A Random Run Around The Central Park Reservior

With my gym closed due to the Easter/Passover Holiday Weekend I need to find another means of getting some exercise. I've never really enjoyed jogging outside. After about not even half a mile or so I usually become bored, stop, turnaround and go home without burning off barely any calories. Luckily for me I live just a few short blocks from one of the most interesting jogging routes in New York City: Central Park's Jackie Onassis Reservoir.

Although I run at least 3 miles everyday at the gym it is always on a elliptical or some other machine. Real running on real ground is a whole different story. It definitely takes a larger tole on your legs. 3 miles will be a lot harder to accomplish.

In the past having the right music while running the reservoir has been an issue. One song may be right but the next just doesn't fit the pace. The second I take to look at my iPod to skip a song could result in collided with one of the other runners on the Reservoir's sometimes crowded path.

On this evening even though my 180 gig iPod containing over 29,000 songs completely on random, the songs which came on while I was running the route matched up perfectly for my  run.

As I stood opposite Engineers Gate, at the top of the monument to New York City's youngest ever mayor John Puroy Mitchel stretching before entering the jogging track, The Descendents' "Pep Talk" gets me psyched up for my run. Taking off the Pixies' "Trompe Le Monde" fills my headphones just as my pace begins to pick up.

As I round the first corner and head over to the west side Nirvana's "Breed" really takes me into a groove. My stride matching each riff of the guitar.

By the time I pass the north side Pump House on my left and the cast iron Gothic Bridge to my right, Duran Duran's "Rio" keeps me in a steady pace. I weave in and out of pedestrians absentmindedly walking in the middle of the track.

Glancing over to my left I am greeted with striking image of the buildings  of New York City's East Side skyline. The Frank Geary  designed building of the Soloman R. Guggenheim museum  among  them.

 As I turn the northwest corner and head south Billy Idol's Generation X cover of  John Lennon's "Your Generation" comes on my iPod. Ironically The Dakota, the apartment building where the ex- Beatle was gunned down, is located right next to the west side of the track where I am running. 

Right after making the South West turn back to the East Side, the beginning drums of The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" comes crashing through the headphones just as a group of 20 plus joggers overtakes and passes me. 

As I begin to tire, become overheated and contemplate walking the remainder of the track I pass the reservoir fountain on my left as it shoots a continuous plume of water into the air. The spray of the fountain and Dinosaur Jr's "Feel The Pain", now on the headphones, wash over me. By the time I pass the South Gate House I have a whole new wind.

Turning the southeast corner to travel back north towards the John Puroy Mitchel monument I know this is the last corner of the Reservoir I will have to travel. There's not too much further to go. With the end finally in sight, one last song comes on. The fast pace of The Alkaline Trio's "We've Had Enough" becomes the perfect soundtrack for the final straightaway sprint back to Engineers Gate and the Finish Line. Halfway there I take a quick glance to my left, this time to admire the view of the equally striking skyline of New York's West Side.