May 29 Run: Meet in Lawrenceville at Barb's Corner Kitchen 4711 Butler Street; May 30 Memorial Day holiday run to meet at 61C Cafe

Next Sunday, let's start and end/eat at Barb's Corner Kitchen at 4711 Butler Street, so we can celebrate the beginning of Open Streets Pittsburgh, where Butler Street and Penn Avenues are closed to vehicular traffic between 9am and 1pm and various events take place (see below). Monday is a holiday (Memorial Day), so we will meet at 61C Cafe for a Runners' Choice run.

Info on Open Streets:

"What better way to celebrate the coming of summer than to close a street from Downtown to Lawrenceville and fill it with family fun? OpenStreetsPGH plans to bring the festivities once again this year and the first one of the summer is on Sunday, May 29. From Market Square to Sixth Street and Penn Avenue then down Penn to Lawrenceville, the roads will completely shut down to motorized vehicles but open up to an array of all different forms of foot/wheel traffic. From walking and yoga, to bicycling and skateboarding, the streets will fill with different activities and events. Be sure to check out the major hubs in Downtown:

Market Square:

• 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. - Zumba and Turbokick boxing
• 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Yoga in the Square Kick-Off
• 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Pure Barre Class
• 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. - Hype-Spin Cycling

28th Street and Penn Ave:

• 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. - Morning Yoga with the Yoga Hive
• 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Chris Anthony Fitness: Bodyweight Cardio
• 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - YMCA Pittsburgh: Soul Line Dancing
• 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. - Shape Training
• All Day - Find Some Flow: Stonehenge and Kinetic Games

23rd Street and Penn Ave:

• All Day - Burgh MAN!
• All Day - Thick Bikes, Butler Wobble and the Wonders Uni-cycling
• All Day - Neville Roller Drome: Skate!

OpenStreetsPGH will also be host to small businesses along the route that will offer deals to all participants with specials available throughout the entire route.

Join in the fun and help to continue Pittsburgh’s streak as one of America’s most livable cities. Did we mention that it’s all free?"

This past Sunday, we ran Downtown, and discovered lesser-known streets like First Avenue, past the old printing presses at the old Post-Gazette building, then on to the Point.  We reached the Point just 10 minutes before they turned it on, and because we were running along the river, we missed the exact moment that it was turned on.  We will have to catch the magic another time!

Coffee in the lovely lobby of the Omni William Penn included the following topics:

Newton shoes purchased via Runners World include a 90 day guarantee, no matter how many times you have worn them!

Itsdeductibleonline.com, which is essential for tracking your donated items and estimating their value for tax purposes.  

Save the Date: Sunday, June 5th post-run coffee/snacks will be at Elaine's for Wendy's birthday.  Potluck!

May 22 Run: Meet at the Omni William Penn Hotel downtown - entrance on Wm. Penn Place

Downtown run next Sunday - starting at our coffee locale, the Omni William Penn hotel at the Wm. Penn Place entrance.  There's usually plenty of street parking on Sunday morning. So many route options - tour of new restaurants?  bridge hopping?  watch them turn on the fountain?  magical luck circle around the Buccos stadium?  What's new dahntahn?  Send in your idea!

Last week we made a new route from the Wendy Bennett Trailhead to take in Our Lady of the Parkway aka the Shrine of the Blessed Mother as well as some of the more eccentric homes and spectacular views from the top of South Oakland.  Chris gave us some impressive data on new ecological feats at Phipps - flower-power!
Over at 61C, a variety of endorsements:

• Adventures in Good Company Tours - Sarah will report
• Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville - themed movies and drink a beer while watching
• Giant Goodwill in Cheswick - apparently the largest of all?  How's the cashmere?
• All-Clad Factory Sale coming up - though Chris says the cookware at the restaurant supply store on Penn Ave. in the strip is superior - he's done some industrial testing on it.
• Fiestaware Tent Sale in WV - this is getting pretty far afield but may be worth it
• Adding one more post-run - The Lion at the City Theater - I just saw it tonight and it's marvelous.

May 15 Run: Meet at Wendy Bennett Trailhead for a Mary Statue Run

Next Sunday, let's do a run in honor of Mother's Day (belated, but without all the Race for the Cure crowds) starting in Schenley Park at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead (Panther Hollow Road/Blvd Allies and Bartlett Street/Greenfield Road is the technical intersection).  We'll run a bit through the park, then on to South Oakland where the constantly changing Mary statue is kept cliffside, overlooking the Parkway.

Last Sunday, a medium sized group of us ran through the beautiful trails of Frick Park, up and around the new Environmental Center (which is really coming along), then winding our way back up.  It was perfect running weather, and Lainy regaled us with the most suspenseful story about her daughter's Mother's Day surprise.

I can't find the link for it, but there will be a hardhat tour of the new Frick Environmental Center.  If I find it, I'll send it along to the group.

 

May 8 Run: Blue Slide Park, corner of Beechwood Blvd. and Nicholson

Next Sunday's run will start at the famous/infamous Blue Slide Park, corner of Beechwood Blvd. and Nicholson St. in Squirrel Hill, 7 a.m., not exactly sharp.  

Last week our hardy little group of non-marathoners skirted the drizzle and the street barriers and headed into Shadyside, past the burgeoning Google complex, and included a special RG first:  a detour through the labyrinthine corridors of Shadyside Hospital, which was very quiet and has exceptional bathroom facilities - good to know!  I envision more hospital detours.

Coffee venues were bursting with runners but we found a windowside table at Panera (also pretty good facilities, not to mention pastries) and had possibly the "longest coffee sit in the history of the running group" according to Lainy, who should know.  Considerable fun and wisdom, but I lost my note-taking napkin, so I only have the following endorsements:

Podcasts:  Israel Story - and Trumpcast - both terrific.

Hope the Marathon was a good one for everyone - looking forward to the reports!