On The Run - New York City

I'm training for my first 50k. But first, walking.

If you read Zone 5 in April, you got a solid dose of running material. It was pretty hard to post anything else, with both the Boston and London marathons taking place, new running documentaries being released, and my own training kicking off.

Since I have 8 weeks to get myself in shape for my first 50k race, any motivation from the running gods helps as I try to get into form. Most recently, it was the movie The Chase, a trail doc that was recently released capturing the phenomenal 2024 Cocadona 250 race.

I plan to write at length about the film in a future post, but here are some spark notes:

1. Anyone willing to run a 250 mile race through Arizona has that dawg in them

2. Trail runners are the kings and queens of the quick nap

3. You can be from the flat Midwest and still compete at the highest levels in the sport, you just have to be creative in your training (this is especially encouraging)

I'll be posting frequent updates as I get ready for my first opportunity at the distance. Writing about the experience helps me prep for race day and puts my crazy endeavors into perspective. I believe it makes me a better runner and sometimes a better human.

I also got a steady dose of motivation seeing runners dot the city on my wife and I’s recent trip to New York. I’d see plenty of people hit the streets morning, afternoon, and evening while exploring what the Big Apple had to offer. As they passed I wanted to catch up and run up and down the streets.

But for Mrs. Boron and I this trip wasn't about running. To celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, we got a place in Greenwich Village and escaped to the city. And even with all the people, it was a great way to hide from the daily grind, refreshing ourselves by exploring, eating delicious food, and seeing a show.

The exploration meant tons of walking. We walked to coffee. Walked to see landmarks. Walked back to our hotel in the Village from Broadway. We walked through Central Park. We walked the High Line. We walked to museums. And even though our legs were sore by the end of each day, it was the perfect way to soak in the city. There's no better way to see a place than on foot.

Any time I travel I naturally start to wonder what life would be like if I lived in that place. New York, and specifically the Village, have a certain pull. It's been the place where writers, musicians, and creatives settled in for decades. It has historic sites that mark some of popular culture’s biggest influence. Down this street, the Village Voice. A little further down, the old site of CBGB. Over there, another historic site or place where someone influential in the culture honed their craft. It appeals to that part of me that at one point wanted to go into journalism as a career, and a time where the excitement of city life was attractive.

I also wonder if I'd be any different of a person if I transplanted myself somewhere. Ultimately I don't think so, although being surrounded by people that shared any and all of my interests would be an interesting change of pace.

And all that walking! There's pros and cons and I'm sure it gets old. But I know if I lived in a city I'd still walk rather than take a car or train.

It helps that I have the best walking partner. Mrs. Boron and I have been walking together for more than a decade now, if you include our years dating, figuring out our lives as a couple as we've traveled through the ups and downs. She's made all the steps worth it. Ultimately she agreed that she wouldn't be much different either. That's encouraging, because if we lived in a city full of 8 million people, that means we'd still find each other.