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Braving a freezing winter in New York run
Braving the cold: Participants in the recent Puma New York run jog between snowbanks in Central Park, New York
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Braving the cold: Participants in the recent Puma New York run jog between snowbanks in Central Park, New York. Courtesy of Puma
A bath in a spa tub followed with lunch at the Bubby's on Hudson Street soothed our lethargic legs and revived our energy after a long and tiring run ' some opting to walk ' from the W Hotel on Times Square in the #IgniteNY run.
The freezing February winter was not showing signs of abating, but the media workers joining the run beamed with joy the day before during an interview program as Puma introduced its brand new shoe called Ignite.
Besides Usain Bolt, the world's fastest sprinter, footwear designers Jacob Garcia and Kohei Hagio were also at the Thomson Building to take media questions.
The 44 journalists, coming from 15 countries and regions, were split into nine groups with time slots of 15 minutes.
The Ignite was claimed to have come out of nine years of development, particularly of the shoe foam, with a view to providing more comfort and power to the users and making the shoes more durable.
'It's strategically placed in the heel of the shoe to provide responsive cushioning, optimal rebound and comfort. It gives an energy return in every step you make,' Hagio said.
The center stage of the day was undoubtedly set around Bolt, a 28-year-old Jamaican who has set a stunning track and field career with five world records and 14 major championship gold medals.
It was not the first time Bolt made a grand entrance in New York, having broken the 100-meter world record in the city in 2008.
'I'm excited to be back here in New York with Puma,' he said. I have special memories of this city. I always have a great time whenever I'm here. It's always good to be back,' he said.
Bolt is expected to turn up in Beijing in August for the world championships, but his most significant competition may be in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 a year later when he will run in his last Olympics.
'I spend a lot of time training in this shoe and it really helps to sustain my energy levels,' he said, responding to a question from an interviewer looking into the details of the footwear.
We had our chance to test the shoe the following morning.
We set out from the hotel at 7:15 a.m., heading down Broadway before we arrived at Central Park. Frozen snow made thick piles at the path sides, reminding people of the battering of snow a few days earlier that had caused tens of millions of Americans to buckle down. Flights were disrupted and sports games were cancelled.
After breakfast at the Sheep Meadow in Central Park South, we continued our way to Strawberry Fields and the Dakota Building. And the following trip was a change between going through busy streets and shuttling on the New York Metro subway.
The most endurable ordeal in the trip was when we trudged our way over the Brooklyn Bridge. Built in 1870, one of the oldest bridges in the United States, it connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. At its most elevated height, we struggled to shield ourselves from the battering wind and coldness.
After a 12-kilometer journey we arrived at the Aire Ancient Baths and a 15-minute massage was enough to compensate for our tiredness.
