Tag: Central Park

Categories
Blog Occurrences Skateboarding Sports Writing

Skitchin’ a Ride

Traffic is usually a skateboarders worst enemy. Nothing makes riding the concrete wave more difficult than cars whizzing by inches from your board. Now normally I like to ride the hills in Central Park but riding the same street all the time is monotonous. So I took to the streets and decided to use the traffic to my advantage by skitching a ride on city buses. The best way to skitch a ride is to hold on to the bumper or tail light of buses. While not the easiest of vehicle to hang on to, I find the bus drivers are nicer than most drivers. The hazard can be the constant stopping and starting to pick up passengers. This is a more dangerous endeavor than darting between pedestrians.

The advantage is a welcome break from having to push myself.Fortunately today I was able to find a driver who didn’t mind me getting a free ride. I used him to pull me through some lights and finally let go when I saw him signal that he was pulling over. I passed the bus on the left side and waved thank you to the driver. Sometimes I’m not as lucky, but the skateboarding gods were on my side today.

Categories
Blog Occurrences Running Sports Writing

Zen and the Insanity of Running

Yesterday I ran further than I can recall in recent memory. The last time I ran more than 20 miles was six years ago to the day when I finished the Motorola Marathon in Austin, Texas.

So I laced up my shoes and headed toward Central Park. I initially intended to run to a nearby borough – The Bronx or Queens, perhaps, but as I traversed the trees of the North Woods, I decided to detour south, cutting through to Columbus Circle.

” The Brooklyn Bridge,” I thought. “I’ll run across the Brooklyn Bridge.”

The cereal and granola bars in my stomach were getting tossed around with each step and I needed something to level the balance of food. A hot dog fit the bill perfectly. I dug two dollars out of my kangaroo pouch in my running tights in exchange for some red and yellow tube steak.

With zip in my step I started down Broadway again following the green path between traffic and the sidewalk. It was here that I noticed a bicyclist who was keeping pace with me quite well. We matched each other through Times Square but I lost him shortly after Herald Square. Oh well, I thought brushing him off.

I continued past the Flat Iron building, through Chinatown and finally reached a bridge. But to my dismay it was The Manhattan Bridge.

“Maybe I’ll just cross this one instead,” I thought. “No…I’m not quitting now.”

Finally I approached the Brooklyn Bridge as I weaved between photographers and tourists the massive cables ran overhead. The wooden planks that carry you across the East River provide a nice change from the hard concrete and asphalt of the city.

I am not familiar with most of Brooklyn so I knew that I would have to zen it. It’s a combination of a good sense of direction and wandering about aimlessly. I use this quite often.

I remember running down Flushing Avenue until I arrived at Metropolitan Avenue when I realized I was lost. A sign pointing east toward Long Island was a pretty good indication. I had intended to zen toward the northwest part of the island, when in fact I was running northeast. The good news about getting lost is that your ability to zen only improves.

Continue reading “Zen and the Insanity of Running”
Categories
Blog Occurrences Skateboarding Sports Writing

The Hazards of Skateboarding

So I took my skateboard out for a spin after taking a three week hiatus and no more than 5 minutes after I took off, I hit a patch of gravel that twisted my board cock-eyed. The laws of motion sent me flying off my board and hitting the asphalt road hard. My primary concern, however, was not my own safety, but the safety of my board. The last thing I want is for my board to get snapped by some absent-minded motorist.

I peeled myself off the pavement and scrambled to catch my board which was rolling backwards into oncoming traffic. After saving my board I investigated my own injuries. I shredded the palm of my right glove and have a nasty strawberry underneath it on my hand. Then I pulled up the left sleeve of my hoodie to reveal that some of the skin just below my elbow had been removed.

With adrenaline pumping through my body, I decided to persevere to Central Park and bomb the hill at 108th Street. I climbed to the top of the hill and tucked in as I carved the massive hill, my hair blowing in the wind.