Beautiful Day

What a beautiful day it was! As Rachel said, "New York today is like an abusive boyfriend bringing flowers" except maybe that he adds that you shouldn't expect flowers anytime soon again (forecasting rain for the next 3 days) or when you get really excited about them, he says something nasty (the occasional wind gusts that almost blew me away were pretty painful).

It was a little chilly at 7:30 when we set off for the 4 mile race today in Central Park. There were about 8000 people, pretty impressive! This was my first race since the marathon and also the first of the year in NYC. I thought I had been running somewhat faster in the month or so I have been semi-regularly training again, but I never timed myself very closely, so this was the test. In fact, it seems like I have gotten a little faster: I ran an average of 8:11 min/mile pace today, which is my best so far for any race. Now, this was only 4 miles, so we'll see how next weekend's 10K Scotland Run goes. Eventually, I'd like to get under 8 minute miles at least for these shorter distances: it seems like a pretty reasonable goal for this year.

I am pretty sure now that I hate morning running. I am just not really awake at 8 yet (should get up at least 2 hours earlier to get my body and mind ready for a race) and the first 2 miles or so were pretty bad considering how cold and tight I felt, and then the race was practically over! Too bad all the races are in the morning...

To actually enjoy some of the sunshine, without the sweaty crowd around me, I ate my lunch at the little park around the corner. There are always tons of kids running around at the playground, parents with babies lounging on the benches, nannies trying to quiet the little ones... next to me, a young couple with two small boys, between 3 and 6 probably. Very typical Upper East Side family: expensive stroller, kids dressed in Tommy Hilfiger outfits with little patterned sweater-vests, cute, but a little scary to me. During the time I ate my slice of pizza - it was a pretty big slice, but still, it couldn't have taken more than 10 minutes to eat - the mother used about a half a pack of those antibacterial wipes to clean the kids' faces and hands, after they touched anything! I looked on alarmed. Is this really necessary? Let those poor kids build a normal immune system, for god's sake!

I have this theory: ever since I started working with bacterial products in the lab, I haven't been sick at all. I use things that are found in bacteria - like a molecule that's part of their cell walls, or synthetic compounds that mimic bacteria - to activate cells in dishes, to stimulate what an immune response to bacteria would be like in our bodies. I have to admit that I am not the most careful when handling these things: in a rush often, I forget to put gloves on, touch the tubes, and besides, our whole lab must be covered with these molecules considering that everyone uses them. In any case, there is some real scientific evidence, actually, from a faculty member here at Sloan Kettering, that being exposed to small amounts of bacterial products (in this case, to LPS in the drinking water of mice, which is a bacterial membrane component) actually strengthens the immune response to a subsequent infection by a potentially dangerous pathogen. So I firmly believe that eating a bit of dirt - or bacterial cell walls, for that matter - can hurt nobody and overanxious and overprotective Upper East Side mothers should all study some immunology.

On a more somber note, I saw such a heartbreaking and yet heartwarming thing yesterday! Right around Sloan Kettering, I saw a little boy of about 5 walking with his Dad holding hands, the boy losing his hair, huge, fresh scar across his head, surgical mask covering his face. Yet, he was skipping about, laughing, excitedly talking, his Dad lifting him up in the air, they looked truly happy in that moment I passed them on the street. We should all appreciate the little things more than we do, for some people, being able to walk down the street with their children is such a rare moment of happiness, and yet we so often take those little things for granted.