Use this topic for posts that will collect community stars for the Black Diamond Cass to Gorge course. You can also ask questions or make comments about this course.
Here’s how it works.
Click the “Post Using This Template” button below to create a new post with a Story heading and boilerplate text.
Replace the boilerplate text with your report for one or both sections. The header is key for distinguishing between posts and replies—don’t change it.
Your post must be on the same calendar day as your run as entered in Webscorer.
Story
To pick up a community star, replace this text with a write-up of what your run was like, a photo you took on the run, a link to your Strava track, or something similar. Don’t delete the Story heading above.
The weather was too nice not to take the afternoon off for a lovely long run
My 3rd course done for FLRC CHALLENGE
I went up the black diamond, and turned around at the halfway certainly not used to this heat yet, but thankfully the sun went in and there was a slight breeze on my way back. I would have slowed down more but I was on a bit of a time crunch though as I had to jump on a zoom meeting at 2:30 and needed to find a spot to steal WiFi (thank you Ithaca Bakery) made it just in time
Thankfully also had plenty more water in the car.
I do always love BDT even if I rarely get to enjoy it point to point.
Christie and I did this last Saturday after run/hiking the Abbott Ascent course. We did the out and back from the children’s garden. Why do I find the BDT so difficult to run? It is mentally challenging for me. Something about the grade being slightly up and then slightly down. I love trees but it’s all the same trees. Is this the same as my post from last year? Hatin on rail trails, there is something wrong with me! Glad to get it done! Ha.
6th course.
It must be Black Diamond day today. Between Tonya’s informal group run and a few solo Challengers like me, there have been 11 runs on the course so far today.
I got my wife to drop me off on Gorge Road so I could do the all-downhill version of the course while she took our son to the Children’s Garden. My goal was to run sub 6:00/mile pace all the way. I did a 2-mile warm up with some strides to make sure that my body was ready to run a that pace from the start.
After warming up I set off and tried to settle into the right pace. Mile 1 (5:53) felt effortless, as it should for an 8-mile effort. I was hoping it would be that easy for a little while longer but by mile 2 (5:56) it started to feel like a workout.
Miles 3 and 4 went by uneventfully in 5:54 and 5:57. I glanced at my watch at the turnaround sign and saw 24:01. Seeing that I was making good time and knowing that I was halfway done briefly reinvigorated me. Mile 5 (5:57) felt a little easier.
The respite was soon over and for the first time I had to focus to make sure I wasn’t slowing down. Miles 6 and 7 (5:50, 5:53) were tough. I pushed a little harder on mile 8 (5:48). My legs were quite tired in that final mile so I was mentally just trying to make it to each subsequent 1/4 mile marker. Once my watch hit 8 miles I kicked the rest of the way at 5:04 pace to finish in 48:09.
@lahelmerick, @Marie_Donnelly, and I had planned to run the Cayuga Cliffs Challenge course, but we decided to save that one for a drier time. Instead, we picked the Black Diamond trail for today’s effort. I posted the run in the Group Runs category on the Forum in case anyone else wanted to join, and we had a nice group of people and one dog, with sunshine and cheerful chitchat that settled into some real conversations.
I have to say, the BDT is never my favourite course (sorry!!!). It’s just so… straight. That first section from the Children’s garden to the trees is always sooooo much longer than I think it is, in both directions! Heading back, I get to it and think “yay, nearly there, I’ll speed up!” and 10 minutes later I’m dying.
Today I completely missed the turnaround sign. No idea how. Maybe it blended into the greenery?? Eventually found it after adding 0.2 miles to my run:
On a positive note, there was an abundance of wildlife keeping me company this morning, from birds to squirrels to snakes. But glad to have this one done
I ventured back to Cass Park on a second rainy evening today and ran the out-and-back version of the course from the Children’s Garden. While the rain wasn’t too bad, it was incredibly quiet again - I saw no one but rabbits, deer and one cyclist until 7.3 miles in, when I crossed paths with @patrickmilano (hi!).
certainly not used to this heat yet, but thankfully the sun went in and there was a slight breeze on my way back. I would have slowed down more but I was on a bit of a time crunch though as I had to jump on a zoom meeting at 2:30 and needed to find a spot to steal WiFi (thank you Ithaca Bakery)
made it just in time 
