Relating to exertion or the tangible
• I’m just learning about this route now? • [2½ MIN READ] A club as long-lived as SRC (circa 1985) is bound to have bits of history that newer runners like me (circa 2012) will never know or will learn only incidentally. One historical fact of the latter type is the existence of the Four … More Revisiting the 4 Sisters of Manayunk (#201: ZY Weekly Newsletter 10/25/25)
• 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)
• Accommodating • [2 MIN READ] All the phone gazing I do that SRC-ers tell me to stop caught up to me. What with the starting and pausing of MapMyRun or the logging of a thought or detail, club runners are worried about me injuring myself. “Ah, I’ll be fine,” I say dismissively. Until I’m … More Lessons from a Sprained Ankle (#196: ZY Weekly Newsletter 8/30/25)
• Avoiding • [2 MIN READ] Minimizing distraction would be a good way to avoid spraining an ankle. I could read a book and walk home from elementary school as a kid, but using a smartphone and running is not the same thing. Spraining an ankle off the roadbed where there was no curb was … More Lessons from a Sprained Ankle II (#197: ZY Weekly Newsletter 9/6/25)
• Certainty amid uncertainty • [<2 MIN READ] Every marathon training cycle I’ve gone through lately has seemed to bring something unprecedented. With Philadelphia coming up 11’23’U (Sunday), this one has me needing to work especially hard on pace and bringing weekly mileage in line. Since the last marathon, Delaware Running Festival Marathon (04’06’U), I’ve … More Working Toward Philadelphia Marathon: 2025’11’23’U (#194: ZY Weekly Newsletter 8/23/25)
• 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)
• 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)
• Mom was da balm • [1 MIN READ] When I was a kid, I was prone to muscle pain in my calves. The sensation of a nagging headache in my legs would keep me from falling asleep at night. The solution was to go to my parents’ bedroom and wake my mother. She would … More Leg Pain
• Being with and being • [2 MIN READ] Throughout life, I’d managed to stay close to a few important people. People whom I knew and trusted and ones that knew and trusted me. But only a few. Then I started running. I joined a running group at the local running store. It was a … More The World Is Full of Nice People
• 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)
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