run

A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 

Friday, July 28th, 2023 

Ok, it happened. I signed up for an actual 5K. Now, I know you might be thinking, but Ally, the whole point of this was for you to run a 5K; what do you mean you only just signed up for one, and yes, I mean just that! I wasn’t sure if I was going to do an actual race or if this was just something I was going to hit on my own, but damnit, I think a little bit of festivities never hurt anyone. 

I want the shirt with the numbered bib attached to it. 

I want to be surrounded by hundreds of people doing this for their own reasons. 

I want to finish this with the oomph that it, that I, deserve. 

I want to be a part of something bigger than just running in my neighborhood. 

And yes, I want to get the little fucking medal they hand out for participating. At least, I think you get a participation medal. I know you do for the half and full marathons…..I don’t know about 5K’s, though…. 

Well fuck it. If they don’t give me one, I’ll buy one for myself, god damnit, and I will wear it everywhere I go for the rest of time, like a toddler who has just discovered tiaras or a superhero cape. I will become synonymous with my participation medal, and it will become synonymous with me, and when at last I do take it off, “taps” will play, and I will have gone to Michael’s Crafts to build it a little shadow box, equipped with its own little LED light, so the sun will never go down on the fact that I participated in a mother fucking 5K. 

In all seriousness, though, I know I fuck around and deflect a lot, but I’m really very proud of myself for signing up for this. And I’m really excited. Since my boy Runicon is the mascot for the color run, my initial thought was to sign up for that, but the dates haven’t been released yet, and I have a feeling it’s in the spring. Color run, and spring just feel like they go together. But I didn’t want to put this off, and I didn’t want to make excuses about why I should back off of this training. If I waited until spring, I don’t know that I would have seen it through, so I searched for races in NYC, and there are a shocking amount of them. Truly, throw a stick on a calendar, and whatever weekend that stick lands on will likely be hosting a 5K. And I kind of love that? There’s a feeling of ordinary normalcy that makes it feel like an event that is both special and totally achievable. We love special achievability. We really do. 

My 5K is taking place on Sunday, October 29th at, god help me, 9:00 am. But! It’s on Governor’s Island, one of my favorite places in the city, and it’s called The Haunted 5K. Everyone is encouraged to wear a costume for it, which is hysterical to me on several levels, but mostly because the idea of me actually doing this is spooky as hell. 

As of right now, my intention is to go dressed as a runner. That will be my costume. Because I’m not really a runner, I’m just pretending to be one😏🤗. And isn’t that what Halloween is all about?! I’m thinking arm and head sweatbands, chunky socks, a medal because we all know how important that is to me, and then a space blanket to be worn as a cape. I think it’ll be adorable. And no one will get it. But I’ll get it. And you, dear readers, will get it. See? You’re in the inner circle now. Welcome and sorry. 

More than anything else, I’m excited to have a finish line in sight. I don’t know that I’ll stop running after the 29th, in fact, I doubt that I will. For all of my bitching and moaning, I’m enjoying the process, and I know it’s good for you. But even if running is something that stays in my life with more permanence moving forward, this feels really good to have something to look forward to. What is a goal without a goal line, right? 

So, I’ll see you on Sunday, October 29th, at Governor’s Island. I’ll be the one dressed like a runner, stealing everyone’s participation medals. I swear to the Halloween gods if they don’t give out participation medals, this all with have been for nothing. NOTHING, DO YOU HEAR ME?! 

So let the countdown begin: T-79 Days!!!