I’m becoming restless. Time to break up the drudgery of distance training by running somewhere new. I choose the NY Marathon Long Training Run #1 in Central Park. The run costs $15.00 if entered ahead of time and a little more to pay on the spot. The run is billed as a “noncompetitive” 6-20 miler.
Saturday night, Chelsea, NY: Paul, consummate theatre enthusiast and fun time addict, absolutely must attend the last performance of Twelfth Night, a Shakespeare in the Park production starring Audra McDonald, Anne Hathaway and Julie White. Goddesses all. The play has earned stellar reviews and the requisite buzz. The tickets are free (that is, if you can line up early enough).
Paul stays up late and sleeps in, while my definition of a late run, alas, is 6 am. But tonight is not like any other night. After drenching thunderstorms pass, Paul leaves his Chelsea apartment at 3 am and bikes to Central Park West, where the ticket line begins. Paul encounters a mighty line in front of him formed in defiance of the storm. I leave 3 hours later to make my way to the run’s starting point, at the Park on 5th Avenue and 102 Street.
The run’s start is low-key and upbeat. I take in the pre-run chatter. Runners are wowed by a Polar triathlon watch (it records time and distance on the run and in the water.) We talk of our next marathon: NY and Chicago are mentioned most often. Runners bitterly compare notes about the perpetual conflict between Central Park bikers vs. runners. (Heidi: how do triathletes’ traverse this divide?)
The run consists of 4 loops; one 6 mile loop, two 5 milers and the last loop of 4 miles. Water is provided throughout the run. At mile 6, 11, 16 and 20, Gatorade and pretzels are provided. GU is located at miles 11, 16 and 20 (does anyone actually down a GU at the end of a run?)
The run starts about 20 minutes late. The course is hilly throughout (see map). Each mile is marked. The sun is blazing hot. Then, we run into luxurious, jade colored shade. The sites that keep my mind off the miles: the Lennon/Ono Dakota, the stately Met, the newly spiffed up Guggenheim, the jewel-like Reservoir and the Fred Lebow statue (checking his watch.) Lebow was a beloved runner who helped organize the first New York City Marathon along with many other notable races.
I pass Paul and the Shakespeare line three times. Line holders eat. They doze. They read the Times and play Charades. Parents are reading the Shakespeare plays to their teenagers (Ann Hathaway fans.) Everyone is fretting about their chance to get a ticket. Anxiety is a faithful friend.
The staff informs Paul that his place in line is directly across from the Rock of Hope. Meaning that he has a 50% chance of scoring 2 tickets. 50%!?! Paul has bonded with his line-mates as they share tales of ticket-waiting hell. To pass the time, they track my progress throughout the loops.
Unlike most races, the pace groups are well-defined. The event organizers purposefully create time and space between each pace group. It’s a good thing because there are no pace balloons or identifying markers. When I inevitably slow, it’s as if a herd of caribou are behind me.
Most of us end our run after the third loop, at mile 16. Unlike a race with a definite finish, this run allows my running devil to go wild; “stop now, it’s hot and hilly. Quit while you can; with a modicum of dignity!”
I cool down with a 2 mile walk to the Shakespeare line and spend some time with the line dwellers. At 1:30 pm Paul and his compatriots are awarded with tickets. Everything is cool!
Twelfth Night is all that Paul hoped for, a splendid production and a luminous summer evening in the Park. A perfect way to spend the day on the Twelfth.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I loved this story, I’m sure at least because I love Central Park, even though I’ve only been there a hanful disappointing.
.-= Lizzie´s last blog ..lizreads: No car. When numbers came in it was just too expensive. Drat. =-.
OK, I’m trying again. This site took over my cursar! Anyway, I’ve only been to CP handful of times (well, OK, twice…) but loved it. I tried to get my kids to walk to the theater, they refused (we’d walked and walked and walked already) and found out later about a show we could have seen. As they all do theater, we were all disappointed.
My goal this year had been to run a 10K — way more modest than a marathon! But in ramping up my running in January, I suffered a stress fracture, so that’s really slowed me down. Even now, I still fear a recurrence.
You sound like you have tons of routes already, and you may know of this book, which covers all kinds of walking and jogging trails in New York: Fun on Foot in New York. The authors have documented the best on-foot trails in the five boroughs, plus other parts of the state, parts of upstate New York and regional NJ. There are even maps, directions and assessments.
Happy running! I’m slowly getting back into it, but it’s slow.
.-= Lizzie´s last blog ..lizreads: No car. When numbers came in it was just too expensive. Drat. =-.
Waiting in line for tickets for Shakespeare in the Park has always been the noblest of New York traditions for me. I’ve been doing it since I was in high school. The stories of the folks you meet on line often rival the show we would see later that night. The woman waiting in line next to me quickly became my new best friend. As soon as she discovered that I had a friend doing the training ride, she made it her mission to follow Jamie’s progress. She had done some running herself over the years, and after Jamie passed us the first time she instinctively knew when she would be coming around again. We would momentarily leave our place in the line and wait by the side of the road and try to catch a glimpse of Jamie’s orange and pinkish running jersey in the distance. Of course all my other new best friends on the line cheered her from the background.
Watching the runners this past Sunday I was reminded of the last run I did through Central Park several years ago. I was challenged by a friend to run the annual four mile New Year’s midnight run through the park. I remember it was bitterly cold and we had four layers of clothing on, one for each mile as my friend Lin said. We didn’t really need all of them since we had the body warmth of at least a thousand other runners. I’ve never been a fan of fireworks but watching them reflected against the Manhattan skyline as you’re running is truly magical. However, I must admit that the highlight for me was the little cups of champagne that waited for us as we reached the halfway mark. Can you honestly think of a better way to ring in the New Year?
Fun on Foot in NY seems much more user friendly to me, as compared to Map My Run. I just ordered it, thanks for the tip!
Paul’s New Years Eve at midnight run through the park sounded quite fabulous—
Does anyone else have a running in Central Park story?
Where are your favorite urban parks?