What do you see as you run the HTD 5K course?

 You start at the Middle School (Golf Road).  This building (which is opened for runners on HTD) was built in the 1920’s and served as the high school and later junior high school. Completely renovated it is now the Middle School.

Down Golf, right onto Leedom and left onto Mill Road.

You will run a large portion of the race on Mill Road – one of the older roads in town it shows on the old maps but only became a township road in the late 19th century. More on the name later. On your left as you turn onto Mill is Haverford High School it was built in 1956 to accommodate the post war population boom. It was renovated in the late 90’s.

Half mile in you cross Earlington Road. Another of the early streets, it is a major north/south arterial road. For your safety, its traffic is controlled by a police officer. As you run down to the Karakung, on your left will be Trinity Christian Church. The Church serves Mandarin speakers and has services in English and Mandarin. Until 2012 it was the Jewish Community Center serving congregation Bnai Aaron. Its sanctuary has a beautiful stain glass window of Mt. Sinai. A large portion of the race is run along Karakung Drive. Karakung is the native American name for what becomes Cobbs Creek. The park surounding you is Powder Mill Valley Park. Just after you turn onto Karakung you past Lakeside Avenue. Where is the lake? At the turn of the 20th century the builders of what is now the Route 100 high speed line wanted to attract people out to the suburbs. They built an amusement park and had a lake for boating. The park only survived a few years but the P&W line (Philadelphia and Western) became an important part of suburban development. The Beechwood-Brookline station is up the steps on your right.

At the mile mark you past Nitre Hall on your right. Maintained by the Historical Society it is being restored and reflects the area’s history of milling. First gun powder and later textiles. Also, present on this site is the Lawrence Cabin. Moved here in 1961, it is the oldest domestic building in Town.

Your halfway point is just before Manoa Road -  another of the original highways this is an important east/west artery. There is a much-neglected memorial just to your right that recounts the park’s development.

 The bridge over Cobbs Creek is newly rebuilt and will reopen October 2019.

 On your return, you will get views of Karakung creek. The two-mile mark is just before Nitre Hall. You will come back to Mill turning left and running under the P&W. On your right is a historic house dating back to 1725. It was home to many of the local mill owners and Mill Road was once Dickinson Mill Road (Dickinson was one of the last millers). It is now being restored by the current owner.

You are almost home now – once you recross Earlington you have a half mile left. Relax your shoulders, check your breathing – if you have begun to pant, take deeper breaths. The 3-mile mark is at the end of Leedom, turning onto Golf Road you have .1 mile. If you can, sprint those last yards in. You have run deep into history, run where the Lenni Legape hunted and have come back out into the 21st Century.  Bask in you accomplishment and go enjoy the rest of Haverford Township Day.

I first ran the BSR in 1998. The BSR is my only streak – yesterday was number 19. It was my first “big” race although at that time big was 5,000 runners – no waves, no chips. You saw your results by buying the Monday edition of the Daily News and combing thru the thousands of names. My audio memory of that day: I heard sound almost of running water - it was the hundreds of plastic cups being crushed by the passing runners at the first water stop. All that to let you know my bias and that this race is dear to me.

This year’s audio was the swish of hundreds of plastic ponchos. I had discarded mine at the start and was amazed so many left theirs on. Crowded but easy to move. Two collisions neither catastrophes – one runner stopped suddenly and I hit him pretty hard but he was a short, stout fellow and I bounced off neither of us worse for wear. The other was a fellow who suddenly veered to accept some high fives – if changing course remember there are dozens of people behind you. Pretty amazing that several musicians persevered and played for us in the rain. My favorites were the band at Temple and the singer at City Hall doing Sweet Caroline with many chanting in the chorus. In 2013 after the Boston Bombing they played Sweet Caroline over and over at the BSR start – when someone beside me complained I explained it was to honor Boston. He got it right away and belted out “so good, so good” the next go around. I am simply amazed by the number and spirit of the volunteers along the course. I was convinced that some water stops would be empty but all were staffed and with enthusiasm. Even though I skipped a couple of the water stops I shouted out thank you to all. I like the ten mile distance – a big effort but not so much that you question your sanity and the time just flies. Suddenly you are at Pattison Avenue and know the over pass ahead is a half mile, and the gates a quarter. The entry into the water/food a little slow and chaotic (I never did get a Mylar) but the medal giver was just outside the food tent and there were plenty of food bags and more enthusiastic volunteers. I know some grumble about the start/finish congestion and waits and overall it is a logistical nightmare but what an event. Imagine they close off a major thoroughfare for me. The entire city is inconvenienced for me. I can toss my clothes aside and someone else is going to pick it up; I can stick out my hand and someone will place a cup a water in it, I can crumble up that cup and someone else will pick it up. And people are going to cheer for me and sing to me and wish me well the entire way. Isn’t that enough arrogance to put up with some difficulties at the start and finish.

ODDyssey Half Marathon - June 8, 2914

ODDyssey Half Marathon


Don't know why I decided to run the race.   In an Inquirer article the race director said he created the race when he ran Broad Street and was frustrated that there were no long distance races close to home to take advantage of that training.  The race formerly known as the PDR isn't until September.

I think that was partly my motivation:  To see how that longer distance felt.

It is a low key affair.  This year the attendance was capped at 3000.  It has a very small expo at Llyod Hall on Boathouse Row.  (I place I know well since it was the meeting place for a running group I ran with in the 90"s).

I biked over from the Please Touch Museum and got a preview of how tough the last hill was going to be.  (If you have done the Philly Marathon it is the hill just past the Zoo (Lansdowne Ave) that is about the 9 mile mark in the Marathon).  I was surprised by how many runners were surprised by hill at the finish - it's an out and back - what the course gives it ruthlessly takes back.

The race has a very early start - 7am.  But I found I like that.  Today was warm and humid and not unbearably so our good spring continues.  I got there about 6AM because I didn't want to end up parking miles away.  As it turn out I was quite close to a small pond covered in lilies that I remembered from my childhood since my father took us kids there often (as it was quite close to his childhood home).  I thought of my Dad this week being the 70th anniversary of D-Day.  My Dad spent June 6th very seasick in the English Channel.  His unit didn't land until the 7th.  Probably lucky for me (although he saw several months of heavy combat in France.

The course for me was old home week.  Down Martin Luther King Drive, over the Strawberry Mansion Bridge, up a sharp hill to the Dell  and thru East Fairmount (this is close the Tri bike course that I will do in 2 weeks),  Then a sharp drop back to Kelly Drive to Falls Bridge.  (Again replicating part of the Philly Marathon course).  Once back on MLK you have only a 5K to the finish (and of course that long, half mile climb up to Memorial Hall (the Please Touch).

I did a mostly 4/1 run/walk but I was consistent changing with topography and water stops.  I noticed that there seemed to be a lot of run/walkers out there.  My little geography remained surprisingly consistent with me seeing the same runners passing and then me repassing.

I had a friendly duel with one runner on a schedule similar to mine (he said he was 3.5 run/30 second walk.  About mile 11 I pulled away from him and never saw him again.  Among my companions were two young ladies who never stopped talking - it was amazing.  Later on of them told me that use it to gauge effort.  Frankly by mile 11 I was hardly thinking of conversation.

The hill was bit of a struggle but once up the last half is pretty flat. I sailed to a very satisfactory finish.

A clever medal designed as a bottle opener (which I just tried and it didn't work well),  I got in a very long line for a Slyfox beer and glass.  I grumbled but the line moved well enough and I got to trade war stories with fellow runners - funny how these micro environments ,  Actually, when I got the beer it was quite refreshing.  I once again found a small group.  The race encourages costumes although only a few do it but one guy had a sombrero and poncho and I told the outfit would get him kicked out of most American universities.  Fortunately, he found that funny and we had a great conversation.  I slowly enjoyed my beer but decided to start home without a refill.  As I walked back toward the gear bus and my car.  I heard them calling out awards - they started out with the 65+ group (which I certainly appreciate I hate sitting thru all the whippersnappers to get to the old guys and gals).  I though I would see if I knew any of the award winners,  when they called out third place I thought - hey my time was better then that and lo and behold the next name was mine.  I must say I was gobsmacked.  (And the first place guy finished almost 20 minutes in front of me so my surprise was correct).  It was a very nice medal and I will treasure it as an example of serendipity.

A fun day - will I do it again?  Probably not but I will recommend it to all looking for a late spring half.

Chestnutwold Chase 5K

A couple of weeks ago I run the mammoth Broad Street Run but today a tiny local race.

Chestnutwold is an elementary school in the Ardmore section of Haverford Township.  It is the school that kids from my neighborhood go to and the race director is the same women who organizers the buses that took us to Broad Street so it was a natural for me to do it.

It was damp, dreary, drizzly the whole morning but no hard rain.

The first event is a kids' mile run.  They had a great turnout despite the drizzle.  And it look like all the kids had a great time.

The 5K course is very simple.  It uses the "busway"  - this is a stretch of road that was a trolley right of way last century but was paved and is restricted to bus traffic only.  Since the buses don't run on Sundays it is perfect of recreational uses.  It crosses on busy street but the police do a great job of controlling traffic there.

The busway passes the back of St. Mary's Laundry (now an art center).  A few years ago I learned that by Grandfather and his brothers worked there when they emigrated from England in the late 19th century so it is always kind of neat to see the place and the ghosts it holds.

The participants are mostly kids and their parents and there is great spirit.  Lots of cheers and enthusiasm from the spectators.   It is not a flat course but the inclines are moderate and there are limited turns so you get these long straight aways.

My best 5k in a while - 27:49 - 8:58 miles.  I have for awhile wanted to run 9 minute miles in a 5K so I liked the result.  (Wish I could say the miles were consistent but it was more fast downhill, slow up hill.)  Since I was the only runner over 60 a medal was a sure thing (came with a gift certificate pretty cool for a small race) but I was also faster then anyone in the 50/60 age group so that was cool.

Post race there is a pancake breakfast in the school cafeteria and surprisingly the pancakes were very good.

A fun if soggy morning.

Well I wasn’t going to write about Broad Street because I was a little disappointed by the results. It wasn’t that I didn’t have a good run – I had a very good run and it was a great day. I just thought I would be faster. There is a long standing rivalry between Philadelphia and Boston (see http://www.amazon.com/Puritan-Boston-Quaker-Philadelphia-Baltzell/dp/156000830X/ref=pd_sim_b_3) (the author was a teacher of mine in college).

But Sunday was all about Philly supporting Boston as thousands of runners sported red socks and … well read below.


 I had been training using a Galloway walk/run. Four minutes running; one minute walking. Just before Broad Street the organizers had a twitter feed with Jeff Galloway and I got a chance to ask him about the ratio for a ten mile run and he said 4/1 was about right. In hindsight I wish I had tried 5/1. I think the walk/run did work in that I felt great throughout the race and at the finish. There was none of that “I’m dead exhausted” at the end. The problem was that my running pace wasn’t fast enough to counter the walk time. The other problem was that the course was so crowded that transitioning from walk to run was difficult as I had to pass runners not going at my pace. This was especially true in the finally mile when all the runners are pressed into the southbound lanes of Broad Street. (For the past couple of years runners have been able to use both sides of Broad Street even south of City Hall.)
 

(Some background on Broad Street:  a ten mile course, on Broad Street one of the longest straight streets in America.  Big race (32,000 finishers).  Finishes in the Navy Yard [now called the Naval Business Center])  The race is mostly flat (don't buy the hype there are no hills but there is a net elevation drop).  Perfect weather this year.  Cool with some cloud cover.


 Let me back up. I got to the race not on the subway (tradition is to park at the sports' complex about a mile from the finish and take the subway to the start) but by a chartered bus. The buses leave from the local high school just a couple of blocks from my house. This is very nice – no parking hassles, no crowded train ride. Two of the buses were school buses but one (mine) was a nicer – cloth, bucket seats, (with seat belts if you were so inclined), and, unlike last year, the driver knew where he was going. I left some gear on the bus but I also used the race’s gear bus for my phone, camera and dry shirt. (We weren’t sure with the added security whether the buses would be allowed in the Navy Yard.)


 Just before 8 I got into my corral (grey) – looking back I wish I had waited to closer to start time (8:30). Unlike Diane I started mid-pack – last year I started at the front of the grey corral – terrible idea since it resulted in a much too fast first mile. Couldn’t hear any of the early announcements – missed the moment of silence and caught just a couple of refrains of the national anthem. But as we moved forward could hear they were playing Sweet Caroline….on an endless loop (God bless the poor neighbors on Broad Street). Someone near said can’t they play something else until someone explained the significance. When we lined up for our start the crowd hand pumped and sang ‘so good, so good’ with great energy. This year the start seemed just right. I know that Galloway insists that it is important to do the walk breaks early and I did but boy was it hard walking and being passed by dozens. I’m not sure when I became aware that Diane and I were close to the same pace. Did I pass her or did she pass me while I was walking? But once it started it was kind of fun – we did a hopscotch down Broad Street. She would pass me walking and I would pass her running but we were never far out of contact. Whether it was the beautiful day, the novelty of following the walk/run intervals, the joy of the runners (everyone seemed to be having a good time – the beauty of the back of the pack), the enthusiasm of spectators (see below) but the time just flew by. There are relatively few spectators the first few miles but where there were they were great fun. At Temple University good crowds including kids in wheel chairs. Then quiet until you get near Broad and Spring Garden. From the old Inquirer building on the crowd get louder and louder. More Sweet Caroline as we went around City Hall, with arm pumps and so goods, amazing – lots and lots of noise. Down the Avenue of the Arts, (Academy of Music, Kimmel Center, Union League ….). I had temporarily stopped the walk/run and skipped an interval just because it was so crowded. I felt great and thought my pace excellent – out of the corner of my eye I caught a white hat bobbing in the southbound lanes (I had stuck to the northbound) Diane was about twenty yards ahead and pulling away. So either I had slowed (quite possible in the crowded conditions or she had a mini-surge.) I wouldn’t see her again for a couple of miles. The race had given out heart shape stickers which began to fall off about mile four (mine made it to the end and then I lost it somewhere on the parade grounds) so the course was marked with hearts.

The next couple of miles are a blur – I usually hate miles 7 and 8 but this year they didn’t seem so bad and suddenly (or so it seemed) I had passed Pattison Ave (9 miles). This is where they push all the runners northbound. At some point I realized Diane was just ahead and I wondered if I could make up the difference. I did. So just before the Navy Yard entrance (about ¼ mile left) we were running together. Dianne surged a bit and I told her sprint – she moved ahead and I thought this is how the elites feel when after 26 miles their competitor makes a finally surge. However, to my surprise I felt I had more in the tank and began to close the distance and spurted pass just a second or two before the finish ending our Broad Street duel. 98 minutes was considerably slower than I thought I could accomplish, but on the other hand it was the most enjoyable Broad Street ever.

Great organization funneling the runners thru the refreshment area after which Diane and I went to our after parties. Despite the extra security our buses were in their usual place just yards from the finish with some liquid refreshment and, despite a ban on alcohol, a motorcycle officer checked us out and then went on his way (bless him for his tolerance). The only remaining glitch – getting out of the Navy Yard – we were directed out the back gate which dumps you on Passayunk Ave and directly on the Schuylkill Expressway which was the crawlway for five or six long miles. At that point despite the early hour I had a beer in my hand and was content to relax and enjoy the happy buzz all around – much better then pushing thru that mess in my own vehicle. Last thoughts: some runners like races, some hate them. Some especially hate the hassle of really big races but for me the celebratory nature of 30,000 runners pushing down the same course in the heart of a big city is very special. Runners down somewhat from last year (but more than 2011) but there seemed to be plenty of spectators along the course and at the finish. I think the city (the race is done by the recreation department) did itself proud. Kudos to all.

Fall Running

I really like late fall running. I like the chill in the air and the new vistas that open as the trees shed leaves and that special autumn light. Saturday I ran in the Reserve. Cold enough over night that the ground was crunchy with frost and puddles have the lightest sheen of ice. Now that the most trees have shed their leaves the Blue Route (I476) is more intrusive. You hear it before you see it but rather than grouse I am grateful that these acres were preserved. Late in the run as I came out of the woods toward an open meadow a fat red fox was strolling down the lane. I surprised him as if he wondered why a human was intruding on his day. Not sure if he looked fat because his winter coat is already in or if he has been fattening up on squirrel and rabbit. But today a special treat - as I was coming up a small hill not far from Merion Golf Course a stag came out from between two brilliant red japanese maples. A youngster, two points, one antler coming off would have given him a comical look if he hadn't stop and stared back at me in full dignity. We locked eyes for about 20 seconds before he bounded off. I know they are a pest but I still love these encounters especially when unexpected. The next three weekends I have races - it's been a long time since I tripled. Hope everything holds up.

I wrote this for the Dead Runners Society but wanted to share it with a wider audience. Since increasing my running times/distance I have become more interested in trail running. Fortunately there is a solution in my own backyard. Today is bright, beautiful, filled with the special October sunlight. Back in the 1950's the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania took by eminent domain about 200+ acres of Haverford Township to build a state mental hospital. The facility lasted until the late 90's. When it closed the township had the opportunity to buy it from the state (why it just wasn't returned to township control I never quite understood). There was plenty of local drama surrounding how this bonanza was to be used. There was talk that Villanova University would buy it and build its law school there. Eventually it was sold to a developer (not without a scandal that saw a Township Commissioner convicted of corruption). The developer was to build on the old hospital grounds and 120 acres would be given to the township for recreational purposes. The result is that a large portion remains undeveloped (part was given over to athletic fields, dog park, a very special playground, and a Community Recreation and Environmental Center (the CREC). Although the choices made didn't please everyone the overall result is really quite satisfactory. I haven't used the CREC much but have used the dog park and the trails through the undeveloped portion. This is not wilderness by any stretch of the imagination. I476 (the Blue Route) cuts through a corner of the property. But what a treasure. The woods remaining haven't been touched for almost a hundred years. There is a problem with invasive species but that is being addressed. There are too many deer but a culling program has been initiated. (Like the culling taking place in Valley Forge I have mix feelings. I intellectually know that the deer population must be reduced for the health of the woods but when I run with the deer which I have on many occasions it breaks my heart that they will be taken by a bow hunter.) I have run to the reserve but today for distance and time sakes I drove. My run took me on some of the newly mark trails and on some that I suspect are merely deer trails barely passable. There are unusual sights: a stone and timber cabin that must be hundreds of years old slowly returning to nature perhaps not historic enough to be preserved (or just neglected); an ancient piece of machinery abandoned but how did it get there; a slab of concrete without any apparent purpose. There is a trail that takes you under the Blue Route and the contrast between the thumping traffic and the quiet wetland just beyond is striking. Today I managed a four mile loop, some of my own making, but lightly always lightly. Today is a brilliant argument for a four season climate. I wish I could bottled it for a cold, dreary February day. The light is just magical and last night a light frost so while many trees remain green others have turned golden yellows and reds. I got back to my car in 50 minutes and was very tempted to set out again but prudence prevailed. All this just a couple miles from my front door. I am very lucky indeed. Good running to all.