Story by Hayley Bridgewater
Spring is finally here. Although it does not always appear nice enough to do so, people are starting to move their workouts outdoors. I don’t know about you, but just a tiny peek of the sun will have me rushing out the door to take advantage of a relatively temperate day. I am convinced that once we get a genuine taste of some true Spring weather, the crowds will be out to greet it en mass. Already the bike lanes are filling up, the fields and courts adjacent to the playgrounds and parks are seeing more use, and most certainly, a great number of runners have returned to the streets.
Every year, about this time, I have the same thought. If only that were me…if only I had it in me to start a running program and stick with it. Although I am quite active, and engage in several different kinds of training and hobby sports, I have a deep, dark secret. I am a terrible runner. Truly. I love to sprint, but ask me to run for distance and you’ll get a sideways look and a headshake every time. Everything may start out ok, but pass three miles and my knees, hips and ankles are cursing my name.
I know that I am not alone. I have talked to numerous people who desire the ability to take off for a “zen-ed out” couple of hours, hair in the wind and legs flying, pushing past the concerns of the day. So what is holding me back? Could it be a shortage of motivation? Lack of confidence in proper mechanics? Fear of injury? All of the above?
It is true, running can often be a very solo affair. Western Queens certainly has many options for scenic running routes, paths, and tracks any time you want to head out the door. But what if you prefer some guidance? Imagine that you might do better in a group setting and with some help from those in the know? Many people, myself included, tend to perform a little better with some “teammates” to encourage and push us along.
In this neck of the woods, the ultimate running resource—the “teammates” that you are looking for—are the members of Hellgate Road Runners. Chances are if you visit Astoria Park on any given day, there are bound to be at least a couple of members getting their daily work in.
Hellgate Road Runners (HRR) was founded in Astoria, Queens by a group of running friends in February of 1996. Named after the beloved, beautiful, historic bridge spanning over the East River and Astoria Park, the club was formed to promote fun and safety in competitive running.
In April of the same year, Hellgate Road Runners became a member of the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) as a not-for-profit organization. An active chapter of the New York Road Runners, the members of the HRR participate in many racing events throughout the city and are very involved in local community events.
This is no ordinary, “let’s get together and run a bit” group. Led by their President and Coach, Jared Mestre, the Hellgate Road Runners are devoted to helping all levels and abilities of runners. They have a varied schedule of types of runs throughout the week to ensure the development of a well-rounded runner. An example of their scheduled weekly runs can be found below:
Monday Evenings at 7:30pm — Hill Workout
The club members meet at Shore Boulevard at the bottom of the field between the Astoria Park Swimming Pool and the Hellgate Bridge. The workout hill is 200 meters high and levels off for approximately 75 meters before the decent.
Wednesday Evenings at 7:30pm — Speed Work.
Runners meet at The Astoria Park Track. Speed not your thing? No need for apprehension, runners will be split up into groups based on ability. All workouts utilize both a mile warm up and mile cool down. Track workouts consist of repetitions of 400m, 880m, 1200m, 1600m, and an occasional 5000m thrown in the mix.
Thursday Evenings at 7:30 i– Weekly Group Run.
Meeting at the Astoria Park Field House, this roughly 10K run will start and finish within Astoria Park
Saturday Morning — Long Distance Runs take place at 9am October through May and 8am June through September.
Group members meet at the Astoria Park Field House.
Course and distance for long distance groups runs will be determined ahead of time
Interested in joining? Or picking up more information? Have any specific questions?
Hellgate Road Runners
14-41 31st Drive
Astoria, NY 11106
(718) 721-7844
