Stay True to Yourself...
So now, I'm ready to make the time.
I started this blog many years ago as a way to exercise the creative side of my brain. I also had been deep into running and most of my blog inspirations came as I ran through the streets of many cities, towns and countries.
One of the cities I'm most proud and privileged to have run is my NYC, especially the NYC Marathon (3x) 2001, 2009 and 2011 and the almost 4th in 2012, canceled after Sandy ravaged the East Coast.
If you take a minute to check out my results, you'll see my 2009 and 2011 times and ages are identical because NYRR's new tracking system failed a few thousand runners in 2011. My unofficial time in 2011 was clocked at about 5:07. I'm not the fastest runner, but my goal is always to be better and do better. The 5am wake up calls paid off as I smiled, and then winced in pain in the later miles. I feel so fortunate to have had the privilege to run all 5 boroughs as 1 million+ beautiful people, including friends and family, lined the streets and cheered me on, along with thousands of other runners. I especially would like to thank the great people of the Bronx as I struggled up hills which seemed like mountains between miles 21-22.
It was nothing short of consistency and effort that pushed me across that glorious NYC Marathon Finish Line in Central Park, just up a small hill that felt like a mountain. But believe me, the training runs weren't always pretty. In fact mostly they were pretty ugly. I ate asphalt quite a few times, puked mid-run on one of those hot NYC steamy summer days, but in all of it I did manage to hit a few personal records; and then of course there were those days I questioned what the heck I was doing as runners pushing double baby strollers breezed right by me without even breaking a sweat.
Fast forward. I now find myself in Melbourne, Australia. It was a dream of mine to live Down Under and a couple of years ago I made a pivot from the "traditional" trajectory of life. With three suitcases in hand and a few boxes to follow, I found myself at a gig at a sports tech start up and in a pad across the street from the beach in Port Melbourne. It hasn't been perfect, marred with many ups and downs that would make a roller coaster blush. But, I'm doing the best I can and there's something to be said about any one person, that can can put one foot before the other every day to make IT happen - whatever "IT" may be to that said person.
The last 10+ weeks in quarantine have gifted me with many conversations, overthinking and emotions trapped in my head. So, to me, there is no better time to start running and writing again.
I humbly thank anyone who'll take the time to read my meanderings and thoughts. And, please do take the time to enjoy and reflect on any pictures and music I share.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay true to yourself.
This blog is brought to you by of Colin Hay, lead singer of Men at Work that hit the charts with "Land Down Under." I was actually at this show at City Winery in NYC and met Colin. He and I spoke about what it would be like to live in Australia . . .
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