Moving into the city, the parks are the only places that provide a continuous running path free of traffic and stop lights. I'm not a morning person and could not muster the strength to wake up at 6AM for a morning run. The only reasonable alternative was to continue my habit of running in the night.
I was a little concerned about running in Central Park at night with the infamous story of the Central Park Jogger, admonishments from family, co-workers, and friends, and the occasional news report of people being assaulted, robbed, and raped in any one of the city's parks. Despite better judgement, I ran.
The main loops of Central Park are pretty quiet after 9PM. I either run up the east side from my apartment and turn back at 86th St. or do the full loop up around the whole park depending on the amount of distance I want to cover. Besides the random cyclist making their way home and the hardcore runner that blows by me, I generally find myself running alone joining the ranks of the runners described in WSJ's article: Central Park's Midnight Runners. It was an interesting read and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one in the same sort of predicament. For now, I'll hold off on investing in a safety whistle!
