New York Part II

After buying my running shoes at JackRabbit, I took them on their maiden voyage for a run in Central Park. I had been dying to run in the Park especially because of the beautiful fall colors. Sadly, it was raining. Misting a bit at first, but then switching to a major downpour. Since Eugene and I once ran 20 miles in a New Orleans tropical storm, we didn't let a little bit of rain stop us.

Our hotel was located in the Times Square area so we had to run seven or eight blocks to get to the Park. Running to the park was a funny experience. There were throngs of tourists, and at times, it seemed like we were stuck in traffic because of the crowds. Also, because it was raining, people had their umbrellas up, which made it even harder to navigate the crowds.

We finally got to the Park and ran the entire loop. The trees and water were beautiful, especially when contrasted with the beautiful old buildings surrounding the park. The terrain was a nice mixture of flat land and rolling hills. It was surpising to see how many people were out in the rain. Some were running, like us, but others were sauntering without rain gear as if it were a sunny day. We ran past a carousel, a restaurant, an ice rink, and a bunch of fields. I would have loved to see more of the Park's landmarks, but it was all we could do in the rain to run the loop.

So, how did I feel? At times, the run seemed harder than it should on my legs, but they eventually got into the groove. My breathing was easy. Whereas a few weeks ago, it would have been difficult to talk and run at the same time, I was able to carry on a conversation with Eugene without straining to breathe.

On a mental level, the run was fun, but depressing. People kept speeding by me -- even people who looked like they weren't in the best physical condition. Ahhh. Motivation.