In the mood for a 5K, you can get your fill this wekeend with three 5Ks in as many days.

Friday, June 21 (6 p.m.)  — The Fun Run in the Sun 5K in Harborcreek Community Park benefits Habitat for Humanity and offers a post-race picnic. $20 day of race. Application here.

Saturday, June 22 (9 a.m.) — The Run for Shelter 5K is an Erie Runners Club race to raise money for the Beach No. 1 Shelter project. The race starts — where else! — Beach No. 1 at Presque Isle State Park. This is a great race and a great cause to support because, let’s face it, we runners have PLENTY to gain by supporting this pavilion project (you know…like a warm, dry place to congregate before & after Beach No. 1 races!!! $25 day of race. Application here.

Sunday, June 23 (8 a.m.) — The Alex Johnson Memorial 5K XC race starts and finishes at the Greene Township Building on Tate Road in Greene Township (Tate Road is just a couple miles up the road from the i-90 Wattsburg exit). Take note of the XC in that race name — this is a cross-country race, so…you’ll be hightailing it through grass and, given the rain we’ve been having, a wee bit of mud, too. $25 day of race.  Application here.

I triple-dog-dare you to do ALL of them! (And if you do…you need to tell me so I can give you your props!).

Kids can try a Du

Also this weekend, is the What are you Du-ing this Summer Kids Duathlon in Fairview on Saturday at 9 a.m. Details on that here.

We are about 7 miles into a planned 15-miler early Saturday morning when Heather D. says, “What time do you need to be at that color run?”

“9 a.m.” I say, running along. “In Fairview.”

Heather looks at her watch and says, “Uh…I don’t think you’re going to be able to make it.” (We were in Waterford at this point).

“What? Really? How did I figure that wrong?” I say as I try to calculate the math in my head. Distance+speed+shower & drive time.  “Crap!”

We end up deciding to cut the run slightly short, shaving off less than 2 miles. I’ll make it up at the color run.  I apologize profusely to Heather D. for at least three miles.

We get home at 8:20 a.m.  Dan helps get the girls ready while I shower. surprisingly, we’re in the car by 8:45 a.m.   It takes a good 30 minutes to get to Fairview.  I tell the girls to watch for cops (Mother of the Year, I know) as we speed over I-90. (Safely, I swear…we weren’t going that fast).

We pull into Camp Notre Dame at 9:10 a.m. and the race director — the Erie Day School’s Julie Kresge — sees us coming and has our packets out and ready to hand to us.  We run into the bathroom to change into our white shirts, which, thankfully, fit us all well. I grab my camera and we set off on the 3/4 mile loop course through the camp trails, in search of our first color station — yellow.

The trails are a wee bit muddy, but that just makes it more fun. We have every intention of getting dirty and stained anyway.

At the cabin area we find a volunteer with a spray bottle in each hand. One by one, we spread our arms out, present our chests, and she uses both bottles to spray us with ink. We turn and she sprays our backs, too.

We giggle and admire each others’ shirts as we run off to Fort Silver. This is going to be cool.

We find a volunteer at the fort with orange and hot pink ink bottles. He sprays us before we run to find red at the Ranger Post, then blue at the pool (of course), purple at the Nature Lodge and green back at the registration table.

We are a rainbow of colors after just one run through the course, but the girls want to do the loop again and get even more colorful. We take it slower this time and enjoy the scenery. We stop at the pond and take pictures, we walk a little more than we run. We laugh and talk. Kelly grows impatient with our pace and runs out ahead.

When we’re done with our three loops, we lounge around outside in the grass, drinking water while we wait for the hot dogs Julie’s husband is cooking over a charcoal fire.

I look at my GPS history and realize our long run that morning was one of the fastest we’ve done so far.  Who’d have ever thought my lousy math skills would actually benefit my pace?

BTW — the Erie Day School’s Fun Color Run was not a race. It wasn’t timed, but it was an awesome family-friendly event. The girls loved it and ran most the way on each of the 3/4 mile loops. You were supposed to run it three times, but it didn’t really matter if you walked and did just one loop or ran and did all three. Even the youngest of kids could (and did) do the race.  And they offered a family-friendly price of $25 (total) for a group of three or more, so it didn’t cost us a fortune and we didn’t have to drive to Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Buffalo. We loved it! Put this one on your must-do-for-fun list for next year!

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About Just Write
“What ends up revealing itself when free writing is that everything has meaning. That is a magnificent gift of writing. If we write from a free heart-gut place, our souls start speaking.”

istockphoto.com/Erie Times-News

There’s an interesting article in the Erie Times-News’ sport section today. The headline sure caught my eye this morning: Train drain: Stop running yourself into the ground, and get more by doing less.

It’s a thought-provoking read that worth your 10 minutes.

Check it out here.

Photo by Mike Conway for GoErie Street View

Saturday was the big Stanganelli’s Pepperoni Ball Jog ‘n Hog on Beach 1 at Presque Isle State Park.  And when we say big…we mean big! Race organizers doubled attendance from last year’s inaugural year of 120 participants to a total of 310 this year.

Runners had the choice to go whole hog and eat 6 balls at the 2 mile turn around…or go half hogger and eat just 3.

* Watch WICU’s coverage of the event here.

* Read/watch the Erie Times-News’ story here.

* See more than 130 photos here.

Also this weekend:

* Ripley Race to Wellness 5K — results here.

* David C. Schmidt Fathers Day 5k — results here (when available).

www.fitsugar.com

This week’s question addresses something EVERY runner has dealt with — sore muscles!

I asked runners: What’s your favorite/go-to remedy for sore muscles?

* Epson salts/ foam roller and a beer. — Amy Cronk

* Between  golf balls and “the stick,” I rely on massaging to rub out and keep circulation moving. — Christine Vassen

* I like arnica gel for treating inflammation and comfrey ointment for muscle knots and pain. — Debbie DeAngelo

* Ice bath, it’s cold, but it works! After about 7 minutes you really can’t feel anything (but, yes, that first 7 minutes isn’t much fun) — Greg Cooper

* Tonic water (applied internally, not externally!). — Bill Cox

* Rest, massage, wine. — Pat Krott

* Dr. Teals Epsom salts–lavender—not the plain kind in the Pharmacy section of Wal-Mart—the lavender scented are by the nicer bath soaps down a few aisles. Foolproof (for the fools who overuse their muscles…LOL).  — Eloise Hawking

* Foam roller, stretching. Advil if necessary. — Ginny Sackett

* Thinking of moving to more minimalist shoe? Here’s advice on how to do it without getting injured.

*8 things runners should know about coffee.

* Planning to try a triathlon? A complete how-to with great tips & info here.

* Check out these Night Runner LED lights that clip onto your running shoes. I think I might just find them terribly distracting when running in the dark, but some of you might find them really useful. If so…you may want to get in on the ground floor (pun intended) and support the Night Runner’s Kickstarter campaign.

Funny stuff

* Runner’s World’s new greeting card line: Sympathy cards for runners

Of course….eCards is not to be outdone in the humor department:

T-shirt of the week

Available here for $20.

The 2nd annual Muddy Viking: Run for Your Life at Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center in nearby Bemus Point, N.Y., is set for Saturday, Oct. 5. Sort of a bummer for me because we totally enjoyed the event last year and were looking forward to doing it again this year, but….it’s the same day/time as the Her Times 5K and, you know, I kinda have to be there since I’m the race director and all.  (And, no, I don’t have the Her Times 5K application done yet…working on it…working on it!)

So…for the guys (because if you’re a girl and you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you’re coming to the Her Times race, right? Right? Right?):

The nice thing about this race is that 100% of the proceeds raised go to support Lutheran Charities of Western New York and they do great work all over the world, so…truly, this is a race you can feel good about.  Cost is $65 for the adult race and $15 for the Lil’ Vikings kid’s race.  Race registration here.

Also, it’s a ton of fun and there’s a great kids’ race, too. The lil’ Vikings will LOVE it.

A few words of advice for you:

* Other than the lake (which was super cold last year), there is nowhere to change/rinse off, so…

* Wear shoes/socks you can throw away.

* Bring a laundry basket lined with a garbage bag. Peel your clothes off inside out and toss them in the bag. You’re going to need to hose them down when you get home.

* Bring baby wipes — they’re very useful!

* Bring an entire change of clothes (undies, too…trust me…the mud slides can…well…just trust me and bring some extra undies, K?)

* Wear a costume — it’s just more fun that way!

* You can skip any obstacle you want to, but…then what fun would that be.

* These are never, ever about time…so go with the mindset of having fun!

* Read my review from last year’s event here.

I’ve got about 16.5 miles in when we turn onto Palmer Road. It sees much less traffic than Prindle, so the 1-inch stone dropped on the dirt/mud road last year is still there, making it a much bumpier ride than Prindle’s nice hard-packed mud surface.  I need 18, but it’s looking like we’re going to be more than that by the time we get back to Carol’s for breakfast.

I’ve been running since 6 a.m.  I’m fading fast and the stones aren’t helping. Raising my feet the extra 1/8 inch to clear the rocks requires real effort, like I’m trying to leap over boulders.

I’m trying to concentrate and participate in the conversations around me, but internally, I’m fighting that voice in my head that wants me to quit…that tells me the rocks are hellishly large…and I’m going to fall…and I should just walk…and I’m never going to make these last few miles….and I will never be able to finish that damn marathon in July.

Gah. Shut up! 

It pissed me of.  My head is such a quitter. My legs and hips and back are a bunch of whiners, too.  But, my heart? My heart is a warrior. A never-say-die, don’t-quit-till-it’s-done organ I can depend on to get me through those last miles when every other part of my mind and body is checking out.

We finally get to the Harborcreek line where pavement awaits. Smooth, sleek, solid, flat-surfaced pavement.

Up ahead the rest of my group is gathered in Erika’s driveway. Her kids put together a water stop with a card table, a pitcher of cold water, cups and Gatorade.  Welcome refreshments that quiet my head and body. Plus, the pit stop serves to let us all get caught up again. Most of us run the last couple miles together.

“How far?” I ask Heather D., who had started early with me and Dan, as we stop in front of Carol’s house, bend over, and start stretching hamstrings and quads.

“I’ve got 19.7,” Heather D. says

“Well, shit, doesn’t that just make you want to go the extra .3 and call it a 20 miler?”

Did that just come out of my mouth. I instantly regret saying it and hope she won’t take me up on it.

“I’m good with 19.7,” Heather D. says. “I’m done.”

“Yeah, me, too,” I say.

An hour later, we’re all standing around Carol’s kitchen talking, sweat dried into salt streaks, our bellies full of coffee and muffins and eggs and sausage.  Refreshed. Sustained. Rejuvinated. Triumphant. Accomplished.

And, surrounded by all my running friends — my rocks — I forget all about those little stones.

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About Just Write
“What ends up revealing itself when free writing is that everything has meaning. That is a magnificent gift of writing. If we write from a free heart-gut place, our souls start speaking.”

Tom Jennings, ultra marathoner, race director of the Oil Creek 100 Trail Runs

Guest post  by Christine Vassen

Trail Runner magazine asked readers:  Tell us someone awesome you’ve met through trail running.

I paused when I saw this and thought immediately of Tom Jennings, race director for Oil Creek 100 (and an amazing trail runner himself). I meet Tom at an Erie Runners Club 12-hour endurance event. He was the ‘100 mile guy with the funny things on his shoes.  I was way too intimidated to ask him what they were. I learned that Tom was an ultra runner and I figured that ultra runners never spoke to newbies. (I was wrong on that fact.)

The next year, I read about the Oil Creek 100 trail runs and e-mailed Tom to ask several newbie questions, such as: “Are there really bears out there?” Tom humored me and patiently answered all my questions. I started training for my first marathon.

February in northwestern Pennsylvania is snowy/icy. Jack Frost hits us hard.  As race director, promoting the 50K newbie angle, Tom offered to take a group of us out for the 5-mile loop. I figured, 5 miles = no problem. We arrived and Tom greeted us enthusiastically. We headed up the bike path to the trail. Tom was in great spirits telling us how easy it was. I was already struggling and we weren’t even on the trail yet!

Tom consistently checked on us that day and sent a follow-up e-mail that afternoon to make sure we’d make it home OK. At one point, I realized he was breaking the trail in the snow and I thought this seemed insane. But, to me, that’s what’s trail running is about. Meeting people who make the impossible seem normal and entirely doable.

Last year, I suffered a serious injury. As Oil Creek approached, I had to be there. I couldn’t participate, and I couldn’t even stand and cheer. My loving husband, who couldn’t understand why I wanted to be there, drove me to the race and set-up a sleeping bag on the ground at the finish line. He agreed to leave me there while he went for some food. It started to drizzle. Tom checked on me periodically. Thankfully, Tom covered me up at one point to make sure I didn’t get completely drenched. He understood why I wanted to be there. Only an awesome trail runner would understand.

I got to watch Tom at the Burning River 100, which he is training for again this year.  At 3 a.m., Tom was still making the run look easy. He was laughing and having fun. The next year, I was back at BR100 volunteering at an aid station for much of the day. Last weekend, I participated in a supported Oil Creek training run. Tom goes out early and puts fruit and water at critical points along the trail. At the end of the day, he gathers everything up and leaves zero trace. He also helps maintain the trails.

I would have never had such amazing experiences if Tom had ignored my e-mail or laughed at my silly newbie questions.

Christine Vassen, above, completed the Oil Creek 50K in 2011. You can read her account of the experience here.