nike human race 10k, prospect park - dns

faced with another rainy, dreary start to an october weekend, i decided to skip the trip to brooklyn for the nike human race 10k in prospect park. i had looked forward it, especially since it was in prospect park - a place i love to run. but, after i was up at five to help pat get out the door at 5:45 and into the car service for the drive to laguardia for her early morning flight to raleigh, north carolina, i didn't want to deal with my own ugly drive into the city. nor did i want the hassle of finding a place to park on the congested streets of park slope once i arrived.

i rarely blow off races because of the weather, but after the trio of wet 5k races last weekend - especially the muddy kurt steiner xc in van cortlandt park sunday morning - i'm a bit tired of running in wet soggy clothes. that's not to say i won't drag myself outside for a few wet training miles today (since the forecast is for rain all day - and probably well into the night). but at least i don't need to drive to, and park for, that local exercise.

i'm not sure what i'll do with the cherry red dri-fit shirt i picked up yesterday at niketown. it's basically a fresher version of the same cherry red shirt nike gave out for last year's human race 10k held at randall's island. i normally don't wear shirts from races i didn't run (although i haven't even worn the 2008 edition shirt, so it's probably a moot point).

but, in an interesting aside, on the walk down to grand central from niketown, i stopped in at the grand opening of the new asics running store on fifth and 42nd (across from bryant park). thanks to the heads up on the nyrr website, asics offered a free pair of socks to nyrr members. the uphot, i walked out of there with a great pair of asics "kaynano ll" low-cut running socks - gratis!! those i will definitely wear :D

next up - regardless of weather (ha), a pair of great races in fairfield county tomorrow: the great train race in the morning, and the police pumpkin chase in the afternoon.