I’m standing by the finish line of the ING Miami Marathon in shorts and short sleeves, waiting for my friends to arrive, so I can cheer my head off for 15 seconds. I already spotted them at the start and the half-way point, looking strong….
Friday I bolted out of work at noon to head to the gym with my bag for the trip and gear for my long run. I switched outfits faster than Supergirl, and was headed west on 48th street by 12:20 to start my 14 miles. I knew the challenge of this run was going to be slowing myself down, because I was so keyed up from an intense half-day at the office, and nervous about getting to the airport on time. And in fact, I ran my first mile in less than 8 minutes. Um, not exactly an appropriate long run pace (for me, for now).
Okay lady, sshh. Up I went along the West Side Highway rec path, past the Intrepid, into Riverside Park, then I turned around at 108th Street. I realized this was the third time I’ve run this part of the Greenway in six days (the other two times being my 6-mile pace run and my speed workout). I ached a little–knees and then later, hips. There were more folks than I’d have expected out running in the middle of the day, but the weather was so beautiful–40 degrees–perhaps others decided to play hooky, too. I think I ran past the actor William H. Macy (you know, from Fargo, and The Cooler), and I definitely passed two Ironmen since I saw them coming and going (they were running fast, and for distance) and their legs were shaved. Dead giveaway.
Down I ran, past 48th Street, three more miles, with the Hudson River, frozen over with a salty crust on my left, and the city, cooling holding its secrets, to my right. I stopped around Mile 7 for my Hammer Gel (Apple Cinnamon, it tastes like a McDonald’s Apple Pie) and slurp some water.
Before I knew it, I’d been running for nearly two hours, and was putting on my right blinker to head back across 48th Street and the final mile of the workout. I was pretty achy, since I could never fully relax into the run. Finally, I pulled up outside the gym and clicked off Little G, sweaty, beat, and ready for some South Beach sunshine.
Here are my splits, with street intersections (more or less), too.
Start: W 48th & 6th Avenue
Mile 1: W 48th & West Side Highway – 7:34
Mile 2: W 68th & WSH – 9:33
Mile 3: W 87th & Riverside Drive – 7:45
Mile 4: W 100th (ran up to 108 & turned around) & Riverside Drive – 9:01
Mile 5: W 80th & WSH – 8:56
Mile 6: W 61st & WSH – 9:23
Mile 7: W 41st & WSH – 9:05
Mile 8: W 22nd & WSH – 9:19
Mile 9: Charles Street & WSH – 9:03
Mile 10: Bank Street & WSH – 8:51
Mile 11: W 24th & WSH – 8:46
Mile 12: W 33rd & WSH – 8:36
Mile 13: W 50th & WSH – 9:22
Mile 14: W 48th & 6th Avenue – 8:02
Sounds like a great run… It’s great when you get a chance to run outside during the afternoon and absorb the sunshine. If you ever start from there again and do a similar distance, though, you might want to keep going around the bottom of the island and come up the East River instead of doubling back. You don’t have to move to 1st Ave until 34th St and it’s pretty cool running underneath the Brooklyn Bridge and all that. Plus it makes it seem like you ran farther… Just a thought. 🙂
Hi Cowboy. Yes, I have run that route many times over the past several years, including a few times during my training for NYC. Click these links to see a couple of the posts I wrote about that route.
The reason I didn’t do that on Friday was because I needed to end up at my gym where I’d started, since I needed to shower & change before I left directly for the airport to go to Miami. My running route was very deliberately chosen on Friday.
“Um, not exactly an appropriate long run pace (for me, for now).”
Best. Line. Ever.
After a fourteener, how sore and achy were you cooped up on the plane to Miami? Or does that only happen to us older folks?
Actually, I was very tight and a little sore after the flight. It affected my run on Saturday, for sure (see post: South Beach Seven).
Hahaha. I guess I should have done some research before I spoke. 🙂
The WSH must be prime celebrity territory. I had a Bobby Flay sighting last summer. I danced on your bridge Friday afternoon, also delighted by the sunshine and warmish weather.