West Philly Runners: Cold Air, Fast Feet

Winter is finally here. Many of us run for fitness, but I know many runners are out there for the personal challenge that they face each time they hit a new hurdle, pushing themselves faster and farther. This sub-freezing weather is that kind of challenge. It may be uncomfortable, but I know that every runner that steps out the door for a cruise in this weather comes home feeling immensely accomplished. Come out on Wednesday and conquer any fears you have about a little bit of cold. It certainly won't kill you. We will be leaving punctually at 6:30 so we don't stand around in the cold. Bring your ID for the bottle shop again this week.

Upcoming Events:

First of all, I'm having an official House Swarming party on Saturday night at my new place - 5019 Hazel Ave. I would love for all you WPRs to come out and celebrate this milestone with me.

There are a number of races coming up:

Chili Cheeks - February 24

Lenape Survival Challenge - April 27

WPR 26x1 Marathon Relay - May 18

ODDyssey Half Marathon - June 9

20in24 - July 20

Chili Cheeks 7.2 Mile Trail Run. February 24. Hosted by Pretzel City Sports in Reading, PA, this is a super fun "show them how tough you are" kind of trail race. There are whispers of interest from several WPRs who have represented at this race in the last 2 years. Very good chance that there will be a spot for you in a carpool so just let people know that you are interested.

Lenape Survival Challenge. April 27. At long last, registration is finally open for the challenge. I love everything about this race: it combines hilly running (this year it's a trail race) with canoeing; pairs you with a partner and forces you to finish your run together (so that you can pile into the canoe together); and let's you compete with a tribe of three or more pairs of runners/canoers to compete with other tribes. This year, I want to get a big group of WPRs to come out and participate. I put out a very unofficial registration for the race HERE and had 11 people show interest without ever advertising it beyond my gmail status. Basically, there's going to be a good crowd of -like-minded West Philly Runners ready to have a great time running and paddling.
Registration is going to be a little tricky. If you know who your partner is, you should register immediately and list your tribe name as West Philly Runners. If you don't know who you want to partner with, register on the eventbrite page here and we'll pair people up in a few weeks. Early bird registration ends on February 8 and is $55 - I know this seems high, but it includes the canoe rental. After Feb 8 the price goes up so it makes sense to get our teams together as soon as we can. Still unsure? Just talk to me for 5 minutes and I'll convince you that this race is absolutely not to be missed.

26 x 1 Mile Marathon Relay Challenge. May 18. WPR's official race is happening again this Spring. We will race against other local running groups as a team of 26, running 1 mile each for a collective marathon. The race takes place outside the Horticultural Center in beautiful West Fairmount Park (our backyard). We're putting together our team now.

20in24 Relay. July 20-21. WPR is putting together a team of 5 to run 2 Kelly Drive loops each as part of this year's 20in24 starting at 6pm and going through the night! Anyone interested should let me know right away. This race does involve fundraising as part of registration.