Calvin Wang's running persona based on Shawmont Running Club's trail tag. GO TO: https://icandybywangc.com/flavors/ctcloser/
• But I made it too easy • [1 MIN READ] “Hey, Calvin, check out these leopard-skin tights! You could wear them.” “You’re right! They’re awesome! Who couldn’t use a pair of leopard-skin running tights?” And so the conversation went. Or some variation of it. They were on the discount rack at the running store … More She Did Me Wrong, Stacey Did (#319: 2025’08’27’W)
• Getting the details right • [1 MIN READ] Under other conditions, the comments would have been: “Drinking club with a running problem? It’s raining: Let’s go. Then, let’s pour.” Under last week’s conditions, though, it was raining mighty hard. One runner messaged me with: ‘Bail’. The others didn’t message at all but just…bailed. Four … More It’s Pouring: Let’s Go. Then, Let’s Run. (#318: 2025’08’20’W)
• Now just a little older and more familiar • [2 MIN READ] Hanging out again post-run at The Pizza Wheel, I looked at the name of our young server on the bill. Sometimes restaurant staff use other people’s logins, so I confirmed it with her as we made to go. Meredith took the opportunity … More You’re My Neighbor (#317: 2025’08’13’W)
• Communities in community • [2½ MIN READ] At Black Men Run Wednesdays Five years ago (virtually to the day), Train Dave and I joined Black Men Run Philadelphia as the inaugural Growlers travel team. We attended a 2nd time in 2020 then went on hiatus while we waited for the Growlers Group Run to … More Good Times with BMR for Wednesdays and Juneteenth (#316: 2025’08’06’W)
• Which direction, though • [1 MIN READ] As marathon training season gets underway for the 2025 Philadelphia race, I’ve been developing my usual seat-of-the pants routine. I used to follow one, really, but I’ve gotten kind of nonchalant in recent years. That’s worked fine as my running has continued improving over the decade or … More Tweaking Expectations (#315: 2025’07’30’W)
• Negotiating Alaska • [1½ MIN READ] A recent run from the native village of Kluti-Kaah north and west to the local “big town” of Glennallen, Alaska had me traversing a construction zone unlike any around these here parts. Around a lot of the state, there are no alternative routes. That was the case over … More Bridge Construction (#193: ZY Weekly Newsletter 7/26/25)
• Humidity, then rain • [2 MIN READ] Welcome to JH who joined for the first time courtesy of JulCee. Running from the 2.6-mile mark at Valley Green Inn down to the 5-mile mark below the stone bridge, we got to doing some chatting. He’d done his first marathon at Philadelphia this past fall and … More Run Report: 7/19/25 (#192: ZY Weekly Newsletter 7/19/25)
• The matter of picking your races • [1½ MIN READ] While in Alaska for my annual service trip, I had my occasional opportunity to represent the Growlers at the Copper Valley 5K/10K Fun Run. Seeing as it’s my 9th year in an area where I’ve been the regular from Philly, I’m able to greet … More A Singular Success (#314: 2025’07’23’W)
• Missalyssa’s hit • [1½ MIN READ] The Blue Belle contingent of SRC has been making a showing of late and last week was no exception. The Growlers of JRC have been lending their own runners as marathon-training season gears up. As far as cross-pollination is concerned, there’s long also been a healthy amount of … More Run Report: 7/12/25 (#191: ZY Weekly Newsletter 7/12/25)
• Friendly and welcoming are more inviting • [2 MIN READ] Standing in the store as we waited for the run to start, Tania struck up a conversation with a customer paying for her JRC purchase. She must have asked about the ‘huddled mass waiting to run free’ (thanks to Emma Lazarus) that was the … More Bossy and Irritable (#313: 2025’06’18’W)
iCandybyWangC 