Good morning, it’s Wednesday. Technically speaking, summer doesn’t start for another 15 days (including this one) – June 20. But with temperatures flirting with 90 degrees, it sure as heck feels like summer to me.
As much as I gripe about the cold weather, the truth is that I don’t do so great in the heat – especially when it comes to athletic performance. I feel it particularly hard when I run, which is something I’ve been doing for going on three decades now, and also an activity I have a love-hate relationship with.
Right now, I’m in a hate phase. I go through periods when all I want to do is run, but it has been a while since I’ve felt that. These days, I vastly prefer riding my bike or lifting weights. Running feels like a chore.
Of course, the irony is that the less you do it, the harder it gets – like so many things. And I struggle to come to terms with the fact that, at the ripe old age of almost 52, I just can’t perform like I used to. I can still go the distance, but a lot slower and with more walk breaks. I should be happy I’m able to move at all. But that’s not something my Type A, hyper competitive brain takes to well.
I’m working on it.
The truth is that there are few activities as easy as running to whip you into shape.
Yes, walking can get you there and it’s easier on your joints. But it takes longer and doesn’t raise your heart rate quite as high (depending on how fast you’re going, the grade of the surface under your feet, and what’s on your back – this is a nod to the rucking craze that took the athletic world by storm not long ago, also known ti the purists out there as backpacking).
Running also doesn’t require a lot of expensive equipment – though, believe me, there are plenty of gadgets and doodads and high-tech whatnots one can purchase to ostensibly enhance the experience. Really, all you need is a decent pair of sneakers, some socks, some clothes in which you feel comfortable moving, and you’re ready to go.
These days, one can run endless miles to nowhere, compliments of the treadmill (or, as I like to call it, the dreadmill), which does arguably make speed work and intervals easier, but is just incredibly dull. I personally would prefer to run circles around the mini track at the Y like a crazed hamster than spend more than 30 minutes on the treadmill.
As an aside, this is the first time I’ve ever Googled “who invented the treadmill,” and was both horrified and gratified to learn that it was created in the early 1800s by an English engineer named William Cubitt, who dubbed his invention the treadwheel. Its purpose? It was used to punish prisoners, who were made to walk endless miles to nowhere for up to six hours a day.
As an added bonus, the work the prisoners were doing on the treadmill could be used to grind corn or pump water. But the main purpose was for the prisoners to sweat, suffer, and ostensibly learn from their mistakes. It wasn’t until many years later that fitness enthusiasts adopted the device for their own.
But it’s still a form of torture, IMHO.
Humans have probably been running since the dawn of time. Running from predators, floods, fire, and other mayhem. Running after prey. Running just for the fun of it (probably a little later on when we got the whole survival thing figured out). Today, some people are getting back to basics in terms of the no shoes or minimal shoes thing, which has never worked for me. But I do understand the thought behind the approach.
Whether you’re fast or slow, prefer super padded Konas or minimalist shoes (or nothing), an ultra runner or just a run-around-the-block of run-after-the-kids sort of person, today is Global Running Day, which offers a little something for everyone. This day apparently started as a grassroots initiative and became a worldwide phenomenon in 2016.
Lace ’em up! Happy running.
Better get outside while the getting is good. It will be partly cloudy today with the chance of a stray shower or thunderstorm. Temperatures will again top out in the high 80s.
In the headlines…
Participants in meetings said President Joe Biden performed poorly at times. The White House said Biden is sharp and his critics are playing partisan politics.
Some of the more the 45 Republican and Democratic lawmakers and staffers interviewed by the WSJ described that Biden spoke so softly during meetings that he was hard to understand, frequently relied on notes, and deferred to aides during conferences.
In an exclusive interview with TIME, Biden spoke at length about his foreign policy agenda, including his views on China, Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, as well as concerns about his age as he runs for re-election.
With nearly every ballot cast in the Democratic presidential primary, the message for Biden is clear: A small but repeated share of the party’s base is not happy with him.
Biden unveiled plans to enact immediate significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border as the White House tries to neutralize immigration as a political liability ahead of the November elections.
The order will be in effect when the seven-day average of daily border crossings exceeds 2,500 between ports of entry, meaning it will go into effect immediately. Biden issued a proclamation announcing the change under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The Democratic president had contemplated unilateral action for months after the collapse of a bipartisan border security deal in Congress that most Republican lawmakers rejected at the behest of former President Donald Trump.
Biden blamed Trump and Republicans for leaving him with no choice but to act on curbing the influx of migrants at the U.S.-southern border.
Biden’s executive action addresses one of his most serious political vulnerabilities ahead of the presidential election.
Texas Democratic Rep. Greg Casar slammed Biden’s new executive policy that will limit asylum seekers at the southern border, arguing it appeals to the GOP “talking points” on immigration and will not actually reduce illegal crossings.
Republican lawmakers in Arizona voted yesterday to put a ballot measure before voters in November that would make unlawfully crossing the border from Mexico a state crime.
Biden called Trump a “convicted felon” who “snapped” after the 2020 election at a campaign event this week.
“The campaign entered uncharted territory last week,” Biden told supporters in White Plains. “For the first time in American history, a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency.”
Trump’s lawyers asked the judge who oversaw the former president’s criminal trial to lift a gag order on their client as the presidential campaign intensifies.
Trump’s campaign is launching an effort to overcome a long-standing bugaboo: Mail-in and early voting.
Trump’s outreach team, working with the Republican National Committee, launched “Swamp the Vote” this week to soothe voter concerns about the integrity of nontraditional voting methods, including those previously stirred by the candidate himself.
Biden will touch down in Paris today for a trip marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day and engaging in a state visit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The trip comes as the deadliest fighting on the continent since World War II continues in Ukraine and allied countries struggle to find ways to turn the tide against Russia, which has recently gained ground on the battlefield.
A number of states held primaries for races up and down the ballot yesterday, with Biden and Trump inching ever closer to their respective nominations and a couple notable Senate matchups solidifying.
Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and Washington, D.C., held some of the last presidential primaries of the cycle. Guam and the Virgin Islands will cap off the presidential primary on Saturday, when they both hold their Democratic contests.
Trump, appearing on the ballot for the first time since his historic conviction for felony crimes, won primaries in New Mexico, where voters could opt for his rivals who have since dropped out, and Montana and New Jersey, where he was unopposed.
Rep. Andy Kim coasted to victory in the Democratic primary for the New Jersey Senate race, beating several longshot contenders. But embattled Sen. Sen. Bob Menendez, who is on trial for corruption, plans to run as an independent.
Rep. Rob Menendez of New Jersey, the senator’s son, staved off a tough Democratic primary challenge from Ravi Bhalla, the mayor of Hoboken, N.J.
Republican businessman Tim Sheehy, who is backed by Trump, appears to have won the GOP primary for Senate in Montana, as he looks to flip Democrat Sen. Jon Tester’s seat in the red state.
A potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder using the psychedelic MDMA was overwhelmingly rejected by a panel of federal regulators, marking what could be a major setback for the use of psychedelics in the treatment of mental illness.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel voted 10-1 against endorsing the safety of MDMA in treating PTSD, and 9-2 against its efficacy. The group cited flawed studies, unclear data and potential for damaging side effects.
The independent group of experts expressed concerns that the data from clinical trials did not outweigh risks for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is considering a congestion pricing delay amid concerns about the Manhattan tolling plan from Democratic leaders.
Hochul wants to postpone the to charge motorists to enter Manhattan’s business district just weeks before it is slated to go into effect, citing fears that it will hurt the city’s economy.
As the first-in-the-nation plan finally takes shape, a growing number of opponents — including New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy, some New York City officials and influential unions — are waging last-ditch efforts to water it down or derail it before it even begins.
Ex-top state budget official, Sandra Beattie, and another high-ranking state leader worked in multiple ways to aid former state Sen. Michael Balboni and his lobbying firm, RedLand Strategies, according to a letter by New York State’s inspector general, Lucy Lang.
Backers of a bill to update New York state’s wrongful death laws to allow victims’ families to sue for damages and emotional pain hope a new version will finally convince the governor to sign the measure — if they can get it passed before session ends in Albany.
The state has agreed to a three-year labor deal with a major law enforcement union that will net members 12 weeks of paid parental leave and annual salary increases.
A first-in-the-nation legislation barring Big Tech companies like Instagram and TikTok from bombarding children with algorithm-based feeds is poised to pass in Albany this week and could quickly become a national standard, supporters said.
Climate-conscious New Yorkers may not see many victories emerging from the state Capitol this legislative session as lawmakers run out the clock on environmental measures that have faced increasing opposition from industry and business groups.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced he is restoring some money to the city’s schools as part of ongoing budget negotiations with the City Council.
As a measure to combat COVID-19 related learning loss, Mayor Adams and Council Speaker Adams also announced a “Hold Harmless” policy for the initial budget allocations public schools for the 2024-25 school year to maintain stability for budgets.
Mayor Adams announced $20 million to restore Friday sessions and full program hours for middle school students enrolled in the city’s Summer Rising Program — which connects students from K-8 to academic and enrichment activities such as art and sports.
Mayor Adams praised Biden for his executive order capping the number of migrants who can be let into the U.S. and said he’s ready to offer “whatever they need” toward the Biden campaign’s reelection efforts.
Adams brushed off questions about whether he had been invited to Biden’s executive order signing, which had been attended by Hochul.
A staggering 121 New York City hotels have been taken off the market and converted into migrant shelters – raising concerns that a space crunch and pricier rooms will tank tourism.
Biden’s sweeping executive order on immigration will likely reduce the number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and making their way to New York City, policy experts said.
Top Adams’ administration aides defended his stance that the City Council shouldn’t have the power to approve many mayoral appointments — arguing that doing so would mark a return to the days of political patronage that defined the Tammany Hall era.
State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar is reportedly eyeing a run for New York City comptroller after using her “close friend” Mayor Adams to raise her profile in the Big Apple.
The City Council is pushing a massive $55 million expansion of a program that funds half-price transit fares for poor New Yorkers – as fare evasion continues to skyrocket.
The website of the Columbia Law Review was taken offline this week by its board after its editors published an article that argues Palestinians are living under a “brutally sophisticated structure of oppression” by Israel that amounts to a crime against humanity.
Petrified Columbia University students who have felt “harassed and intimidated” by anti-Israel protests which have gripped their college and disrupted learning for months will be provided safety escorts on campus.
Lamor Whitehead, the Brooklyn “Bling Bishop” convicted on a slate of fraud charges in March, is pleading for his release from the Metropolitan Detention Center, where his lawyer alleges he has been deprived of food and kept in a near-constant lockdown.
Six months after the end of strikes that crippled film and TV production, jobs in the industry remain well below pre-pandemic levels. Some studios are only a little more than half full, and some union leaders are predicting employment will never fully return.
Nearly a year after orange smoke from Canadian wildfires enveloped New York City, residents received text messages yesterday morning about a different kind of air quality alert – high levels of ozone.
Amid controversy over a development plan that would have reshaped Midtown, some ex-community board leaders covertly perhaps secured an $80,000 anonymous donation to hire an outside consultant potentially violating ethics and transparency rules.
Northwell Health, New York state’s largest health network, will overhaul its financial assistance program to provide more free and discounted care to low-income patients, following a review of its practices by state Attorney General Letitia James.
The owners of Crossgates Mall last week completed the donation of 6.9 acres of land to the Albany Pine Bush Preserve as part of a mitigation plan for the construction of nearby apartments.
The Albany Black Chamber of Commerce has announced a Juneteenth block party to celebrate the contributions of the Capital Region’s Black communities.
The Albany Common Council voted 14-0, with one member voting present, to opt in and provide modifications to the state’s new regulations for “good-cause” eviction, becoming the first local government in the state to do so.
Those heading to the Belmont Stakes this weekend might want to take an umbrella.
Belmont Park’s main track has long been called “Big Sandy,” but the venue itself may soon be known as “The Mecca of New York Racing”, thanks to a $455 million in renovations currently under way.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
