August 2 Run: 21st and Liberty Ave. parking lot for a Strip District run

August already?? ! Might as well make that a bit sweeter with some almond meles, so we'll start at the parking lot overlooking the 21st and Liberty intersection, as we usually do, make our way over a few bridges, and return to La Prima in time for warm pastries (fingers crossed) and strong coffee.  No hills! (Almost.)

Last Sunday we ended up doing the Wendy Bennett Trailhead run backwards, which I sort of hoped would make time go in reverse, but no luck.  However, the park was lovely!

Coffee was chock full of endorsements:
(Does anyone remember Chock Full o'Nuts, the Heavenly Coffee?  What did that even mean?)

• Push mowers - hurray for no lawn machine noise! - 2 are available from David Coulson (412-421-1230)
• Support the urban forest and learn tree identification from Tree Pittsburgh
• A true Shabbat without all those impossible rules - like many Israelis do it
• Picklesburgh - I guess we missed it, but there's always next summer
• Upscale exotic popsicles, aka Mexican paletas, available from Popstop around town but if you want to make them, a Vitamix is recommended, and Wendy knows how to get one half-price.
• Moscow Mule cocktails
• Food for Thought caterer on South Craig
• The Independent bar in Squirrel Hill, Whiskey Wednesday and amazing brussels sprouts.
• Superfunk!  H.B. Bennett's hit song, Shoot the Pump, and the upcoming Bootsie Collins concert at Hartwood Acres on Sunday

July 26 Run: 61C Cafe for a Runners' Choice Run

Whoops!  Saturday morning and I realized I haven't sent out the email yet.  Apologies for my delinquency.

Tomorrow, meet at 61C Cafe for a Runners' Choice run-- "someone will think of something."  I'm out of town, so I'll miss out on the adventures.

Speaking of adventures, we had lots of them last Sunday for our Vintage Grand Prix run in Schenley Park.  I shall call the run "In Search of Janis Joplin's Psychedelic Porsche."  Wendy's friend, Harvey, was visiting from Berlin, he an actor and his wife the Martha Stewart of Germany who just published a new book!  Harvey was focused on finding Janis Joplin's Psychedelic Porsche, so to find the porsche, we had to get to the golf course.  There were a lot of police officers guarding barricades all throughout the park, presumably to keep people safe and off the race track.  That didn't stop us from taking a little shortcut to the golf course (where we thought the porsche would be)-- doing what we do best, trespassing, with our Blatant Disregard for Authority:

If it's not blocked off, it must not be worth visiting

 Caution tape?  What caution tape?

We made it safely to the other side, checking Flagstaff Hill, then venturing up to the golf course to ask in vain for where the porsche would be.  Every car aficionado had different answers, and we were getting tired, so many of us split off from there, deciding water/coffee would be good to seek out instead of a porsche.  Wendy stuck by her friend Harvey, but later returned to the cafe without having found the porsche.

Discussions at coffee were cut short because it people had places to be, people to see, life to live!  See you next Sunday!

July 19 Run: Hobart and Guarino Streets at the entrance to Schenley Park (Fruit Loop side) for a Vintage Grand Prix Run

Next up, meet at the Schenley Park entrance on Hobart Street and Guarino near the Fruit Loop for a Vintage Grand Prix run to look at the cars.

Last Sunday, we ran an old favorite, a loop of Schenley Park on the trails, and the weather cooperated for a beautiful experience.

Topics of conversation at the coffee:

The need for more secure bike panniers
The kindness of strangers
Potential bike ride or long run: "Bike heaven" on the north side river trail downstream from science center.  
The Moth- upcoming Adam Gropnik and a moth evening Wednesday 9/30 - tickets go on sale 7/31 - maybe we have enough for a 'group' rate.

A cool photo from coffee and one from last week's South Side run:

July 12 Run: Wendy Bennett Trailhead for a Schenley Park Run

Next up: Meet at the Wendy Bennett trailhead at Bartlett/Greenfield and Panther Hollow Road for a Schenley Park run.

Last Sunday was a bonafide vertical run.  Roye led us up, up, up the South Side Slopes' windy streets and city steps for some amazing views and glute-shaping.  Some of us remarked that we didn't feel like we were in the city anymore.  But, we made our way back down the hill without getting too lost.

Highlights:
Zenith
South Side Park
Big Dog Coffee
Cheryl's blueberry pie with homemade crust

Endorsements/Topics of Discussion:
VitaMix, InstantPot
Frick Art Museum, rolling hills exhibit, Fridays when they stay open late
Grandparent names-- so many to choose from