run, run, run

Pittsburgh, PA 9:00am

Pace: 8:51

I ran up the hill today. Last night I mapped out a course that goes across the river and up the hill that the incline trams go up. It was a nice run, lots of hill work, of course. The weather was cold but pleasant. Light snow. Not enough to matter. Google maps is cool, except that with a street view, you don't really get any surprises. You've seen it all before you run it.

It all worked out really well until I got to the bottom of the hill just before the West End Bridge. At that point there was no sidewalk and no real way I could see to get to the bridge. I went under the train bridge on a 1-foot curb and crossed onto a traffic island. There was a cop standing on the island with an amused look on his face, like he was wondering what on earth I was doing there. I told him I was just trying to get to the bridge. He said I had to go back and around somewhere -- I don't know. Then he said "you can go when the traffic breaks but you gotta run like hell." So I waited till he said go and I ran like hell down the street to the bridge and leaped over the baracade on to the sidewalk, turned to give the cop a little wave and continued on over the bridge. Nothing like a little boost of adrenaline to get you through the last mile of your run.

Pittsburgh, PA 8:30 am

Pace: 8:46

I tried to go on yesterday's course to see if there is a way to get across that road at the end of the bridge without police intervention. There isn't. So I turned and went on along the shoreline. It was a nice morning. I was able to finish up before the snow started falling.

Pittsburgh, PA 9:30 am

Pace: 8:35

Cold today. About 11 when I left. I couldn't bear the thought of crossing one of those bridges. It gets really cold over the river. So I ran along the North Shore for three and a half miles and then turned back. Cold is all there really is to say about today's run. Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder.

Pittsburgh, PA 9:15 am

Pace: 8:37

My last run in Pittsburgh was a rough one. It was even colder than yesterday -- single-digits, with more snow. I went down the North Shore of the Alegheny. When I was going up the bridge on to Washington Landing Island I made a turn on the ramp. My feet went one direction and the rest of me went the other and I went down on my knee. It hurt.

Being the idiot that I am, I just kept running. I crossed the 33rd street bridge and was heading back towards downtown. I planned on crossing over to the south side to get my miles up to 7 or 8, but by the time I got to the Roberto Clemente Bridge (Did a cooler person than Roberto Clemente ever live?) my knee was starting to throb and my face hurt -- did I mention it was really cold. So I whimped out and crossed the bridge back to the hotel.

I think my knee will be ok. Just bruised. And anyway, I'm done for this week. I fly home at 6am tomorrow and won't be running over the weekend.

Pittsburgh was a good trip. It is a great city for running in and would be even better if it weren't the dead of winter. The work part of the trip kind of stunk, but that's not what this blog is for. Now, back to Idaho where it's warm!