Getting Wet in Bath Beach

Friday 9/15: Bath Beach, Dyker Heights

Distance: 9.57 miles
Time: 1:15
Pace: 7:50
Temp: 66
Dewpoint: 64
Weather: rain

click on image for interactive map


Unique Miles Today: 8.65
Total Unique Miles: 426.85
Percent of Brooklyn Run: 24.50

Route: I began at New Utrecht Avenue and 18th Avenue and ran down to 85th, then east to 19th Avenue, south to 86th Street, west to Bay 20th, south to Cropsey, east back to 19th Avenue, south to Shore Road, west to Bay 20th, north up to Cropsey but doubling back to Shore, west to Bay 19th, north to 86th, east back to Bay 20th and then doubling back to Bay 18th, south to Shore Road, west to Bay 17th, north to 86th, west to Bay 16th, south down to Shore Road again and then doubling back to 17th Court, west to 17th Avenue, north back to 86th, west to Bay 14th, south to Shore again, west to Bay 13th (see a pattern here?), north to 86th, west to Bay 16th, south to Shore and doubling back to Independence, west to Bay 10th and doubling back east to Bay 11th, north to 86th, west to Bay 10th, south to Independence, west to Bay 15th, south to Shore Road once more and doubling back north all the way to 76th (with the little dead-end bit of Independence thrown in there too). Then it was east to 16th Avenue and north up to 70th Street.

Notes: I should've run yesterday. When I awoke this morning (at around 5:30) it was still damp out, and the radar map showed more rain making its way into the area. But since I took yesterday off due to a steady drizzle I was pretty much committed to heading out this morning, regardless of the conditions. So I wrapped my camera in a plastic sandwich bag before stuffing it into my running pouch and resigned myself to getting a little wet this morning. As I've written several times before (on rainy days, of course) I usually don't mind running in the rain, though it does complicate the picture taking, and the soggy ride home on the subway has also proven to be less than pleasant (especially if it's crowded). And rain it did, more than yesterday. I was soaked through after the first ten minutes or so, but things lightened up enough for 10 or 15 minutes that I was able to take six or eight pictures before it started coming down again. Eager to get home, I boarded the D train at 71st Street, but after a couple of stops the train stopped for about 20 or 25 minutes because of switching problems, but I finally made it home around 11:15 -- just in time to move the car. It's been one of those days.

Besides the dampness there's not much to report from today's run. I'm more or less exhausted (not just from the 45-50 mile weeks lately, but I also was up reading past 1:00 last night and thus got only a little over four hours of sleep, or about an hour less than usual), and all I'm thinking about is reaching that magical number of 435.5 unique miles so I can take a break (and I only need about 8.7 to get there now). The western half of Bath Beach that I explored today had a little more light industry than the eastern half (which I'd run earlier in the summer), and was a little seedier looking on some blocks. Still, down toward the Belt Parkway (and the water beyond) there were some pleasant, if mostly modest, residential areas.

I'll probably take it easy tomorrow and run Sunday. Here are this morning's waterlogged photos:


86th Street & 17th Avenue


Looking east on 86th Street


17th Avenue


Someone's got to do it, right? (Bath Avenue and Bay 16th)


I don't think this office is open any more (16th Avenue)