Go Paula go!
I hope I’m sleeping right now, clock change notwithstanding, but I know those crazy marathoners start early and there won’t be much time to read my blog before it begins. And I’m SO sure Paula Radcliffe is amongst my regulars. Thus, I wrote this in advance to wish a hearty good luck, bon courage, etc. to Paula, who is running the NY Marathon today less than a year after having a baby. Why do I care? If you own a Nike+ attachment for your iPod you already know the answer to this, I’m sure. It’s this gadget you connect to your iPod Nano that transmits a signal from a piece worn in your shoe and gives you all kinds of stats while you’re running (or walking) to tell you how you’re doing. One of the funnest parts is that when you hit your best time or pace or whatever, Paula (or Lance Armstrong but I’m not such a fan of his so whatevs) comes on and says in her chirpy British accent, “Congratulations! You’ve reached your personal best for the mile!” Or that you’ve completed your longest workout, but that happened when my keys fell out of my pocket in the park and I retraced my route 3 times to try to find them, then gave up and went to Brother1’s to collect my spares. It didn’t really feel like an achievement for some reason.
So the fact that Paula cheers me on all the time made me want to do the same for her here in New York. But that would involve actually getting to a viewing spot at a decent hour and unless I really know you, via real life and not iPod, it’s just too much effort. Instead, I’ll wish her success via blog and think of her when I do my afternoon run tomorrow. And who knows? If I lose anything else I may just hear from her.
BTW, I have a little bit of a girl crush on the woman who does the updates on the Nike+. The way she says “halfway point” and “400 meters to go” just really floats my boat. I might have gone to cheer her on. Although I wouldn’t mind telling her that she really should hold off on my updates when the good part of the song is playing. She needs to fix that. Maybe it’s a good thing for both of us that she is just a faceless voice.
Also BTW, if you found a set of keys in Riverside Park in August, I’m usually not around between 9 and 7 so those are good times to rob me.
I like the “halfway point” and “400 meters to go” voice too. I did have my Nike+ set to the male feedback, but I switched back to the female feedback lately and I think I like it better.
I have been congratulated by Lance once for my best time for a mile. Once. He has also congratulated me for my longest workout ever a few times. I have to say, though, that it’s Paula who really strokes my ego when she tells me I just did my longest workout ever. She congratulated me for that yesterday, as a matter of fact. I find myself doing a little more each time so that I can hopefully hear her voice. And for someone who just a few weeks ago was a bona fide couch potato, that’s a good thing. I am now walking almost an hour at a time. The Nike+ has changed my attitude about exercise. Think they need a spokesperson?
Congratulations to Paula, who did win (but you know that by now) and congratulations to David Nalbandian, who “extended his perfect record against Rafael Nadal by crushing the world number two 6-4 6-0 in the final of the Paris Masters Series tournament on Sunday.”
It seems to be a propitious time for those who have the support of Magic Jewball. You could clean up if you had the right widget.
D&M, I always liked the chick better, I don’t know. And hell to the yes, I can no longer exercise without that thing. I even mutilated my Asics to get the transmitter to fit because I don’t have Nikes.
Sarp, I know! My sports karma is turning. I actually mean to speak more about this in an update post.
Nalby won. I thought of you when I heard this.
I just watched Paula win, and I was very happy for her. I think she’s malfunctioning on my Nano, though. Every single time I run, she tells me that I just completed another 500km. But she’s cute, so I don’t mind.
I was a bit disheatened to see that it took Paula about 17 minutes longer to run a full marathon than it took me to run my half marathon this morning. I guess I won’t be signing up for those Olympic trials anytime soon…
JF, I watched – it was great! And I have to tell you, it gives me great pleasure that people think of me when Nalby wins. Of course, this means they don’t think of me very often. I hope that’s changing. Sorry about Gasquet, though.
Soxy, are you sure you’re not just running much further than you think you are? Congrats, and of course you didn’t have as good a time as her, you ran 500k!
You mean Federererer lost again?
Noooooooooooo!
Yes! Y.E.S.
Paula Radciffe–the ultimate example of how someone with asthma (like me) can still totally kick ass running (like me). OK, that last “(like me)” was wishful thinking. 😀 She is definitely an inspiration!
I didn’t even know she had asthma! Just a baby, which is kind of like asthma.
Indeed, except that with a pregnancy the end product is ever so much nicer. 😀