Bridge of the Week #1: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Since I love running on the bridges in New York City so much, I've decided to do a profile on all of the bridges, one a week. I've counted about 35 total - the big ones, small ones, one or two pedestrian bridges - that can be run across. If it covers any significant body of water, has any significant length or elevation change, I'll do a profile on it, after having run across it of course. Which to include will be at my discretion, but I think I should eventually cover any bridge anyone can think of, but suggestions are welcome.

The first bridge I'll cover is the biggest of them all, and the only one that runners are not normally allowed on - the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn. At the time of its opening, on November 21, 1964 and until 1981, this was the longest suspension bridge in the world, with 4260 feet in its main span. Including approaches, it is 13,700 feet long. There is no pedestrian walkway, and the only occasion one can run across the bridge is at the start of the New York Marathon. The sight of thousands of runners streaming across the bridge during the marathon is one of the most impressive pictures in all of sports.

Other facts: the bridge has 228 feet of clearance above the water at the center of the span. I remember when the Queen Mary II cruise ship came through a few years ago, it made it through with not much room to spare. The towers are 693 feet tall. The bridge was the last one built under the watch of Robert Moses. It was designed by Othmar Ammann, who designed 5 other major bridges in New York. It was named after Giovanni di Verrazano, the explorer who discovered New York harbor in 1524, and the Narrows, over which it passes.

A few years back, Mayor Bloomberg proposed adding a pedestrian/bike way across the bridge, which may have been a halfhearted attempt and never gained any steam. I know that cyclists in particular would like that, as they are not allowed to bring bikes on city buses, so they have no way to access Staten Island's bikeways except from the Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan. Perhaps someday a walkway will be built.

On a personal note, when I first moved to New York in 1994, I was staying with my relatives in Stapleton, Staten Island, and from the window in my room I could see the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which is a beautiful sight, especially at night. That fall I went to a park near Fort Wadsworth and watched the runners cross the bridge at the start of the marathon. That was one of the big sources of inspiration for me to run my first marathon, the New York Marathon, which I did in 1997. I guess I never looked back from there.

Winter Group Runs

Those who know me well know I love running in the cold, and that includes running in the winter. But in those dark, cold days it's good and can be motivating to do a long run with a group of friends. I've been lucky enough to do two of these so far, with one to go tomorrow.



On Dec. 19 was the Solstice Run, an informal run put on by Lydia Redding and Julie Rosenberg, who are not only ultra friends but musician friends as well. The idea was to run from sunset to sunrise, roughly 4:30 pm to 7:15 am, on the longest night of the year as a way to go get the sun and bring it back. A nice reminder that the days will get longer from here on out! We could run as much or as little as we wanted, with Lydia and Julie's house as a rest stop, including two meal times. About a dozen of us ran at least some of the time, with Alicja Barahona, Jay Lustgarten and Elaine Acosta (running her first ultra distance!) spending almost the entire night on the neighborhood streets. Myself, I needed a little nap partway through. It just so happened that this was the night of the first big snowstorm, with about 8 inches falling overnight. It was actually very calm and peaceful except when you had to dodge the snowplows out doing their job. The highlight for me was running with Alicja and listening to her stories of her races through the Sahara, and Alaska. That woman is just amazing! A big thanks to Lydia and Julie for hosting this fun event!

On January 3, Grant McKeown led a hardy group on a 20-mile fatass fun run, mostly on the paths and trails of Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, with a side trip via the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail to Tibbet's Brook Park in Yonkers. New friends of mine Cliff and Tamara (I later found out that Cliff lives in my building!) ran a shortened course, while Grant, Nick, Kevin and myself ran the full course as Grant mapped it out. It was a lot of fun, I made some new friends, and Grant, Nick and I got to share pancakes and eggs at a nearby diner afterwards.

Tomorrow, January 31, which would have been Ted Corbitt's 91st birthday, is the annual run around Manhattan Island in Ted's honor, put together by Dave Obelkevitch from his apartment on W. 97th St. It will be my third time running this, although it's been going on for several years. In the past, Ted would meet the runners at the first pit stop at 218th and Broadway, but since his death in 2007, the run has taken place in his memory. The second pit stop takes place at Susan Lucks' apartment on E. 86th (and maybe I'll tickle the ivories again), and her hospitality is much appreciated! The third pit stop is the Staten Island Ferry terminal, then up the west side back to 97th St. It is always a friendly relaxed run, a good workout, and a great way to remember Ted. There should be a good turnout this year. Running with friends always makes the cold miles pass by quickly!

Athlete of the year

Well, it's happened. Fresh on the heels of golfer Tiger Woods being named by the Associated Press as Athlete of the Decade, race car driver Jimmie Johnson is named by AP as male Athlete of the Year. Both of these selections are a travesty and an insult to true athletes everywhere, especially athletes who don't participate in the big-money sports.

To some degree, this raises the question of what is a sport and what is an athlete. In my mind, these are two very different questions. Many recreational activities might be considered sports, while their participants would not be considered athletes, due to a number of factors which might include lack or low level of physical exertion or reliance on machinery or motorized vehicles, or some sort of propulsion other than self-propulsion. I don't want to fall into the trap of listing who is an athlete and who isn't, and comparing different sports in terms of athleticism can be a fool's errand, needless to say golf and race car driving, while requiring great skill and training, do not require the high level of athleticism required for running, swimming, biking, etc.

I've seen some of the defenses of Johnson's selection, and it is both ludicrous and fascinating. On ESPN's web site (for what credibility ESPN has left), NASCAR writer David Newton compares Johnson to past winners. He writes, "Michael Phelps won it last year. Does swimming laps instead of driving laps make him more deserving?" Then, "Lance Armstrong won from 2003 to 2005. Does pedaling a bicycle make him more of an athlete than a man who mashes a pedal?" Yes, yes, YES!!!! What planet is he on? He does also say, "Tiger Woods won it in 1997, '99, '00 and '06. Is he more of an athlete because he drives a golf ball instead of a car?" He's got me there.

In his own defense, Johnson said that his 5-mile run time (34:55) would beat most NFL players. If he's basing his athleticism on that, then even I've got him beat! So why not give it to a runner?

It's a troublesome world where the mainstream media give such recognition to golfers and race car drivers while runners are apparently misfits whose only value is to crawl out of their holes every four years for the Olympics or the occasional big marathon, and where even in the running world ultrarunners are treated as second-class citizens. Ultrarunners, keep running, keep spreading the good word. You are all incredible athletes, what you are doing is noble, and you are not misfits. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Poor People's Dinner

Yesterday, Nov. 23, my Aunt Mac O'Callaghan invited me to Project Hospitality's "Poor People's Dinner". Project Hospitality is an interfaith charitable organization on Staten Island that provides food, shelter, and other services for the poor and homeless on Staten Island, and assistance for those with HIV. Mac and her late husband Pearse and their 10 kids have been very involved with this organization for more than 20 years, and I raised some money for them this summer running Badwater.
In the spring I attended a luncheon for them at the Hilton on Staten Island, a very nice meal. Mac had invited me to this latest event several weeks ago and I accepted for the sake of the event, without really asking about the nature of the event, which was also to be held at the Hilton.
So I have a light lunch, go to Mac's house and ask about the event, and I'm glad I did. Otherwise I'd be embarrassed asking, where's the main course?
The Poor People's Dinner is a fund-raising dinner where instead of a fancy several-course meal, what is served is a tasty but simple vegetable soup, bread (no butter) and water, a typical "poor person's meal." This event has been a tradition for 10 years on the Monday before Thanksgiving, as we prepare to stuff ourselves bloated.
I realize Mac had told me about this event before, but attending it, and hearing the speakers, makes me give it a little more thought. While one cousin who sat with us (who shall remain nameless) sneaked some cookies in from the front desk, and one attendee was seen bringing in a glass of wine from the bar (a faux pas), it reminded me of the Catholic fasting during Lent. In fact, many religions have some tradition of fasting, which may have different roots but all serve to put us in mind of more important things. And what a great time to be thinking of fasting, to help us think about those for whom soup and bread is a feast, and for whom an apartment or house of their own is a far-off dream. Perhaps we can be moved to provide some sort of assistance for such people, while at the same time acknowledging the waste in our own lives - the waste not only of food, but of time and energy spent on petty things and misguided priorities. Maybe we can catch ourselves before we go overboard for the holidays.

Knickerbocker 60K

Nov. 21, 2009, today, was the Knickerbocker 60K, a race in Central Park that was sponsored by the New York Road Runners and worked by John Garlepp and Millrose AA. This race had its first running in 1978 (I'm told), and was conceived as a distance roughly halfway between a marathon and 50 miles.

Having run the New York Marathon three weeks ago, a 6-hour two weeks before that and a 24-hour two weeks before that, I wasn't sure I was up for another ultra just yet, but I was feeling good this week so I signed up. I thought I might have a chance at a win, depending on the competition. With this race being in Central Park and on the NYRR calendar, it has lately had a large turnout, and mostly runners who don't regularly run ultras, including a lot of first-timers. Possibly a lot of marathoners looking for another challenge. This is exciting, since it could be a start to a long-term ultra career for some of them, and it was a similar race back in 2002 (Kurt Steiner 50K) that served as my introduction to ultrarunning.

At the start, I said my hellos to some of my friends, and it was good to see them all there. One of them, Kevin Shelton-Smith, I thought could be a contender for the win, and I knew he'd be one to keep an eye on. But with so many new face (new to me), you never know who might pop up and have an incredible race.

At the start at the Engineer's Gate at 90th St., the runners take a 1.5 mile out-and-back to 102nd St., then return to the start to begin the first of 9 4-mile clockwise loops on the park road to 72nd St., to the west drive, up to 102nd St., across to the east drive and back to 90th. After the turnaround, I was surprised to see the number of runners. I'm told there were about 200!

Soon after the start, a group of four runners pulled ahead of me, including Kevin, two men I didn't know, and one man with "Dominguez" on the back of his shirt. I'd say I ddin't know him either, but I think I remember running behind him for a while towards the end of the Queens Half Marathon in September. I think I eventually passed hime there, but I'm not sure. (After the race, I learned his name is Jesus.) I felt like I was on a good pace, so I didn't chase, and sure enough, my first 4-mile loop was about 27:30, faster than I would be able to maintain, but it was feeling pretty comfortable, so I stuck with it.

I passed one of the lead group after a few laps, and back at the start was told I was in 3rd place. I don't remember passing anyone else, but it would turn out that I passed Kevin while he was taking a pit stop. After a couple more laps, I passed one of the other leaders, putting me in 2nd behind Dominguez, who I was told was moving at quite a speed. Thinking back to Queens, I was hoping I could just wait him out till he slowed.

At the middle of the race, I saw my cousin Kirstin and her boyfriend Sal (both marathoners themselves from New Jersey), who were lending me support and cheering for me. It was real nice hearing that in the middle of the race. This would also be a good time to mention all the great volunteers. No doubt most of them were there to fulfill their volunteer requirement for automatic entry to the NY Marathon, and at first it seemed like there were a lot more course marshalls than necessary, but boy, a lot of them were really cheering, and it felt great! There were three really great clusters, one at 72nd St., just before and at the turn north on the west side, a group at the turn onto 102nd St. on the west side, and especially a great bunch of people on the west side at 95th St. If any of you are reading this, thank you!

One volunteer on 72nd St. kept me apprised of the lead of Dominguez. On the 5th lap he was 7 minutes ahead of me, and on the 6th 5 1/2 minutes, so I was hopeful my patience would pay off. Then at the turn onto 102nd St., I was passed by a runner I didn't know who said "You can do it" as he passed me. Nice words, but not nice to pass me! (After the race he told me his name was Sebastian.) I trie dnot to let him get far ahead, and I kept him within 10 seconds, my pace now being about 28:15 per lap. On the 7th lap, I was told Dominguez was now just four minutes ahead, and at a point I passed Sebastian but he passed me back again. He was only about 7 seconds ahead when at the start/finish aid station he stopped to drink. I don't know why he stopped, but I saw my chance to move ahead at the start of the 8th lap. But I was worried this could come down to a sprint to the finish.

About halfway around on the 8th lap I passed Dominguez who was not crashing but not moving at his old speed. I felt conifdent, and was still moving at a good speed, but couldn't take any chances. On my final lap, I felt myself tighten up a little, but figured this was the final push, no reason to save anything. I finished first with a time of 4:22 and change, and had my first Central Park victory. I was very happy about winning, not just for the win itself, but because this is a historic race that speaks to the history of ultrarunning itself in the US. And it was a beautiful day, upper 50's, and lots of people in the park, who might not be classified as spectators as much as curious observers.

But a good day overall. Great to see my friends Frank C., Frank D., Emmy, Rob, Tony, Sal (another Sal), Kevin, Tony, Wayne, Harry, Lucimar, Shishaldin, my friend Ralph who came by, and of course Kirstin and Sal, and a few others I'm sure I'm forgetting, and to make some new friends. And of course, Richie, our regular MC. Special kudos go to Nick Palazzo, who Emmy told me ran his 200th ultra today!!! Congrats Nick! Nice hanging out with the terrible trio of Frank C., Emmy and Rob afterwards for burgers and beer. Thanks for the ride home!

City life

I was awaken at 3:30 this morning by someone playing loud music from their car, and I'm on the 5th floor! I got up and looked out the window and sure enough, they were right below me - man and woman on the sidewalk and one person in the car. Last time this happened I was wishing I had something to drop on them. Fortunately, this time I had some rotten fruit in the fridge. (Don't even say it - you've all got something rotten in the fridge!) Fortunately or unfortunately, by the time I realized this, they turned off the music and drove away. Even a rotten pear could've done some damage to a convertible top or falling on someone's head. Even a warning shot could've brought on massive retaliation. Still, it's convinced me not to throw away that rotten pear! Maybe I'll go get some balloons, just in case.

Visit home

Last week I finished up a quick trip to Norfolk, Nebraska to visit my family, visit my old school, see some football, and basically just come home for a bit. Right when I got into town on Thursday the 22nd I got to see my HS football team, the Norfolk Catholic Knights, finish up an undefeated regular season, in cold wind and rain.

Friday I drove down to Lincoln to see by brother Tim, his wife Jane and their kids. Tim and I went to the Husker game Saturday, my first in 16 years! Of course, it turned out to be an embarrassment against Iowa State (no offense to Iowa State fans). But by any stretch, 8 turnovers, including four fumbles within the opponent's 5-yard line is an embarrassment. And we lost 9-7. Ugh. But I'm nothing if not loyal, and I will always bleed Cornhusker crimson (as if I had a choice).

Sunday was very special as I got to speak to my HS cross-country team at their annual year-end banquet. Just a few days before the boys' team had won their 4th state championship in a row!!! This is in Class C (out of A, B, C, D), so it's a smaller school, which I only mention because senior Jarron Heng won the all-class gold medal for the second year in a row! He ran a time of 16:05. He could be one to watch, folks. So I was honored by coach Doug Zoucha (who was my junior high social studies teacher) to be asked to speak, and I told a few of my ultra adventures, and hopefully convinced the students and their parents that I wasn't crazy and that there is something of value here. (Full disclosure - I didn't run XC in high school, I played football - poorly - but I was a sprinter on the track team.)

So it was a very nice trip, but went by fast. But it was good to see my Dad and my brothers and their families, and since I usually only get back at Christmastime, it was good to see Nebraska in the fall.