BK02: JJ Byrne Bridge
Q01: Borden Avenue Bridge
Q03: Roosevelt Island Bridge
Date: 02 April 2022
Distance: 20km
Weather: 11C / 52F, cold and sunny
RPE: 7/10
Factoids: The Borden Ave bridge was originally a wooden bridge built in 1868; in 1908 it was replaced with its present form: a retractible bridge that can open by sliding diagonally back to shore. It is one of four remaining retractible bridges of this kind in the USA.
The Roosevelt Island bridge initially opened as the Welfare Island Bridge in 1955. Its current name is far better.
This was not a difficult route, but I struggled with it. With only three weeks to go to the 2022 Big Sur Marathon, I knew that I was meant to do my 20+ mile pre-taper long run – but I’d gone to bed the night feeling a bit under the weather. After dragging my feet all morning, I decided to clock at least some distance in the early afternoon.
It was actually a beautiful day out: brisk in the shade, but beautiful and sunny otherwise. Crowds defied the unseasonably cold spring weather to walk dogs by the water and take selfies at the new art installation at the north end of Roosevelt Island (The Girl Puzzle).
The second bridge I crossed on this run was Borden Avenue, tucked away in an industrial and somewhat uninspiring corner of LIC. Counter-intuitively, it reinforced the value of this project to me: these are parts of my neighbourhood that I wouldn’t naturally explore, unless I make an intentional effort.