OFFICE RACE
Sick of boarding the F/M to the L ever y day? These locals were, too — so they opted for crazy, calorie-torching commutes instead
A ND you thought you hated the subway!
To avoid trekking through smelly train stations, these New Yorkers have turned their work commutes into workouts — traveling by foot, board and even boat.
Here, they reveal how their active routines boost their moods and health. Spoiler: They don’t remotely envy your MetroCard. at home, then packs a bag full of workout clothes — which he keeps at the office and changes into every night for his evening run. His work clothes, in turn, get stashed in an office closet. He carts them all home on his back every Friday night, on a run that takes him through Central Park.
“That’s my slowest [run] of the week,” he says.
Monday through Friday, pension-fund consultant Chris Solarz wakes up and runs 10 to 12 miles in Central Park — before walking 50 blocks to his Midtown office. In the evenings, he picks the pace back up for a 25-minute jog home.
It’s a lot of cardio — but it beats the underground alternative, Solarz says.
“If you take the subway, it takes 25 minutes nine out of 10 days,” says the 40-year-old, who runs 15 marathons annually. “But on that 10th day, anything goes. If you’re relying on your own two feet, there are no mistakes.”
Solarz began his fastpaced commute during the 2003 blackout. That night, he ran 8 miles uptown to a party at his now-wife’s apartment.
“It just clicked for me — this is what I should do every day,” says Solarz, who’s training for his 16th New York City Marathon and burns about 3,800 calories daily.
After each Monday morning run, he showers
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