A Hawkeye View Of Gotham

Marathon Moments

New York native Yannick Benjamin was presented with the Avis Spirit Award at Wednesday’s news conference. He will make his marathon debut on Sunday. Benjamin was paralyzed from the waist down after being hit by a car.

 

Fred Lebow, the New York City Marathon’s co-founder, finished the 1992 New York City Marathon while in remission from brain cancer. His run was voted as the No. 2 Great Moment in NYRR History. Nine-time race winner Grete Waitz, who ran with Lebow, remembered the occasion with Mary Wittenberg on Thursday (photo below). Click on the above link to watch a short video that is sure to bring tears to anyone's eyes!  The Fred's Team that I am running with on Sunday is in honor of Fred Lebow.

Kids Can Run, Too!

One thousand kids from New York City schools participated in the tenth annual Run with Champions in Central Park on Thursday. They wore their bibs and the NYRR Foundation name proudly.

Supportive Workplace

My lovely and supportive coworkers conspired to cater a carb-heavy lunch for me today and created the most inspiring and twinkly signs displayed in the kitchen for all to see!  Aren't they the beautiful!  Thank you to Sally, Lauren, and "Mile 15" Helen, who will be at the Queensboro Bridge with a sign and a promise to collect any gear I want to unload.  I will always think of Mile 15 as "Helen's Mile."

 

   

 

I know the feeling...

Small Is Beautiful

Reality’s building blocks are too tiny to see, so modern scientists pursue the invisible.The Nikon Small World Competiton, which celebrates the most beautiful and mezmerizing microphotography, allows the rest of us to look in and wonder.  Click here to visit the website. 

This year, the grand prize went to an expressionistic rendering of diatoms (oceanic algae): The single-celled creatures look like glow sticks waving in the darkness. The rear legs of water boatmen — barely visible insects that lurk in ponds and streams — are equally beautiful. These pictures may look like art, but they’re actually avant-garde science.

1^st Place, 2008

Michael Stringer

Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, United Kingdom

Pleurosigma (marine diatoms) (200x)

 

 

6^th Place, 2008

Klaus Bolte

Stittsville, Ontario, Canada

Chrysolina fastuosa (Micro leaf beetle) on a pin head (40x)

1976 Marathon

Here is a photo from the 1976 Marathon.  Lead runners exited the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan to thunderous applause (apparently this section of the race is where some of the biggest crowds gather).

Maneuvering Around Central Park

Manhattan’s most prized green space is the homestretch of the marathon; runners reach their 26.2-mile goal on West Drive at 67th Street, adjacent to Tavern on the Green Restaurant. Here are some tips for getting around the park on race day:

• Park Drive between 90th and 86th streets: This area is a little less crowded than points farther south, and it provides quick cross-park access via the Transverse Road at 85th Street
• East Green at 69th Street: Park Drive below 72nd Street gets very crowded, but this spot is expansive and provides quick access to the 65th Street Transverse
• Crossing Park Drive is prohibited, but you can get across the busy thoroughfare by going underneath it. Use these underpasses: Greywacke Arch at 80th Street, Trefoil Arch at 73rd Street, Willowdell Arch at 67th Street, and Inscope Arch at 62nd Street.

The finish line is the pinnacle of emotion; however, unless you’re a marathoner, race official, or have reserved seats in the bleachers, don’t expect to get close to the action. Before the marathon, plan to meet your runner(s) outside of the park, and try to be flexible about timing—it may take your runner(s) more time than expected to get around.

Tips for Great Spectating

Some tips for Dad, Amanda, Alex, Liz and Scott!

Pack supplies. You’ll probably be outside for a few hours and end up walking a lot, so wear comfortable shoes and layers of clothing including a packable, water-resistant jacket or poncho. Bring a reliable watch, snacks, drinks, and a camera that’s loaded with fresh film and batteries, and purchase an all-day, unlimited ride MetroCard. 

Offer support. Runners need your loud and enthusiastic cheering. If you see a name or nationality on a runner’s singlet, shout it out. “Looking good!” is a cheer that just about anyone will be glad to hear. Unless you’re within sight of the finish line, however, do not say, “You’re almost there!” When a marathoner’s energy stores are depleted, the final few miles can seem endless.

Stay off the course. You may not run any portion of the course without an official race number. Portable toilets along the course are for marathoners only.

Winter Season Preview!

This evening I will be attending a Winter Season Preview seminar at New York City Ballet.  The discussion will revolve around the upcoming season: the highlights, how it was planned, and the factors that go into the making of a season.  Also discussed will be the return of the beloved full-length Coppélia, its history from Imperial Russia to the present, and the new ballets.  The panel will include Principal Dancer Megan Fairchild, who is one of my favorite ballerinas.  She danced the lead in Coppelia when she was still in the Corps several years ago, and I am sure she will dance it again this season. 

Here is Megan dancing the "Rubies" section of the ballet "Jewels" with Gonzolo Garcia.  Choreography by George Balanchine.  Photo by Paul Kolnik.  Isn't she beautiful?!  Her younger brother Robbie is a Soloist with the Company; Megan has been a Principal since 2006.  I am excited to hear what she has to say this evening!

The Cake That Started It All....

"...And underneath that, write 'We will miss you'. Got it?"

Oh yeah, they got it.