Runners Permitted on Forbidden Drive

Last night I had an enjoyable evening run with my friend on the shaded Forbidden Drive trail in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park.  At 5:30 p.m the temperature was 86 degrees and I was not looking forward to running in the heat.  We were so tempted to stay cool pool-side at my apartment complex’s oasis but with only a few weeks until our triathlon we knew we needed to get some miles in.  So we hit the trails running. Literally.

Photo was taken along the Wissahickon Creek where I was running. Trail extends 50 miles criss crossing the creek from Center City to Chestnut Hill

Credit: Photo by R. Keneddy taken for GPTMC 

Luckily, Forbidden Drive is nestled in the woods of Fairmount Park so a shady canopy of trees shielded me from the strong sun. It felt about 10 degrees cooler back on the train than it did on the wide open asphalt. The Wissahickon Creek runs parallel to the running trail which I think also helps cool the air down as well. There were many bikers, runners and dog walkers who joined us.  Road bikers beware; the path is not entirely paved so road bikes with thin tires may have a hard time on the rough terrain.

Running in the summertime is not my favorite; I prefer a little bit cooler temperature.  75 degrees and sunny is a perfect running weather if you ask me.  This 90 plus weather is making it very touch breath comfortably. Philadelphia is just about to start a four day heat wave so here are a few tips to help you beat the heat when you go out for your run. 

• Drink lots of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration and overheating
• Run either early in the morning (before 7am)
• Run later at night (after 6pm)
• This may be obvious but some still need a reminder to wear sunscreen with at least 25 SPF