Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K - Weehawken, NJ + New York City

When great thoroughfares are listed, which they might be occasionally, I have a hunch that the Lincoln Tunnel never makes the list. Maybe it is the traffic or the poisonous air in the tunnel, but few people get a chance to regularly walk through the tunnel. It may be illegal, though I would have to look that up and having just finished my organic chemistry final I just do not have the energy.

The activation enery barrier is just too high.

That one was for all those nerds out there - you know who you are.

Regardless of my most recent nerd joke, I got to go through the Lincoln Tunnel on foot from Weehawken, NJ to the City That Never Sleeps. Fortunately, the island had not yet been quarantined due to the swine flu and approximately 3300 runners and I ran in the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K. Of course, there are much worse things than swine flu to come from New York City. The best example I can think of are Mets fans. They are much worse than swine flu and they have not necessitated a quarantine yet. Having been at the last Mets at Phillies games, maybe the quaratine is not such a bad idea.

Sorry, son, sodomy is illegal in these here parts.

I guess that is why the Mets play in Queens...

But enough Met bashing, if there is such a thing. Picsofmeinfrontofstuff.blogspot.com found itself running through the Lincoln Tunnel on a sunny Sunday morning. In search of a fast time for my first race of the year, I decided to run like Hell. I certainly had the right race number for it.

In case you do not get the reference - think 666.

If you think maybe I sold my soul for a good time, you would be wrong. My time, 28:35, is nowhere near good enough to send my soul to eternal damnation. With the Phillies having won the World Series, I am much less likely to consider trading any soul related items for anything. The drought/Curse of Billy Penn ended way to early in my life for me to consider that. I wondered such a deal would be required for a parade down Broad Street. I would not put it past many of the people in attendance at the parade.

It is nice not blowing a division lead on the last day of the year 2 years in a row...
The Mets are good at blowing - that's why they call it Queens.

It is hard to not regress into Met bashing, but the race was quit an interesting event. All the partipants got the chance to wander through the toll booths

and run through the tunnel!

After running through the tunnel to New York City, we had to turn around and come back. I have never noticed just how much of a hill there is on the Jersey side of the tunnel. It was pleasant on the`way in, but much more difficult on the way out.

Fortunately, I made it there and back again!