Magic Jewball

Yesterday, I got up at 7am, which as you probably know, is just not the sort of thing I do naturally on a Sunday. But this was different! It was the NYC Triathlon and it was right here on the Upper West Side. You see, nothing happens on the UWS. Parades, the marathon, everything happens on the East Side, which I’m told is a good thing but I still feel left out. If you’re thinking that’s still not enough to make me get up at 7, you would be correct. I went because Bob was running/swimming/biking the triathlon! You remember my good friend Bob, of course. Lots of people do these charity things and I respect them but I have never really seen anyone train the way Bob has. Every day she would run for miles or swim in the Hudson (ew, I know) or bike for two hours. If I would say, “God, it’s hot, I don’t think I’m going to do my walk today,” Bob would say, “I’m running six miles today.”

So I was anxious to support Bob and, frankly, to see all that training in action. Bob actually started at 6:40 am with that fun swim in the Hudson (you don’t need shots! said the website) and then the bike ride. But I have my limits and so I decided to cheer her on at the last leg, the 72nd St. run on the way to another five miles in the park. Before I left I checked to see how Bob was doing. Pretty good! I’d better get moving. (Click to enlarge and see where Bob was when I left my apartment).

Speaking of training, Bob was part of a group called “Team in Training” whose supporters would call out every time one of the team came by and say “Go T.I.T.!” And then I would laugh. Because I’m twelve. But I have to say, it was a glorious scene. The world looks different at that hour, I can tell you. Plus it was a gorgeous day and a parade of really, really fit people kept coming by. In the marathon, most people are thin and wiry, but these folks had muscles like cartoon superheroes. And it was so peaceful. All the cars were kept away and it was just runners and, uh, athletic supporters.

Look! I’m standing right in the middle of 72nd Street. As you can see, it was runners to the left, chatty pedestrians to the right, crazy photographer lady in the middle. As far as I could tell, most of the people standing near me were tourists there to cheer on a loved one. I think this was the conversation that made me teeheehee the most:

Woman, shouting down street at her daughter: “Wait, do you want to eat here? There’s a place with bagels and stuff.”
Daughter, shouting back down street: “I want to check out Starbucks first!”
Me, thinking in my head: Better eat here, lady, you never know where you’ll find a place with bagels and stuff again in NY. And to your teenager, I’m going to hazard a guess that it’s the same stuff they have in your Starbucks at home.

Ha! Wait on, suckers.

And then, finally there was Bob. Bob looked really, really tired. I called out, “you can do it!” And by you, I meant her because, personally, I couldn’t have done it. Besides, Bob raised lots of money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. So basically, she’s already done it. But after running my own triathlon (Fairway, H&H Bagels, and Zabar’s) I went back home and checked my computer again. Bob had indeed done it. Rock on, Bob!

This one’s for you, Bob.
The Commodores – Three Times A Lady