1. This morning I did my “long run” of the week, which — if the maps on the internet are to be trusted — is just over 14.5 miles. I finished in 1:40 — as in one hour + forty minutes — which should put me in range of 1:30 for the half-marathon (13.1 miles) I signed up to do next winter. During my twenties, one of my goals, in addition to never holding a real job, was to finish a marathon in under three hours, which — despite running two — I never accomplished. Looking back, I now see that I didn’t train as hard (or really, as “smart”) as I should have, which is why I “hit the wall” and “basically crawled” across the finish line of my second one in 3:15. It was an improvement over the first one, but still not “the three” I was hoping for. (The first time I ran a marathon, I idiotically started at the back of literally 26,000 people and had to weave through runners the entire race, which is not a good strategy!) It’s not that I didn’t train, but I was cavalier about it — I had always been a pretty good runner! — and didn’t do nearly enough structured speed and hill workouts (not to mention “core conditioning”), which are agonizing but important if you want to run fast, which I did (and do). Granted, these days it’s easier because of all the advice and expertise about proper training and fitness — and even how to deal with nagging injuries — you can find on the internet; it’s sort of like political news on FB, exact the exact opposite! (Lol?) I’m pretty sure I’ll never make that three-hour marathon goal, but cutting it in half seems like something worth pursuing. Part of aging, it seems, is knowing how much to fight and how much to compromise, and — for me — this new running phase I’m in is a good “exercise” I’m sure will apply to other parts of my life as time unfolds.
2. There’s also the advantage of running in upper Manhattan, which offers vistas like this view of the Hudson River looking north, not far from the GWB where a whale was recently spotted breaching. (True story!) Granted, to get to this park, I had to run up Fort Washington Avenue, where I was almost killed by 1) ten cars, 2) three buses, 3) five hundred bikers (all wearing neon outfits), 4) sixty pedestrians who took up the whole sidewalk with the leash on which they were walking their eighty dogs (because some ppl have more than one), and 5) one dog that lunged at me like Cujo as I ran past, missing my face with its snarling jaws by no more than two centimeters. Dear Dog Owners: Wtf. (Still, I bet I could definitely make 1:30 in the half if they have ferocious, attack dogs on the course.)
3. Ladies and gentleman: Fort Tryon Park.
4. The lawn just south of the Cloisters. This is always my favorite part of my run, because there are no cars or bikes, and the paths are wide enough for dog walkers and runners.
5. Let’s go for a walk through the Heather Garden and pretend we’re on our way to have tea with Emily Bronte (who did not vote for DT, obv, and who will be remembered far longer than he will).
6. But Dear Political Commentators: Seriously? Let’s not “give Trump a chance” — not even a tiny one – because we already know with 100-percent certainty that everything he says is a lie and every policy he proposes will be a nightmare for everyone who isn’t a straight, white, and very rich male.
7. The roses are always blooming somewhere up here: it’s one of the miracles of upper Manhattan, along with the fact that 95 percent of the population voted against DT.
8. You have to give DT&Company credit for having “gigantic balls,” though. Like what did Mike Pence, who supports the “religious-based rights” of people to discriminate against gays, expect to happen when he went to a Broadway show with a cast of non-straight, non-white, non-men? And DT called theaters “safe spaces”? So many wtfs.
9. Dear Gods of Urban Park Design (and Associated Trees and Plants): Thank you for reminding us that beauty exists in the world when our society, under its current leadership, is getting uglier and uglier.
10. The oak trees next to the Hudson will be a good place to contemplate the many changes (and proposed changes) we’re about to confront.
11. And let’s not forget the many, many buildings in Washington Heights that are and always will be objectively more beautiful than “Trump Tower.” Here is one of them.
12. From what I understand, Trump and his prospective cabinet are taking the weekend to ponder the translucent, fragile delicacy of Japanese maples. (Wish this was the kind of “fake news story” now plaguing FB. Serious question: in all of the proposals to “fix FB,” have you read any that state the most obvious solution, which is not to get your news from FB? Or maybe to log on like once a week instead of 24/7?)
13. Weather permitting, every morning when I get back from my run I take everyone out into the garden for a walk. Here’s Zephyr. “The flip-side of Hegelian-derived optimism regarding incremental evolution is that things can also become incrementally worse over time, too.”
14. And Dante: “Don’t bother me. I’m on a secret mission.”
15. And Elektra: “How do we react when society is turned over to a group of flying snakes? I can tell you that negotiation and deference are not in my arsenal.”
16. And Clio “The Millennial”: “You guys. That National Geographic show about the evolution of cats was amazing!” Actually, Clio was riveted to the television and the show was very interesting if you like watching cats of any kind.
17. Here’s our birch tree, with a crown of gold.
18. And Clio, as entranced by the last day of perfect November weather as she was by the cheetahs.
19. And me, praying that the next four years will not be as bad as they now seem.
