Monday, July 18, 2005

16 down, many more to go

I typically run long on Sundays, but as my whole schedule was pushed back a day last week, I did yesterday's run this morning before work (Grey f/l this week). I knew what I was up against, having checked weather.com--which, btw, tries to tell me that 76 degrees with 92% humidity feels like 76 (bullshet)--but there's really no predicting the net result. Eh, ended up being a moderately comfortable one, following the usual *hard start, easy stretch, hard again, easy, hard* progression. The first four miles, always tough, would have been tougher still had I been w/o my new savior--a frozen 20-oz Evian. He only gets me that far before he turns to plain old water (you're pathetic), and well, lukewarm H20 is just sooo refreshing in sick-hot conditions. Yes, that element of my run needs work. (Ideas?) Anyhow, I was thrilled to finally have cracked the whole East River/FDR trail conundrum--before today, I hadn't figured out where the thing picks up after dead-ending at 34th St. 63rd: Now I know. So I stayed the northward course, passing the Queensboro and Triborough and a couple of smaller bridges, as well as John Jay and Carl Schurz parks and plenty of rich-y UES condos and apt buildings. It was a pretty quiet scene--probably something to do w/ the fact that it was 6:30 a.m. Still, there were a good number of people out walking/running, and I never felt out of my element. Of course, toted the pepper spray just in case. At about 11 miles in, I was cursing my shallow key pocket, responsible for dumping a packet of Gu somewhere near my starting point. This meant I'd had only the one in my hand to get me through the miles, the one I'd consumed at roughly mile 5. (I like to follow the *Gu every 45 minutes* formula.) Anyhow, such specifics are likely terribly boring for some to read, but hey, I'm all about the detail, no?

In sum, I made it up to 125th before turning back, and I got a kick out of discovering this new-to-me route. Nothing like a little variety. And now, in checking out my trusty map, I see that above UES, I skirted the neighborhoods of Yorkville, Carnegie Hill and East Harlem. Who knew? Actually, this is what I love most about running--the ability to cover a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time. And while walking is always preferable when it comes to taking in my surroundings in a relaxed manner, I just can't move fast enough to see enough. But w/ running, there's always the off-chance that I won't be dragging to the point of total tunnel vision, thereby allowing me to take in/appreciate long stretches of my city.

One of these Sundays I'll run all the way up to the tippy-top of the island (216th) and take the 1 or the 9 all the way back down. I'll want to kiss that A/C'd train, surely.

Posted by princess kanomanom @ 3:00 PM