Aug 1 Run: Entrance to Frick Park and Reynolds and Homewood

Next week really will be a run in Frick Park - unfortunately I won't be here to enjoy it! Meet at the entrance by the traffic circle at the end of Reynolds.

Despite it being cooler it still felt sticky this morning - a little like moving through molasses. But good company and distracting scenery made the run palatable. We took a tour around car history, displayed on the little loop (known by various names) at the Hobart end of Schenley Park then headed down to the Wendy Bennett Trailhead. The Vintage Grand Prix workers at the intersection with Bartlett were a lot more spunky than I was feeling and were surprisingly nice - I seem to recall other years where there was far more stern warnings to get off the course. A dive into the cool green of the park did feel better and causing us to marvel once again about how beautiful these city trails are - almost as good as Alaska! Then up over the golf course and all the commercial hubbub around the race.

July 25 Run: Common Place Coffee on Forbes for Vintage Grand Prix Run

Officially changing the run so we can check out the cars at the Vintage Grand Prix. Meet at the "new" coffee place on Forbes.

On Wed, Jul 21, 2010 at 7:26 AM, <theresa.malmstrom@pnc.com> wrote:

At the risk of really messing everyone up, I thought I'd point out that the Vintage Grand Prix is this weekend and we usually try to take the run over into the "Fruit Loop" (as Elaine reminded me that it's called this morning) to see all of the cars and then down through Schenley.  Do we want to meet  at TCT or Commonplace to start and head over that way instead this Sunday?
-Teri

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Our run was so absorbing today that we forgot to choose a place for next week. Given that we have limited access to the parks once the days get shorter, I am proposing we meet at the entrance to Frick Park by the Art Museum and then take the trail down to Nine Mile Run and return - either to the Coffee Tree or to the start. Please suggest an alternative run if you have been desperate to see another part of Pittsburgh.

Today's run to the run turned out to be THE run when no-one showed up with a car at Tazza D'Oro. Luckily we were greeted there by Joanne who kindly modified the route to our wishes. We took a quick pass around the always refreshing Highland Park reservoir then circled back up (and it really is up!) the ever changing face of Negley Ave - from leafy green Highland Park, to more industrial although improving E. Liberty, to the foot of the Negley Hill. Given the heat and humidity, there was quick agreement to walk up the hill (no secrets between us). Just up the second rise a man was watering his garden. Elaine asked if he would turn the spray on us and that bit of water was all we needed to get us back to the Common Grounds Coffee House, which may be the new Sunday gathering place. The coffee is delicious and the shaded outdoor seating area is perfect for sitting and solving all problems, or at least discussing them, on these lazy summer Sundays.

Our Schenley run mapped

PtB kindly sent in the map of our run that starts at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead:
Now a historical document!

July 18 run - Tazza D'Oro - Highland Park

Next week we are going back to the Highland Park run, from Tazza D'Oro at 1125 N. Highland Ave. Not sure who's leading, but all will be made clear by 7:05 a.m.
Virginia says that the run-to-the-run will leave the Coffee Tree on Forbes at 6:25 or so.

Our run today was the tried, true, and lovely Schenley Park run on one of its most pleasant mornings - leafy, fresh, and bright. Various mysteries were solved or proposed: Luckily Tom showed up just before we set off, to clear up the one concerning whether or not he has a beard. A shoutout to Elaine in AK, who will have to help us with our puzzlement over how bear spray works. Also, why was the model #14 Mizuno Wave Rider such a dud when all the other years were great? And high fives for the new movie The Square, mysterious and thrilling. Finally, what is the inexorable force moving us from Coffee Tree to Commonplace Coffee across the street? From where we sent another shoutout to Cheryl - no mystery there, but a request for an email from Italy just for the fun of it.

July 11 Run: Wendy Bennett Trailhead

I have been remiss in my scribe duties due to a very long holiday weekend and a busy work week but Paula C (the brain) sent this nice recounting of last weekend's runs and proposed the Wendy Bennett Trailhead run for this coming Sunday. I am taking her up on her offer. Alas I won't be there but will be thinking of you as I prepare for yet another regatta in Washington DC.

It has been a nice couple of days of runs. Roye's run starting at Bakery Square had numerous points of interest winding through East Liberty redevelopment and Friendship. I didn't stay for it, but the Bakery Square CTR seemed to get a thumbs up from the running group. Today we had a pleasant run down through Chatham College campus and circling back along Beechwood, up to Linden Ave. We stopped to admire Wendy's impressive garden and then had coffee and conversation at the Common Place coffee shop in Squirrel Hill. We covered many topics including strategies for insuring teen-age drivers and providing them with wheels, Indian weddings and breast milk--just the usual narrow set of topics!

I don't think that we decided on a run for next week. Unless someone else tells you otherwise, I propose the Wendy Bennett Trailhead run.

 

Jul 4th Run: Coffee Tree at Bakery Sq, Jul 5th Run Coffee Tree in Squill

On Sunday July 4th Roye will lead a preview run starting at the new Coffee Tree at Bakery Square (the old Nabisco building). Since many of us will be out of town, she agreed to host the "real" run later in July.

Monday, July 5th being a holiday, there will be a run starting at 7:30 AM from the Coffee Tree in Squirrel Hill - destination to be determined by whoever shows up.

There is no way around it - today's run was a bear (nod to Elaine who is going to Alaska soon) - hot, humid, sweaty, energy draining, despite being a flatish route through the strip and along the river that we all enjoy. We lost runners along the way despite a break to walk a bit up hill to the 31st bridge.There were diversions such as the TRRA rowers rowing smooth long strokes and the Mega Bus stop but mostly it was all about getting back to La Prima for coffee, which thanks to us running more slowly than usual, was open. Pam Murray treated us to cheese cake, still some of us could not resist those meles. It was pleasant for sitting outside and watching the Strip gear up for another shopping day - it was busier than usual.

June 27 run - Strip and environs from parking lot at 21st and Liberty

Elaine will lead the next run, one of our favorites, from the Strip over to Herr's Island and back on the North Side, ending at La Prima for coffee. Hopefully I'll remember to contact Sam Patti about making sure the almond meles are there in time.

Our run today was another old favorite through Schenley Park, starting at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead, and fortunately including Wendy Bennett herself back from a bad laryngitis episode. The warm and heavy air made running a bit hard but also gave us vivid green views with sunlight slanting through the trees. Coffee had us back at the new place on Forbes (formerly Arefa's) where we now found more to admire and of course, discuss. Zoning was key, as was Scotland, journalism, alternatives to war, and moving, and I think in that order.

June 19 run: Wendy Bennett Trailhead

Those of us left at coffee could not make up our minds about next week, partly because several of us won't be in town so I arbitrarily picked the Schenley Park run. Meet at the Wendy Bennett Trailhead aka trail entrance near the corner of Bartlett and the Boulevard. Since all of us are familiar with the route,  who ever feels like leading can do so. If someone had a better idea send it to the group.

This morning's run was about as good as it could have been on such a hot, muggy morning. We stayed in Shadyside so there were houses and gardens to provide momentary distractions from our sweat. Although it seemed like a flat run, our route home on Ellsworth told the real story - we ran slightly downhill on the way out but uphill on the return - which normally would not have been very noticeable but given the conditions, felt like we were climbing mountains (or at least foot hills). Tom even broke off and led a contingent on a short cut across a parking lot - which for Tom, strong believer in the rules of the run, was a desperate move ;-) We did get to check out the new Bakery Square complex. Looks like there will be a very spacious Coffee Tree space which we will check out once it opens.

Speaking of coffee we tried the new coffee place across from the Coffee Tree (old space, new management). It poses a difficult choice -  the espresso is got high marks and the outside seating is sheltered but of course we have a long history with Coffee Tree. We may have to split weeks.

June 13 run: Mellon Park at 5th and Beechwood for a Shadyside run

Thanks to Virginia for the Sunday report - After Dave's bird walk was cancelled due to tornado warnings, Teri, Dave and I decided to stay closer to home. Glad to hear you had enough cars for the return.

Here's Sunday's report. I'm not aware of anyone suggesting a run for next week, June 13, so if no one else comes up with a route, I can lead a run in Shadyside. Flat run, starting at the Mellon Park parking lot on Fifth Ave., at the end of Beechwood Blvd.

  

  We had a collection of adventurous souls turn out under threatening skies this morning, with 5 of us running to the run and three others -- Tom, Carol and Cheryl -- meeting us at the PPG Plaza fountain to start the water-themed run. With the Point State Park fountain turned off until 2011, we took a tour of 15 other fountains around Downtown, at Station Square, and next to PNC Park on the riverwalk. Some of them were on, some were off, and one was hidden in a building. Our tour also included soda fountains and the water fountains at Tom's office. We didn't exactly get the view we were expecting of  the Andrew Carnegie inflatable in the middle of the Allegheny River. Apparently overnight they moor it along the walkway in front of PNC park, so it was a sad sight with his face partially submerged under water.

Memorial Day, and June 6 runs

First the meeting places:
Tomorrow's Memorial Day Run at 7:30(!) at the Coffee Tree - a replay of an old favorite to Greenfield, up hills, over bridges (what else is new?)

Next Sunday's run on June 6 is being planned by Elaine and will leave from the Tomb of the Unknown Bowler downtown (i.e. PPG Place fountain area) and will visit many fountains!

At Jonathan's excellent suggestion we are calling our adventure today a real Nine-Mile Run, since not only did it trace that watery trail but it may have covered 9 whole miles (at least it felt that way.) Now, if you don't want a long and involved (but worth it!) story, you can stop reading here.

So it all started with a mysterious and suggestive map that appeared on Elaine's kitchen table this morning indicating that a path could be taken deep into Frick Park leading to an unknown new footbridge. And so we followed it (mainly) and lo and behold, beyond Commercial Street and the Irish Center, heading toward the river - an adorable spanking new footbridge (sort of Japanese looking) and new path beyond. Which we followed quite to its end, and further into Duck Hollow - a tiny hamlet tucked away with a handful of picturesque little houses and gardens, one of which was chock full of fascinating objects, reminiscent of the Shrine of the Blessed Mother, but without the Mother. At one point one could look up into the woods and see the "city peeking over its brow" (Jonathan's fine phrasing again.) There a kind denizen stopped in her car and tried to help us find a new trail back, but to no avail, so we wandered up the endless hills through exquisite wildflower fields, rubble-strewn construction sites, a fortunately placed port-a-potty, and finally the Truman Show-like Summerset neighborhood, where we longed desperately to jump into their giant sparkling swimming pool. So - 9 miles? We're saying so.

Coffee tree items:
The term "rurban"
New stretch fanny pack at REI that is not dorky
The annual 500-person bike ride with beer - the Pedal Pale Ale Ride - which sadly was 2 weeks ago, but we will try to remember next year
There is an amazing ceremony at the nightly closing of the India-Pakistan border: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ0ue-XGl9c
WE WERE IN THE PAPER last month -
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10125/1055541-51.stm

May 30 and Memorial Day runs: Coffee Tree. Memorial Day -> 7:30AM

This Sunday and Monday (Memorial Day) will be Coffee Tree Runs. In honor of the holiday, Monday's run will begin at 7:30AM

Thanks to Wendy this account of last Sunday's Run (which I am sorry I had to miss!):

Virginia, Elaine and I were running late from the Squirrel Hill CT and so were happy to see a large group of familiar runners coming toward us on Liberty.

I was so engrossed in conversation that I can't tell you exactly where we went but the weather was fine and we ended up passing by the new Flea Market in the Strip and finally to our destination, La Prima Espresso. 

Terry, Karen and I convinced the not-yet-open Enrico's to sell us a bag of fragrant pastries which tasted wonderful with our freshly roasted coffee. We learned that Cheryl will soon stay at an Italian villa near Florence, that Karen and her family will make an extended trip to Barcelona, where they'll be joined by Carrie, and that Pam just won a free two week trip to Europe! 

Next Sunday's run will commence at the Coffee Tree. I will be away then too, so don't have any details about Memorial Day run.

I will still be MIA this weekend (my new rowing team actually gets out on the water on Memorial Day!) but hope to see everyone again the following week!!

May 23 Run: Parking Lot at 21rst and Liberty in the Strip

Having gotten to bed around 3AM (!) after a night of fast Bulgarian dancing, I slept right through the run. Thanks to Elaine for providing a wonderful review. Sad to say I have to miss yet another great run as I will be out of town next Sunday so if someone can do the honors, I will be most appreciative.

We had a stunning run through the sylvan depths of Frick Park. We headed down the recently refurbished Riverview Trail, crossed the valley, and climbed the Braddock Trail back to Forbes Avenue and on to Coffee. It was another delightful run as the temperature was ideal, trails were perfectly groomed, and the dappled sun through the trees gave us comfortable morning light.

To view 05/16/2010 Route, follow the link below:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/view_route?r=550127401568027458

Next week’s run will leave from the parking lot at 21^st and Liberty Avenue in the Strip. We will run across the Allegheny to the North Side. 

Run to the Run meets at 6:20 AM at the Coffee Tree on Forbes.

May 16 Run: Colfax

Paula Leslie kindly sent this along about today's run:

A small gathering (Roye, Wendy, Jonathon, Sharon, Roye's daughter who's name I can't remember sorry!) and me. I'm sure the others will update better. Cold but pleasant. Through Chatham, Shadyside and then on the "secret lane" to Devon Road. Through the gathering throngs of Komenites. Didnt' stay for coffee so there is more to tell. Next week meet at Colfax.

To view EER 05/09/2010 Route, follow the link below:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/view_route?r=502127342097299460

Race for the Cure was good for running but cold for walking home. I saw Teri and Kate as well as Tom but I am sure there were other EE runners there. It has been several years since I have run and was pleasantly surprised to see it is now a DIY run - you can just start any old time. You miss that big burst of energy and noise at the start but you also miss the crush of runners (this was for the un-timed 5K). 

May 9 (Mother's Day) Run: Coffee Tree

Race for the Cure is next Sunday. If you are not running in the race, meet at the Coffee Tree for an improvised run. For those running the race, Tom offered his house/driveway as a meeting place. The race starts at 8:35 so I guess meet any time after 8AM (we did not clarify those details). I will be at the RftC - could those on the regular run please choose a run for the following Sunday?

Hope everyone who ran in the 1/2 marathon enjoyed their race, despite the rain. We thought of you!

A small group of us had fun running through the back streets of Shadyside and then returning on the race course, which had been closed off by that time. We were cheered on by volunteers and serenaded by a band that was warming up - it was a small sample of what awaited the runners although we were in less pain (I think). Today was also what might have been a running group first: no-one stayed for coffee! Instead many of us grabbed coffee and went off to cheer the marathoners who I have to say were more appreciative than I might have been at the 16 mile mark. 

May 2 Run: Mellon Park - corner of 5th and Beechwood

Those not running the Marathon or 1/2 - meet at the little play park where Beechwood meets 5th. We can participate vicariously by running on the course :-)  For those driving to the run, I would suggest parking on Beechwood or even Reynolds.

It was another run just made to vex Tom right from the beginning when Wendy offered the group a choice of routes and it only became worse when a breakout group offered yet another choice later in the run - way too many decisions for one run! Still he seemed if not not happy at least resigned to his fate :-) All of this indecision was off-set by the beautiful morning. It must have been the rain the night before that cleared the air because the sky was bright blue and sunlight filtered through the new leaves in Schenley Park in an especially pleasing way. The runners ahead of me on the trail were framed in leaves and streaming sunlight,  making a picture worthy of an ad/magazine. Perhaps because we all expected storms the lovely morning seemed like an unexpected gift. As we sat outside for Coffee and that old summer vacation feeling crept up on us and we lingered longer than usual.

April 25 - Wendy Bennett Trailhead

Missing Anne Jane today! So yours truly reports:
Next up: Wendy Bennett Trailhead (Schenley Park, beginning of Overlook Drive where it heads up to the Oval) at spring blossom time.
Cold and blowy this a.m., but we got warm fast, running practically straight uphill to the fantastic lookout at Herron Hill Park above Oakland - a neighborhood that I have just discovered is also picturesquely known as Sugartop (also the site of a murder last summer, but never mind...) We could see that the UPMC sign on the USX building towered over everything - it was noted that 1. it is higher than Mt. Washington 2. against a grey ominous sky like today's it can be compared to the Eye of Sauron and 3. David Bear deserves kudos for his idea of turning the top of it into the next urban park (http://highpointpark.org/). On our much easier downhill return to Phipps, we stopped to contemplate the arrestingly metaphorical red hands recently painted on the statue of Christopher Columbus, and also everyone's experience of Latin, which was not quite enough to translate Non Nobis Solum Sed Toti Mundo inscribed on one of the many majestic classical buildings on the way (easily googled, however: Not For Ourselves Alone But For All the World - I should have got that!)
Coffee was so relaxed that, without Anne Jane there to keep us on track, we forgot to come up with a run for next week, so Wendy and I just assumed the power. Runners to the run - any additional instructions?

Apr 18 Run: Phipps for a run to the top of Oakland

Hi All

Meet at Phipps for a run up the hills behind Oakland to the Water Tower and the Robert E. Williams Memorial Park.

Run to the run starts at 6:40AM at the Coffee Tree.

It was Tom's least favorite kind of run - leaderless and meandering fraught with indecision - but it was a beautiful morning to be wandering through Allegheny Cemetery, even if most of it was uphill.  The cemetery is big enough to rank right up there with our city parks - it is 300 acres big ( Frick is 561, Schenley is 456 and Riverview is 287). Many of the trees are in bloom and starting to leaf out, the grass is bright green and the vistas from those big hills are pastoral and soothing. We did manage to stumble into an area that was clearly undeveloped (part of the 100 acres that is still waiting for occupants) - Johnathan called it the wilderness version of the cemetery run. Roye and I did another small loop after everyone left looking for Stephen Foster's grave - we did not find it but did see Lillian Russell's mausoleum that was near another with a very interesting Egyptian theme. Apparently there are also 16 previous mayors of Pittsburgh buried there as well.

http://www.alleghenycemetery.com/

http://www.pittsburghparks.org/

Apr 11 Run: Allegheny Cemetery - Penn Ave entrance (near Children's hospital)

Since we did a park run today, we thought Allegheny Cemetery would be a good choice to view spring blooms. Meet at the entrance on Penn Ave which is about 1.5 blocks from Children's hospital - toward E. Liberty. We will just canoodle our way around this very big urban green space.

For those training for the 1/2 marathon, add 3 miles to your run by starting at the Coffee Tree at 6:20 - 6:25AM (it is about 3 miles).

As might be expected, there was a small group this morning but we had a sweet Easter Sunday run starting in Homewood Cemetery and then winding through Frick Park. There is a dusting of green on the trees and many are starting to flower add to that a sunny morning for a fit start to the Spring season. It was warm enough to sit outside at the Coffee Tree which always makes it feel just a little like a vacation. Roye rode up on her bike, joining in on conversation topics that included librarians, giving blood, gray hair becoming fashionable and fish stew.

Apr 4: Spring Holidays Run: Coffee Tree

Since many people are away next weekend we will meet at the Coffee Tree in Squirrel Hill for whatever kind of run we want to dream up - it should at least include looking for lawn decorations.

Today we ran on one of the newly surfaced trails in Schenley Park on our way to Greenfield and a set of steep and often missing steps - you can see these from the Parkway if you look fast. It was a shortish but pleasant run that took us to a part of Pittsburgh we rarely see - so much so that Eric chose to do another loop! Many of us ran back to the Coffee Tree where I got a tip on a cell phone and learned about how wonderful Costco was from Elaine and Wendy. I am sure other conversations were just as productive!

Mar 28 Run: Bartlett entrance to Schenley Park

Next Sunday we will run through Schenley Park to find the crumbly steps up to Greenfield and loop back to the starting point: the Bartlett entrance to the Park. This is across the road from the Wendy Bennett (not Memorial) Trailhead - at the corner of Bartlett and what I thought was the Boulevard but at that point is Hobart, turning into Panther Hollow Road - whatever... You can find it on this map: http://www.pittsburghparks.org/schenley-directions

It was a big group, longer distance, beautiful morning kind of run today. There were close to 15 people who turned out for one of the group's favorites - the South Side. We ran down river accompanied by birds of all sorts to the Smithfield Street bridge - turned around and ran back via Carson Street which had the atmosphere of a vacation town in the off-season feel - good times supplanted by an early morning quiet. I found two pennies and ran over a patch of glitter - what could be better!

Even with a few people not coming to coffee (although Pam Murray showed up) it was a big and noisy coffee group.

To view 03/21/2010 River Route, follow the link below:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/view_route?r=776126917915878756