• Because there’s so much to be fond of •
[1½ MIN READ]
What with family visits and other interference, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve run with SRC (11’04’S, to be exact). Last week was only slightly different. Three of us from Jenkintown Running Company’s Growlers Group Run (Wednesdays) have picked our spring marathons (2 of us, Jersey City Marathon, 04’14’Sunday, and one Big Sur, 04’28’U) and one wanted to get a head start on distance work. Sixteen miles was the determination. For Shawmont Running Club marathon runners, that’s a Shawmont-Manor, and that’s what I suggested. Unfortunately, Cait had morning dog care to do and couldn’t start until 9a. A.A.Ron and I were on board.
The 3 of us are remarkably compatible runners who are happy to make marathon training fit life’s demands about as much as we are to make life fit marathon training’s. Ample evidence is the fact that distance work has started before the actual marathon training itself. (Fine, let’s argue that 16-mile long-run distances is already marathon training.)
When we arrived at Northwestern Avenue, we said hello to Weezinator and Alan Bravo. I know I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was when we got going down Forbidden Drive and started meeting the usual 7:30a SRC runners ending out-and-back efforts. Well, hullo, Teddio, My-Oh Maya, All That Jaz, Quietman Tom, Hap, Ying1, BB Betsy, Tall Dave, and everyone else! The heart grows fond remembering the celebration of seeing everyone’s familiar faces.
The heart grows fond also remembering the celebration of introducing Cait (in particular) to Shawmont Avenue and both to Manor. Truth be told, both have run as Growlers with SRC before, but they didn’t do Shawmont then, a few years ago. And A.A.Ron has done Shawmont solo from Manayunk, but never the 2 together. Finally, the heart grows fond appreciating the understanding both SRC-ers and Growlers express when I just have to take off on the hill ascents and as we finish on Andorra Road.
I’ll be back at 7:30a with the SRC crew again with both Growlers in tow, at one point or another, so that everyone can appreciate all of the fondness there is to go around, in every direction.
-CtCloser (Calvinthe) #negativesplitorpositivesplat #dothedue
FINE PRINT
Text by Calvin Wang (Wäng), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ¶Cross-published: Facebook Shawmont Running Club (ZY Weekly Newsletter 12/9/23), Shawmont Running Club website, Ruminations by CtCloser.
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