Empower the Children 5K in Havertown

     Knowing that this race took place in the Westgate Hills section of Havertown, I felt I was up to the challenge of running the rolling terrain. With temperatures in the high 50s and sunny skies, Kevin and I headed to Westgate Hills Park on April 19. Organized by the Child Guidance Resource Center in Havertown, the run and 1-mile walk benefited the center’s therapeutic summer camp program.
   At the sound of the starting gun, we headed down Oxford Hill Lane, before turning right on Westgate Road. Trying to slow down and keep control as we raced down the steep downhill, we made a right on Green Briar Lane. A left onto Crescent Hill Drive, the course was clearly marked and volunteers were at intersections directing traffic. Heading onto Windsor Park Lane, I saw a runner take a quick break by sitting on a curbside coach, something I definitely felt ready to do. The hills were difficult, and the biggest climb was coming up.
   With a right on Glen Ridge Road, I was not too happy to see the hill staring down at me. With slow, steady steps I ran up the hill to the end of the first of two loops. It was definitely one of the more strenuous 5Ks I've done, but it was very well organized and the weather was perfect for an early morning Saturday run in April. Though my time of 32:18, wasn't as good as I'd hoped, I blame those hills:-) Kevin did great though, and I enviously watched as he sped up those hills.
Grading on the route, ease and cost of registration ($25 fee), T-shirt appeal and the overall fun factor I give this race three-and-a-half sneakers out of five.

Comments

Swimming on in honor of Coach Rick Field

I thought of swimming as a solitary activity. The rhythmic breathing, 18-20 strokes to the wall, flip turn, repeat, blocking out all sound and sights and just following the black line. Other than being a part of my high school swim team, which I had joined because my friend Tara encouraged me, I’ve been swimming laps by myself for more than 20 years. Coach Rick I was in the pool at Rocky Run Y several years ago, when Rick Field walked over and told me my right hand was entering the water too far to the side. I had met Rick in 2011, when he first started as a swim coach and teacher at the Y. I didn’t know what to make of him at first, he seemed loud and maybe a bit pushy, but he grew on me and I saw how much he cared for his swimmers to succeed. The Cedar Island 5K So in November 2019, after many years of asking me to join his swim workouts, I broke away from the solitary swim life to be part of a team again. Every Sunday from 7-8:30 a.m., our swim group would try our best following

Blue Marsh National Recreation Area in Reading

The idea of swimming outdoors in a lake in November sounded amazing, so on a warm & muggy fall day I headed to Blue Marsh Lake in Reading to meet my friend Kari. It started to rain during the 80-minute drive with Kevin & our pup Georgie & I was thinking, "why am I jumping into a lake?" But it was still warm & in the 70s, so I'll just deal with the lake temps.

San Diego Sharkfest Swim

The dream of swimming one last open water race this year was just too hard to resist! So with about a week's notice, I registered for a race, booked a hotel and bought airfare to perpetually sunny southern California for the one-mile San Diego Sharkfest Swim on Oct. 13. With a three-day weekend coming up, and the fact that Kevin and I have never been to San Diego, the race was a perfect time and place for a new adventure. After three days of touring museums, ships, Balboa Park , walking around both the city and Old Town and kayaking in La Jolla and experiencing a trolley tour, I was excited/anxious to swim on Sunday. Walking from our hotel to the start, which was behind the San Diego Convention Center, I noticed a lot of people were wearing wet suits, which made me a little nervous. But the race director, a former champion open water swimmer, joked and told the crowd that they were "wussies" and warned that those who looked to be struggling would be pulled from

Exercising to the Beat of the Street

Search This Blog