Queens (Rockaway Is So Far Away)

NYC Marathon Course Section: Queens, Miles 13.5-15

New York City Marathoners see about a mile and a half of Queens between the Pulaski Bridge and Queensboro Bridge. This section of Queens is known as Long Island City. Like Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn it was extremely industrial for many years, but now there is an insurgence of culture there. It has been a popular spot for artists (particularly graffiti artists) and in recent years it has become developed as fertile ground for start-ups in the tech industry.

Marathoners Rocking New York Song:

Track #9: Queens (Rockaway is So Far Away)

Time: 2:07

Tempo: 180 bpm

Treadmill Elevation: 1.0

NYC Marathon Course Section: Miles 13.5-15, Long Island City, Queens

Overall Sheena has spent very little time in Queens. When she thinks of Queens she mainly thinks of the airport and Rockaway Beach. Her training partner took her to that beach during the summer as a place to recover after their longest run together. It was also where he broke her heart by not returning her feelings and the last place they saw each other.

Download “Queens (Rockaway is so Far Away)” on iTunes

Queens (Rockaway is so Far Away) Lyrics:

(No Chords)

8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1!

VERSE 1

Oh Queens, know what you mean

Trekking through these factories

CHORUS:

Remember the days in Rockaway

But Rockaway is so far away

Rockaway is so far away

We were bums in the sun

(OFF)

8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1!

VERSE 2

Oh Queens, know what you mean

Trekking through these factories

Chewing my gum against the beat

CHORUS

(OFF)

8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1!

VERSE 3

Oh Queens, know what you mean

Trekking through these factories

Chewing my gum against the beat

Makes me miss the summer beach

CHORUS

(OFF)

8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1!

BRIDGE

Lying in the sand, in summer heat

Was our long run recovery

CHORUS

(OFF)

8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1!

VERSE 4

But I can do this, without you

Cuz somehow, I’ve lost you

Gotta make it on my own

But I’ll get there, I’ll find my zone

FINAL CHORUS

Remember the days in Rockaway

But Rockaway is so far away

Rockaway is so far away

We were bums in the sun

We were dumb and we were young

Marathoners Rocking New York is the rock’n’roll-fueled journey of a 70’s punk loving young woman named Sheena. She’s on the cusp of turning 30 with nothing to show for it. Her rock star dreams are not coming true. She succeeded at the downtown party lifestyle but not at keeping a band together. After stumbling on the New York City Marathon with friends, Sheena accepts a drunken dare to run it the following year. To her surprise, and everyone else’s she actually does the training (with a little help) and makes it to the start line on time.

Sheena runs the marathon without music, so Marathoners Rocking New York is the guitar-driven soundtrack going on in her mind as she navigates the course. The songs are influenced by the early punk movement in 1970’s New York with bands like the Ramones, Blondie, The Patti Smith Group, and Television. The album is in an excellent tempo for running playlists and a useful tool for marathon training that can be downloaded through iTunes.