• Yer a big deal already • [2 MIN READ] Newbie Kate joined the Growlers for the first time and created trouble immediately. For me anyway. As someone who writes about the club and its peeps, I don’t use full names. So, the first appearance of any name among the crew is not a problem, … More Welcome to a New Runner (#322: 2025’09’17’W)
• Begun as early as possible • [1 MIN READ] Torin was bor’n [sic] just 2 months ago and he’s already getting out there on the course. We’ve had a bunch of infants and kiddos joining the crew—some actually running—so we’re hoping good things for Torin’s interest in the Growlers. Whether the early exposure to … More Positive Influencing (#321: 2025’09’10’W)
• A certain kind of failure • [<1½ MIN READ] Using both Strava and MapMyRun to track every week’s run is a thing for me—both apps—as is getting a nice, round number to prove my compulsiveness. So, imagine my dismay when my phone battery died on me last week, midrun. Some people will argue running … More Run Report: 08’27’W (#320: 2025’09’03’W)
• 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)
• 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)
• 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)
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