24/7) back to Weehawken we make a return trip to Smith's. In a nutshell, I ordered my one Coors Light and within a span of 20 minutes Kerry met a bunch of Marines; (she always does - without fail when I'm with her!); three fights broke out at Smiths; and after a quick stop for a slice (hey, we had ready started the year negative in calories!) there was a bonus fight on the bus. It was a girl flailing her arms and yelling. It reminded us that it was amateur night and people were just out to drink themselves silly...not that we totally minded - it was pure entertainment! We laughed our way back to NJ and called it a night.

A great start to 2009 and only the best to come...

Turks and Turds...and Tailgate

2008-12-28T19:45:00.030-05:00

This past Sunday, women all over the country, for better or worse got their husbands and boyfriends back. Or better yet, football lovin' women (like my sister) have returned to being full-time moms or wives on Sundays as the NFL regular season came to an end. Tears no doubt were shed by many grown men as teams like the Cowboys (my fave team), the Jets and Pats hung up their helmets and called it a season.

It seems like just yesterday the season was kicking off on a Thursday night, with a NYC style concert followed by the Giants facing the Redskins for a first season victory. Now, in only a few days, Wildcard Weekend...

So as I take a walk down this season's memory lane, I remember fondly the day the Cowboys came to town...

It was November 2nd, the same day as the NYC Marathon and I was in a bit of a conundrum. I had suggested a marathon party to friend Kathy K. and ever the hostess, she had one planned before I realized the 'Boys would be in town. By the grace of God, the game was scheduled for 4pm which meant that I could split my time - be at the party by 10:30am; jump on the bus to the Meadowlands by 1pm; tailgate; and then enjoy the game!

The weather cooperated - a crisp fall, mostly sunny day and I was out the door by 9:30am and ready for the fun ahead. I hit Kathy's party with a bottle of sparkling wine and a bag of bagels in hand (what else is a gal to bring to a NYC brunch?) When I arrived at the UWS where she and her husband live, there was a helluva a spread of food and a great group of people. By the time 12:30pm rolled around I was comfortable and somewhat reluctantly left to head to the other side of the river!

I subwayed it to Port Authority and boarded the bus with many, many Giants fans. I had my iPod earplugs pinned inside my ears and kept a low profile amongst the sea of red and blue. Within 15 minutes I was wandering around the disaster that's called the Giants Stadium parking lot and found my crew. My crew meaning my brother and his rambunctious two best friends from childhood and the Texas contingency in from Dallas - my second cousin Geoff, his dad Paul and thier friend Gabe and his girlfriend.

I won't get into a ton of details, but this was quite a tailgate. For twenty bucks there was an all you can eat and drink situation with the food actually nothing less than gourmet for a tailgate (it pays to go to a chef's tailgate!) with seared tuna topping the list of grilled specialties. The accommodations - mostly just standing around the parking lot or sitting in the back of a truck (Who's truck? Well, I have no idea!) The best part is that all of the people were a lot of fun. So much fun in fact that I bonded with a gal named Amy on what I thought was a typical Port-A-John line. I should have been suspect from the start - it wasn't that long a line! Amy, only a few years older than me is a mother of 5 and with all of our chatter, the time wizzed by and before we knew it, we were at the front of the line. Oh crap! (Pun intended!) We'd been duped! Brace yourselves - this was no ordinary Port-A-John. It was a tent that zipped up the front with a bucket inside. I know, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself, so I took a picture to share with all of you! I had no idea what to do in this kind of situation, so promised my first born to the man who kindly emptied the bucket before I entered the tent. Yeah, so you know how you're gagging just by reading this? Well multiple that by about 1,000 and you'll be where I was that day! Ick! Enough said on this topic.

And, only those amongst my tailgate crew can truly understand the meaning of turks and turds...

Into the game we went and I sat with cousin Paul and we had a great time watching the game until the Cowboys really started to get an ass kicking. I had to cover my eyes to block the carnage so with that we left a little bit early, hoping to make a speedy exit. Well, too bad for us that twenty thousand other people had the same idea. The first stop would be my apartment, only about 5 miles from the stadium. I thought I would make a clean break home, but there was just enough time for the grown men I was with to partake in some serious debauchery and I guess what some might call male bonding. Ok, Ok I really didn't care, it was all pure entertainment for me and several times I threatened, "You know I'm gonna blog about this!" Ummm, that didn't work, not even for a minute!

Ahhhh footballl...I've been watching it for as long as I can remember and in a nutshell, this is what I've learned: It's a game of 22 men on a field in tight pants chasing a pigskin ball, competing in a 60 minute game that takes three times as long to complete, all the while slapping each other in the ass. Makes me wonder, why do so many of us covet this sport? It's the tradition and the camaraderie amongst friends and family celebrating your own NFL tradition Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays! And for me this past November 2nd, it was all of that and more...it was turks, turds and tailgating.

Before I go - - some parting words to all those that lost their team this past weekend - - it's not over yet! Hop on a bandwagon and keep your spirit going until you're forced to really say good bye at the conclusion of the SuperBowl. Well, sorry Giants fans, the Dolphins bandwagon drove by my Weehawken, NJ apartment and I've hopped on board! I mean really, who doesn't love the underdog and want a little vindication for my sister's long lost husband Chad Pennington?

Don't Stop Believing....

2008-12-06T18:51:00.021-05:00

As most of you know, I’ve been planning for a few months now to run in the Vegas Half Marathon with The Best Damn Running Partners That Live Nowhere Near Me, Jess and Kerry. Well, Jess doing the whole marathon – 26.2! Well, the week leading into it wasn't quite what I had planned....but as my little sister Chrissy reminds me, "I mean, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade!"

Run Fat Girl Run!
The week started off strong! Nothing could keep my badunkadunk down, not even the lousy, rainy, cold, windy weather last Sunday in the NYC area. Despite the wind blowing me backwards as I ran along the Hudson with a barely visible NYC skyline in my view, I made it through a run. I was in three layers of clothing ala Michelin Man looking with the last one being waterproof. You would think the “waterproof” layer would’ve helped, but when I was done, I looked like I had submerged myself in a pool.

Guzentight!
Monday, I woke up at 5:15 am and was at kickboxing (KO Kickboxing in Hoboken) by 5:45am. Euphoria came over me when I finished the class, a bit like a poor man's runner's high, and I felt like I had a great jump on the week…that is until the sneezing began mid-day. With a week long schedule packed with holiday networking parties, I continued to "a-choo" and persevered with my day.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Tuesday came and I was in denial that I might be sick. “Allergies, it’s allergies.” – That’s what I said when a colleague/friend met me for a coffee pow wow and claimed that my eyes were extremely glassy. Denial continued as I hit two networking events that evening.

Wednesday, I worked from home which was a good thing. I don’t think I was meant to be seen in public with my swollen sinuses and red raw nose.

The Candy Man
Thursday I had to tie up loose ends for a luncheon at our office and had two VIP Stonehill events to get my butt to, and well, more importantly catch up with Gina R. and fellow runner Colleen S. I felt miserable but luckily my fave ENT Dr. K. took me in for a last minute appt. “Yeah, you have a cold and something brewing.” I told him I had a race and a plane ride. He looked at me with sad eyes and shook his head. Although I'm not a pill popping kind of gal, I let him write away and hit the nearest pharmacy.

I honor of one of TBDRPTLNNM, Kerry

Off to my evening event. I actually made it home by 10pm after taking a Pedi cab to Port Authority. For any of you loyal redress, you've seen the antics of my past Pedi cab ride with Kerry. This one paled in comparison, but while on this less wild ride, I thought of her and the The Best Damn Pedi Cab Driver, Luke Lavin.

%&!%$
Friday morning. It felt like someone smacked me right between the eyes with a wrecking ball and my face was swollen. It was apparent my denial caused a too late attempt with Zicam, Zinc, chicken noodle soup and even Advil cold and sinus. Nothing was working. I sent an e-mail to the owner of the company I work for to reschedule a meeting with him and his response was nice but included a "So I guess you're not going to run the race?" Oh no...not even an option even if I have to walk it...it will happen!

I had no other choice but to do it. It was all pre-paid. So, one last effort, I went to the acupuncturist. I won’t lie. I had a meltdown of sorts. The stress of the economy; being sick (yeah, I know I’m a baby about it); the mere thought of how unsightly I looked; and the wonder of how I'd do in the race.

Thanks to a miracle worker, within an hour, I felt a bit more human and wizzed off to the airport. Luckily for me, I sat next to a man who was about 6’4” and about 250. He was in the middle seat and I was at the window. Scratch that – he was actually in his middle seat and half my seat! I love when strange men fall asleep on planes too and start resting on you. I felt like yelling, "Hey man, I don’t want to spoon with you!” I thought my saline nose spraying, sneezing and blowing of nose would keep him away, but unfortunately no. Maybe the dude had a thing for phlegm.

I made it in one piece! Yay! There was Jess waiting, but unfortunately some last minute work responsibilities forced Kerry to cancel, oh that and some CRAZYness.

So, for all of you who are runners out there...just a list of some thoughts that've been going through my head about this race:

1. Note to self: follow the training schedule. 13.1 miles is still a somewhat long way to run and should be taken seriously esp. when you want to post a decent time.
2. Don’t get sick the week of the race. It’s just not good.
3. Think ahead about your sneakers – I realized the ones I want to race in were “dead” the week of the race – umm, too late to change them, so I hope my shins don’t pay the price too much!
4. Do whatever you have to, to not share your seat on the plane. I should’ve demanded that the man pay half my fare – he was on half my seat!
5. Get enough sleep. I was so excited to see Jess – we stayed up to 4am NYC time chatting. I need a nap!
6. It's OK to carb up with a few beers the night before a race, but not 10.

7. Don't stop believing...

For now, signing out from Vegas~talk to ya later! Kerry, we miss and love you and have some surprises up our running shirt sleeves:)

Director’s Cut: David Furnish’s Tantrums and Tiaras

2008-11-29T14:53:00.004-05:00

My Take: Go out and buy!

For a man who admits he is good at giving love but not receiving because he puts up barriers, Elton John shifts gears and allows his partner and director of Tantrum and Tiaras, David Furnish to breaks through these walls.

It was 1995, the year of John’s most successful world tour, and Furnish was entrusted to disclose Elton John’s life from a behind the scenes perspective and in the process captured a BAFTA nomination.

Unscripted poignant and raw footage includes John’s mother touching on his years of narcissism and excess. This honest storytelling reminds us that he is human like the rest of us, but where he separates himself as a superstar is his ability to recover from dark moments by churning these life experiences into top selling hits. This is demonstrated as the scene cuts to a live version of his chart topping Someone Saved My life Tonight, sending chills up anyone’s spine.

Furnish’s direction throughout the documentary allows the viewer to feel like a voyeur into John’s life, inviting us to the more vulnerable side of John, with scenes ranging from visits to his grandmother; to the studio, experiencing his creative process; and into his trailer backstage at the Oscars.

Like any great piece of art, Furnish leaves us wanting for more and to satiate appetites, the DVD, a collectable embossed o-card packaging with Elton John’s Signature, includes never-before-seen footage featuring Rod Stewart, Kylie Minogue, and Fashion Industry Icons Mario Testino & Gianni Versace; deleted scenes; and bloopers.

Released this week, it’s perfect timing for the holidays.

Credits
Director: David Furnish
Cast: Elton John

Materpiece's "Filth"

2008-11-16T12:17:00.004-05:00

Filth, set in London and one of its quieter suburbs, is the true account of Mary Whitehouse, played by Julie Waters, a morally uptight woman who is determined to halt the advancement of television programming considered “filth” by her during the sexual revolution of the 60’s. This crusade was instigated by a BBC program aired during tea time that included premarital sex. At the onset of the movie she essentially is a community activist with some lofty goals to make a difference but eventually she becomes a household name.

Whitehouse, with the support of her husband and sons, is soon catapulted from her quiet well regimented family life in the suburbs to a regular face and name amongst the media executives, in particular Sir Hugh Greene who’s sleaziness and sexist ways are perfectly captured by Hugh Bonneville. While some women may have faltered, she stays strong in the face of adversity with accusations of being unintelligent and uncreative by the media and personal attacks in letters amongst the bags of mails she receives. She quickly learns the downside of the media’s in one’s life especially when you’re on the wrong side of it.

She continues to draw strength from God and her loyal and loving husband, but this is shattered when the dynamics of their relationship shifts when he experiences a traumatic incident. She nearly retreats from her quest to fight the BBC with her husband emotionally unavailable, but her need for him helps him heal and she carries on with her mission.

The story is well written and directed with many moments of levity, sexual tension and real life ironic moments of her life reminding us that Mary Whitehouse is human.

Filth airs on Masterpiece Contemporary Sunday, November 16 at 9pm on PBS.

For all of your movie and TV reviews and celebrity interviews go to www.filmmonthly.com

Unsticking Myself in A Moment

2008-11-11T22:00:00.003-05:00

The Vegas Half is less than a month away (it's on December 7th! Yikes!) and although I made a commitment to The Best Damn Running Partners That Live Nowhere Near Me, Kerry and Jessie, that I'd be busting my butt, religiously training, I've fallen short of that goal. Life's been busy, I've been sick, but there's no excuse.

The bottom line is that Catholic guilt's gotten the best of me; I don't want to disappoint TBDRPTLNM; and I have a mere 3 1/2 weeks left to finish up my "training" for the race. Wow... So, it's time to get busy, time to get motivated, time to get running. Problem is, I'm stuck in a moment. It's cold, it's windy, it's rainy and it's dark. In fact, I'd rather run in the snow then what's going on outside right now. How did I get from highly motivated gal to this?! Man, I don't like being in this place. I asked Bono to write me a song and look, he did!

And, just like that - well that and a few people who have inspired me, I got a hold of myself and knew what had to be done.

If you've been reading this since the beginning (http://runavrun.blogspot.com/2008/06/first-time-i-got-high.html) you know that I started this plight to raise money for CF, honor Lindsay Briggs (check out her progress by clicking here and logging in to lindsayscarepage) and bring some awareness to organ donation. So even when I was feeling like I just couldn't run (http://runavrun.blogspot.com/2008/06/go-get-em-kid.html) I ran because I had a purpose.

So, through the phenomenon of Facebook - I mean just about everyone and their (hip) grandmother is on this thing - I reconnected with my old pal Jimmy (now James) Leary. Jimmy and I go all the way back to the awkward years when I had bad hair and barely tipped the scale at 100lbs. He was either really nice or paid off by my friends (and possibly family) to take me to a dance. Good news was that I picked the right date who at 16, looked 13 and was still able to score a group of us an entire six pack of Budweiser! We were crazy teens on the brink....

Fast forward to 2008 and and Jimmy and I "friend" each other, or as my dear friend Norah M.T. (picture of Norah, AKA my sister, back in the 90's) says, "applied to be each others friends" and it's like no time has passed. What I learned was that Jimmy served in the Army years ago and recently took a leave of absence at his job as a policeman as well as leaving his comfortable life in the D.C. area and most importantly his 10 year old daughter. He did this so that he could return to the Army, train all over again and head to Afghanistan, where he is today. I asked him why he did it and without pause, he responded, " Because it's the right thing to do."

So, here I am, whining about the temperature and some fatigue...it's nothing compared to what Jimmy and his guys have been training for and what they're doing because they think it's the right thing to do. I fully believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion about the wars, but one thing I stand firm on is that no matter what that is, all of the men and women should be supported who have made this brave decision.

Jimmy, Happy Veterans Day to you and your crew. And, as I thank you today, I want to let you know I'm running in honor of you and your peeps on the other side of the world. I need a purpose and this seems like the right thing to do and I want you all to really understand the connection and support we all have for you back home. I promise to send you my updates and will need you to give me virtual ass kickings to keep me going...

Ok...game on. I'm off and running.

What a week!

2008-10-12T23:30:00.002-04:00

So what a great week and weekend it was - filled with lots of great weather, great stuff brewing at work and a quick trip to DC for some soccer (nothing like converging on a place crawling with buff soccer players...oh, and congrats US Men for 6-1 victory over Cuba and good luck in Trinidad & Tobago this Wednesday!) and to see The Best Damn Running Partner that Lives Nowhere Near Me, Kerry. She gave me the kick in the butt I needed to kick up my training for 12.7. We did this of course over a couple of glasses of wine and some great food at the Chophouse thanks to Meaghan and David!

The best news of the week though came on Tuesday, 10.7. My new niece Ellie Rose made her way into the world. She's the 4th daughter of my sister and bro-in-law John. In addition to being super mom, she's also another running partner of mine when she's not off having babies all the time! In fact, she kept running into her 7th month or so of the pregnancy (over the Brooklyn Bridge) and she'll be out there again as soon as she gets the green light from the doctor. And, no rest for the weary, this time next year she'll be completing the Westchester Marathon! Me, probably the half and will cheer her Finish on with her four girls by my side!

So, we all welcomed Ellie Rose, a possible future runner! Her big sisters CeCe and Carrie Anne have already run a couple of races and it's only a matter of time before other big sis Mary Grace (22 mos) stops running around in circles and I get her to the track!

Cheers to Ellie Rose and thank you for the reminder of miracles happening every day on this earth!

Looking for MoJo on Sunset Rock

2008-10-03T18:00:00.007-04:00

First things first, the race on 8.10 is long gone (but not forgotten) and next up is the Vegas Half Marathon on 12.7.08. The Best Damn Running Partners That Live Nowhere Near Me, Kerry and Jess will be meeting me out there. Jess is actually going for the 26.2 and Kerry and I will do the half and meet Jess with an icy cold beer at her Finish. I won't be running for a charity this time around, just pride, attempting to break 2:20:20.

So, I gotta get training...and keep you all updated....it's the only way I'll get through it. I've been slacking lately, feeling a bit off my game, not quite right and then it hit me...I know what's going on, I've lost my MoJo...it had been gone for a few weeks.

Mmm...what to do when MoJo's MIA?

What's MoJo you say? Some may think Austin Powers and how he used it to describe his sex appeal to women and well yes it could be that, but I think it's broader than that. As I see it, MoJo's the thing you can't quite put your finger on that makes someone who they are as well as gives them that "thing" that makes them attract others. For example, Jordan: craploads of MoJo; Brangelina: Massive MoJo; Oprah and Bono: Saintly MoJo; Gandhi and Mandela: Off the Charts Global MoJo. And, if for some bizarre reason you're not sure who any of these folks are, please, please crawl out from the rock you're under! Regular peeps like you and I, we have MoJo, but probably a little less than those aforementioned.

It first hit me that my MoJo was MIA when I was out on a run...not even the typical four guys shoved in the cab of a truck were hooting and hollering at me and I was even sporting my running skirt. This, coupled with my lack of motivation, everything from writing (the reason for the lapse in blog postings) to running (I didn't run for almost a whole week and I'm in training!) and socializing put me on a quest for my MoJo.

I knew I had to get it back, but what to do? Simple - - I could go to http://www.wheresmymojo.com/ head to the MoJo shop. Ok, so neither exists. Instead I hopped in the car and after a brief stint in Boston for work (great to see ya Dave H. and Steve G.!) and a quick visit with an old friend (Jeanne L.L.) and husband in Marblehead, I kept on going and landed in good old Waitsfield, VT - a nook and cranny on the map and the place that reminds me most of Colorado (a place I called home for five years!) out East.

First stop was the local coffee house (no Starbucks in this small town!) for a cup of tea and BOOOM, I turned around and there was Lisle (pronounced Lie-l...photo on right and below) Mmm...how to describe Lisle: well, he's got some MoJo for sure and he's someone I met two years ago this week and it was a tipping point in my life. After a chance meeting, he unknowingly encouraged and inspired me to just do what I want to do, dammit! In my opinion, he's arguably the unofficial mayor of the town and based on the time I've spent with him I can fairly conjecture that he's the kind of guy that most people want to know or want to be and it probably has to do with the fact that he goes to the beat of his own drum and most days while most of us are sitting in our offices or running around to pick the kids up, he's either riding through the valleys on his bike or skiing on the mountains, depending on the season. Yeah, the grass is always greener, but his sense of liberation is contagious...so usually when I see him, I swear, by the end of the time we spend together, my MoJo's been restored.

Ok, the trip wasn't entirely about chasing down my MoJo - I was on a mission to chat with Lisle and his mom and whoever else I could get to talk to me about him since I'm writing a feature story on him to have published. (Any publishers out there?) The dude's an interesting guy, having flat lined three times and still as fearless as ever with his latest challenge training for Costa Rica's four day bike race through every kind of element you can imagine, La Ruta (you can read about the last time he raced it by clicking here) and prepping for another year at Sugar Bush coaching his little rippers by way of non-traditional coaching methods (YouTube video below of these kids...they're catching some serious air on their jumps!) So, we spent some time jabbering at the Hyde Away, the local coffee joint and the Farmer's Market, but certainly not without interruption as there was a constant stream of adults and kids coming up to him one by one by one with greetings and shouts of "Lisle, how are you?" They were all as nice to me as to him and I suddenly wondered if I wouldn't do better in a small town where everybody did know you name...ho hum...back to my story...

Lisle suggested a hike to Sunset Rock and I thought that would be inspirational and about 100 feet into the hike, I found myself sprinting rather than hiking to keep up with this uber athlete navigating the rocky and lush mountain terrain on the brink of changing from green to bright orange, yellows and reds. Not surprisingly, he knew most people on the trail and would stop for some chit chat which brought much needed relief to me and time to catch my breath. After a pit stop at the secret community cabin (I kept wondering out loud, "How'd they carry all the materials up the mountain?"), we made it to Sunset Rock. Just as I caught my breath, I lost it immediately. I stood there and couldn't believe what I saw as the sun was just beginning it's journey West, but a rainbow within the scattered clouds (picture above under title, small rainbow on right in pic, if you can see it.) Could it be my MoJo?

We finished the hike, I filled my belly with a good old burger that night (thanks to Lisle's friend Tim!), hit the hay early (thank you Mr. and Mrs. C. for the accommodations!) awakening the next day and joined Lisle at the coffee joint for some more chit chat. Then it was time to go and somewhere between the five hour drive between VT and NJ, it hit me...it was like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (Ok, maybe a bit of a strecth...) MoJo's all from within and I just needed to give it a jump start, Vermont being a defibulator of sorts.

And hey, it must be working...just yesterday when I was running three guys squashed in the front seat of a van honked and smiled. Ok, so maybe they're not BF candidates, but nevertheless, my MoJo's gotta be on the up and up!

So folks, I'm off and running!

Lisle with his Little Rippers catching some serious air at Sugarbush!

Shawn Mullins Rockabyes My World and So Does Kip!

2008-09-28T18:00:00.007-04:00

Last night Shawn Mullins opened up for Dar Williams. Ok, before I go any further, I can see some of you scratching your heads and hear you saying, "Annie, who the heck is Shawn Mullins?" I promise, you know him. He's the guy who hit it big with his song Rockabye, err, I mean Lullabye back in the late 90's (Video below for your listening enjoyment....when he starts to sing, you'll find yourself saying out loud, "Oh yeah, I know that song. Great song. I thought some other guy sang that song.")

In my humble opinion, he should've been the headliner, but what do I know?! And in no way is this an insult/diss Dar Williams - she was great too. But truth be told, I'm a bit biased. All right, a lot biased. I've been following Mullins now for about a decade. He truly is prolific songwriter. When (not if) you listen to his music - - and I encourage you do so quickly, I mean right now (http://www.shawnmullins.com/) - - you can actually see the story he's singing about like a movie trailer moving through your brain. And to boot, when you go see him live (or for people like my mom who rarely leave the radius of her hometown, the live DVD will be out soon! So you'll be able to watch it on your flat screen from your fave chair, naked, if that's your thing!) Yeah, I'll have a DVD release party at my pad and to get some friends to come, yes, I'll promise copious amounts of alcohol to all who humor me in attending this red carpet suarre. Anyway, I digress, back to the point: when you see him live, you'll agree with me in that he's also a phenomenal story teller and comedian, sharing the inspirations behind each song's birth. In this day and age of "musicians" being manufactured, churned out like butter and over-produced, it's a great relief to experience a real artist like Shawn perform and connect with his audience. (And, I'm not just kissing his ass with this praise; it comes from the heart and has nothing to do with the fact that I'll be contacting him one day to score my movie when I'm done writing the script... so Shawn if you're reading...a-hem...hee hee.)

I know, I know, I'm very much aware that I'm gushing (what the hell else is new? When I like something, I gush.) It'd be so wrong for me to overshadow the very talented headliner so I do have to give Dar some props. She's a Westchester County native and has one helluva a voice. (think Sarah Mclachlan meets Shawn Colvin) She's been singing at least for a couple of decades; at times has opened up for Joan Baez; and she's my kinda chick, a multi-tasker to the core, penning two books along the way. Most impressive is her connection to her fans, talking to them at the show as if they're all good friends hanging in her living room, referencing jokes from past shows.

As I mentioned before, Shawn's been on my radar screen for some time now and in the last year, I've been fortunate enough to get to know the man behind the man, Kip (on left circa 2008; below circa sometime in his childhood.) He's Shawn's sound engineer and well, jack of all trades extraordinaire. For the last 12 years or so, he's been the guy that gets Shawn too and fro with all equipment in tact. Don't fool yourselves either, life on the road, although I'm sure extremely liberating, is not always glamorous with some nights sleeping in buses, the RV and even who really knows where else! But it's these kinds of journeys that shape people and are a true testament to the power of commitment and having a passion about what you choose to do in this lifetime. What I've really enjoyed the past few months in between the thousands of miles Kip travels is when there I am on one end of my cell phone beeping or my lap top yelping "You've got mail" and on the other end, a fabulous, witty, and sarcastic message from Kip from some corner of this country. It's been a real trip for me and I don't know about him and Shawn, but I'm looking forward to the next leg of the tour to get some more good laughs and reads like, "Near Milwaukee, am sick, can't hold anything down, haven't eaten for days and Shawn is hiding from me." I know it's not funny when someone's sick, but I laughed my ass off at the visual; or how about this one: "...am snuggled up nicely in the bus sleeping somewhere in Buffalo." Kip's well over 6 feet tall, so the visual had me in stitches once again. I hope (and as a good Catholic gal, pray) more of these messages come to my way when the tour starts up again. T - 10 days and counting!

So, again, thanks to Shawn for delivering another amazing performance! And, like clockwork, another fan has been converted - my pal Cath; and Dad, you're next! And, Kip - I'm not worthy! Thanks for the great dinner and convo in the midst of your busy day and travel - it was great to see ya and hope you and Shawn are back at The Turning Point Cafe soon!

Take a listen below...

Shawn's video below of him singing Lullabye - a song he wrote about a gal he met in California at a place on Fairfax after playing a sold out show of about 25. Rumor says this song is about Drew Barrymore, but it's NOT. All I can tell you is all I know... the gal he wrote is about is on his My Space top friend list.

And, here's the song he wrote about me...

and, the song he wrote about my brother Billy...

Interview with Peter Tolan (resume includes Rescue Me, Murphy Brown, Analyze This, Finding Amanda)

2008-09-23T23:34:00.008-04:00

Finding Peter Tolan in 'Finding Amanda'

by Annie Vinton
Exclusive Interview

FM Home now playing coming soon on the box video/DVD behind the scenes wayne case film noir horror film silent cinema american cinematheque letters links about fm

Last week I had the opportunity speak with Peter Tolan, writer and director of Finding Amanda, now available on DVD from Magnolia Entertainment. A very polite Peter apologized in advance for any background noise as he was taking a stroll through the 30's on New York City's West Side, not far from my virtual Starbucks "office" at 29th and Park; me also apologizing for any background noise. We made it through a generous 30 minutes without sirens or shouts of "Venti Chai Latte" wailing in the background.

This conversation evinced what I already knew: Peter Tolan's a quadruple threat in the world of film and television. He's successfully produced, directed, written and acted in both television and cinema, picking up a few Emmys along the way and he hits a home run once again with Finding Amanda.

If you're looking for a flick filled with explosions and expeditious car chases, this movie's not for you. If you're looking for a character driven indie flick devoid of any hypocrisy or pretense you need to buy this movie as soon as possible.

Finding Amanda, somewhat autobiographical, tells the story of Taylor Mendon (Matthew Broderick) a television writer and producer whose compulsive gambling, recreational drug use and drinking problem are jeopardizing his career and marriage. In a desperate attempt to save his marriage to Lorraine (Maura Tierney), he sets off to redeem himself by bringing home his 20-year-old niece (Brittany Snow) who is living in Vegas and working as a hooker. While there, he vows not to gamble a cent or drink a drop of alcohol. Alas, the best laid plansÉ
While there wasn't a recording device for the interview, following's a synopsis of Tolan on Amanda.

The inspiration behind the story...
The inspiration for the movie came by the way of a request from a family friend to corral their wayward daughter home from Vegas. It was Tolan's wife, the one who knew his demons (penchant for the ponies) most intimately, suggesting he head to Vegas to bring her back home. Tolan, instinctually saw this as a huge opportunity – for him. He realized quickly if he was to make the trek it would be completely driven by selfish motives. It wouldn't be about the girl; instead he'd have carte blanche to feed his addictions out of the preeminence of his wife. This temptation proved to be luckier to Tolan then betting on the ponies as he skipped the trip to Vegas and instead put then pen to the paper, giving birth to Finding Amanda.

Sharing intimate details of his life...
I asked Tolan about how he and his wife felt about sharing such intimate details of their lives, like how he stole checks out of the middle of his wife's checkbook to support his gambling and then his decision to not carry any credit cards or anything that would give him access to copious amounts of cash. His wife also worked on the set and he said there were times when certain scenes were being shot that they'd exchange glances, she shaking her head. He also followed up with, "The reality is everybody's got something and people who claim they don't are hiding the great ones."

Why he wanted to not just be the writer, but director on this film...
This is Tolan's directorial debut for a feature and with the plethora of films he's already written it would make anyone wonder why it was this one he chose to direct. He said there were a number of movies that he'd written and he wasn't necessarily happy with the outcome and that his decision to direct this one was about "control" and "eliminating a hurdle."

The characters he writes are real people...
Tolan is known for creating real-life characters through pragmatic dialogue and we see this throughout Finding Amanda. Specifically he noted that Taylor remains "glib in the face of misbehavior" when he goes to Vegas and sees his niece working as a prostitute. This kind of reaction may seem bizarre at first, but really it isn't as it's merely an extension of who Taylor is, regardless of the situation, most likely how people in our own lives typically behave. Tolan also proves he can successfully create characters different from who he is and he does this by examining the psyche, educational level, etc. of a person. He did this well with his self described "misguided and empowered" Amanda creating a believable young woman by life observations alone.

Why Maura Tierney was right as Lorraine...
This discussion of how he's able to write real characters segued into conversation about Maura Tierney who transforms herself into Lorraine, Taylor's wife and enabler. Tolan describes Lorraine as a real woman and supportive wife versus the gratuitous type of woman seen in other films meant to fulfill a sex role or a tortured woman role. When it comes to discussions of this cast, the press has focused more on Broderick and Snow, but less on Tierney and I inquired why Maura was selected for his role. Did he contribute to the selection process? Tolan responded that she was a natural choice simply because "he is in love with her" and that she has a sex appeal to men his age (he was born in '58, so you do the math.) After this, he quickly revealed the real reason was that he admired her work and she was the first person on her wish list. Luckily for him and when she read the script she said "yes."

What's next for Tolan?
Right now he's 100% focused on Rescue Me's extended twenty-two episode season. When we spoke, they had just completed the eleventh episode leaving eleven more to go! So, we'll all have to sit tight and wait until we find Peter again on the big screen.

Until then you can satiate your appetite with Finding Amanda, available now on DVD from Magnolia Home Entertainment and Capacity Pictures.

Annie Vinton is a writer living in New York. You can read more of Annie's work at her blog here.

Today....

2008-09-11T17:34:00.013-04:00

I couldn't let the day end without passing on my thoughts to all of you. Each and every one of us know exactly where we were and who we were with on 9.11.01. I have to truly believe out of tragedy there has to come some good. Whether it be that we all remember to truly appreciate the people in our lives every day; or perhaps it's provoked a few, probably many, to bravely and courageously follow a different path in life.

I was in Colorado on 9.11.01, feeling very far from home with limited communications, not knowing whether my friends at my former employer were OK and whether my brother NYPD Sargent (and drummer) Tommy Vinton was caught up in the mayhem. It was one of my Best Damn Running Partners that Live Nowhere Near Me, Jessica (at the time we lived near each other, obvioulsy) that was at my side and for that, every day since, she can do no wrong in my eyes.

Today, I also remember an old friend of mine, Stephen Mulderry. If you have a minute, check out the video of him by clicking here. He was one of a kind and I am truly blessed to have had him in my life during my 20's. It wouldn't have been the same, or half as social, without him..he also taught me the importance of living every day one at a time and living the dream...and this was really all by example and quite frankly, it wasn't until recently that I really "got" this.

And finally today, with the birthday of my amazing and beautiful niece Cecelia, who was born one year to the day of 9.11.01 to my sister who was also a first responder on that day, I remember there is life and there is hope for a very bright future. Peace and prayers to all...

Coo Coo Ca Choo...

2008-09-10T23:58:00.003-04:00

Ok, if you've been reading my postings, you know that I'm a bit behind...and you also know that I "bolted" down to D.C. Labor Day Weekend (Riding alongside pal Cath M. - she in the broken chair on the brand new bus!) to have some fun with one of The Best Damn Running Partners That Live Nowhere Near Me, Kerry. And, if you haven't been reading my posts, shame on you! (LOL) Either way, now you'll know what I was up to LD weekend.

I arrived on the scene in D.C. late afternoon and Kerry and I had a simple plan: wrap up some last minute party errands (her big thirty-faux b-day bash was happening at her pad Sunday night); go to the Nats/Braves game; and then a quiet night wind up to the night since we had an early wake up call to run the Nike Human Race virtually, before the day would become too hot.

Most of the day/night went as planned, but there was a turning point in the night. C'mon you all know what I'm talking about - the kind that is so unexpected, the kind that leaves you with images and memories that'll have you bust out laughing at the mere mention of the evening, usually during a very important corporate kind of meeting. And, as all good Catholics know, no fun goes unpunished - so these kinds of shenanigans are usually followed by some kind of pain and naturally, good old fashioned guilt!

The Nats game was a lot of fun and we had phenomenal seats behind home plate, but even those couldn't keep our badunkadunks into the 10th inning. With it being about 10:15pm, we decided it was time to head back home for a quick beer on the porch so that we could get a good night's sleep before the big 6 mile race.

That was a really "neat" idea, but here's the bullet point version of what really happened:

As soon as we walked out of the concourse of Nationals Stadium, we were bombarded by a few "rickshaw"/"pedicab" divers. You know these guys - the ones that bike tourists around town?
So, we hopped on - it seemed the natural thing to do and later this would be known to Kerry as one of her best birthday gifts ever.

Luke L. was our "driver" and the convo with him went something like this:

Kerry: God, you must be annoyed by driving us. Are we too heavy?
Luke L: It''s better than the three big, fat drunk guys I usually end up taking after the game.

He begins to cycle us up a hill and he's sweating more profusely than you can even imagine. Think this: he looks like he jumped in a pool with his clothes on.

He suddenly begins peddling like a maniac up a very steep hill.

Annie (wanting to relieve the poor guy, stands up): Oh jeez, you want me to get out and run alongside? I can do that.
Luke (Obviously wanting a massive challenge, certifiably insane and emphatically replies): No, don't do that. Don't get out. Sit down. I got it.

From the side of the road we hear two women yell, "You go girls!"

We bust out laughing uncontrollably. Kerry then sees the bar front for The Ugly Mug and tells Luke L., our new BFF (and now are Facebook friend) that it's OK, we'll get out of the pedicab, but not without taking pics with him first to prove that a guy one quarter of our weight was able to peddle us up a hill and survive!

So, into The Ugly Mug we went and a few things that crossed our paths included a fake bouncer; some young military men (we''ll call one of them "Joe" and the other "Cory"); some dancing to Lynyrd Skynryd; and two random dudes that clearly were hiding in the closet - metaphorical closet, that is - we weren't hanging out near a coat check. But, like all great nights amongst friends we finally called it a night when we knew we'd both had enough and at 2:30am we found ourselves where else? Sitting on the kitchen counter having a night cap and eating some nice dry pretzels. All right, is it just me or does everyone else end up in the kitchen with their friends whether it be at a party, late night or just having a cup of coffee, no matter how big a place is? It's where great conversations are made.

By the time we hit the hay it was no earlier than 3:30am. My first wake-up call came at 7am in the way of Kerry's cat knocking a lamp on my head. I was cramped on the couch and too tired to care so I left the lamp wedged in between the couch and the end table and fell back into a deep sleep. Then, what seemed like minutes later, I was awoken by a loud thud followed by some galloping feet down the stairs.

I didn't get it. It was as if Kerry had a full night's sleep, but me, not so much. It was 9am and she told me had to get out he door to run the Nike Human Race before it got too hot. There was no way I would be able to do the race - I needed some time. I was exhausted, my head was throbbing and I believe I had a wad of cotton stuck in my throat. I sat up (slowly) and after an hour and a half of shooting the sh*t (read: rehashing the previous evening's events) taking three Motrin, drinking about 24 oz. of water and eating a few handfuls of goldfish crackers, I was ready to go. Kerry and I have our own version of what a breakfast for champion is!

Yeah, yeah, it was now about 85 degrees, but these things happen. So, off we went to Haines Point, both ready with our Nike + systems and we were off! Kerry, a faster runner than me, was kind enough to pace me for the first four miles. Then, like a bat out of hell, she was gone and left me with the gnarley feeling of wanting to blow chunks at mile 5. With the guilt of staying up way too late the previous night (I mean, was I still 21?!) I persevered, finished it (behind Kerry) and actually felt OK, in fact a bit elated.

Blah, blah blah...the day continued....we ate big fat greasy burgers, replenishing every calorie we had just burned plus more; stopped at the party store to pick up a pinata (yes, you read that right, a pinata) and me, of course I napped! (I was a louse of a friend sleeping while Kerry prepped for her big bash alone!)

I eased into the party slowly and it was great everything from the pinata; to meeting some great people; to cutting up the rug to classics such as Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline and Tom Petty's American Girl. Then, little by little the guests all left and I happily resumed my position on the couch, while "Tons of Fun" Connor finally called it a night.

So, up again early the next morning. This time I was the one banging on Kerry's door jolting her from a sleep (there she is on the left!) She dropped me off at the bus stop, but not before she laughed so hard her coffee came out her nose (a snarf!) Seriously, if not for that alone, what are friends for? And that to me was worth all the Catholic guilt and lack of sleep I was suffering from! I waved goodbye and bolted back with Cath M. with another adventure behind me and without a doubt some more to come...coo coo ca choo!

PS: Jess, we missed you and are looking forward to Vegas Half (well Marathon for you) 12.7.08!

Is it just me....

2008-09-03T23:18:00.017-04:00

...or does anyone else think these two are related? Or maybe Sarah Palin and Tina Fey are actually the same person? Has anyone seen them in the same room?

"Tina" on Paris...

"Sarah" on Exxon Valdez

Sweet Baby Jane

2008-09-03T17:30:00.000-04:00

One of the best decisions I've made in my life was the one when I made when I was 19. I decided to spend a semester in Perth, Australia at Murdoch University. When the semester was over and my parents mandated that I come home, I left there kicking and screaming. Even though it was pre-the age of the Internet, through letter writing, very pricey phone conversations and actual cross continental visits, I found three friends/sisters in Suzanne, Jane and Kendra.

The good times, bonding moments, inside nicknames (we practically created out own secret language) tears and laughter were endless and I've been blessed that these ladies have always felt right next to me over the last 20 years, even though they're 9,000 miles away.

Well, Jane, the "ever traveler" as her family and friends have called her, departed this earth 2 years ago today. When I woke up today, I felt a bit sad. You know what I mean - that "pit" in your stomach/heaviness heart feeling? And, really this is no way to wake up - I'd rather wake up feeling well rested ready to conquer the world. And before I could begin to feel badly, to no surprise, there was an e-mail from Kendra to lift me up:

Jane is always with us, I’m not going to be sad today, I’m going to celebrate a beautiful friendship and a beautiful girl!

So for today's blog (BTW, I'm quite sure Jane, a fellow writer would have loved this blog phenomenon and have no doubt she'd have one of her shenanigans Down Under) I'm gonna take Kendra's lead and celebrate the beautiful Jane and her friendship...She was a huge fan of music in general, but liked her Aussie singer/songwriters. I took this song by Missy Higgins right off of the Australian girls Night of the Goddesses CD that Suzy (above in white hat) shared with me when I was in Oz last summer... XOs to my kindred spirits Down Under and Jane's amazing family.

Finishing Falmouth and what's next?!

2008-09-02T13:00:00.005-04:00

Falmouth was three weeks ago! Where does the time go?! I really gotta get a bit more on the up-and-up about writing my blog consistently! One of my goals for the fall...anyway, I digress.

So, as I'm writing this, it's Saturday 8.30 and I can't believe it, but I'm on the Bolt Bus - doing my best to conserve some gas and to boot, I get 5 hours to write. Free Internet sold me on this whole bus thing. A woo hoo! And, I'm not alone...am here with my pal Catherine M. and the plan is for me to meet up with one of the Best Damn Running Partners That Lives Nowhere Near Me, Kerry. We'll be celebrating her thirty-faux b-day by running the Nike Human Race followed by a huge bash at her pad. I hear there will be a pinata involved...this sounds like my kind of party! Yeah, it'll be a fun few days away from the big city.

So where was I? Oh yeah...Falmouth. I'm beginning to think subconsciously I've been putting this off since I wasn't 100% happy with my finish, but I gotta get over it! It also was a bit anti-climactic to be so excited about something and then have it over with and I practically had to be pryed off The Cape, one of my fave places on the East Coast.

Falmouth Continued...

I crossed the finish line and felt relieved and was ready to find my friends and have a nice cold beer (at noon! Yikes, is that too early?!) The way it's set up, you don't just cross the finish line and walk out of the path of the race. The race planners do it right - there's a half mile or so path runners are forced to walk to hydrate and get a post-race cool down in.

While walking what seemed like forever, I realized I had zero communication devices with me and the only thing I'd said to Annie O. and Michelle B. was that I'd see them after the race. No who, what, where or when. Poor, poor planning on my part since there were 10,000 runners plus fans. I soon found myself wandering in the post race field area, completely drenched in my running tank and skirt, with a Popsicle dangling from my mouth hoping/praying I'd run into ANYONE I knew. I wasn't a pretty sight so I wouldn't blame anyone for running in the other direction, even if I knew them. With no luck and the frustration of losing my race number (I've kept every race bib and time for about the last 6 years) there was only one thing left to do - head to the BBC (a bar by the finish line) for a post race beer.

I'd been told by a few people this was a good place to hang out after the race. And, a-ha, the one thing right I did do was tuck some money and my license into my running skirt pocket for just this kind of emergency. I ducked into the dark pub from the hot sunlight and was relieved to see I wasn't the only one looking a bit, emm, tattered.

First things first, to the bathroom I went (once again avoiding the port-o-potty) as I needed to make an attempt to look somewhat normal. On line, I ran into some woman who looked like a real runner - tall, lean and looks like she barely broke a sweat. She was exceptionally nice and chatty. I looked at her stack of clean, pressed clothes with envy as I stood there still drenched from the sweat and hoses from the race course. Our convo went something like this:

She: "Did you run the race today?

Duhh...was she not looking at me?

Me: (without judgment at the obvious question) "Yes, first time. How'd you do"

She: "I did fine. I'm having a better time at the race this year."

Me: "Great, congratulations." Pause.

Me (looking at the clean, dry clothes in her hand): "Oh I wish I had a change of clothes with me. They're with my friends right now and I don't know where they are."

She (gushing): "Oh, my boyfriend brought these for me. He's great. Last year I came with a friend and it just wasn't as fun. This year, I have a boyfriend and it's so much more fun."

Me: (looking around for my friends, or any familiar face): "That's great. I'm actually waiting for some friends now (really having no idea if I was in the right place) I'm glad it's all working out for you this year."

She: "You don't have a boyfriend with you?"

Me: "No."

She: "Well I want to tell you that you're really beautiful, for a redhead. Most girls with red hair aren't as pretty."

HUH? What? Does she know what she just said? OK, a couple things: 1) My hair isn't that red - more of an auburn; 2) That was an extremely bizarre comment and convo in general, wouldn't you agree?

With that the bathroom door opened up.

Me: "Thanks. Great to meet you. Enjoy the rest of the day."

She (beaming still): "You too."

I looked in the mirror of the bathroom. Mmmm, still, bright red, tomato faced and sopping wet. With no hand dryer for me to use to dry my hair and clothes, I walked out, still hopeful that my friends would show up.

She (Still beaming and chipper): "You were so quick! Thanks! My boyfriend's been waiting for me for ages!"

Me: "No worries, have a good time."

And then like a ray of light, I saw them! YAY! It was my college friend Michelle B. and her friend Sue! I practically tackled them with sheer joy wanting to grab the gal I just met and say, "Who needs a boyfriend with friends like these?!" Within minutes, I was as happy as happy girl in line for bathroom. A cold beer, good friends and nice warm, clean clothes.

The afternoon couldn't have been more fun. We ran into a few people at the BBC including one guy we know who lamented his slow race time. I thought to myself, "Whoo, I'm glad I'm not the only one." I soon discovered that he finished in like 47 minutes. Yeah, do the math on how quickly he ran those miles...I wondered out loud to him if he thought less of me because of my slow finish. He just laughed and shook his head, but I beg to differ as he ran off to some party to hang out with peeps that were more his speed! Mmmm, I had to once again remind myself that pace wass all relative because I'm really just running against myself and I should make sure to just have fun...

Where'd I go from there? Well, we met up with another friend of Michelle's; went to the some other pub; and then the yacht club. And yes, I still hadn't showered. I wish I had my race number b/c I would have worn it like a badge! Then some time around 6 or 7, I hit a wall and was ready to head back to Annie O.'s.

Annie and her kids were welcoming as ever to us gals just back from Falmouth. We were there for about 10 minutes and before we knew it, there was a spread of snacks and we were hanging out on the back porch. After some chit chat, Michelle and Sue were on there way to have some more fun and me, I was on my way to bed after a nice big bowl of ice cream. My pal Colleen S. sent me a text inviting me to the BBC for some more race celebration and how lame was I to tell her I was off to bed at 9pm! There would always be next year...

So there it is - that was Falmouth in a nutshell. Now for some the poignant stuff...a heart felt thank you to all that donated to the race. In the end, the $850 goal was surpassed and I raised a total of $1065 thanks to all of you! It's a great reminder to all of us about the importance of organ donation and awareness of CF. Click here for some more information and check out the video below. And a big special thanks to Lindsay who inspired me with each step! Stay strong girl and I can't wait to meet you when I'm in the Boston area in a couple of weeks!

So, what's next? I'm gonna hang with the Hellgaters running some 5ks, 10ks, etc., and then next Monday starts my training for the Vegas Half on 12.7. The goal is to become a lean, mean, running machine along with the The Best Damn Running Partners that Live Nowhere Near Me.

As for this blog, keep checking in...the plan is to update every few days or so...focusing on all kinds of runs: the exciting race for presidency, marathon season and more! I'll keep running, if you keep reading!

Next posting: I ran with the world! The Nike Human Race experience and my weekend in DC!

In This Case, The Fourth is a Charm!

2008-08-25T16:55:00.004-04:00

Move over Simon, Randy and Paula there's a new gal in town! Kara DioGuardi joins American Idol as the fourth judge! Kara's a native New Yorker and one of my old pals from the very early, extra dorky grammar school years! (Although she wasn't quite so dorky - she took me under her wing!) There were some good times in grammar school, you know, we were CURAZY doing things like hanging out drinking soda and having chips while playing Ouija Board; we performed in the school talent show - OK, she performed, I sang a couple of songs from Annie (even back then it was clear this girl was gonna go places); and then of course participation on the Catholic School makeshift soccer team, etc. Like I said, we were just plain nuts as pre-teens.

You may see her as an overnight sensation, but she's been in the music biz for a long time producing, writing, singing and this gig is well deserved!

So, if you haven't heard of or at least watched an AI episode in your lifetime, you're either living under a rock or just don't have a TV. And, if you haven't been watching, start now! I guarantee she'll shake things up and will hold her own going head to head with Simon!

Congrats Kara and best of luck!!!

1:16:47

2008-08-25T00:00:00.004-04:00

Finally, two weeks after the big 7 mile race, I'm getting around to doing this post! It’s been a whirlwind (a good whirlwind) lately, and here I am, ready to talk Falmouth. I have to thank again and again and again to everyone who donated to the race to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and have to give a huge shout out to Lindsay Briggs who inspired me to go down this path. She’s a helluva a phenomenal lady and I’m hoping sometime in the near future our paths cross and we actually meet in person.

So, here’s how the weekend went down:
I packed up my car and headed Northeast to New England but before I made it out of Manhattan, I made a pit stop just off the West Side Highway at H&H Bagels. I thought the best NYC bagels would be a great gift for my hosts Annie and Mark. Well, that and two bottles of wine! Yummy! Oh, but the intention was not to have the bagels and wine at one sitting - that would be a bit odd, no? Although I love the taste of H&H Bagels, which I have all of about once every 3 or 4 months, by the time I got to CT, I regretted this purchase as the mixed smell of onions, garlic and God knows what else they throw on top of the everything bagel encompassed the car. I pulled over at a rest stop and threw them in the very rear of my mini-SUV thinking that would help, but who am I kidding? It didn’t help at all. It was like being back in the 80’s when one row of a plane or movie theater was the smoking section and the row immediately behind it was non-smoking. That never made much sense to me – there wasn’t some kind of magical air purifier in between the rows. Well, that’s what it was like in my car and since I passed through a few monsoons on the way up I didn't really have the opp to open the windows much. So, there went my new car smell I had held on to for the last 14 months. Gone in one smelly trip to The Cape.

Not surprising, the weekend summer traffic on I-95 was ridiculous and I instantly regretted not taking the Merrit Parkway. This bad decision cost me a lot of time and literally I sat in 20 miles of traffic. The good news was that my iPod was cranking and I was having my own private Karaoke session in the car, ignoring the looks from my fellow drivers. I thought about opening my windows at one point to let my pipes rip, but I feared that there might be a Simon Cowell amongst the other drivers. Time passed and finally after being trapped in my smelly car for 3 1/2 hours I was in New Haven and made a game time decision. Instead of heading East to The Cape, I decided to make a detour to Southie and would then hit The Cape on Saturday. So, that’s what I did.

Ok, in hind sight, I shouldv'e thought twice about this diversion for many reasons but mainly because I didn't get my much needed sleep since I stayed out a bit too late with dinner at Cafe Portabella followed by a nightcap at neighboring bar, The Playwright. By 8am I was awake but dragging a little bit. There wasn't a Starbucks in sight for my chai tea, but the good news was that breakfast at Mul's in Southie made up for my early rising and late night. One of my college pals Michelle B. intro’d me to this Southie hot spot a couple of years ago. If you’re in the area, I implore you to check it out. It's got home cooking with just the right amount of grease to mop up the previous night’s damage. Yum!

After I filled my belly, I gassed up the car and was off to The Cape and was excited to be heading to the place I considered a second home as a child with my family vacationing there for many years for a week or two at a time each summer and sometimes we'd go back in the fall. Nothing like hanging on the dunes in Wellfleet in the crisp Autumn air. Before my final destination, I stopped by the race expo to pick up my number and have a look around at all of the vendors pushing their products – everything from running skirts (score one for me in the great running skirt debate) to carb and energy laden snacks with promises of boosting a runner’s energy. Although I was ridiculously exhausted, I was instantly charged when entering the room; going to these pre-race expos always gives me a little bit of a high with the anticipation of the race and the excitement of all runners.

Finally, I arrived at Annie and Mark's pad and was happily greeted by their three adorable kids Max, Abbie and Kate. I felt like a little bit of a celeb upon arrival. It's as if they'd been waiting all morning and after my long journey I have to admit, it sure felt good to have people that were excited to see me! So, how did I reward these wonderful angels? I handed them the bag of the (smelly) NY bagels and after a quick bite to eat (Annie is an incredible hostess) she and I met up with Michelle B. and Sue. Nothing like an ice cold beer on a deck in the Cape Cod sun and shortly after, we found ourselves picnicking on the beach. Man, I was in paradise…great company, great burrito, a really cold beer and perfect Cape weather. If I could freeze time and throw it in a bottle and re-visit it every now and then, I’d throw that moment in there.

I was off to bed by 10pm and rose at 6am. I'm happy to say, no alarm clock needed! Dave F. offered to give me a lift, but Annie's bro-in-law Bert won the honors (LOL!) and after we carbed up on our H&H Bagels, off we went to his friend's house, which was between Mile 4 and Mile 5 of the race course. From there we were then driven to another home which was on a street one block from the start of the race. You know what that meant for me folks, no porto-potty! A woo hoo! I later learned Bert told Annie he thought I was nervous because I was hitting "the john" so much. Nahhh, not at all - just trying to avoid any kind of porto-potty situation and happy to say my strategy worked!

The race start was 10am, so off I went to the start line at 9:45am diligently looking for Dave F. and Colleen S. who I thought would be around or at about my start time. No dice. Who was I kidding? The place was so jam packed and not even really tall guy or red head would be stand outs in this crowd. So, I do what I do best and chatted up some cute guys (check them out on the right!) and then off went the gun (or horn, who knows!) and we were running! And yes, there I was once again chasing cute guys - - some things never change! (Ok - that was a really goofy joke, but I crack myself up sometimes!)

The first mile actually felt really good as I hugged the left side of the street and passed quite a few people. I was feeling good, but after three miles of hills, I realized I was nowhere near the pace I was training at and suddenly remembered the e-mail from Dave F. a couple of months ago telling me not to stress, that for my first Falmouth race, my pace might be down. I mean, the dude was spot on. I felt like I was crawling.

I have to admit, I was frustrated realizing that while I was running through Mile 3, may people had already crossed the Finish Line. I tried to keep my focus and enjoy the view, forgetting that after I came out of the "woods" I was literally melting. I took every opportunity I could to run through a hose that many of the local fans were spraying on the runners and grabbed water from anyone that was offering it. Then at about mile 4 or so, I saw a gal who needed some help - nothing major. I stopped and asked her what I could do; she looked down and out and said, "I trained but I didn't expect this. My time is awful. And you shouldn't stop for me - go on. " I refused and assured her she was doing a great job and then Ken D.'s words rang in my head and I found myself repeating them to her, "Just have fun." And, within a minute or so we were off to finish the final 2 miles.

At about Mile 5, I caught up to some red head and shouted out, "Colleen, Colleen, is that you?" thinking it was Colleen S., fellow Stonehiller and gal that introduced me to this race. Clearly I was delirious as the gal turned around and said, "No. but you're not the first person today who's mistaken me for someone else." Oops, my bad! (See the real Colleen S. in the middle in pic with a strong finish!) Embarrassed by the mistake and I don't know how I did this, I pulled ahead of her. Mmm...maybe this is a strategy I should embark on for every step of the race next year...

Then finally, I hit the much talked about "big hill" before the finish. I actually thought the Finish Line was immediately following the hill, but it wasn't. It felt far away, but really wasn't. I looked around in the crowds for anyone I knew, but didn't see anyone, but the support wasn't lacking from total strangers. I later learned that Annie was there as well as JJ watching Dave F. finish ahead of me. Check out his pic on the left - what a happy runner! (Congrats Dave on a strong finish!) I finished the last part of the race, soaking in the crowd, the sun and the incredible view of the soft sand and Atlantic Ocean. I knew in my bones it wasn't one of the best races I've run, but continued to put my best foot forward, telling myself I was "having fun". And with that, I crossed the Finish Line with an unofficial time of 1:16:47. (Official results to be posted 8/27.) I was a bit defeated, but knew I'd be back again next year with the challenge of crushing that time...

OK, I can't continue this posting here, right now - - it'd be WAY TOO long and since most of us are ADD or actually busy at work, I'm gonna finish this tomorrow to let you know what happened post race and to give a big, fat proper thank you to all those that supported me and give another reminder about the importance of organ donation and homage to Miss Briggs...

U. BOLT...U B Jammin' as the Fastest Man in the World!

2008-08-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

As the Olympics come to an end, congrats to every single Olympian from every participating country. Bravo to all of them that made it to that level of competition through all the blood, sweat and tears - - even if some are going home sans medal, a massive achievement.

Ok, so my one big thing about the Olympics: I still can't believe a guy named U.Bolt took home the lion share of medals in Men's Track. Am I the only one that sees the irony in his name? Check out the video below to see some snap shots of this guy flying, I meaning running, his world record race! Best of all, at his 9:69 (seconds for the 100M) finish he was clearly having fun, enjoying the win...mmm...maybe my fellow Hellgater Ken D. really was right about the "just have fun" thing.

The video below that is also worth a watch - its shows an even more fun side of U. Bolt (I didn't know this was possible!) having some fun with hidden gem recording artist Paolo Nutini celebrating Jamaican Independence Day native Bob Marley's "One Love" having as much fun as he did at the moment he was donned the fastest man in the world.

Usain, stick to running! No gold medal in singing for you!

Reminder: Run with the world next weekend!

2008-08-20T23:29:00.017-04:00

Yeah, yeah, I know...I owe you a Falmouth posting...have started working on it...within a few days, I promise! So, before I remind you all (again) to sign up for the Nike Human Race next weekend...here's quick update on the great debate of the running skirt between my sister and me:

I was with the Hellgaters tonight (BTW, shout out to Raoul for giving me some tips on hill training and to Jared who's helping me with my form; and of course to all the others for countless "great job Annie" cheers) and one gal asked me about my running skirt - she wanted to know whether I liked it or not. My immediatee response was a simple, "yes" followed by a description of the pockets, features, etc. Then my Catholic guilt waved over me or more than likely it was my urge to share useless and unnecessary information with people and I told her the real reason for me wearing the running skirt was that it hides my robust badunkadunk! She agreed that's a great reason for wearing a running skirt. (Score one for me!)

This was soon followed by a quick convo between myself and one of the super fast guys in the group. He began talking to me when I was clearly out of breath. I don't fault him though, he had no idea I was about to vomit so he talked while I practically dry heaved: "You play tennis?" I responded, "Not very well!" I thought this was a comical response but by the look of his blank reaction, I guess wasn't. He pointed at my skirt, "You look like you play tennis." (Dammit! Score one for my sister!)

For all those keeping score, my sister and I are at a dead heat in the great debate of the running skirt: 2 points for her, 2 points for me.

OK everyone, if you haven't heard about the Nike Human Race yet, you must be living under a rock. Next weekend you should all be getting off your badunkadunks and run with world! You can run the 10k in in one of the 25 selected cities with other runners or you can run wherever you live! I'll be down in D.C. with one of my Best Damn Running Partners That Lives Nowhere Near Me, Kerry to celebrate her b-day and I know we'll enjoy every step of the race through the great streets of our nation's capitol. I'll probably be eating her dust, but that's OK 'cause she'll be waiting for me with an icy cold Coors Light - right Kerry?

There are come celebs supporting the cause with proceeds going to Lance Armstrong's Foundation...check out the video below...

F

To Hellgate and Back....

2008-08-17T14:00:00.034-04:00

Ok, so the big Cigna Falmouth Road Race was a week ago (click here for a cool video of the start of the race) last Sunday - - 8.10.08 and so far for a full week, you've heard NADA about it from me! There's no excuse! So, here I am, FINALLY! AND, A BIG THANK YOU to all of you that supported me. To date, $1,065 has been raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation surpassing my goal of $850. An hey, if you wanted to donate and forgot, don't fret, donations are being accepted until September 15th. Click here for more info.

There's no beating around the bush: I'm behind in my blog entries, so here's how it's gonna go: I've taken a step back and will do a three part race post: pre-race; race day and post race! Then, this blog will keep on running (pun intended!) as I'll be on to more adventures. I have some races scheduled for the fall and the Vegas Half Marathon 12/7 that I'll be running with the Best Damn Running Partners That Live Nowhere Near Me, Jess and Kerry. (Photo on this blog page below.)

Enjoy!

"The Main thing is to have fun when you run..."

...wise words of support from fellow runner Ken D. Ok, calling him my "fellow" runner is a bit of a stretch as the only way Ken is truly my fellow runner is when he slows down his pace for me, which he did my first night with the Hellgate Road Runners. But you know what? He practices what he preaches...check out the pic on the right: happy-go-lucky at Mile 13 NYC Marathon 2007. And he's no slacker, finishing in 3:18:50 (that's a 7:35/mile pace, folks) and below picking up his Boston Marathon number (He crushed his NYC time by just over 5 minutes with a 7:24/mile pace - a 3:13:45 finish!) To further belabor the point that he's always having fun when he runs, following's a snippit of a convo between one of his friends and me:

ME: "So, you and Ken ran Boston this year together, that's great."

RUNNER GUY: "Well, we ran until Mile 18 and then Ken just took off."
ME: "Wow (pause) but you still did great!"

RUNNER GUY: "Yeah, but he was smiling and waving at everyone - he wasn't in pain...the bastard!"

We had a good laugh about it...and agreed that he's the happiest runner we know!

So, the Wednesday before the race, even though my lower back was aching with each step I took, I trekked to Astoria (part of Queens) for the first time in my life and discovered it's a bit of a hidden gem! The Hellgaters couldn't have been nicer and seconds after my arrival, I realized that I was amongst some serious runners. Initially, I felt completely out of place...even the way these runners were stretching and warming up seemed more "runner-like" than I could ever be! When we started our 12 400's around the track, I found myself pacing behind the pack, but, luckily for me, they were extremely supportive and kind, cheering me on with each lap as if it was a real race. I couldn't tell if it was that they felt sorry for me or if they were being nice because I was a friend of Ken's or that's just the way they were...I guess it was a combo of all three!

So, I struggled, errr I mean made it through my first training with the group. Even though Astoria is two tunnels from me by car or by mass transit a bus and a subway ride I knew I'd be back. For anyone unfamiliar with the tri-state area, traveling the 9 miles from my Jersey digs through Manhattan to Queens is akin to going to Siberia! But, I love the vibe of Hellgate enough to make a commitment to join the group - my goal is to pick up my pace and I believe this'll help! And, Ok, having people clap for me once a week ain't too shabby either. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know what my pal Ken says: "just have fun" running; but I can't help think of how much more fun I'd have if I'd run a little (or a lot) faster and beat out some of the guys - - so, Ken, you better just watch out! (A girl can dream, can't she?!)

To think I almost cancelled that Wednesday night because of my sore back. I'm glad I pushed through and made it to Siberia! A great big thank you to Ken, who's now intro'd me to the Hellgaters and reminded me to just have fun! Words I would remember during the Falmouth run...

Next posting...Arrival at Cape and Race Day!

Forget about clean underwear, make sure you wear long socks!

2008-08-13T07:46:00.010-04:00

I know, I know...I owe you all the update on the race! I'll keep you waiting one more day! I'm just back from The Cape and promise to have some stuff tomorrow...but in the meantime, enjoy the following e-mail my dad wrote to the family yesterday. It's a bit lengthy (now you know where I get it from!) and it was too good to keep to myself...read it all the way through to the end for a good laugh!

My dear children and cuz Paul - I may have mentioned to one or two of you what happened on the first day of the golf trip in Bioloxi, Mississippi. I told mom not to tell anyone but for those that have heard portions, I am setting forth the below Readers’ Digest version so you won’t get your hopes up for a quick inheritance.

First day landed in Mobile, AL and drove with Rick D. to Biloxi, Mississippi. Checked in and went to our first golf course. Hot day but we were up for the game raring to go. On the first hole, I hit a good drive but my second shot went into the trap. I dug my feet in getting set for my trap shot like the pros do (note that I had low cut socks) and then hit it on the green. Felt good. Walking out of the trap I felt some small bites on my ankles and shooed away what I thought were gnats or sand fleas. Second hole my ankles began itching heavily and then my hands had an uncontrollable itching. After the drive on the third hole, I felt weak and my eyes seemed to be dilated where everything was very bright. My upper lip also began feeling numb. I told Rick we had to stop. As we pulled the cart around to return, I told him to stop as I didn’t feel right. According to Rick, I then fainted for about 20 seconds.

There was hardly anyone on the course but a twosome came up behind us and called the police. (Where is Billy the Paramedic when you need him?) A police car arrived and I sat in the air conditioned car while they called the paramedics. I was then nauseous and had a dull pain in my chest similar to a gas pain. Paramedics came and after seeing that my blood pressure was 80/40 and pulse around 40 decided to take me to the emergency room. They said my oxygen was low and put a tube in my nose. It was a scene from ER as I was on the gurney, lights and sirens going and they rattled off my BP and pulse – all as before. Got to the ER and the doc thought here was a 67 year old golfer that had a hear attack. I told him my heart was good but he said he had to do the tests. BP and pulse still very low. They put an intravenous into my arm, did three EKG ’s, blood work and an x-ray. After three hours, the doc said all the tests were fine and my BP and pulse were now normal.

I mentioned about the bites on my ankles and Rick pointed them out but the doc disregarded them. Now I had broken out in hives and had welts all over my arms and legs. The doc wanted me to stay the night “for observation.” That translates to more billing so I told him I could get better rest at the hotel and would come back if I thought necessary. I signed myself out and asked him about the hives. He said to get some Benedryl from the drugstore and basically didn’t want to have anything more to do with me since he didn’t get the heart attack he wanted and the hospital couldn’t bill more. So, Rick and I went off and got the Benedryl, which I loaded up on, followed by a prime rib dinner and a couple of drinks at the hotel/casino. Gambled a little and hit the sack early.

Next day hives gone, felt good and played 18 holes at a nice course. Only problem was that my ankles itched but I rubbed them with cortisone cream and the itching stopped. The next day, at a different course, I spoke to the pro and told him my story. I told him that I thought I might have stepped into a nest of spiders. He asked if on the following day there were a lot of small pimples on my ankles. I told him there were and he said that, without a doubt, I stepped into a nest of fire ants in the sand trap and they got on my ankles. Said there have been several cases down there where people almost died from fire ants because the ants have some kind of venom that individuals react to differently. Said his own leg got double its size once when he was bitten.

Final diagnosis – bitten by a herd of fire ants.

Moral of the story:

1 - Don’t hit a ball in the sand trap in Mississippi

2 - Don’t wear short socks

3 - Use insect repellent

And 4, most inportant - When something happens on a golf course, see the golf pro for a diagnosis and not a doctor!

The Hills Are Alive...with the Sounds of Chrissy!

2008-08-05T22:00:00.002-04:00

Ok, my bad..in my posting "Music is My Life!" I omitted that along with my older brother Tommy, there were many other musicians and singers in the Vinton family. In fact 6 out of us 7 kids have some kind of musical talents. Damn, we were SO CLOSE to being the Von Trapps, minus the nanny turned mom and mansion. But, it wasn't to be as my poor Irish twin (she's the older one) Caroline, didn't get the gene - she just can't carry a tune. Oh, don't feel badly for her though, she's done very well in other areas of life - she'll never admit it, but she's a complete computer geek who knows more about computing than Bill Gates. (Ok, maybe that compliment's a bit gratuitous, but close to true!)

My little sister Christine, 11 years my junior (yeah, she hasn't even hit 28 and Tommy's retired from the NYPD! You gotta love the shot of them on the left circa 1990 or so) and she and I have a lot of history together - you know the kind of history that includes us sharing bunk beds until I was damn near 22 years old! So many stories, too little space. Anyway, I cannot believe I forgot to mention in the music posting that when she was merely a teen, she graced the stage of Carnegie Hall with a violin performance! Ugh, unfortunately, I was too busy running around Downtown with my friends to make it to the show -- something I now regret.

So, Chrissy, cheers to you and your amazing violin skills! Not only do we like when mom embarrasses the crap out of you on the holidays to play for the family and any other doppelgangers that stop on by, but I'm sure your former students from the South Bronx will always cherish your violin rendition of Snoop Dogg's, "Drop it like it's hot!"

Hey, these "pretty" violin pics make for a great Christmas card for next year, no?

Chrissy today - - trading in her violin for Guitar Hero!

Sophie's Choice

2008-08-04T21:25:00.003-04:00

Ok, ok, so it wasn't exactly Sophie's Choice, but tonight I had to choose between a film industry event in Manhattan or a 5k Race in Hoboken...believe me, it was painful for me to decide on which one I was going to attend. Both are my passions and both offer me high no drug can offer! Well, I finally opted for the race: 1) Because I have the big 7 mile race coming up this weekend and 2) My good friend Meredith asked me to run it with her.

Unfortunately Mer woke up with a stomach bug (and coincidentally, so did my friend Kip, who's somewhere in the middle of the country on a tour bus!) I hope you both get better soon and be sure to get your electrolytes - - Gatorade, Powerade or Vitamin Water!

I still ran the race, thinking about how I'd have to go more than twice the distance on Sunday and how grateful I am that I can run. Hey, it may not be pretty Sunday, but I'll cross the finish line at some point!

Also, with each step, I'll remember that I'm there to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, honor fellow Stonehill gal, Lindsay Briggs and raise awareness of the importance of organ donation at any age.

The video below says it all:

Music is My Life!

2008-08-04T00:00:00.003-04:00

Sorry I skipped a posting last week - the week/weekend got away from me! To make up for it, this week, every day leading into the big race on 8.10.08 you can stop here for a snapshot posting/quick hits re: running, the Olympics and most importantly awareness of CF and importance of organ donation.

Also, THANK YOU to all of you that have been generous and made donations...I'm only $25 away from my goal! Click here for more information on the race and instructions on how to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Now...here goes...Music is My Life!

I was born into a family that wove music into its every day life. My brother Tommy began drumming as soon as he cold hold anything to bang against a hard surface and then parlayed this once noisy habit a into a part-time career. (Visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too_Much_Joy) Tommy is 5 years my senior and with this heirarchy, he passed down many a musical influences to me, with a small spattering that includes, in the hard rock category: Van Halen, Kiss, The Who, Jimmy Hendrix (Pause for inside joke to my sisters: "Jimmy Hendrix is alive and living in my lampshade!") and the not- so-hard rockers (Tommy, don't deny this, please) The Jackson Five and The Bay City Rollers (S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!)

My mom and dad also influenced the music in my life. My mom loved Sir Paul (AKA member of The Beatles) and all the usual suspects of the 50's/60's, but I have vivid memories of her obsession with Billy Joel (VERY pre-Christie Brinkley.) I'm quite certain she wore out the vinyl on his 52nd Street album. I also remember when one of her BFFs from High School, Helen B. stopped by the house. They'd sit at the piano together banging on the keys belting out My Life with no shame whatsoever, knowing the neighbors could clearly hear them! And, then I couldn't help but choreograph a floor routine at gymnastics camp to Billy's Stiletto, " She cuts me once, she cuts me twice, still I believe..." My mom must've been so proud watching me flip out to one of her heros at the show! (And no doubt gave the other moms fodder for gossip! LOL!)

My dad's musical tastes weren't very popular in the family with him coveting country music. He had sole custody of the family's one and only stereo system in the living room on Sunday so we couldn't escape the fiddles and the very sad stories of booze and cheating ways by the likes of Alabama, Oakridge Boys and all the others from the Deep South.

Like the color of one's hair and skin, the musical gene's been passed to the next gen in our family. As a proud aunt of my only nephew (so far...cross fingers for the newest addition October 5th!) Little Tommy Vinton, I can say he's a great drummer. I know I sound like a biased aunt...so listen and judge for yourself below. (My nephew's on the right.)

So how does this all tie into running? Well, without music, my footsteps would barely drag along the pavement. Hell, I don't even know if I could run as much as I do! I, like many runners have embraced the tradition of popping in earphones and syncing my steps in rhythm with the beats of music. Or, it doesn't even have to be music...maybe you're more like fellow runner Mark M. who spoke to The Boston Globe after finishing 17th fastest in a race and mentioned to the reporter that it was the Red Sox game that kept his feet going: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/08/20/a_running_debate/

If you're at all involved in running, you've probably heard some of the debate that's been escalating over the last few years with USA Track & Field (USAT&F) and the use of headphones during its races. In fact, I recently read that USAT&F has banned the use of headphones and portable audio players like iPods at all of its official races and is doing so as a safety measure and to prevent runners from having a competitive edge! (I don't think there's any real way to govern this though - - I'll admit, I've broken the rule!) Ok, here's what I think is really interesting - there seems to be a conflict of interest of some sort as Nike, one of USAT&F's biggest supporters has partnered with iPod and developed, arguably one of the biggest and in my opinion best running campaigns, promoting unity amongst runners worldwide through headphone use. I gotta wonder if USAT&F cares about this or not. In this debate, I'm all for the right for all runners to choose and am in full support of Nike's + program. I ran (pun intended) out immediately when it hit the stores awhile back and have committed to running the Human Race on 8.31.08 in DC with running bud Kerry on her b-day! Nike hit it out of the ballpark with this one...if you haven't seen anything about the human race, see below, lace up your sneaks and give it a go!

Yes, yes I'll have my Nike+ system going full force next weekend and am working on my Falmouth Road Race song list! I need 7 miles of music! S0, a BIG thank you to all of the musicians who continue to inspire me and keep my feet moving! And, it'd be a miss if I didn't give a shout out to my friends and family that are a part of this elite group - I admire you for following your passions and dreams to entertain and isnpire us all! Tommy Vinton (includes TMJ, Lucky Bastards and Surface Wound) and his spawn, Little Tommy Vinton, Cooper Boone, Scott Milch, Felix G. , Kip Conner and to any and all I've forgotten! THANK YOU!!!

Be sure to take a minute to come back and visit each day this week...I'll have some quick shots for you to read!

Oh What A Night!

2008-07-21T23:59:00.002-04:00

Before I get into the post, a quick update: $600 of the $850 has been raised for the race on 8.10.08. Thank you to all of you that have donated and for those interest in supporting The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, please click here

Here goes this week's post...

I should've known that Monday wasn't gonna be typical. It was Day One of my Starbucks withdrawal. No, it's not the coffee I drink, it's a chai tea latte addiction and to boot, I'm one of those crazy people that have a bizarre order: venti, 3 pump, extra water soy chai. Yeah, I know, it's not normal - there's gotta be crack cocaine in the stuff - - that's the only reason I can think of for this insanity!

The weather's been hot as hell in the NYC area and I really wasn't up for a run. (For more info on how I was feeling, feel free to refer back to one of my previous postings when I was in the same kind of funk: http://runavrun.blogspot.com/2008/06/go-get-em-kid.html) My new golfing buddy Guy C., originally from Texas, has assured me that this is nothing next to the kind of heat in the South, but I don't live in the south, I live the Northeast and I'm melting here!

So, I delayed running as long as I could, procrastinating because of the heat. I thought by 9pm I'd be good to go. Ok, yeah right, wishful thinking. By then the temp had only dipped to about 85 degrees, which would've been OK had it not been coupled with a high dew point and high humidity. Let me paint a picture for how I was feeling: Even if I was standing still, I could sweat out the weight of a small child. (Not that this is a bad thing!)

I threw on my new kicks (love the feel of them...feels like I'm running on air! ahhhh...), running tank and shorts. I'm not much into my shorts these days (Ok, that didn't sound right) but I had to wear them since all of my running skirts were in the laundry. (Oh yes, that's right, I've got multiple running skirts now!)

So, what seemed to start out as an ordinary run, turned out to be anything but...here's how it unfolded...

Incident #1: Bad Girl, Catholic Guilt
I was running up my first hill and three tween boys were approaching me and yes, I know this sounds mean, but it's a factual description: one was well on his way to becoming the poster boy for childhood obesity. I won't get into many details, but words were hurled in my direction and in a nutshell, they mocked me. Typically, I'd ignore this type of behavior and be on my way - I usually don't stoop to that level for many reasons.

But, I couldn't let this one go, so I stopped, turned around while huffing and puffing and quipped, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

They looked shocked. And, the one larger boy stuttered, "Ah, nothing m'am. We weren't talking to you."

I'd like to blame the heat and the fact that he called me "m'am" (Aren't I still too young for that?!) but there really is no excuse even though these boys need to learn a lesson of respecting their elders and I shot back, "Hey, I'm working my ass off, maybe you should try it too."

And as the words came out of my mouth, I felt awful. Ugh. His friends laughed at him! I just ran away, faster than ever. It wasn't nice or right of me and the Catholic guilt set in instantaneously.

Incident #2: Burning Bus

I ran about another 3/4 of a mile and there was a cop car with flashing lights perpindicular to a street diverting traffic. The street closure was Boulevard East, the same street where George Clooney had his motorcycle accident, a few months ago - a street with a perfect view of the Manhattan skyline. The good news was they were letting runners and walkers through which meant I could see what was happening. I rounded a corner and saw the firemen, the trucks and then a shell of a bus that looked more like a charcoal brisket. Luckily there were no ambulances in sight, so I assumed everyone made it out safely. Just a lot of commotion and neighbors getting a glance at the action.

So with each step, I began to feel like a spoiled brat, realizing that there were many worse things than a little uncomfortable heat.

Incident #3: Hot Fireman, Big Ass

I kept on running, passing a few fellow runners, nodding and smiling and then looped back around approaching the site of the bus again. And there they were... four of five very good looking firemen leaning against the stone wall lining the sidewalk. I mean seriously, is there a prerequisite for firemen to be attractive? Realizing that I was abnormally drenched in sweat and had bad, bad hair (How's that for sexy?) I wanted to cross the street, but it was too late. Oh no, and there was more! I cringed at the realization that my already robust badunkadunk looked about 10 times larger in my running shorts. Ugh! I instantly regretted that wasn't wearing my running skirt, which usually took care of this issue. So, score one for me against my sister in the great running skirt debate. (http://runavrun.blogspot.com/2008/06/passing-baton.html)

I couldn't believe it but as I ran by, a couple of them showered me with compliments and then tossed their phone numbers at me.

OK, that clearly didn't happen. (Well, in my dreams, maybe!)Nothing happened - - I just ran by and, believe me, as fast as I could!

Incident #4: WIPEOUT!

I was approaching the final stretch on a dark tree-lined street. I had suspected that Karma would give me an ass-whooping for the tween incident, I just didn't expect it so quickly! Here's what happened: the front of one of my new running shoes clipped a crack in the sidewalk and I went flying. It felt like slooooooooow motion and I was airborn! I nearly hit the pavement, but made it out alive, without a scratch, but the acrobatics I did to avoid the fall left me with some sore muscles in my shoulder and neck. Ok, Ok...universe, we're even now. I promise to never lose my cool with tweens like that again...(unless I actually give birth to one or two someday!)

Well, there you have it and after all that, I made it home in one piece and I think 5 lbs lighter (yeah I wish!) So Monday's run gave me a few life lessons....keep my cool with tweens and be kind to even the mean kids; be thankful that the only heat I had to deal with was the weather, not a burning bus; and be thankful that I didn't splatter my face on a dark street...

Signing off for now...have a great rest of your week! Keep on running!

The ugly years...high school track!

2008-07-13T20:06:00.042-04:00

Quick update...Thanks SO MUCH to this past week's donors, I'm only $325 away from my fundraising goal for the race on 8.10.08...if you'd still like to donate and learn more about The Cystic Fibrosis foundation, please click here. Also, I need to get running a bit more this week which will be tough with a packed schedule...anyone out there have any tips on how you get lots of miles in with little time?

This week I was catapulted back into a time machine and landed in 1986, thanks to the wonderful invention at Facebook, initially targeted to over-cyber-spaced tweens, it’s now becoming all the rage amongst us late thirty-somethingers. C'mon, I know most of you have accounts, feel free to invite me as a friend!

So, I went to the “Friend Finder” and connected with people from high school, a few of them being guys I haven't seen in 15-20 years. It was a total trip! Some the exchanges included nice compliments along the lines of, “You look great. Are those recent pictures?” I thought how nice is that? And, replied that yes, it was indeed me and thankfully after 20 years, I finally made it through puberty. Their comments were spot on - - let's face it, back in the day I was a shadow of my former self, topping the scales at maybe 100 lbs sopping wet and if possible, was a dorkier version of the Molly Ringwald character Samantha in Sixteen Candles. (See photo of me in cheerleading uniform to decide for yourself. No, I wasn't 12 or 13, this is me at almost 18, a few months prior to graduation!)

The next natural reaction to this was a call to my HS BFF and fellow track buddy, Kristin M. No sooner did she say hello I queried, “Hey, how ugly was I in high school?" It was said with a hint of laughter and sarcasm, but I still wanted to hear what she had to day. “Huh?” is all I heard on the other end of the phone. For God sakes, Kristin is an adult woman, was in in the middle of her work day and had no idea what had transpired with me and this question was coming outta left field. I repeated myself. She replied, “Oh, like I was any better." I surmised from this that yes, it was still true more than 20 years later, that neither of us at the time (well, I shouldn't vindicate her, so me really) were the girls that guys were clamoring for, but still we manged to get by with lots of fun, laughter and yes, very cute prom dates. (That's me with the QB of Stepinac's football team...yeah, don't worry if you're questioning it, I still don't get it either...)

Kristin and I became fast and furious friends from the first week of high school and when it came to sign up for track - - I really can't remember if there were actual "try outs" at our small Catholic High School or just a sign up list at the door of the gym/auditorium - - either way, we both were in. We competed against each other in the shot put and discus (at my size, the power in my upper body to let me compete successfully in these events, is still to this day inexplicable.) I usually took second place behind Kristin, who will forever hold the record for both at the now defunct Academy of the Resurrection in Rye, New York. (Picture on left shows her in action!) We were able to run with each other in the relay, making a great team, passing the baton many a time. And, no, we never dropped it! (Cardinal sin in track!)

Back in the track days, during the week we trecked over to Rye High for practice and for most of the meets we made our way over to the track at White Plains High School or Stepinac High School. This was always fun for us because seeing guys at the track was a welcome reprieve since we were trapped inside the walls of an all girls high school all day long! It was this time we spent at the track that helped solidify our friendship. OK, maybe sometimes it was even the travel to and from the track that provided the most form of entertainment and bonding, especially when we were pre-license and our parents had to alternate the early Saturday morning drive to practice or meets. We won't soon forget when my dad was driving us and made a u-turn in a beaten down lot and ran over some metal bar that ripped a massive hole in the gas tank. Gas immediately began to gush out and at the firm instruction of my father, we ran from the car and then watched him, distressed, shake his head with defeat. And, it's not that we were ignorant, spoiled or didn't have compassion, it was merely that there was nothing left to do so we turned away from my dad and busted out laughing. I think it was mostly the the disbelief of another random thing we were entangled in together. Really, what were the odds of this happening?! And, no, we didn't make it to the track on time that day. (By the way in the pic, I'm the chick with the really bad "do" and eyes closed in the front row, and Kristin's behind me with actually a better do then me, although that's not saying much!)

When I look back at this "dorky" time, I'm convinced that running track kept me on track. I certainly didn't place first in my events (100, 200, 400, occasional 800, relays, discuss, shot put) all of the time or even some of the time, but it was my inherent competitive nature that kept me running even off the track through the streets of my hometown in quest of becoming better and faster. Looking back now, I realize all the time I spent running kept me out of trouble, for the most part. I mean, let's face it, I wasn't a perfect kid. Who was? But I think my worst offense came in the form of staying out too late and having a few beers (hey, us runners need our carbs, right?)

So, today Kristin and I are still close friends. She lives about 2 miles from me and in fact this past Saturday, keeping with my theme for staying out of trouble (LOL!) I babysat for her adorable 5-year old twins Courtney and Owen. The highlight of the evening was going to get ice cream at the shop a few blocks away in the heart of Hoboken. They practically ran the whole way and had me wondering if they'd be setting some high school track records of their own one day!

As I look back at my high school days...I know at the time I would have preferred to be the really popular girl with all the right things in the right places. Who wouldn't be? But there is a part of me thankful that my high school days took the course they did and landed me on the track with my pal Kristin, who's shared more laughter (and tears) with me then I could ever count. I wouldn't trade that for all the popularity in the world! (ok...maybe one night....NOT! LOL!)

Next posting...not sure what I'm gonna talk about...I'll see how the week goes!

Simply the Best...

2008-07-08T23:00:00.002-04:00

Hello all. Happy belated 4th of July! Hope you were able to celebrate your independence while hitting some barbecues and fireworks! Me, I attempted golf with my friend Shawna B. (attempt is the key word - after a 5 year hiatus, I haven't quite found my swing!And, along the way, we saw turkeys running around on the course! FORE!), went running, saw the Yankees spank the Sox (yeah, even the Yankees fans were chanting "Madonna" at A-Rod!) and yes, caught some (not a lot I tell ya) R&R.

Before I get started, thanks again to all who have donated to the charity run that I'll be doing on 8.10.08. I'm more than half way to my fundraising goal. To read more about The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and to donate, click here.

Anyway, I promised in my last blog that this posting would be all about my high school track days with one of my BFF's Kristin M. (pictured with me on left 5/88) complete with some embarrassing pics, but no dice...I haven't had time to dig out the pics just yet, so hopefully in the next week I can get it done and you can read all about it!

So, I was in a quandary about what to post, but I'm a solution-oriented kinda gal and went for a run, hoping for some inspiration... so, here it goes....

To celebrate 7.7 (the anniversary of my birth) I started yesterday with a nice run...It was 100% pea soup weather, but with the sun hiding behind the clouds, there was a tiny bit of relief. There I was running, lost in thought and snapped out of it when I saw a nice looking guy running toward me. He smiled and nodded. I wish it was some kind of signal that meant, "You're a hot chick, let's run together - for life." LOL! Sorry, I digress and daydream all in one! Actually, this kind of smile and nod thing is typical communication between runners of all ages and types and I love it. Makes me feel like I'm part of a really large community pounding the pavement, getting some miles under my belt. So, with that, it got me thinking about some of the things I really love and some things I don't love so much about running.

So, this'll be a short but sweet blog posting celebrating the #7 and the good and the ugly when I run. Would love to also hear from you runners out there on your best and worst, too!

Top 7 - Simply The Best when running...

7. A friendly nod from a passing runner.

6. A clear day with no humidity.

5. Getting a race bib and T-shirt at races (hey, it's the little things in life!)

4. Recovering with dignity (yeah right!) from a wipe out.

3. Passing a runner in front of me. (Eat my dust, baby!)

2. Conquering a steep hill.

1. Beating my previous best time.

Top 7 - Not so simply the best when running...

7. People and cars that don't yield when they should. (I've come close to being hit a few times. Yikes!)

6. Dog poop on the sidewalk (when running in NYC, could be any kind of poop - who knows?!)

5. Pouring rain, high winds, brutally cold weather.

4. Wedgies. (Hey, I'm trying to be really honest here! And, don't want cute runner guy behind me when I need to get rid of it!)

3. Getting passed by another runner, especially when that runner is pushing a stroller with not one, but two children in it! (grrrr...the nerve! Makes me run faster though...)
2. People who's spit is carried in the wind in my path. (EW!)

1. Wiping out! (Anyone who runs has wiped out at one time or another and yes, someone always sees it! Ouch! That's my pride that's saying, "Ouch!")

I'll try to have my HS track glory stories (yeah right!) for you next posting! Have a great week and keep on running!

Passing the Baton...

2008-06-29T21:30:00.005-04:00

Yeah, this is a longish posting, but c'mon, you can take 3 minutes out of your day when you're drinking your morning coffee, right?! Before I start...congrats to all who got out and ran this past weekend on the East Coast - it was like a steam room even at dawn! And, thanks to all who have moved me closer to my fundraising goal, I'm almost 50% of the way there for the Falmouth Road Race. For more info and to support the cause, click here.

OK, so last weekend I was all revved up to run a 5k with my pregger sister (6 months, give or take a week) that would be followed by me, being the very proud aunt I am, watching my 4 year old niece Carrie Anne and my soon to be 6 year old, (born one year to the day of 9/11, reminding us all that there we are still living among miracles) Cecelia run in a kids race. And, yeah, with a name like that, I more often than not find myself "singing" to her, "Cecelia, you're breaking my heart..." (C'mon - sing along!) But, I think I may have worn out my welcome with this. Unfortunately for me, I think she's now old enough now to realize she doesn't have to humor me with feigned flattery and giggles. Sadly, but not surprisingly, sometimes (ok, ok, most times) she gets embarrassed and rolls her eyes as if I'm a crazy lady. Mmmm, children can be rather intuitive...

Anyway, I digress...the race was an 8:30am start on Sunday and I was under strict instructions to meet my sister at the entrance to Tavern on the Green in Central Park at 8am. With my weekend turning upside down, having to agreed to work a gig Saturday day into the night, I was on my feet for 8 hours and didn't get to sleep until after midnight. When my head hit the pillow, I realized I would only have about 5 1/2 hours to sleep and I really am the type of gal that prefers/needs 8 hours of sleep to function at full potential.

I woke up to the chimes of my cell phone alarm clock at 6am and hit my laptop to get some of the race details. And, that's when I found out it was a 5 mile race, not a 5k! I know, I know, it's only a 2 mile difference, but I was tired, hungry and possibly have a broken pinky toe, right foot (Reader's Digest version - stubbed it on couch over 3 weeks ago and it looks like my big toe, but with a really small nail on the wrong side of my foot! I know an attractive visual - I almost opted to add a pic, but didn't want to incite a vomit fest!) So, I threw on my running skirt - - yes, I said running skirt and this choice of running gear has been an on and off debate my sister and I about how ridiculous she thinks it is - - and running tank; slipped on my flip flops and threw my iPod and sneakers into my running bag; and I was off.

The bus stop is a short two blocks from my Weehawken digs and the bus ride drops me at Port Authority within 10 minutes. Ok, so I don't live in NYC, but the consolation is that I have a great view from the seven windows in my small apartment. So, there I was waiting for the bus and some guy still walking off (and stinking of) the previous night's damage asked if I was going to play tennis. I ripped a page out of my niece's book, rolled my eyes and set him straight letting him know that I was a runner. I mean, duh? Did he not see me? All right, so score one for my sister on the running skirt debate.

For the 10 minutes I was on the bus, I felt every ache in my body from the previous day's workout and work and my top eye lid was very much behaving like a magnet to the lower one. So, by the time I hit Port Authority, I talked myself out of the race. I wouldn't be a total waste though, I'd go, help my bro-In-law with the rug rats (read: my three cute little nieces) while we cheered on preggers sister.

No sooner did I arrive on the site of the race and I realized that I was filled with sorry ass excuses (and, as one of my friend's dad's says, "losers make excuses!") and I would be running the Hope and Possibilities race. For anyone that would like to read about a great race and great organization, Achilles Track Club, please click here. I felt compelled to run the race when I entered the park and saw people that were much braver than I, faced with far more physical challenges than a broken toe, some even running with prosthetic limbs. And, the nail in the coffin was when I saw the back of a shirt that read, "we were just doing our jobs." It made me realize that I truly feel that whether I agree with the the U.S. decision of being in any kind of war or not, it's irrelevant when it comes to me giving 100% support and admiration to the men and women who fight for my freedom to live a good life with the exorbitant amount of options that are thrown my way each and every day.

So, I decided to run with my sister. She urged me to run ahead, but we hadn't had a chance to chat in awhile and I thought it would be far more entertaining to pace with her and come up with some possible baby names. We went through the alphabet and there were many names that came and went, but when I got to "U" I declared that the baby-to-be should be named "Unis." In subsequent conversation with the family, my father corrected me, telling me that the name would actually be spelled, "E-U-N-I-C-E." My sister chimed in, defending the "U" saying that she and her husband could spell the name any way they wanted and her "Unis" would be known to everyone as, " Hey U!"

So, no matter what this baby's name is, she'll (or he'll) always be Unis or "Hey U" to me!

Finally to the real point of the blog...the passing of the baton to the next gen. I couldn't have been a prouder aunt watching my nieces get lined up for the race. Carrie Anne clung to my hand at the pack of the 4 year old girls and when actor Anthony Edwards (you all know who he is: Tom Cruise's side kick "Goose" in Top Gun or more recently known as Dr. Greene from ER) blew the start horn she ran her hardest, gripping my hand the whole way. Cecelia ran with the 6 year olds with the focus and the form of a young runner and outran a couple of gals that started ahead of her!

You could see the elation and pride in their faces as they both crossed the finish line where their mom was waiting. I can tell the girls have the "bug" now...well, at least I think so. And that wasn't the only win for the day, the really big one came when the they swindled their mom into buying them ice cream from the NYC cart guy before lunch! Nicely done! I could not have been prouder of them at that moment!

It felt like the baton had just been passed to the next gen, just as my dad had done with me many, many years ago....

Stay tuned for next posting...I'll tell you about my high school track days and the literal passing of the baton with one of my best friends, Kristin...she's really psyched about this posting 'cause I'll prob. have some pics...

Go Get 'Em Kid

2008-06-22T22:45:00.040-04:00

Hope everyone had a great week, but I would have to imagine I wasn't the only one who found myself tearing up at the news of Tim Russert's sudden death. Hey look, I obviously didn't know the guy, but each Sunday, I invited him into my home by way of Meet the Press so that he could provide me with snippets of what I needed to get by for my very few and far between political discussions. I found my relationship with Tim developed much like how many of the great ones do...once I realized the depth of his character and values, it became more than a crush.

So, maybe it was Tim's passing, I don't quite know, but last week I found running to be as challenging as a hill on the 23rd mile of a marathon. Wednesday night, in particular was difficult. I had come home from a long day at work and when I turned on the TV, I was overwhelmed by the outtakes from Tim's memorial service with his son, brother-in-law, Maria Shriver, The Boss and many more laughing, crying, singing, sharing memories. What really struck me though was the impact he had on so many...I started to wonder if I could even impact a handful.

All of about two minutes later when I shook this self observation, I kicked myself in the ass, (easy to do with a budunkadunk like mine!) laced up my sneakers and ran. I'd be lying to let you believe it was pure self motivation. If that's all I relied upon Wednesday night, I would have failed miserably. Motivation came from thinking about The Race on August 10th; the first round of donations for CF from friends and family for The Race; words and some literal pats on the back from friends and family; but the biggest source of motivation last week came from an unlikely source. It was an e-mail from an old college friend, Dave.

Now let me tell you, Dave and I met each other about 20 years ago (eeks...I'm getting old!) at Stonehill College. While we were always cordial to each other and shared pleasantries, it wasn't until last year, when Suz and I were planning for the 15th reunion that we had the opportunity to get to know each other a bit better. We discovered that we both were into running - an immediate common bond.

So, we communicate from time-to-time, but last week's e-mail had a powerful impact on me. Not only did he give me the play-by-play of the race course, but offered to pace with me, "sacrificing" his own race. Wow...it's completely selfless and amazing. I was so inspired by this that I've already paid this forward. (I''ll tell you how next posting.) Here's an excerpt:

Hi Annie,

This is great! Michelle and I will definitely make a donation. Have you run the Falmouth Road Race before? If not - some advice: Don't worry about your time. there are 10,000 people jammed into Woods Hole (an area about the size of the old cafe @ Stonehill). If you normally run 9:00 miles, your first one will be closer to 11:00. unless you're in one of the first corrals, you won't be able to get into a comfortable stride for @ least 2 miles- if you can, hill train...

If I'm healthy (injured right now) I'll be running again this year. If you're looking for someone to run with or help with the pace, LMK.

Thanks Dave for this...and thanks to everyone that's dropped me a line of support and made a donation. I'm extremely humbled and hoping someday soon I can return the favor.

So I did it. I ran my 4 mile hill run in West New York, New Jersey while enjoying the spectacular view of the bright New York City lights across the Hudson contrasting against a deep blue evening sky, accomanied by Springsteen pumping through my iPod and "Go Get 'Em Kid" through my head...a perfect end to my day.

Stay tuned for next posting: I'll talk about passing the running torch to the next gen...my nieces run the 6.22.08 Hope and Possibilities kids race.

The First Time I Got High...

2008-06-17T14:00:00.000-04:00

On Running!

First things first. I've started this blog for many reasons, but mainly to motivate me to RUN, RUN, RUN this summer, esp. for the 7 mile Cigna Falmouth Road Race I'll be doing on August 10th on The Cape to raise money for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Help me reach my fundraising goal by clicking here!) as well as to honor fellow Stonehill Alum, Lindsay Briggs ('08).

BUT, GreatFridays blog is still going strong and expect more posts soon from Suz & I!

I'll post here whenever I'm inspired and will remind you each Sunday night to have a peak at the latest and greatest! I also encourage you to offer running tips - anything from food, drink, recovery, etc. (Jess D., I know you have some great recipes up your sleeve; and Kerry C., you gotta share your secrets for quick and seamless recoveries!)

I Run Because I Can.

Some days I run quickly and some days I run slowly, but I Run Because I Can. Quickly and slowly - it's all relative - my fastest could be someone else's crawl and vice versa. But I'm out there running Because I Can ... pounding the pavement, many early mornings or late nights looking at the gorgeous NYC skyline, lost in thoughts and whatever's on my mind. I'm blessed to be healthy enough to run ... so I Run Because I Can.

Why'd I start running? My dad. I was a natural gymnast from the womb, never a natural runner, but my dad encouraged me nonetheless. He's an ex-Marine and ex-FBI agent and running was just a way of life for him. He's not like me...he doesn't have the itch/obsession/need to participate in organized road races for validation (and the free T-shirt!), but 4 or so days a week I find him running 5+ miles on the treadmill. At 67, I'd say that's damn good!

The First Time I got High
... on running it was 1979 and there I was at the start line of my very first road race in my hometown of Eastchester, New York. I wasn't even "double digits" yet, but I was every bit the competitor and when I heard the start whistle blow, I was off and running! I raced through the windy streets and up the steep hills and finally there it was, the Finish Line within reach at Eastchester High School's track. My "fans", AKA local neighbors and family members, were clapping and cheering me on, pushing me to finish with a sprint! It was sweet relief to cross and that was it - - I was hooked.

So, there I was panting and breathless with that "high" engulfing my body. I assumed my dad was standing by with an icey cold drink to quench my thirst. Instead, and I shit you not, he smiled, waved me over and handed me a warm Cream Soda! (I'm sorry if I just made anyone throw up in your mouth!) I still love you though dad - - it's the thought that counted! Really, it was. (Ok, but, I can't say that without gagging!)

This was just the beginning of many more steps, sweat and hard work through the streets of many cities in the U.S. and around the world ... but never, ever, ever since has there been cream soda at the finish!