Jun 1 Run: Parking lot at 21rst and Liberty in the Strip

All
Next week we are going to try a loop that Roye Werner suggested. Meet at the Liberty Commons parking lot at 21rst and Liberty in the strip (if you are going toward town it is on your left). From the parking lot we will run away from town to the 31rst st bridge then cross the bridge to Washington's landing and pick up the running/biking trail along the river to the 16th st bridge. We will cross that bridge and return to 21rst St where hopefully La Prima Expresso will be open. According to mapmyrun.com this is a 3.2 mile run so we have some cushion for exploring.

We had two gorgeous mornings for runs this weekend and we took advantage of them by running through Frick Park and Homewood Cemetery. Despite Tom's dire warnings Sunday was sort of a make your own run (an anarchist run) but discipline was reinstated by a planned run through the cemetery today ;-) On Sunday a group of us spent an unusually long time chatting at the Coffee Tree in celebration of the luxurious three-day weekend.

May 25 and Memorial Day Runs: Coffee Tree

The group that ran this past Sunday (see Paula's fine report below) are not going to be in town this weekend so they chose the default start location, the Coffee Tree. If someone has another suggestion, please let me know. I will here this weekend so at least one person will be happy to show up.

Monday, being a holiday, means there will also be a run starting at the Coffee Tree at 7AM.

From Paula:
Rain for the run again this am--Jonathan thinks that all of the rain during scheduled rain-free runs is because of him... Only 5 of us, all run-to-the-runners. We came back through Schenley park. It did not rain all that hard, nor all the time, so it was still nice. At one point, Wendy commented that 'it feels like we are are only people out in Pittsburgh.' We did see a couple of intrepid Pedal Pittsburghers around hot metal bridge, though.
After coming home from a week in the desert, my word for the week is: verdant (although I never knew the last meaning!)

ver·dant –adjective
1. green with vegetation; covered with growing plants or grass: a verdant oasis.
2. of the color green: a verdant lawn.
3. inexperienced; unsophisticated: verdant college freshmen.

May 18 Run: Hot Metal Bridge

This coming Sunday, meet in the parking lot next to the Second Avenue end of the Hot Metal Bridge to do another South Side run. It's also the day of Pedal Pittsburgh, so there's sure to be a lot of activity there in the morning. It will be very festive.
I think that I will be missing this one as well so please send me a report.

Below is Paula's great description of yesterday's run:Four of us had a very nice run in Homewood Cemetary as the Race for the Cure alternate. We had some discussion of alternate ideas for next week's run, but did not know whether the running group bylaws would allow a planned run location to be amended. Anyway, even if allowed, we decided that it would be too confusing for sieve-like brains! We will save our ideas for another week.

One of our discussions this morning was about how many interesting community events are scheduled at this time of year. Here are a couple that we talked about this morming, all taking place next Saturday!
1. May Market put on by the Phipps Garden Center on Shady Ave. This is a fair in which area garden clubs put on displays. Good chance to see interesting plants. Also, don't miss the mushroom sandwiches! 5/17 10am-7pm (I think; also has times on Friday and Sunday).
2. Church of the Ascension Big Sale: A Spring Market Festival held at Church of the Ascension in Oakland at corner of Ellsworth and Neville on 5/17 9am-2pm. This will include a large rummage sale, plant sale, beverages, cotton candy, popcorn and baked goods. All proceeds will be contributed toward a mission project to rehab homes in Pittsburgh's East End to provide housing for those who need it. At the festival, there will also be free balloons for the kids, a bouncy gym, face painting, a three legged race, sidewalk chalk and a water balloon toss. There will be live bands throughout the day.
3. Shakespeare Open Monologue Night, a fundraiser for Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Park: will be a series of monologue performances 5/17 4-6pm at Make Your Mark Cafe in Point Breeze (next door to Pino's restaurant).
4. Oakland Girls Choir Spring Concert: Voices of Peace featuring three trilogies: Srul Irving Glick's Psalm Trilogy, Eleanor Daley's Rose Trilogy and Paul Halley's Freedom Trilogy. There will also be selections from the French film 'Les Choristes', Stabat Mater by Pergolesi and more. It should be a fabulous concert. It takes place Saturday 5/17 at 7:30pm at Church of the Ascension, Ellsworth and Neville, and again Sunday 5/18 at 4pm at Trinity Cathedral downtown. Tickets (available at the door) are $10 for adults, $5 for students, $25 family cap. The girls choir will culminate the 2007/08 season with a twelve-day concert tour in The Netherlands, Germany and Austria.

5. And I am adding one: The Pittsburgh Folk Festival is this coming weekend - a break from its usual Memorial Day slot. http://www.pghfolkfest.org/

May 11 Run; Coffee Tree if not doing Race for the Cure

Next week, there will be a run at 7 at the Coffee Tree for anyone not running the Race for the Cure.

The running group had a nice run in chilly temperatures through Frick Park this morning. Thanks to all the extensions to the lower Frick trails by Nine Mile Run we were able to stay almost exclusively on flat trails in the park for most of the run.

Next week, there will be a run at 7 at the Coffee Tree for anyone not running the Race for the Cure.
Then on May 18, we're meeting in the parking lot next to the Second Avenue end of the Hot Metal Bridge to do another South Side run. It's also the day of Pedal Pittsburgh, so there's sure to be a lot of activity there in the morning. It will be very festive. (I will send out email next week again)

Thanks to Virginia for reporting in my absence!