How Cold is Cold?

Anyone who knows me knows I am not a huuuge fan of the cold. AT ALL. In fact, in part, I moved away because of it. I do like snow and x-c skiing in particular, but what I can't bear is the cold that goes on and on and on and on and on until like April.

So what better time to be in New York than, say, January, for their first and most bitter cold snap of the year?

Hey here's another idea.

Let's go RUN IN IT.

All along I had been planning to do a run in Central Park with Tilley while in the City. I had checked around for some run routes, but was a little bummed because my gut told me I should stay to the outside of the park/the main drags versus venturing off on some of the cut throughs and bridle paths alone (or mostly alone). So I found an escort!

There's this company City Running Tours (brilliant!) that works like this. You pay a nominal feel ($60 is a fair price for safety and the ability to be adventurous, imho), and you tell them how far/what pace/what part of the city you want to see, and they do the rest (well, not the running per se). I put down that I wanted something just over 5 miles on Friday at 8am, Central Park focused, and that I was a SATC fan and enjoyed hearing about history and goodies as well. Oh and by the way, can my corgi come too?

This was all great news and had me REALLY excited. Until...the Realization...Sometime after dinner Thursday - as the temperature KEPT dropping, it occurred to me, ohshit, I am going to freeze. I didn't bring my balaclava to cover my face, only had lightish gloves and a medium-weight hat. My tights were more for a 35-40 degree run, and I had a thinnish jacket but thankfully many layers of shirts available. I think the coldest I have run in was with Jess in Arlington once where it was 19. We were dipping to 17 that night.

I slept fitfully, and woke up early to do some panic-stricken prep work which entailed the following ridiculous moment. I pawed around the hotel room looking for ANYTHING to wear on my neck/face. I finally found a microfibery Banana Republic top, and found the leftover needle and thread from mending Laika's jacket, and stitched up the neck to fit snugly over my nose and mouth, and tacked the sleeves to one another to enable me to twist it around for a second layer if needed. As I sat there stitching I thought, this is how great inventions happen.

Just before 8 I met my guide in the lobby from City Running Tours. We walked to the southern end of the park in what felt like - and turns out was actually true according to the weather history data online - 13 degrees. THAT is how cold cold is.

We started off (I may get these out of order, give me a break, my brain was frozen) through the elms of Literary Walk where Tilley felt moved to write, sculpt paint...go to the bathroom...From there we went by the Bandshell where the great bands of the 40s used to swing, up and over Bow Bridge (see photo) down and under to Bethesda Terrace, designed to be the Park's central gathering space and plaza. The arcade we walked under (complete with the pack of well-dressed Malteses who outnumbered Tilley) was just restored this spring after the tiles were removed for storage over 20 years ago to prevent further water damage. It was an amazing display of color. From there we headed up into the woods into the Ramble, which felt a lot like DC's Great Falls park and boasts as many or more bird species. Big boulders and curvey trails...not first of mind when you think of Manhattan.

We continued up to Belvedere Castle (see photo) and the NWS weather station (the same weather station I had checked online earlier that morning, in horror). We went down through Shakespeare's Garden, though most everything was tucked in for a long winter's rest. We went across to the great lawn(see photo), reminiscent of the National Mall but fenced in many places. I was surprised (and Tilley was aghast) at the number of dogs totally off leash on the walks around the great lawn. We had a few her-stopping-while-I-was-still-running-leash-popping-off moments. We also ran by the Boathouse where people can take a gondola or boat ride, or if you are Carrie and Big, you can take a dip.

We then ducked up along some of the bridle paths to the Track around the Reservoir (see photos, yes that's the Ghostbusters spook central behind me) where Charlotte ran in SATC, which is about a mile and 3/4 around. We only did about half a mile as we were reminded of the "no dogs on track" policy in the park. I told my guide (see photo) I was tempted to say this isn't a dog, she's a runner, to which he said that would be a very NY thing to say.

But instead we ducked out by the statue of Fred Lebow, founder of the NYC Marathon and the New York City Road Runners, and headed for a run along Museum Mile...where it was cool to see a lot of the museums along the park's east side...but FREEZING. I was glad when we ducked back into the park proper.

We headed down by the Alice in Wonderland statue where Tilley got her pic made by the Rat. We also hit the statue of the wonderdog Balto for a quick Tilley photo as well.

We then headed futher back south through the Central Park Zoo...finally emerging by the Ice Rink (Serendipity among others) and the Pond where I made special note to retell the connection to John for his favorite Catcher in the Rye.

And just like that, it was over. We walked back to the hotel and I bid farewell and thanks to my guide, who gave me my unopened water, as well as a schwag bag with a t-shirt and some various samples.

I excitedly went to the room to report to John all about the run and spent the next hour trying to get my arse to stop tingling. It seriously took a while for it to stop feeling cold to the touch....even through putting on more layers to go back out with John to walk Laika and to pick up some breakfast.