Union City Run (Group Run for 10/26/13)

Wow . . . it's been a long time since I update the blog. Anywho, below you'll find the route for this Saturday's Union City run, a beautiful four mile loop through country roads (with nigh infinite possibilities for spurs and additional loops for those who want to run more). Informed sources indicate that there will be ample parking at the park (you can't miss it--drive to the Baptist church and hang a left), and we'll meet there at 8:00 a.m.

Red dots:

1. The Meet-Up: I'll be brief--downtown Union City isn't that confusing. Once you get here, you'll see two churches and a defunct grocery store. Turn left (i.e., north) at the old, red-brick Baptist church, and you'll see the park on your left;
2. Dog Alert I: Last time I was running through here, a puppy ran out to greet me. He's probably not a puppy anymore; and
3. Dog Alert II: Last time I was running through here, a really sad old dog ran away from me. Hope he's doing okay.

I haven't run the rest of this route, but the crew at the Baldwin Running Consultancy says it's worth a gander or two, and I believe them.

If you need to get out to UC, here's a map, starting in downtown Richmond:

1. North on Main,
2. Right on the bypass,
3. Left on the bypass exit just past the school,
4. Which will lead you to Union City Road (at the light off the exit, just drive under the train trestle), and
5. Continue on five miles or so until you get to Union City.

If you're coming from Irvine or parts near (you know who you are), take Charlie Norris Road off Irvine Road and head north until you get to UC.

See you then!

Happy Hour Run Route

Here's the Official Happy Hour Route, as it is now and always will be:

Red dots:

1. Apollo Pizza: Start, finish, after-party;
2. E.C. Million Park: There are two Million Parks in Richmond (note the proper noun--there are not 2,000,000 parks in Richmond); we're going through the one that doesn't allow dogs;
3. St. Andrew's;
4. Grey Oaks: A nice hill, and right into the sunset; and
5. Rosedale . . . (drops snow-globe).

See you every first and third Thursday.

Richmond Centre Seven (Group Run for 09/14/13)

This week's group run will be a delightful seven mile loop starting from Richmond Centre (or is it "Center"? Meh.). We'll meet near Michael's (the crafty place), cover Goggins, Tate's Creek, Main Street, Lancaster, and the Bypass back to Michael's. To wit:

And, once again, it's time for RED DOTS WITH YELLOW NUMBERS!:

1. Michael's at RC: This is where we begin and end;

2. For anyone who wants to tack on extra mileage, there's a three mile loop you can add on at this point (actually, it's like 3.4 . . . stop whining). If you're interested, let me know;

3. The Arlington Golf Course: Free golf balls! (Again!);

4. For those of you who might want to get in an even eight miles, run up and down Grey Oaks at this point; and

5. Yes, we're running along the bypass, which we may cross at some point. Get ready for some frogger-style fun.

See you Saturday!

The EKU XC Course (Group Run for 09/07/13)

This Saturday's group run will cover the EKU wood chip and cross country course (a.k.a. "The Widowmaker"). Park near the corner of Kit Carson and Van Hoose on campus (across from the track, near the old planetarium). As per usual, we'll take off around 8:00 a.m.

And, yup, the red dots correspond to the following points of interest:

1. The Old EKU Planetarium: Our starting point. It looks like Marvin the Martian lives here;
2. The EKU Track;
3. The EKU Football Field;
4. The EKU Wood Chip Trail: One mile long--now with fresh wood chips!;
5. Entrance to the XC Course: Whatever you do, do NOT sit on the picnic tables--they're very touchy about this;
6. A Creek: I once saw a big snapping turtle on the course here; and
7. The Trail to Taylor Fork: If you want to climb the fence, dodge the cowpats (and maybe the cows themselves), and climb another fence, you'll get to Taylor Fork, a nice, if ticky, bio-preserve about half a mile from the XC course.

I'm planning to build on the regular group run to get in an ill-advised 20-miler (aka, "The Tour de Richemonde"). I will be running this slowly. If anybody's interested in joining, let me know.

1. The EKU Campus: This route will start at Irvine McDowell Park at the intersection of Crabbe Street and University Avenue. I'll be leaving here about 7:45 a.m. to jog over to the old planetarium and meet everyone for the regular run;
2. The EKU XC Course: The site of said regular run;
3. Old Town Branch Road: It's pretty out here;
4. Richmond Centre: Might stop off at a convenience store for a chocolate milk/bathroom break;
5. The Arlington Golf Course: Free golf balls!!!; and
6. Downtown Richemonde: Hence the course's TDR designation.

See you Saturday!

Old WILDerness Trail (Group Run for 08/31/13)

The next group run will be Saturday, August 31 @ 8:00 a.m. The route is below, but here are the broad strokes: Old Wilderness Trail to Cedar Hill Drive to Pineur Road to Boone Trail Road to Three Forks Road, then turn around at Red House Road and head back. The total course is 12 miles (actually about 11.6, but I'll have a spur that will let anyone who wants to do the full 12 finish out); we'll have turn-arounds along the way to let people get in 3 miles, 5 miles, 7.4829 miles, or whatever they want.

We'll meet at Glenn Marshall Elementary, which is off the bypass--just take Main Street north until you get to the bypass, turn right, and the school will be about a quarter mile down on your left (Note: I need to double-check on the parking situation--so stay tuned).

As before, the red dots correspond to the following points of interest (and, by the way, the little flags w/ numbers are mile markers; note that this is an out-and-back course, so you're seeing the mile markers for both the out and back portions of the run):

1. The 1.5 mile turn-around: A creek and a cornfield. You can't miss it;
2. The 2.5 mile turn-around: The intersection of Pineur and Boone Trail;
3. A little free-range yappy dog lives here. He will bite. I hope he someday gets eaten by a cow;
4. Scenery!;
5. Scenery!;
6. Scenery!;
7. Scenery!;
8. Scenery!;
9. Scenery!; and
10. Scenery!

See you Saturday!

The Three Rs: Reba Run Route (Group Run for 08/24/13)

This is the course for Saturday's run, starting at Lake Reba/Gibson Bay. We've got turn-around points at 1.5 and 2.5 miles for those who want to run 3 and 5 miles, respectively. The full course is just a smidge over 8 miles. Erin will be leading the 3 mile group, I'll handle the 8 milers. There's also a nice 12 mile route you can build from the 8--if you're interested, let me know, and I'll give you the details.

The red dots correspond to the following points of interest:
1. The 1.5 mile turn-around: There will be a driveway that goes under a creek off to your left. That's the only way I know to describe it, but you'll know what I mean when you see it.
2. The 2.5 mile turn-around: The only sharp turn on Concord Road.
3. Madison Speedway: The greatest show on dirt. Also, a scary dog lives nearby.
4. The Bluegrass Army Depot: If the siren sounds, run fast.
5. The Lake Reba dam: When we get a lot of rain, this thing ROARS.

See you Saturday @ 8:00 a.m.!