Central Park NYC

As my wife was inconsiderate enough to have her birthday on the weekend BETWEEN the New York Half Marathon and the Scotland 10k then unfortunately I can't bring you a race report from the Big Apple. However I did do a bit of running so a report of sorts ---

 

Within half an hour of arriving I had bought a new pair of Brooks Pure Cadence and staying across from Central Park meant I just had to try them out. So at 7am I joined the hundreds of other New Yorkers who exercise in Central Park. The Park is a great place with tarmac, gravel paths and even off road sections that would make you think you were in the Glen. People use all sorts of ways to get round, as well as the runners and cyclists there were roller bladers, scooters, ski blades (?) and a group of Mommies with strollers that kept up a pretty good pace.

 

I started at the 7th Avenue entrance to the park and had read that the convention was to go anti-clockwise. However people walked on the running lane, ran on the cycle lane and cycled on the road so perhaps like the rest of New York there is no convention. There is no traffic allowed in the morning so it was a great run. I had always imagined it was flat but in actual fact it is anything but. There is a hill just after the half way mark which is steeper and longer than Avondale. Some guy even tried to go with me on the hill but as all he saw was the back of my t-shirt I'm sure he was left wondering who this Calderglen Harriers club was that trained elite hill runners! !

Anyway back to the 'race' report. I was running well but fading as I headed for home, when a cyclist came by and shouted (on my life) "Hey man nice pace .... looking good" well what more encouragement does a man need so the last kilometre was covered at effort pace!

 

As usual I don't travel anywhere without the Garmin so the scores on the doors were 9.85km in 43:09. Of course once I had a time I had to try and beat it so the same again the next morning for a 42:03.

 

Would love to have included a picture of me running but the wife wouldn't get out her bed so the best I can do is one from the room window - I'm out there somewhere!

Phimi

 

Well done to Stephen on continuing the tradition of a true Harrier and running wherever we go!

Alan