Categories: Fitness

On the Last Real Weekend of Summer, I Ran Over the George Washington Bridge

There was a blogger I used to read who got a social media job. She was a wonderful writer, but she eventually quit blogging because she said the last thing she wanted to do was come home and blog after writing social media content for her clients all day.

I’m nowhere near quitting blogging, but after a long day at work trying to figure out how to optimize our clients’ content [insert more social media buzzwords here], sometimes I just don’t have the brainpower left to attempt to string together coherent sentences for a blog post. I’ve written some god-awful posts at 10:30pm when I am exhausted and go to sleep immediately afterwards, and I’m trying to save us all from that.

Or sometimes I’m just having too much fun to blog. Life’s too short to spend it in the glow of my sweet little MacBook after sitting at a desk all day.

But I’ve had a fun past few days. Giants pre-season game the other night with Shannon and her husband in some snazzy club seats he got through work. (Also, it will forever be Giants Stadium to me, not MetLife Stadium.) The Giants were playing the Patriots, and won, of course.

I went to the 40/40 Club for Michelle’s birthday and managed to not take one picture. I’m okay with that.

I went to Rockaway yesterday with Lacey for the last beach day of the year. Cue: smallest violin in the world.

Obviously, I didn’t pass up an opportunity for a chocolate-covered banana. And I played by the rules and didn’t drink and swim.

I am not an empanada, either.

I finally tried Rockaway Taco, which I’d heard so much about. I got a tostada, which was good, but I still like my Calexico taco cart better.

But most excitingly, and most relevant to this blog, I ran 14 miles and over the George Washington Bridge this morning!

I ran with Margaret and she ran south, I ran north, and we met up around the 60s and headed off for the GWB. Growing up in NJ, driving over the bridge always meant an exciting day in the city with my family; or, one college summer, meant that I was coming in to take a photography class at NYU and pretend that I was cool and lived in the city. I’d always blast New York, New York while driving over the GWB and feel so happy to be driving into the city. While I always wanted to live here, I never thought I actually would, and I can’t believe I have lived here for four years now.

Anyway, having a destination to run to was such a welcome distraction from running endless miles up and down the East and West sides of the city or through Central Park. It was REALLY hard to find where to get up onto the bridge–and we had a little, um, adventure getting there–but so well worth it.

It was a little foggy, and I was using an iPhone and not some fancy camera, but let me tell you, the view was well worth it.

14 miles, 9:40 pace. I’m happy.

How are you ending your summer?

Theodora Blanchfield

View Comments

  • So glad you had fun on your run and so jealous that you got to run with Margaret! She's a great training buddy :)

    Sorry again for being so lame/sick last night :(

  • Congrats, congrats! This is excellent. I'm still earning new PDRs, but your post just gave me an idea to add to my bucket list....running over "famous" bridges.

  • Amazing views. I love running bridges we actually have a huge 10K here called The Cooper River Bridge Run. Over 35,000 crazy peopel crammed into 6.2 miles just to run the bridge:)

  • I was just in the city for the 4th of July. I ran a 10K on Roosevelt Island... so beautiful! Who knew that NYC was so beautiful! Living so far away and never going there in my life, I thought it was just bright lights and subways.... It's now my most favorite place!!!

  • Well done on a great run!

    I used to feel the same way about London - we lived about an hour outside and driving in, I'd get so excited about the white buildings with columns, and the red dining rooms I'd see through windows at night. I ended up living in London for eight years and I never got over the thrill. And running through Hyde Park was about as good as it got!! Enjoy NYC!!!

  • Nice job on your run! Looks like you've had a great end to your summer! Mine's over-school started 13 school days ago...not that I'm counting... : )

  • I finally ran over the GW for the first time on Saturday!! How funny. It was beautiful but I think I ended up more frustrated due to the stop-and-go on the small path. I do love running down to the Palisades though...hilly but amazing views! It's a great way to tack on some extra miles after running over the bridge!

    • Ooh! I sort of wanted to run in the Palisades, but I was almost done with my run at that point and wasn't going to add on extra miles just for the hell of it. Truth--that path on the bridge is really narrow!

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