Category Archives: New York

September 11, 2012

4.1 Miles in New York City with Anne Riley

By Steve Good

Written By Anne Riley

Hey there! I’m Anne and I blog about carb loading (oh right, and marathon training) over at rileduprunner.wordpress.com. When I first signed on to represent the great city of New York in a Sept. 11 post, I thought this would be a good way to celebrate Manhattan on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, thank the people I love most for being so instrumental in my life, donate to a worthy cause and hopefully learn a bit about myself in the process.

What did I end up learning about myself, you ask? Mostly that I can’t spell the word “thank,” as evidenced by these two failed attempts to make my signs for today’s run. Ah well. Third time’s a charm, right?

A Baltimore native, I’ve lived in New York for four years now and – unless some Monegasque prince sweeps me off my feet and demands I relocate to his cliff-side castle – I don’t expect to ever leave. Sure, it’s bustling and expensive and in uncomfortably close proximity to Jersey, but NYC is also nonstop and thriving and so surprisingly human that I simply can’t imagine hanging my hat anywhere else. Oh right, except Monaco. Any day now, your highness.

Unlike some of the other athletes featured on this site, I’m a fairly new addition to the running community. An infrequent jogger and talented excuse-maker throughout most of my first 25 years, I found myself on New Year’s Day 2011 frustrated, self-conscious and 30 pounds overweight. Knowing I needed to make a real honest-to-god change, I allowed myself to be talked into registering for the Broad Street Run, a May 10-miler through the heart of Philadelphia. I didn’t want to let down my friends or myself (and I was secretly hungry for a cheesesteak), so I manned up, pushed my way through five months of training and crossed the finish line 10 minutes faster than I’d expected with an ear-to-ear grin. As my favorite 1994 fictional film character Forrest Gump said, “From that day on, if I was going somewhere, I was running!”

My runs have taken me all sorts of places these last 20 months, from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Eiffel Tower to more pancake houses than I can remember. But with the vast majority of my miles logged within one 843-acre green space in Manhattan, it only seemed right to take you today to my No. 1 sanctuary: Central Park.

Central Park is a runner’s dream, complete with functioning water fountains, clean public restrooms and all the people watching you could ever wish for. Also good NYC running routes: down the West Side Highway or up the East River Promenade. Or both, which is what I did Saturday on my 18-mile long run. (Hence, the brevity of today’s – quite literal – jaunt in the park.)

My route today took me through the 90th St. entrance, or the Engineers’ Gate as the locals call it, with a first stop at the eastern shore of the reservoir. One of my favorite New York City views – and the header of my own blog –  I always think this scene captures the juxtaposition of urbanity and nature that Central Park so perfectly reflects.

I know Steve suggested bringing along a friend to snap photos of each appreciation pit-stop, but I opted to go it alone today, relying instead on the magnanimity of strangers at each destination. New Yorkers sometimes get a bad rap for being unfriendly, but in my experience, we’re actually quite lovely – so long as you’re not walking four-abreast through a major pedestrian causeway at a snail’s pace. I love this city and the well-intentioned strangers I seem to meet at every turn, from the straphangers who give up their coveted subway seats to the bartender who served me free drinks last night to the park-goers who snapped photos of me today without pocketing my iPhone and making a run for it. So thanks, New York. You’ve been good to me, and I’m excited to see what you have up your sleeve next.

My second stop took me to Belvedere Castle, a nature observatory around 79th St. where they record the city’s weather. (Yes, I ran the loop clockwise to get there and yes, I know I committed a major NYC running faux pas in doing so. But my legs were too tired to go the long way around! See, I may have gotten in shape, but my excuse-making skills are as sharp as they ever were.)

I stopped here to thank a group of people who have been momentously important in my life: my friends. I’d toyed with the idea of thanking each person individually, but I didn’t know how to hand-select which ones would earn shout outs. The one who drove from Maryland to New York the day after a particularly hard breakup just to take me out for a double cheeseburger? The one who smuggled a silly stuffed animal all the way to Santiago, Chile, simply to make me laugh? The one who lets me crawl into her bed at 3 a.m. when I’m having a hard time and need someone to talk with? (Spoiler alert: that one’s my roommate.) There was no way I could choose which friends to highlight here, so I opted not to name names, but you know who you are and you know how much your friendship means to me.

I continued south down Cat Hill, which is one of the worst inclines in the park – unless you’re illegally traversing the loop backwards, in which case, it’s super easy. I darted west at the boathouse and paused in front of the lake to thank two more pillars in my life: my sister and my brother.

I’m sure we squabbled with the best of them throughout much of the 80s and 90s, but the two of them are now two of my closest friends in the world, which makes Christmas mornings kind of awesome. Whether they’re lending me their puppy for a weekend away or racking up long-distance phone bills just to hear my latest sob story, they’re always there for me. Except when there’s only one Christmas morning scone left. I mean, filial love can only go so far.

I’d hoped to take you to some other park landmarks, like Strawberry Fields or the Sheep’s Meadow or the Central Park Zoo, but the Sunday afternoon crowds were spectacular, so I zoomed past the Bethesda Fountain on 72nd St. and opted to make my way north along the west side instead. For my final – though perhaps most important – thank you, I stopped on the Great Lawn, a favorite picnic spot of plenty of New Yorkers, including this one.

The lighting was terrible, so in case you can’t read it, this shout out is for my parents. I pride myself in being an independent, self-sufficient 20-something New Yorker, but the second I need my mom or dad, they’re there for me in a heartbeat. Case in point: my dad drove to Philadelphia the morning of my very first race because he didn’t want to miss my excitement at the finish line; likewise, my mom bused her way to and from New York for a few short hours one Sunday this spring when I was feeling down and needed a mother’s love. I adore them both equally, although my dad is taking me out to Brooklyn’s best steakhouse on Tuesday, so the scales may soon tip in his favor. Just kidding. Kind of.

At this point, my legs felt like lead (note to self: stretch after your next long run, although – let’s be honest here – I clearly won’t), so I made my way back to the East Side, pausing only to salivate in front of Shake Shack, the city’s very best burger joint. I know marathoners can’t actually eat anything they want, but after burning 2,000+ calories on a Saturday morning long run, there’s nothing I want more in this world than a double ShackBurger. Packing 52 whopping grams of protein, it’s an athlete’s dream. (Or so I’m telling myself).

Speaking of marathons, I’m training for mine – the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. – simply for the self-fulfillment, health benefits and sense of pride I’ll achieve in finishing it. But my friend Lindsay is preparing for her 26.2-mile race with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, which has raised more than $1.2 billion to fund cancer research. She’s already reached her fundraising goal, but the more money that goes to this worthy cause, the better. Check out her Team in Training page here and follow my lead in donating if the spirit moves you: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nyc12/lgilbert

Well I guess that’s all, folks. Thank you for allowing me to take you on a virtual tour of Central Park. If any fellow Good-Runners find themselves in Gotham City and in need of a running buddy, you know where to find me. (At the burger place.)

Anne Riley is a New York City transplant with no plans to ever leave. Raised in Baltimore and educated in Maine, Anne now lives in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

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June 4, 2012

5.8 Miles in Beacon, New York With Brendan Cunningham

By Steve Good

The three main focuses in my life are my wife, the study of art, and discovering new music.  Fourth place would have to be reading; non-fiction primarily.  Fifth may go to running, but it’s more likely a distant seventh behind traveling and visiting with friends.  For as much time and energy and money that the sport has consumed of me, it remains a love-hate relationship.  Having just moved to Beacon, NY last month, I am hoping to entwine that which I most care about with a fairly rigorous run through the city.  Welcome to my multi-tasking life in Dutchess County.  My wife is joining me on this trek and I’ll be giving you a crash course in the art works and history that is easily found along the way in Beacon.

Without further ado, get yourself on the west side and start running.

Just off Main Street, we hit the outpost of the New York City based Dia Foundation – Dia: Beacon. The site of a former National Biscuit Company Carton Making and Printing plant, directly on the Hudson, the museum has 240,000 square feet of exhibition space and uses it to hosts some major works, in scope and influence of the modernist period.  Inside you’ll find Andy Warhol, Robert Smithson, Dan Flavin, Richard Serra, and Bruce Nauman.  My wife and sister-in-law would probably attest it’s best to wander inside the gigantic works by Serra, the art world’s ‘man of steel.’

I want to thank my wife, Stephanie, for getting out here this morning and running with me.  Two weeks ago, she completed her third marathon and I know it wasn’t easy to hit these hills around Beacon.

Heading east on Main Street, we pass by Hudson Beach Glass.  The open view of the glass blowers gives you an idea of the skill that the craftsmen and craftswomen possess.  It also can get pretty hot inside their showroon which is fitting since the building is an old firehouse.  The pieces are astounding.  Hudson Beach has been doing this for over 20 years.  There is also an art gallery on the second floor.

I want to thank the Mikhalevskys, Nicholas and Alana, who first introduced me to these wonderful pieces.

Just a little further up Main and we pass the Howland Cultural Center on the right, the former library commissioned by Civil War general and shipping magnate, Joseph Howland and 10 other prominent members of the community.  Designed by Richard Morris Hunt (more famous for designing the base of the Statue of Liberty and two Vanderbilt mansions) and built in 1872, the library was initially only available to subscribers.  Its architecture is Norwegian in style and is made of the finest Delaware slate, Georgian pine, granite from nearby Breakneck Ridge and the red and black brick is also locally sourced from Croton, NY.

I want to thank my parents who instilled in me a love of reading at an early age.

Next on the sight seeing tour is Tallix Fine Art Foundry.  The former site of the Green Fuel Economizer Company, Tallix is where a couple of very talented American artists cast Leonardo da Vinci’s unfinished plans for the largest equestrian statue in the world from 1482.  Da Vinci’s was never completed, I suspect because it was so ambitious.  These guys made two, one of which is in Milan (Il Cavallo) and one that can be found in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park (seen below).  They are 24 feet high!  The foundry produces amazing pieces for a number of artists and there are plans to add their own sculpture garden on the property.

I want to thank Dr. McColl at Washington College who taught me how to appreciate art and the study of art history.  Knowing what I’m looking at makes it much easier to enjoy places like this.

Heading north, we cross over Fishkill Creek and head out towards Mt. Beacon.  The top is so named for Revolutionary soldiers signal fires that served West Point and the Hudson Valley.  In 1902, a funicular took guests up the steepest incline in America to a casino, hotel and restaurant where you could sip cocktails and gaze out on 75 mile views of the Hudson Valley.  You can see New York City to the south if the weather is clear.  I’m not headed there, but there is a clearly marked trail up, though it’s rough in spots for running.

We are headed along Wolcott Avenue to the Tioronda estate.  Tioronda was the showplace home of Joseph Howland, who was also an early advocate of mental health.  It was renamed Craig House Sanitarium for the Insane and operated for 80 years.  Famous guests of the facility through the years included Zelda Fitzgerald, Marilyn Monroe and Truman Capote.  The house and psychiatric wing is abandoned and it can feel a little creepy.  The signs say ‘No Trespassing,’ so I didn’t get very close.

I want to thank my brother and sister, without whom, I wouldn’t have found my own way as easily.

Let’s get back to the creek.

Heading south and downhill on Tioronda Avenue, we’ll cross underneath the railroad trestle and into Madam Brett Park.  Cathryana Rombout Brett was the first female European settler in the region.  She and her husband built the gristmill somewhere down here on the creek bank, trading with Native Americans and Dutch settlers from New Amsterdam.   Fishkill Creek has some gorgeous waterfalls and this is one of them.  Farther south, you can see Schunnemunk Mountain from the marsh overlook, but eventually the trail disintegrates into rubble and then finally grass right before you hit the Amtrak lines.

I want to thank Steve Good for giving me the opportunity to write this, and also for continually supporting running, competition, and good works.  I’m donating to the Phi Delta Theta Foundation in recognition of our friendship and brotherhood.

If you’re looking for something to eat, Beacon Falls Cafe (472 Main Street) has some great burgers and reubens; there are tables outside with a great view of Mount Beacon!

Brendan’s Run (Even his route appears to be running!)

Brendan Cunningham is an Annapolis, Maryland native, but a recent expat to the State of New York.  He spends his time independently researching and walking his dog, Quinn.

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April 23, 2012

6.2 Miles in Cooperstown, New York

By Steve Good

For baseball fans, Cooperstown, New York is a little slice of heaven on earth.   If you consider yourself a baseball fan, a pilgrimage to its birthplace should be on your bucket list of activities to complete during your life.  You will not be disappointed.  Nestled amongst hills, lakes, farms and beautiful countryside, this Village of 1,800 people is nearly perfect.

I flew into Albany, New York where my colleague Sean Wagner picked me up.  We went downtown for a little grub until Chris Lapple arrived at the airport.  The reason that we were in Cooperstown was for Phi Delta Theta’s re-dedication of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award.  The award is special to our organization as it is lives in the Hall of Fame and is given to a Major League Baseball player each year who embodies the spirit of Lou Gehrig both on and off the field.  Lou Gehrig was a member of our organization.

Speaking of Gehrig, Sean filled me in that we had precious cargo in the car.  He unveiled the Bond of Phi Delta Theta (a document that we Phi Delts all sign) that Lou Gehrig had signed upon initiation at Columbia University.  Many of you know my slight obsession with Lou Gehrig, so I definitely had a moment staring at his signature.

With the running project starting next week, I decided to do one last run myself before I begin posting the runs of others.  The next morning, I started my run on Main Street at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum, the cornerstone of the city.

As I headed down Main Street, I had to stop to take a few pictures of a few of my favorite baseball-themed businesses. So great.

Next stop was Doubleday Field, the birthplace of the game of baseball. The neat thing about Doubleday Field is that there are always games going on.  Teams travel from all over to play on this historic field.  I grabbed a few shots and took off.

My route for the morning was the 5K route that many Phi Delts would be running a few days later.  My job for the weekend was to manage the 5K, so I wanted to know where I was going.  I ran through the city and up and down a few rolling hills before I got back to the car.  Cooperstown nestles up to the Otesego Lake, a lake that provides many an opportunity for a great picture.

I headed back to the hotel, picked up Chris Lapple and we headed back downtown for a little breakfast.  We came upon the Cooperstown Diner and felt like we had to eat there.

After lunch we took care of a few things and checked into our next hotel for the weekend.  Talk about a great place, the Otesaga Resort Hotel.  Wow.

A few days later, I took my second run during the weekend, but this time I had company.  About 20 Phi Delts participated in our Iron Phi 5K through the city.  About 15 undergraduate students from Syracuse made the trip down and did a great job helping to run the 5K.  They had made signs to put along the course.  Pretty cool, eh?

The 5K had two packs, the fast guys trying to win the thing and us slow guys looking to enjoy the run.  Upon crossing the finish line, we realized that we were the first guys to finish. Hmmmm.  We quickly learned that the lead pack took a wrong turn at some point on the course – The true mark of a well-run 5K right?  It provided for a great laugh.  Luckily it was a fun run and there’s nothing wrong with a few extra calories burned.

After the 5K, I had to make one more stop before returning to the hotel. Upon arrival in Cooperstown, I realized that one of the more famous pieces of history from my hometown (Fort Dodge, Iowa) resided in Cooperstown at the Farmer’s Museum – The Cardiff Giant.  The Cardiff Giant is on the list of most famous hoaxes in our country’s history.  A few gentleman in New York hired men in  Fort Dodge to carve out a 10-foot long block of gypsum (Fort Dodge has much gypsum) for what they said was to become a monument for Abraham Lincoln.  The gypsum was carved into a giant, was buried in Cardiff, New York and the scammer (George Hull) dug it up, turned it into a publicity stunt, and sold tickets for the public to come see this “uncovered giant.”  I think the story is awesome!  I remember going to the Fort Museum as kid growing up in Fort Dodge and learning about the hoax.  I had to drive out to the Farmer’s Museum to take a picture of the sign promoting the fact that the giant now rests there.

During the weekend, Phi Delta Theta hosted a few events at the Hall of Fame, so it was very neat to be able to work with their staff to get things ready to roll.  I was a kid in a candy shop throughout the weekend and snapped many pictures within the Hall of Fame.

The weekend capped off with a gathering of Phi Delts at the Hall of Fame for a tour, program and dinner.  Here, we unveiled the enhanced Lou Gehrig Memorial Award that hangs on the walls of the Hall of Fame.  It was a proud moment for all of us Phi Delts.

As mentioned, next week begins the posts from my many runners involved in this project.  I can’t tell you how excited I am.

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March 1, 2012

Day 6 – 15.43 Miles in New York City

By Steve Good

Wow, yesterday was a crazy but awesome day.  How can one not be extremely excited about running through New York City?  John Talcott dropped me off at the Megabus stop for my 7:00am departure.  Upon arrival I noticed that neither of the two buses there were going to New York.  I had a mild panic attack but found the line of passengers waiting for the NYC bus around the corner.  Apparently, the bus was supposed to leave at 6:40am, my ticket said 7:00 (hmmm), but luckily the bus was late. I hopped on board for the seven hour ride to New York.

The NYC run was shaping up to be my only run without a running buddy.  After trying to find a running partner via Twitter, I started to get excited about running by myself.  The only trick would be finding people to take my pictures.

I arrived near Penn Station in Manhattan and took the red line to South Ferry, where I walked a few minutes to the Doubletree Hotel in the Financial District.  My cousin Matt was in town working, so he let me crash with him.  It was a great luxury to have in the city.  I changed clothes and headed down to the waterfront to begin my run.  Here, I was to thank Jeremy Sale again with the Statue of Liberty in the background.  As you can tell, we were battling the sun.

I headed to Wall Street for an awesome picture opportunity with the world-famous Wall Street bull.  Here, I was able to thank David Stollman for his gift.  The next morning on the news, I heard that the Dow had reached its highest point since 2008.  That slap on the bull’s backside proved to be successful.

I snapped a quick photo of the Stock Exchange Building and ran to the 9/11 memorial.

Being near the 9/11 memorial brought with it some interesting emotions.  I found it prideful, saddening and exciting all at once.  The new towers that are being erected are something else.  Here, I was able to thank Jason Brannon for his gift.

From the memorial, I ran to Chinatown.  On the way, I found this awesome sign.  I’m a proponent of individuals using their own unique abilities and talents to do good work, so this was perfect.

At Chinatown, I asked a friendly woman take my picture.  This is what came out of the first attempt.  Yes, I’m there, just not in the picture.

Her next attempt was a success, and I was able to thank Ernie Chan, an undergraduate Phi Delt at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Let me brag up Ernie here a bit.  Ernie was our first Iron Phi in Canada, and I’m constantly amazed by his passion for Phi Delta Theta.  When I think of our tagline “Become the Greatest Version of Yourself,” Ernie often comes to mind.  Keep up the great work my friend.

From Chinatown, I ran to New York University and snapped a picture at Washington Square.  It was at this moment that an idea sparked in my head.  I have been past NYU a few times, but I’ve never been to Columbia University, where Lou Gehrig began his baseball career.  Now this is where a running partner would have come in handy to bring reason to my idea.  Running to Columbia would double the length of my run for the day.  My mind said “Do it” so I did.  I stopped at Starbucks to fuel up and hydrate a bit.  The next stop was Madison Square Garden, the fabled arena in NYC.  I learned that Van Halen was playing that evening!  Here, I was able to convince a young lad to take my pic and thanked Jeremy Sale again.  My eyes look crazy in this pic.

My next stop was Times Square.  Advertising intrigues me.  Throughout my journey, I’ve probably seen about 50 different ads for the movie The Lorax.  I wasn’t surprised to see this gigantic ad near Times Square.  I think I’ll have to see this movie.

I reached Times Square at dusk, a perfect time to witness its majesty.  Here, I was able to thank my cousins Matt & Jessi Good for their gift.  A big thanks to both of them for helping me make NYC a great stop!

While in Times Square, I also came across this interesting character.  Lady Liberty has never looked so good on a pink bike.

A few blocks up, I stopped at the Ed Sullivan Theatre, the home of the David Letterman Show, to thank Jason Brannon again.  When my family took a vacation to NYC back in the day, we attended the David Letterman Show.  Little did we know that we’d  be sitting next to an audience member in a skit.  I’ll always remember being on TV during that episode.

My original last stop was Central Park.  Here, I made a friend and thanked Keith Lopez in the process.  We had to convince my four-legged friend Gary (awesome name) here to look at the camera as he had sat down with his owner for a slice of pizza.  Even dogs apparently eat the New York-style pizza around here.

So I headed up the west side of Central Park on Broadway with the goal of reaching Columbia.  I stopped at Starbucks again to grab a cookie (I was hitting a wall) and then made another stop at a Vitamin Shoppe to drink this protein-filled blessing.

The mind is crazy thing.  If I would have told myself that I’d run 15 miles in New York on Day 5 of this trip at the beginning of this trip, I would have called my own bluff.  I’m not really sure how I did it, but it was a special moment for me.  As you know, I’m raising money for Iron Phi, a program that was created to enhance Phi Delta Theta’s relationship with The ALS Associaiton.  The ALS Association fights Lou Gehrig’s disease and Lou was a member of Phi Delta Theta.  It was fun to reach campus and take a moment to thank Brother Lou, an individual who’s life has made a tremendous impact on mine.

Running in Manhattan was amazing.  The city’s pulse is like none other and it was a day I’ll never forget. I hopped on the red line and was back to the hotel in a half hour.  Matt and I grabbed a bite to eat and then it was to bed.  Seven miles on a bus and 15 miles on foot left me quite weary.  I was dreading the morning, but I actually feel great today.  Man, this stretching, protein, hydrating thing really works!

Off to Baltimore!

2 comments | posted in New York

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