A Breakfast Run with the Adirondack Runners
On a bitter cold Sunday morning, I stirred awake as the sun rose to tidy the house for a gathering of the Adirondack Runners group. For over fifteen years, the Adirondack Runners have sporadically had members host a gathering for a morning run and a breakfast potluck. And for the first time, Michael and I were hosting at our home. While I tidied up the kitchen table and living room, Michael preordered a baker’s dozen of bagels from Panera Bread to pick up.
Driving past beautiful holiday decorations and along snow-plowed roads, I passed by familiar faces, like Erik and Nancy on a walk as well as Ben Driscoll driving down the road. The Panera Bread was empty when I arrived, though I am sure that it will fill up as the day wore on. I arrived home just before nine o’clock when a half-dozen cars arrived, parking on the street and in our driveway. Jill Pederson brought a portable slow cooker with oatmeal, while Christine placed a quart of Stewart’s light eggnog in the fridge. Mark Sager had an assorted box of donuts from the local Market32, and Jim and Candi Schermerhorn brought homemade muffins. Emily and Andrew McCarthy brought a tray of goodies, while Cristine Marchese brought a bottle of champagne to make mimosas, though we never actually opened the bottle. Lee Pollock chatted with me about the group’s previous routes from the Glens Falls YMCA decades ago during the winter months that encompassed nine miles through most of the city's neighborhoods
After some pleasantries, we all gathered outside for a group photo and began venturing at various paces into the road, initially down Feeder Bend toward State Street. Jim, Candi, and Jill started walking as the gap between the elite runners, namely Emily and Andrew, Cristine Marchese, and Lee, began to grow from the rest of the group. I stayed with Mark, Christine, and her dog, Slingo, as we turned right onto Bush Street and then left onto Knight Street. At the intersection of Knight, Staple, and Haviland, Mark and Christine ventured toward Haviland Avenue, while the rest of the group ran along Staple Street. I increased my pace considerably, as I passed by Big Cross School and turned right onto First Street, nearly catching up with Emily, Andrew, Cristine, and Lee. I chatted with Lee, who talked about his remarkable work with engineers from Stanford University for the Looma project that has helped Nepalese students receive quality education materials.
When we turned right onto South Street and reached the intersection of South and Murray, we decided to head downhill on Murray Street toward Pruyn’s Island. Since the Pruyn’s Path was not shoveled, we kept to the street, passing by the ABC Supply Company, the Checon manufacturer, the Andritz laboratory, and the future home of Praxis Technologies, before we reached an entrance to the Feeder Canal Trail. Hesitant but resilient, we bravely ran through packed snow on the trail toward the Bush Street bridge a half mile away before turning back onto State Street toward my home.
Since Andrew and Emily had two daughters, I indicated that our little library had dozens of children’s books if they needed some. Andrew exasperatedly responded that they had too many books and were looking to give some away. Lee Pollock mentioned that he was a part of the local Rotary Club that supplies used books for the Ben Osborne Memorial book stations around the area. Over the years, I am truly delighted that there are so many free ways to share books to ensure a love of reading continues in society despite digital distractions. After recovering from a three-mile run, we all ventured inside to begin digging into the plethora of food.
The warm coffee pot was full of Deathwish Coffee as Michael chatted with Jim, Candi, and Jill, who had returned from their walk around the neighborhood. A short while later, Christine and Mark returned, indicating that they ran five miles after turning down Haviland Avenue toward Richardson Street and onto the Feeder Canal Trail. Christine’s dog, Slingo, enjoyed the fluffy snow, and she snapped a photo of her next to our little library, tree, and Snoopy decoration when they finished their run. We spent an hour together, chatting about recent travel, like Jill Pederson’s experience in Nepal, a traumatic experience involving a bee with Lee Pollock, holiday plans, and the upcoming Adirondack Runners Christmas Party this coming Thursday.
Once everyone had departed, I swiftly hopped in the shower, got dressed in a suit, snapped on a Wood Theater name pin, and drove toward downtown to assume my role as a volunteer usher for the Adirondack Ballet Theatre’s Nutcracker performance. While the cold day in December had just begun, it had already been filled with warmth thanks to friends from the Adirondack Runners.
