« Dodging tourists in Lower Manhattan | Main | Just a (short) long run »
June 3, 2005
Exploring Prospect Park
Even though the humid air made me feel rather sluggish this morning, I was really glad to have company and a tour guide to lead the way from my apartment to Prospect Park. T. has lived in Brooklyn for a number of years and has already shared many of his "standard" routes with me by email. Today we met in person (he lives only a couple of blocks away from where we are staying) and we ran to Prospect Park (about 2.5 miles, I think), did a loop of the park (almost 3.5) and then back home a different way. T. was concerned that I wouldn't want to "slow down for an old man" but we compromised at about 8:30 pace and that was just fine for me today. I miss having company so I'll run at pretty much any pace!
We chatted almost the whole way, but I did notice how cool Prospect Park is. Having never been there, I imagined it more like Rock Creek Park in Washington. But it was just like Central Park, only half the size. Next time I go back I'll try to explore a little more, but today we just stayed on the main path that loops around the perimeter. It's fairly hilly but nothing too bad--it will be good to run that loop a couple of times a week.
After the run and a few errands, I took the subway all the way up to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. I haven't been there in a few years, and never to the track stadium where I was headed today. The track meet going on there marked the culmination of the "season" for NYC school kids participating in the New York Road Runners Foundation (NYRRF--where I'm working this summer)after-school running program. There were hundreds of kids there and it was quite chaotic but very inspiring. I met my new boss and interviewed some kids and parents about the program and how it has impacted their lives. Good stuff. I have some follow-up work to do on that this weekend in between a rehearsal dinner and a wedding we are invited to.
Now we're back in Westchester because this wedding requires that we use our car. We planned to come back tomorrow but changed it to tonight when the weather was crappy. I hope to get in a good run at Rockefeller tomorrow since we're in the area! Enjoy your weekends!
Posted by becky at June 3, 2005 9:44 PM