Rittenhouse Square

6.12 miles

Ran downtown to my Thursday appointment after work today. Even after two days off, and some pre-run stretching, I didn't feel much like running, and calves were tight. Instead of detouring onto the rec path on the way down, I decided to divide my run in half, and run home instead of taking the trolley.

Stopped in Rittenhouse Square to take these pictures. It was a really beautiful day - weather in the 70's - will be up to 90 by Saturday. Lots of people enjoying the park after work.

Felt much better an hour or so later on the way home. Calves had loosened up somehow, and stride was much more relaxed, and pace faster.

Rainy and Slow

Garmin Link
6.5 miles
8:27 pace

It's been raining since last night, and I took advantage of a break after lunch to try to get a run in. Even though it was two hours after eating, my belly was uncomfortable for most of the way. I need to avoid running after lunch.

Had a hard time getting a good pace going, and got a phone call from Barb during mile 2 that slowed me down a bit. It started raining again, and was coming down pretty steadily the whole way back. Saw a family of geese on the path - the little goslings were still all yellow. Not sure I've ever seen them that young before. Thought about trying to get a picture, but with the rain and the aggressive nature of Ma and Pa geese, decided against it.

More Relays

Garmin Link
6.01 miles
8:25 pace

Another 6-miler with Doug this morning. On the way down to the path, we had to negotiate more street traffic than yesterday as people converged on Franklin Field for the Relays. The big attraction today is Usain Bolt, "world's fastest man", who will be running a leg of the 4X100 relays for Jamaica.

Lots of little groups of runners in matching warmups or singlets jogging on the rec path and around the neighborhood. We saw Georgetown, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Princeton among others.

Doug is having some allergy trouble, and during the second mile said he wanted to do no more than our usual six today. We had started slow - I'm feeling a bit stiff - but increased speed steadily, doing the last two miles both under 8:00. Doug wasn't feeling great, but he was the one pushing the pace on the way back.

Doug is fun to run with. On the way down he ran on the edge of the sidewalk in the path of all the streetlights and parking meters, dodging and twirling around each one, holding an imaginary football and coaching himself out loud, "this CAMP is not a CUPCAKE!" (He's going to football camp in June, after school lets out.) His sense of humor really reminds me of Yancey.

Penn Relays

Garmin Link
5.72 miles
8:00 pace

The Penn Relays are going on at Franklin Field through this weekend. All week there have been groups of high school and college relay teams from around the country wandering and jogging around the campus, usually in their matching warmups. Chris and I passed the track on our way to the rec path and snapped a couple of pictures.

Weather was perfect - sunny and in the low sixties, and all our splits were under 8:00 except the first and last. And we were comfortable enough to chat the whole way. Even though I'm in maintenance mode for a while, I think the daily running is toughening me up, and have gotten faster and more comfortable as the week has gone on.

Doug and I are planning on a run tomorrow morning, then I might take Sunday off.

Another Run Downtown

Garmin Link
6.17 miles
8:17 pace (8:07 moving)

Doug declined to run this time, which was probably a good idea, although the weather was sunny and much nicer than the previous run - 70 degrees according to the display on the PECO building as I passed.

Similar route to last run, except that I took my more meandering route down to the rec path so as to hit 2.5 miles at the terminus of the path. Went out to circle the Art Museum parking lot and was at about 5.25 when I climbed the stairs from the path back to Walnut Street. Continued east to end up at 15th and Walnut with a little over six miles.

Left home at 5:00, so hit center city in prime rush hour traffic and had to wait to cross at a few corners. That accounts for the relatively large difference between my overall pace and my "moving" pace as recorded by Garmin.

Rainy Run With Doug - 6 miles

Garmin Link
6.67 miles
8:18 pace

Doug went out with me into the drizzle yesterday afternoon. We took a straight line down to the rec path and went out to the three mile mark. I was heading downtown, while Doug was returning home, so if he followed the same route back he would have six miles.

The last mile we did together (mile 4) was 7:51, and Doug was just cruising. After we split, I had to slow a little to get through the Center City traffic, but did my last mile and a quarter around Rittenhouse Square. It is about .4 miles around, wide sidewalks, and no streets to cross.

Ended up on Broad Street near the Union League (pictured). The Union League is a Republican men's club that dates back to Lincoln and the Civil War (hence the name.) It is still a functioning club (and now admits women), but I think is less political or social, and more about business and networking.

Run with Dan - 5 miles

Garmin Link
5.51 miles
7:57 pace

Took a rest day yesterday, and was concerned that I might have overdone it. Was still a little sore today, but mostly muscle stiffness. Don't think I'm getting any injuries. Was rested for a good run - all mile splits except the last one were under 8:00.

I think it was a little long for Dan at this pace. This was only his third run in four weeks. But I expect that if he keeps running, in a few weeks I won't be able to keep up with him.

Clark Park Run - 6 miles

Garmin Link
6.13 miles
8:08 pace

Fit a run into a busy Sunday. Got to the supermarket by 7:00 and did a big shop. I like avoiding the lines on weekends. At home, I started a batch of yogurt - usually make four quarts every week. I eat it for breakfast and Barbara has it at night. Woke up Doug at 9:30 to run, but he said he was too sore from yesterday, and rolled over.

Haven't run around the park for a long time. It is not a fast course - you have to cross Woodland and Chester Avenues twice for each 1.25 mile lap. But on a Sunday morning, traffic was pretty light. I was able to bump up the speed a bit - still feeling good after waking up a bit stiff. Last mile was 7:43.

Finished the run in front of this statue of Charles Dickens and his character Little Nell. It was made for the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, and ended up in Clark Park in 1901. This park was also the site of Satterlee Hospital during the Civil War. Many of the Gettysburg survivors were treated there.

Barbara took me to an amateur orchestra concert at the local Catholic high school this afternoon. It was nice, although I don't go to a lot of classical music concerts like she does. I think there might have been more people on stage than in the audience. Afterward I made dinner, cleaned up, and it was already 8:00. I think we squeezed quite a bit out of this weekend.

Six-miler with Doug

Garmin Link
6.01 miles
8:32 pace

Doug and I took a run out to the Art Museum from home. We stopped briefly at the turnaround point and got someone to take this picture. I think Doug will be taller than me by the end of the summer.

Doug gets faster every time we're out. He wants to do the Broad Street Run (10 miles) next month, and I don't think he'll have any trouble. We are too late to sign up, but I think we can run "bandit-style". If he enjoys it, maybe he'll want to try the Distance Run (half-marathon) in the fall.

I was a little sore this morning, but Doug taught me a 10-minute stretching routine that I think will be helpful. No pain during the run, and now, five hours later, am feeling fine. Would probably be prudent to take a day off tomorrow - maybe we'll do a bike ride instead.

Lunchtime with Chris, Raminder and Dan - 5 miles

Garmin Link
5.37 miles
8:24 pace

Beautiful today, temperature about 60 degrees when we left the office, but felt warmer in the sun. We took our normal route down to the Art Museum and back. First time I've run with Dan, who is new in the office. Dan is a tall, thin guy who used to run on the Drexel University track team about ten years ago, but hasn't done much distance running.

I was prepared to let myself fall behind in the interest of keeping to my 8-8:30 pace, but Dan and Chris weren't running any faster than that, so ran with them most of the way. Raminder dropped back once we hit the path, but she wasn't far behind, and got ahead of us for the last mile when she took a shortcut leaving the path.

Would have liked to have gotten a picture of the four of us, but I left the iPhone in the office, since I wasn't going to be listening to music.

So far, so good after three consecutive running days. We'll see how it is tomorrow, but I am prepared to skip a day at the first sign of trouble.

Running an Errand - 7.7 miles

Garmin Link
7.7 miles
8:26 pace

Had an appointment in center city after work, so decided to save a couple of subway tokens and run down. Doug accompanied me partway, and did about four miles himself.

Took these photos at about 8:00 at dusk after the meeting. First is City Hall, which I think was Hallie's favorite building in Philadelphia. Across the street is the 45-foot Clothespin sculpture by Claes Oldenburg. (For a vertigo-inducing VR view of this corner, click here.) I lengthened the run a little bit both coming and going by taking a couple of laps around Rittenhouse Square.

The pace was not as slow as it looks, as a considerable amount of it was through crowded city streets, and I had to wait for traffic at a few corners. Even so, three of the mile splits were under 8:00. By the time I got home at 8:30, felt like I had burned some calories, and was able to keep my supper pretty light. Hoping to lose a few pounds if I can keep this up.

New Experiment - 5 miles

Garmin Link
5.16 miles
8:15 pace

It's been a tough week since the last run. While the weather has been perfect for running most days - cool mornings, with highs in the sixties - I have been stiff and achy like never before since the last run with Chris. That run was faster than usual, but nothing too radical, so I'm not sure how to account for it. It just did not seem to get better all week, and I even developed a sore and painful back for a few days.

On top of that, I am putting on some weight, which is not only disheartening, but will become a practical problem if I don't nip it in the bud, since I got rid of most of my fat clothes in the past year.

Yesterday I wasn't expecting to run, but a couple of the women in the office, Raminder and Susan, were heading out at about 2:00 yesterday. Raminder was part of our original group that trained together and ran the 2007 PDR, and Susan is the friend who planned the Valley Forge bike trips that Doug and I have ridden on a few times. Raminder asked if I wanted to come, but I had to decline as I had a client coming in for a meeting. Soon after they left the client called and canceled, so I changed quickly and decided to try to catch them.

I didn't end up catching them, but we crossed paths when I was at about the 2 mile mark and they were heading back towards work. Wish I would have had the presence of mind to snap a picture for the blog.

I was still digesting a turkey hoagie from lunch, so had to keep the pace and distance relatively short. I'm thinking that as an experiment I might try taking the distance and speed down a notch, but run more often - maybe five or six times a week. I wonder if more consistent (but less intense) exercise might help with the weight issue.

I have an appointment in center city this evening, so I might try running (about three miles each way), then do another 5-miler tomorrow at an 8-8:30 pace. We'll see - I might find it too hard on my body after only few days, or maybe it will work out.

Fast, then slow - 5 miles

Garmin Link
5.48 miles
7:39 pace
83 degrees

Ran with Chris at lunch today. We started fast - under 7 minutes for the first mile - and even so, I was holding Chris back. As we started to fade in the heat, we got progressively more slow, and pooped out at 34th and Walnut, walking the quarter mile back to the office. I think this is the first day over 80 degrees in 2010. It is supposed to hit 87. Still another six weeks until the swim club opens.

Maybe it is the warmer weather, allergies, or just my body adjusting to the sudden change in seasons, but every run lately seems to be a struggle. I'm tired a lot, and it takes at least two or three days after each run for the aches and pains to ease - which means that they never really go away. Will have to switch to mornings and adopt a different work schedule soon. (I've been working 6:30 to 2:30.)

Saturday 8-miler

Garmin Link
8.01 miles
8:05 pace


Went out for a 10-miler at noon today, but ended early - at 8 miles. Kept a decent pace, but just got tired out. Temp was in the 70's and I wilted a bit in the sun. Lots of people out enjoying the good weather and preparing for the Broad Street Run next month. (30,000 runners, so I'm sure a number of them were out training today.)

Was still feeling a bit tired and achy from the run with Doug on Wednesday. Maybe my body is taking a while to adjust to the change in seasons.

6-miler with Doug

Garmin Link
Doug and I have the rest of the week off for Spring Break. We took a run down to the Art Museum yesterday and ended up at our favorite burrito place after finishing 6 miles. I was in the Vibrams, so Doug was able to outrun me at a number of points and pace some faster runners on the crowded rec path. Took this photo on the run. You can just see the Art Museum on the right.

Doug is doing great! If we weren't too late, I would have signed him up for the Broad Street run in May. With two pretty effortless 6-mile runs in the past week, I think he would be more than ready for a 10-mile race.