In Celebration of Earth Day: A Runner's View of Central Park

(Disclaimer: I know this post is two days late, but I had to work overtime on day one and lost my apartment keys on day two, so I apologize for the tardiness of this appreciation project. I hope my readers will forgive and read on…)

There are many things that change as we move from running season to running season. We may have new shoes or new clothes. We may have new friends or family members to run with. We probably don’t even run at the same pace or with the same form as we used to. But one thing that always stays constant, as least for me, is the places we run. For all the years I’ve been running (which is only three, but who’s counting), Central Park has been the place I call home. It is where I do my speedwork, my long runs, my tempo runs, and almost every other run in between. All except one of my roadracing PRs have come inside the park. It is there when I’m happy and need a place to play. It is there when I’m sad, and I need some alone time with the road. It is even there when I’m angry and need pavement to vent. It is such an integral part of my running life, that I’ve always known that if I didn’t live within walking distance to this sliver of nature in the middle of Manhattan, I probably would not have ended up a runner.

Yet, as important as Central Park is to me as a place to run, it is even more beautiful for the breathtaking scenery it encompasses. There are so many species of flowers and trees hidden within these 843 acres that we are always surrounded by awesome foliage and amazing vistas whenever we run. I know for a fact that for the hundreds of miles I’ve run in the park, I’m severely lacking in my appreciation for this beautiful scenery. So, to make some amends to the nature gods that have blessed my neighborhood with this gorgeous piece of land, and in celebration of Earth Day, I present to you a series of park photographs I took today, titled “A Runner’s View of Central Park”. Enjoy!