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The Bronx to Battery Winter Run |
Please consult with your doctor before attempting any of the exercises described. |
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| The rationale: |
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To break the monotony and take on NYC as the running/walking friendly city it can be. |
| Background: |
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Who: Brian, Jeff and Jim
What: Run the length of B'way (242nd St. to Battery Park)
When: Saturday, January 27th - 5:30 AM
Where: 242nd St. and B'way
Why: Because we can
How: Foot power
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| The Exercise: |
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Jim and I set out at about 5:20 AM. The air temperature was cold
but not bitter like yesterday. I don't recall ever
feeling warm during the run, just not intolerably
cold.
The streets were empty as is to be expected and there
was little to worry about in regards to traffic or
crosswalks.
When we passed 187th St. we took a quick right, did one
lap around the block of the Alpe D'Steps course (a climb of 130 steps) and got back on
Broadway.
We were cheered on at two separate points: at 172nd St. one older gentleman yelled "Carrion!
Carrion!" at us. Well, at least that's what it sounded
like in his native tongue. At around 95th St. a rather
dirty gentleman yelled at us several times, "You are
the devil! You are the devil!" People usually have to
know me for a bit longer before they come to that
conclusion.
We picked up Jeff at 86th St. and stopped in a local
deli to recharge and rehydrate. The checkout guy
looked us up and down and asked us what OrganicAthlete
was. Jimmy explained that it's a cycling team
dedicated to healthy living and ecological sustainability. I
followed by telling the gentleman that about twenty
other runners were about five minutes behind and that
they should get ready for the onslaught. Jeff just
stood there. It was his best defense (what movie is
that line from?)
(By the way, Jeff is a great guy and a great addition
to our team. Another one of those guys who we are all
going to be happy to share a uniform with. I look
forward to racing for and with him this season.)
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It appeared to be growing colder as we headed south but I chalk that up to increasing fatigue. We met up with Jack at 43rd and B'way and he flashed his jacket open to reveal bananas, water and vegan food bars. He was a human rest stop. A few pictures were snapped and off we went. Note - it was the first time in Times Square history that a man flashing his coat open was not followed quickly by a scream and an arrest.
The wind was never an issue until around 35th St. (Is that right, Jeff/Jim?) when it felt bitter. Eventually the buildings parted and we could see the sky over the Battery. Cutting through Battery Park we finished our run by tapping the railing looking over the Statue of
Liberty. A nice tourist from Jolly Old London snapped our photo and so it ended. |
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One thing that I noted was that a run like today is
the complete reversal of a show like "Everest: Beyond
the Limit." The dramatic tension of that show was
based upon the participants being stranded in the
middle of nowhere with no help nearby. In our instance
we were never more than a block from an ATM, deli,
subway stop, ah the joys of civilization....
The added twist to the next time we try this is that
rather than jump on the train to head north after
getting to Battery Park we'll just turn around and
start heading up Broadway and see how long we can hold
on. If we do the entire loop it would be 29.2 miles
round trip...now, that's a run...
One thing I noticed was the amount of garbage piled
by the curbs. Bags upon bags, cardboard tied together
in huge piles. This is not a comment that the city is
dirty (it was all well organized) but it was just so
much stuff being produced and discarded. It's tough to
think about sustainability after seeing that.
Jim was going right from our run to the spin/yoga
session that our team was holding at noon. Good luck holding his wheel come race
season...
Tale of the tape -
14.6 Miles
242nd St. to Battery Park
Broadway all the way
2:43 - 11:10 pace (lotta stops, everyone, lotta stops) |
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