The Gates - Philly Style
I had E take me on one of her West Philly routes this morning. All the way down Woodland to Cobbs Creek up to Mount Moriah cemetary, a loop around the inside, and up Cobbs Creek a bit farther to Warrington, which brought us home. Conservatively, 7 miles in 61:52.
Another trip through Wonderland. E described Woodland, very aptly, as having the feel of a main street without any people. There are stretches, like around 58th St., where there once are the remnants of a local business district, and running through it reminded me of going through Pilsen during the Chicago Marathon but with the life sucked out of it. Sort of a Dawn of the Dead feel to it.
E then pointed out (I'm getting all my ideas from her today) that the multitude of shopping bags hanging in the trees along the banks of the Cobbs Creek gave it Christoffian feel, as if he had used this area as a dress rehearsal for the Gates. Along with the visual effect of the white bags hanging off of all the bare limbs and bushes, there was also an accompanying fluttering noise when the wind hit it right.
Speaking of death, Mount Moriah is a literal city of the dead, neatly segregated with a potter's field in one section; large affluent monuments on the areas high ground, and an area full of military dead, some who are very decorated. The recently deceased John Whitehead, of McFadden and Whitehead (semi) fame, is also buried there ("Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now", etc.). And obviously some haven't been buried very well, as there are ghost sitings here too. And on top of all that, the circular path through the cemetary looks like it would do well for hill workouts.
The first part of Warrington has a steady, stepped incline that gives it a Newtonian (in the sense of the Boston suburb, not the physicist) feel, and then its a sprint up and down the steps that take you over the Septa Regional Rail lines and we're back in the neighborhood.
One other running related tidbit; watching a first season CSI episode with my daughter and one of the victims was a runner who was attacked and killed by a dog and subsequently had his organs surgically removed. Grissom's (sp?) comment: "He picked the wrong time to be out running by himself in that place." So, fellow runners, be careful of homicidal dogs with psychopathic owners or else you too may be a blamed victim.
Another trip through Wonderland. E described Woodland, very aptly, as having the feel of a main street without any people. There are stretches, like around 58th St., where there once are the remnants of a local business district, and running through it reminded me of going through Pilsen during the Chicago Marathon but with the life sucked out of it. Sort of a Dawn of the Dead feel to it.
E then pointed out (I'm getting all my ideas from her today) that the multitude of shopping bags hanging in the trees along the banks of the Cobbs Creek gave it Christoffian feel, as if he had used this area as a dress rehearsal for the Gates. Along with the visual effect of the white bags hanging off of all the bare limbs and bushes, there was also an accompanying fluttering noise when the wind hit it right.
Speaking of death, Mount Moriah is a literal city of the dead, neatly segregated with a potter's field in one section; large affluent monuments on the areas high ground, and an area full of military dead, some who are very decorated. The recently deceased John Whitehead, of McFadden and Whitehead (semi) fame, is also buried there ("Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now", etc.). And obviously some haven't been buried very well, as there are ghost sitings here too. And on top of all that, the circular path through the cemetary looks like it would do well for hill workouts.
The first part of Warrington has a steady, stepped incline that gives it a Newtonian (in the sense of the Boston suburb, not the physicist) feel, and then its a sprint up and down the steps that take you over the Septa Regional Rail lines and we're back in the neighborhood.
One other running related tidbit; watching a first season CSI episode with my daughter and one of the victims was a runner who was attacked and killed by a dog and subsequently had his organs surgically removed. Grissom's (sp?) comment: "He picked the wrong time to be out running by himself in that place." So, fellow runners, be careful of homicidal dogs with psychopathic owners or else you too may be a blamed victim.
posted by seebo | 3:08 PM
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