The Hard Cider Run 5K

The Gettysburg Hard Cider run was a lot of fun and very well organzied. I really didn't know what to expect at all, and was pleasantly surprised by the entire event.  Hauser Estate Winery is a beautiful location and had plenty of room for all the participants, vendors and parking requirements.

The winery is located at the end of a very long entrance road up on a hill surrounded by its vineyards and its apple orchards.  They grow all their own apples for their Jack's Hard Cider which was flowing generously after the event.

The view from the winery itself is stunning.  There is plenty of patio space to enjoy a beverage and a small plate and look out over the hills.   You can see the line of cars trying to get into the event in the following photo.  If I can suggest anything it would be to arrive about early and be in the first waves (9am, 9:10am, etc.) so that you can beat the masses.

View from the Winery patio area

The run itself takes you around the estate through the fields, around the orchard and through the rows of grapes.  It is a trail run, and the terrain is hilly, grassy, rocky and has a few potholes.  The course had an elevation gain of 425 feet over the 3.1 mile course.  One of the climbs was insane at about 75 feet in less than a tenth of a mile; I pulled my wife up that one.  The course had one water stop just short of 1.5 miles with water.  At the end of the course were bottles of water, bananas and your finishers medal which is a nice treat for a 5K.

Strava Map of the 5K Trail

Here are some photos I took along the way of the apple trees and the vineyards.  It was a beautiful day with unseasonable cool weather and a bright clear sky.

Vineyards at Hauser Estate Winery

Apple Tree for Jack's Hard Cider

After you passed the first refreshment tent, a larger tent provided you a cider glass and you could select your preference for a free glass of Jack's Hard Cider.  They had four varieties to choose from.  I had the dry, and my wife had the semi-dry.  We enjoyed them both.  They were cold, light and very refreshing.

They had three food trucks on property providing lunch fare.  A wood fired pizza oven was our choice.  They were made to order and they have several varieties to choose from.  While pricey at $10 each for a personal pizza, they were delicious.  I had the margarita and my wife had pepperoni.  They also had a pretzel truck with fresh soft pretzels, pretzel dogs and sandwiches with pretzel bread.  The last truck provided boardwalk style fries with sandwich options like burgers, ruben's, etc.

One of the things we liked best about the event was that the line for runners to get their glasses and free cider were positioned far away from the band, food trucks and sitting areas.  This made the event feel very relaxed and enjoyable.  While there were thousands of people at the event, it didn't feel overly crowded at all, whereas the Destination Virginia event was crowded with all of the facilities very closely positioned.

Between the band stage and the food trucks were a few craft vendors and other related race information booths.  One of the vendors makes clocks, lazy Susan's, wine holders, and other items from used wine aging barrels.  They are amazing to look at, and of course we had to purchase a half barrel wine holder for the house (see photo below).  The maker, Eric, and his wife Jessie also make candles and soaps.  He is based out of Williamsport, MD and is hoping to open a store front soon.  You can read more on their Facebook page for Canal View Candles.

Half Barrel 12-bottle Wine Holder

Overall this was a really fun event.  Some folks got some amazing times given the conditions, but for me this is an event suited for enjoying the scenery and watching your step.  I wouldn't expect to set a 5K PR here, but certainly would expect to enjoy the views, the food, and the cider.

Leesburg 20K

The Leesburg 20K run by Potomac River Running (@PRRunning) was a great event.  Starting and ending in downtown Leesburg, VA in the Marketplace Square area, it is really easy to get in and out and parking was plentiful.  With a start time for the 20K at 7:30am you don't have to get up and out of your house too early.  The weather cooperated and was a cooler 62 degrees (or so) at the time of the start.

Most of the race takes place on the W&OD Trail which was shaded the majority of the way.  This was a nice surprise as the sun started to run during the event.  The event is basically an out and back on the trail with a few short runs on the roads going out and then back into Leesburg proper.  What was surprising to me was that the overall elevation climb was about 480 feet according to Strava.  Most of this was on the first half of the course with the last half net downhill.

Strava Map of Leesburg 20K

I tried to take advantage of the net downhill last half as I started to realize the first half was all up hill. I was conserving my energy at the start which was a change for me.  Like a lot of runners, that don't compete, I usually come out of the gate too fast.  I tried to stick to 8:00/miles and was doing well at first but as the climb continued from miles two through five I started to slow down and averaged closer to 8:30/mile.  By the time I turned around at mile 6.7 I was already tired from the miles during the week and a 4 mile walk the previous day.  I wasn't able to exploit the downhill at all and finished the race with an average of 8:39/mile.  This is actually off pace for me so I was a little disappointed, but I had been pushing my milage hard the last two weeks, so I should have expected a slower time.

The scenery along the trail was really beautiful.  As I mentioned it was mostly wooded/shaded and you passed several beautiful farms and homes along the way.  I saw several resting areas with picnic tables.  The trail would obviously make a great place for cycling or long runs.  By the time we got back into Leesburg on the trail the sun was in our faces and the temperature was on the climb.  You can tell from this photo how much sun there was.

Coming off the W&OD Trail in Leesburg, VA

The water stops were plentiful (about every 1.5 to 2 miles) and were very well staffed with volunteers from local cross country running teams and other folks.  Each stop had water and Gatorade and one of the stops had gel.  They lined both sides of the trail and were about 15 or so deep on each side so it made grabbing a drink fairly easy.  All the runners at this event used great running etiquette which is always great to see.

The last climb up to the finish line is about a tenth of a mile and had a great crowd cheering on the runners.  While we were doing the 20K they also had a 5K and a kids fun run, so there were lots of people hanging around to enjoy the event.  My wife ran the 5K and really enjoyed it.  The 5K started and ended at the same spot, and shared some of the 20K course after we left, but was more of a loop versus an out and back.  I came across the finish line with a chip time of 1:46:38 which was respectable I guess, but certainly not my best.  My half marathon PR is currently at 1:44:36.

My wife took this shot of me finishing

The post race food was great, but I really didn't stay to take advantage of it.  I grabbed two small waters and a gatorade along with a pack of crackers and headed to Starbucks for coffee and a sandwich.  But they had lots of muffins, bagels, snack bars, fruit snacks, and I think I saw beer kegs.  And of course one of the best things about all PR races is the amazing free high resolution photos.  I do a lot of races and for the most part the photos are way over priced and mediocre at best.  The one above of me coming off the trail is a photo from the PR Running Flickr site.

Overall I would highly recommend this event.  It is a great course, well run, and the 20K distance is unique.  I heard a few people comment that the medal last year for the 20K runners was a lot nicer than this years (last year was larger and a little more complex), but even for a medal freak like me it was fine.

Hundred Acre Woods 10 Miler

This was by far my longest running event to date.  I don't mean the actual time running, in fact, this was a PR run for me, but the overall time to get to the event, participate and get back home.

The Hundred Acre Woods running event is in the beautiful Oil Creek State Park in Oil City, Pennsylvania.  It took me just over 5 hours to get to the hotel where I stayed prior to race day in Cranberry, PA.  I have to shout out to the Holiday Inn Express in Cranberry.  It was probably the cleanest hotel, in this price range, I have ever stayed.  They were also very accommodating for a late checkout so that I could shower and change after the race before heading back home.

The drive from the hotel to the race location was a short 20 minutes.  It wasn't clear where we were suppose to meet up for the run/registration, so it took some time to get back into the park and find everyone.  Once there, the race was organized, but not well signed.  There was some exploring of the venue before I could find registration to pick up my race packet.  The event was small (about 100 runners in total for the 10 miler and 5k, so it had a really nice feel.  Cleary a lot of the participants knew each other and were local runners.  A fun atmosphere with lots of support and camaraderie for sure.

Overall the course was flat (only 67 feet of elevation) and ran along the river on what was a railroad line, but has since been converted into a paved bike path.  It was a cool morning (around 58 degrees) and the scenery was amazing.  I was pushing for a PR, but I kept trying to remind myself to actually look around.  Since the event is an out and back (5 miles each way), I was given two opportunities to check things out.

Hundred Acre Woods 10 Miler Strava Map

While the event was timed with disposable timing chips on the bibs, it was only a gun start.  Given the small size of the event, this was reasonable.  It wasn't going to take but a few seconds for everyone to get going as you can see from the start line photo.

And they are off!

There were plenty of support stations along the way (miles 1, 2 and 4; 6, 8 and 9 on the return) that had both water and Gatorade.  At the finish line, there was plenty of water, bagels and bananas for everyone.  Since the race was so small, I was able to come in overall in 8th place and finish what I thought was 2nd in my age group, but ended up being 3rd.

Crossing the finish line

While the medal was a little disappointing, the race was inexpensive and everyone got a medal, including all the 5k participants which was very nice.  Everyone also got a nice shirt.  In addition, there was a number of awards presented with trophies for overall 1st through 3rd, 1st place masters, and 1st place for each age group.  Second and 3rd place age group finishers received another medal.

There was some confusion during the awards presentation as the age groups changed from increments of 5 to increments of 10 starting at age 40.  Clearly this wasn't intentional, but I see on the website, that is how it was described, so the trophy company probably just followed that guideline.  Combining the 40 to 44 and the 45 to 49 age groups is what dropped me to 3rd in my age group, which is fine, but actually caused the winner to be announced in error.  After I left the race I realized that the person awarded 1st was really second by time and was simply given the trophy because he was in the 40 to 44 age group originally.  Not a huge deal, but certainly unfortunate.

Overall, this was a beautiful event, with a great small town feel.  If live near Oil City, PA I highly recommend it.  If you don't mind shelling out money for a hotel and gas I do highly recommend this race.  I would actually like to plan another over night there and do the bike trails to see the rest of the park at a more leisurely pace.

Baltimore 10 Miler

The weather couldn't have been any better, partly sunny and fairly cool compared to recent days.  Parking was plentiful with lots of volunteers helping get cars situated, and a short walk to the finishing village and the starting area.  There were plenty of porta-potties and no lines at all, at least when I made my way through that area.

It was hard to really tell how the finishers village was going to look since there was still a lot of activity setting up the various areas, but the pre-race information provided maps of the area to make finding tents easy once you crossed the finish line.

Starting line at Baltimore 10 Miler

The event started on time which is always import to me, and there was pretty good crowd support along the route.  With the temperatures starting to get warmer this time of year I could have used an extra water stop or two since there we some longer gaps without a stop, but I am sure that was just me.

In general the course is an out and back that starts in Druid Park near the "The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore" with a loop around Lake Montebello before heading back.  The course is hilly, more than I expected, and came in at 485ft of elevation according to Strava.  That coupled with all the runs I have been doing didn't allow for a PR this time, but I had a great time at this event and am now two-thirds done the King Crab Challenge.  Since I completed the Frederick Half and now the Baltimore 10 Miler all that is left is the Baltimore Half this Fall.

Baltimore 10 Miler Strava Map

After finishing the run, I walked through some amazing post race food in the finishing chute.  They had a variety of bars, chews, chips, pretzels and even very cold freshly cut watermelon which totally hit the spot after a warm and humid run.  My only complaint is that I didn't grab two water bottles when I went through the line.  I was far more dehydrated than I realized.

Baltimore Finishers Village

Since you can pick up your race packet/bib from various locations through the greater Baltimore area (I got mine at Sports Authority in Rockville), you get your race premium at the event after you finish.  So, I quickly made my way over to the Men's Medium line and grabbed by 3/4 zip long sleeve shirt.  Nice quality, thin for Spring/Fall, with the Baltimore 10 Miler logo embroidered on the left chest.

After grabbing the shirt I made my way over to the King Crab Challenge tent to get my Baltimore 10 Miler finishers medal.  Medals for the 10 miler were only available to those that signed up for the King Crab Challenge and I saw several people being turned away that were looking to grab a medal.  I even had a few runners ask me how I was able to score the bling, so I let them know the details and encouraged them to sign up for the King Crab next year.  Not sure how to make the challenge more prominent on the websites for the Frederick and Baltimore events, but perhaps there is an opportunity to market it more, I do think there is interest.

Baltimore 10 Miler Finishers Medal

I am not a fan of the free beer after running, but clearly the majority of the runners at this even are very interested in that finish beer.  The line for beer was clearly the longest line in the village, but the live music kept folks entertained as they waited.

After regrouping with my fellow runners we made our way back to the parking area and headed home.  Getting back out of traffic did take about 15 minutes due to the number of folks leaving, but that all depends on how long you hang around the village after finishing.  We passed some other venues worthy of a visit after the race if you have time such as Zoo and HP Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens.

Conservatory as taken from the car

Overall I would highly recommend the King Crab Challenge and even the Baltimore 10 Miler event as a solo event.  It was very well organized, challenging, and included some nice scenery along the way.

Destination Virginia Half (Virginia Wine Country Half)

Wine and running together?  Two of my favorite things...of course!

The first thing I have to comment on is how amazing the venue itself was.  The host winery for the start of the race was Doukenie Winery in Hillsboro, VA.  Seeing the sun rise over the vineyards before the race was a sight to see, and an old farm silo in the middle of grapevines was a new experience.  Very beautiful indeed.

Sunrise over the vineyards at Doukenie Vineyards 

Silo in the middle of the grape vines at Doukenie Vineyards

The race was well organized with regards to parking, plenty of porta-potties, signage and announcements.  They had breakfast food for purchase prior to the start of the race provided by a private catering company and they had free coffee.  The only negative was that the race started about 12 minutes late due to some late arrivals.  Now, this does annoy me, I have to admit it, I look forward to races starting on time, as do most other runners, especially the elite runners going after records and/or money.  Now, if the late arrivals were caused by traffic issues or coordination issues on the part of the event planners/volunteers, then I think they deserve the extra time.  If the issue was these people just didn't plan well, then frankly I think they should miss the race.  99% of the runners were able to make it on time.

Starting line for Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon

The course was a mix of country back roads with some great scenery and gravel.  Apparently I didn't read all the website information carefully and was surprised when I ran on 4 miles of gravel (from mile 5.2 until mile 9.1).  This isn't something I was expecting, and certainly not something I am used too in my own training.  I found that my feet and ankles had a real hard time with this, so if you plan on running this next year, I would recommend some training runs on gravel or trails to work out those small stabilizer muscles.  The elevation gain wasn't over the top, but according to Strava it came in around 440 feet, so there were clearly some hills.  In this case, lots of little ones versus just a few larger ones.

The scenery for the Virginia Wine Country Half was beautiful

The course isn't an up and back, but does share a little over 2 miles of the course (at the start and near the finish). Otherwise you get to see a lot of great country, farms, estates, equestrian centers, a few B&B's and of course the second winery (Hiddencroft Winery) at the lollipop in the map below (almost at the top of the map).  Between miles 5.5 and 6.5 the smell of honeysuckle was palatable.  Hiddencroft Winery is at the half way point, and along with the fluid stop they were handing out small samples of very cold white wine.  I do see a few runners take advantage of it, but I was waiting until the finish to sample all the wineries that came to the event.

Stava Map of Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon

There were plenty of water stops along the way which is always great to see.  But given the weather is usually hot and humid already in VA this time of year, it is almost a necessity.  For todays race we were luck to have mostly cloudy skies, so while it was humid, the heat wasn't unbearable.

There was a large contingent of people at the finish line cheering you on those last few meters which was great to see.  Since this is a wine oriented event, separate tickets could be purchased for non-runners to participate in the wine tastings that started at 9:30AM.  This may have contributed to large number of spectators but it made for an exciting finish.

Finish at the Virginia Wine Country Half

I have to say that the food for the event after the runners finished wasn't all that spectacular.  They had the standard banana which I always appreciate along with water and Gatorade, but otherwise it was small sample packs of gummies, pretzels, etc.  I am used to seeing bags of chips, bars, other fruit, watermelon or even pizza.  With wine tasting starting right away, I was really upset I didn't have any substantial calories to take in and since I didn't realize this in advance I hadn't really brought anything with me.  I will most likely do this race again and so I will be more prepared the next time.

The wine tasting area was very well laid out.  There were about 15 or so wineries pouring, and each winery had between 2 and 4 wines to try.  For those that signed up for the VIP tickets, they had a separate area to pick up their wine glass from the rest of us, and also had access to catered food.

Now, for the important part; the medal.  It is by far the nicest and most substantial medal I have yet received for any of my races.  As you can see from the photo below it is basically a wine stopper on a rope.  It is very well made and very heavy.  So, for those of you that run for the bling, this is one you should try and hit.

Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon Finishers Medal

Overall the event was really fun.  If you plan on attending just remember to bring some extra food/snacks for after the race.  Buy wine tasting tickets for your cheering section of age, plan on getting there early because apparently the smaller back roads do get congested, and enjoy the amazing scenary!

Vineyards during the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon

Frederick 5K and Half Marathon (Nut Job)

The Frederick Run Fest is an overall fantastic event.  While I may be partial since it is located so close to home, with all the races I have done over the last few years, it is definitely one of the best run, well organized and community supported events.

The Frederick Run Fest participants along with the Baltimore Running Festival to give runners a wide range of challenging opportunities.  The Frederick festival alone offers a 5K on Saturday night at 6PM along with the Half Marathon on Sunday morning.  There is also an option to split the Half Marathon into a Relay for runners that may not want to complete the entire 13.1 mile course.  Runners that attempt both the 5K and the full Half are entered into the Nut Job Challenge which grants them a second running medal (one for the half and one for the Nut Job challenge).  In addition, runners can sign up for the Maryland Double or the King Crab Challenge by running the Baltimore 10 Miler as well as the Baltimore Half.  Specifics on these combinations can be found on the Frederick and Baltimore Run Fest websites.

Waiting for the 5K to start

The Frederick Running Festival gives participants a number of packet pickup locations by utilizing Sports Authority stores throughout the Frederick and Baltimore area.  The final packet pickup takes place at the Race Expo on Saturday usually from 10AM until 5PM.  The 5K is also on Saturday night at 6PM, so runners participating in the 5K (or the Nut Job challenge) can simply pick up their packet and premium right before the race.

The 5K race is on a closed course with Police and volunteer protection.  It is an out and back that starts at the Frederick Fair grounds stadium, heads North to the intersection of Monocacy Blvd and E Church Street and then heads back.  For all you bare foot runners, be advised that the Fair Grounds stadium is finally granulated gravel since it is primarily used for horse racing.  While my friends that run barefoot state it isn't "great" it is certainly manageable.  The distance on this loose surface is about 0.4 miles on the way out and another 0.1 miles when you come back into the stadium to finish.

Strava Map of Frederick 5K

The facilities of the Fairgrounds are accessible on both race days which provides plenty of places to sit, get some shade, talk, plan your run or just relax.  There are numerous porta potties just outside the stadium area as well as bathroom facilities that are all open.  The runners village past the finish line has another large series of porta potties.

View of runners village at sunrise

The Half Marathon course starts in front of the Frederick Fair Grounds on E Patrick Street, passes through Downtown Frederick to the North, works its may back south and then along the linear park down Carroll Parkway, through an older community to the South, back North along the opposite of the linear part past Culler Lake along W 2nd Street, through an older large home community as you head North towards the Frederick Memorial Hospital where you continue North until you make a right onto Schifferstadt Blvd, passing through newer homes and then you head back South down East Street making your way into the back of the Frederick Fair Grounds stadium to the finish.

At the starting line waiting for Half Marathon to start

Overall the course is relatively flat with a total elevation gain of about 200ft.  35 Feet of it are over 0.2 miles when you are within sight of the finishing area.

Strava Map of Frederick Half Marathon

I can't say enough about how amazing the spectators are throughout the course.  Some are just cheering and holding signs, while other were blaring music and even offering water and snacks (strawberries, M&Ms, Bananas, and even beer).  With close to 1,000 volunteers helping out at the Expo Packet pickup ad the ample aid stations, things ran very smoothly throughout the day.  On average there is a water stop every 1.5 miles with Gu after the half way point.  For those doing the Half Marathon Relay, the exchange point is at approximately mile 7.8 on Fairview Ave.  I guess you have to flip a coin to see who gets the longer distance.

Half Marathon and Nut Job medals

The only area that I would like to see some improvement is the post race food.  Aside from the normal banana the variety isn't really there.  For me, I usually eat Gu Energy gels along the route (at least two for  Half Marathon), but could always use something extra at the end.  However, I am not a cracker or potato chip fan.  Races that offer trail mix, pizza, and even sandwiches are a very special treat.  Checkout the Gettysburg Half and the Freedom's Run for those kinds of post race refreshments.  But as always I can't wait for this event next year.

Planned 2016 Runs

This article outlines the runs that I am planning to run for the 2016 Runner year.  As each run completes I will post a retrospective on the race so others can decide if it is something may be interested in trying and I can document for myself if I enjoyed it so I can remember to sign up again, or not, the following year.

• Walt Disney World Marathon Dopey Challenge (Orlando, FL) on 1/6 Post
• Biltmore Half and Full Marathon (Asheville, NC) on 3/12 & 3/13 Post
• Frederick Run Fest (Frederick, MD) on 5/7 & 5/8 Post
• ViaMaration (Allentown, PA) on 9/11 Post
• Adam's County Half Marathon (West Union, OH) on 9/24 Post
• Baltimore Marathon (Baltimore, MD) on 10/15 Post
• Marine Corps Marathon (Washington, DC) on 10/30 [deferred to 2017]
• Disney Lumiere's Challenge (Orlando, FL) on 11/5 & 11/6 Post