Global Running Day in a Local Way: Route #4
I was challenged by my co-worker, Gordon Bakoulis, to complete the Global Running Day #Run1Tag1 challenge by running the NYRR Virtual Global Running Day 1M race. I live outside the city in Westchester, so I decided to explore some of the beautiful and historic river towns along the Hudson for my run.
For my 1-mile race, I decided to run from river town to river town, starting in Hastings-on-Hudson, and finishing in Dobbs Ferry. These two towns sit right on the banks of the Hudson River, and are filled with quiet homes, historical landmarksc, and a conveniently wide road with sidewalks linking the two of them.
I also chose this section of road, in part, because it did not have heavy foot traffic, so I knew maintaining social distancing while running would be easier than if I had chosen more popular routes.
I started out at the end of the main street in Hastings-on-Hudson, where there was a small grassy plaza. Near this plaza I saw a NY State historical marker.
A battle of the American Revolution was fought where I was starting my virtual race! Even though I wouldn’t be making any history with my run, it still felt significant that this was the spot I had chosen.
As I started down the road, everything felt very green and lush as trees, flowers, and bushes were in full bloom around me. The area was bursting with color, despite the gray, gloomy day, and even though it was ideal running conditions, there was no one on the sidewalk as far as the eye could see in either direction.
As for the running itself, I was not breaking any records as I am not in good shape. I knew this going in as I had stopped running back in March when the stay-at-home order had begun. If I tried to run a mile all out, I would still be out there right now trying to crawl home. With that in mind I took it easy, not worrying about my time and just enjoying running again.
I reached the outskirts of Dobbs Ferry and saw another historical marker. In July and August of 1781, the First Connecticut Brigade Continental Army held a line of entrenchments across this road. The first thing that crossed my mind reading this was, it must have been blazing hot in their heavy uniforms! The second was amazement that the road I was running on had even been there for that long. That knowledge gave me an inspirational boost to finish the mile.
I finished my race at the tip of the main street in Dobbs Ferry, with a view of the mighty Hudson to my left and the end of the Palisades cliffs where they turn into the sweeping hills of the Hudson Valley beyond. In my opinion, there are not many better finish-line views!
My time was pretty slow, but that didn’t matter. Right now, all the matters is the ability to run at all, and to do it safely. In total I only saw three other people on my run, and it was very easy to maintain a social distancing six feet away from them as we passed each other.
This Global Running Day is going to be different than any other due to the pandemic, with runners unable to come together like we have in the past, but this race really helped me remember why I love running in the first place. It isn’t always about getting a new PR, or even competing against other people. At its core, it is just about getting out there, getting my heart pumping, and exploring the world around me.
To keep the #Run1Tag1 challenge going, I challenge Vice President of Marketing Bruno Garcia at NYRR to complete a one-mile run!