I've been keeping it local this weekend (akin to keeping it real, with no travel required. [Does keeping it real require travel? That doesn't sound very real]).

Thursday - took a short little run and saw... my weirdo neighbor. Also running. I take that back. He seems nice. But nobody runs in my neighborhood (save for the the few obvious boxers trying to keep their weight down, a handful of possible high school athletes, and a lot of residents and interns from the nearby Montefiore and Jacobi medical centers) and in particular, nobody runs from my building. Everyone in my building has seen me climbing up the stairs all sweaty and nasty after a summertime run, and I guarantee that most of them think I'm a lunatic. Anyway, this guy lives across the hall from me with his family, and he seems nice enough - at first he looked pissed off when we said "Hi" to him, but now he just responds - except they're always carrying giant, full garbage bags out of there? At every hour of the day? So I'd kind of constructed a fantasy narrative about this guy wherein he is a heavy-hitting money courier for a cocaine cartel. Why? I can't explain these things. Anyway, garbage bag cartel guy was out running, on my path, at the same time as me the other day. I was pleased to note that he had the good sense to wear shorts and not a puffy jacket. He was just a little ahead of me most of the way, and when he hit his turnaround point, he actually waved when he passed. What? Proper clothing and runner etiquette? From garbage bag cartel guy? I am pleasantly surprised.

Best $42 I spent in 2010.

Next, I did my FINAL PRE-FIRST-TRIATHLON brick yesterday, in my awesome racing suit. Which I realized makes it really hard to pee. Also, makes me look like a much bigger lunatic (see above). So I threw a tech-shirt over the tri suit, making it a little less lunatic-esque, but I really liked the suit! The run part felt easy and I think it was all about the EXTREME CRAZY COMPRESSION. I'm a little worried about wearing it in the pool - will it suddenly stretch? Will the sports bra part still be adequate wet? Buuut it's a really short race so even a worst-case scenario will be pretty livable and short. For the record, I'm VERY CONCERNED about the contortions that are going to be required to go to a porta-potty pre-race. I'm gonna be pretty much naked, IN A PORTA-POTTY. Just saying.

This morning, I had an awesome view of the bike turnaround of the Bronx Biathlon from my bedroom window - sweet! This was unexpected - I knew the course was on the Hutchinson River Parkway, but I didn't realize it went as far as my building, and it was fun to see the occasional guy in a T-shirt on a hybrid passing the very serious looking time trial bikes. There were only two drawbacks to this - one, I was thinking about volunteering for this race (it was so close to home, and NY Tri Club, the event producer, gives you a free entry to a future race if you volunteer) but didn't, and two, it distracted me from going to meet Tracy, who I met up with for a run in Van Cortlandt Park. Even though I live relatively close, I've never really utilized the Vanny for my own running, with the exception of using it as a destination / turnaround point for long runs, or for races. It's tough but outstanding and I need to get out there more, especially if I'm feeling like a wuss about hills for any reason. It was good, and the farthest I've gone since the evil shin splint episode of 2010.

Now, I'm exhausted. And really really hungry. And I'm about to roast some cauliflower and broil some sweet-ass steaks (no, not ass steak. Sweet-ass steak.)