If I die on a run I'll die happy.

Of course I left work late on the day I put off my 13 miles until the evening.  Part of me was (as usual) tempted not to go but after walking in the front door I just threw on my running shoes and left again right away.  Good thing too, since it ended up being one of the best-feeling and most unexpectedly enjoyable runs in recent memory.


Started feeling really good on the Billyburg Bridge, which some dudes passed me coming up but then they refused to keep moving ahead which was bugging me so I passed them again on the down side, and had a fun time pacing them.  Chinatown was not übercrowded for once so I got to look around more than usual - such an awkwardly romantic area.  Then I went over to Broadway which was also not crazy-crowded, but unlike other nights I've run through the Financial District a) there was no beer involved (hi guys!) and b) it was early enough that there were still a lot of nice sparkly city lights, which was fun.

Battery Park was the best part.  First of all, the water fountains were on(!).  But even better was coming around the west side of it to head back uptown - it was about 8:20, only a little orange sky left in the west, the sky was completely clear, and the smallest sliver of a moon I have ever seen in my life was hanging like an inch over the horizon.  Most of the buildings directly across the Hudson were dark, but the buildings up the river were all lit up and sparkly too.  So was the Statue of Liberty.  And there were actual stars, and I counted a string of at least 11 planes flying in, and the Verrazano looked like Christmas, and the water was making water sounds, and I added like four minutes onto my time by standing and looking around and not wanting to leave.  It made me sad about my refusal to carry a phone on runs.  But maybe the fact I couldn't preserve it made me savor it even more...

Anyway I tore myself away eventually, made my way up to Chambers Street and ran back across, and somehow still felt really strong on the BK Bridge, even on the up side.  Managed to keep that going on my way down Smith Street back to Union, and didn't even lose it heading up Union toward the park, stupid prolonged nefarious hill and all.  At the end I had to go an extra block because I was feeling too good to waste it, which ended up being an extra mile beyond my goal and that could not have been more copacetic.

So that was my night.  Love how the run I almost skipped turned out to be one of the strongest, best, and most beautiful ever.