Club West Philly - West, Part 2

9 miles/1:13

DAB is in town for the week and stayed with us last night. I promised
her this morning we could go on a run that includes Marin Ave, a hill
that starts gradually and works its way to over a 15% grade at the apex.
It's actually a novelty, like a giant foam cowboy hat: attracts your
attention, but completely impractical for actual running.

Once Si got some raisins in him, I packed him up and we headed out to
the Greenway to get started. We got off to a shuffling start, still
feeling the effects of Sunday's running (me more than DAB, I think), but
got down to a pleasant pace soon enough. Silas enjoyed the chatter and
chilled in his stroller for the whole journey, occasionally pointing out
a bus or a BART train.

We missed Marin, which wasn't marked, but looped back at the next block
and started heading up, joking that I felt like Rocky - maybe one day
I'll make it to the top of the hill. By that time, Si will be old
enough to get out of his stroller and jump around with his arms in the
air at the top. I have always quit once I hit The Circle, which is
where the real hill begins, but we decided to head up one more block to
Shattuck. Even that short block was intense, and I was nearly laid our
horizontally pushing the jogger up that bit. A map of the Marin Ave bit
with elevation is here; the end of the road is another 3/4 miles further
and 700 feet up.

Took Shattuck into town, ran through campus a bit, and then back south
on College Ave and toward home on Russell. I didn't map the run, but
it's probably just shy of 9 miles. I give myself a little extra credit
for the hills. DAB kept going for "a couple" more miles, while I ate
breakfast, showered, and changed 2 diapers.