East Bay Bike Path and Saturday's running terrible joke(s)

East Bay Bike Path

Tuesday:
The Adventures of Knapp and Tang continue on to the (confusingly signed) East Bay Bike Path. While the ice rinks on top of the path were barely walkable, the potential of the path was met with smiles. There's a mansion to envy, views that transport you to another time, and that sense of exploration that I love? Sparked again.

Port-a-pottie in the middle? Saved again.

running glove in the picture for perspective

mansion's pavilion
epic mansion

duck headquarters
swans aplenty

East Bay Bike Path aka the old railroad line

Saturday:

Despite Knapp's ice warning, I ventured out to the east side where I realized that I missed my turn so I took a perfect 90 degree right turn (you can break your protractors out to measure it) and as I planted my foot, I managed to step right on to a small patch of ice made of evil. So I took my first fall, right on to my right leg and walked 3 miles back home with blood trickling down my leg. Immediately after, I felt a (in the words of Michael Scott) protuberance.

While walking, I was stopped on Westminster when a 'Bulletproof' knock-off dialogue ensued with an Adam Sandler and a Wayans bro stand-in:

"High" dudes: Hey where's Vegas?

Tang: ...what.

"High" dudes: Las Vegas.

Tang: You're in Rhode Island.

"High" dudes: Long Island?

Tang: :walks away:

And the icing on the cake?

Rastafarian mailman

Pictured on the East Side: Eames Street

The Return of the Sidewalks

Pictured: Eames Street

A day off Thursday which means a long run through Providence. I am no meteorologist, but today was definitely shorts and t-shirt weather.

Sunday AM run was windy from every direction and was definitely NOT shorts weather despite my clothing.

- At 7:30 AM, it's as if the city has been put on mute.

-A note for all the dog owners in Providence; snow/ice does not make your dog's poop disappear.

-Spotted spray-painted on a steep hill near the Roger Williams statue was: Havad, Dartmouth, P-Town, 20 more yards, and Sack Up.

-Due to the wind, the new game was Find the Sunlight.

I overheard "Running of the Brides" mid conversation at work, so I thought maybe it's a marathon for brides. After I heard what it actually was, I shook my head in disbelief. Google the event.

In the Long Run: Stocks, Igloos, the future, records

I will have to note, I am writing this post-run and I must either be hitting that runner's high or delirious from having done the longest training run. I am even resting frozen bags of vegetables on my knees.

Miles leaders for the year, Knapp and Tang, decided to try 14 miles around the Providence area. Ice is still abound and wind crept up out of nowhere as we covered the world of finance, along with the Packers recent surge. But for the most part, it was two dudes tackling what ended up as 12.5 miles of hills on a Sunday in February, concentrating on the race ahead, as a couple of snow flakes dropped from the sky to make it straight out of a Hollywood montage. Of note, there is no way I could train for a marathon since we ran out of real estate doing just 12.5 miles.

Spotted: Igloo on Taber St.

In other news:

I caught Gattaca, a 1997 sci-fi movie about the future and how they do a treadmill test on their promising astronaut/ engineers. Weak, 20 minutes and people dropped out.

Lagat breaks US record

Machismo, Chicks, Seinfeld, Movies, TV, and Surfing

I stopped mid-run to camera phone this:

This long run was not as insane as the last one.

Only things of note:

Due to the massive and numerous puddles, I had to skip them with hands high a la George Costanza more than once. I found tippy toeing puddles works, except for that one puddle that doubles as a pool. Oh, and the side walks that doubled as impromptu ice rinks.

Since it was my long run, I kicked it in to cruise mode. As I was warming up during my 10 miler and rounding Blackstone Park, I hear foot steps and loud panting. The first generation of running Tang would have tried racing this upstart but the semi-peaceful runner realized this heavy breathing meant he'd die off soon enough. Ding ding ding, like clockwork the runner ran for 2 minutes to a car as I started my 10 miler.

Being slower does have its positives. As I brainstormed places to go #1, a girl runner with Brown CC on her jacket passed me by. Today was a good run.

The usual runners were out in full force today as everyone ran into each other as we criss-crossed the streets of the east side of Providence.

New weekly high of 35 miles thanks to two long runs of 10 and 11 miles.

Other observations:

I caught Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II on HBO on demand. Classic. But those guys ate a bunch of crap. The first two minutes was a montage of people in New York eating pizza. This is not an exaggeration. No wonder why I was a big kid.

I also watched Parks and Recreation this week on demand. Rob Lowe's character, painted as a perfect person, has Vibram FiveFingers for "adventure racing". Another character says monkeys should wear these shoes. I agree.

I realize now with the weather the way it is, I feel like a surfer checking the surf reports for the perfect waves. 35-50 degrees, sun, no wind, and I am "stoked". They should have a puddle/ ice rink report.

Treadmill Trouble, Tagging, and TMI, Ten + 1 miles

Monday night's Providence run was brought to you by the letter 'T'.

Treadmill was broken (most likely due to my incessant use). I was not even feeling up for running but since I knew the impending storm was about to hit, I knew this would be my last time to tread around Providence.

Like most times after warming up, I just felt like running some more.

While waiting at all the traffic lights, I found a new way to kill time what with all the snow: tagging. I tried writing my name in the snow around Brown University (with my hand and not that other snow writing tool). I can see lots of confused Ivy Leaguers wondering who this 'Tang' madman is.

Headed up Gano, took a left at Waterman and ended up at Blackstone (my inner compass always leads me there no matter what). The only runners out there were definitely elite runners that would've walked my pace.

In eleven miles, I pretty much saw all of Providence and even overshot coming back home by popping out on to North Main, waaaaay past Whole Foods. Why eleven miles on a Monday night after work? The proverbial 'zone' found me.

filed under 'T' for TMI:

I have a leg length discrepancy; my left leg is shorter hence the hip/foot trouble.

and I put this on facebook but someone shouted "nice booty shorts" at me near the PPAC's Lion King night. So before I went ballistic (because I only go from mild mannered Bruce Banner to the Hulk when I run), I realized I am in Providence and that could have honestly been a come on than an insult. Either way, thanks?!?

133.9 miles for January. How? Easy miles and lots of them. At this rate, I can beat my SAT score for the year.