Soon after my Mom and I ran the Disney Half Mary together she started see all the comments and reading other people’s running blogs. She was really inspired and told me how great this ‘Runner Army’ was.
When she told me that my Step-Dad and her were visiting she made a few requests, one of them was to meet a lot of these famous runners!
Friday night she met my friend Elizabeth or Ms. Ritz at my brother Jeff’s engagement party. She was thrilled and Eliz gave her so many great stories.
On Sunday, I had a planned run for us.
There are Beer Runs, Doughnut Runs, and Bridges Runs… throw my Mom into the mix and you get Bridges Run with Baker’s Mom! This was a 3 Mile route (planned by Maria, thanks again!) starting at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, going into Brooklyn then back into Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge and ending at Doughnut Plant! Awesome.
On a sunny and beautiful Easter Sunday, we started at 10AM and blasted up the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a light crowd seeing as how this weekend was Easter and Passover but we still had Abbe, Maria, Joe, my Mom and me! It’s a pretty dramatic ascent and I think my Mom started a bit too quick, there are no hills in Florida remember. Once we hit the apex our pace smoothed out.
My step-dad Richard was right past the first tower and took some great shots of us!
We played ‘Running Leapfrog’ (as I have dubbed it) the whole time. Meaning, we were all bouncing around talking to different people in our group. My Mom had a real fun time talking to Joe, Maria and Abbe.
Once we arrived in Brooklyn we pit stopped in the park for a photo op.
It was very hot and humid and the sun was really starting to cook us. Big high fives to Maria and Joe who were in the middle of long runs. Maria, who was finishing her’s with the Bridges Run, was 7 Miles deep when she met us. Joe was about the same, but he had 7 MORE to go after we were done the Bridges Run.
We set off and began our ascent of teh Manhattan Bridge which is a bit more gradual then the Brookyln but as my Mom said, “It never ends!” The Manhattan is also more noisy as the Subway runs right next to the pedestrian path. This is my favorite bridge to cross for that reason (it feels more urban and edgy) and there are 90% less people on this walkway.
We finished the 3 Mile run at the base of the bridge and quickly made our way towards the Doughnut Plant for nourishment. My Mom was checking out her run data on her newly acquired (and first running watch) Garmin 405CX. I needed a new Garmin and so not knowing what to do with my old one I figured she could use it. At Doughnut Plant we met up with step-dad Richard, my brother Jeff, and his fiance Allison.
Before feasting we said goodbye to Joe who had to continue on his run. He escorted us to NYC’s #1 doughnut spot only to turn around and keep running without enjoying a doughnut! High fives to Joe for ‘taking one for the team’ and showing some serious willpower. Everyone else had a delicious treat and water or coffee. It was amazing as usual! My Mom got a cinnamon bun as big as her head.
I’m really glad we lucked out with perfect weather to introduce my Mom to some New York City running!
