Parade spectators at East 52nd Street and 5th Avenue
No offense, proud Irish people, but St. Patrick’s Day is nothing more to me than a day on which I must suffer through hours of bagpipes and cheers from the parade as they float up to my 5th Floor window at work–my building is just off Fifth Avenue in midtown–and fight the drunken revelers as I beat a hot path to the deli to grab lunch (quick quick like a bunny back to my desk). Nevertheless I’ve been “celebrating” with a run the last few years, and am determined not to let the streak die.
Bagpipers marching in the Sunnyside All-Inclusive St. Patrick's Day Parade a couple of weeks ago.
A jiggity-jig wasn’t possibly, but I did a little pre-planning and brought a change of clothes to work with me on the 16th so that I could run to work on the 17th. This is tricky for me since I must grab my gear from my office and then head back out to the gym (one avenue over and five blocks down) to get freshened up, but the weather was so promising for Wednesday I couldn’t resist. And what did the training calendar have in store for me? No fewer than 10 miles, which meant I was going to have to seriously detour around my 3.5 mile door-to-door to add on the miles. I had no route planned, other than to head into Central Park at some point. Folks are always saying how we can become slaves to the Garmin, constantly checking our pace and progression, but this morning it had the opposite effect. Because I didn’t have a route, I didn’t have to keep track of the miles and could let Little G tell me what was done and what was left.
Crocus means SPRING!
I meandered around. Once I popped off the Queensboro Bridge, I decided to head uptown along First Avenue. The neighborhood was waking up. I could smell the bitter snap of the food cart vendors brewing coffee, and the sweet waft of freshly baked bread and pastry from the delivery trucks. Residents wearing coats over their PJ’s took their dogs out for a quick pee, and focused young professionals clipped down the sidewalk in polished shoes. Eventually I headed west towards Central Park, and thought perhaps I’d run a 4-mile loop, but by the time I’d run over 6 avenues, I realized the loop would give me too many miles. Instead I hopped onto the reservoir loop, which was glorious. The sun was blazing off the glass buildings of Columbus Circle, and off the water, and my heart was full with the privilege and access of being a runner in New York City that morning.
Finally I headed back down towards the office, and made it to 72nd Street and 5th Avenue in 10.5 miles. Since I have the NYC Half this weekend, I didn’t feel like adding another mile to this workout to run all the way to work, so I took the bus instead! (I’d pinned my MetroCard to my shorts. Smart cookie.) This workout ended up being a celebration of the arrival of Spring and of my city, not of St. Patrick’s Day, and that’s just fine with me. 10.51 miles run in 1:40:30. Average pace 9:33; fastest mile 9:00; slowest mile 10:40.
Matilda marching in the Sunnyside St. Patrick's Day Parade. When we say "all-inclusive," we mean ALL!
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