by Nicole Cesare and Lionel Brahim Brodie III
We're digging in the crates today. George Merriam, Charles Merriam, and Noah Webster define a ‘crate–dig’ as: to shop for rare, vintage, or obscure recordings especially by searching through crates of secondhand merchandise. So if you've never heard this term, I'm showing my age (44) in referencing going through some of the Philadelphia Runner content archives.
We just experienced the magic of Phillies Charities 5K or Love Run. Hot Chocolate is on deck this weekend (AND SO ARE THE PHILLIES!!!!!). And it's Broad Street (BSR) Season. We're about six (6) weeks out and as we approach halftime in our training (based on a 10–week program), please enjoy an excerpt from a piece written by Nicole Cesare for Philly Runner a few years ago that still resonates with a lot of us:
We're getting close to the midpoint of Broad Street Run training now, and that probably looks different for different runners. First–timers might be struggling to keep up with the routine, or might be working that first–timer buzz for all its worth, letting the novelty of the experience fuel them. If you've done this before, maybe you're working towards a PR, and this is the time to dig in, really commit. Or, maybe you realize this isn't the year, and resolve to just have a blast out there, regardless of what the pace clock says. My own midpoint comes with a week of low mileage, due in part to a scheduled step back and also, well, just life. The weather was bad and other events took priority.
The chills I get reading that. Where are we this week? I, myself, had an awful run this morning that I'd like to place into a biodegradable bag, tie up, and gently place in the closest receptacle. Are we feeling good about this BSR training block? Are we enjoying the journey? I hope so. Training, running, and racing should be fun.....regardless of the rubbish I put up on Strava a few hours ago.
Nicole goes on to talk about how volunteering for a future race factored into her ‘step back’ as halftime approached. She writes, "Have you ever volunteered for a race? I think all runners should try it out at least once. For one thing, of course, it's good to give back. But also, it's fun! You can keep an eye out for your friends, you meet other volunteers, and sometimes you even get an incentive, like the chance to register early for the event next year."
I'm a macro planner and can almost tell you what I'm doing every weekend for the remainder of 2024. There are some great upcoming races like Philly Run Fest, Philly 10K, Philadelphia Distance Run, and Kettle Cooker. If they are not on your calendar as a participant, are they listed as a volunteer opportunity? Could be? Should be.
However you decide to come out for the second half, good luck with training this week and don't skip out on the rain runs. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia doesn't normally apply to Broad Street haha. We'll see you out there!
