Feelin’ Groovy

One of my favorite runs through the city is the route from my apartment, over the 59th Street Bridge to its Western foot, and back. There are four fantastic hills, which are the most reliable gauge of how tired or dehydrated I am that day.  There’s the view from the bridge, the romance of running through the Big Apple, the bunches of other athletes I encounter on my route, and the comfort of familiarity.  There is also the pulse of the city — cars, buses, subway trains, bikes, taxis, the Roosevelt Island Tram, and the occassional boat or barge, all wend their way through the route. It’s 5 miles there and back, which makes it the perfect distance for a Saturday or Sunday morning run.

This is the view as I run back home through Queens Plaza.

Today, my alarm went off at 8, and I was dressed and caffeinated by 8:45.  I chased an Apple Pie Cliff Shot with the dregs of my coffee, and headed out.  Man, did it feel good.  With Matt whispering episodes #90 and #1 (anniversary rewind) from his Dump Runners Club podcast in my ear, I traced a hot path up 43rd Avenue to Skillman, and right onto Queens Boulevarde, where I always remember to feel badly for all the poor suckers who have to go to work on Saturday morning. (Why else would they be up at 9am on a Saturday, if they aren’t running?)  Although, even my fellow bridge runners seemed to still be in bed this lovely morning, as I didn’t spot even one other runner until I was about a mile and a half from home.  There was hardly another soul on the bridge with me, I think I saw 3 cyclists and one construction worker (half of the bridge has been covered in plywood & tarps for months and months now as they restore & repair). 

I always say a quick word of thanks when it’s not too windy when I run over the bridge.  In the winter, the wind can really bite, and in the summer it kicks all the grit and grime into my eyes, nose and mouth.  Today, though, it was still.  In fact, the 39 degrees, slightly cloudy conditions were perfect, and I was glad to leave the hat & gloves at home.

At this point in my run, Matt was talking about how he finds it inspiring to watch elite athletes as they run, whether it’s in competition or in training (he was specifically referring to this video of Ryan Hall cranking through a 15-mile training run).  I couldn’t agree more with Matt.  Call me a romantic, but I get choked up with emotion when the elites come zooming by my spectating spot at mile 13.5 during the New York City Marathon.  And this year, watching the Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials was a transformative experience for me.  Is it possible to get runner’s high as a spectator?  If so, it absolutely happened to me on November 3, 2007.  Just remembering how exciting it was to watch that race pumped me up so much that the westbound hill on the 59th Street Bridge went by in a snap.

On the bridge’s downhills I always take a moment to look out at the river.  The pedestrian path runs along the north side of the bridge, on the upper level.  Of course, the better view is from the south side of the bridge, but I’m not really complaining.  Today it was pretty overcast, and I couldn’t see too far.

I was about 10 blocks from home when I calculated that if I picked up the pace I would have a chance to make it home in 50 minutes.  So, I picked it up, and was pleasantly surprised to realize how lively my legs felt, how happy they were to go faster.  Now mind you, the last mile of this route, with a very short exception, is uphill.  Then I remembered there was no sign of cement-block feet at the beginning of my run today.  I must conclude: marathon recovery, completed!  And, my 5-mile, over-the-bridge-and-back run?  Completed in 50:12.  Will you all let me count that as a 10-minute mile pace, if you delete the time it took to stop to take two pictures, and the time I got stuck at a light?

Next project: figure out which half-marathon I will officially train for, and then build out the schedule.