6 miles / 9.6km 
Along the Hudson 
Stumbling upon a 
​Tree-lined trail
In the middle of Riverside Park and
Thinking 
Am I really on the edge
Of one of the most densely populated cities
In the US?  

​Oh how I love running in Manhattan!
I could run along the Hudson
Or the East River (trickier with all the construction)
But today I stick to the center(ish) line
The middle way where
There is a green corridor of parks
From Harlem to midtown
Start outside my front door
Trace the perimeter of Jackie Robinson Park
Run up the hill on 145th
And mercifully down the hill to
St Nicholas Park
With its steep sets of stairs winding through the trees
One of the trees has fallen across the path
Carefully step around
Marvel at its size
And the storm that took it down
(You watched the lightening last night
Through the window from your bed
It was an extraordinary show
You think Abuela and Abuelo and the other angels are having a particularly good night of bowling)
Keep running across 125th
Morningside Park
With its pond and wide open field and
Views to the cathedral
(And more stairs)
And then to the grand dame herself
Central Park
Entering through the upper most reach
The North Woods
Then turning around
And running it all in reverse
Down the stairs into Morningside
Past the ducks
Past 125th
Along St Nicholas
Stay on the outside to avoid the stairs
Enter at the tennis court to run around the playgrounds
Past the fallen tree
A few steps ahead of you
A squirrel crash lands on the pavement with a shocking
THWACK!
Ohmygod, did that squirrel just drop dead?!
You pause to look at it
“Are you ok little one?”
The squirrel doesn’t move.
Should you do something?
The squirrel still doesn’t move
Oh god. It’s dead.
Suddenly, it raises its little head
You realize you are probably frightening it.
You take a step back
The squirrel regains its breath
Darts into the undergrowth
You breathe a sigh of relief
No squirrel death today
You keep running
Out of the park and
Past the church that looks like a castle
Up the hill to 145th
Back down the hill to Jackie Robinson
We’re in the home stretch now
Keep pushing until the app tells you you’ve made it
And then cool down by walking to 153rd where there is a water fountain
It feels damn good.

A guided run with Coach Bennet
Along the Hudson
On a gorgeous spring day
The blue of the sky
The green of the park
What are you proud of
When you run?
The fact that I can
The fact that I do
How much fun it is
Just me and my runners
My headphones
My running playlist
The way I feel at the end
It’s been a little while since I ran longer than 5km
And here I am
6.43km feels easy
I feel like I could keep going

Marathon training has officially begun
A sweaty 5km around Yankee Stadium
Discovering gorgeous fairy dens and
Feeling glorious

It was warm
But I did it!  
And the sky was
Heart-meltingly blue 

A beautiful morning run
Warm enough to not need a jacket
The blossoms and magnolias and daffodils in full bloom
Even the tulips are starting to turn their heads

A beautiful morning
Despite the chilly wind
A bright blue sky
Dotted with puffy white clouds
The sneaky wind kept trying to steal my hat
I told her it was mine 
She wanted to slow me down
But in some moments I could pretend I was a kite 
whoooosh! 
Running felt good 
I've finally figured out a regular route 
That let's me clock 3.1miles / 5km 
Through three parks and around Yankee Stadium
Who would've thunk living in Harlem would let me explore the Bronx 
Discovering urban trails and art deco monuments 
The white magnolias have burst forth 
The yellow daffodils are in full bloom
Pointing their cheery faces to the sun 
Even the green leaves are starting to pop
The giddy promise of spring

Today was my first run
In my new 'hood 
A lot of it was uphill
And then I came to the 
Morris-Jumel Mansion
The oldest surviving residence in NYC 
Built in 1765 by the Morris family 
It later became George Washington's HQ
And then home to Aaron Burr when he married Madame Jumel
History is happening in Manhattan 
Those lines could have even been created there
When Lin-Manuel Miranda used the space for writing
I'm excited to explore 
New/old streets and discover
The history of Harlem
Now right here on my doorstep 

When you wake up in the dark
And you’re not sure if the western sky is still black or stormy
And slowly the sun ascends
And the sky turns from black to grey to pale blue
And it turns out to be a gorgeous morning
And you head out for a brief brisk run
And it feels good to feel the chill of the air
In your lungs
And the warm sun
On your face

The thrill of the marathon finish line
The humanity of it all
Every age, ethnicity, ability
Out there celebrating the triumph of the human spirit