Use this topic for posts to collect “Community Stars” for the Lansing Center 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.
@RebeccamLambert and I ran the Lansing Center Trail, masquerading as Everglades National Park, this morning. It was muddy and wet as all get out and a crisp 35 degrees, but we had fun nonetheless. It definitely felt like a cross country course, but without any significant hills. Navigating all of the turns correctly took some attention, but it’s not too hard. It might be worth walking the course the first time if you’re not familiar with the trails. This will be a lot of fun if and when it dries out a bit.
Muddy and wet. I created a GPX file for this course until the RunGo directions are ready. I uploaded it to my watch and had no issues. The below link is a direct download.
This cool cloudy snow-showery morning seemed like a good day to embrace the mud at Lansing Center. You have to be a little loopy to do this course in the swampy springtime, but it was kind of fun sloshing through. And the majority of it is perfectly fine, non-muddy, flat grass. Even though I’ve walked around most of these loops in the past, I got mixed up on the Knettles loop near the end. RunGo’s path turns left toward the houses, while the one on the FLRC website goes straight through toward the road. (see attached maps). So I got confused and did an extra bit of backtracking toward the houses, felt like I was in someone’s backyard, stared at the maps for a minute or two, and then turned back around and finished up. I’ll have to come back again sometime!
Oh I forgot to mention that I didn’t see anyone else on the course except a beautiful red fox that ran across the path about 200 feet in front of me. It stared at me for a few seconds like it was wondering what I was doing, then darted back off into the brush.
Sorry about that! I’ve fixed the RunGo directions—RunGo’s normal (non-satellite) view shows the trail going closer to the houses and I blanked on the need to go straight there while drawing it out.
Beautiful early morning run, cold but very sunny skies. But bring your wet shoes (or flippers)! Not only was it very dewy but there is still lots of mud on the trail. I almost lost my shoe twice and ended up with very wet feet.
Yet another hidden jewel we just discovered by running the Challenge courses. We had never been back in these Lansing trails before. I would say a definite course for spikes if you have them, I don’t, but there is a bit of sidewalk towards the end of the course. Lots of bluebird houses scattered about though they seem to be inhabited primarily by swallows.
First time running at the Lansing Center Trail, and I had a blast. Getting the turns right was little tough at first and I had to double back a couple of times, but the RunGo app really helped.
The trail was muddy in spots, but didn’t seem as bad as it was in some of the pictures you guys posted. Maybe it’s starting to dry out
I pulled out my muddiest old shoes based on the discussion of the wet and mud here. That was a good call as I splashed in a big muddy puddle in the first half mile. I got a bit confused on one of the first loops, but never made a wrong turn (thanks to the RunGo directions). I loved the classic cross country course and I saw a deer out on the knettles loop.
This was a gorgeous course on a perfect spring day, with apple blossoms in the air! That said, it was decidedly swampy and downright flooded in parts thanks to yesterday’s rain, but so fun to do with a friend! @lynsayayer
Through the fields and around the bends, another gorgeous day for a run. The trails are mostly dried out now, just a bit soggy here and there… until one really muddy section close to the end.
Shop Local
We picked up sandwiches at Ithaca Bakery then went over to the Farmers Market and sat on the dock for a picnic in the sun
I’m trying to work my way through the courses in a timely manner unlike last year where I saved the majority for the fall. Tuesday morning I headed to this trail course not really knowing what to expect. I hadn’t run far before I was cussing the mud while trying to tip toe through it. I wondered how on earth I was going to survive the other trail courses and questioning why I had signed up for the Finger Lakes 50s 25K. Then I remembered it was BECAUSE of last year’s challenge trail courses that I thought the 25K sounded like a good idea. I am happy to report that by the end of the course there was less cussing and less tip toeing.
I was singing praises to technology after my run. I ordered breakfast online from Ithaca Bakery and picked it up on my way to work! Earning stars gives me a reason not only to support local businesses but also to treat myself!
The cool thing about trail running is it only gets easier the more you do it. Keep practicing these types of runs you’ll get used to it as different muscles get stronger and your coordination improves. You can definitely get ahead of the learning curve before FL50s.
Nice evening walk/jog/shuffle, lots of swallows out eating bugs for dinner, a herd of ~20 deer, and some rabbits. A little bit of mud left, but mostly dry.
Kris and I ran the Lansing Center Trail for the first time this morning. It was still wet in spots, but overall pretty dry. We took our dog who had a blast. When we got back to the parking lot, we realized that we had taken a short cut on the Shoemaker loop and were .3 miles short! So off we went again, much to the dog’s delight, and did it correctly the second time. This course is harder than it looks, but fun.
Loved the FLRC group run this morning! The mud is almost gone except for one major spot. Huge thanks to @Dina_Maxwell for the ride and to @Smb for pacing me. I would have totally got lost if I had tried to run this course by myself. Now where to next?
Another glorious group run with about 24 people, including new-to-Ithaca @Katie_Gannon. There’s still one muddy spot toward the end, but running in the tall grass just the right let me avoid most of the water. @DamianClemons brought watermelon to complement our rhubarb bread, and we had a grand time hanging out at the picnic tables afterward. In a week or two, the tables should be even more shaded as the leaves come out. We may have to use these trails for some cross country workouts in the late summer and fall too.
