What a run!
I had an amazing run today. It was a beautiful morning and I found trails just a subway ride away. But before I get into that, I want to mention something I’ve been thinking about recently and recommend another movie (or 2) and book. I don’t consider myself much of a social activist. Elizabeth and I donate to various causes and I’m very proud to say that I helped raise over $12,000 for CAF in connection with my Ironman training, but I haven’t gotten very involved in social “causes”. I’m not sure why that is. I read the newspaper and follow current events. I can get passionate about issues, especially when it involves what I perceive to be injustice or unfairness. Other than the challenged athletes, I guess I haven’t found the cause that really hits me. But I think I’m close.
Earlier this year, I read “What is the What” by Dave Eggers. After having read and loved “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” a few years ago, I eagerly anticipated his new book. And I was not disappointed. It’s an amazing “semi-biogaphy”/based-on-a-true-story about Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Sudanese Lost Boys who, after fleeing murderous militias in Sudan on foot and spending years in a Kenyan refugee camp called Kakuma, is eventually granted the right to emigrate to the United States. I’m not even going to try to describe what he went through during his flight to Kenya. And settling in the US, with all the new customs and societal norms and the struggles to find his place in his new home isn’t any picnic for him either. After reading the book, I was inspired to research the Lost Boys and some of the various charities and foundations that have been formed to support the Lost Boys in the US and those still in Kenya and to help rebuild Sudan. But, sadly, I left it at that. Then, this week I watched “God Grew Tired of Us” a documentary about three Lost Boys of Sudan and their experience coming to the US. The movie provides some background on the Lost Boys flight from Sudan and life in Kakuma, but mostly concentrates on the transition of three Lost Boys (by then, men in their 20’s) to new lives in the U.S. It is wild to see the three men learning about indoor running water and flush toilets and refrigerators and light switches and jobs and public transportation, none of which were part of their lives before coming to the US. It’s an inspirational story and heart-breaking at the same time. First, these men lost their families when they fled the militias, then they lost many friends during the flight to Kenya, now, after spending more than ten years in a refugee camp making a new “family” of other Lost Boys, they lose them in order to take advantage of the opportunity to come to the US. They’re lonely and tired and working three jobs to send money back to Kenya and Sudan. But they keep at it, trying to make for themselves a better life. This week, I’m going to watch another movie, “The Lost Boys of Sudan”. I’ve heard great things and I’m looking forward to learning more and “meeting” more of the Lost Boys. My goal is to continue reading and learning about the Lost Boys and find a way to help – whether it’s money or time, or both or something else. I’m going to figure out a way to help. As a first step, I’m spreading the word here.
Back to my run… (I guess that’s the hard thing; it’s just so easy to get back to my run/job/life/etc.)
I got up pretty early this morning and, after having my standard pre-run breakfast (oatmeal with half an apple, some maple syrup, a little peanut butter and a little protein powder) and taking Charlie for a walk, I jumped on the subway and made my way up to the George Washington Bridge. I’ve been meaning to check out the trails in Palisades Park for a while now, but spending the extra time just getting to the place to run normally turns me off. Today, though, with Elizabeth in Los Angeles for work and no plans until later this afternoon, I figured I would go check it out – and boy, am I glad that I did! I really wish I had my camera with me to share how beautiful the run was – it was a crystal clear bright-blue-sky, sunny morning, with a little wind. First I got the view from the George Washington Bridge. Looking south, you get all of Manhattan and further south down the Hudson to Jersey City and Staten Island, and in the north the view up the Hudson is stunning, with the forest-like cliffs of the Palisades on the west shore and the nearly-equally green Bronx on the east. You pick up the trail right on the New Jersey side of the Bridge and there are two main trails – the Long Path and the Shore Trail. I ran the Long Path out and then cut down to the Shore Trail via the Huyler’s Landing Trail for my run back to the Bridge. The trails are well groomed and marked with different color paint “blazes” every so often on trees, rocks or signs (the Long Path is teal, the Shore Trail is white, etc.). There are some incredible views from both the Long Path and the Shore Trail – it’s a little surprising how green the Bronx and Yonkers are when you’re looking at them from New Jersey! There are lots of little critters – squirrels and birds and such – but nothing dangerous. Well, there was this one squirrel that shot across the trail in front of me and almost looked like it was going to attack, but chose to run off instead! In general the Long Path is pretty smooth, but there are some rougher sections. The Huyler’s Landing Trail is a little rougher and it’s a bunch of switchbacks, some of which are fairly steep. The Shore Trail is definitely rougher than the Long Path; sharper rocks, a thinner trail, more obstacles to run through – and there are some sort of hairy parts, including one place where the river must have eaten the trail away, so you have to hop from rock to rock, while timing a little tide movement to avoid getting wet. I barely saw anyone out there today, which strikes me as a shame because it’s such a nice place to run or walk or hike.
All in all, it was damn fun!
I found a ton of information about the hiking/running trails in the Palisades at www.njpalisades.org. The site has descriptions of the trails and maps, but once you get started, the trails were pretty easy to follow (I thought). If you live in New York, you have to go up there and check it out.
Bike – October 8
Distance: 22 miles
Time: 1:15
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Course: West Side Highway to Central Park, 2 loops
Conditions: Warm, humid
Yoga – October 8
Run – October 9
Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: HR monitor in the shop
Course: West Village, West Side Highway
Conditions: Partly sunny
Run – October 10
Distance: 5.5 miles
Time: 45 minutes
Average heart rate: 146
Treadmill run
Run – October 11
Distance: 3.2 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 139
Course: West Village and Soho
Conditions: Overcast, cooler (50s)
Swim – October 11
Distance: 3,050 yards
Time: 1:00
Run – October 13
Distance: 18.75 miles
Time: 2:35
Average heart rate: 144
Course: George Washington Bridge, Palisades Park
Conditions: Sunny, crisp, high 50’s, great day!