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09/19/2004: "Lucky race in the rain"

Soon after the sharp loud sound of the thunderclap woke me, my alarm went off. It sounded like lightning was striking Burger King at the corner. Or perhaps McDonalds two blocks away? It was the morning of my lucky race! Past two years at this 4 mile race by Fitness Magazine, I've placed 3rd overall women and 1st in the age group. Two years ago, we ran in pouring rain, stormy weather like this Saturday minus lightning. When I got up in the darkness, I said to myself, this got to be my lucky race again. I couldn't ride my bicycle, so I walked to 6 train at Lafayette. By then my shoes were soaking wet. The train soon came, but stopped at Union Square. An express train slid in across the platform, but it also stopped. There was an announcement about 'water situation at 58th Street Station.' I stepped out and asked the conductor if he thinks it's going to be a while, and he said, yes, he thought so. I ran outside to the street, and hopped into a cab in pouring rain. I have to get to this lucky race! By the time I was running into the park at 72nd Street, rain almost stopped, but there was a big flood inside the park at east side drive on the race course. At 9:20 the race organizer was still debating whether or not to have the race. One of the voluteers was saying, "Basically, everyone wants to just go home." Except the runners, whom one of my teammate lovingly referred as "Fools in the rain." We were like, "Come on, the rain has almost stopped!" They delayed the race for about 5 minutes, but yes, we had the race. And I placed in 2nd overall and 1st in the age group. But everyone wanted to go home so there was no award ceremony and no picture was taken for the magazine. I collected a few goody bags and went home. There was all kinds of transportation mess, and it took me two hours to come home. It was much faster to run. My teammate Miwa sent me an email congratulating me that I did so well in that pouring rain. I replied, yes, the lightning helped me run faster. Later I found out that there was over a thousand of these fools who ran the race.