Exercising to the Beat of the Street

     Running with Santas and elves was a great way to finish my 5K races for the year.  I ran in my fourth Reindeer 5K Fun Run on Dec. 3 at the Lansdowne YMCA.  Compared to the chilly weather when I ran in the first Reindeer Run in all my winter gear, it wasn't too cold this year with temperatures in the 40s with cloudy skies.  After picking Kevin up at 7:15 a.m. (on a Saturday morning!) we headed over to the Y and we're ready to race.  (See video and photos of the race at  http://tinyurl.com/cqk8xbr ).       In previous years, one side of Lansdowne Ave. would temporarily be closed and the runners would line up there.  This year, one minute we were in the parking lot and the next I heard "go" and off we raced at 8 a.m. down the sidewalk along Lansdowne Ave.  Turning left onto E. Marshall Road, we then headed up a slight hill on Lincoln Ave and towards Archbishop Prendergast High School.  The weaving course took us to Garrett Road and the trolley tracks, down to Wayne

     What a great way to get rid of the guilt of eating all that turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie!  On a warm morning two days after Thanksgiving I was ready to race away the calories at St. Bernadette's Turkey Trot 5K race in Drexel Hill on Nov. 26.  Over 200 people took part in the race, which benefitted the children of St. Bernadette Church and the school community.  (See photos and video of the race at http://tinyurl.com/6mhqc7m ).      Arriving at the church, I picked up my bib and got in lined up on Bond Avenue with the other runners, including Kevin's sister Kathy and her boyfriend Ian.  With tons of energy, we headed down towards Agnew Drive, where we turned left and passed Hillcrest Elementary School.  We then banked left onto Marvine Avenue for several blocks.  I ran in this area last May during St. Dorothy's 5K run and it's great!  The terrain is mostly flat and the tree-lined streets and stone homes are such a gem of Drexel Hill.  Compared to the hot, sunny