Great Things About NYC Running

During my long run today, I started thinking of all the annoying things about running in NYC. Then, because I had a lot of time on my hands, I turned the thought over to come up with the best things. Here's my partial list: Central Park, Riverside Park, Battery Park, freeze-proof water fountains, the Nike Runner Station, vending machines that take sweaty dollars, the Bridle Path, the cat statue that says you're almost up Cat Hill, the Great Hill, seeing people skate at Wollman and Lasker while doing loops in the winter, running after a snowfall in a near-empty Central Park, passing Dominican families barbecuing in north Riverside Park, reaching the Tubby Hook Cafe, seeing the GW Bridge come into view when coming north along the Hudson, the dirt path near the dog runs in Riverside, the bird sanctuary at 120th Street, that 3,000 people get up at 7am to do 20 miles during the long-training runs, coming off the 59th Street Bridge to the roar during the marathon, pretty girls who run in Central Park, the Broadway Ultra Society, Hash runs, exploring the boroughs 13.1 miles at a time, Los Compadres, the power-walking drill saergent guy urging people on in Central Park races, seeing outdoor movies in Riverside three seconds at a time during the summer, spying the Statue of Liberty during a long run, the Eleanor Roosevelt statue on 72nd Street, the Sri Chinmoy 3,100-mile run, knowing the light at 95th and Riverside has a 7-second delay, making the turn for home at the Staten Island Ferry and knowing there's just another hour more.

10.5 miles, 1:16:37