Bronx 10 Miler, Tunnel to Towers and time with friends

By | October 2, 2023

If you missed it – and I don’t blame you, because it was a #TravelTuesday on a Friday!, I posted about my trip to Italy.

Linking up with Kim and Deborah for a Weekly-ish Run Down: ETA: missed the linkup, but posting anyway. Double ETA: and then I was offline and missed it entirely so now it’s two weeks.

Spoiler, we finished!

Last Sunday Two weeks ago, I ran the Bronx 10 Miler for the first time since 2018. Rereading the recap was fun, so much of it remains true.

  • I don’t like commuting to races (and haven’t done either the Queens 10K or that Brooklyn Half since, ‘tho the latter is schedule too)
  • It still takes forever to cross the start. We were in the first mile when the lead runners came back through 8/9. No resentment that they’re fast, all the resentment that they were done and we were just starting.
  • I do not like out and backs, especially on a boring course.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it – we had picture perfect weather and despite a non existent training block, I was slightly ahead of my Cherry Blossom time, although CUCB was longer than the Bronx. It’s easier to run the tangents when the course was almost a literal T. The 11:00 pacers from my 2018 recap were in my corral again and while I knew that’s not something I can do right now, it was fun to keep a good number of miles in the 11s. I also loved that one of the pacers was Jo – my pacer from my first Lebow. She’s a true breath of fresh air in the corrals and it was wonderful to see and again thank her for turning me into a half marathoner. I also got a great pep talk at mile 9 from Coach J, who I met during the Juneteenth group run. He asked me if I was hurt (no) and then asked why I was walking and to go run, so I did: result, my fastest mile.

forever a convert

While I always believe that not matching makes me go faster, this really was next level but I do not see myself doing a race longer than 10K without sleeves. They make such a difference. And really, life is too short to be boring.

Nothing new on race day, except choosing to listen to an audio book for the first time. Enter: XOXO, Cody. I don’t think I’ll ever be an audio book person, but having a fitness-ish memoir was a great soundtrack for a race. I’m out of race “shape” in that I didn’t confirm whether my iPod, which I still use for music, was home before the race. Audible was a good stop gap, but I think I’ll always be a music on the run person.

I ran this because two friends were talking about it at brunch. That tends to be how races happen with me. Not peer pressure, just “well why not?!” and in this case, I also used it as a fundraiser for Team for Kids, so win win. Will I rush to sign up for this race again next year? Probably not, but I didn’t dislike it enough to wait another five years. It’s a good way to keep running through summer, and ten miles or 15K is just the best distance. Looking forward to another in Ted Corbett in December.

 

bestest chicken fingers and human? Winning

rain brings sunsets

  • I wasn’t going to run anyway on Monday with the Sunday race, and then it was pouring. Luckily my day began at the Met for the Manet/Degas show and ended with a quick train hop to meet Darlene after her day with a friend. Sunsets, chit chat and chicken tenders. Life is good.
  • Tuesday:  didn’t get out until after work due to schedule and when I did, I ran headlong into the UNGA attendees at the Met. Made for an interesting run route but motion is lotion, especially after the race and a long day sitting in meetings.

it does. It really does

good night Manhattan!

  • Wednesday: it’s a good day when it’s a two museum day! Add in a sunset ferry ride and lunch chat with Deborah? Life is great. Lots of walking as knee wasn’t feeling great after the race, but walking felt fine.

Chef’s kiss!

  • Thursday: MoMA morning meeting in the sculpture garden, office run/walk group after work. The knee was not having Cat Hill, but otherwise held up for our usual 3ish miles. I was very grateful not to have to do more in this recovery week.

Tunnel to Towers Tee

Start line

Admitting it, I still think it looks like Jacks

  • Friday: Flu and COVID vaccines and bib pickup for Tunnel to Towers, a race I’ve wanted to do for years. It was also the last dry day for the next millennia so I enjoyed walking around Tribeca between errands.
  • Saturday: vaccine recovery, but it was “cold” and pouring so why do anything else but read? I feel mostly fine from the vaccines but I was tired, so I let the naps happen. I had 800 steps on the day and regret nothing.

so so wet

coming out of the tunnel into Manhattan

The Man with the Red Bandanna

The PAC, in context

Capstone

  • Sunday: Tunnel to Towers honors the life, memory and final footsteps of Stephen Siller, a member of FDNY who was off duty and reported to the Towers following the first plane. When he wasn’t allowed to drive through the tunnel into Manhattan, he parked and ran the ~3 miles to the burning Towers in full turnout gear. More on Stephen is here. Now tell me, when faced with that legacy, do you stay in bed on a rainy Sunday morning? I think we all know the answer. This run (there is an option to have a chip, but it’s really just a charity run/walk) has logistics up there with the marathon, although thankfully you’re only running ~3.5 miles after getting to the start in Red Hook. While metal detectors have become standard-ish for the larger NYC runs, this one had other elements of TSA security because the first ~1.5 miles+ are in the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel: no bags of any kind, no water bottles, no phone use. Annoying, but Siller’s life and death puts it all in perspective, as does the site of many first responders running in full turnout gear. We crossed the sart about 40m after the start as it was rolling waves, and some rain inspired tech issues.  It was cool to run through the tunnel and see the spot where you cross between Brooklyn and Manhattan, but it was humid and a surface made for cars and not feet. It was cool to be passed by a Navy training group. When you emerge from the tunnel you’re greeted with a powerful sight — men and women holding portraits of the first responders who died, as well a those killed in the military since 9/11. As I said on Facebook – it’s almost fitting that One World Trade isn’t fully visible, as it would be much better if it didn’t need to exist. AKA if the Towers still stood. The only thing I can even come close to comparing this with is the Blue Mile in Marine Corps, which I’ve heard about. Like the 9/11 Museum’s run, which starts abut where this finishes, there are a lot of pinch points, but does it really matter?

Anything tied to 9/11 is a good reminder to treasure time with your people, so was grateful to enjoy this with two friends and, after drip drying, cap the day with dinner and a delicious cookie with Coco, who was in the city for work.

 

Week of 9/25: Kim and Deborah linkup properly!

row row row your boat

  • never miss a Monday: cross training edition. Also, apt metaphor for the weather.
  • Tuesday: wet run to the dentist, dryer dinner with Darlene and Elizabeth.

Love Letters

  • Wednesday: I haven’t done a lot of theater in the last few years, but when you say John Slattery and Brooke Shields in an Off Broadway space (and from the second row!) the answer is YES. Heartbreaking, beautiful staged reading.

a hint of fall!

Cabbage Reunion!

  • Thursday: when home during the week, you jump on the chance to run the trail for a break for the knees. Later, Mom and I got into an attic clean out and I found all my cabbage patch kids! I kept the one whose name I remember and another that looked like me, but otherwise they’re on their way to a new home. It was fun going through the attic to find some old treasures but equally confusing to wonder why I saved certain things, like a babysitting training guide. I guess I was closer to the events.

my favorite room

  • Friday-Saturday: the monsoons rolled in and I was grateful to be safe and drier at Mom & Bob’s. I’d brought my laptop so could easily work from there and wait out the water receding. Rummikub and other shenanigans ensued.

Bales’n’Ales at NYBG

  • Sunday Funday: from 50s and 5+ inches of rain to nearly 80 and full sun. Zero complaints. I’m not a huge beer drinker, but this was a really fun day with friends and I learned a little more about what beers I do like. Dessert was a walk to and feast on Arthur Avenue and a roll home to the train. Hug your people. Always.

10 thoughts on “Bronx 10 Miler, Tunnel to Towers and time with friends

  1. Darlene S Cardillo

    love your recaps, that you now wear calf sleeves and share my love for running when there’s brunch and of course, the Crumbl.

    Glad you didn’t drown in NYC… rain is over and now summer??

    I am scheduled for 2 weeks in NYC in Jan… you’ll be sick of. (2-6 and 15-19).

    Reply
  2. Jenn

    We didn’t do Tunnel to Towers this year. Usually Mr. PugRunner is the one that organizes that, but he didn’t bring it up and then we had other plans. It might have been hard to see the faces of some of his friends and former coworkers on the memorial banner. I don’t think it ever gets easier.

    Great job on Brooklyn, and of course on all the museums!

    Reply
  3. Deborah Brooks

    LOL on not matching makes you go faster! That is fun to run into pacers and coaches that you knew from previous races. We often see the elites finishing CB when we are just starting it is odd. I did not know the story of Stephen Siller-wow what a hero. No you cannot sleep in on that one. Looks like a fun few weeks of friends and fitness for you

    Reply
  4. Wendy

    I agree with you about an out and back course, except on the trails where you get to see everything you missed on the way out, lol. And yes, I do like a 10 miler or 15k–it’s long enough for me! Tunnel to towers sounds like a very moving event. I am so glad that these events continue to be remembered.

    How fun that you got to see Coco!

    Reply
  5. Kimberly Hatting

    The T2T really looks special & such a great tribute & memorial event. I love the non-matchy vibe! I often wear clashing (though bright) colors for the same reason:-)

    Reply
  6. Liz Dexter

    Tunnel to Towers looks like an amazing and emotional experience. I’m glad you were able to do it, and enjoyed your catch-up in general, of course! Also glad the waters have receded.

    Reply
  7. Melissa

    Wow, Tunnel to Towers seems amazing but emotional. It still feels like it happened so recently to me! I also don’t love out and back courses – I don’t midn a few parts of the race where you pass other runners, but that’s all I like about out/back parts.

    Reply
  8. Debbie

    Sounds like you’ve been having lots of fun all around with friends and family!

    Running Tunnel to Towers must be quite special as a tribute to all who were lost on 9/11 and as a result of that day. They had the Blue Mile at the Marine Corps Half Marathon at Camp Lejeune. It was very sobering. And how fun that you saw your pacer from a previous race (and also your coach).

    Reply
  9. Jessie

    What a great recap full of amazing events and runs!

    That play sounds pretty great! What a cast.

    Reply
  10. Marcia

    Congrats on the races! I’m a monthly donor to the T to T foundation. It is such a worthy cause. How fun to see Darlene and Coco!

    Reply

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