Author Archives: John E.

Race Running Weather: What Are Perfect Conditions?

At the starting line of the Broad Street Run this past weekend, you could see a colorful array of clothing.  With the race having over 34,000 participants, it was no surprise to see so much variety in the attire being worn.

What was particularly interesting, however, was how people dressed for the weather.  With the temperature at about 58 degrees at the start and climbing no higher than 60 by 10 a.m. (when many runners would be finishing), many treated the race as if they were running on a summer day, with t-shirts or tank tops and shorts.  Others took a more “pessimistic” view of the cloudy conditions and accounted for the lack of sun with long sleeves, pants or crops. 

Then, there was the humidity factor.  Some said that the humidity (which averaged 78 for the day) was relatively low.  Others, like top American finisher Michael McKeeman, believed the high humidity hindered performance. 

So, were the Broad Street Run weather conditions good?  If not, what constitutes ideal running conditions? 

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Tastykake: Good in Shakes, Ice Cream and Spiked Blended Drinks

I believe it was Marie Antoinette who once said, “Let them eat Tastykakes.”  Or maybe that was just the Marie Antoinette impersonator during the Storming of the Bastille re-enactment during Philly’s Bastille Day celebrations of years past.  Regardless of whoever said the quote, we should heed the advice.

Tastykake, of course, is a Philly original, serving wonderful baked products for close to 100 years.  Sure, it merged out of necessity with Flower Foods, Inc., but that doesn’t mean it changed any of its recipes to its krimpets, kakes and pies.  And one of the best things about Tastykake products is that you can incoporate them into other foods, such as milkshakes, ice cream and blended alcohol drinks.  Thanks to the good folks at The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (Visit Philly) and Foodspotting, I had the opportunity to take part in an “Eat Up” tour of various Tastykake-inspired dishes throughout the city.

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Christopher McDougall Offers Insights on Running, Caballo Blanco at Penn Museum

He is by no means an elite runner.  He certainly has not invented any revolutionary running technique.  And he most definitely did not engineer any brand new running shoes.  Still, the name of Christopher McDougall is very well known among both recreational and professional running circles.

McDougall, of course, is the author of the 2009 best seller, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.  The book sent waves in the running world for its description of the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico and their exploits as some of the world’s best long distance runners.  Soon after publication, Born to Run inspired numerous folks to give barefoot running or minimalist shoes a try.

In honor of the Penn Museum’s current photo exhibition “Run! Super-Athletes of the Sierra Madre,” McDougall stopped by the museum on Wednesday night for a lecture and book signing in front of a sizable audience.  The timing of his speech was especially notable due to the recent passing of Micah True, also known as “Caballo Blanco,” who was the central character of Born to Run.

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