Jackpot. I wasn’t expecting this run to be long, nor so incredibly scenic, nor to maintain such a great pace, nor to be surrounded by hundreds of weekday-warrior-early-morning runners, nor to fall in love with a random jazz album I started playing on mile 1, inspired by the live jazz from the previous night. Yet – these stars aligned. This will forever be one of the greatest and most cherished runs.

Highlight: west side pathway at 7AM, for sure. Perfectly wide sidewalks and bike paths that hug the Hudson river – shelter from the rising sun courtesy of 100s of skyscrapers, was a hell of a way to run the first 8 miles or so. It was incredibly energizing to be running alongside so many other people. The 70 degree weather at that point was absolutely perfect. If I ever try this again, I’ll bring some energy gel and hopefully stretch it to 26.2.

At the end, I slowly walked about a mile to a smoothie shop and dove into a Nutella acai bowl and a peanut butter and banana protein shake.

Non-Running Reflection

After savoring my victory food, I showered (pure heaven, after a long run), packed up, and headed out with my camera. One thing I’m very happy about on this trip, was being able to sit in places and simply be. Not feeling as if I had to “fill” my time or find something to entertain me. Isn’t the world unfolding around us, enough to marvel at? I wandered from park, to park, to park, to the absurdity of times square, then more parks. Aiming to be as present and aware as possible. Here are some moments.