I made my central park debut the other day, right out with a couple hundred other seasoned runners. It's crazy how many people there were, but I started thinking about what it might be like if Provo (and all those trying to stay fit for the opposite sex) had only one place they could run. It will probably be the same. On a side note, a couple things I noticed:
1. Running weird is not uncommon. Seriously, I was a little baffled at how many people run funny. So then I became self-conscious about how I run. But have you ever tried to watch yourself run? Trust me; if you run strange, you will most definitely look worse trying to figure out if you run strange.
3. I'm in no place to cast a stone, but there is a sizely group of runners that think if they have a healthy cardiovascular system, they are in shape (and look good)...and therefore flaunt it. Actually, I'd rather not see your sagging arm skin, stretched out belly skin, or chicken leg thighs. Either tone it up, or cover it up, I say.
But I digress...
Those aren't the reasons I think I'm going to love Central Park. For all the bad hype it gets in movies...(I'm envisioning Home Alone here) it really is a beautiful park. But what makes it so awe inspiring is how big it is. If you took a forest and a park and combined them, it would be Central Park. Seriously, it's huge; trees everyone, roads running through it, tons of walking paths, random ponds and reservoirs... but it's all manicured...unlike a forest. That's why it looks so cool, I think! It's beautiful, huge, and manicured!
Listen to this, from the Official Central Park website (seriously, check out the site. That alone makes me excited!):
"Conservancy crews care for 250 acres of lawns, 24,000 trees, 150 acres of lakes and streams and 130 acres of woodlands; install hundreds of thousands of plantings annually, including bulbs, shrubs, flowers and trees; maintain 9,000 benches, 26 ballfields and 21 playgrounds; preserve 55 sculptures and monuments, as well as 36 bridges; remove graffiti within 24 hours; collect over 5 million pounds of trash a year; and provide horticultural support to City parks."
Go them!
And I probably don't have to mention the cliche surreality of escaping the concrete jungle into a natural haven in a matter of steps. But I will.
I do plan on spending a lot more time in the park. Maps don't seem to help a ton. On my run, I followed the little loop from my plans and exited when I thought I was close to our block. Turns out I ran too far. After trekking back up (ahem) 34 blocks...I reviewed a map. Either I have no idea where I ran, or else I'm in much better shape than I thought. Unfortunately this wasn't a one time mistake. The other night Dan and I decided to cross the park to the East side to pick up our rental truck for couches. We entered the park on the West side, reviewed several maps on our way, and exited on the very same side... 4 blocks south. Yes... I do think I'll plan on spending more time getting to know Central Park.
Ps... this is the best picture we have of the park right now, from Top of the Rock... oh yeah! See that upper left hand corner area of the park? Yeah, we live there. No, not IN the park... we aren't that poor. Yet.
1. Running weird is not uncommon. Seriously, I was a little baffled at how many people run funny. So then I became self-conscious about how I run. But have you ever tried to watch yourself run? Trust me; if you run strange, you will most definitely look worse trying to figure out if you run strange.
3. I'm in no place to cast a stone, but there is a sizely group of runners that think if they have a healthy cardiovascular system, they are in shape (and look good)...and therefore flaunt it. Actually, I'd rather not see your sagging arm skin, stretched out belly skin, or chicken leg thighs. Either tone it up, or cover it up, I say.
But I digress...
Those aren't the reasons I think I'm going to love Central Park. For all the bad hype it gets in movies...(I'm envisioning Home Alone here) it really is a beautiful park. But what makes it so awe inspiring is how big it is. If you took a forest and a park and combined them, it would be Central Park. Seriously, it's huge; trees everyone, roads running through it, tons of walking paths, random ponds and reservoirs... but it's all manicured...unlike a forest. That's why it looks so cool, I think! It's beautiful, huge, and manicured!
Listen to this, from the Official Central Park website (seriously, check out the site. That alone makes me excited!):
"Conservancy crews care for 250 acres of lawns, 24,000 trees, 150 acres of lakes and streams and 130 acres of woodlands; install hundreds of thousands of plantings annually, including bulbs, shrubs, flowers and trees; maintain 9,000 benches, 26 ballfields and 21 playgrounds; preserve 55 sculptures and monuments, as well as 36 bridges; remove graffiti within 24 hours; collect over 5 million pounds of trash a year; and provide horticultural support to City parks."
Go them!
And I probably don't have to mention the cliche surreality of escaping the concrete jungle into a natural haven in a matter of steps. But I will.
I do plan on spending a lot more time in the park. Maps don't seem to help a ton. On my run, I followed the little loop from my plans and exited when I thought I was close to our block. Turns out I ran too far. After trekking back up (ahem) 34 blocks...I reviewed a map. Either I have no idea where I ran, or else I'm in much better shape than I thought. Unfortunately this wasn't a one time mistake. The other night Dan and I decided to cross the park to the East side to pick up our rental truck for couches. We entered the park on the West side, reviewed several maps on our way, and exited on the very same side... 4 blocks south. Yes... I do think I'll plan on spending more time getting to know Central Park.
Ps... this is the best picture we have of the park right now, from Top of the Rock... oh yeah! See that upper left hand corner area of the park? Yeah, we live there. No, not IN the park... we aren't that poor. Yet.
Nothin' but lurve... from NEW YORK!
Ah! I miss you!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure there's not a good map of Central Park in existence! I got SO lost while I was there. I walked all over the place looking for stuff from "Enchanted" only to find that all I had to do was walk up some stair and I would have been right there! Such a beautiful place. Enjoy NYC!
ReplyDeleteCA-Razy town! I guess I never realized just how huge Central Park is!? So awesome! Be Safe!! Love you!
ReplyDelete