The Running Bucket List: I'm running out of time to revisit all my favorite running routes in NYC, so I put together this bucket list!

The Run Report: Running Bucket List for NYC

When we made the decision to move to Vermont next month (that is officially a weird thing to write, by the way – I don’t think it’s sunk in completely!), we talked about stuff we’d miss in New York and Brooklyn, as well as what we were looking forward to in our new home. My list was pretty people and food oriented – my friends, my clients, bagels, pizza, all the awesome people in our neighborhood whomΒ we’ve gotten to know through chatting with them, or them watching the boys grow. Then yesterday, it occurred to me that I hadn’t even thought about all my favorite places to run in NYC!

And now I’m literally running out of time to revisit some old favorites.

The Running Bucket List: I'm running out of time to revisit all my favorite running routes in NYC, so I put together this bucket list!

So I scrapped my scheduled post for today and decided it was time for another Run Report, stat.

I needed to make a list, first because I love lists, but also so I don’t find myself in the car on our way to new adventures in Burlington, realizing, dammit, I didn’t get one last run over the Brooklyn Bridge before we left!

MyΒ Running Bucket List for NYC

Prospect Park. This one will be easy because it’s right outside my door, practically. I know this park so well for running and I know that every run I have left there will be bittersweet. I have so many memories of the park. Chipmunk sightings (still a thrill for this Aussie girl), accidental races and surprise running partners; hill repeats on the way up to Grand Army Plaza; stopping at the Farmer’s Market for produceΒ after stroller runs when Roman was little; running with Fran before we even had kids; races in which I felt like I almost had an unfair advantage because I knew the course so well…it will be missed.

The Running Bucket List I'm running out of time to revisit all my favorite running routes in NYC, so I put together this bucket list! Prospect Park

The West Side Highway. I worked for a few years at the Equinox on Greenwich Ave in the West Village (and loved it there – beautiful gym, wonderful members and staff!) and it was just a couple of blocks from the lovely running path of the Hudson River. I have so many fond memories of great solo runs between clients (because when you have showers with Kiehls products as part of your work benefits, it makes you WANT to get sweaty!), as well as running with friends like Jenny, Ed, Tiffany, Dave, Alex, Kirk and Leo. Hi guys!

Brooklyn Bridge. I would love to make this one happen. The problem is it’s far enough away from me to make it part of an out-and-back is a little out of my mileage comfort zone since I had to put my postpartum running on hold when I was injured. I’m thinking that instead, I will subway it there one morning, do a couple of laps over the bridge and then meet Fran and the boys at Brooklyn Bridge park for some family time.

The Running Bucket List I'm running out of time to revisit all my favorite running routes in NYC, so I put together this bucket list! Brooklyn Bridge

Central Park. So beautiful, so iconic, it really is a runner’s paradise. I have run so many NYRR races in this park! I’ve cursed the Harlem Hills; I’ve enjoyed Cat Hill when the race runs down it, not up; I’ve given a silent nod to the statue of Fred Lebow at 90th Street. I’ve had the overwhelming honor of crossingΒ the NYC Marathon finish line in Central Park not once, but twice. This is one I’m sad to say I may not make it back to before we leave.

What’s Stopping Me?

In a word, breastfeeding. I mean, you’ve seen the glorious chunk of Baby T, right? That is a LOT of nursing right there. I can pump to cover when I’m training clients and can sneak out for a run or to go swimming or the gym as a quick workout, but I don’t have so much stored up that I can travel too far for a run. Given that it would take 40 minutesΒ by subway just to get to Central Park, that’s a long time for Baby T to be away from “the source”. For reference, one dayΒ this week I was out of the house from 8am until 1pm training clients and in that 5 hour window, Fran fed Tanner 16 ounces of breastmilk. When I got back, he was rocking him incessantly, trying to stay ahead of the meltdown about to happen because Tanner wanted boobie NOW!

The Running Bucket List I'm running out of time to revisit all my favorite running routes in NYC, so I put together this bucket list! Baby T

I’m okay with it, though, because although we’re leaving NYC as our home behind us, we have so many friends here – Β some who are really like family by now – and I know we’ll be back. That’s when I can squeeze in time for just one more run here and there and anywhere I miss from my bucket list.

And now I’m getting excited about the prospect of trail running! I’ve already been researching trails in Red Rocks and around the Burlington area. The beauty of being up there will be that we actually will have a car, so I can just drive to a new spot to run when I want to, even take Baby T on a little mama-baby running date by Lake Champlain, perhaps!

What places are on your running bucket list?Β 

Any running recommendations for my new home??

9 thoughts on “The Run Report: Running Bucket List for NYC”

    1. I *want* to believe you, but they don’t have NYC water and I’ve heard that’s the key for the bagels. I will duly try all of them and report back. And yes, I’m not too worried about getting back for visits to my old running haunts – it definitely helps that we’ll be moving there in the fall and I’m sure the trails will be UH-mazing. I’m already researching everywhere new to run!

    1. Oh Lacey you and Meranda should road trip to NYC and run the Brooklyn Bridge! It’s so much fun and if you do it Manhattan to Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge Park is gorgeous and so fun, lots of places to eat and relax and soak in the view of the skyline.

  1. Okay so I had the pleasure and the pain of crossing the brooklyn bridge during summer streets. The pleasure: 7am and little to no tourists the pain? 3 hours later and completely unable to run anything because of the danger of getting run over by a crazy cyclist while running around the tons and tons of walkers taking photos and just strolling along. It’s been so bad since they closed one of the sides, so go early if you can!! I have done the west side highway, and the FDR it is SO GORGEOUS. great choices!
    Nellie recently posted…20 Brutally Honest Confessions About Marathon TrainingMy Profile

    1. Nellie when I was training in 2010 I made the mistake of leaving late for long run over the bridge and it was the weekend of the Avon walk for breast cancer!! I struggled so much with being so frustrated and annoyed and feeling like a terrible person for wanting to cuss out cancer survivors!!! Every time since then I’ve run super early if it’s part of my route.

  2. NYC is on my bucket list! My Aunt and Uncle live in Manhattan and I’ve always wanted to go down there and run a race or just run and for the same reasons as you mentioned above, until I’m done with this breastfeeding gig mama ain’t going nowhere:)

    1. This breastfeeding thing is no joke! I know I ran at least 3 races before Roman was 4 months old and I truly do not know how I managed that!! It seems impossible to me to do with Tanner’s appetite!!!

  3. Pingback: Real Life Bucket List - Fine Fit Day

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