First off, I want to apologize to the two or three people who read this for what a bore the last bunch of posts have been. With October being the most important month in my training for Philly, its basically been all that has been on my mind. Getting my long run in and getting my tempo in and keeping the base miles up throughout the week. It almost feels like I did a 20 mile race every weekend this month. I figure if I put all this effort in now, it’ll pay me back on race day. We’ll find out. But, now that it’s over, and the pressure is gone, I think I might miss doing it come this weekend. When I miss it a lot, I know I’m ready to race.
Anyway, enough about that.
Meanwhile, everyday I get those base miles in during my lunch hour. I run from my office, about 1.2 miles up Broadway to Central Park, do a lap, and then run back. I do this almost everyday with a buddy from work. The total run is 8.5 miles. Its a crazy run along Broadway. At times we have to stop for lights, but generally sprint through traffic if theres enough space between the cars that are travelling cross town. Pedestrians and bicyclists present another challenge.
On Broadway, a bicycle lane and a pedestrian area has taken over two of the existing four lanes, leaving just two lanes for vehicular traffic. We follow this all the way through Times Square, and up to 59th street where we enter the park. The trip along Broadway can be split into about 4 sections. The part south of Times Square. The lower half of Times Square before crossing 7th ave. The portion of Times Square north of 7th ave. And the portion north of Times Square.
Broadway's bike path and pedestrian area first being added. This section is just south of Times Square
When starting out on the southern most portion, the pedestrian/bike path is tougher to run through than running against traffic in the street. The section is full of tables and chairs, but mainly pedestrians who just don’t look where they’re walking. There are challenges when in the street, as well, because those who come out into the street to cross Broadway will look north for cars, but not south which will be the direction we’re coming from. They often step out quickly without looking.
The start of our run to Central Park
The two portions of Times Square, both north and south of 7th ave, are strategically the same in terms of negotiating your way through it. The reason for splitting it into two sections has more to do with milestones than the logistics of navigation. The two parts are large pedestrian areas with the same, but many more, tables and chairs with only a small section to run around. On bad days, the whole section may be packed with people if some sort of event is occurring. On those days, we run west along 42nd street and the north on 7th ave to Broadway.
Entering Times Square at 42nd and Broadway
Running through Times Square
On most days, when running through, 7th ave is always the biggest challenge to get across. But, we have options to get across it on more than one street, so we rarely get caught waiting for a traffic light at 46th street.
Looking south at where Broadway crosses 7th ave running left to right
Once we’re at 49th street, the rest of Broadway is uphill, but easy to navigate to Central Park, with crossing 57th street being the biggest challenge. If we get stuck at a light there, we often have to wait for the green since 57th traffic runs both east and west, and running through 4 lanes of traffic against the light is nearly impossible with getting flattened by a cab.
From there, once we are across 57th street, we’re basically in the park. This is where the real run starts. Almost exactly 6 miles around. We do a lap, and then run back.
Central Park! End of the road. Now the running can begin.
Running south back down Broadway is always easier. For one, it’s all downhill. But the fact we now run in the direction with traffic also makes it easier when going through Times Square, and then further south. There, traffic normally doesn’t travel at speeds faster than 7 mph. I’ve often run between cars in the middle of the lanes passing cars.
If it sounds crazy it is. But it beats taking the subway to the park. It saves us $5 each, and it get us there faster. Plus we get to log an extra 2.4 miles.
