Oh, the agony!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Monday, November 05, 2007
NYC Marathon Thoughts...
When you see thousands of people cheering you on, handing out all sorts of goodies (thank goodness for those orange slices) and telling you that you will make it, you are reminded of how the bond of humanity connects us at a far deeper level and how it bring us all together in good and in bad times. I realized then how proud I was to be a New Yorker and so blessed to be living in one of the greatest cities in the world.My friend Raj's girlfriend, Nadia, like me, ran her first marathon yesterday and said this about it. She took the words right out of my mouth. It was incredible. The last time I felt this kind of citywide sense of unity, of brotherhood and sisterhood was, sadly, just after September 11. But this was obviously different, a joyous celebration of life and achievement.
Coming off the Verrazano bridge running fourth ave and hearing and seeing all the people cheering for us almost brought tears to my eyes. The unconditional support for our utterly quixotic endeavor moved me. Virtually every neighborhood we went through had people out on the streets, rich, middle class, poor, all races and ethnic groups, lifelong New Yorkers to transplanted hipsters to recent foreign immigrants. From reggateon rappers in Spanish Harlem to the Bishop Loughlin Marching Band to merengue blasting in Sunset Park we ran through a pageant of New York City, even though we were the ones on parade.
I was so proud to be a New Yorker, reminded how much I love this city, but also sadly realized how much work has to be done to continue to fight to keep this city a place where the vitality I saw and experienced along the route can always exist, where people can afford to live, go to school, work and sustain themselves.
My Performance
I guess I'll start with the positives:
- I finished (!)
- I experienced severe cramping at various points from mile 19 and had to stop several times to walk and stretch it out. I seriously thought I would have to stop the race all together the cramping was so bad. But I worked out the cramps, got a second wind at mile 20 and ran most of the rest of it and ran a strong finish for the last 1.2 miles
I was shooting for a time of 4:30 (my best half is a 1:56, granted at Staten Island, which is flat compared to the NYC course, but I thought it was still a realistic target) and ended up clocking in at 5:00:39. I can't believe I didn't even break five hours, which I'm embarrassed by. I analyzed where and how my body broke down and despite a scientifically calculated training schedule tailored to my pace, it didn't include any hill training which is what killed me in the end. The Pulaski Bridge at mile 13 and the Queensboro bridge at miles 14 to 16 took everything out of my legs and led to my calves cramping at mile 19. I'm mad, but now I know what to differently for my training next year. I'm swear, I'm going to rock the sucker out next year...
The highlights
Mile 1-2: The Verrazano bridge. It was breathtaking to see the bridge tower over us on what was a beautiful clear sunny day with music blasting and the Queensboro bridge in the distance knowing that was where we were headed.
Mile 3: The rush of humanity into the cheering crowds on fourth avenue, I almost cried.
Mile 4-6: Sunset Park. The smell of Mexican food, I really wanted to stop and grab some food....sopes?
Miles 6-10: Just trying to hold back at a solid 10:30/mile pace. Holding down my adrenaline, breathing steadily. Favorite part here was the Bishop Loughlin Marching Band set up in front of the school playing the theme of "Rocky."
Miles 10-13 Uh-oh, finally starting to feel some achiness, I had been hoping I cold stave off serious pain until mile 18 or so...
Mile 13 to 14 The Pulaski Bridge, or what I like to now call the "widow maker". The ramp onto the bridge was steep and I wasn't ready for anything like that. Hill workouts in Harlem in Central park didn't cut it. I'm training on bridges next year I swear to fucking...
Miles 14 to 15: The best moment of the race for me. I saw my father on Vernon Blvd, he had a big grin on his face when he saw me and I stopped and shook his hand. He said my mom was on her way, but I couldn't wait so I kept going and he wished me luck while I ran off. I felt bad missing my mom, but then I saw her around the corner and ran up to her and she gave me a hug and kiss. Everyone running with me started clapping and she wished me luck when I got back in the pack.
Miles 15 to 16: The Queensboro bridge, or the "widow maker part II". Whatever structural integrity my calves had left after the Pulaski Bridge was killed here, especially on the sharp downhill ramp coming off the bridge (ow, ow, ow, ow, ow...)
Miles 16 to 19 Basically, I was in a daze while I struggled to keep my feet under me on first ave. This is supposed to be the most exciting part of the race, but all I remember was seeing a lot of fogginess and hearing a lot of noise on the sides. Oh, I think I was trying to run also. One of my friends from Wagner saw me around 90th and yelled my name. I don't even know how I heard her. Two of my best friends saw me at mile 19 and yelled my name just as I hit my wall.
Mile 19: Severe cramping, walk, run, stretch, repeat. At the top of the Willis Ave Bridge (fucking bridges) I stopped and did some thorough stretching and gentle flexing/extension of my calves which finally worked.
Mile 20: My legs finally recovered, I'm running gingerly, but I feel good, I've got a second wind. Any chance of making 4:30 is now out the window, but finishing under five hours is well within reach so I run confidently through the South Bronx. Not being so concerned with my time now, I relax, high five a bunch of kids and pump my arms and wave at the crowds. Basically, I start having some fun.
Mile 21: My boss yells my name and jumps out and runs with me a couple of blocks. I've been alone the entire 21 miles so far (I ran half the bridge with Raj, but that was about it) and it was a great boost to have someone out there with me, even for just two blocks.
Mile 22 to 24 Holy fucking shit, why did they put this incline at the end of the race?? 119th and 5th ave south to 90th and 5th Ave. Walking it, you'd never think of it as a hill, but at the end of a marathon it's a miserable, slow, painful climb...
Mile 24: My legs give out, I can't feel them I can't run, I'm walking and it hurts too much to walk. People are yelling 'you can do it!' and I want to lie down and die and/or yell back 'leave me alone, I can't do it!!!'.
Mile 25: I have to figure something out, I can't walk, I can't run. I pull over to the side and say 'fuck my time, I'll be damned if I'm walking across the finish line' and take a good 5-10 minutes and stretch my calves, quads, gluts and hamstrings. Once I've got my blood circulating again (and after I've refused medical attention three times) I hop back on the course and my legs feel great, I'm kicking myself for not having stopped sooner to stretch out again (walking hadn't felt any better than running anyway), but I take off for the last 1.2 miles.
Mile 26: Columbus Circle: I see my friends Gloria and Anil who shout my name out, I'd been running well the last mile, but seeing them and knowing I was at the finish gave me the final kick I needed and I took off passing a bunch of people at the tail end:
Pulling into Central Park: The other moment I almost cried. After all the pain and wondering if I was going to even finish, after having to humbly alter my target goals mid race, I realized I was going to finish the damn thing, and I was going to finish strong, and I was doing it at the intersection where I had been doing all of my long runs dutifully every Sunday preparing for this moment.
26.2 miles: The finish, I threw my arms up and crossed the finish line.
And the worst part? Having to walk another mile to get out of the damn park :)
Congratulations to every single person who trained and entered this race. I just read Siddhartha, and for all of us, it's about the journey.
Stupid Trivia
I own the rather dubious distinction of being the youngest AND the slowest 'Yoon' in the entire 2007 NYC Marathon:
But at least I was the fastest 'Jason' who ran slower than five hours (chew on that one):
Glenna, my friend, training guru and sometime training partner, and I ran bizarrely similar splits for good chunks of the race despite being not even seeing each other the entire race
And lastly, I was mostly pissed that I wasn't going to be listed in today's hard copy New York Times because they typically only list runners who finish under five hours. But I assume because they had to fill the last page they actually went all the way up to 5:04 so I still back doored my way into today's paper! WooHoo! My New Training Log
I'm now on a mission to eat as much junk food as I can and undo all of my training. For lunch today, I had General Tso's chicken and pork fried rice from the ghetto Chinese spot near work on Gerard Ave and 161st. Dinner was fried chicken wings and french fries. Tomorrow I'm hitting the fried fish joint on 161st for lunch (see a pattern?).
Later this week, I'm hitting the chuchifritos spot across from Casa Latina (after I treat myself to a new CD) for some mofongo with gravy and pasteles. I'll also hit Mannas before they go out of business (I read in the Daily News their building is getting bought out). And yes, I will get the fried rice there.
It's a lot of work, but I think I can do it...
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Marathon Training (last one!)
Ryan Shay (r) at the 2002 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championship
I'll start this by offering my condolences to the friends and family of Ryan Shay who died this morning while running the Olympic Marathon Trials in Central Park. I woke up early to watch the Olympic Marathon trials in Central Park to get some inspiration for tomorrow's NYC Marathon. I'm always awed watching the mechanics and focus of the elite runners. I got to the race at about 9:30 and cheered for the runners before heading over to Javits Center to pick up my registration for tomorrow. I didn't find out until later that afternoon what had happened. I'm not sure how I feel about it, I'm not worried for myself running tomorrow, it's a freak incident that you can't dwell on, especially if you've been taking care of yourself. I think it's the fact that he died literally in the thick of pursuing his dream while probably at, or near, the peak of his ability as a runner. On one hand, for a competitive athlete, it may be the ultimate way to go out, but on the other hand I can't help but think of all the lost potential and what could have been for him.
Rest in peace Ryan, we'll all be thinking of you while we're running tomorrow.
Now, the final two work outs of the workout schedule I started way back in August. Looking back at my original schedule, I am really proud of having stuck to it. I've done every work out on the schedule plus countless dance classes and I know I am prepared for tomorrow.
November 1, 2007
Tempo run
1 mile warm up 86th St and Lexington Ave to 103rd and 5th Ave
3.2 miles (I ran it in 27:13)
From 103 and 5 to the finish of the NYC Marathon at Tavern on the Green
Half mile cool downTotal mileage
4.5 miles
Comments:
It was really exciting to run in the park and see the fencing out in the final mile, the bleachers and the finish line at Tavern on the Green. The finish is going to be tough, hopefully adrenaline will pull me through.
November 2, 2007
2-mile easy run
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
NYC Marathon
My friend forwarded me a pretty cool spreadsheet that calculates (roughly) what time you'll cross each marker at the NYC marathon based on your bib number and your expected time of finish. My times are below. if you want to download the whole spreadsheet, you can get it here.
Marathon Training
October 30, 2007
2 miles easy run
19:53
October 28, 2007
5 miles
58:52
11:46 per mile
Did the Poland Spring 5-mile kick off. Was supposed to do 8 miles total, but some late night partying did me in...
October 25, 2007
2-mile warm up to Astoria Park
Was supposed to do 3 miles at 8:59
Actual splits:
1 8:18
2 8:28
3 8:06
1-mile cool down
Total: 6 miles
2 miles easy run
19:53
October 28, 2007
5 miles
58:52
11:46 per mile
Did the Poland Spring 5-mile kick off. Was supposed to do 8 miles total, but some late night partying did me in...
October 25, 2007
2-mile warm up to Astoria Park
Was supposed to do 3 miles at 8:59
Actual splits:
1 8:18
2 8:28
3 8:06
1-mile cool down
Total: 6 miles
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Marathon Training
Marathon Training October 18, 2007
Because I was heading out of town early Thursday morning, I did my tempo workout early Thursday instead of in the evening.
I was supposed to do seven miles, one mile warm up, five miles at 8:53/mile and one mile cool down. I ended up doing a one mile warm up and only four miles in
43:16, a pretty miserable pace. But I had gone to Djoniba's dance class the night before which killed my legs, so I think I deserve a mulligan for that workout.
Marathon Training October 21, 2007
My final endurance run!
I ran 18 miles in Central Park (3 loops all heading north from the 72nd St east side entrance) in 3:14:05 which comes to 10:47 (rounded) per mile. My work out calendar said my pace should have been 10:17 per mile but Central Park has a number of hills that the training calculator doesn't take into account. I felt great and from here on out, it's time to taper until November 4th!
Because I was heading out of town early Thursday morning, I did my tempo workout early Thursday instead of in the evening.
I was supposed to do seven miles, one mile warm up, five miles at 8:53/mile and one mile cool down. I ended up doing a one mile warm up and only four miles in
43:16, a pretty miserable pace. But I had gone to Djoniba's dance class the night before which killed my legs, so I think I deserve a mulligan for that workout.
Marathon Training October 21, 2007
My final endurance run!
I ran 18 miles in Central Park (3 loops all heading north from the 72nd St east side entrance) in 3:14:05 which comes to 10:47 (rounded) per mile. My work out calendar said my pace should have been 10:17 per mile but Central Park has a number of hills that the training calculator doesn't take into account. I felt great and from here on out, it's time to taper until November 4th!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Marathon Training
Supposed to do a long run of 16 miles at a 10:14 pace. I got to the Staten Island Half Marathon early and ran three miles in roughly an 10:30-11:00/mile pace. Then I did the actual half marathon (13.1 miles) in 2:09:21 for a 9:52 pace.
Here is the actual result:
Comments:
I felt very very good during today's run. I didn't push myself too hard and gradually descended my splits (roughly 10:30-11 for the first 5, down closer to 10 for the next 5, then 9 for the final three 3 miles). Next week's long run peaks at 18 (yikes) then I begin to taper.
Here is the actual result:
Comments:
I felt very very good during today's run. I didn't push myself too hard and gradually descended my splits (roughly 10:30-11 for the first 5, down closer to 10 for the next 5, then 9 for the final three 3 miles). Next week's long run peaks at 18 (yikes) then I begin to taper.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Chocolate Thunder!
On my ongoing quest for inspiration I'm still reading The Impossible Will Take a Little While, a collection of essays, stories etc. by some serious heavy hitters in social justice movements (Marian Wright Edelman, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela etc.), but its the very personal writing in this collection by the people I don't know as well that have affected me the most (e.g. Billy Wanye Sinclair refusing to bribe his way out of prison at a huge personal cost, Diane Ackerman wondering if her work at a suicide hotline makes any difference at all on the "pageant of humankind").
The story I have been reading most repeatedly has been Do Not Go Gentle by Sherman Alexie. He describes being in the hospital with his wife and his dying new-born baby. To clear his head he goes out shopping for baby toys but ends up in a sex-toy store. Suddenly, he is inspired to buy a vibrator and create a new ritual to save his baby. He rushes back to hospital inspired and a bit delusional. But what he describes is so moving, I felt his emotions, his hope, his despair but refusal to give up on the life of his son (the line breaks are mine, not his):
The story I have been reading most repeatedly has been Do Not Go Gentle by Sherman Alexie. He describes being in the hospital with his wife and his dying new-born baby. To clear his head he goes out shopping for baby toys but ends up in a sex-toy store. Suddenly, he is inspired to buy a vibrator and create a new ritual to save his baby. He rushes back to hospital inspired and a bit delusional. But what he describes is so moving, I felt his emotions, his hope, his despair but refusal to give up on the life of his son (the line breaks are mine, not his):
I ran into the fourth floor ICU, pulled Chocolate Thunder out of its box, held it up in the air like a magic wand, and switched it on.A vibrator is a vibrator is a vibrator huh? I love it. Is it a pipe? I've been reading this story repeatedly, I'm not sure why. I'm not a parent, but Alexie makes me feel like what it must be to be one and I think it's that unconditional love and faith (irrational as both may be at times) that he expresses so beautifully that keeps calling me back.
It was sex that made our dying babies, and here was a huge old piece of buzzing sex I was trying to cast spells with. I waved it over our baby and ran around the room waving it over the other sick babies. I was laughing and hooting, and a few others didn't know what the hell to do. But pretty soon everybody was taking their turns casting spells with Chocolate Thunder. Maybe it was blasphemous, and maybe it was stupid and useless, but we all were sick and tired of waiting for our babies to die.
We wanted our babies to live, and we were ready to try anything to help them live.
Maybe some people can get by with quiet prayers, but I wanted to shout and scream and vibrate. So did plenty of other fathers and mothers in that sick room.
We humans are too simpleminded. We all like to think each person, place, or thing is only itself. A vibrator is a vibrator is a vibrator, right? Everything is stuffed with ideas and love and hope and magic and dreams. I brought Chocolate Thunder back to the hospital but it was my magical and faithful wife who truly believed it was going to bring our baby back to life.
Sherman Alexie from Do not Go Gentle from Ten Little Indians
Marathon Training
Did a speed workout last night.
1 mile warm up to Astoria Park Track
Supposed to do 4 miles at an 8:14 pace followed by half mile jogs. Actual splits:
1mile 7:50
half mile jog
1mile 7:51
half mile jog
1 mile 7:40
half mile jog
1 mile 7:26
half mile jog
1 mile cool down jog
Total: 8 miles
Comments: I felt very good and was surprised how easy it was to do what was for me fast splits. Next up, Staten Island Half Marathon, a key tune-up run for the NYC Marathon.
1 mile warm up to Astoria Park Track
Supposed to do 4 miles at an 8:14 pace followed by half mile jogs. Actual splits:
1mile 7:50
half mile jog
1mile 7:51
half mile jog
1 mile 7:40
half mile jog
1 mile 7:26
half mile jog
1 mile cool down jog
Total: 8 miles
Comments: I felt very good and was surprised how easy it was to do what was for me fast splits. Next up, Staten Island Half Marathon, a key tune-up run for the NYC Marathon.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Marathon Training
10 miles in Central Park, time about 2 hours.
I experienced the first major setback of my training so far. My workout schedule called for 14 miles at 10:23 but my legs gave out at 10 miles and I had only been going at an 11:00+ pace. I hope this was just a temporary setback and hopefully it happened because I did a tempo run on Friday night instead of Thursday like I usually do.
I experienced the first major setback of my training so far. My workout schedule called for 14 miles at 10:23 but my legs gave out at 10 miles and I had only been going at an 11:00+ pace. I hope this was just a temporary setback and hopefully it happened because I did a tempo run on Friday night instead of Thursday like I usually do.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
And Then There Was The Word...
I grew up a Christian (Protestant, First Baptist) and so naturally scripture was a big part of my reading growing up. As I’ve become more disengaged from the church in the last ten years or so I haven’t really been reading much of the Bible. But in a weird coincidence I’m currently reading three things that have taken me back to my church days but also have me thinking more critically about the Bible. How it has been assembled from myriad sources, how much translation is more art than science and how much historical context can affect interpretation of the texts, especially one written over hundreds of years.
In The Impossible Will Take A Little While, there’s an essay by Walter Wink, Jesus and Alinksy, in which he parallels Christ with the famous community organizer, Saul Alinsky. He argues that Christ’s instructions of passiveness, when examined in the context of the harsh Roman occupation of Judea at the time and common social norms, can be interpreted as instructing people to non-violently resist imperial authority through the assertion of dignity rather than meekly to submit to their earthly conditions in hope of a glorious after-life. Wink takes a closer look at three famous examples to make his case.
To Wink, the oft-referenced example of turning the other the cheek (especially cited when Christianity is being criticized for its role in colonizing people) does not mean that you are to be repeatedly pummeled in a fight between equals. It’s instead a dignified response to a very specific situation of a backhanded slap to your right cheek by someone who has complete power over you. In Jesus’ time, one could only hit the right cheek with the back of the right hand because the left hand was only to be used for unclean tasks. Wink argues that Jesus’ audience would have recognized the unequal power dynamic of the right cheek slap and understood his instruction of offering the other cheek to be an assertion of dignity (any other kind of protest in that situation would have been unthinkable) and a non-violent, but obvious message of protest.
Another example is Jesus’ instruction to carry a Roman soldier’s equipment for two miles if asked carry them one. Roman soldiers were actually not allowed to ask anyone to carry their things for more than one mile and this was well known. To try to exceed that limit would have been recognized as an attempt to diminish the dignity of the occupying soldier and assert your own. The third example Wink offers is the offering of your clothes in a debtor’s court to the point of nudity. Wink points out that nakedness was such a taboo that shame would have fallen not “on the naked party but the person viewing or causing the nakedness.” In a situation of complete powerlessness (destitution) Wink’s argument is that Jesus is teaching his audience how to assert power where there seems to be none available.
James Wood, in his review of Richard Alter’s new Translation of the Book of Psalms, looks closely at how Alter has tried to stay more faithful to the rhythm and brevity in the original Hebrew sources and how the King James Version [KJV] translation may have taken some liberties in translation to ensure a more docile people.
Wood compares Alter’s compact translation to the KJV:
Besides trying to staying faithful to Hebrew structure, Alter tries to clean the Psalms of their ‘Christianization’ and some of the liberties that the KJV translators must have made to align the mercurial, vengeful God of the Old Testament with the forgiving salvation-offering God of the New:
These three articles/books are really helping to me look at something intimately familiar to me with fresh eyes. As much I’d like to think of myself as a critical reader, I was taught to accept the Bible as one unified book with one author (God working through the writings of various men) rather then a collection of writings and translations that are the products of incredibly diverse people and social and historical contexts.
In The Impossible Will Take A Little While, there’s an essay by Walter Wink, Jesus and Alinksy, in which he parallels Christ with the famous community organizer, Saul Alinsky. He argues that Christ’s instructions of passiveness, when examined in the context of the harsh Roman occupation of Judea at the time and common social norms, can be interpreted as instructing people to non-violently resist imperial authority through the assertion of dignity rather than meekly to submit to their earthly conditions in hope of a glorious after-life. Wink takes a closer look at three famous examples to make his case.
To Wink, the oft-referenced example of turning the other the cheek (especially cited when Christianity is being criticized for its role in colonizing people) does not mean that you are to be repeatedly pummeled in a fight between equals. It’s instead a dignified response to a very specific situation of a backhanded slap to your right cheek by someone who has complete power over you. In Jesus’ time, one could only hit the right cheek with the back of the right hand because the left hand was only to be used for unclean tasks. Wink argues that Jesus’ audience would have recognized the unequal power dynamic of the right cheek slap and understood his instruction of offering the other cheek to be an assertion of dignity (any other kind of protest in that situation would have been unthinkable) and a non-violent, but obvious message of protest.
Another example is Jesus’ instruction to carry a Roman soldier’s equipment for two miles if asked carry them one. Roman soldiers were actually not allowed to ask anyone to carry their things for more than one mile and this was well known. To try to exceed that limit would have been recognized as an attempt to diminish the dignity of the occupying soldier and assert your own. The third example Wink offers is the offering of your clothes in a debtor’s court to the point of nudity. Wink points out that nakedness was such a taboo that shame would have fallen not “on the naked party but the person viewing or causing the nakedness.” In a situation of complete powerlessness (destitution) Wink’s argument is that Jesus is teaching his audience how to assert power where there seems to be none available.
James Wood, in his review of Richard Alter’s new Translation of the Book of Psalms, looks closely at how Alter has tried to stay more faithful to the rhythm and brevity in the original Hebrew sources and how the King James Version [KJV] translation may have taken some liberties in translation to ensure a more docile people.
Wood compares Alter’s compact translation to the KJV:
He [Alter] is particularly alive to formal aspects of ancient Hebrew poetry and prose such as repetition, internal rhythm, and parallelism (in which a phrase amplifies and almost repeats a preceding phrase, as in “He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth,” from Psalm 72). Because the Psalms are poems, he wants to preserve in English what he calls the “rhythmic compactness” of the originals, “something one could scarcely guess from the existing English versions.” His helpful introduction is more polemical than the exegeses he has provided for his other translations: he argues that even the King James translators, whom he, like everyone else, has always admired, pad out their versions with filler.Later on, he looks at particular aspects of Hebrew syntax that Alter tries to remain faithful to such as the fact that in many Hebrew sentences the subject of a verb in a sentence is often left unstated and simply referred by the conjugation of the verb (I found this interesting because it’s actually similar to Korean sentences which almost always leave the subject unspoken, but assumed by conjugation and context).
Besides trying to staying faithful to Hebrew structure, Alter tries to clean the Psalms of their ‘Christianization’ and some of the liberties that the KJV translators must have made to align the mercurial, vengeful God of the Old Testament with the forgiving salvation-offering God of the New:
…he is determined to remind his readers that they are reading ancient texts with hybrid origins, not Christian prayers with dedicated destinations. The Psalms (like the Book of Job) were relentlessly Christianized by the King James translators.Alter also makes the focus less on the after life and more on the current one:
Suddenly, in a world without Heaven, Hell, the soul, and eternal salvation or redemption, the theological stakes seem more local and temporal: “So teach us to number our days.” Psalm 23, again, is greatly refreshed by translation.Lynne Truss, in the hysterical Eats, Shoots and Leaves, looks at how the choice of one comma placement can lead to “huge doctrinal differences.”
The K.J.V. has the last half line of the psalm as “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Alter slaps a term limit on the eternal, and suggests “And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD / for many long days.” Again, a footnote anchors the decision: “The viewpoint of the poem is in and of the here and now and is in no way eschatological. The speaker hopes for a happy fate all his born days.”
“Verily, I say unto thee, This day thou shallt be with me in Paradise”The first being the Protestant interpretation that takes the crucified thief next to Jesus “straight to Heaven.” The second sentence is the Catholic interpretation, which leads to Purgatory. (“You’ll be with me in Heaven but I’m not saying when you’ll get there”).
“Verily, I say unto thee this day, Thou shallt be with me in Paradise”
These three articles/books are really helping to me look at something intimately familiar to me with fresh eyes. As much I’d like to think of myself as a critical reader, I was taught to accept the Bible as one unified book with one author (God working through the writings of various men) rather then a collection of writings and translations that are the products of incredibly diverse people and social and historical contexts.
Marathon Training
Tempo Run
1 mile warm up, jog to Astoria Park Track
5 miles at 8:59 pace
Actual total time
42:11 for an 8:26:2 pace per mile
1 mile cool down (jog/walk home)
Total miles: 7
Comments
I did this work out after a big dinner at Saravanaas so it was pretty unpleasant (the workout, the food was great, the service not so much). I felt nauseous during miles three to four.
1 mile warm up, jog to Astoria Park Track
5 miles at 8:59 pace
Actual total time
42:11 for an 8:26:2 pace per mile
1 mile cool down (jog/walk home)
Total miles: 7
Comments
I did this work out after a big dinner at Saravanaas so it was pretty unpleasant (the workout, the food was great, the service not so much). I felt nauseous during miles three to four.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Marathon Training
Ran 15 miles at the NYC Marathon Tune-Up Run today in 2:21:08 which comes out to 9:25 per mile. The race was 18, but I'm only up to 15 so I just walked the last three.
Comments:
I'm in pretty scary territory now that my long runs are getting into the upper teens. I felt great in the first six, but I started to feel serious pain in towards the end of the second six and was able to muscle out the final 3 miles to get to 15. I don't know if I could have made it to 18 and I sure as hell don't know where I'm going to pull the final 11.2 miles from.
Comments:
I'm in pretty scary territory now that my long runs are getting into the upper teens. I felt great in the first six, but I started to feel serious pain in towards the end of the second six and was able to muscle out the final 3 miles to get to 15. I don't know if I could have made it to 18 and I sure as hell don't know where I'm going to pull the final 11.2 miles from.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Jimmy Rollins for MVP! (maybe)
Watching the Phillies play DC today has got me thinking about Jimmy Rollin’s yearlong saga from goat to hero…
When I first read Donovan McNabb’s comments on HBO about being a black quarterback, I thought “no big deal”, white journalists probably ask him stuff /say stuff about him all the time that they wouldn't say about white quarterbacks and don’t even realize they’re doing it. Does it mean McNabb’s saying that that white journalists are going home burning crosses and putting on white hoods and are out to stamp out the black quarterback? No, but its not outlandish to say we live in a racist society and that we all (even the mental giants that we call sports journalists) probably act differently towards people based on their appearances more than we want to admit.
That’s why I loved reading about the study that analyzed 13 years of referee foul calls in the NBA, because the study took a population that’s rigorously monitored to ensure neutrality (refs) and controlling for a ton of factors, STILL found evidence of racial bias. I shudder to think what you would find if you analyzed my behavior towards people of different races that rigorously over 13 years.
Unfortunately, the issue in the media became about labeling which referees were “racist” and “not racist” (as if they were either/or categories like pure good and pure evil) rather than an opportunity to learn about what unconsciously guides our behavior towards others.
Which brings me to my Jimmy Rollins for MVP campaign (only IF they win the division, which I am rooting firmly against).
As a Mets fan, let me say up front that I detest the Phillies, and by association, Jimmy Rollins.
But in spring training, I watched in fascination as the overwhelmingly white sports media piled on him for saying the Phillies, and not the Mets, were “the team to beat” in the NL East.
Apparently, Rollins was not showing enough deference to the defending NL east champs and running his mouth and not letting his actions on the field speak for him. I love my Mets, but I didn’t give a shit that Rollins said what he did. He was trying to get his team inspired and believing in themselves (a franchise that’s been mired in negativity for way too many years), but instead of praising him for his “leadership”, he became just another trash talking overly brash black athlete.
Watching the double standard towards black athletes unfold with Rollins was amazing. I couldn’t believe he was getting crap for such an innocuous remark, there was no way a white athlete would have been treated the same way for trying to get his team amped. It turns out now that Jimmy Rollins has had an MVP year full of clutch hits and great defense and his team might actually (*gulp) pull off an incredible upset.
If the Phillies win the East, I gotta say, Rollins for NL MVP.
But, Lets Go Mets!
When I first read Donovan McNabb’s comments on HBO about being a black quarterback, I thought “no big deal”, white journalists probably ask him stuff /say stuff about him all the time that they wouldn't say about white quarterbacks and don’t even realize they’re doing it. Does it mean McNabb’s saying that that white journalists are going home burning crosses and putting on white hoods and are out to stamp out the black quarterback? No, but its not outlandish to say we live in a racist society and that we all (even the mental giants that we call sports journalists) probably act differently towards people based on their appearances more than we want to admit.
That’s why I loved reading about the study that analyzed 13 years of referee foul calls in the NBA, because the study took a population that’s rigorously monitored to ensure neutrality (refs) and controlling for a ton of factors, STILL found evidence of racial bias. I shudder to think what you would find if you analyzed my behavior towards people of different races that rigorously over 13 years.
Unfortunately, the issue in the media became about labeling which referees were “racist” and “not racist” (as if they were either/or categories like pure good and pure evil) rather than an opportunity to learn about what unconsciously guides our behavior towards others.
…several prominent academic economists said it [the study] would contribute to the growing literature regarding subconscious racism in the workplace and elsewhere, such as in searches by the police.So McNabb, who was just answering a question honestly, is now the center of controversy because some idiot white sports journalists can’t possibly believe they could ever in the slightest bit be biased in their coverage of athletes of color.
“I would be more surprised if it didn’t exist,” Mr. Ayres said of an implicit association bias in the N.B.A. “There’s a growing consensus that a large proportion of racialized decisions is not driven by any conscious race discrimination, but that it is often just driven by unconscious, or subconscious, attitudes. When you force people to make snap decisions, they often can’t keep themselves from subconsciously treating blacks different than whites, men different from women.”
Which brings me to my Jimmy Rollins for MVP campaign (only IF they win the division, which I am rooting firmly against).
As a Mets fan, let me say up front that I detest the Phillies, and by association, Jimmy Rollins.
But in spring training, I watched in fascination as the overwhelmingly white sports media piled on him for saying the Phillies, and not the Mets, were “the team to beat” in the NL East.
Apparently, Rollins was not showing enough deference to the defending NL east champs and running his mouth and not letting his actions on the field speak for him. I love my Mets, but I didn’t give a shit that Rollins said what he did. He was trying to get his team inspired and believing in themselves (a franchise that’s been mired in negativity for way too many years), but instead of praising him for his “leadership”, he became just another trash talking overly brash black athlete.
Watching the double standard towards black athletes unfold with Rollins was amazing. I couldn’t believe he was getting crap for such an innocuous remark, there was no way a white athlete would have been treated the same way for trying to get his team amped. It turns out now that Jimmy Rollins has had an MVP year full of clutch hits and great defense and his team might actually (*gulp) pull off an incredible upset.
If the Phillies win the East, I gotta say, Rollins for NL MVP.
But, Lets Go Mets!
Fall for Dance
Thursday night, I went to the first of the three nights of the Fall for Dance Festival I had gotten tickets for. It was the first "real" dance performance I had ever been to (maybe formal is a better word) not counting the countless performances I’ve been in the NY On2 Salsa scene.
I've been looking for some inspiration in dance. After having been locked into salsa for so long I was really excited about these shows. I've been talking to one of my salsa teachers about what I think is the overall lack of creativity and artistry in the on2 salsa scene. There are some amazing technical dancers, but not enough musicality, creativity and artistic vision. It seems like everything is about doing the most complicated routine with no regard for music, risk-taking and expanding how salsa as a dance is defined.
I find salsa dance and music fascinating because you can't separate it from issues of diaspora and postcolonialism and have found that dancers from all backgrounds (ballet, jazz, hip hop, African, ballroom etc.) have easily found a pathway into salsa because it has roots in so many dance styles and cultures. And vice versa, (in my case) it’s a great dance to work backwards from because you’ve already learned the very basic vocabulary of other dance forms through salsa.
Long story short, I'm looking for some inspiration and Fall for Dance was a great start. Here's what I saw and what I thought (please note that I'm no dance critic).
Paul Taylor Dance Company
"Arden Court" Choreographer: Paul Taylor
This was by far my favorite of the night. I found out later that this is one his most famous works. I had seats that were really high up, but it was perfect for a piece like this. The choreography uses the whole stage and the overall forms he creates are so beautiful, I thought he had a visual arts background. The movement of the dancers feels like pure expression of the music (I want to listen to more William Boyce now). The dancers move in perfect harmony with each other; at different tempos (men from women), darting, crawling and leaping across the stage. This piece also requires an incredible amount of strength, especially on the part of the men. I was reading that this is considered by many dancers a very "masculine piece", which is still a hard adjective for me to use when describing shirtless men prancing around in pastel-colored pointilist tights, but you know what, the strength required by this piece is straight-up Herculean. There is one part where the men stand on one leg, their other leg fully extended, their backs flat (or slightly arched upwards) and the women leap and land on the small of the men’s backs, and tuck into a ball and just sit there. And the men don't move, they don't flinch.
I looked carefully to see if I could catch any shifting or adjusting (I'm a dick like that), but nothing. Holy fucking shit. There’s no way the woman will hit the man’s sweet spot every time they do that move so move so they just have to compensate a slightly different set of muscles (hamstrings, abs, back, calves and God knows what else) to maintain that effect each time.
Wow.
Kirov Ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg
"Middle Duet" Choreographer: Alexei Ratmansky
This was technically incredible, especially the female dancer. The choreography demands a lot of the woman dancer who has to make near instantaneous switches in her foot position to full plie and back again. On one hand, I should have liked it because it was a ballet dance with shades of Latin partner work (sharp breakbacks, crosshands, turn patterns, multiple spins by the woman led by the man), but I didn't find it visually that compelling. The woman's technique and body control was really incredible though.
Shantala Shivalingappa
"Varnam" Choreographer: Shantala Shivalingappa
This was Kuchipudi "a classical dance style from South India". It was a solo dance accompanied by a live band of Indian musicians. My seat was too high and far to the side to see the musicians which sucked. I couldn't get into this piece, the woman was a very sharp, clean dancer and dancing solo is incredibly difficult, but after awhile the movements started to feel montonous. When she got to the part where she was vibrating her body while standing on a brass plate ("the varnam") it got interesting again, but that ended up being near the conclusion of the piece.
Juilliard Dance
"Deuce Coupe" Choreographer: Twyla Tharp
Tacky. That was the first thing that came into my mind, and the piece just kept reinforcing it. First off, the backdrop was some big busy faux graffitti backdrop with "peace" in huge letters that didn't seem to relate to the music (a beach boys song), the dancer's costumes (weird 50s-style all-American collared shirts and pants) nor the dance movements itself (an awkward mix of classical ballet and herky-jerky 50s teen party sock hopish movements). The dancers looked stiff when they were asked to do anything other than ballet (the men's shoulders were hunched and slouched when doing non-ballet moves which bothered me). I might have been missing what her vision was, but it just seemed like a lot mismatched pieces that didn't sing well together.
I've been looking for some inspiration in dance. After having been locked into salsa for so long I was really excited about these shows. I've been talking to one of my salsa teachers about what I think is the overall lack of creativity and artistry in the on2 salsa scene. There are some amazing technical dancers, but not enough musicality, creativity and artistic vision. It seems like everything is about doing the most complicated routine with no regard for music, risk-taking and expanding how salsa as a dance is defined.
I find salsa dance and music fascinating because you can't separate it from issues of diaspora and postcolonialism and have found that dancers from all backgrounds (ballet, jazz, hip hop, African, ballroom etc.) have easily found a pathway into salsa because it has roots in so many dance styles and cultures. And vice versa, (in my case) it’s a great dance to work backwards from because you’ve already learned the very basic vocabulary of other dance forms through salsa.
Long story short, I'm looking for some inspiration and Fall for Dance was a great start. Here's what I saw and what I thought (please note that I'm no dance critic).
Paul Taylor Dance Company
"Arden Court" Choreographer: Paul Taylor
This was by far my favorite of the night. I found out later that this is one his most famous works. I had seats that were really high up, but it was perfect for a piece like this. The choreography uses the whole stage and the overall forms he creates are so beautiful, I thought he had a visual arts background. The movement of the dancers feels like pure expression of the music (I want to listen to more William Boyce now). The dancers move in perfect harmony with each other; at different tempos (men from women), darting, crawling and leaping across the stage. This piece also requires an incredible amount of strength, especially on the part of the men. I was reading that this is considered by many dancers a very "masculine piece", which is still a hard adjective for me to use when describing shirtless men prancing around in pastel-colored pointilist tights, but you know what, the strength required by this piece is straight-up Herculean. There is one part where the men stand on one leg, their other leg fully extended, their backs flat (or slightly arched upwards) and the women leap and land on the small of the men’s backs, and tuck into a ball and just sit there. And the men don't move, they don't flinch.
I looked carefully to see if I could catch any shifting or adjusting (I'm a dick like that), but nothing. Holy fucking shit. There’s no way the woman will hit the man’s sweet spot every time they do that move so move so they just have to compensate a slightly different set of muscles (hamstrings, abs, back, calves and God knows what else) to maintain that effect each time.
Wow.
Kirov Ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg
"Middle Duet" Choreographer: Alexei Ratmansky
This was technically incredible, especially the female dancer. The choreography demands a lot of the woman dancer who has to make near instantaneous switches in her foot position to full plie and back again. On one hand, I should have liked it because it was a ballet dance with shades of Latin partner work (sharp breakbacks, crosshands, turn patterns, multiple spins by the woman led by the man), but I didn't find it visually that compelling. The woman's technique and body control was really incredible though.
Shantala Shivalingappa
"Varnam" Choreographer: Shantala Shivalingappa
This was Kuchipudi "a classical dance style from South India". It was a solo dance accompanied by a live band of Indian musicians. My seat was too high and far to the side to see the musicians which sucked. I couldn't get into this piece, the woman was a very sharp, clean dancer and dancing solo is incredibly difficult, but after awhile the movements started to feel montonous. When she got to the part where she was vibrating her body while standing on a brass plate ("the varnam") it got interesting again, but that ended up being near the conclusion of the piece.
Juilliard Dance
"Deuce Coupe" Choreographer: Twyla Tharp
Tacky. That was the first thing that came into my mind, and the piece just kept reinforcing it. First off, the backdrop was some big busy faux graffitti backdrop with "peace" in huge letters that didn't seem to relate to the music (a beach boys song), the dancer's costumes (weird 50s-style all-American collared shirts and pants) nor the dance movements itself (an awkward mix of classical ballet and herky-jerky 50s teen party sock hopish movements). The dancers looked stiff when they were asked to do anything other than ballet (the men's shoulders were hunched and slouched when doing non-ballet moves which bothered me). I might have been missing what her vision was, but it just seemed like a lot mismatched pieces that didn't sing well together.
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