OSR
I realized that I was getting very hungry for reading about running, especially after consuming Murikami’s book. In April someone sent me some links and I stumbled upon the Orchard Street Runners website. I read the entire blog in one sitting. I’ve been running in Manhattan traffic since October through the entire length of Broadway in Brooklyn, under the subway, rain or shine - the OSR Instagram was pure running porn to me. I knew how it felt to run like this! I knew how hard it was and how crazy it looked to others. Then I read about the OSR30 unsanctioned and unmarked 30 mile race and I couldn’t stop thinking about whether I’d ever be able to run something like that. I still am thinking about it. One day.
Joe started OSR, the unofficial running “club” as an attempt to get a girl he liked to run with him in 2010. A group has been running every Tuesday night ever since. His post What a Tuesday Night Run Feels Like was very eloquent, almost poetic and very inspiring. I wasn’t anywhere as fast as the majority of OSR - most regulars seemed to run 6-7 minute miles, but I thought I’d show up for a Tuesday night run on April 3rd.
I killed myself trying to keep up with the front of the group (as they were casually strolling and chatting at 6:30 per mile) for about 2 miles and averaged a 7:12 for just under 6. These people were merely warming up, so I was just glad not to finish dead last.
Because OSR runners are much stronger than me, I mostly shut up and run. As a frequent public speaker and hyper connector I am not used to having to keep such low profile, or to working so hard at being humble. OSR runners aren’t professional athletes with an exceptional drive - I take running with them as an opportunity for personal growth.
My schedule is generally difficult, but I managed to go to OSR three weeks in a row and I will go back again as soon as I am free. I try to run as fast as I can in the beginning and see how long I can keep up, then I die. I’m working on my strategy ;) That’s what I do on Tuesdays and I have definitely improved my speed by pushing hard once a week.
OSR is a great, genuine brand. And as always in New York, the running group is diverse, deep and interesting, brought together through some absurd sequence of events. People mostly talk about running. I’ll see you there if that speaks to you.
RedHook Crit
Joe said I should sign up for the RedHookCrit 5K, so I did as I was told and ran it. Just the idea of that race made my heart rate go up. It was go-cart style with hairpins and lots of elbows everywhere. The course was measured wrong this year at 5190 meters instead of 5K (who cares), but the winners still ran 14:49 (4:35 min/mile!) and 18:24 (men’s results/women’s). I finished 226/324. My goal was to not be last. It was such a rush.
I dragged my kids to the race with the help of a friend watching them while I ran. They had fun with feeling the wind from the cyclists and the runners and getting tons of Cliff bars for free and ringing the bells. The race energy was incredible. I hope they run one day, but I’m not trying to push it. It was particularly important for me to see them there as my personal story of why I run was closely related to not living with them anymore.
I am working on bringing my time down to 21 minutes, 6:45 per mile. I’ll see you at the race next year.
More Running Porn Links
I’ll collect running links here.
- Orchard Street Runners
- Brooklyn Track Club, @brooklyn_tc
- NYC Bridge Runners, @bridgerunners
- The Speed Project
- After Miles, @aftermiles
Some people that only post running pics.
Drop me a note and suggest more, I’ll add good ones here.