Oh what a September!

Oh what a September!

This month I was blessed with a new Jewish soul which included the commitment of observing many holy days in which relaxation and ingesting large amounts of food is an obligation. :) This did not necessarily make my marathon training easier.

One day, the wind off the Hudson snatched my cash out of my pocket and quickly took it for a ride, which forced me to skitter around chasing it while trying to hold Gatorade, water, an ipod and a cell phone. I caught the money. Seven dollars is a lot to a starving artist.

Another day, some precious school children decided to yell at me from their bus and make mean kid faces. My impulse reaction was to scream profanities and use that special finger. Alas, my new Jewish soul alerted me that it was not such a good idea to express myself in that way, especially while wearing a skirt and looking like such a proper lady.

Yet another day, an old white-haired man walked towards me with a goofy expression on his face while he jostled his arms up and down, clearly mocking my jogging technique. I was not amused, but because I am a lady in a skirt...I did not yell at him. Later that day, a distracted dog owner allowed his small creature to attack my leg, after which I threw my arms up and yelled "Seriously!". I believe that expression was appropriate at the time. Small dogs should be in purses.

Those encounters were during my short runs. Currently, the long runs are so long that after I finish I can barely remember my name (both Giselle and Maytal depending on the time of day)...let alone some weird encounter. The point is that I actually finish the long runs and I HAVE NO IDEA HOW. Seriously. My mind and body enjoy running NO MORE than a half marathon, 13.1 miles. Once I get past this point, my mind does not like to analyze dreams, design wedding dresses, write pep talk poetry, reminisce about my youth or organize lesson plans. It wants to sleep. My body starts to scream and fight back like a toddler throwing herself against the wall during a tantrum. Yet somehow I am able to keep going. Maybe its the caffeine jelly beans or this mysterious goo substance, or maybe it is my new Jewish soul reminding me that I can do anything with a little help from G-d and a water bottle.