Use this topic for posts to collect “Community Stars” for the East Hill Dryden Rail Trail course.
Here’s how it works.
Click the “Post Using This Template” button below to create a new post with Story and Shop Local headings and boilerplate text.
Replace the boilerplate text with your report for one or both sections. If you’re collecting only one star, delete the other heading and text. The headers are key—don’t change them.
You can collect a maximum of 1 point per course per day for each of the two sections.
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 something like a write-up of how your run went, a photo you took on the run, or a link to your Strava track. If you only want to share how you supported a local business, delete this Story header and text.
Shop Local
For another community star, if you got breakfast or a snack, or supported some other local business associated with your run, replace this text with the details about what and where! If you only want to share your story, delete this Shop Local header and text.
Scenic views on this solo run included a rather large snapping turtle and a bank covered in blooming bloodroot. Didn’t want to break my pace for photos, sorry.
Parked at Monkey Run trailhead, and ran out to 13 first, then toward East Hill. Today was my first time running over FH Fox bridge! Saw several killdeer by the pheasant farm, kicked up 2 deer on the East Hill Rec Way, and hardly saw any humans. Sprinkled on and off but it was perfect conditions.
Beautiful bluebird day on the trails this morning - Mother’s Day. My first FLRC Challenge race so was unsure how my Webscorer/QR code would work. But everything went perfect. A new running route for me so I was super excited about exploring new trails to run.
We tried to stop at the Coal Yard Cafe on the way home but there was a line -I am thinking because it was Mother’s Day. But good to hear that this business is doing well. We will try another day. In the meantime, here is a cool spot for outdoor dining on the trail.
Oh boy, so hot today! I jogged more than ran but it was still fun! I should have brought something to drink – did not see anyone on the Dryden Rail Trail (apart from the workers cutting the grass and fixing the trail… greatly appreciated!) but I did see a few runners on the East Hill Rec Way. Looking forward to running the course again when it’s a bit cooler.
Tried to get an early start this morning cause I knew it was going to be a scorcher, but couldn’t get out the door soon enough so the unshaded parts were rather draining.
I was thinking this was going to be really similar to Jim Schug, but there’s more variety of terrain on this one, and even a couple turns!
Good wildlife tracker count today: multiple blue heron, a pileated woodpecker, and a gray fox darted across the trail near Monkey Run Rd!
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Lunch treat = post-groceries Wegmans sandwiches – yes, plural, I did just burn >1000 calories!
I am usually an afternoon/evening runner, but I’m not ready for 80 degrees and sun. Also, the group run this weekend will be the shorter Lansing course, and given my pace these days, I can’t run it twice and still socialize with everyone else afterwards. So, I needed a long run and a morning run—the Dryden Rail Trail course fit the bill, even if it was a mildly optimistic distance for me. I did walk some of it, and I made it home just in time to hit the On button on my coffee maker before jumping in the shower. One short shower later and I was on Zoom with coffee… and then my team decided to cancel the meeting! That’s just the way it rolls these days! I met @SarahG on the course - it was fun to meet another Challenge runner.
I’m excited to have another running route so close to work! Part of this route I run regularly, and since I signed up for the FL 50s 25K (because of the fun I had on the trail courses during last year’s Challenge), I better get out on the trails more regularly.
I started the course at the turnaround point on the East Hill Rec Trail and ran out and back. I passed someone on Stevenson Road but see so many runners in that area, I didn’t think much of it until I crossed paths with @tonya-engst at Monkey Run Road. We exchanged a few words.
For the remainder of my run, I took some time to reflect on some of my running experiences and connections. I actually had emailed with Tonya almost 5 years ago when I had asked @amy-dawson if she knew of any running routes near campus. Amy connected me to Tonya who gave me some great routes to try. Tonya later asked me about joining the cross country team, but I wasn’t able to commit to it at the time. I’m keeping it in the back of my mind for when I’m less busy with my kids.
Another crazy (for me) running thing I did recently was join a relay team for the Seneca 7. Just a few weeks before the race, a team captain was looking for a runner. I reached out to the person, got more information about the team and goals, and told her I was interested. So, on a Sunday morning, I ran my first relay race with 6 STRANGERS and had a fabulous time!
Just want to say thank you to those who have taken the time to answer some of the questions I have posted on the forum. I’ve really enjoyed this group, and I especially enjoy the write ups! Except could someone please tell me how wonderful the Lick Brook/Treman FLT Course is going to be!!!
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Triple Play Chocolate from Cornell Dairy Bar for the win!!!
@SarahG - I’m glad you remembered how we had connected in the past. I am not great with names/faces until I’ve spent some time with a person, but I KNEW your name as an FLRC runner person. With my husband, Adam, being Race Director for the Challenge and FLRC president, a lot of people’s names come up at my dinner table, too. Your running “journey” actually sounds a lot like mine - I ADORED Seneca 7 the one year I ran it, also filling in on a team with a missing runner. Please don’t follow my journey too closely, however, since more recently I’ve suffered from a slipped disc, 18 months of inactivity, and finally a (successful) operation. I hope to see you on more runs!
I saw 2 bunnies hop in front of me along the way, smelled a skunk, heard and saw lots of crows and red-winged blackbirds, heard lots of other birds including song sparrows. I’d started early to beat the heat, but still, not quite early enough. So I guess the heat beat me
Perfect morning for a run on this delightful course. This was my first time running on the Dryden rail trail and I loved it. Will be back! This was also the farthest I’ve run in at least 15 years so felt pretty proud that I made it
Well, I chose a hot day to run this course, as it was over 80 degrees by the time I finished, but it was gorgeous! Decided to park at the Game Farm end of EHRW and run the rail trail first, then do the last 2 miles of the rather shaded rec way as the heat peaked. I saw a multitude of butterflies flitting about the wildflowers, including a black and white kind among the buttercups on Stevenson Rd and a yellow and black swallowtail at the purple dame’s rocket along the rail trail.
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After a quick stop home to rinse off, I brought my girls to Purity for some delicious junior cones (they even have a gluten free cone option!) I had chocolate peanut butter ice cream because I was craving something salty after that long hot run, and my kids each had mint chip.
This was a tough run. Parked my bike at the east end and ran out and back, but started feeling queasy about 2 miles in, probably a bit dehydrated after the heat yesterday. Anyway, it was a beautiful morning, so while I felt like crap, I focused on all the life around me! Lots of birds singing away, several deer, a fox, half a dozen rabbits, and a couple of chipmunks. One thing I really like about the Challenge is that it pushes me to try new runs and change up my routine. I normally don’t run more than 3-5 miles on a work day, so this was a stretch.
An hour ago, I was whimpering because I couldn’t find my sandals and my foot hurt because it wanted the arch support. I had to keep walking up and downstairs trying to find them, but my quads were rubbery so the stairs were going slowly. I have two pairs of slide-on sandals that will solve this problem and I finally found one of them under my desk. That problem solved, I got a big cup of coffee and a big glass of smoothie (both pre-made yesterday; smoothie is homemade yogurt, strawberries, banana, cinamon). I then sat at the table and drank one and then the other until I felt more like myself.
So, now I can write about the group run earlier today, where I ran the East Hill Dryden Rail Trail with about 25 others, plus @amy-dawson and @caroline-brockner who stuck with me especially for the second half and ran me to a 25-minute improvement over my previous effort on this course! It was a perfect morning for this effort—temps in the low 60s, blue sky, sunshine. I liked seeing everyone and getting to say “hi.” Despite my trouble with finding my sandals, it’s basically a beer-and-skittles day. @amy-dawson took a photo at the turnaround sign, so she’ll probably post it.
After yesterday’s lots of running, I was very tired and kind of worried about this run. I was afraid that due to Lucifer’s Crossing being today that there wouldn’t be people at this group run so I brought headphones in case I was solo. I was hoping that Tonya and Caroline would be running so I could join in with them and when we arrived I saw they had already started. I scanned super fast without stopping to think that this may bite me in the butt and I wouldn’t get a star for the run (I didn’t end up with a star - they entered at the end and I scanned more than 5 minutes before the rest of the group but oh well). Anyway, we had a lovely run. It was great to chat with friends and enjoy this route which I have now run 3 times (after saying it was one and done for me the first time I ran it!)
@tonya-engst@caroline-brockner and I stopped at the turnaround sign to take a picture. And of course only now do I realize that with my short arm I managed to cut off half of Tonya!! Blah!
@SarahG the Treman/Lickbrook trail is going to be AMAZING (you may have already done it since I’m seeing this 22 days late). You should totally plan on Liquid State or South Hill Cidery afterwards It will make it even more wonderful!
This was the longest I’ve run since November 2021, but everything went well, and thanks to the group run, I had lots of company from @scottpdawson, @billwatson, @Dave_K, @hubitron, and @katie-durrant. The weather was unbeatable, the conversation was lively, and the pace was quick, finishing with a 7:19 average. That was helped by deciding that I wanted to finish with Dave and Jay and Bill, who were 50 meters in front of Scott and me when we hit the dirt road going toward the finish sign at Stevenson. I dropped below 6:00 pace and caught up with the others—Scott had done three courses yesterday and wasn’t up for a kick and Jay was avoiding stressing his calf—but when Dave realized that Bill and I were speeding up, he accelerated and Bill and I followed suit. But no matter how much we sped up, Dave stayed in front us—by the time we crossed the finish line with Dave a second or two ahead, we were all at about 5:05 pace. So that’s also the fastest I’ve run in I don’t know how long, if only for about 200 meters. So much fun to be able to open it up a little.
I jogged more than ran but it was still fun! I should have brought something to drink – did not see anyone on the Dryden Rail Trail (apart from the workers cutting the grass and fixing the trail… greatly appreciated!) but I did see a few runners on the East Hill Rec Way. Looking forward to running the course again when it’s a bit cooler.
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