If only I had a photo of the beautiful trail I have been running, maybe I can get one this week. I spend the last week at Julie’s, Races Like a Girl, who lives in excellent proximity to some nice open trails. My go to this week has been the Bronx River Pathway in Westchester just north of the city. The Pathway consists of three paved segments: a one-mile loop in Mount Vernon; a 3.6-mile section from Bronxville to Scarsdale and a 5-mile section extending from Green Acres Avenue in Hartsdale to Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. I have run most of it in both directions, but after a stellar snowstorm on Friday, I got to break trail by running in snowshoes. I have never run in snowshoes but found it delightful, slow but really fun. I had no shortage of cardiovascular strength but hip/quad strength or lack there of was a bit of a challenge.
My second event of the week was taking a belay class at Brooklyn Boulders. I thought about learning to climb for some time, in a more official way than being send to the top of a mountain and having to boulder to the top with only the fear of dying keeping me clinging to the rock face. I thought a solid set of skills was far more wise. I needed to be belay certified before I could enroll in a training program class offered by CRUX an LGBTQ Climbing group, at Brooklyn Boulder. I wanted to climb with CRUX for some time and figured I might as well take it full on, I had the option of coming to a newbie night to try it out, but instead I bought a belay class, a month of climbing, the training class and years’s membership. If I am going to do something, I do it. After the 2 hour belay class I stayed for 3 more hours of climbing. CRUX also gave a bouldering lesson, but by that point my brain was so fried from anxiety, adrenaline, and exertion I couldn’t do much.
It was Friday that I snowshoe ran then climbed. I thought by the end of the night I would need to be put into a medically induced comma from the extensive pain of two totally new sports, but turns out I am fine, in fact I feel great.
Tonight I checked out the running routes listed on Joe Garland’s RunWestchester, I am thinking to run the New Rochelle Loop from Bronxville tomorrow. If I am reading it correctly that is the hilliest of the routes, something I prefer in my runs, though the run to Long Island Sounds looks great, and easy to navigate. I could also do that Tuesday and Monday hop on over to Van Cortlandt Park for a 5k or so snowshoe.
I don’t know what I will do when I have to go back to my job. There is just no time for working, because in between all my sports I am working on several new linoleum blocks. The one thing I look forward to going to work for is printing these new babies. If they turn out well, they will be in my Kansas exhibition at the Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs.
Winter Sports
January 5, 2014 by adventureartist
Hilary,
I saw your link. If you are at Julie’s and are doing the New Rochelle Route, I suggest you do it via this map, i.e., through Tuckahoe and not through Bronxville. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6171118
Westchester is a land of north-south valleys. There are plenty of hills going east-west. So there’s a tough one on Winterhill Road at mile 1 (I was an altar boy at the church you pass) and a downhill at mile 10. Be careful of the road conditions, especially on New Rochelle Road (mile 2+). Just past mile 3, after you cross under the bridge, it appears to be a dead end, but there is a gate. If it’s not open, you have to double back, turn left and left again at the light. The other roads should be wide enough and lightly-trafficed enough to be OK.
The big hill is Paine Avenue, just before mile 5. Enjoy. After that the course gets tricky. You basically keep to the right EXCEPT for Overhill, where you go left. Simply (i) don’t go down the hill and (ii) stay to the left of a small island at the intersection.
The stretch around Mile 8 is Wilmot Road, which is a bit narrow with a good amount of careful (the school with the track you pass is where I went to high school).so use care.
If you have any questions, post them here. I’m set to get emails of comments here. Enjoy.
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Joe,
Thank you so much. I will do the route you suggested. It sounds like just what I am looking for. It is tough not knowing the roads and having so much snow. I will let you know how it goes!
Best
Hilary
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