The Trainer’s Guide to running the Ben Franklin Bridge

Are you ready to bridge the gap between you and your relationship to running? If cardiovascular exercise has you feeling run down, it is time to wave "Ta Ta" to your treadmill routine and take your trot to the Ben Franklin Bridge.  This run is like no other, in that it provides scenery and inclines that are literally breathtaking. Don't be surprised if this picturesque run has you wanting to stop, snap a photo and pull out an aged bottle of Merlot to toast William Penn for founding Philadelphia. Save the celebratory sips and your air supply, because this run consists of two steep, one mile inclines. So grab your EZ-Pass because you're about to pay the toll to tread the mighty Ben Franklin Bridge.

Rules of Running.  It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's you hauling your ham roughly three miles back and forth across the Ben Franklin Bridge. Use the time it takes to get from your home to the bridge as your warm up, because once you hit the mouth of the overpass you will immediately initiate your run with an intense incline. The best time of day to pound pavement is early morning or as the sun begins to set, due to cooler temperatures and the theory of safety in numbers. No one likes to be trailed by a troll, demanding a riddle in order to have passage to the other side.

Test the Waters.  For those who are new to braving the bridge, consider breaking up your run into segments. It is easy to lose steam quickly with an incline that spans a half-mile. Establishing little running goals makes the run more manageable and less intimidating. Run at a steady pace until you reach the first large tower. This area is marked by a viewing station and a long step up that is often cluttered with the token selfie stick shutterbugs and a "Police" marked smart car that Mr. Bean parked haphazardly by the Tower of Terror elevator doors. This will all make sense once you reach this point. If you see one or more of these oddities, you have reached the destination of your next set of exercises.

Try breaking up your running routine with a body weight resistance circuit in order to ward off boredom and help fluctuate your heart rate. Start out with 15 step-ups, alternating legs. Without resting, pump out 20 incline push-ups, using the step as the support for your hands. In order to execute this exercise properly, your core should be activated and your body must maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Upon completing the push-ups, immediately commence 50 jumping jacks. Keep your wheels moving, because no one likes congestion on the bridge. Complete the remaining distance of the bridge. As a heads up, the last stretch of incline will take you to the midpoint of the bridge, and can be daunting due to the steepness of the walkway at this point. It is smooth sailing on the Delaware once you reach the halfway marker because you will initiate the decline portion of the run.  Once you hit the New Jersey side of the bridge, you will go through the same steps as you did on your way to Camden.

Don't burn bridges with your cardio routine. When it comes to rocking your run, it's all about the Benjamin's, baby.

Earn it.

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