• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • about
  • Pug Partners
  • contact/pr
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Runs With Pugs

ok, the pugs don't run, but we do

  • race reports
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Link Ups
  • instagram Landing Page

The Latest

|week 9| marching on + back to nature

five february runfessions

make your run go faster

how to make your run go faster

the streets of philadelphia

October 21, 2016      1 Comment

For some reason, Philadelphia was never high on my list of cities to visit. I went once for a field trip, maybe in middle school. I remember seeing the Liberty Bell, and maybe Independence Hall. It just wasn’t on my radar to pursue further.

However, when I was looking at the Rock ‘n’ Roll race series calendar, and realized I had a running friend in Philly, I thought it might be cool to give the City of Brotherly Love a chance.

philadelphia

S seemed pretty excited to have me and things fell into place: from an incredibly inexpensive flight from a local airport to no other commitments that weekend – everything just worked out.

I flew in on a Friday morning. I’ve mentioned that I don’t love flying (can someone please invent a way to beam people to their destination?), and I was a little more nervous because I was taking a new (to me) airline from a new airport. Which was really kind of just a hangar. And that was it.

(In all seriousness, once I got over the fact that there was no jetway, Frontier was wonderful).

The view helped distract me from the trip.

I arrived in Philly on time and raring to go.

First order of business was lunch. We enjoyed burgers and whiskey cocktails at JJ Bootleggers. The weather was beautiful and we took advantage of the breeze near the open doors.

With full bellies, it was time to get down to business. S had secured tickets for the double decker sightseeing bus, which we agreed would be a  great way to get an overview of the city.

I was all for it and we rode through the streets, listening to the tour guide and taking in the gorgeous views. Personally, I was loving the break in the temperature and humidity. It was like fall for real.

I fell right in love with the architecture and the vibe. I couldn’t get enough.

And look at me, all needing a sweater!

We made a quick stop at S’ house (which was also incredible), and then we were right back out for a waterfront festival, complete with food trucks and craft beer and cider.

We decided to skip dinner and pick up traditional cheese steaks for later, but we did want to sit and admire the view.

PS – those cheesesteaks, taken out from a little hole in the wall place, were divine.

Even though we are both early risers, I had to beg for mercy on a crazy early alarm. There was a lot of sightseeing to be done, and I was anxious to get it all in, but I also needed just a wee bit of sleep.

Our first stop on Saturday morning was the Liberty Bell. When in Philly, right?

The venue was a lot different than I remember it – I seem to recall it being outside and part of a walk up display, but now it is housed in an building, surrounded by panels detailing all the historical facts about the bell.

We were able to walk right through the line and admire the artifact. And then it was time to turn our thoughts to breakfast.

S picked a place with a gorgeous outdoor garden seating area: Wedge + Fig. Since the weather was still cool and crisp, it was perfect.

I really tried to pace myself for the day, but it was tough. We started with a cheese plate

And I followed that with the Baked French Toast Casserole.

S also ordered some gluten-free peanut butter cookies to go, and they baked them for her on the spot. Amazing. Thus fortified, we headed out to explore on foot. We walked and wandered, wandered and walked. We totally forgot that we had (complimentary) tickets to see Independence Hall, but I was so busy absorbing all the sights and sounds that I didn’t mind too much.

We needed to pick up our race packets, and so we hit up the Reading Terminal Market, across from the convention center.

The sight of all the wares for sale was beyond overwhelming. I wished I was staying longer so I could browse and purchase some of the yummy looking fresh ingredients. The previous night’s bus tour guide had instructed us to pick up black and white cookies, but by the time we made it to the specified vendor, they were all sold out. Boo.

We finally emerged from the hustle and bustle and crossed the street to the convention center for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon Expo. Whoo hoo!

We must have arrived right on time, because there weren’t any lines whatsoever, and we were able to move through packet pickup and the merchandise quickly.

The downside to our plan was that we lost track of time. By this point, it was too late to have a real lunch and still be able to have a solid dinner and get to bed at a reasonable hour. What are two gals to do?

Gelato.

Apparently, Philadelphia is home to one of the best gelato shops in the world (according to National Geographic, which is a pretty reliable source): Capogiro Gelato. I love ice cream more than any food, and I’ll obviously have to go back to Italy to be able to do a comparison taste test, but this was a perfect mid afternoon snack.

I got three scoops: pistachio, chocolate peanut butter and hazelnut. Because nuts are full of protein, and I was being smart about fueling for the next day’s half marathon. Or so I told myself.

While were downtown, we also checked into our hotel, the Logan, and dropped off our bags.

screen-shot-2016-10-21-at-10-00-43-am
courtesy of The Logan Hotel.

We would be a healthy walk from the start and finish lines of race, which was nice so we didn’t have to contend with race morning traffic and parking. The hotel was gorgeous, and I would very much like to spend more time there on a future trip.

There was no time for resting, though! We still had to collect our overnight supplies and race gear from S’ house, and think about dinner. Usually, I like pasta before a big race, but S was singing the praises of Loco Pez. I love tacos, and figured I could supplement with a bowl of rice to get my carbs in. It was a good call. We shared chips and salsa, and I added two (plain, basic) street tacos to my rice. I didn’t want to upset my tummy by being too adventurous, but next time, I would love to try some of the specials (that night, they were serving octopus and duck based tacos).

We took an Uber back to our hotel, and I was absolutely in love with the skyline.

By the time we settled into bed with a glass of wine and college football, we had covered over 17,000 steps (almost seven miles) of wandering about the city! On top of almost 19,000 steps (eight miles) on Friday, I’m not sure we did a great job of resting our legs for the big day. Whoops.

You can read all about my Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon experience in my race recap.

Needless to say, Sunday was bittersweet. S’ husband joined us at the finish line and after we showered, he hung with us for the rest of the day. We had brunch at a rooftop bar and grill (I was craving veggies, so I ordered a salad), and the rest of the day was spent relaxing before our big celebratory dinner at Fogo de Chao.

While I am not a huge meat lover, I had never experienced a Brazilian steakhouse and was game to try. Diners are seated and encouraged to sample the Market Table first. It’s a huge assortment of warm and cold offerings: fruits, vegetables, cheeses, antipastos, and all sorts of delicious things. Delicious puffs of bread (pao de queijo) are served at the table, as well as family style dishes of garlic mashed potatoes, carmelized bananas and polenta. The showstopper is the beef: servers circulate throughout the room, offering different cuts of beef, carved directly from what can only be called a sword. They only stop when you indicated you’ve had enough. Oh, there are chicken and sausage people, too, but they seemed to get turned away a lot. I was stuffed (and obviously too preoccupied by the swords to take pictures) by the time we left. As a once in a while treat, I would go again.

My flight out of Philadelphia was ridiculously early, so after a glass of wine, I said my goodbyes to the rest of S’ family and hit the hay. We are already talking about the next time I can visit, hopefully with Mr PugRunner and little man.

Have you ever visited Philadelphia?

Ever been to a Brazilian Steakhouse?

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stacie Seidman says

    October 23, 2016 at 2:11 am

    Sounds like such a fabulous time! I bet S enjoyed getting to be a tourist at home for once.
    I’ve eaten at Brazilian places a handful of times, delicious!
    Stacie Seidman recently posted…Thursdays ThreadsMy Profile

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

well, hello there…

bio
Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have pugs and a hedgehog, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!
Follow on Bloglovin


Pinterest

find what you’re looking for

recently

  • |week 9| marching on + back to nature
  • five february runfessions
  • how to make your run go faster
  • |week 8| when it rains, it pours
  • five ways to ensure fitness success

Facebook Likes

archives

Footer

disclaimer

I am not a doctor or medical professional, nor do I play one on the internet. This blog reflects my personal experiences on my own fitness and running journey, and the processes that work for me. Before you begin any exercise regiment, please consult your physician.
Had some company for an easy walk today. Thanks to Had some company for an easy walk today. Thanks to @ktemedicaljobs for joining me!

Finishing February with 143.5 running and walking miles and feeling great about it! Can’t wait to see what March will bring!

#Running #SetbackToComeback
❝Whatever you think you can do or believe you ca ❝Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.❞
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

All action for today’s 10 miles! It was hot and my ankle was a little cranky, but thanks to a change in route and some awesome pacing from @montarriba, it got done!

What magic are you making today?

#Running #SetbackToComeback
Sometimes, you just have to remind yourself that y Sometimes, you just have to remind yourself that you are the Best Damn Runner! 

And remember that @BestDamnRace is coming! In 2021! We have three #BDR2021 cities and dates, and we hope you will join us for the Best Damn Medals, Best Damn Swag, Best Damn After-Party, and Best Damn Series around!      
💚New Orleans (VIRTUAL) - 3/28
💜Orlando, FL (9/25)
❤️Safety Harbor (10/16 & 10/17) 

Save 10% off any distance in any of these cities, with code RUNSWITHPUGS!

#RaceDiscount #Running #BestDamnRace
Twinning with our @roadid and @dogid! Wearing thes Twinning with our @roadid and @dogid! Wearing these keep us both safe and protected in case of an emergency.

@SweetLunaPug wears hers on her harness, but I just ordered her a new Rock Solid collar so she can change things up.

How do you keep your pup safe?

Save 25% on your www.RoadID.com order with code RUNSWITHPUGS!

#RoadID #DogID #DogSafety #RunnerSafety #TeamRoadID #running #runninggear #runnerdiscounts
I struggled getting out the door this morning. I c I struggled getting out the door this morning. I couldn’t figure out my clothes. My stomach wouldn’t cooperate. Eventually, I got it together and got out the door.

Not my best. Not my worst. Grateful all the same. 

How is your day going?

#running #SetbackToComeback
The Florida weather can wreak havoc on our skin, e The Florida weather can wreak havoc on our skin, especially if we are athtetes, and even MORE especially when the weather can't make up its mind. 

The @freskincare DETOX ME post-sweat mask is a great way to combat the sun and humidity. And the cold and wind. And central heat and air conditioning. And everything in between! With ingredients like Kaolin Clay to draw out impurities and absorb excess oil and Blue Azulene to reduce inflammation and soothe damaged and stressed skin, I know my skin can be both protected and restored post-run. 

I apply the DETOX ME mask after my runs, and let the natural ingredients do their work to detox, exfoliate, and purify. I leave the shower feeling refreshed, glowing, and ready to face my next adventure!

Order today at https://www.freskincare.com/JENNL for 40% off DETOX ME and THE DETOX SET + take an additional 10% OFF with code JENNL at checkout!

#affiliatelink #detoxme #skincare #FreSkincare #wellness #HealthySkin #lifestyleBlogger #WellnessBlogger #SelfCare #RunnerSkincare #AthleteSkinCare
Stretching into Wednesday like... My back and hip Stretching into Wednesday like...

My back and hips have been a little achy so I took a minute to twist and readjust. It aways feels good to reset.

How are you getting it done today?

#running #setbacktocomeback
Good morning, beautiful people.! Stretching out t Good morning, beautiful people.!

Stretching out the tightness after a great morning run and getting ready to face whatever Tuesday has to throw my way!

How are you moving this morning?

#running #setbacktocomeback
No margaritas for us, tonight! Instead, we had som No margaritas for us, tonight! Instead, we had some quick ramen 🍜 with all the noodles and veggies. This is a super easy meal, and we can all customize our own creations.

What’s your favorite ramen combo?

#instagood #Ramen #SendNoods #Noodles #FamilyDinner #EasyMeals #RamenLover #Chopsticks #VegetarianMeals #Dinner
I am so thrilled to back on the @RoadID Ambassador I am so thrilled to back on the @RoadID Ambassador Team for the 2021 year!

Our on-the-go family takes safety very seriously. My husband and I wear ours when we are out running, cycling, or hiking. Our son takes his on camping trips and Scout excursions. Heck, even @sweetlunapug has a @dogid on her harness, just in case! This way, we know that in case of an accident or medical emergency, we have identification, contact info, and medical direction, all readily available.

Use code RUNSWITHPUGS to save 25% on your next order on www.RoadID.com! 

#TeamRoadId #RunnerSafety

Copyright © 2021 · Wordpress Theme by Hello Yay!

This site uses cookies: Find out more.