Brooklyn Bridge Time Trials

I get to travel quite a bit and visit some neat cities in the US.  Usually before I go I research where to find a pub that serves craft beer so I could sample the local brew.  In recent years when visiting new places, I've often wished "if only I had my bike with me" so I could train and sight see new areas at the same time.  My bike's a little too big to sneak into my carry on.  My sneakers on the other hand...

Now, since I've starting training for triathlons and doing a lot more running I now have the freedom to put my sneakers on and just go run in these cities.  It's been fantastic addition to my travel.  I now plan on running in the most unique place a city can offer.  I seek out parks, water-fronts, campuses and bridges.

Every Thanksgiving the past few years we take our family to see my sisters family in New York City.  New York is such a dynamic city and you'll see things there you'll see nowhere else. NYC is a great city to find places to run and Central Park is a Mecca for runners and cyclists.  Last week I had my eye on running the Brooklyn Bridge; Brooklyn to city hall in lower Manhattan and back.  I've never been across that bridge but after seeing the Gecko from the Geico commercial walking the Brooklyn Bridge I figured I'd make a nice training run out of it. I planned my run to be just about 3 miles.  My wife, who as recently taken up running, would be my running partner and we headed out across the bridge on a beautiful November morning (sunny and about 65 degrees).  Getting onto this historic bridge was very easy and the bridge has dedicated walking and biking lanes for folks to enjoy or commute to work I guess. 

The weather was too nice in fact. It became very apparent, very quickly that thousands of tourists and locals alike had decided to walk the bridge as well.  So much so that the thousands of walkers and runners were spilling over into the bike only lanes.  Having crashed on a bike myself I can tell you how very dangerous it was for these cyclist to be out on that bridge.  People wondering everywhere taking pictures...ipods blaring...people just everywhere.  Although manageable, running the bridge at any training pace was impossible as we darted in and out of pedestrian traffic. Sometimes we just had to take our chances running out into the bike lanes just to get away from the mayhem.  I'm not sure how, but we never saw anyone hit by a bike or any cyclists crash but we did here a few New Yorker "expressions" as near misses occurred every few minutes. 

All in all it was fantastic but here's my two cents:  I know as a triathlete that you need to get your workouts in while the weather is good and New York Triathletes are no exception. But there were guys riding on that bridge on time trial bikes trying to get their training in.  Please.  They should know better.  It was amazing no one got seriously hurt in a crash while we were there.  There are lots of other places in New York City where cyclists can get their training in without the hassle.  Also, when we got to the Manhattan side of the bridge there were vendors renting bikes to tourists.  Anything for a buck. 

None the less, we took our time and didn't set any speed records during our run and of course it was fantastic to look out at Liberty, the new Freedom Tower and Mid-town while getting a workout in.

Brooklyn Bridge - Note: Walking lane to the right of me. Biking lane to the left. Not much room to run.

My wife on our run across the Brooklyn Bridge.  Lower Manhattan and Lady Liberty in the background. 

Second skyscraper from the right is the new Freedom Tower being built at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan.