Jul 6 Run Mellon Playground, Jul 4 Holiday Run Coffee Tree

Hi All
Virginia will lead a run through Shadyside next Sunday. Meet at the playground on 5th and Beechwood (the one with the swings etc - not Mellon Park up on the hill). I will not be there so can someone please send me the location of the July 13 run?

Friday being a holiday there will be an informal run starting at the Coffee Tree at 7 AM.

Due to latecomers (me being one of them) there were two group runs this Sunday. Tom lead one of his signature themed runs through Oakland - this one focused on fun Sports related facts (like where the Hornets/Penguins first played in Pittsburgh). I was not on this one but I am sure it was full of interesting and surprising facts and will have to be repeated for those of us who missed it.

I lead Wendy astray and we arrived just as Roye drove up to Phipps. The regular group had left already (although I don't think we were THAT late) so we devised our own run. We started with a stop at the best open bathroom in Oakland and then at Roye's suggestion began a climb up through Schenley Heights. Our goal was Robert E. Williams park which coincidentally is mentioned in a PG article this morning about alternate firework viewing places. I do not have enough fresh adjectives to describe this view from the top of Pittsburgh - it is absolutely spectacular. While taking in the 360 views of our city we devised a plan to raise money to endow a perpetual table at the Coffee Tree, followed by an art project to put up maps at the park to help identify landmarks similar to those found at the Samaritaine Department Store in Paris (thanks to Ann the walker for the name). In fact we were so giddy from the heights (or perhaps lack of coffee) that we dubbed this the Almost Paris in Pittsburgh run and will certainly put this on the roster of future runs.

We did arrive at the Coffee Tree to meet the tail end of the regular running group and then were joined by the walkers so got our Sunday conversation fix.

Jun 29 Run: Tom's House

After several Sundays of running Tomless, he not only re-appeared but volunteered to lead the run next week. Meet at his house on Ayelsboro for what I am sure will be an entertaining and planned run (no choices will need to be made).

We celebrated the second day of Summer by running through picturesque Chatham University, down the secret steps to Shadyside and the back upppppppp Beechwood, with the big hooties - which Wendy told us was an all purpose word for things whose name your forget. This prompted a story from Tom which ended with "a hoochie Mama, your Honor." Paula and Johnathon reported on what sounded like the idyllic week at the beach where enough runners/walkers were present to meet every day for exercise and coffee - a running group intensive! We had our own leisurely coffee gathering with conversation topics ranging from the trials of raising young adults, new babies (one time runner, Sarah stopped by asking if anyone had used maternity clothes - congratulations!), bread making classes at Enrico's, Block Island as the best place to go for a vacation, and the inspirational story of a young woman quadriplegic sailing around the UK: http://www.hilarylister.com/

Jun 22 Run: Coffee Tree in Squill

Choosing to alternate "exotic" runs with more prosaic ones, we decided to meet at the Coffee Tree this coming Sunday for a run through the cemetery or Chatham - the group can decide.

It seemed cool and misty starting out on Sunday but was deceptively hot and humid as we ran. Still we easily found the Shrine perched overlooking the parkway. It looks like it is still maintained amazingly enough. It is a uniquely Pittsburgh site, tucked back beyond the houses. We joined Teri, Laura and Chip for a post-run coffee chat

Jun 15 Run: Coffee Tree for a run to the Parkway Shrine

It was decided it was time for a run to the "Parkway Shrine": http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/9433 , so meet at the Coffee Tree and enjoy visiting a unique Pittsburgh site. The run will be about 5 miles long (for people who like to know these things).


Six of us braved the heat and followed Karen on a run through Frick Park - a cool choice in all ways. I saw parts of Frick park that were unfamiliar to me although not to other more seasoned park runners. We also had a chance to visit with several new canine members of runners' households. In lower Frick we met Carl and Hannah Mormer with their sweet new puppy and Janet Katov's dogs (one who is also a very cute puppy) greeted us at the end of the run. Despite several people heading straight home, we managed to monopolize the outside of the Coffee Tree joined by long-distance runners (Chip and Terri) and walkers (Elaine, Ann and PTB). We gave into the summer vacation ambiance and had a long, leisurely visit.

Jun 8 Run: Frick Park - corner of Reynolds and Homewood

All
Next week Karen will lead a run starting at the entrance to Frick Park at the corner of Reynolds and Homewood Ave.

It was yet another glorious morning for a run - sunny and clear, the weather perched on the boarder between Spring and Summer. We rediscovered what an interesting route the Strip loop was and vowed to revisit it again at least once this summer. We tacked on a bit to and went all the way to the 9th street bridge (once again undermining the discipline of the run but at least establishing the route for the future). This also provided the unexpected opportunity to run down and back the little path underneath the Convention Center. The run was made all the sweeter by coffee and rich pastries enjoyed at one of La Prima's sidewalk tables.
It was a small group and we all felt bad that we had not responded to the requests for rides - next time we will not assume others responded.