vindicated

I guess one can say it's official... I'm not the fat kid in high school anymore. Like my father told me, I can finally let it go.




Yesterday was my first major running road race- the Utica Boilermaker 15k (9.3 miles). It took me months to train for and seven years of weight loss, along with countless hours of self-help and confidence boosting. But, I did it. I actually did it- and in more haste than I could have ever imagined. This weekend, in the midst of congruently handling Hairspray and G&S music, was a whirlwind of athletic preparation and psychosis.

Saturday I was handed a Keyboard II book for Hairspray and a manual for a Yamaha S08 synthesizer and was asked to play in the pit orchestra. Panic. I'm not a great keyboardist, but I do need the pit experience and, again, confidence to play in public. As a teacher and conductor, I can pull it off, but my fingers don't work as well as they should! Practice, right?

Most of my day was spent in the theatre for "Hairspray" but it was also nice to eat dinner with my Uncle and his family. He prepared a carb heavy pasta dinner with his own spaghetti sauce! Delicious.

Sunday was an early rise- at the starting line at 5:45 AM. Unnerving as it was, I waited for over two hours before start of the race. My mind and body were doing their own race in anticipation of what was about to come! Slowly, runners started trickling in on Culver Ave by the thousands. This race had 13,000 applicants with most of them actually arriving, so it was elbow to elbow with people! I met up with four of my classmates from Waterville and we stood like sardines while the rest of the mob scene filed in around us. As I looked ahead of me- just a sea of bodies with a large American flag flying in the breeze. It was a cool, beautiful day for a run...luckily for all of us that it was not as hot as it had been the rest of the week. I forgot how humid these New York days get! Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the gun went off and the mass started to shift. It did, however, take our pack quite a while to move to the starting line.

What better way to start the race than to wave to Governor Patterson! I'm curious if he saw me?

I now understand the high people get while racing. It's exhilarating! Everyone cheering for you, enjoying the breeze on the open road, the way your heart pumps every time you pass someone... if I could do a race every month I will. Some of the scenery on this course was idyllic too- going up Valley View Hill that overlooks the golf course on a partly cloudy day... gorgeous. Runners rave about this course and now I can understand why. The other races and the volunteers were super friendly. We all had a good chuckle at the sound of what we thought were vuvuzelas. Some women were handing out donuts on the Parkway (I clearly did not partake). Running down Champlain Ave the entire group of runners were dancing whilst running, of course, doing the YMCA. It was just an amazing time.

Speaking of time, my time was 1:18:56. As I continue to run I want to be under and 1:15:00 next year. I already know that I can do it.

Post race + ten beers + rehearsals following = bad bad bad.

Thanks to my mother for the pictures, Amanda Beth and Abigail for the advice and to my father who is an amazing running coach.

This week is all about bringing the post-race weight gain back down to normal (which means back to a more strict, less carb diet. Boo hiss.)

...this also means I need to get cracking on these musical projects. A lot of practicing this week!

Salem Half Marathon- September 2010. I think I'll be ready...