95: Powered By Dim Sum (PBDS)

There's the old adage, you wouldn't want to be in any club that would have you. Well, I might just be that shallow.

On Sunday when I was standing in my corral waiting to be waved on to the start line for the marathon training run, I stood behind a man who was wearing what I thought was just a funny tank top. It was red and said in bright yellow letters across the back, "Powered By Dim Sum." Funny, I thought! That man has a sense of humor! He was Asian, and I imagined his coming up with the idea for that shirt and ordering it through some custom lettering business online.

Feeling friendly, I pulled my ear buds out and tapped the man. He didn't turn around at first. The corrals are always packed so he probably just assumed I was a random person bumping into him as I stretched. I tapped him again, eager to soothe my pre-run nerves with a little conversation. I'd failed to find my friend Sarah in the mob scene and really missed our pre-run pep talk; I was desperate for a distraction! Finally he turned around.

"I like your shirt! So cute!" For a minute he just looked at me and didn't reply, like maybe he didn't speak English? But then he did. He said that was the name of his running club, that they were an official club, with points standings. "Wow! That's so cool," I said, "What's the prerequisite for joining? Do you have to be Chinese-American?" I have no idea where that came from. Sometimes I'm a dolt.

"No," he said, "You don't have to be Asian. You just have to love to eat, and like dim sum. We have some White people."

"Oh, I love to eat!" I squealed, "and I love dim sum! Can I be in your club?" I still wasn't quite registering that this was a real club, probably with meetings, and dues, and whatever else you do with a club. In the case of running clubs, I know your time gets factored into the club's overall timings and that's how your standing gets established. Because of this, I can't imagine anyone wanting me in their club! I'm always in the bottom 50% of runners.

"Yes," he said, "You can apply to be in the club. We take new people," then the volunteer moved us to the start line and he had to turn around. He called, "You can Google it," over his shoulder and I watch Mr. Powered By Dim Sum run out in front of me until I couldn't see him any more. No doubt his pace was inspired by the promise of little juicy buns and deep fried chicken's feet just steps across the finish line.

The next day, out of curiosity, I looked at the NY Road Runners website to see if the guy had been telling me a tall tale. Was Powered By Dim Sum a recognized running club? And, in fact, it is! It even has its own code, PBDS. I told my friend Clare at work about this and she was as amused. We share a love for dim sum and keep saying we're going to go to Chinatown one weekend and indulge together. We pulled up the club's facebook page and Yahoo! group page and surveyed.... Should I apply? We decided I should...

Today I got a nice note back from the group's administrator. It said, "Anyway, if you're interested in joining the club, below is the usual blurb I send out to new potential members. You can join or not join, no pressure." Wow! That was awfully easy... Then down in the blurb he warned me not to get too personal with my application. "If this sounds interesting to you then can you write a short bio about yourself so I can use it to introduce you to the group. Nothing too serious, keep it light. Write stuff like what your previous and future running goals are and why you love dim sum."

They saw me coming - already warning me to "keep it light!" Maybe this group isn't for me... I thought about it. Do I really want to go out for dim sum right after I run, anyway? I kind of like going to Le Pain Quotidian. I'm more French than I am Asian if we are going to get geographic. Also, would this involve my schlepping down to Chinatown or could we just go to Shun Lee Cafe West Side?

I haven't replied yet. Sure, I found a club that would have me, but do I want them? Am I really powered by dim sum?

I've always been one to make my own rules. In H.S. I started clubs I thought the school was missing: the French club and the radio club. In college I helped design a class we named, "Media as Educator and Obfuscator," because there wasn't anything like it in the curriculum. I've basically written the rules in my career, as well; I don't know anybody who has taken the path I have to get where I am today. Why then wouldn't it be the same for me with running? Maybe, I will start my own club for people who want to give themselves a year to train for the marathon. From zero to 26.2 in 12.

Sure, I love dim sum; but to be honest, these days I'm probably powered more by coffee and Gatorade than roast pork buns and chicken balls. I probably won't join; but I won't lie, it is awfully nice to be wanted. So, thank you to PBDS for the generous invitation. I'll think of you the next time I'm dim summing down on Mott.