I traveled to State College for a virology meeting. As usual, I used the opportunity to go for few runs in a new place. Before coming here, I researched running options and found out that there is a dirt trail going from my hotel, Sleep Inn. According to online maps and Google Earth, Bellefonte Central Rail Trail seemed like a great place to run.
On my first morning there, I got ready and took off looking for the trail. It was very close to the hotel, but it was surprisingly hard to find. After zig-zagging for few minutes (see GPS track below), I found the trail and went all the way to the end and back. Bellefonte Central Rail Trail was a very nice surprise. It was very nice, quiet and a pleasure to run on. I am glad I had my camera with me. From Sleep Inn, the trail goes by Arboretum, under the I-99, past the golf course and then slowly starts narrowing until it ends at Montauk Circle. The run was so great that I kept pushing harder and harder and ended up achieving new personal record – 9 miles at 7.25 miles per minute pace. I was quite tired after that, but it was worth it.
Foolishly, I went running next day as well (should have rested). This time, I went running through the PSU campus. It was OK run, but I barely managed 4 miles at 8.5 mm.
Bellefonte Central Rail Trail
Bellefonte Central Rail Trail
Bellefonte Central Rail Trail
Bellefonte Central Rail Trail
State College July 22, 2013 9 miles 7.25 minute mile
State College July 22, 2013 4.1 miles 8.5 minute mile
At Lansdale, I always stayed at Homewood Suites on Church Road. From the hotel, I would run down the Church Road to Sumneytown Pike, continue to the entrance of Merck campus, and then back up on the Church Road. Sometimes I would go straight to the hotel, and sometimes I would continue to Main Street and then back to the hotel.
This was not the most pleasant route, most of it was on busy streets, but any run is better than no run I guess. On the day when I recorded this, my total running distance was about 4.5 miles.
When I started running, way back in 2000, my favorite trail was the Pennypack trail. Few of us would drive there from Fox Chase Cancer Center after work, and go for 3-5 mile run, depending on how much time we had. We run there many times, too many to remember each one separately. My best guess is that we started probably in July 2000.
Pannypack trail is probably the best place to go running in Northeast Philadelphia area. Driving north on the Pine Rd brings you straight to the park. Just before the Pine Road crosses Pennypack creek, there is a park entrance on the right and the trail head is at the far end of the parking lot. I am not sure know how long the trail is, but it seems on the map that it goes all the way to the Delaware river. The longest I ever run there was 6 miles round trip (so 3 miles down the trail, then back the same way). I do not have any pictures, or GPS tracks, but I am including this Google Earth view. The parking lot is in the middle and the trailhead is just to the right.
Pennypack trail head – Parking lot at the Pine Rd.
