PRIDE for new york.

it was absolutely the best day for the PRIDE run in new york city: the morning after same sex marriage was legalized in new york.  seriously, this couldn't have been planned better.  it's like all the ny government lawmaker people decided "hey, let's let the gays get married, and let's line it up with PRIDE weekend so they've already got a gigantic party."

good looks, ny, it's about damn time.

so since the race didn't start til 9 and the start was only about a mile from my apartment, i got to sleep in a bit.  twas glorious, oh yes it was.  meg and lisa woke up earlier to do two lower reservoir loops of the park before the race.  i decided they were lunatics and chose to just run the mile to the start line and finish the day with an even 6 miles.  it was hot.  it was humid.  i had lead legs.  lead legs dipped in concrete.  lead legs dipped in concrete and coated with polyurethane.  and i had only run a mile to get to the start line... what a crappy way to start a run.

some dynamic stretching pre-race.

anywho, i get into the park and start walking towards the corral where i'm meeting lisa and meg and find that the entire crowd is stretching in unison.  it was hilarious. i literally started laughing out loud as this was definitely a sight i've never seen before.  only at a gay PRIDE run, people, only here.

so i meet up with lisa and meg (and paul, to my pleasant surprise) and we start running.  nyrr, this was the worst possible course ever.  in the history of 5 mile courses, this is the absolute worst one you could have ever picked.  it's like the good ol' people at nyrr were sitting around one day and some evil old cranky lady with too much time on her hands goes "how can we make 10,000 people miserable this weekend?" and another evil old cranky lady goes "let's change the course for the race! let's put the harlem hill right at the beginning.  and let's have the course finish up cat hill. and let it be hot and humid! MWAHAHHAHAHHAHHA!" cue thunder and lightning.

anywho, while i was miserable running, it was definitely great to see new yorkers so happy about the passing of the same-sex marriage bill.  lots of love and happiness going on.

also, there was lots of love and happiness when we crossed the finish line and i was handed a popsicle. i don't think a popsicle has ever tasted so good.  i almost forgot how miserable i had been just seconds before.  it's like all the wrongs had been righted and life was good again.

and it was, good again, until i finished the popsicle and realized i had to walk a mile back home.   note to self: invent popsicle that will last a solid half hour.