Below is a catalog of our blog posts in chronological order, starting with the most recent. The blog highlights various PPTC members and their accomplishments as well as topics that may be of interest to the NYC running community or at large.
If you are interested in contributing to the blog, please get in touch at blog@pptc.org!
On Friday, May 9th, Carmen (she/her) and Brian (he/him) crossed the finish line of Cocodona 250, an ultramarathon from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, Az. This year’s race was actually 256.4 miles and wound through desert towns, ranches and wilderness camps over mostly rocky trails, forest service roads and even some sidewalks. There are four major mountains to climb: Lane Mtn, Mingus Mtn, Sedona, and Mt Elden, totaling 40,000 ft of elevation gain.
Read MoreI find that a true marker of good poetry is if most people can relate to it in some way. One person’s connection to a piece probably won’t be the same as another’s, and therein lies the beauty of poetry. You may not understand it, but it makes you feel.
Read MoreAs runners, most of us have been injured at some point. Unfortunately, it tends to come with the territory. Training for races and running on concrete often leads to tired joints and muscles that need to be stretched, rested, strengthened, and well-fueled. If we don’t find the right alchemy for our particular body at that particular moment, we wind up injured.
Read MoreThere seems to be a running boom and news outlets are reporting that running clubs are the new alternative to dating apps. Our past PPTC couples have met through dating apps and through the club. This holds true for our couples featured this year, so if you’re looking for love and tired of apps, maybe it’s time you check out a PPTC group run. In the meantime, read about some of our PPTC couples and how they met.
Read MoreWe learn of each other, laugh together, cheer each other on, and as the days and months pass by we may recognize that we’ve found love among this community of runners. Today we celebrate that love and remember that no matter what the world throws at us, we have each other.
Read MoreGiven my mind’s historical bent (it runs in my family), I had other questions about the Cherry Tree 10-miler. Mainly, I wanted to know: why host a ten-mile race in February, of all months? Answering this question led to many other questions.
Read MoreAs a team, we can work towards our goals by holding each other accountable and encouraging one another. You all got this and we got all of you!
Read MoreIn the midst of this dry spell, fires ripped through the tristate area. From October 2024 to mid-November 2024 there were 860 wildfires across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. New York City had 270 brush fires in November alone, which is a historical record. The larger fires in Inwood Hill Park, Van Cortlandt Park, and Prospect Park were particularly devastating.
Read MoreIt wasn’t Monday, but we donned our medals for portraits at Der Pioneer following the Friday morning SEC run. Here are some of our 2024 New York City Marathoners and a little bit about what they had to say about their races.
Read MoreIn a city known for its marathon and its fashion, let’s take a look at what PPTC wore this season at the New York City Marathon.
Read MoreThroughout this year’s month of April, we collected poems from PPTC members that discuss both life and running. They are composed in a variety of structures, but each possess beauty and wisdom.
Read MoreLast Monday, the 128th Boston Marathon was held. With most of the participants gaining entry by meeting time qualifications and time cut-offs, the race probably has the fastest average finishing times. But this is not a call for speed in that way. My call for speed is for everyone to do a little bit of speedwork, even if, like me, you are not even remotely close to finishing a marathon under a Boston Marathon qualifying time.
Read MoreEach element the club offers is thanks to a collection of people offering their time and work freely. It’s astounding. PPTC, a running club of over 2,000 members, operates (fairly) smoothly thanks to volunteers. A system built this way should be defunct, but yet it’s operable.
Read MoreMy goal is to be able to maintain my usual base pace with a much lower heart rate. Maybe the result will be faster times in races, but my real reason is that I don’t want to ask my heart to work so hard.
Read MoreHappy Black History Month! PPTC held its second annual Black History Month Run on Saturday, February 3, 2024. Like last year, it was also a no-drop run, with pacers available so that no runner would be left behind. This was apropos, since Black History Month is about being inclusive of all people, by celebrating the contributions of people of the African diaspora to the United States.
Read MoreI also garnered a new definition of love thanks to bell hooks’ reflection on an M. Scott Peck quote, “Love as ‘the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.’” If you find this to be true as I did, you can certainly apply this to running and general movement. I think for many, running is a part of spirituality.
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