Midnight Run in Central Park

“Are you crazy?” That was the most common response to my admission (okay, boasting) that I would be participating in the New York Road Runners Midnight Run on New Years. This annual “fun run” is 4 miles and takes place in Central Park. It has been happening for 30 years. When New Years Eve day actually arrived, people starting saying to me: “You’re not still going to do that are you?”

In fact, though the temps were well below freezing and the wind was a-blowing here on the Upper East Side, I was determined. After all, I’d roped four friends into this wacky plan, and I’d been looking forward to it. I did this run five years ago, and it was one of my more memorable New Years Eve’s to date.

It’s cool to start the new year doing something healthy along with thousands of other people. Apparently, more than five thousand laced up their sneakers this year…a decidedly different way of “tying one on.” Unlike more conventional ways of celebrating this holiday (and I’ve done that a lot too), this feels as if you’re setting a positive tone for the months ahead, especially if, like me, you have resolved to be better, healthier, and more motivated in every conceivable way. (Wish me luck.) When the starting gun goes off at midnight, the excited, fleece-clad crowd erupts with cheers and the sky above erupts with fireworks. And then you start moving your feet. It’s a rush, indeed.

But I’m not going to say it wasn’t a challenge, on a few different levels. First, and most shockingly, we discovered around 9:30 pm that all the Starbucks were closed for blocks around. Closed? Double lattes were a critical part of our getting-pumped plan. Instead, we aimed toward the 3 Star Diner on 76th and 1st for hot chocolates with espresso. But on our way, we got stuck in a wind tunnel so strong and so fiercely cold that each step was like sparring with a gigantic icicle.

“Are we really going to do this?” Three of us looked at each other doubtfully, in a momentary lapse. The espresso shots (we had few of them) quickly got us back on track. At my apartment, we further pre-partied by trying to replicate some of Beyonce’s dance moves in her video “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”. This was a good warm-up, especially for the abdominals – let’s just say my attempts to groove provoked considerable laughter.

Thus commenced the Ceremonial Layering, during which, the “Should We Wear One, Two or Twenty-Seven Layers on the Legs?” topic was hotly debated. Then, my girl friend presented me with a surprise set of custom-made gloves, with a window cut-out designed to show off the new ring I recently acquired. (Yes, that kind of ring, Beyonce. A fairytale story that could fill up a whole other blog…)

Anyway, pinning on those numbers makes you feel as legitimate as a marathoner. In fact, I’m not much of a runner at all: my weekly treadmilling has taken me up to only about three miles, maximum. Conversely, three people in our group, or, “team” as I preferred to call it, have actually run marathons, a feat I have trouble even imagining.

Fortunately, a few short steps off my stoop, we caught a cab and made it to the park entrance at 72nd and 5th Avenue just in time to meet up with our other two friends near the bandshell, and see some of the costumes for the contest that takes place right before the race. Though we didn’t make into the center of the action, we saw a bunny, a Santa, and a few tutu-clad fairies, at the periphery.

Lots of people wear funny hats for this event, and others go all-out. While running, we spotted one woman wearing American flag tights. Another had a silver lame cocktail dress over her running tights, accented with a shawl or evening wrap covered with white balloons. More than once, I attempted to snap pictures of the great costumes passing us, and I almost tripped on someone’s foot or slipped on the ice in the process, so I decided to resist the “photojournalism” (very much in quotes) in the name of self-preservation.

My brother called at 12:22, when we were somewhere around the 2 mile mark. “You’re still running?” he asked. “Yup,” I panted. I guess he thought I had a five-minute mile? Not quite: try more like 12 minutes. Our team stopped very briefly twice to get cups of water and champagne (disappointingly, it was sparkling cider this year) and to re-tie our laces, but I think we all considered it to be a full-out victory. I crossed the finish line with my hands in the air. We all high-fived while grinning, and trying not to limp (oh, the knees, the ever-creaky knees…) “Did you win?” my mom asked, jokingly, when I dialed her around 1 AM. “Sure did!” I answered, buzzing on endorphins.

This was truly a great night. I recommend this run to everyone, whether you’re a so-called runner or not. And the wintry weather actually makes it even more exhilarating: you feel a weird camaraderie with all the other crazies because of it. Despite the winds at 25 miles per hour and the 17 degree temp, with a “real-feel” of negative 5 according to 1010 WINS, it really wasn’t bad once you were moving. Granted, the chill crept in a little more aggressively before and especially after the run, but, if you’re creative enough, you can even start to see the shivers as part of the workout.

As planned, we caught cabs and headed over to Upper East Side staple, Gracie Mews Restaurant on 81st and 1st afterwards. There, I, for one, proceeded to un-do a lot of that healthiness with some bubbly and far far far too many French fries. The place was bustling with happy revelers who’d been involved with quite different celebrations from ours. Even our waitress seemed to be having fun.

Ringing in, or I should say, running in the New Year with friends was fantastic…it feels like it’s going to be a very good one.

New York Road Runners hosts lots of fun runs and races, both long and short, in the park all year long. Their offices are on 89th between Madison and Fifth.