"Run, Forrest, Run!"

So, let's start at the end and work our way back, shall we?  Who says you have to always start at the beginning of a story anyway?!  I know those fans of Doctor Who out there would agree with me, "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff" (that's a quote from one of the best episodes of the series, "Blink").

Again, we're starting at the end, so here it is:

It all ended at 5th Ave and 59th St, in the midst of hundreds of tourists trying to get the perfect photo of their family in Central Park, riding in horse-drawn carriages, or being pulled along by human-drawn carts.  I could hardly believe I'd made it, but my rubbery-feeling legs kept reminding me.  All of my nerves and apprehension were gone and I was left with an exuberant feeling, not just because of what I'd just done, but where I had been fortunate enough to do it.

This was a run set up through work as part of a yearlong initiative to share our values with each other and connect on more personal levels outside of the work we do everyday.  Couldn't there be an easier way to bond with people?!  I mean, it's not like I even talked to the guy running next to me the whole time.  But, there was definitely a connection between us; he helped me keep a steady pace and even pushed me to work harder, all just by being there.  Plus, we had the shared experience of running, sweating, and dodging around pedestrians, bicyclists, and baby carriages.

So, to explain how I was approaching this, I should jump back a little.  I'm a beginning-level runner.  While I've gone to the gym off-and-on over the years, the last couple (really, since I moved to NYC), I've become more committed (obsessed?) about going regularly (everyday; again, obsessed?).  It's paid off in amazing ways, not the least of which is a desire to push myself, which is a fairly new thing for me.  I would have to say I used to feel (and still do at times) that sitting on the couch, watching a marathon of some show or movie was better than almost anything else I could imagine.  But running, NO WAY!  I would look at these people running in marathons and tell myself, even if I got in better shape, I would never do something like that; it looked painful and so not worth it.  While I'm nowhere near marathon level (yet), the thought started creeping in the last couple of months that I might like to try some smaller runs.  Why?!  I HAVE NO IDEA!  I think my obsession may have truly scrambled my brain.  But seriously, I think I wanted to try out these gym results and see if my going everyday had really paid off.  My biggest fear was that I would come off looking like Phoebe running through Central Park on Friends.

Fortunately, I don't think I ended up embarrassing myself too much.  At least, no one turned and laughed or looked horrified as I ran by them.  Plus, like I said, I had the benefit of running with someone who kept my motivation up.  He's a real runner, too.  He's already run 14 half-marathons this year alone and was going to be doing another one the very next day.  So, five miles?  That was no problem for him.  I felt bad for him at first, because I felt like I was holding him back from sprinting ahead with the other people in the group.  But, he didn't seem to mind and once we got going it seemed like this spontaneous partnership was working just fine.

But, like I said before, part of what made this a great experience was where I got to do this, Central Park.

I've always loved Central Park.  On every visit I made to NYC before I moved here and now that I live here, it's been one of my favorite spots.  The juxtaposition of the park's natural beauty and the skyscrapers all around it is fascinating to me.  It's a great place to watch people and see the interactions between tourists and residents in all sections of the park.  You can even find some areas where you can't see any of the buildings and can feel almost like you're in the middle of the woods.  I often joke, though, that areas like that are where we have to keep our eyes open for dead bodies (thanks, Law & Order).

While I was running, I got to see areas of the park I hadn't been to yet and since we weren't running at such a great speed, I could still enjoy the scenery.  It sure beat running on a treadmill, that's for sure.  I could use landmarks to check our progress and knew that once we got to Sheep's Meadow, we were almost done.  As we approached the end, I thought to myself, 'How New York is this?!  Running through Central Park!'  It was a great experience and one I'll be looking to repeat in the future.  I've already signed up for a 10K in October on Roosevelt Island, which lies between Manhattan and Queens, on the East River.  Maybe one day I'll be able to say, "I finished the New York Marathon!"  But, I think that'll be several years off......

Pride and Love for Alan Cumming

Pride in New York City is nothing short of a marathon of rainbows and marchers.  This year's festivities started with a boat ride along the Hudson and East Rivers, stopping to admire the major, iconic fixtures of NYC.  While I've seen the Statue of Liberty plenty of times, there's nothing like seeing it up close and personal on a boat, drinking a beer, and listening to dance music pumping at maximum volume.  Even the Empire State Building was lit to commemorate the weekend's celebrations. One of the best parts of the annual boat ride is just being out on the water and seeing the city, including Brooklyn and Queens, from a different perspective.

As the sun set over New Jersey, the skyline exploded with color and lights as NYC woke up from its Saturday afternoon siesta.  The beer kept flowing and once we got off the boat, it was time to figure out where to go next to celebrate the weekend!  There is no shortage of late-night locations to enjoy in this city and with such a big event going on, there were plenty of revelers anywhere we went.

Courtesy of Faith Little

The next day was the big march down Fifth Avenue to the Village and, while it's exciting to see the huge crowds and the creativity of the participants, it can get a bit overwhelming, especially at the four-hour mark, when the parade is still only half over!  The great thing was Von getting us access to a cafe in the New School, so we could be out of the heat and above the crowds (the only way to fly).  Once we finally had enough, we took our leave and found a place for food and drinks, away from the throngs of people and the police barricades that made traveling through the West Village more difficult than we wanted to tackle.

Courtesy of Chris Reed: Can you see us up there?

SIDE NOTE: THE FRIEND/FAMILY FACTOR

Courtesy of Chris Reed

Courtesy of Alex Hudson

Friends are the best part of the events each year; seeing those I don't get to see as often as I might like and meeting new ones from out of town or from across town.  Von and Faith are my constants these days and they are always up for fun, shenanigans, and just plain hanging out at home.  Even when I'm dripping and soaking my shirt from the humidity, I can't believe my good fortune in being able to live in a place like NYC with these awesome folks.


I've said it before (and apparently I'm going to say it again), but theatre is certainly a major plus in living in this great city.  Following up Pride, Von, Faith, and I took in an outstanding performance by Alan Cumming, reprising his Tony award-winning role in Cabaret.  I've seen him one other time on Broadway, when he did a one-man version of Macbeth and that was truly an awe-inspiring experience.  He's someone I've come to admire for his fearlessness and commitment to his roles, plus his genuine appreciation for the audiences that come to see him perform; after Macbeth, he stayed until absolutely everyone got an autograph, to the delight of my visiting, freezing mother (she's a trooper for standing in the cold for as long as we did).

It's Alan Cumming!

For Cabaret, we made our way to Studio 54 and we couldn't help but wonder what kind of debauchery occurred when this used to be THE dance club to see and be seen in (even if you were just in the crowd and couldn't actually get in).  This seemed to be the perfect setting for a musical like this, since it has to do with a racy nightclub that caters to those looking for some dark and twisty fun.

We had great seats (thanks again, Von!) and even had table service since the entire lower area was set up as a nightclub.  Now, Faith had received a call the night before to let us know Michelle Williams wouldn't be performing as Sally Bowles during our show, so I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the understudy.  Besides, wasn't I there just to see Alan anyway?  Don't think I'm obsessed with Alan Cumming, he's just so damn good!

The show did not disappoint!  From the first song to the last, it was engaging, funny, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking.  The actress playing Sally Bowles was great and since I had no basis for comparison, she was the only one I could picture playing this character next to Alan's Emcee.  The cast worked the entire stage and even flowed into the audience.  Throughout the show, Alan's character addressed the audience, including those in the balcony ("Hello poor people!"), to make us all a part of the story as it unfolded.  I think this made the impact of the finale all the more heartfelt; as the Nazis gained power and influence in Berlin, people had to choose what side they were going to be on, whether for self-preservation or the belief that these things would pass soon enough.  This was another theatre experience that brought history to life, albeit an ugly part of it.  I have to say, Alan's choices like to challenge us and remind us how important it is to be who we are, because it can all be taken away in a moment.

It seems appropriate seeing Cabaret the same week as Pride occurred; both events were about being strong in our convictions and unafraid in our expression.  Til next time.....