Friday Instagrab: Running on the Bikeway

On Wednesday I returned to the Bethpage Bikeway for a short run.

Let’s go!

It was a partly sunny early afternoon, with temps in the mid-50’s. I had no real goal for this run than to hopefully not feel any discomfort.

I started off really slow because my legs felt like lead. It had been about 4 hours since I had eaten anything so that’s probably the reason for the heaviness. But I knew I’d find a comfortable pace, so I wasn’t worried. My legs always wake up.

The Bethpage Bikeway is one of my favorite running paths for several reasons:

1. It’s incredibly quiet and allows you to focus on your footsteps
2. You are surrounded by nature so no worrying about traffic
3. The views really take you out of your element
4. It’s never very crowded so no weaving around many people
5. The tall trees protect you from the harshness of the summer sun and the strong, cold winter winds
6. There are markers for every 0.1-mile for the first 2.3 miles, then every .25-miles after that. This makes it easy to keep track of your distance.

I ran all the way to Linden from Sunrise Highway and by the time I turned around, I was a bit tired, and more importantly, very hungry. My energy was leaving me. I had no pain or discomfort in my hip, but I knew 2 miles in, I wouldn’t be able to go much further. I tried to relax and just let my concerns go. Eventually, when I stopped, I had reached 3.16 miles in 33 minutes. My splits: mile 1 – 11:34, mile 2 – 9:53, mile 3 – 10:19. You can see where I started slow, found my rhythm, then got tired all by those numbers.

Not a terrific run, but I got myself out there and did it. That’s what matters and I feel good about it.

Question: Where’s your favorite place to run?

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