Category Archives: Running

Running While High: The Altitude Effect

Last week, I spent time in surrounding Salt Lake City, Utah area.  In addition to taking in the many beautiful sights, drinking low alcohol beer (only 4.0 percent or lower beer is sold at grocery stores) and enjoying the respite from 95 degree Philly temperatures, I also did get a chance to do some running.

Running in most areas of Utah, of course, is much different than running here in Philly.  In addition to gorgeous mountain and lake scenery, Utah is at a substantially higher elevation than our sea level city.  Eden, where I did most of my running is at an altitude of approximately 5,200 feet, with many hills along the way.  So what’s it like to run at altitude for a week?  Quite an adjustment and challenging but also possibly rewarding.

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Running for the Homeless: Back on My Feet 20in24 Challenge

On the weekend of July 14-15, Back on My Feet holds its 5th annual Stroehmann 20in24 Challenge on the Kelly Drive Schuylkill River loop.  It’s easily one of the city’s bigger summer running events each year.

For those who aren’t aware, BoMF is an organization founded here in Philly that helps the homeless achieve independence and self-sufficiency through running.  Through the discipline, dedication and confidence developed from running and training for races with volunteers, countless members have changed their lives and created new opportunities for themselves.     

The Challenge actually consists of several events, but the primary ones are the Relay Challenge and the Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon.  The Relay Challenge consists of relay teams of five sending members to run one lap at a time on the 8.4 mile loop.  Teams can have their members do one (Bronze Challenge), two (Silver), three (Gold) or four (Platinum) laps each in the 24 hour time period.  The Lone Ranger is a tough endurance test, as individual competitors see how many laps they can do in 24 hours.

20in24 traditionally features some very impressive individual and team performances.  Last year, the Lone Ranger winner finished 145 miles (over 6 miles per hour).  For the Platinum Challenge, the lead team finished its 20 total laps (over 169 miles)  in 18 hours and 48 minutes.

It’ll be my first appearance in the event, as my squad fundraises for BoMF and competes in the Gold Challenge (three laps each, fifteen laps total).  The big adjustments won’t be the distance (slightly over 25.2 miles total per runner) as much as the conditions (running at different temperatures and times of the day and night) and re-starting to run after sitting and waiting for about five hours between your individual laps.  Regardless, it’s a worthy challenge and a very good cause to support.

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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