Wissahickon/Valley Green Run

I was considering that Fast and Flurry-ous 5K this morning.  Then I saw the predicted temperature of 20 degrees at start of the race.  I'll run in weather that cold if I have to or if I'm already committed to a race, but I wasn't signed up yet, so I decided to pass.

I was heading down to Philly for the Drexel men's and women's basketball games anyway, so I decided why not run there.  I haven't run down in my old stomping grounds in quite some time.  I ran the Schuykill River loop so many times that I got sick of it.  I could've run there, but I love running the trails at Wissahickon/Forbidden Drive so much more.  It is such a hidden gem.  There is the option to run on a wide stone path along the river (Forbidden Drive) or more typical singletrack wooded trails around the top of the gorge.  I opted for a little of both.

I stopped at REI in Conshohocken to look at snowshoes.  I got a little lost going to Valley Green.  I knew where I was when I was on Northwestern Avenue near Chestnut Hill College, but it has been so long that I couldn't remember how to get to Valley Green.

I got to Valley Green at 1 PM and it was crowded.  The weather was a little nicer than it has been lately, so everyone was out and about.  I parked at the first spot I saw, but actually there were plenty of spots available.  Valley Green is an old restaurant next to the creek in the park.  It would probably be cool to eat there sometime.

The weather was excellent at the start.  I struggled with what to wear.  I brought along a ColdGear top and lightweight long sleeve shirt.  I thought I'd need a vest, but it was way too hot for that..  I couldn't believe how warm it was, especially with almost no wind.  It must've been around 40 degrees.  I wore the lightweight top.  Since I had no pockets, I decided against bringing gloves and a headband along.

At one point, I thought to myself, it is too warm to even wear long pants.  I dug through my bag and found shorts.  They were a very short pair.  I wish I would've had a longer pair, but that was the best I could do.  I went back and forth on what to wear.  I thought to myself, it is February you can't wear shorts, you are crazy.  I knew the way it felt dictated shorts, so I threw some on.  I didn't feel so bad when I saw a few other runners throughout the days with shorts on.

I started off in the crowded area around Valley Green.  Almost right next to the restaurant is the trail to the top.  It is probably less than .1 miles from where I started out.  I had no warmup before I was climbing.  I remember this climb and how tough it used to be.  It wasn't quite easy today, but much easier than I recall.  I guess it is because I'm more adapted to hills more than when I used to run mostly on the flat terrain of the city.

The hill was still somewhat of a challenge because it was covered in snow and also it was so early in the run that I couldn't warm up.  Other than that, it seemed easy.  I also go to the top quickly.  I can't imagine that it is much more than a 100 foot climb to the top of the gorge.  It isn't like the 700 feet climbs that I often encounter at mountains around here.  It is quite steep, but also short.

The good thing about getting to the top is that most of the climbing is over when you reach that point.  The trail kind of runs along the rim of the gorge.  It does go up and down wherever other paths come into the main road, but that isn't very often.

The trail had some mild up and down terrain.  It was pretty easy once I was at the top.  I just cruised around.  The snow made me work a little more than dirt would have, but it wasn't slippery or anything.  In some spots, the snow was melting and the dirt was visible or it was muddy.  I had no problem going through it.

I didn't have to be too cautious.  I did have to watch out for hikers and bikers up there.  I flew past one guy who was hiking with poles.  He must've thought I was crazy for running up there.  Running in snow seems like it is good for improving balance and I would think it can only help improve my trail running for easier surfaces.

I've run this trail only once in the last 3 years.  Even when I lived there, I probably didn't run the trails more than 10 or 15 times.  I was both lost and knew where I was at the same time.  Everything looks familiar, but it has been so long since I ran there that I couldn't remember the order of the trail.

Somehow I used to always seem to end up crossing over the main path and I could never figure out how.  I thought I was in that area again, but actually this time that never happened.  Some of the up and down was tough.  My right foot was very tight whenever I was climbing.  Luckily, this run didn't involve too much ascending.

There were a lot of runners on Forbidden Drive, but not many up here.  I saw one here and there.  Two young women ran by in the other direction.  I commented that at least I wasn't the only crazy runner up there.  I think one of them was wearing shorts, so I also wasn't the only crazy one wearing shorts.

I was hoping that I could run 4 miles at the absolute minimum and I really wanted to run 5 miles.  After I got about 3 miles out, I decided that I would take the next possible path to Forbidden Drive.  I did just that and I think was at 3.15 miles when I headed back on the main path.

This section on Forbidden Drive seemed to go on forever.  I was nearly at the end of it when I started making my way back.  Again everything was familiar, but unfamiliar at the same time.  All I could remember was that you could see Valley Green after coming around a curve.  It seemed like I went past several curves though before finally getting to the correct one.

The hills on Forbidden Drive used to seem tough.  Today, they felt easy.  I guess that proves I'm in pretty good shape.  Some of this path was icy, but overall it wasn't too bad.  A lot more people were walking, biking or running here.  Between my shorts and the funny looking camera on my head, I got some strange stares.  I'm not surprised.  One guy thought my camera was a light during another run, so most people probably don't know what I'm actually wearing.

Although it was relatively warm, after some time the inside of my legs got cold.  I definitely could've used longer shorts.  I'm not sure if it was the cold air or that my shorts were rubbing against my legs, but they began to chafe and were very irritated.  I had no choice but to keep running because otherwise I would have to walk in the cold.

The most interesting thing I saw on the trail was two guys in army clothes with packs on.  Maybe they were training by hiking with heavy gear.  I decided that I had to run past Valley Green so I would finish up with whatever half mile came after I got there.  That ended up being mile 6.  It came just past where I parked my car.  That was perfect, expect I had to go around about 7 people who were walking their dogs and blocking the whole path.  Some people can be so inconsiderate. 

The scenery was excellent as usual.  I got some good pictures, but there must've been a smudge on my camera or the housing because it showed up on the photos.  Still, it was a cool place to use my GoPro.  I finished up and quickly applied cream to my chafed legs.

As always, this was a great run.  Wissahickon is my second favorite place that I've ever run at.  I only enjoy running at Trexler Nature Preserve better.  It was good to get back here.  It was especially fun to run in some snow and compare my fitness with my past fitness.

I had some time to kill after the run and before the games, so I headed to Boathouse Row to drink some coffee and watched people run.  One thing I do miss about running in the city is all the attractive women.  I don't usually see many runners anywhere that I go these days.  The Parkway is the place most alive with people up here.  City running sucks because there are so few places to go, but that also makes those places crowded and filled with energy.  There is just a certain vibe about it.  It is very different than a lot of the nature trails that I run now.

Tomorrow is an off day.  I'd love to hike, but that is doubtful with my chafed legs.  I'll be happy if they aren't bothering me by the time I plan to run again on Tuesday.  I'm hoping Trexler won't be too bad and I can run there.  We did get more snowfall than they did at Wissahickon.

6 miles - 52:54 (8:49 pace)