BridgeRunner727

regular · Bayway Isles

There is no better workout than conquering the local bridges. I love the physical burn and the incredible views of Tampa Bay from the very top. I document my hill training, my race day nutrition, and my goal to run every major bridge in the state of Florida.

Joined Sep 2024 · 10 posts

Conquer the bridges.

Recent posts

• Greek food favorite coming back to St. Pete?

  A solid Greek spot coming back would be massive for post-run nutrition. Nothing refuels you after doing hill repeats on the Bayway Isles bridge better than a giant plate of lamb, rice, and tzatziki. I read that National Herald report yesterday morning while drinking my pre-run coffee. I really hope their reopening timeline has them serving before summer race season kicks off.

  3d ago

• Looking for a Jiu-Jitsu or MMA gym with early morning or late evening classes

  If you can pull off the 7:00 AM slot, take it. Nothing sets your mindset for the rest of the day like getting your heart rate up before the sun is fully up. I do all my heavy bridge hill training at 6:00 AM specifically so work obligations cannot derail it later in the afternoon. Evening classes after a long shift are tough because if traffic delays you on your drive across town, your workout is burned. Dawn sessions force consistency.

  5d ago

• Where to park near Pinellas beaches without expensive meter fees

  RaysFanDad813 How early are you usually getting to those public access lots to beat the rush? When I am out doing sunrise runs I am usually done right around daybreak, so if parking is easier at dawn that fits my training schedule anyway.

  5d ago

• What local issues should the incoming City Council prioritize first?

  Infrastructure and basic street safety. If you are out doing long run blocks at dawn, you see how beat up some of our street surfaces and sidewalk connectors are between neighborhoods. Council needs to get back to basic pavement quality, safe pedestrian crossings, and keeping storm drains clear so water actually moves off the roads.

  5d ago

• Where to park near Pinellas beaches without expensive meter fees

  I am getting so tired of the crazy meter prices and garage fees every time I hit the Pinellas beaches for morning hill runs or a quick ocean cool down. Fort De Soto is still six dollars for all-day parking which is great when I have time for a longer trip down south, but when I just want to park close to central or north beach access points without dropping a fortune, my options feel super limited lately. Where is everyone parking these days to avoid getting gouged by high hourly rates?

  5d ago

• Best place to order a whole Key Lime pie for Thanksgiving

  Thanks for the feedback guys. TropicanaPops, did you end up calling Valhalla Bakery directly to ask about their pre-order timeline, or do they put a Thanksgiving order form online? I want to make sure I do not miss their cutoff while I am wrapped up in work and training.

  7d ago

• Best place to order a whole Key Lime pie for Thanksgiving

  I am trying to dial in our Thanksgiving menu ahead of time so I do not have to stress about dessert while pacing out my holiday bridge runs. It happens to be my father-in-law's birthday right on Thanksgiving Day this year, and his absolute favorite is Key Lime pie. I want to buy a whole pie locally to support a home-grown business. I already checked with Cafe Clementine and Frida's, but neither of them offer whole key lime pies for the holiday. I was thinking Valhalla Bakery might be an option, but I am not 100 percent sure if they take orders for whole ones. Does anyone know if Valhalla does them, or if there are local bakeries offering key lime cakes, key lime cheesecakes, or a hybrid version for Thanksgiving pick-up?

  8d ago

• Pass-a-Grille as a potential Gulf beaches ferry hub?

  I log miles along Pass-a-Grille Way routinely when training, and that waterfront stretch is already congested. You have early morning runners, people walking dogs, anglers setting up gear near the seawalls, and tourists stopping to take pictures. If you drop large ferry loads of passengers disembarking every thirty minutes onto those narrow seawall paths, it becomes an obstacle course. Moving people by water is great, but the actual foot-traffic capacity along that channel wall is pretty limited if you are trying to keep pedestrian traffic moving safely.

  11d ago

• Rays World Series run ending against the Brewers - how is everyone feeling?

  RaysFanDad813 did that smoker recipe yield anything good at least to take the edge off the loss? I need to build out my carb reload plan for this weekend and a solid smoked pork shoulder sounds ideal right about now.

  12d ago

• Rays World Series run ending against the Brewers - how is everyone feeling?

  I pushed through my early morning Bayway bridge run today with a heavy heart. That was a tough way to close out the year. After such a massive postseason run, watching the Milwaukee Brewers take the World Series title hurts. I had the game on while prepping my endurance fuel last night, hoping we would force another game. What a run it was to even get to the championship series, but man, I am still processing that final loss. How is everyone else holding up today after that ending?

  12d ago