A Wonderful Run

Last night I had one of the best runs I've had in a while so I decided to write about that instead of any poetry or song lyrics this week.

Since moving to Sutton Place I've stopped running in Central Park as much. Whereas before I was just three uptown blocks from the uncrowded northern end, now I'm several avenues and a full mile away. This may not sound like much but at rush hour it often just doesn't feel worth the effort when I've got the East River Greenway and the Queensboro Bridge mere blocks away.

MCNY: Vintage shot of the reservoir at night

Well, last night, for no good reason, I decided to do an unstructured run in Central Park. Traffice be damned, I made my way across town and entered the park at Merchants' Gate by the Maine Monument. This where the marathon enters the park so it's one of my favorite spots. Rather than run on Park Drive as I do every Tuesday, I opted for the Bridle Path and its soft packed dirt.

I certainly don't take advantage of the Bridle path enough, especially in the fall and winter when, because the path is unlit, it's hard to use before or after work. After snaking my way northward through spotty drizzle, I decided on a loop of the reservoir. I actually can't remember the last time I ran the reservoir but it has some of the best views of the Midtown skyline, especially at twilight when all of the buildings are illuminated. The threat of a more forceful rain seemed to have kept the tourists at bay--I had the loop almost to myself.

During my return trip, lightning began to pick up. At first it was alsmot indistringuishable from the lights on 7th Avenue coming from Times Square. As I head east, however, I could see large bolts over the river. It was incredibly impressive, to see mother nature outdoing the lights of Manhattan. The skies did eventually open up, but somehow I made it home just in time to avoid the worst of it.

I have absolutely no idea how far I ran last night, but I know I felt mentally restored when I got home. I also slept like a baby. If only every run could feel that good.