Party Dress vs. Running Shorts

At the beginning of last season, I wrote down some lofty goals. I really believe you have to put it out to the Universe and hold yourself accountable. One of said goals was “Get nominated.” I wanted to be nominated as NYRR Runner of the Year in my age group. I had every intention of making it happen. And even though it wasn’t on my teammates’ radars for this to happen for me, they were complicit in the journey. The commitment of my coach and my teammates week in and week out is the primary reason I was invited to club night.

On 

Thankfully, 2012 was a good year for me, and I met many of my goals, including receiving that Runner of the Year nomination. When the envelope from NYRR came, we ripped it open like it was a college acceptance letter.  They extended a comp invite to Club Night, and it even included a nice, hand-written note from Mary Wittenberg. Party dress here I come.

Off 

Considering how important the nomination was, as well as my disdain for turning down free things, my  husband/coach thought it was a done deal that we were going. But he forgot that Club Night is a Thursday - the same night as our team practices. Those same practices that I enjoy so much, and that were so instrumental in helping me get the nomination in the first place.

I argued that I would have been on no one’s radar had I not gone to the event; plus, I feel very comfortable with the crew. I compared it to dates I have been on where I often thought at the end of the date, “I should have gone running instead.” Thursday workouts are a guaranteed good time. Even though I am really proud of the honor, and humbled to be in such esteemed company as my fellow nominees, I was happy to choose the ordinary over the extraordinary. And if I think about who I am, that’s my general tendency. I value loyalty, hard-work, and friendship. I couldn’t care less about the frills. That said, it’s fun to get dressed up every once in a while and come out of my comfort zone. If the event were on a Wednesday, I'd have lined up a babysitter for Simon and a party dress for me.

On Again

The other night at practice, Bridget McKenna (who regularly runs fast enough to be out of earshot of my trademark heckling) suggested I go to Club Night. And not just to get a heckle-free Thursday.  She offered some analogies, including, “Does Meryl Streep not go to the Oscars?”  She made other good points about why I should go -- in part to honor my teammates, in part to honor the other nominees, in part to honor my coach, and in part to honor my competitors and fellow runners in the community. She even offered to get up at 5 (in the AM) and run with me so I could go without missing a run. Bridget is not only a great runner, teammate, and friend, but she could have been on the debate team. Time to start choosing my outfit for the gala.

Off Again

Bridget's compelling case, coupled with some gentle encouragement from the aforementioned husband/coach had me ready to go. Then I got a call for a follow-up for a photo shoot that I recently did. They wanted to shoot me again. Running. Guess when. On Club Night. I invited them to join us at the team run.