New York Living
There are some days when I absolutely hate living in New York City. On those days, the noise and the grime and the lights and crowds make me want to get as far away as possible. And then, there are days like today, when I cannot imagine there is a better place in the world to live.
Elizabeth and I got up early this morning because Elizabeth was participating in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women, her first race since her knee really started bothering her in February. It was a 5K that started in Times Square and ended at the Great Lawn in the northeast corner of Central Park. I decided that I would go uptown with her and run in the Park for a change – I was scheduled to do about a negative split 12 mile run and the six mile loop around Park would be perfect for that. Elizabeth was running the race with Emily and Emily’s friend Liam, so we met them on the subway for the ride uptown. The three of them got off at Times Square and I continued on to Central Park.
Why did I feel so great about New York today? First, it was an absolutely beautiful morning – bright sun, temperatures in the mid-60’s and no humidity. Second, right from the start, my run felt special. I ran strong and fast and really enjoyed being out there. I decided to run clockwise, which is the opposite from what most people run or cycle in the Park. This meant that I got to run head-on into most people. There were a lot of people out running, walking and cycling this morning, but not so much that the Park felt “crowded”. It was fun to check out the other runners and the bikes that zoomed by me. I really felt like part of this huge exercise community this morning – everyone out there to enjoy the day and get fit. To make things even better, I randomly ran into three friends while I was running – first, it was Bill Schmitz, out pushing his son Will in a jogging stroller; I ran and chatted with Bill for a few minutes. A while later, I saw Anthony Feo, enjoying the morning with a walk around the Park. I briefly stopped and caught up with him. Finally, near the end of my run, Merran Magill shouted out to me as we passed in opposite directions. One of the things I struggle with about New York is how big and overwhelming it feels and how lonely it can be – just a small individual lost in the shuffle of the City. I’ve mentioned before that this training has felt very isolating at times. I really relish the freedom that training alone provides and the time it allows me to think and reflect on my life or just let my mind go blank. I also like the fact that I can do it all on my own schedule and at my own pace. However, being a part of this group or community today was refreshing. Running in the Park today made New York feel so much smaller than it normally does.
Although it is something of a pain to take the train up to the Park to run (as opposed to just running from home), it’s not that much of a big deal and I really should try to do it more often. Especially when the weather is nice and I’m doing a long run.
After my run, I went over to the Upper East Side Equinox and sat in the cold plunge pool for a few minutes and then stretched. I wish my gym downtown (or even better, my home) had an ice pool. After that, I jumped back on the train and went out to Brooklyn to finally pick up my race wheels. I ended up getting HED Jet 60’s. They look pretty sweet and I’m excited to put them on the bike and see how they roll. At some point, I’ll get the Crono all dressed up and ready to race and post a new picture. She’s gonna look sharp!
Elizabeth’s run was OK. She did it, which is something, but her knee is killing her now. She says it feels like it did back in February/March when it was at it’s worst. Back to the doctor for her…
Bike – May 4
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 102
Indoor ride/recovery ride
Swim – May 4
Distance: 1,850 yards
Time: 45 minutes
Run – May 5
Distance: 12 miles
Time: 1:30
Average heart rate:
Course: Central Park
Conditions: Sunny, warm, beautiful