runs brooklyn/brooklyn runs

Ending the Week in Gravesend

Friday 9/8: Gravesend

Distance: 9.85 miles
Time: 1:15
Pace: 7:37
Temp: 70
Dewpoint: 60
Weather: mostly sunny

click on image for interactive map

Unique Miles Today: 7.91
Total Unique Miles: 391.31
Percent of Brooklyn Run: 22.46

Route: I started at McDonald and headed west on Avenue U, then turned south on Stillwell, then east on Avenue V to W. 10th but doubling back to W. 11th, then south to Avenue X, over a block to W. 12th, north to Avenu W, west another block to W. 13th, south back to Avenue X, west to Stillwell, north to Bath Avenue, west down to Bay 32nd, north to Benson Avenue and back east to Stillwell, north to 85th, west to 25th Avenue, south a block to 86th, west to Bay 37th, and south to Harway Avenue. Then, a systematic back-and-forth covering all the streets bounded by 86th to the north, Stillwell Avenue to the northeast, and Harway to the south (Bay 37th, Bay 38th, 25th Ave, Bay 40th, Bay 41st, 26th Ave, Bay 43rd, Bay 44th -- which I doubled back to Harway at in order to get around the high school, 27th Avenue, Bay 46th, Bay 47th, and 28th Avenue). When I got to Bay 49th I went north the little bit to Stillwell then doubled back down to Cropsey, went east to Bay 50th, back north to Stillwell, I took the D to downtown and then the G to get back home.

Notes: I always like Friday runs -- I'm typically close to exhaustion, but knowing I have the next day off allows me to tap into that last little bit of stored energy and I usually really enjoy myself. Today's run, while rigidly systematic, also helped me to fill in a number of gaps on the "big map" between the east-of-Stillwell portion of Gravesend that I've been spending a lot of time in recently and a chunk of Bath Beach that I had filled in last month. The result is a pretty good swath that's now essentially complete from McDonald Avenue west to Bay Parkway and north of the Belt Parkway (with the exception of a small triangular section wedged up by Bensonhurst which will be easy to finish off next time I'm down that way). After all these 10-mile runs in the summery humidity it's quite gratifying to see real progress being made toward my goal. Of course, it's also immensely humbling to look at the vast regions I've barely touched, but I'll save the despair for another day. Now, I'm feeling pretty good.

The streets I traversed today are mostly residential, though there are the standard small businesses along Bath, Benson, Harway, and Stillwell. Of some interest is the MTA bus depot which takes up two full blocks. In fact, Bay 38th Street between Harway and Bath, which runs through the middle of it, is closed to regular street traffic (though apparently, not to runners). Also within the boundaries of today's run were two or three high schools, so once again there was quite a bit of pedestrian congestion, at least compared to the way things were over the summer (and which probably spoiled me a little).

I'll hit the road again on Sunday, for a run in which it looks like I'll reach a couple of minor milestones. For now, though, some photos: