Another one to cross off the bucket list

A few weeks ago, I received an email from the NFL promoting its “Back to Football 2012” festivities in New York City. It included a four-mile race through Central Park, co-sponsored by the New York Road Runners Club. The event appealed to the 15-minute-mile walker and avid football fan in me, but had even greater appeal for my son. Though I never realized it, he is a native New Yorker who had never been to — or enjoyed — the beauty of Central Park.

I’ve previously participated in runs at the park, but never a 7:30 p.m. race. I didn’t know much about this inaugural program, but we made our way to the “NFL village” via the 72nd Street entrance and the rest of the adventure took on a life of its own.

While waiting for the race to begin we saw the Lombardi Trophy and reminisced about the last time that occurred — when Lathan was a toddler and the New York Jets hosted Jets Fest at Hofstra University. We stepped inside an official referee’s instant replay booth and admitted to no one that this East Meadow teen is a not a New York football fan among a sea of Giants devotees and celebrity players. Lathan even got to toss a football with Boomer Esiason, Long Island’s favorite quarterback. The man could still throw some heat.

As for the main event, it took about four minutes for the more than 2,000 runners to cross the starting gate. Not nearly in shape, I could not improve my pace to push into a steady jog or run, and I clearly needed Lathan to go slow to stay with me.

Though never stopping for a moment, everyone was leaving us in the dust. I felt sorry for keeping him back but, as the night progressed, it was his constant words of encouragement that helped me go the distance. A few meters from the end he took off to feel the satisfaction of running straight through the finish line and met me on the other side of the clock.

“Could you take our picture?” I asked a race volunteers. “This is the first race I’ve done with my son and we don’t have a picture together.”

“Sure,” she replied, going on to tell us about her mother/son evening a few nights ago — a NY Giants preseason game. She shared a knowing smile; how precious and fleeting these moments can be for parents and their children.  And as we walked out of the park my son and I saw the breathtaking city skyline glittering around us. Not bad for a couple of natives whose love for this city never gets old.