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Dose of Beauty
The view from Bedford and North 7th
November 3, 2008
So I want to take back everything bad I said about New York the day after the chaotic Halloween Parade. Saturday night, I think it was. It seems that The New York City Marathon always makes up for the parade's frenzied desperation and grime with its very own steady, grinding pitch of hope, pristine early morning discipline and well-earned glory.
As the runners streamed by me yesterday morning at the marathon's mid-way point, I thought, Why don't I ever try this? What motivates all these people to do this? Wow, look at the legs on that woman? Geez, that guy is hot, dude, killer bod ... Maybe I should go for a jog? Once again, I LOVE NY!
For the past, say , four years straight, the New York Marathon has benefited from the very best of the city's warm, sunny fall weather. This Sunday morning was no exception.
As I stood out on Bedford and North 7th, several long blocks from the Williamsburg Bridge, I was reminded of just how many people, from all around the world, converge on New York City every year to run the marathon. From the long view, down Bedford, the crowd of runners was never ending. And, the city has so many wonderful bridges and long, flat straightaways, that it is really ideal for a long, long run.
The first wave of people go by faster than a moving car. These are the elite athletes and front runners for teams like Italy, Morocco and Kenya. The effortless glide of the Kenyan runners and waif-like, ethereal flight of runners like US first place finisher, Paula Radcliffe is exciting. Spectacular.
But, the portion of the race that I really enjoy are the average people, pushing themselves to their own personal best. This is where the New York Marathon really gets interesting. Around 11:30 am or so, the real people start to flow by on the street, some of them skip walking, others jogging, and some are nursing a wind stitch or taking a little breather. Others, however, just run at a slow and steady pace. These are the people that make one wonder if I could run a marathon. They seem average, but fit and healthy.
ING Direct has done a wonderful job kind of communicating the human drama of the New York Marathon in its advertising campaign. Each competitor is welcome to upload their story, what makes them run. What does it take, etc...
I have always been a sucker for personal triumph. It is truly a thing of beauty.
