Exercising to the Beat of the Street

     You might not think that many runners would race on a rainy, windy, cold Sunday afternoon.  But hundreds did at the first annual Nicole Gallo Sunshine & Bubbles 5K on March 30.  The race benefited the Nicole Gallo Sunshine Scholarship, which helps girls continue their Catholic education.  Registration was $25, which is the average for 5Ks now.  Try & register by mail & you'll save the $3 fee that online sites like Run The Day charge.      Arriving at Monsignor Bonner Archbishop Prendergast High School, I was impressed by the dedication shown by the friends and family of Gallo, a Prendie grad who was struck and killed by a distracted driver in 2009.  The name of the race is just so sweet.      With light rain falling on our heads, Kevin & I lined up next to Delaware County Memorial Hospital.  At the sound of the gun, we took off across Lansdowne Ave., made a left on Argyle Ave. before t...

     Thanksgiving is a chance to spend time with family and friends while enjoying delicious, decadent dishes. But the average Thanksgiving meal of three ounces of turkey breast, one sweet potato, ½ cup stuffing, ½ cup fresh green beans, ½ cup cranberry sauce, one dinner roll, four ounces wine, three teaspoons of butter/margarine, two tablespoons of gravy and one slice of pumpkin pie will total about 1,500 calories.      So how can enjoy the holiday without packing on the pounds?      “I recommend people look at all their choices first. If they see something they can have anytime I would avoid that item, example mashed potatoes, and go for the foods that are special to the holiday. A small amount of a food or beverage is all you really need. Your taste buds don’t know if you took a small bite or a large bite of food they just know it was turkey or cranberry etc. Also I advise people to eat slowly so that ...

    A beautiful course, but definitely a challenge, was the first annual Rocky Run YMCA up and back trail run on May 17 in Media.  All the funds raised benefited Rocky Run's Annual Campaign, which provides more opportunities for youth, adults and families to participate in Y programs and services.  After hitting some traffic (Baltimore Pike is the worst), I arrived at the race about five minutes before the start.  Being a Friday night run, it had a more fun, party-like atmosphere than my morning races.  The weather was perfect, cool and partially sunny, as we lined up on the outdoor track.  After a lap, we crossed the parking lot & headed for the trails in the woods.      Quickly noticing the sudden, steep drop, I tried to slow down as my body propelled itself forward.  Thankfully, Y staffers had spray-painted visible tree roots orange to help runners navigate the course. The course soon leveled out, & it was fun t...

May 5

     It was a great night for an evening run on April 27 at the sixth annual Twilight 5K Run in Havertown.  Temps were in the the high 60s and over 200 runners, along with many walkers, were gathered at Haverford High School.  The school's jazz band entertained the crowd before the race, which benefited the Haverford Education Foundation.  For the second time this season, my sister Kim joined me in the race along with her fiance Johnny.  It's always more fun to run with someone. Visit Twilight Run to watch video of the race.      After the 1-mile Kids Run, we lined up on Mill Road in front of the school.  When I ran the race two years ago, I remembered how much fun it was.  Heading down Mill Road, we turned right onto Darby Road.  Even though I feel stronger running in the morning, this night run was different and I headed out at a quicker pace.  Once we reach E. Benedict Avenue, we turned around and...

   Brutal!  That's all I was thinking running the Cougar Crawl 5K on April 14 in Springfield.  I knew the route would be hill, but I didn't think it would be THAT steep!  Heading out to Springfield High School, it was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the mid-50s.  Money raised benefited the Springfield High School Girls Lacrosse Team.  Visit Cougar Crawl to watch video of the race.      Lining up in the school parking lot, we turned left onto Lownes Lane and then a left at Orchard Road.  The flock of runners thinned out quickly as we made a right on W. Leamy Ave., left on Spring Valley Road before turning right on Kerr Lane and the first big hill of the day.  Taking it slow, I ran down the hill before going back up and making a right on Duncan Lane.  Thinking it would be the toughest hill of the run would later turn out to be true, but there were a first steep climbs which weren't far behind.   ...

    My first ever snow run!  Sporting the same green attire I wore from last week's run, was about the only similarity between that race and Cardinal O'Hara's High School's first ever Leprechaun Leap on March 16.  Compared to the warm, sunny skies at the Shamrock Run, this St. Patty's Day theme race featured temperatures at 38 degrees, windy conditions and snow flurries.  Visit  Leprechaun Leap to watch video of the race.      Arriving at the high school, my husband Kevin picked up our bibs and T-shirts (the long-sleeve black shirts with green tux iron-on were awesome) and lined up on the school's new track.  Proceeds from the event will be used to help complete O’Hara’s stadium complex, which includes the purchased of equipment to host track meets. Soon we were off for the first loop of the what Kevin's sister remembered from her O'Hara track team days as, "the monster."  The runners, including Kevin, seemed to be at top...