Run 49

I'm going out of town tomorrow and still have a huge to-do list before I take off.  Not sure I have time to go running, but then again I will be gone for 2 weeks. That's a long time away from covering any territory. I decided to stay near home and do a quick run on the avenues.  I run south on 9th Avenue away from my apartment and then back home up 10th Avenue.  Traffic light patterns favor the vehicles on the avenues.  I'm excited to start running them because I will have more green lights and less stops, so I will be able to run faster.  My pace to night was a 7:47/mile. Yes it was a short run, so that is a factor, but my usual pace is around 8:35/mile.   
I'm off to Arizona for my brother's wedding, see ya in a couple of weeks.  


Time: 9pm
Distance: 3.39 miles
Time: 26:25 minutes
Music: Aida

Run 48

Today I ran on the east side from 78th to 83rd streets. I ran directly in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The MET for pete's sake, right there at my finger tips.  I've been there quite a few times, usually when I have a visitor in town. But seeing it made me think about how many things I don't take advantage of.  I live in NYC, endless opportunity and activities all around me.  But most of us, definitely including me, get stuck in a rut and just do our daily grind.  I know it's hard but I challenge you (and myself) to mix it up.  Do new things, explore new places and activities. If anyone knows how to accomplish this, please let me know.  


Time: 5 pm
Distance: 5.78 miles
Time: 49:59 minutes
Music: Chely Wright

Run 47 One Block Streets

There's a small section downtown that has been bothering me.  As you know I've been running streets that run in and east/west direction, after I'm done with that I will go back and run the north/south avenues.  There's this small section where the streets run diagonal.  I can't decide which direction they run.  I have felt like my downtown section is incomplete, so I had to go run them, just to feel better about myself, to unburden my mind, lol.


When most people think of NYC streets, they think of Broadway, 42nd Street, 5th Avenue or Wall Street.     As I have been running I get a kick out of the small streets.  I've been wanting to write about them for a while now, but have been waiting for the right moment.  On this route I ended up heading down Mechanics Alley.  It is a one block street that is hiding under the Manhattan Bridge.  It is not even on the map.  On this street you would never guess that you were in the middle of NYC.  


So here's a few pictures of the little guys.  The unsung heroes that no one knows or cares about, but are still part of NYC.  I'll add photos to this album as time goes by and I find others.  

Time: 4pm
Distance: 4.89 miles
Time: 45:01 minutes
Music: Carrie Underwood

Run 46

Quick and easy run today in the east 70's.  It was much warmer today than it has been recently. It was a welcomed surprise. The upper east side is not the easiest area to get to from my apartment. I need to do some long routes and get it over with. :)


Time: 9 pm
Distance: 4.65 miles
Time: 41:34 minutes
Music: Evita

Run 45 Beauty

Because of many great reasons, mainly the flu and snow, It's been a while since I've been on a run.   I hit the road running today (literally).  It started out as a boring run.  I had no clue what I was going to blog about, but then I realized how beautiful everything around me was.  

beau·ty

 noun \ˈbyü-tē\

: the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit : loveliness

I started running at 5pm, right after the sun set. If you know me,  I love a good sunset, but just as much, if not more I love twilight, no NOT the vampire movies, but the magically time right after the sun goes down, when there's still ambient light from the sun, the sky is crazy shades of blue and the city lights are slowly appearing.  

It was freezing cold, in middle of a concrete jungle, but my senses where definitely being pleased and my mind and spirit exalted.  It made me think about the word beauty as I ran.  Also about what I find beautiful, what other people find beautiful and how neat it is that beauty comes in so many shapes and sizes.  

Time: 5pm

Distance: 6.24 miles

Time: 55:49 minutes

Music: Jo Dee Messina 

brb

Cold weather, snow storms, the flu, laziness, travel....
Stay tuned...  be back soon

Run 44

Part of the reason I'm doing this is to see more of NYC, to find new things that I didn't know existed.  As I ran east 60th street I did exactly that.  I looked up in the sky and saw a tram, a cable car running next to the Queensboro bridge.  I had never seen this, never heard of it, had no clue where it went, how much it cost, etc.  

So I went home and looked it up.  It is called the Roosevelt Island Tram.  It goes from 60th street and 2nd Avenue out to Roosevelt Island.  A few days later I grabbed a friend and we went on a ride.  It was only about a 3 minutes ride, but it was free! (well, not totally.  It costs the same as a subway ride.  An Unlimited ride metro card, which I already had, is valid and gets you on board) It's always nice to get up in the air and see things from a different angle.  It was neat looking north up 1st Ave from up above.  It also had great views of 60th street, the Queensboro Bridge and of course the East River.  Thanks to this adventure I keep discovering new things.  

Time: 2:30 pm

Distance: 7.01 Miles

Time: 1:04:10 minutes

Music: shuffle