Hash House Harriers Run in Manhattan
The Hashers are a world wide running club. They congregate at a pub and run following a chalk trail to another pub. Upon reaching the destination, silly ditties are chanted, food is consumed and grog (often alcoholic) is swilled. The 'hash' comes from a term derived from a meat/corn/potato dish, not from the oily substance from the cannabis plant. Since I have a hip replacement, I skipped the 5-mile running route and power walked the 2 miles to the final pub destination. It was a great social and fitness event. My travel buddy, Ken, and I had also walked for hours around the 42 Street and Times Square area earlier that day. Afterwards we walked around for hours in a pouring rain trying to find the right subway back to our Air BnB in East Harlem.
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| Manhattan chapter of the Hash House Harriers. Visiting guest is front and center. |
I started on Manhattan's far Upper East Side.
I hiked some S-shaped routes through the length of Central Park. I saw great scenery and much wildlife such as turtles, squirrels, and a great big Rattus Norvegicus that almost scurried over my foot. I eventually made it to Battery Park on the south shore of Manhattan where I watched the Statue of Liberty in the distance as I sat in the sun with a burger and a cold ale. My legs were tired but my feet were especially sore where they dorsiflex.
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| View to south from Empire State Building. I walked to the far waterfront. |
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| And I started way back past those skyscrapers. |
This journey left my legs feeling trashed and there were still more big walks to come. The cumulative leg fatigue would add up throughout the week.
Brooklyn Hash House Harriers Run:
My travelling buddy, Ken, is a big time Hasher so he talked me into doing another one 2 days later in Brooklyn. In the Manhattan run, I explained that I had a hip replacement and would rather walk directly to the final pub destination that run following a chalk or flour trail. At the Brooklyn Hash Run, every one took off running and left me. The 'hare' who sets the train yelled some barely comprehensible address to me as he ran by. I had the street name right in my head but not the number.
To quote the Billy Joel song 'You May be Right'
"I was stranded in the combat zone
I walked through Bedford Sty alone." (Glass Houses, 1980)
The garbled directions sent me to a dangerous looking, less desirable area of town. The address that I thought I had heard was non existent. It was also after sunset.
"Thats great! That's just great!" I yelled into the streets. Looking and sounding somewhat unhinged was probably not a bad thing in this vicinity. On tired legs, I backtracked to the pub that was the starting point. of the run. The staff there didn't know who the Hash runners were or where they had run to.
As I sat down and ordered up some grog and food, I realized that I had my travel buddy's cell phone. He had given it to me so that he could run unimpeded by electronic gadgetry.
That also explained the lack of response to my score of profane cell phone calls that had started up once I had arrived at the non existent wrong location. I also had the keys to our lodgings. I was no longer the lost wanderer - he was!
He made it back to the lodging slightly after me. Fortunately he had kept his subway card on him.
Disturbingly, few of the Hash runners seemed concerned that the newcomer had never arrived. Chalk them off of my return visit list. However, it was another notch in the gun for my N.Y. walking adventure.
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| The cheating side of town! I didn't get lost in Brooklyn. They gave me the wrong address. |
Lower West Side to Brooklyn Bridge:
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| Walkers galore on the Brooklyn Bridge |
across the Brooklyn Bridge.
My walking muscles were getting a great workout.
During this week in New York City, I saw the major sites and did it mostly on foot. Throw in some workouts in various fitness centers and I was able to play tourist and still be physically active. Despite all of the marathon walking days, I still had an extra speed gear in case I needed it for self preservation. Fortunately I never needed it. All was safe and friendly. Even the Central Park Rattus Norvegicus had a smile for me.
Until Next Time
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| Ab shamed by the Naked Cowboy in Times Square |
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Little Bobby Strong
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