Race Report: Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 6-Day Race; or, How I Stopped Worrying About the Race and Learned to Love the Run, Part II

Numbers of all kinds were running through my head before the start of the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 6-Day Race, which started April 21, 2013 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens. I had high hopes for big mileage totals, so those numbers were in my head, as well as my expected mileage per day, minutes per mile, hours I'd have to sleep, etc. But before the end of the race, none of those numbers really mattered at all, and the most important number was the huge number of friends who came out to crew for me, bring me food, or cheer me on.

So right off the bat I want to thank those people: Trishul and Kaaren Schilke-Cherns for their advice and for the use of their tent, Mike Arnstein for driving me to the start and crewing for me in the early hours, Otto Lam and Paul Kentor for helping crew at the beginning also, Shaun Leonardo for crewing overnight Monday night, Oz Pearlman for crewing Tuesday afternoon/evening and for the "inspirational" notes, Enrico and Sonam Curreri for their visit Tuesday, Deanna Culbreath for crewing Wednesday morning, Rick McNulty also Wednesday morning, Al Prawda for the afternoon, Cherie Yanek for later Wednesday, Richie Innamorato for coming by a couple of times, Susie Schmeltzer, Gerald and Donna Tabios, Mat and Lucinda Gerowitz, Shishaldin Hanlen, Glen Redpath with Pavel and Corinne, Keila Merino (twice) and Stephen England, Mike Mazzone, Otto again for the huge job of crewing for me Thursday night to the Saturday finish, and Elaine Acosta and Dennis Ball for coming to the finish and helping pack up my stuff, and John Garlepp and Barbara Saldick for the ride home. That doesn't even count the race directors, the race staff, especially the kitchen staff, Yuri and Arpan and Trishul and everyone in the medical tent, the musicians, the photographers, Utpal for the interviews, and the other runners who showed all kinds of love and support.

 

Phil and Sylvie Boisvert

I had a lot of reasons to feel good going into this race. Physically I felt good and well-trained and well-rested; this would by far be my longest race, my previous longest being a 48-hour race, but I seemed to do better the longer the race; this would be a reunion of sorts of the 2007 24-Hour world championship team at Drummondville, Canada, where I had my first real breakout race, with teammates Alex Swenson and John Geesler both running, as well as Canadian Sylvie Boisvert who won the open race in Drummondville, and even the race director in Drummondville, Michel Gouin.

With Mike Arnstein's help I got off to a good fast start, just as I was expecting, running 70 miles in the first 12 hours. But I realized that that pace was not sustainable, and my plans would have to be adjusted somewhat, even sleeping the first night, which I didn't plan to do. By nighttime I was on my own, and it was tough mentally, knowing how far I still had to go. It was then that I really questioned the wisdom of entering the race. But I got in about 45 minutes of sleep, from 1:45-2:30 a.m. and I managed to finish the first day with 120 miles. Monday afternoon, Mike and Oz came running by, literally, to give their encouragement and to check up on me, and to leave little notes among all my things, even in my tent.

Monday night Shaun came to crew for me, and although not a runner himself, he is a lifelong athlete, and was  an incredible handler, knowing just what I needed, even helping me into the medical tent for some early blister work, achilles work and massage. After just two hours sleep I was up again and on the road.

Me running on the last day

By Tuesday I was developing a routine of eating, drinking, sleeping, going to the bathroom, and chatting with the other runners, and worrying less about mileage. I seemed to run best from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. We were fed good full meals at 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m., and I usually loaded up a tray and walked with it, and usually felt a burst of energy after the calorie intake. By darkness, I usually slowed down some, and would do a cool-down lap or two before going to sleep, which nights 3-5 was about 11:00 - 3:00. The one thing I was surprised at was that I had a very hard time getting to sleep after the first couple nights. But I'd lay there and get whatever rest I could.

I've already thanked those who came by to help out, but by Tuesday and Wednesday it really became quite overwhelming, in a good way. By Wednesday I think I was gaining a reputation of having a lot of groupies come by, at least that's what Alex said! It was pretty amazing, and I hardly knew how to wrap my mind around it. But that's how I had my revelation. Before the race I'd asked for advice from Trishul, Dave Luljak, as well as from Martin Fryer and John Geesler during the race, and the one thing they all said was to just keep moving forward and not worry about the mileage but just let yourself get into the "flow" of the race. I kind of knew what they meant, but I resisted the part about not worrying about mileage, and it wasn't until Thursday night that I really felt what they meant. I had a visit from one friend who is a very good friend, but my conversation with him kind of jolted me out of the world I was in and brought in some negative outside attitudes. Otto arrived about the same time, and his enthusiasm jolted me a little as well, since I was in a pretty calm and relaxed state by that time. I actually felt the need to calm him down, saying nothing is that urgent. Then I was talking with him, trying to make sure he was going to be ok with enough food and rest, and he kept saying, "Don't worry about me. Just focus." I told him, "Focus isn't the right word. I'm just here, and this is what I'm doing. And now I get it." And at about 8:00 p.m. Thursday night, I got it. Amid the repetitive routine of eating, drinking, sleeping, peeing, and having briefly been jolted out of it, I suddenly realized I'd found the "flow," or possibly, the "bliss," and I understood the joy of what I was doing. As darkness began to fall I passed people walking, and I realized it was the same joy whether you're running or walking, and all of us were sharing the same experience.

I had been in a conversation with Nirbhasa Magee, and Irish runner in the 10-day. He's a very sweet and enthusiastic young guy and he mentioned how everything around us - the Long Island Expressway, the lake, the kids, the motorcyclists popping wheelies, the seagulls pulling worms out of the ground at dawn - was our environment, our theater that we were moving through.

Pavel, Corinne and Glen

So Thursday night turned into Friday, and at Friday noon I felt a big rush of energy from four sources: 1. The sun (and the weather was really beautiful pretty much the whole time, no rain, only occasionally some strong winds); 2. My handler Otto; 3. Lunch; 4. The knowledge that I only had 24 hours to go. Now with my legs still relatively strong, my feet feeling trashed but mostly numb, and newfound energy I began a long surge that took me from 391 miles at noon to 400 miles shortly after 2:00 p.m. and beyond. I did the calculations, and determined that if I kept the same pace (a little better than 4.5 mph) I could just reach 109 for the last day and 500 for the race! It's not a fast pace, and it felt comfortable, but as time went on it felt more and more like a sprint. Otto crewed me like a champ, having everything I needed ready for me. But by a little after 7:00 p.m., the wind came up off the lake, and I realized the foolishness of the task, and I fell into a walk. I thought, I want to enjoy the last day rather than push myself for an arbitrary goal. All I had to do was keep moving and I would win the men's race with a good total, and I would get much more out of the experience.

Martin Fryer of Australia and Kaneenika Janakova of Slovakia, 10-day winners; me and Diplai Cunningham of Australia/U.S., 6-day winners

 The most magical moment of the race came early Saturday morning, about 3:00 a.m. There had been musicians playing during the race - electric guitar/drums, saxophone, acoustic guitar. Saturday morning an electric guitarist was playing eastern-style riffs on the plaza by the lake at the concession stand building, amid the still night sky under a bright full moon, accompanied by a low electric drone. The absolute peace of the moment was only broken by my own traveling around the course.

So after several more hours of traveling around the course, the race was coming to a close. In the end, I won the 6-day race with 462 miles, the great Dipali Cunningham won the women's 6-day race for the 16th straight year. Martin Fryer, my Australian friend, won the men's 10-day and Kaneenika Janakova of Slovakia won the women's 10-day. I was very proud to have finally met Dipali and had the chance to talk with her periodically during the race, and she very kindly gave me words of encouragement. My proudest moment came at the finish when she came over to congratulate me and told me how I helped pull her through the last day. She is truly one of the all-time greatest ultrarunners in the world, and yet one of the most gentle and humble. Early in the race John Geesler had told me that he hoped that he, Alex and I would finish 1, 2, 3, and we did, with Alex and John both finishing with 409 miles (Alex took the 2nd spot by reaching the distance first).

John and me

Alex, me and John

 Now, several days after the race, I am beginning to understand how it fits into my running career and into my life. Over the last year, after some bad races, I've begun to reevaluate my running and my motivations. I'm taking a more personal approach, a more philosophical approach, trying to understand how this fits into my own personal fulfillment, rather than how this fits into the local or national or world scene, or trying to prove to people what I can do. I realize that I have a lot of supporters who want me to do well, but I think I can be a better positive influence by taking this approach. This really only touches the surface of the events and thoughts on the race, and the lessons I learned and the people I met. Some things will have to remain my own personal experience. The "Part II" in the title refers to the Febapple 50 Mile race in February, which was Part I. There I finished a tough race much slower than expected but with as much satisfaction as if I'd won, and maybe more, because it was a victory in its own way. The Self-Transcendence 6-Day Race was a victory as well because I rediscovered the joy of running, of dissipating stress, of coexistence, of relaxation, of smiling and laughing, of showing a positive image, of learning gratitude.

Me and Dipali after the race

Otto, me and Elaine after the race

Race Preview: Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendance 6-Day Race

"Why am I so nervous? Please explain to me why I can't sleep." - "Nervous" by the Moody Blues (John Lodge)

The Unisphere

Getting ready for the big race, which starts tomorrow, April 21, I don't have time to write all I'd like to about my preparations, physical and mental, for this race. I've told people this race scares me a little, that this race makes me nervous. It is by far the longest race I'll have run, my previous longest being 48 hours. What makes me nervous is that I've never before gone into a race having no idea what might happen. I've certainly sometimes done much better than expected, or much worse than expected, but here I really don't know what to expect. But I am running this race to achieve a high performance, not just for the experience. So I am expecting to put myself through a level of pain, physical and mental, that I've never experienced before. I'll have to answer all kinds of questions for myself about sleep deprivation, nutrition, possible risk of injury, and I won't always be in a good frame of mind to answer wisely. And I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to perform, in a very unknown situation. But this is exactly the kind of adventure that I seek, that I need to shake things up as I near my 45th birthday. I even have reporters interested in my food and drink intake.

The Dugout

 So if you're in New York, come on by and say hi!

Handler's Kitchen

 I've got some good friends helping to crew for me at various times, but friendly faces and a helping hand or two are always welcome.

Runners' Kitchen

 Advance thanks to Trishul Cherns, for his advice, and for the use of his tent. Dave Luljak has also given his wise advice. Mike Arnstein, Shaun Leonardo, Oz Pearlman, and the great Otto Lam have all agreed to help crew for me, and others offering to come by as well. I'm looking forward to running with Martin Fryer from Australia, who's already out there running the 10-day, and with former 24-hour national champions Alex Swenson, and John Geesler, about whom enough can't be said. Stay tuned, here we go.

My (Trishul's) Tent

 "It seems to me I've been a long time on this road and I wonder why.
Has there been a sign that points another way and I've passed it by?
I don't know what it is that drives me on.
Gotta keep a-movin,
Gotta keep a-movin on, and on, and on..."

Race Report: BUS 6-Hour Race

April 6 saw the 2013 edition of the BUS 6-Hour Race, held in conjunction with the New York Ultrarunning Grand Prix awards brunch. This year we moved back to Hendrickson Park in Valley Stream, Long Island, and the beautiful 1.4+ mile course around the lake.

Start of the 6-hour

 The weather was a little cool, but a beautiful sunny day. With the 6-day race just two weeks ahead of me, I didn't want to push this race. I just wanted to run comfortably, run well, and maintain good technique and enjoy the day. After the start, Tommy Pyon quickly took the lead en route to a 49+ mile win. I was running a couple laps with Brian Teason before he took off, then I ran another few laps with Andy Costa before he took off, but I enjoyed chatting with both of them and hearing about their plans for upcoming races.

Me and Andy Costa

 Having missed the 6-Hour Birthday Run in October and Caumsett 50K in March, this was the first time in a while I'd had the opportunity to see some of the regulars on the New York/Long Island ultra scene. It was almost like a family reunion with people like Admas Belilgne, Andrei Aroneanu, Frank DeLeo, Grant McKeown, Al Prawda, Ruth Liebowitz, Lydia Redding, Helma Clavin, Charles Bifulco, Nick Palazzo, and on and on and on.

Mike and Marybeth Costello

 I am thankful to Mike and Marybeth Costello for giving me a ride, and for leaving me with the coolers that I bought for the 2009 Badwater race and left in Mike's mother's house in Henderson, NV, never expecting them to make their way back to me in NY!

Shannon McGinn pre-race

 In the end, I finished with 43.7 miles, as much as I would have wanted to run, which put me in 4th place behind Tommy, Brian and Andy. The women's winner was Shannon McGinn, who has really been doing some excellent running lately! But it was a close race with Amanda Toro and Jodi Kartes-Heino not far behind. For the 2012 New York Ultrarunning Grand Prix, the 2012 winners were first-time winner Aaron Heath and recurring winner Jodi Kartes-Heino. Congratulations to them! Overall, a great way to spend a Saturday!

Note: Thanks to Donna Sajulga-Tabios for pics #1, 2, and 5!

The lake behind me

Run Report: Third Occasional Manhattan Bridge Run

Starting on the George Washington Bridge

The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm on March 30 for the Third Occasional Manhattan Bridge Run. This is an informal 33-mile group fun run that I first put together two years ago after doing it once on my own and thinking, this would be more fun with friends along. The idea is to run across every bridge on Manhattan Island, starting with the George Washington Bridge and zig-zagging clockwise across every bridge on the Hudson, Harlem and East Rivers (that can be run across), finishing up by crossing the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall Plaza. (I call it "occasional" because even though it's been annual so far, I might do it again in the fall, I might not do it one year, who knows.) I'd only decided to lead this group again and posted the date on Meetup less than a week before, but I got the biggest response yet! More than 20 signed up for some part of the run, we had 16 at the start (if my count was right) and 13 at the finish, with some runners joining us along the way or pulling out along the way.

Elizabeth and Chris near Yankee Stadium, after crossing Macombs Dam Bridge

 There were a few old friends and Bridge Run veterans, like Glen Redpath, who I haven't run with in quite a while, Bill Sycalik, and Tiger Ellen. But most of those who came were new friends for me, and what a pleasure it was to meet everyone! And everyone was running very strong and had such great spirit and energy.

Descending the stairs near High Bridge in Highbridge Park

I enjoy the run very much, and I especially like showing off northern Manhattan to those who aren't familiar with it. And a lot of the race takes place in northern Manhattan, in fact after 10 miles you're only a few blocks from where you start, and a full 17 miles takes place north of the Triborough Bridge.

Tiger Ellen and Phil at the finish

 I was a little nervous about leading such a big group, keeping everyone safe crossing the streets, making sure we didn't leave anyone behind at pit stops. But with everyone's cooperation it all worked out very well. The time seemed to fly by in such great company, and after almost six hours elapsed time we were crossing the crowded Brooklyn Bridge back into Manhattan for our last crossing and to the finish. Thanks to everyone for a great Saturday long run! I hope to see you all again soon!

The group at the finish

Race Report: Febapple Frozen 50, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About The Race and Start Loving the Run

I think I'm learning, or rather, re-learning. After a couple of bad 24-hour races in the fall, I was wondering if I was still able to push the pain and other distractions aside to do what needed to be done to finish a race the right way. So the Febapple Frozen 50 was going to be my test. It looked like a very fun race that I've been wanting to do. It's also a real trail race, so it's a chance for me to step out of my element and see how I could handle some rough terrain.

Joe

Michael

I got to the race in the company of Joe Del Conte and Michael Samuels - great to spend some time with them. I was picking Michael's brain for info on the course, which I'd never run on before. Rick McNulty, the Race Director, had posted that conditions were very icy on the trail. That didn't sound good to me. The weather forecast called for light rain/wintery mix with a high near 40. That, I felt, I could deal with. When I left the house at 5 a.m., the temp was 37, which I don't think it veered from all day more than a degree or two.

The trail at 7:00 am

As we drove to the South Mountain Reserve in Maplewood, NJ, the mist/drizzle remained constant and the fog got heavier. The light came up enough to see just in time for the 7 a.m. start. The start/finish area was covered with wet ice and I almost fell a couple times before the race started. I though, this was going to be a long day. I run very few 50-mile races, but with a 6:17 road pr and a 6:44 JFK time recently (JFK being a pretty easy trail race mostly) I was shooting for somewhere around 7:30-8:00 for a finish. Looking at past results for this race, that seemed reasonable. Seeing the ice, I was prepared to add some time to that. So at 7:00 we were off.

The first mile was on road, which I liked a lot. I kept in a lead pack, and there were some pretty rough, steep descents early on, which is tough to do in a crowd. I counted myself in 6th place as the field strung out a little. A few of the leaders missed a turn, and the runner in front of my tried to call them back but they all couldn't hear. So now I was in 2nd place. Once we started hitting some icy sections, things did get tricky. That's when you remember all those other muscles you don't use very often, and when you decide to run headlong downhill and hope you don't hit your head on a rock or a tree.

The course was a 10-mile loop in two sections: a four-mile loop back to the start/finish, and a 6-mile loop with another aid station halfway around. A couple miles after leaving the back aid station, my heart sank when I found I looped back around to the aid station instead of the start/finish. I backtracked, picked up a few runners who did the same thing, and we found our wrong turn. So I added a couple miles and about 20 minutes, but it spared me the anxiety of worrying about what place I was in, and I could just run my best and enjoy the race. But I was determined to finish it out, even if it took nine hours! The first lap took me two hours, so subtracting some time for the detour, nine hours or more was looking more and more likely.

It's interesting to notice in a race like this how, one by one, certain parts of your body go numb. First your feet don't feel the wet or the cold or the pounding from the ragged rocks or stubbing your toes. Then the back and side muscle soreness dissipate. Eventually you don't even notice it when your feet slide out from under you. There was a constant drizzle/mist during the race - I could never feel it hit on my skin, I just know I was never getting any drier or warmer. I was soaked to the skin literally from my head to my toes, and at certain spots on the course where the temperature was a couple degrees cooler, I became worried about hypothermia, which is something that you can't put out of your head once it sets in. Halfway through the third lap this became a real concern, and I gave serious thought to stopping after three laps, and getting credit for a 50K. I was torn because this was a test for me, I didn't want this to be another drop out/drop down. On the other hand an extra 3 1/2 hours could be really bad. I was thinking, "OK, running in the ice and on the rocks and the mud might be fun for a 50K, but 50 miles? Who wants that? Am I miserable or am I happy?" (Actually, I really did love running in the mud.) Like I said to one runner I was chatting with about this time, what I want and what I want are two different things. But in the end the cold never really got any worse and as much as I tried, I couldn't find a legitimate excuse to stop at 50K. Plus, I got a boost of energy near the end of the lap, so I went on through.

By now I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I enjoyed meeting up with some 50K runners on their last loop (they started at 8:00 a.m.), including Rebecca Schaffer, who ran my 100-mile race last year, and Mike Costello, who crewed me at my first Badwater, and who I haven't seen in quite a while. And it was easier to count down the miles, and thinking, "I only have to do this section one more time," as I passed it. I was also alone more of the time, which felt good to me, more of a chance to get into my own mind. Of course, on each lap I was grunting more and more, cursing more and more at the rocks and the ice, a good way to let out frustration.

Happy to be finished

With Michael Samuels and Elaine Acosta

With Otto Lam

So then I managed to finish in 9:27:30, 7th place. Didn't set any records by any means, and not as high a place as I'd hoped, but I claim it as a victory, since I overcame the urge to quit, toughed it out in tough conditions and finished the damn thing. Very nice of course, as always, to spend some time after the race with good friends. So let's see if I can learn and remember, I never regret sticking it out.

Bridge of the Week Summary

George Washington Bridge, Manhattan - New Jersey

Now that I've completed my Bridge of the Week series, I wanted to give a rundown, a summary, a few thoughts, statistics and explanations.

I started this series here with the intention of writing a report about each bridge in New York City that a runner can run across, giving some interesting statistics, historical facts, information about the neighborhood, and what makes me love to run across the bridge, or not. I decided at the beginning to only write about bridges that cross natural waterways, not viaducts over railroad tracks, roadway overpasses, park bridges over man-made lakes and ponds (notably Bow Bridge in Central Park). I originally thought I'd cover only about 30-35 of the larger bridges, thinking that the smaller bridges weren't worth the time, but I'm so glad I changed my mind! I did, however, draw the line by not covering bridges that were more culverts than bridges, i.e., if there was mostly earth and greenery with a corrugated pipe or something similar for the waterway I didn't bother. And I also chose not to cover bridges with restricted access or pay-only access, such as a few bridges I was interested in on Staten Island in the Fresh Kills area that are off-limits to civilians, and a couple of bridges that are apparently in the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, since I've never been there (I know, so sue me) and I didn't feel the need to pay for the sake of this blog, especially since those who enter are probably not running inside the garden anyway. There are some exceptions to this rule, however, as you will see below. To the best of my knowledge, then, I have covered every such defined bridge in the five boroughs. And when I say covered, I don't just mean writing about it, I actually ran over each and every bridge before writing about it. That explains why it was sometimes more than a week between posts, sometimes much more than a week! And while I did pull a few pics off the internet, especially early on (some historical photos, some aerial shots), most of the pics are mine, including at least one of every bridge, and all of the pics in this post.

So without further ado, here's my summary and overview:

Meadowmere Park Footbridge, Queens

First post: Jan. 30, 2010, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Staten Island - Brooklyn
Last post: December 30, 2012, Manhattan Bridge, Manhattan - Brooklyn
Total number of bridges: 91
Number of bridges by borough (many bridges in two or more boroughs):
     Bronx - 33
     Queens - 28
     Brooklyn - 23
     Manhattan - 21
     Staten Island - 7
Waterways with the most bridges:
     Bronx River - 17
     Harlem River - 10 (including the Harlem River Ship Canal and Spuyten Duyvil Creek)
     Hook Creek - 8

Carroll St. Bridge, Brooklyn

Number of drawbridges: 26 (including non-active drawbridges)
Number of footbridges: 13
Bridges not currently open to pedestrians: 4
     Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (only runnable during the ING New York City Marathon)
     High Bridge (being refurbished for reopening, hopefully next year)
     Goethals Bridge (walkway closed)
     Bronx Shore Footbridge (still under construction)

Town Bridge, Staten Island

Longest bridge*: George Washington Bridge - 3,500 feet main span, 4,760 total length
     *not counting the multi-span Robert F. Kennedy Bridge or the unrunnable Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Shortest bridge: Town Bridge, Staten Island, roughly ten feet.
Oldest bridge: Town Bridge, 1845, not the High Bridge as usually noted, opened 1848
Newest bridge (completed): Willis Avenue Bridge, October 2, 2010

Bayonne Bridge, Staten Island - New Jersey

Favorite bridge (big): George Washington Bridge
     Just a big, beautiful bridge with a rich history, has become a symbol for my neighborhood of Washington Heights, and is a link to some amazing running on the Palisades in New Jersey.
Favorite bridge (small): Carroll St. Bridge
     One of two retractile bridges in the city (along with the Borden Ave. Bridge in Queens) and one of only four in the country. Beautiful and charming.

High Bridge, Manhattan - Bronx

Favorite bridge name: Ramblersville-Hawtree Memorial Bridge, Queens
     Retaining the old neighborhood name in what is now Howard Beach and the Hawtree Creek/Basin and additional honor to those killed in World War II.
Least Favorite bridge name: Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly the Triborough Bridge)
     Enough with the Kennedys already.
Most underappreciated bridge: Bayonne Bridge
     A real gem, a beautiful bridge.

Nereid Ave. Bridge, Bronx

Scariest bridge: Robert F. Kennedy Bridge - Queens leg
     At least now that reconstruction of the walkway is complete you don't need to risk your life on a shaky temporary overhang, but acrophobes will still get butterflies in their stomach when the chain link fence section ends.
Best view: Brooklyn Bridge - a classic, still the best
Wish list: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
     I think most runners and especially cyclists would agree, and the bridge was built for the possibility of adding a bike/pedestrian path. I believe years ago Mayor Bloomberg voiced his support, in theory, but he certainly didn't put it on his priority list. As it is, the only way to get to Staten Island under your own power is via New Jersey and the Bayonne Bridge, or by kayak I suppose.

Williamsburg Bridge, Manhattan - Brooklyn

Posts with the most views (as of now):
     Williamsburg Bridge - 4,388
     Eastern Boulevard Bridge - 769 (two most-viewed posts on my blog overall)
     Bayonne Bridge - 297
     Pulaski Bridge - 294
I can't explain the reasons for this, it seems random to me, I guess somehow I got near the top of search lists.
   

Manhattan Bridge, Manhattan - Brooklyn

Main sources of information:
     www.nycroads.com
     New York City Department of Transportation: www.nyc.gov
     www.wikipedia.com
     Forgotten New York: www.forgotten-ny.com, a highly addictive site, you can easily spend hours here reading about old bridges, roads, buildings, signs, remnants of trolley tracks, you name it.
     Transportation Alternatives: www.transalt.org, has information about bike access over bridges, which can be useful information for runners as well.

Sheepshead Bay Footbridge, Brooklyn

So that's it. Thank all of you for reading, thanks to those of you who posted comments and who told me in person how you like this series. It's been a lot of fun exploring these bridges, and it's gotten me to explore many areas of the city that I wouldn't otherwise have visited. It's a big, beautiful city (in it;s own way) and I hope this inspires you to do some exploring of your own, whether running, walking, cycling, blading, unicycling, kayaking, or whatever. Cheers!

Bridge of the Week #89: Manhattan Bridge

Thank goodness, this week, just in time for the end of the year, is the final installment in the Bridge
of the Week series! We end with one of the big ones, the Manhattan Bridge. Its construction began
October 1, 1901 and it opened on December 31, 1909. The bridge was designed by Leon Moisseiff,
who also worked on the George Washington and Triborough Bridges, as well as the ill-fated Tacoma
Narrows Bridge (I’m sure you’ve all seen the video). It joins Canal St. in Manhattan at the Bowery with
the Flatbush Ave. extension in Brooklyn at Tillary St. across the East River. It is a suspension bridge with
a main span of 1,480 feet and a total length of 6,855 feet. It is a two-level bridge carrying seven lanes of
traffic – four on top and three on bottom, and four subway tracks which carry the B, D, Q and N trains
(and sometimes R). The height of the towers is 336 feet, and clearance above the East River is 135 feet.

A dedicated pedestrian walkway is on the south side of the bridge, and a dedicated bike lane on the
north side. Construction in recent years has caused temporary closure of the bike lane, but as of now I
believe both are open. The walkway is accessible from the Bowery’s southern approach in Manhattan,
although pedestrian crossings do exist across Canal St. and the Bowery. In Brooklyn, the walkway and
bikeway must be accessed from the intersection of Jay St. and Sands St., directly underneath the bridge.

The Manhattan Bridge is heavily traveled by walkers, runners and cyclists for both recreation and
functional transportation, but the pathways never feel crowded. It is an excellent and enjoyable run, in
no small part due to its proximity to the Brooklyn Bridge to the south, of which runners get a beautiful
view. Many runners make a loop of both bridges, some also including the Williamsburg Bridge to the
north as a fun series of river crossings. The Brooklyn ends of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges are
very close together, just a short distance along Tillary St. for the Brooklyn Bridge’s long entrance or
Prospect St. for the shorter stair entrance.

On the Manhattan side of the bridge, both the Bowery and Canal St. are very congested areas with both
vehicular and pedestrian traffic, being in the heart of Chinatown. That could make for slow or stressful
running, but back when I would regularly run across the bridge home to Brooklyn from work, I came to
love the obstacle course running down the Bowery at rush hour!

In Brooklyn, the bridge has actually given its name to one of the city’s more recently-trendy
neighborhoods with a cute acronym name – Dumbo, which stands for Down Under the Manhattan
Bridge Overpass. Despite the hype, the area, along with the area under the Brooklyn Bridge, is a very
nice area with old historic buildings converted to art spaces, independent stores and restaurants, and
the new addition of Brooklyn Bridge Park right on the water’s edge. The bridge is also a short distance
from Brooklyn’s civic center and downtown, and you can continue up Flatbush Ave. to the Barclay’s
Center, and Prospect Park after just a couple of miles.

The Manhattan entrance features a monumental arch and colonnade that was built from 1910-1915,
designed by the architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings, and includes a frieze by Charles Rumsey
called “The Buffalo Hunt.”

That’s an overview of the Manhattan Bridge. And that about does it. I will follow up with an overview,
summary, thoughts and reflections on the bridge series. Till then, thanks for reading, and have a happy
2013!