Hudson River Park: Zen environment of choice

I love Hudson River Park. Do you know it? It's New York City's little secret. It's the Big Apple place to go away from cityness. It's a place to go if you seek a horizontal refuge from Manhattan's vertical forest.

I discovered it only a couple of years ago, but knowing of it improved my life ten-fold in an instant.

I live on Mulberry Street, roughly where Houston Street bisects Manhattan Island. It's nothing for me—an almost daily bicycle commuter—to get over to this park, which runs just about the full extent of Manhattan Island along the eastern side of the Hudson River.

At about Christopher Street, there's a long pier (PIER 45) that has been brilliantly landscaped. Serene, uncluttered, soft, quiet; these are the words that describe this pier. I call it my pier. It's my place to re-group.

Often, I just go over there to put myself in a different state of mind away from the pressures of my life. I can focus and plan and sort and think creatively. I usually have my Olympus voice recorder with me, so I can, if I choose, to make a diary entry/sound file. More than a few times much of my sound file ends up being a soliloquy on the beautiful expansive view before me. It's so inspiring.

I particularly like going to this pier when there are only a few people on it: This means going either very early in the morning or during inclement weather. I remember more than once being out in the rain or snow or cold and having the entire pier to myself.

For someone who has lived in big cities for nearly 35 years, I suppose it is somewhat of a confession when I say that I like to get away from it all at times. Suburbanites who hear me complain about the noise and congestion of city life just look at me and say, So, why do you live in the city if these things bother you? Unfair, I say.

Anyway, I write about Hudson River Park—and Pier 45 in particular—in this blog because I believe it is a perfect place for Spartanista Vegans to meet.

Today's rollerblading workout on the Hudson River Park bikeway....

Now, I like to consider myself a supremo Spartanista Vegan—prepared for any adversity that comes my way. But today I was just a wuss all around. I hate myself.... I got a blister (the wrong socks) and so I cut my scheduled Endomondo workout (http://www.endomondo.com/event/kzHazPCJOU0) short. I wanted to go at least 8 miles today, but I just barely cleared four (http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/2657389). I also fell and scraped by knee, which was more discouraging than it should have been. And when I got home, I felt so exhausted I crashed for the rest of the afternoon. Lastly, the fact that my rollerblades are in sore need of maintenance seemed to make a lot more difference than before...

Everything, in other words, was going against me for this workout. The only thing that keeps me from browbeating myself to a pulp is the knowledge that I rollerbladed over 10 miles without trouble just two weeks ago. Why was this workout such a bomb and the one earlier a success?

Answer: I think it was all about the weather (and the socks) this time. For today's workout, the weather was gorgeous, so, there were many more people out and in my way than to my liking. The excess humans—lots of weekend warriors who don't know the rules of the road on the Hudson River Park bikeway—proved especially frustrating...

Two weeks ago, the weather was generally inclement—hot, humid, & rainy. Not that many people wanted to deal with it, so I had the bike path to myself to a great extent... as I like it.
All together, today's rollerblade workout was a thoroughly unsuccessful outing.

Lesson learned; next rollerblading workout will be perfect again.

Sun., Sept. 5: New Endomondo event

All info at:

http://www.endomondo.com/event/kzHazPCJOU0

Rollerblade, roller skate, or skateboard with us along Hudson River Park bike-way/skate-way (Manhattan, New York City)

We will be on bicycle/skating designated concrete trails the whole time.

We will stop upon consensus as many times at we like.

DATE: Sunday, September 5, 2010.

START TIME: 11 a.m.

END TIME: 2:00 p.m.

Start: Pier 45 at Christopher Street, Manhattan, New York City

ROUTE: Head downtown to approximately Chambers Street, then back up to 59th Street, then back down to Christopher Street.

Call to join/rejoin the group if you get separated from us: 212-966-2060, cell.

See you there!

... Pamela R.