February 9thIce. Snow. Freezing Temperatures. The weather has been relentless this winter for those training for the 2014 Pittsburgh Marathon. And to think that weather today was considered "not bad" compared to other days we've had this winter. For Week 4 we met at LA Fitness in the Southside. I was just happy we were running twelve miles and not increasing our mileage. Our journey started by crossing the Hot Metal Bridge and heading downtown on the trail. Quickly, I realized this run was going to be a challenge when I saw this below my feet. Ice is nothing to mess around with. This was stressed to us before we headed out on our run. Every time we encountered ice we slowed down to a careful cautious walk. From downtown, we took the Clemente Bridge to the North Side and caught a glimpse of PNC Park. Seeing the baseball park gives me something to look forward to: Summer. When are coming this year, Summer? Sooner than later, please! We had a quick water stop in the North Side and then headed to East Ohio Street, which is part of the marathon course. The North Side is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. There is always something new and interesting to see. This trip was no exception. Even though I've run this street many times, I never saw the "Welcome to Deutschtown" mural on this building. There are also nine crests featured on the mural. (Not all are visible in the picture.) The featured crests are a reminder of the towns of origin for the early inhabitants of this historic neighborhood. The mural was dedicated in 2007. After running through the North Side we ran past the old Heinz manufacturing plant. The plant has since been converted to loft apartments. The outside of the building looks unchanged from the days of a manufacturing plant probably due to being placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places since 2002. I really enjoy the architecture of this building. From the Heinz plant we ran along the river to the 31st Street Bridge. The walkway on the bridge was completely covered in ice. Even though this run was not physically demanding, it was becoming a mental challenge. After crossing the bridge, we ran/walked through the Strip District. Once through the Strip it was back to downtown with mostly cleared sidewalks and then to Uptown and icy sidewalks. Once we reached Uptown the snow started coming down. I was walking again, this time alongside a pedestrian. He looked at me and said in a British accent, "You are all mad." I replied, "I know. What am I doing out here?" Now I knew the Birmingham Bridge was long, but walking it made it feel even longer. Snow was coming down quickly. I couldn't wait to get off this bridge and back to the Southside and get some coffee. Once we finally crossed the bridge it was a left turn on to East Carson Street and a few blocks back to LA Fitness. Finally, through the snow I could see the Fleet Feet flag. I love seeing that flag. It's the equivalent of the finish line on our training runs, and for today, just finishing was a accomplishment in itself.
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Author: Sarah WarmanI like to run, take pictures and write. I've combined all three in this blog. Archives
June 2019
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