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Simply Walking, but Faster

by Peter Shankman
Thu, 1 Nov 2007 at 5:27 PM
updated Thu, 1 Nov 2007 at 5:29 PM

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New York City, despite having some of the best running/biking areas in the entire world, is known more for late-night drinking, hot clubs, and tantalizing food. Add to the mix the fact that we're the business capital of the world, and we're quickly becoming known for our expanding waistlines, as well.

Back in 2001, I discovered this one life-changing, fascinating fact: Extra weight, while instrumental in allowing bears to survive hibernation, does nothing for us when we're trying to bypass the line at Stereo at 12:30 a.m.

So I discovered running. You've got to understand something about me. I never used to run. Before 2001, in fact, the only time I used the word "run" was in conjunction with "to the store for cigarettes."

Actually, I discovered walking, then an employee of mine explained to me one day that running is simply walking, but faster. And faster walking is a quicker way to get in better shape.

And I fell in love with running.

I run somewhere in the range of "not walking" and "not ever gonna win anything in New York." And I'm cool with that — because, as I discovered, running in this town is an epic saga in itself.

You have teams to choose from: The New York Flyers, the Team For Kids, to name a few. Work for the bravest, finest, or strongest? There's a team for you. You have teams that are not only super-fast, but also know how to have fun, like the New York Harriers (full disclosure: my team) that parties as hard as they put out on the track. The New York Road Runners put on more races then there are weekends in the year.

And where to run? The choices are endless. Central Park is a perfect 10k, while the West Side Highway path runs from South Ferry all the way to the George Washington Bridge, uninterrupted. Feel like a solid 20-mile day, or a slow and leisurely 5k walk? New York is a walker's city, but also a running city. Feel like some hill-work? One of the steepest and least used streets in Manhattan is 58th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh avenues. Run that block at full speed and jog back down. Repeat 10 times. You won't be able to move the next morning, but you'll be stronger for it.

So head over to Urban Athletics or Jack Rabbit, lace up a pair of sneakers, and get on out there! Walk, jog, or even run — the goal is to have fun, get in shape, and maybe even find some new friends. It's amazing how, after 10k or half-marathon, you can mentally justify two beers at 11 a.m. with the logic that "it's refueling my carb stores!"

Come out for a race — only in New York do winners like Deena Castor and Alan Webb routinely drop by for 10k or half-marathon races. To see that kind of power guarantees you something to shoot for — even if, like in my case, your goal is to finish a half-marathon in the same time it takes one of them to finish a full.

And welcome to this first edition of NYC Outdoors. Dedicated to all those who enjoy getting up and getting healthy when the sun is out, as much as to those who only come out long after the sun has set. It's for all kinds of outdoor sports; the only rule is that they have to be participatory, not just observational. There are enough bloggers out there covering the Mets and Knicks; I'm going to cover that in which we mere mortals can partake, as well. Any ideas for future topics? Let me know. Stay healthy; go play a good one.

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