Up the bridge, down the bridge.

This weekend's training target was to familiarize ourselves with the Queensboro Bridge (aka Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, aka 59th Street Bridge). I was looking for a generic bridge song to open the article and turns out Simon and Garfunkel actually have a song called 59th Street Bridge. Main message of the song? "Slow down, you move too fast". They are probably talking to a morning commuter, but it is pertinent to our case too. Let's first listen, then we'll talk training.

The Queensboro Bridge connects Queens to Manhattan and lies between 15th and 16th mile markers of the marathon. According to the official elevation chart, the bridge provides about 100 feet of climb in about 3 quarters of a mile. No spectators are allowed on the bridge, which makes the section uncharacteristically quiet. The bridge is widely known to be a breakpoint in the race. For example, the great Haile Gebrselassie dropped out of his last NYC Marathon right on this bridge.

The Queensboro Bridge from Manhattan

Even though I live nearby, I don't run the bridge, because it is a high traffic zone with lots of exhaust and the surface of the pedestrian area is not the best. However, this weekend we decided to make an exception and run the bridge to familiarize our legs and brains with the climb. Judging from the number of runners and groups on the walkway, a lot of other fellow marathoners had the same idea.

Going from Manhattan to Queens the climb is actually not too bad, but once you get to Queens, turn back and look up you see what the fuss is all about. The climb is not intense like the Harlem Hill, but it is long. Meaning, you have more time to think about how miserable the climb is and despair.

We did two roundtrips on the bridge. Unfortunately, not having listened to Simon and Garfunkel before the run, we were going a tad fast and I definitely felt it in the quads afterwards. To finish the run we got back to the Park and did mile 25 of the marathon there, from the Engineer's Gate to the Plaza Hotel. Then my training partner left and I struggled for another half of a lap. I acted stupidly and raced with some people going up the Harlem Hill. After that I decided to call it a day.

All in all, I think we won't have a problem with the Queensboro Bridge, if we just listen to Simon and Garfunkel while climbing and repeat their message: "Slow down you move too fast". And of course keep in mind what comes after the eery silence of the bridge: 1st Avenue and miles of cheering fans all the way to the finish line!