Philadelphia: Boat House Row/Museum of Art

I'm currently training in Philadelphia.  It's my first time ever being here, and we're staying in the Westin in the heart of downtown.  Last night I found out The City Grange restaurant and bar in the lobby is not too shabby, their angus slider trio was the perfect mix for a burger lover like myself.  I'd rather be writing a bit about The Stone Rose Lounge at the Fairmont Hotel or the Desert Ridge JW Marriott in Scottsdale, but last week was last week.  I'm making myself go back to the Phoenix area on vacation so maybe I'll have something to write about.  But let's get to today, also known as, the motivating day/run that led me to finally start this blog.

A colleague/friend of mine, BF, and I wanted to go for a run after training today.  He's got some family from the area, and used to come here for some of his high school rowing competitions.  So he had an idea of where to go and what to see.  Plus, he's ran the route before (not since high school I should add).

We decided to go down to the Art Museum, which if you haven't seen the movie 'Rocky', it's where Rocky bounds up the steps shadow boxing, and lifts his fists in the air in triumph at the summit.  He was training too, just not at a computer.  So we navigated through downtown, and to the museum.  Ran up the steps, shadow boxing of course, and at the top I lifted my fists in triumph.  He didn't, but whatever, he's been here.

Then it was down Boat House Row along the Schuylkill River.  We made it to the bridge, took a minute or two to stretch, and continued along our way.  6.13 miles around downtown and an hour and two minutes later, we returned to the Westin.  The staff gave us light chuckles and asked if we had found the museum.  I thought I'd seen every statue in Philadelphia we ran so far.  BF said certainly not, and I was glad to have such a guide on an awesome run.  I wondered if my Dad ever rowed there in his 'Rocky' days...

After we re-hydrated, we were off to dinner at El Rey a few blocks away.  Walking in Philadelphia is much different than in downtown Atlanta, except for the fact the drivers here seem to want to kill pedestrians.  The food was great, and it's a nice trendy place.  It's a mexican restaurant, and the enchiladas and quesadillas I had were much needed after the run.  Also, on the wall there was a movie poster that was a wrestling promotion which said, "Los Leones del Ring Contra La Cosa Nostra."  Found out it is a mexican mafia/wrestling film from 1974.  Of course, the lions of the ring is immediately something I can related to, possibly may even be related to some of "Los Leones" if you get my drift.  Last interesting note about this place is that they had about twenty different tequilas there, where's SS when you need him?  Makes me wish I didn't have work/training tomorrow!

Now keep in mind, this was my first day in Philadelphia.  If I can do half as much as this the rest of this week I'll be extremely pleased with this business trip.  That reminds me, I didn't mention the 10 hours of training I accomplished today.  All in all, it was a great, long day.  But as my grandfather told me, and a lot of people around my work say/live by, "work hard, play hard."  Believe me, I'm working on it.

If you made it through my intro and this first post, I applaude you.  I hope you'll get as much out of reading this blog as I have writing it so far, even this early on.  Post any comments, and check periodically because as soon as I run past something else to write about it'll be posted.