• 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)
• An experimental route • [1½ MIN READ] Thaddeus has been running with the group for a bunch of months now and has gotten to know our habits. He thought it worth while to shake them up a little by suggesting a new running route. And we were willing to go with the shaking up … More Run Report: The Fountain(s) Run (#312: 2025’06’11’W)
• To arms • [3 MIN READ] Last week we had to say goodbye to a Growler who made a big impression on the club in a little period of time. Jackie was a club newbie a mere 14 months ago and she got us right away. Not only did she arrive with comfortable running … More Farewell and Hello (#311: 2025’06’04’W)
• Coming apart and coming together • [1½ MIN READ] I met Jason at his house on the way over to the running store last week. This is something I regularly do because his place is just on the way to JRC. When I arrived, wife Valerie had me hang on while he finished readying. … More Run Report: Off Kilter (#310: 2025’05’28’W)
• And the conundrum • [1½ MIN READ] After last week’s Cerebrun, the question to Stacey was, “Did you read it?” Given that it was about her in name and subject matter suggests that the answer had to be a yes. The prompt was that Stacey admitted never clicking on the “Read more” link to … More The Stacey Resolution (#309: 2025’05’21’W)
• And the solution • [2 MIN READ] Stacey is at the heart of a conundrum. After a particular absence by me from one week’s run—during which she took the requisite attendance photo—I learned that she doesn’t like them anyway. To accommodate her dislike, I suggested upon my return that she take the photo, that … More The Stacey Conundrum (#308: 2025’05’14’W)
