Out-and-About on Loooong ROC Run

Mural welcoming folks to Rochester's Little Italy Neighborhood at
the Flat Iron Cafe on State Street. (3/21/20)

Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 27°F (feels like 14°F), 68% Humidity, Winds N @ 13 mph.
Route: 12.6 mile course north then south of the city along the Genesee River.
Time (Pace):  Approx. 1:50.47 (8:45 min/mile)

Another beautiful (albeit cooler) morning for a quiet run round Rochester, New York. Ran down some streets I'd previously only walked or biked and as usual, this provided for a slightly new perspective. Thanks to the economic slow down due to COVID-19, running directly into the city via University Avenue or Main Street, something previously only done on weekends when traffic was considerably lighter, is now a regular thing. As minimal as traffic was traditionally on weekends, it is even less so now.

Regrettably there seem to be much fewer folks running within the downtown area than in those neighborhoods outside the inner loop. If there has been a clear uptick in neighbors walking and exercising since the shutdowns and layoffs in my immediate neighborhood, I wonder if the same can be said for the inner city?

One of the tremendous by-products of tracking my runs on a map and paying attention to surroundings is the growing realization of the many impressive artistic projects and movements which have (are) taking place in the Flour City. Today, for example, after snapping some pics and following up at home I became aware of  the Her Voice Carries public art project. Images of two of these inspiring tributes are pictured below.

Beautiful mural on by artist Sarah C. Rutherford; the first mural in the
Her Voice Carries public art project at Planned Parenthood on University
Avenue. (3/21/20)

Once again, especially in the less frequented smaller neighborhoods along the East side of the Genesee, I also passed a number of beautiful community murals worthy of being admired and captured on my cell phone. There were more that I've seen before, but I limited slow-down cell pics to those I hadn't previously noticed. Again, riding one's bicycle or driving in the car often limits my ability to see the world around me. There really are few routes that grow stale from re-running them, it's just a matter of adjusting one's "lens" and picking out new things.

Another mural by Rutherford, this one of writer-activist "KaeLyn Rich on side of building
at 938 St. Paul Street, El Camino Neighborhood, North East Quadrant
of Rochester, NY." (Text from project website linked above; pic by me, 3/21/20)

My quest for the Frederick Douglass statues continues and I managed to pick one up today at  Maplewood Park. The park is directly across from the YMCA my family and I frequented when the kids were younger, so the neighborhood is familiar. It is unfortunate to see, however, that one of the larger supermarket chains that used to provide groceries for those in the neighborhood is gone, replaced just down the road by a smaller less extensive chain grocery. Not exactly a new observation, but a little disheartening nonetheless.

Douglass sculpture at "Kelsey’s Landing in Maplewood Park; Underground
Railroad departure point." (Text No Soil Better site; pic by me, 3/21/20)

It has been an incredibly productive running week with my cumulative mileage spiking sharply in the past seven days. During the school year, work day runs are not so easy to get in. I have been taking advantage of the momentary (I hope) change in teaching schedule to get out and about, and further connect with my larger community. Effective moderate or quicker runs during the weekdays allow for better long, slow distance runs on Saturdays.

Mural visible from Genesee Valley Trail on West side of Genesee River. (3/21/20)

Not the end of the trail; Genesee Valley Trail forks left over river to the
UR Campus via pedestrian bridge. (3/21/20)