#8/10 Harrisburg Marathon and Relay, Harrisburg, PA - Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Making it more fun for all involved, the Harrisburg Marathon and Relay takes place just a town over from Hershey PA where my friend and roommate Eric Assini grew up. He and I headed over there Friday after work, just in time to see some of Hershey's last home game of the season. Assini is a Football team Alumni. If you've ever been out there, you know the High School Team plays in a big stadium right in the middle of the HersheyPark complex. It's an amazing stadium, Bruce and the Stones have recently appeared there, among others I'm sure...

Quite a venue for a high school team...

Glory Days.

After the game we headed back to Eric's folks house, where his mom treated us a to a delicious homemade dinner, followed by some drinks in their basement bar.

Saturday Eric's dad gave us a lift to packet pickup and then onward to Troegs Brewery in Harrisburg. It seems like The Trogner brothers are gaining more and more popularity each year with their tasty brews.

The sampler: Nut Brown and Troegenator were among my favorites.

We headed back to Assini's house where Melanie and Kodiak would soon join us. We had some wine and beer, and played some ping-pong, up until dinnertime.

Melanie and Assini in a heated battle.

Melanie and I at the Assini Bar.

Kodiak being nosy.

After Pizza Pie and peanut butter pie with Eric's parents and brother, Melanie, Kodiak, and I said our goodbyes and headed into Harrisburg. Kodiak claimed his spot at yet another Red Roof Inn, and we made sure he had his gorilla with him.

The logistics of the relay were tricky since we were just a team of two and there was no transportation to the relay exchanges.... so we rode Melanie's Fuji Crosstown 4.0 to get around while the other was running their leg.

Melanie and I at the start area on City Island, the pedestrian bridge behind us.

The race started at the foot of the Walnut Street Bridge on City Island.

Runners crossing the walnut street bridge at the start with the State Capital up ahead.

We ran on Front Street along the river for the first mile before looping through downtown Harrisburg.

And past the Capital Building...

Melanie got around on the crosstown, watching me run by at a few points along the course and snapping some pictures of me coming...

And going....

Coming up on the Relay Exchange....

And now it's Melanie's turn to run the rest...

The second half of the marathon goes through Wildwood Park.

And she's off...

Artwork along the East Shore of Harrisburg

Past Rendell's house.

The final stretch of the marathon comes back along the River and heads up to the Pedestrian Bridge, crossing the river back to the finish on City Island.

View of runners from the Bridge

Melanie as she crosses the finish.

The finish area at Metro Bank Park.

It was fun to have a teammate for this one... 2 more to go.

#7/10 - First Annual Spirit of Pittsburgh Half Marathon, Pittsburgh, PA - Sunday, November 1st, 2009

The Inaugural Spirit of Pittsburgh Half Marathon and Two Person Relay. This run is the second part of the Spirit of America Race Series that started with Half Marathon in Columbus, Ohio, back in August.

I was really excited about the Pittsburgh Half for many reasons. Although I've only been out to Pittsburgh once (after the Buffalo Creek half marathon two falls ago oddly enough)... I had a great time and enjoyed how close everything was, and the great views and food the city has to offer. I was looking forward running through different neighborhoods of the city, over some of its bridges, and along the many views.



I was also looking forward to the nice long fall drive through PA, and especially excited about my road trip partner, pictured below....

If you've ever made the drive on the PA turnpike from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, you know that 4 tunnels take you through the Allegheny Mountains between Carlisle and Irwin, Pennsylvania. Kodiak and I drove through Blue, Kittatinny, Tuscarora, and Allegheny Mountains. And then just east of Pittsburgh, we went through one more, the Squirrel Hill Tunnel.

Back-seat driver.

Kody agreed to go with me to packet pick-up only we stopped at Riverside Park afterwards, home of the Allegheny Observatory.

Imprisonment KODY!!!

Kodiak decided on the Observatory Trail, a half mile loop through the woods.

Mister Mustard leads the way.

Water Stop.

We checked in the Red Roof, and Kodiak quickly claims his sleeping spot.

He also decided that we should share my Gorilla Finisher Medal from the Albany Half (see previous blog).

So on to the half... It started in the SouthSide Works, the newer shopping and dining section of the city. We were stuck with the kind of annoying chilly morning where you know you will warm up two miles into the run, and overheat with too many layers, so you just stand there shivering waiting for it to start.

SouthSide Works Movie Theater.

Start of the race.

We headed west on Carson Street through the South Side.

Past Primanti Brothers of Course. Let me give you a hint about this place, the food is great, obviously, but the menu boasts a "Second Best Selling Sandwich" (Pitts Burger Cheese Steak) but no Best Selling One. Don't ask them what the best selling one it, its a trick, and they will laugh at you if you do.

The race continues along the water, past the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines.

Monongahela Incline.

View of Heinz Field from the South Shore. We will be running past it in a few miles after we cross the Ohio River.

View of Downtown Pittsburgh as we get farther and farther away...

A view of the West End Bridge up ahead, we will leave the South Shore and cross the river.

View of the City from the West End Bridge.

View of Heinz Field from the West End Bridge, heading over to the North Shore.

Duquesne Incline and Mount Washington from the North Shore.

Running past Heinz Field

The BUS - His Grille.

Our McFadden's is better.

The Andy Warhol Museum - America's Largest Single Artist Collection.

PNC Park.

The North Shore turned into River Avenue and took us North Along the Allegheny River this time, before we crossed it over the 31st street Bridge.

Crossing the Allegheny over the 31st first street bridge.

View of downtown Pittsburgh, where we headed next to run through the Strip District and the Downtown Financial District, before heading back East along the Monongahela river.

Crossing the Monongahela River on the Hot Metal Bridge.

Hot Metal Bridge.

One last view of the city.

And.....the finish.