But it's a helluva lot tougher than it looks! Unlike the locals like Josh, for which this is old-hat, you won't find much in Texas to run over like the Brooklyn Bridge. Why did I want to run it? Because it's there. You know what I mean.The past 2-3 weeks have been busy, and I've been off the blogs and low on running. I'm still traveling every week, and for reasons too long and too trivial to list, I found myself with luggage, mid-week, at work, downtown in the shadow the bridge. Even though I ran last night in Central Park (barely missing Gawker run-ins with Cap'n Kirk, Texas-Ex Matthew McConnaughey, and still-better-as-Lois-Lane Teri Hatcher), I decided at 6pm to change and go for a run instead of heading to my (next) hotel.
I started out at the Staten Island Ferry terminal and followed the water to the base of the bridge. I found my way to the entrance, which was actually a few blocks back "inland". From the entrance, it was tough as nails for me to make it up the incline, and I definitely felt it in my calves. There was also a fair amount of weaving in and around pedestrians in the single 6-foot wide lane reserved for walkers, runners, strollers and dogs in both directions, plus people standing on the side posing for pictures from people standing in the middle! At times you had no choice but to bleed into the next lane reserved for bikers, but you really had to watch your back. I finally reached the middle section, which was flat and much windier and cooler - I'm guessing in the low 60's. I didn't get to enjoy the view as much as I could have, instead focusing on not passing out! After that, it was on to the long decline into Brooklyn. 16:30-ish one-way.
During my break, I wasn't feeling too good about the return trip, but finally decided I'd better get going or I'd be stuck in Brooklyn all night. I'd have left sooner if I had read Anne's post about the dreadin's always worst than the doin'! How I missed this coming over I don't know, but the incline from the Brooklyn side is much more gradual, which meant that the decline into Manhattan would be almost like a free-fall! Well, sorta. It still was tough overall, but I made the return leg in 13:45. This one bridge should last me a while.
