Feb 5 Run: PPG Place for a triple threat run

Meet at PPG Place, home of the Tomb of the Unknown Bowler and the Ice Skating Rink for a 3 bridges, 3 rivers, 3 stadium run in honor of Superbowl Sunday (the third stadium is in the planning phase:  http://www.riverhounds.com/home/589776.html)

Another crisp and sunny Sunday run, this time along the Mon Valley Heritage Trail. Being winter we could see clearly the post-modern rust-belt scenery across the river as well as panoramic views of the upstream bridges framed in steam and sunlight. I was told by at least two runners to be sure to mention the bouncing bridge over the rail-road tracks that nicely echoed the entrance to the Noah's Ark ride at Kennywood - it did provide the same sense of surprised disorientation, enough to elicit a few yelps of delight. The turn-around point was at the backside of the park where the Thunderbolt and whatever the Steel Phantom is these days overlap. It was a tiny tease of summer to come.

We had quite a few people who joined us for coffee - a nice trend - we can become a running AND Sunday coffee group. Some of the conversations turned to election year matters and Roye kindly explained Stephen Colbert to those of us without cable. There were also discussions about Kindles, ebooks and the library - this was just at my part of the table!

We send healing vibes out to PtB who turned her ankle on the run to the run.

Jan 29 Run: Lowes at the Waterfront

If weather cooperates (no big snows to block the trails), we will meet at Lowes in the Waterfront Shopping Center for a run to Kennywood and back.

You know it is cold when Tom wears his tights as he did this past Sunday. That did not stop a sizable crew of runners from following Roye on a trip to see small East End gems. There were Moravian stars on Hastings, mosaics on Penn Ave and Currier and Ives street scenes to entertain and distract us. A lovely run for another crisp winter morning. 

We visited the CoffeeTree at Bakery Square. Nice big windows but not quite as homey are our regular hang-out.

Jan 22 Run: Coffee Tree Bakery Square, MLK Run: Commonplace

If you have tomorrow off and would like to run with company, meet at the Commonplace in Squirrel Hill at 7:30AM (note the holiday time).
Next Sunday meet at the Coffee Tree in Bakery Square for a trip through East Liberty and beyond.

While it was chilly, this was a perfect morning to take our first tour of Troy Hill. The bright white air was a clear lens from which to view the panoramic views of the Allegheny river and the city. I almost decided to skip this run, and I am so glad I did not - as Elaine said, Joanne may have already won the award for best run of 2012 (who knew there was one?).  Once again I felt like a tourist in my own city. With its narrow streets and shoulder to shoulder brick houses, Troy Hill has a slightly European feel. Joanne was our tour guide, not only leading us to landmarks but providing historical commentary. Consider St. Anthony's Chapel, Pittsburgh's home of 5,000 Catholic related relics, North Catholic High School  from where a few influential Pittsburghers graduated or the last remaining piece of the reservoir that once served the city - we saw all of these and more. But of course the highlight was the magnificent vistas, not only on the city-side but even of the surrounding neighboring hillsides - they were more than worth the climb!

We toyed with the idea of stopping at LaPrima for coffee but with no indoor seating we decided to invade the Commonplace. However Roye, stopped by La Prima and surprised us all with warm meles. It just added to the feeling of an unexpected holiday.

And finally from Paula the Brit:

Need to check this with Joanne but here is the run:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/64457270

Run that Lisa (welcome!) and new Joanne are doing:
http://www.smileymiles.com/2011/APP%2011%20021911%20Runnin%20Outta%20Our%20Mine%205K.pdf

And a plea for Pittsburgh Trees, I got the last form in The Common Place but there is an online VERY SHORT survey:
 http://www.treepittsburgh.org/urban-forest-master-plan

Jan 15 Run: Washington's Landing for a Troy Hill Run

Meet at the parking lot right under the 31st St Bridge on Washington's Landing, just off the ramp from the bridge. Both Joanne's (a second Joanne shed her lurking status and joined us) kindly agreed (well, they got dragged) to lead us on a run through Troy Hill, a neighborhood most of us have not explored before. Although it was not discussed we could have coffee at Expresso a mano  in Lawrenceville or even go out for breakfast a MauraMori on Butler at 52nd St.

Joanne from Highland Park outdid herself with a new run through Highland Park, the neighborhood and the park. It included wooded trail that paralleled the river and looked over the Highland Park dam - a unique view of both and a trail that I think was unknown to all of us.  Then just when I thought we would run by the zoo, back into familiar territory, we headed across the little bridge, up a hill and turned onto Jancey Street in Morningside. It was a neat little circuit.

We truly took over Tazza d'Oro, jamming many tables together and loudly holding multiple conversations at once. Jan had to raise her hand and voice to quiet us down enough to ask a question of the group (are we interested in a group trip to DC - of course!). I could just hear the collective sigh when we left the paper readers and coffee drinkers.

Jan. 8 run - Tazza D'Oro for a Highland Park Run

[Don't be confused - I just wanted to be sure it was recorded in the blog for future reference - next week's run will be coming soon]


Next up:  Highland Park run starting at Tazza D’Oro on Highland Ave.  As always we are hoping Joanne will appear and take us around.  (No pressure, Joanne!)

We had the usual holiday double whammy this New Year’s weekend – Schenley Park and Homewood cemetery runs that gave just the right amount of heat to fuel some excellent coffee conversation topics. (Perhaps these exercise priorities are not the best.) These turned up the following endorsements which we sort of New-Year's-edly resolved to follow up on. 

• Oli’s Beadwork – she gives classes in how to do it
• Vitamin D: way beyond calcium boosting properties
• Upcoming Van Gogh exhibit in Philly: Megabus trip, anyone?
• Unclaimed property: you can REALLY get big chunks of cash that is legally yours - affirmed by our RG lawyers
• “Gap year”:  hate the term but like the idea – should be available for the middle-aged
• Bow and arrow:  good protection if you are in Ghana
• Brandy-soaked Montmorency cherries:  in cookies (PtB, was this it?) really in anything
• Podcasts:  A Way with words; the Moth; The Guardian Books Podcast; Prairie Home Companion
• Mindfulness: requiring limiting exposure to the above podcasts
• Mindlessness: dog diving at Cabela's (Costco pales in comparison.)