what the world needs now...

If money makes the 21st century go 'round, the economic value of peace should resound much louder for the leaders of our world....

Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend a conference at the UN which presented the findings of the Global Peace Index in 2009 with Chris and Jim.  Being back at the UN brought back so many memories of the summer that I spent in NY, attending briefings with diplomats every morning, learning the in's and out's of the UN, visiting consulates and permanent missions every afternoon, talking about every aspect of international relations you can possibly imagine.

The session that we were lucky enough to attend was hosted by the Institute for Economics & Peace.  The Global Peace Index (GPI) is an attempt to measure the relative position of peacefulness of states and regions around the world, based on quantifiable data collected by peace institutes and think tanks and analyzed by the Economist Intelligence Unit, including a variety of measures such as the number of internal and external wars fought, political instability, military expenditure as a percentage of GDP, UN and non-UN deployments, number of displaced persons as a percentage of the population, and more.

It's an incredibly interesting and complex study, only 3 years into its existence, that has examined a huge spectrum of drivers of peace and violence (functioning of govt, freedom of the press, extent of regional integration, life expectancy, primary school enrollment ratio, women in parliament, importance of religion in national life, GDP per capita, hostility toward foreigners/private property, electoral process).  

The presenters of the study led a fascinating explanation of how the study was conducted, how various indicators were chosen to include, how certain countries landed where they did on the spectrum (New Zealand being the most peaceful country among the 144 analyzed, Iraq the least peaceful, Colombia toward the bottom at #130, and the US just below the median at #83), the shortcomings of the study, the economic implications of the findings, and much, much more.  A Q&A followed and the discussion was intriguing.  I'm excited to look more in-depth at the study.

While there were many shocking results and statistics presented to us, I will highlight just three here that describe the Financial Value of Peace:

- Only 4.4% of the global economy is estimated to be dependent on violence

- The annual economic impact of a cessation of violence has been estimated at $7.2 trillion USD

-In peace, $4.8 trillion USD of new business would be created annually

Just something to ponder...

**Defining Peace: The difficulties in defining the concept of peace may partly explain why there have been so few attempts to measure states of peace across nations.  The GPI has defined peace as the absence of violence, a definition most people will agree with, which also allows measurements.

National Running Day

Today, June 3, 2009 is officially the first annual National Running Day.  No, this isn't like Guacamole Day or any or those other obscure holidays that people make up.

June 3 has been designated by several major organizations in the running industry, including USA Track & Field, Running USA, the Boston Athletic Association, New York Road Runners, the Oregon Track Club, and more, as National Running Day.  The initiative is encouraging everyone, young and old, runner and non-runner, to lace up their shoes and go for a run today, as  way to promote a healthier, more active lifestyle.  The running industry is focusing especially on inspiring children and educating them on the benefits of running, as so many phys ed programs are included in schools' budget cuts.

We live in a country that the world often views through the lens of obesity and fast food chains...and with good reason.  The unhealthy lifestyles that so many Americans lead cost over $100 billion annually in health-care expenses and productivity loss due to obesity problems, so much so that inactivity and poor diet are on their way toward overtaking smoking as the #1 cause of preventable death in the US.  Sad.

It's pretty cool to see recreational and competitive runners using various social media channels today, especially Twitter and Facebook, to create a hype around National Running Day.  You don't need to run a marathon, or even a 5k race, but even small steps toward getting up from your desk or your couch to go for a run goes a long way...and you just might enjoy it ;)

And we'll never be worlds apart...

I love New York. 

I love that there is always someone passing through the city from one corner of the world to another.

When your friends are thousands of miles away, it's reassuring to be at the crossroads which bring so many together.

Planning many, many reunions over the next couple weeks, both expected and unexpected.

In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion...

I can't wait until summertime in this glorious city...

the wide waters of New York inspire me...

Inspiration from a gorgeous early run.. mornings like these are the reason that I am a runner...

A Race Like No Other...

As I crossed the finish line of the NYRR 8000m race this morning, I moved one step closer to THE race that I've had my eye on since I found myself integrated into the New York running scene last summer... the NY Marathon.  Maybe one day I will aspire to run Boston, the pinnacle of distance running, but at this point, my heart is set on running one of the greatest marathons there is - in my city.  

A course that traverses 5 boroughs and 5 bridges, finishing in Central Park, will be the culmination of the journey that it takes to qualify.  Nine races in 2009 will guarantee my entry for NYM 2010.  I have two behind me, a 5k in Washington Heights and today's 8k in the Park.  And so, interspersed with the destination marathons that I have ahead of me this year, in Madison, Lake Placid, and San Fran, my New York races will be what really keep pushing me toward the goal that I have ahead of me.

Do you have what it takes?

a tale of two subway passengers...

Scene: NY subway.  1 local train, heading uptown on a Sunday morning.  Not overly crowded, the usual assortment of characters that you see in the metro on a daily basis.  

Not far from me is an older woman, whom most would presume to be homeless, or nearly.  Her mismatched, ragged clothing was pieced together, a shopping cart packed with large black garbage bags was leaned against her leg, and she was leaned over, taking up two seats, appearing to have been passed out there for quite some time.

Another presumably homeless, or less-fortunate at the very least, musician boarded the train at one stop, sang a couple mariachi style songs and proceeded to make the rounds of the car, begging for spare change from the other passengers, most of whom tried to appear indifferent, as one often does in these situations.

About the same time, the older woman woke and began to shout some kind of nonsense, decidedly directly at the musician, seemingly in Spanish, though I could only make out a few words.  It didn't exactly sound pleasant.  As he approached our end of the train car, however, she reached under one of the many tattered layers of makeshift clothing, pulled out a single dollar bill, and placed it into the cup that he was holding out.  He nodded his thanks, departed at the next stop, and she proceeded to fall back asleep on the subway seat.

People surprise you.

If I can't hear the music and the audience is gone, I'll dance here on my own..

Sometimes you get lucky and all the elements click when you go out for a run.  You push your pace 15 seconds faster than usual.  Your stride is steady and strong.  Everything just feels "right", you can't explain why.  These are the days that remind you why you love to run.  These are the days that you live for, the days that make you forget about your last tough run, when something felt off.  You get in the zone and feel that you could run forever.  Your mind clears, your heartbeat syncs with your feet pounding on the pavement.  You cherish the moment of solitude, the clarity.

westside of Manhattan at sunset

Don't forget your smile :)

"I don't know if you noticed or not during yesterday's workout TNT is all about many things: The Cause, the running, the fundraising, the training, new achievements, goal times, new experiences, friendship, putting up with coaches with accent, putting up with coaches that will make you sweat a bit (or a lot), but we are also about having fun and enjoying everything we do.  Workouts are supposed to be fun (at least for the coaches as we Looooovvvveeee pushing you around), so make sure you always show up to the workouts with your 'game face' that will be 'your biggest smile'.  There's nothing better than doing something that you enjoy doing.  And while during the first few weeks some of you may thing 'damn.... (can I say that??) this running thing is hard!!' I promised you ...... it's get easier......

We are all in this together, let's make the best of it!!!

See you sabado, 9:00 am Bethesda!!

Behave!!"

Ramon Bermo

Head Manhattan coach

didn't get to heaven, but ya made it close...

Queens is without a doubt the most underrated borough in NYC.  While diversity is the name of the game in every borough of the city, it somehow feels more authentic in the neighborhoods of Queens, a world away from Manhattan to be sure.

A Colombian-American friend of mine (born and raised in Michigan, but has traveled back to Colombia extensively to visit family) has lived in New York for over a year, but had never been to Jackson Heights, the densely Colombian and Ecuadorian area of Queens.  We journeyed out there Sunday evening for some bandeja tipica and jugo, which I assured her would compete with the food that her family cooked in authenticity (- it did).  

Carol was amazed when we walked in a little bakery and she asked the person behind the counter - in English - what time they closed, and the girl simply rolled her eyes and didn't respond, until I whispered to Carol that no one spoke English out here, and asked the girl in Spanish.  While you hear Spanish on the streets of Manhattan nearly everyday, I love that when you go out to JH, it's rare to hear English being spoken.  There's no need.  At Pollos Marios, my favorite restaurant out there, the hostess doesn't even give a second thought that you might not understand when she asks "dos? siguen ariba al segundo piso".  I don't think that the wait staff would know what to do with you if you ordered in English.  I. LOVE. IT. 

We wandered around a grocery store, laughing at all the little things that we had no idea existed in the US - panella, the solid (rather than liquid) dishsoap, the condiments in bags instead of bottles, Mimo ice cream, frozen juice (maracuya, mango, lulo, guanabana....), and Colombian brands of everything you can imagine.  We may as well have been in our local Exito in  Barranquilla.  We even stopped in a liquor store because Carol didn't believe me that you could buy Ron de Caldas or Medellin, Aguardiente Antioqueno or Cristal in New York.  We laughed with some guys at the store who asked US where Ron de Caldas was from; when we said it was Colombian, one of the guys punched the other two, saying that they were Colombian and we knew Colombian liquor better than they did.

Our last stop was back to the bakery, where we stocked up on pastelitos and bunelos.  The pastelito de guava sitting next to my coffee right now tastes exactly like the ones that I had for breakfast at the university every morning.

spring fever...

After my brief hiatus from training (mentally and physically recovering from my first marathon), I've swung full force back into Team in Training over the past few weeks.  It was a good running weekend, a tease of springtime that we know won't last, but that I am enjoying to the fullest while it lasts.  It all goes hand in hand... I'm a wimp about running in the cold, I get cabin fever when I'm stuck inside not being active all winter, not running makes me even more lazy... it's a vicious circle. It's nice to have a reason to get back up to the park, instead of being stuck inside the gym constantly.

Half of our team ended up going to the same diner for brunch yesterday after practice.  As I chatted with some of our newbies I caught a glimpse of myself last season - they were starting to get excited about the people they have been meeting, but are still seriously doubting whether they will be able to complete the training or the fundraising goals.  The other mentors and I assured them that they would - we had, after all - but I know that they will need to discover that for themselves over the next several months, as they go through all the emotional ups and downs that made it such an incredible experience for all of us last year.  I'm looking forward to watching each of my mentees grow and achieve their goal of running their first full or half marathon.  I'm so happy to be back again.

Yesterday was unseasonably warm, today was even more so.  With the forecast in the mid-50's, the first thing on my mind this morning was going out for a nice, long, easy run.  It's rare to get away with shorts in February.  Our TNT workouts are still pretty short, 3-5 mile runs, considering that most of our participants are brand-new to running, and I am definitely not running the milage that I was last summer and fall as I led up to my marathon.  I know that the muscle memory is still there, albeit dormant, and I have a good feeling about the season ahead of me.  As much as I love Central Park, my favorite course in the city is probably the stretch from my apartment to the West Side highway, down the Hudson, around Battery Park and up the East River Path.  It's about a 9 mile loop and the view of both the Lower Manhattan and Jersey skylines along the water, with the Statue of Liberty directly between the two, is gorgeous.  Turning back up the Eastside passes under the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.  There were so many people out today, especially on the Westside, runner and bikers and families going for a walk.  These are the days that make me fall in love with the city and with running all over again....

I LEGO NY

This isn't your average kindergarden creation, this LEGO artwork is fit for the NYTimes.  Pretty impressive.  I think my favorite is"Taxi/Busy/Off-Duty".  And of course, I am partial to "14th Street Union Square" as well.

In honor of the "carrot guy"...

Only in New York.  Some say that this notion makes the city unique, others say that it turns the city into its own cliche.  Regardless, there are a few characters, places, trends that are deeply intertwined with the fabric of the city, whether this be the naked guitar-playing cowboy in Times Square, Milk & Honey, or converted apartments, that all New Yorkers accept as only in New York.

The city lost a great New Yorker today.  Not someone that many outside of New York may know, but one who was very familiar to most who live here.  I have walked through Union Square on my way home nearly every day for the past year and a half and was always genuinely amused by the older man sitting on the northwest corner of the GreenMarket, in a full suit, with a British accent, peeling carrots and potatoes, selling the peelers to a large crowd assembled in front of him.  He called Park Avenue home, had appearances ranging from Vanity Fair to the Today show, and boasted that the vegetable peelers he had sold for decades on the streets of New York were one of a kind.

A charismatic salesman and quintessential New Yorker, Joe passed away today at the age of 75.  Rest in peace Joe, Union Square won't be quite the same without you.

  

Defying gravity...

After hearing buzz about Wicked for the past several years, which seems to be the most talked about musical since the Rent craze, I finally saw this amazing production last night...from the very front row of the Gershwin theatre on Broadway.  

This is the third musical that I have seen by catching the last minute front row raffle seats, which many Broadway theatres offer.  I really believe that it is the best way to experience these world-class performances.  While there may be some effects that are lost when you are so close up that you could better appreciate if you had a different view of the stage from farther back, the emotion and expression that you are able to see on faces of the actors is priceless.  The pit orchestra is literally at your feet, the music surrounds you, you make eye contact with the actors on stage and are so much more absorbed into the story than would be possible from anywhere else in the theatre.  

The story was an intriguing twist on a classic story and made me want to re-watch The Wizard of Oz.  I left with butterflies in my stomach.  The theatrical and musical talent on Broadway is unmatched by anything else in the world. Incredible.

update: 28 front row Wicked tickets are raffled off for $26.50 each, 2.5 hours before every show at the box office, limit 2 per person. several Broadway shows have similar offers, but each theatre has a slightly different policy.

shaking things up in 2009...

Our fabulous apartment will have 2-3 openings within the next few months.  A couple of my roommates have hit the "I'm almost 30, I should have a grown up apartment and not live with 4 roommates" crisis and will be parting ways.  

Sweet space, rooftop access, ghetto-old-school-manually-operated elevator (that rarely gets stuck), right in the heart of one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city.  We have our token coffee-shop/wine-shop across the street, the corner deli which comes through for us whenever we need an extra case of beer or a late night snack, and the Union Square farmers market a block away.  When it comes to NY apartments, believe me, this one is a diamond in the rough.

Anyone in the NY area looking for a place to live...let me know.

Christmastime in the city

It's my second Christmas that I will be spending in New York, and it really does feel like I am home for the holidays. 

I still get butterflies in my stomach at the first real snowfall of the season.  The amount of snow that we get in the city is nothing compared to Wisconsin, but there's something magical about walking home through Madison Square Park, Shake Shack trimmed with lights and a layer of white covering the ground.

 

December always makes me nostalgic for the traditions of childhood, but I'm realizing the beauty in carrying on those traditions in my own fashion (I will probably always use the same Christmas cookie recipe) and finding new ones to make the season special.  Why do I love Christmas in the city so much?  It's ice skating in Bryant Park and shopping at the holiday market in Union Square.  It's the vendors selling Christmas trees on every street corner, and the most elegant tree of all displayed in Rockefeller Center.  It's the artistic department store windows, the snowflake lights on the front of Saks & Company and hearing Carol of the Bells playing from the storefront.

Even more than the beauty of the city, or hearing Christmas carols in every coffeeshop, it's the people who I have been lucky enough to spend the holidays with over the past two years that make it feel like I am home for the holidays.  It's the parties and the couch guests for weeks on end, friends who are passing through to experience the magic of the city at this time of the year or to ring in the new year.  

Wherever you are this holiday season, I hope that you are surrounded by people you love.

Let it snow...

I'm all for a white Christmas, but I don't know if running my 15k race in Central Park tomorrow will be quite so enjoyable if that winter storm really does hit tonight...

good things come to those who wait...

I was packed into a crowded subway, heading uptown at rush hour yesterday evening and read one of the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) announcements that line ceiling of the subway car.  

"Starting in 2015, the new Second Avenue subway will help relieve the overcrowding on the Lexington lines.  Overdue, but excellent news"

I laughed a little.  They were talking about this when I lived out here in the city three years ago (summer '05).  I don't think any New Yorkers are holding their breath.  And to think that we used to make fun of Barranquilla for their standstill urban transportation projects.

run like hell....

I love living in a city that reveres running so much that there are fireworks in the Park the night before the Marathon.  Tonight the Empire State Building was lit up in the ING Blue, White, and Orange and tomorrow the streets of New York will be filled with 39,000 runners traversing all five bouroughs.  I'm so excited to be volunteering at the water station at mile 25 tomorrow, watching some of the best distance runners in the world - Gete Wami, Catherine the Great, Paula Radcliffe, Kara Goucher, Abdi Abdirahman, Ryan Hall, Paul Tergat, Hendrick Ramaala - approach the finish line in a city that has been so influential in the running boom over the past few decades, indeed the city that ignited all major urban marathons around the world.  If all goes well, I intend to run this course in 2010.

"The marathon is a charismatic event.  It has everything.  It has drama.  It has competition.  It has comaraderie.  It has heroism.  Every jogger can't dream of being an Olympic champion, but he can dream of finishing a marathon."

    - Fred Lebow, the brains, heart, soul, and passion behind the NYC marathon

because you never know where your life is going to take you and you can't change where you've been....

What I will miss...

Chelsea. The fun office. Naptime on the beanbags. Dance parties. Christmas parties. Poker nights. Turning off the internets because it was time for Happy Hour. Naouuuuuuuuuufel. Lunch from Paul's sushi place. Billy's cupcakes. Waldy's. The dart gun. The marker board. The LeBron bobblehead. Care packages from Cleveland. The laughter. The inside jokes. Star stickers all over the office. Cookies from the Netherlands. Creative work at Gizzi's with CC. Rogue. Emails from my trainees that made my day. Extended lunch breaks at the Shake Shack. Working with some of the best friends I've ever had.

ciao.

Seven years later, and the World Trade Center site still looks like a construction project put on hold in the heart of the Financial District.  The latest designs for a memorial were unveiled yesterday.  The Memorial plaza is set to open in 2011, the museum a year later.

"Because 9/11 was so much a lived experience...[visitors] will bring their own interpretations to the site.  And that's very powerful."

- NYTimes

rivalries run deep...

Watching ESPN GameDay right now... Got a slight sense of satisfaction when the commentator mentioned that Michigan is going into the season unranked for the first time in about a quarter century.  Wisconsin, on the other hand, is 18 on BCS and 13 on AP.  Just an observation ;)

I'm off to MadRiver, the official UW Alumni bar, as my roommate is making fun of the fact that there is a "Wisco bar" in NYC.  Whatever - they serve Spotted Cow, Cheese Curds, and Brats.  Sounds like a winning combination to me.  Let the college football season begin!

Sail Away...

...

food, glorious food....

Another successful, sinfully delicious Restaurant Week has passed, with two excellent meals in one day yesterday. I love living in a city that has created a bi-annual, two-week holiday out of the fact that there are so many world-class restaurants in one city, it would take a lifetime to try them all.

run like the city and never ever stop...

I ran the NYC Half-Marathon this morning.  It was one of the most incredible, surreal, emotional experiences I've had in quite a long time.  The menacing thunderstorms that loomed in the distance when I left my apartment at 5am held off long enough until the race was over.  I joined 15,000 other runners for an amazing race through the best that Manhattan has to offer runners - Central Park, Times Square, 42nd Street, West Side Hwy, Battery Park.  

The highlight of the race was when we finally exploded out of the park and headed downtown.  The hills were behind us, it was time to have some fun.  7th Avenue opened up in front of us, completely blocked off from traffic, Times Square waiting for us.  I don't know of any occasion other than New Years Eve when this section of the city is completely blocked off and the view is incredible.  We enjoyed live music through this entire section of the course.  It's pretty incredible to see runners bust out the Y-M-C-A and laughing their asses off have way through this intense of a race because they are having so damn much fun.

For the record, Team in Training is one of the most inspiring groups of people I have ever known.  I ran this specific race today for Melissa, one of our honored teammates, who is a year older than me, was diagnosed with Hodgkins at age 22, and is a SURVIVOR.  Her email this week thanking me for running with TNT brought tears to my eyes.  My team members, coaches and mentors who weren't racing today lined the entire course and cheered us on.  The last couple miles were definitely painful, and I can honestly say that if it wasn't for our cheering section I would have had a much more difficult time pushing myself to keeping running through the finish line.  We saw our head coach, Ramon, at several points as he biked back and forth along the course to check on his team and scream "TNT rocks the house!" or "HOLAAAAAA" in our faces.  Having just completed a 100-mile ultramarathon in Vermont last weekend and having already raised over $55,000 this year for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, he has been an incredible source of motivation for all of us.  My two mentors have reached out to me so much and have inspired me greatly.  

And to think that this is just another step toward the real deal in October.  13.1 miles under my belt.  Now I just need to learn how to do that twice in a row.

Run Like Hell...

Another successful race in our beloved park. Pink Floyd's fitting lyrics blasted out of the speakers as we crossed the finish line of race number two this weekend. Although the temperatures were already over 90 degrees by 8am, over 4600 runners finished the Run for Central Park. The reward? A much-overdue day at the beach with my kick-ass running buddies :)

my new york...

There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something.Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion.

- E.B. White

I've got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine...

What makes one run more memorable than any other? Free giveaways, celebrity sighting, running through a fountain at the park? Yeah, that could do it.

We hit the 10 mile mark for the first time during our long run yesterday morning, as we ran from Riverside Park, past Chelsea Piers, almost down to Battery Park. We scored some free wristbands and energy drinks from the Women's Health Magazine promoters organizing the ARE YOU GAME? event.

People watching opportunities when running in NYC are countless.... including an occasional celebrity, if you are lucky. I have never been the star-struck type, I don't follow celebrity gossip, the idea of spotting celebs in the city has never been something that has impressed me as most of my friends. But, I have to say, when Elke and I passed Nigel, from my admittedly guilty pleasure America's Next Top Model, walking with his wife and kid, we got a little excited.

A few miles before we got back to Riverside, we dashed into one of the playgrounds along the Hudson, ran past the sandboxes filled with children and parents giving us puzzled looks, and underneath the sprinklers, jumping around and laughing like we were kids on summer vacation.

It was a glorious run.

Summer in this city is WAY too hot to spend hours in line waiting for an upgrade....

I'm Streetsmart, I've got New York City Heart...

One year ago today.

I landed at JFK with two suitcases about to burst and more carry-on luggage than I could possibly carry. I had gotten a job offer no more than five days prior, packed up my life in Colombia, and flew out of Bogota the evening before my visa expired, knowing that when I woke up on my red-eye flight the next morning, the US would once again be home after a year abroad. It was time to move on. There were new adventures to be had. I knew little about what lay before me, but I knew that I wanted it more than anything.

The past twelve months have been one hell of a ride. This little town of Manhattan and I have learned to get along pretty well. This marks summer numero tres of living in this city. Summers of outdoor movies, tanning in Sheeps Meadow, street fairs, happy hours on rooftop bars, getting caught in intense summer thunderstorms, lazy afternoons spent wandering through the Village.  Summers where this is what's rolled into an average weekend....

Meat Market = fittingly located in the Meat-Packing District where fashion is edgy and it's ALL about who you know. This is THE place to see and be seen, where the right connections can get you sushi topped with caviar and a table full of drinks that are replenished before you even notice they are finished.  The music was hot, we danced the night away, bumped into a well-known AIESEC alum...this city is not so large after all.

PRIDEFEST = 100% undeniable proof that there are a LOT of incredibly attractive, SEXY men in this city, with unbelievable bodies that they aren't afraid to show off. It's also proof that they are ALL gay. My roommates and I watched the parade this weekend and decided that it was just a mean tease to all women who live here.  As if men walking down 5th Avenue in g-strings wasn't entertainment enough, the sudden bursts of rain made the show even more hilarious.

OLE OLE, OLE OLE Without even watching the EuroCup finals on Sunday, I knew the instant that the game was done and who was the champion.  I walked through the East Village to meet a couple friends for dinner and heard shouts of VIVA ESPANA, people pouring out of sports bars with red and gold flags draped around them, jumping up and down with the same amount of sheer passion that you would expect to find on State Street if the Badgers had just won the Rose Bowl.

The rhythm of the city
But once you get it down
Then you can own this town
You can wear the crown

makes me that much stronger, makes me work a little bit harder, makes me that much wiser....

Waking up at 630 am every Saturday doesn't feel quite as ludicrous as it did a month ago.  I've reached the point in training where every long run is the longest that I've ever run.  6.6 miles yesterday was easier than our first 2 mi run.  Adding on the miles feels natural.  I'm starting to believe that this marathon really is within my grasp.

Night or day, it's amazing how many people are running, walking, biking, rollerblading in Central Park; there are times when it seems as if the entire city is training alongside me.  Two of my teammates and I mused about this over coffee this evening.  Does the nature of the city attract people who are more active and used to a fast paced life?  Maybe the tranquility of Central Park offers a repose from the hustle and bustle of hedge funds and Wall Street?  New York offers so many intramural sports leagues and running groups, countless parks and running paths that it's almost impossible not to be drawn in.  For better or worse, New York is a city where IMAGE is influential.  Each runner, each athlete has his own reason, his own motivation, his own story, but each is drawn out to the same roads and paths converge.  A sense of community is formed.  

New York is turning me into the athlete that I never really was.  And I love it.

...so thanks for making me a fighter.

Running down a dream...

I woke up with butterflies in my stomach early yesterday morning. Weather forecast was humid, but manageable, cooler than the past few days had been and the rain wasn't scheduled to begin until after noon. Perfect conditions for our first race.

The pre-race jitters picked up on the train, as I tried to remind myself that it was just Central Park, just like any other easy Saturday practice, that the hills and turns of these trails were starting to become second nature. I wasn't out of my element. On the contrary, the course was predictable and manageable. I psyched myself up a little more when I arrived to find my teammates gathered near the bag check. I was glad that I wasn't in this alone.

The race went well, I ran strong and steady, breaking my stride only at the fluid stations to grab a cup of water and pour half of it down my back. The more I run, the more I am starting to understand the mental aspect of the sport - the discipline, the determination, the consistency. The more I run, the more I appreciate the social aspect of the sport - having a running buddy who I can pace myself with, the volunteers along the course who push you along and tell you how amazing you look and how inspiring you are, hearing my mentor yell my name from the sidelines as we round the final curve and push ourselves into burning sprints. The cheers of the crowd, the lyrics of PUMP IT blasting through the speakers, my lungs burning in protest pushed me to cross the finish line. It was an amazing feeling.

And this is just the beginning. I can't even imagine the adrenaline that San Francisco will be in October.

Hot town, Summer in the City...

Run like the city and never ever stop. Run like its power is the muscle in your legs. Run like the speed of a New York Minute is a time you can beat. Take your cue from Fred Lebow and memorize your second hand. Run like a restored Grand Central and don't stop until you see stars. Let the dreams of New York's tenants be your inspiration to finish first. Run like you're late for breakfast at Tiffany's and your name isn't Golightly for a reason. Begin your sprint confident you can turn West 4th into West 10th just like that. Run a time so nice, you'd run it twice. Run like anything is possible. Run like you can't be stopped. Run like you love New York and if you can make it here you can make it, well, you know the words. Run like the city.

Run like you've hit the triple digits and there's no end in sight. Break a runner's sweat. Break a past record. Run like a Fifth Avenue penthouse and have the best view in the city - the one from the front of the pack. Run like the UWS and put some jazz in your step. Chart a course like the menu at Big Nick's and continues on and on and on. Run like Riverside Park and trace the shore. Push it like the GW and connect determination to domination. Run like Tavern on the Green and pop the question. Feel the adrenaline course through your veins. Ask that special split second to be yours forever. Lay it all out on the line. On your legs and lungs. Show the world that your feet mean what they say. That you're a New York runner. Run like the city.

Run like the skyline and tower over your personal best. Run until your second wind scrapes the sky. Leave your legs in awe. Run like Letterman and make sure this race is in your personal top ten. Run like the Great White Way and break a PR instead of a leg. Be the longest-running on Broadway. Run aggressive like a cabbie and flip tired the bird. Sprint like Trump and tell your burning lungs it's just business, nothing personal. Run like you're spreading the news. Spreading your stride. Spreading out the mileage. Run like the city.

Run funky and fresh. From Chinatown to Chelsea. Run like a diplomat and unite the East and West Sides. Join two shores with one route. Welcome new miles like Lady Liberty. Run like you have an appointment with the Brooklyn Bridge. Span fatigue and suspend worry. Run like your calves are carved from granite and your quads are strong as steel. Run like Wall Street and increase your speed exponentially. Run like Gramercy Park and be the key that unlocks the gate to farther and faster. Forge on to the finish like there's no number you can't get - even the one to Milk & Honey. Cut across Gansevoort and don't stop thumping - when the clubbers are headed home, you're still out running. Run like the city.

- Niketown, RUNNYC

take what you can from your dreams, make them as real as anything...

When mentally and physically training your body, heart, and mind to run 26.2 miles, inspiration comes in small, but surprisingly powerful doses.

Exploring a different side of New York City. Running under the Brooklyn Bridge at dusk.

Those nights when you fall easily into your groove. The pace is comfortable, the level of humidity is right, you feel like you could run for hours, your push through the hills and refuse to let yourself walk because any incline in Central Park is nothing compared to what's waiting out in SF. Only a few weeks into training and the miles are starting to get easier to add on.

The song that comes up on your iPod, syncs with your footsteps and your heartbeat, and you press repeat over and over and over.

Ramon. Our coach. His ridiculous Spanglish emails detailing our work-outs, which will never be canceled for rain, but could possibly be changed if American Idol or Grey's Anatomy is moved to Tuesday nights. I think he's only half joking. He is training for a 100-mile ultramarathon. During one of our trail runs a few weeks ago, I asked him how the hell you complete an event like that. His answer: Go to the start line. Run for about 20 hours. Cross the finish line. Simple as that. He has also already raised over $50,000 for LLS through TNT. He makes all of our goals seem so much more attainable.

The post-run stretch and energy bar waiting for you.

The people who support you, yet don't even know you. My running buddy and I rounded the last corner of our run tonight, the end point was in sight, a quarter mile ahead of us, and two little kids, not more than 5 or 6 years old shouted out "YOU'RE AWESOME" and "YOU GIRLS ARE SO TALL!". They sat on the grass and continued to cheer on everyone else behind us. We sprinted to the end.

The incredible sense of community.

They love to tell you stay inside the lines, But something's better on the other side...

Back home.


Or something like that.

strawberry fields forever...

It's the first day of spring to hit 70 degrees. "Lunch at Shake Shack" was the first thought on everyone's mind when we got to the office this morning. Our office and every other office in central Manhattan. The hour long line was completely worth it.
Spontaneous visit from one of my Paris girls tomorrow.
Just signed up for an awesome half marathon training program...hopefully kicking my ass into shape in time to run the Nike NYC Half Marathon this summer. Our March Madness flip cup and quarters tournament raised over $1400 for this same organization a few weeks ago.
And Colombia is getting closer and closer. Chris warned me that they are all going to greet me at the airport with maizena. ohmygoodness.

April showers bring...

...people out from the woodwork of NY winters. flowers at the farmers market. skirts. sunshine. long runs. countdown to colombia. motivation. difficult changes. matching full speed ahead. people watching on the steps of union square.

After winter must come spring, everything is everything...

After a rough start to the week, things have smoothed themselves out and I'm ending the week on a much better note. I was reminded that nothing great is ever easy. Spring has arrived to New York, I have started running again (excellent way to start the day, after our early morning meeting was canceled at the last minute), this lady is coming to visit me tonight, and this lady is moving back out to New York in a few weeks. Life is good...

We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance...

"Bringing your friends with you to a new dance class can be a good thing. But it can also be a bad thing. A very bad thing. You will inevitably look superior and self-confident and make them feel inferior to you. Your friends walk into this room with a bunch of people who don't know each other, all wearing similar clothes, the music starts pumping, and everyone bursts out in these crazy choreographed moves. They have an underlying 6th sense that allows their heart to beat in rhythm, their body to hit the moves in sync with those around them. If your friends aren't normal gym-kinds of people this will be a traumatizing experience for them. They will think they are fucked. And they will hate you forever. So it's crucial that you screen your friends before you bring them with you. And if your friends are awesome enough to cut it, then they will love you forever."

- My hip hop teacher. I wonder if he has ever been to an @ conference.

Xin Nian Hao

Celebrating Chinese New Year with my wonderful Deloitte trainees!



Not going to lie, my personal favorite part of the parade was the Colombian Chiva at the end. Very out of place in Chinatown, but I loved it :)

Baila en la calle...

If I had to choose only one thing from Colombia that I loved the most, that made me feel alive, that captured the passionate culture above all else, it was the dancing. So many memories revolve around dancing - carnavals, chivas, concerts, dancing in the streets, dancing around our apartment, dancing in restaurants...there was almost never a time that we weren't dancing.

I went to a salsa class tonight and it wasn't quite the same. NY salsa is different from Colombian salsa. I felt the beat of the music running through me as I always have, my feet naturally fell into step, my hips moving back and forth... and yet for the entire hour, I was off-step from our instructor, whose feet moved too much, and whose hips moved not enough. Just like I learned to speak on the coast and my Spanish is Costeno or nothing, I dance like a Colombian, with a little bit of cumbia and mapale influencing my salsa. I step on the two, not on the one. And I have no intention of trying to change that.

Here's to Barranquilla....

Con limon y sal...

My new gym has latino and afro-caribbean dance classes. I love it already. Incentive - a potential trip to my favorite coast in a couple months ;)

Fashion Faux Pas...

Two Romanian AIESECers - one currently a trainee in Madison, the other spending a couple weeks of vacation and business travel in the US - came out to New York recently. I laughed as we walked around the city and they marveled at how the city was exactly as they had imagined, just like the movies, how the bright yellow taxis everywhere and the fire escapes on the front of buildings seemed "so New York".

As we were talking about the fashion culture of the city, both girls pointed out that the one thing that had puzzled them the most was women dressed in business suits walking down the street wearing running shoes. I explained that because so many people walk everywhere or take public transportation, many people carry their high heels and change when they get to the office. Both girls thought this was incredibly bizarre and said that if anyone did that in Romania, they would probably end up in the news because everyone would find it so funny.

I love trainees. I love the observations of a culture that only a foreigner is able to articulate because it is invisible to someone for whom these daily details are so normal.

On a clear day you can see forever...

I wandered into my favorite 4-story Barnes and Noble after work, as I often do, intending to get lost in a book for a few hours over a cup of tea in the cafe. I walked in and heard applause coming from upstairs, where they often host events, author readings & signings, and other artistic performances.

Tony Bennett was engaging an audience in conversation about his new book -Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art and Music - growing up in Astoria, how he sees himself as a "Central Park Painter", his artistic career as a musician and painter, the importance of commitment to whatever your passion in life is.

I only caught the latter part of the dialog, but was intrigued by a few of the thoughts he expressed (none are direct quotes, but simply what stayed with me several hours later).

[Bennett, on being asked where he has drawn creative inspiration from throughout his lifelong career]
there are moments in life when you are filled by a rush of creativity
you are overwhelmed and wonder why you have been wasting so much time not exploring this creativity.
constantly work on three paintings at once
that way, you will never burn out on any of them.
move from one to another and you'll never need a vacation
you are on a permanent vacation

Do we maximize the moments in life when we find ourselves immersed in such intense creativity? Do we let our daily routines hinder creativity, when in reality, creativity in all forms can drastically improve productivity, regardless of whether or not what we are doing is traditionally seen as ART? Do we become caught up in fueling every ounce of our energy through one channel at the risk of burning ourselves out? Or are we consciously diversifying our lives so that we are working on three paintings at once, reaching out through another medium, allowing ourselves to later return to the original canvas with a fresh look?

[Bennett, on being asked why he has chosen to live in New York when he could have made his home anywhere in the world]
This is the Apple. It's the greatest city in the world.
Did you ever look at those skyscrapers around you and the men climbing around engineering and constructing them? They are daredevils and they are artists.
There are so many artists that never get recognized.
It's not about music or art, but rather everybody in the city doing something well is an artist.
This city is full of artists.

The vast amount of art, and artists, in this city ... from the free-lance photographer selling snapshots in Union Square to the gallery owner in Soho, from the subway musician to the New York Opera, from the pastry chef at Magnolia's to the architects who design the financial district, New York is a culmination of human creativity and every form of art possibly imaginable.

Do you have what it takes?

Constantly constructing, constantly changing, constantly moving and evolving. Humans are never content with what is.

Or maybe that's just what defines a New Yorker.

Trends take over the city at a moment's notice. What's hot, what's not. Now, this week, this month.

Which are THE clubs to be seen at,
what late-breaking news can the NYT cover,
which boutique on 5th Ave. has the latest fashion from Paris or Milan,
which neighborhood is springing up with some of the most luxurious real estate in the world,
which writers/actors/models/musicians/chefs will be able to thrive under the harsh eye of the critic...

In this city, you need to be tough, you need to stand out, you need to make your mark, whatever that may be. In a city that changes in an instant, there's no room for hestitation.

If we had stuff to say in madison- you have stories in ny....

why do we talk so much and listen so little? why is communication so difficult when we say the same thing in such different ways? why do we run in circles?

the pieces are there, but they aren't in place. am I doing enough to sort them out? how do you turn frustration into results?

the flashes of homesickness have hit hard this past week. those who travel know that homesickness goes both ways, just as much as [reverse] culture shock. patacones and maracuya mojitos at a cuban restaurant, ay ay amor heard on the radio, venezuelan candy bars, passing someone on the street with a mochilla, and other little reminders of colombia that would usually make me smile make me want to cry instead.

little by little, 16E18 is starting to feel like home. it's been challenging, 4 strangers learning how to live together, make decisions, strike a balance, work through the tension ... has led to laughter and bonding. for better or worse, this is home now and i'm starting to settle in. sadly, my hammock is still stored in a corner. hard to predict if that will change soon.

took a 5 hour bus ride upstate. brushed my teeth outside. camped in a yurt. smoked shisha on a roof. partied on a roof. took a boat tour around manhattan. went to a mets game. cheered when the badgers moved up to #5 and cried when they lost to Illinois. ran from my apartment down to the financial district and back to blow off steam. built furniture. painted. saw a chiva in manhattan and decided that is on the to-do list for the next year. experienced apple fest. ate sushi at least once a week. people-watched in union square. turned a year older.


in no particular order, that's life. in a new york minute.

Happy Guacamole Day!

...

QUACK

Apparently in this teeny-tiny closet sized apartment that I am currently subletting, running the AC and the microwave at the same time is too much to handle. I blew a fuse and spent my Friday evening playing phone tag with my roommate who is down in DC for the weekend and trying to track down the super so that I didn't have to pack in the dark because I had no idea where the fuse box was in the unit. QUACK.

As the early 6:45 am flight looms closer, the never-ending idea of what is HOME rolls around in my head once again. After about 9 months away from my beloved Madtown, I cannot wait to spend the afternoon chilling with some of my best friends in the world on the Terrace. Sunday in the WB will be a different story, but hopefully I can make it through that without any major hiccups. Monday morning, off to Chicago for my FIRST US AIESEC national conference.

Recommendation: The Devil Came on Horseback. Very well-made, moving independent film about the genocide in Darfur.

So what if you catch me, Where would we land?

Hace exactamente un mes desde que sali de mi querida Colombia. Hace dos meses, todavia no tenia ningun idea de lo que iba a hacer. Nunca habria pensado que estaria viviendo en Nueva York despues de Colombia, mucho menos trabajando por el equipo de AIESEC USA. Hay algo de magia en este ciudad que yo sentia tambien el otro verano que pase aca, un sentimiento que cada dia esta llena de emocion. Quizas por eso que me parece que hace mucho mas tiempo que llegue aca.

Colombia seems like an eternity ago, yet not a day passes that I am not reminded of it in some way or another. After living abroad for such a long time, in a culture that made you feel alive and look at the world around you in a completely different perspective, that's only natural. I had anticipated the severe reverse culture shock that had hit me after a semester in Paris, when I definitely was not ready to leave. This time, transitioning back to life in the U.S. has been much easier than I ever could have hoped for. The overwhelming amount of English was the first thing to hit me immediately, but since I have been enjoying the pleasant mixture of countless languages and cultures that surround me from the moment I walk out my door and step on the subway each morning.

Con un aguardiente en la mesa...two fellow gringo-latinos and I had a Colombian adventure out in Queens this weekend. It was simple, lunch consisting of pechuga a la plancha, arroz, frijoles, y patacones, yet so reminiscent. It was amazing how the little Jackson Heights bakery where we enjoyed empanadas y Postobon Manzana with everyone around us speaking Spanish, pictures of the Transmilenio on the wall, could have easily been back on the coast. A la orden.

NYC seems to be the crossroads of so many different pieces of my life brought together in this moment. In the past week alone, I have be reunited with friends from Colombia, from Madison, from high school. Perhaps that is why I have been lucky enough to feel neither culture shock nor home sickness. Traveling makes the world as large as your imagination can possibly handle and more. This city holds unexpected magic, unlimited possibilities, a little bit of everywhere I have called home.

In the past month, I have been reminded of why NYC is possibly my favorite spot in the world to spend summer. From 4th of July fireworks a few days after returning to the US to street markets, from running in Central Park to outdoor movies, this was how summer was meant to be.

I've touched this place before, somewhere in another time...

Flight number: AV 20
Operated by: Avianca
From: El Dorado - Bogota
To: JFK - New York City
Depart: 28 jun 2007 22:55
Arrive: 29 jun 2007 05:30

It's official. Moving back to the US of A. Flight purchased. Job secured.

Next step: attempting to find an apartment. Not going to lie, that part intimidates me more than a little bit.

For those of you in NYC, from NYC, with connections in NYC ... if any of you are looking for a roommate, have a friend who is looking for a roommate, know of an awesome housing opportunity, can suggest good/not so good neighborhoods, or have any advice to make the search easier ... I would love you forever.

It's a luscious mix of words and tricks, That let us bet when you know we should fold...

Tengo mariposas en el estómago...
I have butterflies in my stomach...

No matter how you say it, I haven't been able to form a coherent thought for the past 24 hours since I found out that I am going to NYC. I decided last night that I should make a "to do" list, considering that within the next week, I will be moving to a new country, to start a new job, turning my world upside down. Yet, all that I could think of to put on that list was:

- buy plane ticket
- meet Diana for lunch
- buy coffee from Juan Valdez

...and then my mind goes blank. Wonderful.

If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere...

My heart is still pounding, the butterflies in my stomach refuse to settle, and my roommates are laughing at my random outbursts of excitement and the little happy dance that I did on the balcony when I got off the phone with Missy, Carly, and Andrew. After everything that I have been through to get here - 4 interviews and a delayed response thanks to the internet outage in Colombia - this seems like a dream come true, and I am still having a hard time believing that it is real.

Goodbye, Colombia.

Hello, NYC.

As of this afternoon, I am officially working for AIESEC United States, Inc. managing the business development for the PWC, Kraft, and CH Robinson accounts. I will be living in NYC working as a member of the national staff for the next two years and could not be happier.

Livin' the dream, baby.