Run Tampa

Checking 50k Off the Bucket List

Back in October, a group of us were at the John Holmes Run in Withlacoochee National Forest, and someone - I don't know who said it first - said something like "The Croom Fools Run will be my first 50k." Then someone else said, "Well, if you're doing it, so will I," and that's how it went. I'm not sure if the conversation occurred while we were there or whether it occurred during the ensuing days on Facebook. Eileen Boyle decided to do the 50k to commemorate her 50th birthday. I like her style. Some people dread those birthdays that end in 0's. I agree with Eileen, they should be celebrated with great gusto.

The group making the commitment included Sean Kendrick, Robin Patterson, and Eileen, but there may have been others. I could not resist jumping in as well. As I often say, running is as much a social experience as a physical one, and I knew I would enjoy sharing the challenge with these friends.

Fast forward six months. First of all, let me say that my philosophy is that if you run long enough, you will have enough adventures to fill a book. I'm not sure if anyone would want to read it, but you get the idea. Some adventures are intentional; some are not. I knew the Croom Fools Run 50k, my first 50k, would be an adventure, but the day held many surprises.

Saturday's Croom Fool's Run 50k was to be my first foray into ultra running. Now that it is behind me, I can say that I am not becoming an ultra runner in the sense that I won't be doing mostly ultras, but I know I will do more; however, I won't be running another in the near future. No, next year's Fool's Run may be my next ultra. If you'd asked me Saturday afternoon after the race, I would have likely said, "No, once is enough," but I looked at the race from a different perspective 24 hours later, and by that point I was pretty sure I'd be back, if only to stay on course and see what time I could do without putting in an extra mile or so. Oh, and then there was that other five minute delay. Well, let me start at the beginning.

Friday, April 8th, the day before the race, I started preparations early in the day. I planned my ice chest contents, bagged ice cubes, so my ice maker could be making more, washed my race day attire, stretched, mixed my post race beverage of chocolate milk and coffee, and then spent the customary thirty minutes playing around with my shoes and insoles.

Busy Running Weekend Ahead

Here's a preview just in case you're still in the planning stage:

Tomorrow is the Run Tampa Group Run on the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. You should have received an invite with all the details earlier this week. If you didn't, be sure to register (in the blue box to the right) to receive the weekly newsletter with the details of that week's event. I'm expecting 20 to 25 people of very varied levels, and they will be doing anywhere from 3 to at least 10 miles, maybe more.

Also tomorrow is Dances With Dirt, a trail race in the Green Swamp area of the Withlacoochee National Forest. I did this race last year. If you're doing it, be prepared to run through at least a couple of streams and be vigilant to keep track of the trail. There are five different race distances, 10k thru 50 mile. Depending on which race you do, you follow a ribbon that indicates which way to go. If your concentration fails you, you could end up going off course for many miles. It's a challenge, but then we love challenges!

Sunday is the Flatwoods Ramble 5k and 10 mile, which replaces the Flatwoods 4. If you go to the site, you can check out the new course. This is always a popular event. If you've been joining us for our Run Tampa Flatwoods group runs, you should be very familiar with the course.

The Chilly Willy Duathlon is at Ft. Desoto on Sunday. This is a run/bike/run event. Details here.

Also on Saturday: Honest Abe 5k, Wesley Chapel; Hero Run 5k, Starkey Park; Race for Red Cross Cupid Shuffle 5k/10k, Cory Lake Isles; Suncoast Classic 5k/10k, St. Pete.

Group Runs: Bayshore on Saturday and Croom on Sunday

This weekend, for the first time, we'll have two group runs, Saturday on the Bayshore and Sunday at Croom. If you're registered with this site, you should have received the newsletter with the details. Sunday's run will be any distance. Sunday's run will be a minimum of 8 miles. Something for everyone.Everybody in Tampa is familiar with the Bayshore, but I'm sure some people have never been to Croom. Check out the slide show below. It includes some pics of Sunday's Croom Zoom race as well as pics from the John Holmes Trail Race and Fun Run in October. Croom is in the Withlacoochee Forest about an hour north of Tampa. (Below is a flash slide show.)

Women's Magazine Half & 5k and Alafia X-Country

Whether you're doing the Women's Half/5k or Alafia Half/5k, have a great race! I'll be at the Women's Half, and my husband David be will there to get pics of anyone in a Run Tampa shirt. If you don't have a shirt yet, don't be shy. Get his attention and ask him to get your picture and bring your friends over, too. That's why he's there, and he doesn't mind. Just look for the only guy there in a Run Tampa shirt. Then check back here for the photos on Monday.

We'll meet at the starting line for Run Tampa group photos at 6:30. Have a wonderful race! The weather should be spectacular! 

Run Tampa will be well represented at the Alafia races as well. Sally Smith will be running, and I know I can count on Sally for pics from that race.

Photos and Video of Saturday's Bobcat Adventure Run

Bobcat Race at Lake Park August 2010

Running Long in Croom

Wow! What an amazing morning of trail running, laughing, talking and fun. A large group of us met at Croom in Withlacoochee State Forest for a long run this morning. Some people I had known for a while but most of the group was new to me. You can never have too many friends, especially running friends. They are just the best.

If you haven't been to Croom, it's a great place for a long, very vigorous trail run. I've been there many times, and every time it's well worth the trip. There are plenty of trails there; you could easily run 40 miles, but they won't be easy miles. It's kind of hilly, and the terrain varies a lot from soft sand to pine needles to leaves. There are rooty areas, but no more rooty than Flatwoods; there are more logs/trees to jump over, though. I think the shortest loop is about 5 miles; another is 8, and on up from there.  This is Beaver Gulch in the photo, the most unique area out there, I think. Looks more like a rainforest. This is not typical of the area, though. The area is an hour north of Tampa, so people don't usually go up there unless it's for a long run. And this area is closed some parts of the year due to hunting. This is not the place to run alone because it would be too easy to get lost. Make sure you go with someone who knows the trails, and take plenty of water because these are wilderness trails. No water stations.

The John Holmes 50k Trail Race and 16 mi. Fun Run will be held there on October 9th and on April 9, 2011 is the Croom 50 mi, 50k, 16 mi. Fools Run.

Most people leave from the Tucker Hill parking lot which is about a 15 minute drive from I-75. You'll find a bathroom and shower there, too.

Driving into the trail head, traffic was stopped while a group of about 30 wild turkeys crossed the road. Later we saw a deer and a snake. My friend, Linda, was recently surprised by a wild boar, resting, right in the middle of the path. Oh, and there are some pretty big spiders, too. If you're the first one on the path in the morning, you'll want to wave a stick ahead of you to knock them down rather than impale yourself.

It's quite a large chunk of wilderness just 60 minutes north of Tampa, an excellent location for lovers of trail running. Check it out here.

Excellent Group Run on Bayshore This Morning and Plans for Croom Trail Run Tomorrow

Great group run this morning! I thought we might have a smaller crowd because so many people were out of town for the holiday weekend, but we had our largest group yet. Outstanding!

Here's my weekly wildlife report: We didn't see any manatees, but there was one dolphin (or shark) lingering in one spot for a long time. Everyone said it was a dolphin, but I've never seen one cruise along the surface that long. However, Alison said they do that when they're feeding, and I imagine she's right. Don't think they have sharks around there, anyway, do they? Not my field of expertise. Anyway, that's the only wildlife I spotted except a couple of pelicans and many happy canines jogging along with their owners.

Thanks for coming everyone, and I hope you'll be able to join us next weekend on SUNDAY, June 6th at Lake Rogers Park, 7 a.m. That will be completely off road. Three kiosks with ice water along the 2.1 mile loop. Can't wait to share this with you.

One more thing: Several of us are running at Croom tomorrow morning, Sunday. If you've never been to Croom, it is in the Withlacoochee National Forest and was named by the World Wildlife Fund as "One of the 10 Coolest Places You've Never Been." I have been, and I agree.

Check out this video

of the 2008 John Holmes 50k and 16 mi. race. Wendy and I are in there somewhere. This year's John Holmes 50k and 16 mi Fun Run are coming up October 9th. If you haven't done it, you've got the whole summer to prepare. Register now for motivation through the hot summer months.

I'll be going slow and easy tomorrow and doing the 14 mile loop, but Wendy is leaving earlier and doing 20. I'll be leaving Tampa at 5:45 and planning to meet her at 7. These are gorgeous trails; as Wendy says, you feel like an animal running through the woods.

Here are her comments: "For anyone who may be interested in trail running in Croom this Sunday, May 30. Meet at 5:30 a.m. or 7 a.m. My plan is to leave from Tucker Hill at 5:30, run about 5 miles and be back at Tucker Hill again at 7. At 7, I'll be doing the 14.4 mile loop. I'll leave a cooler of water midway on the 14.4 mile loop with extra water for everyone. Right now, I think there may only be 4 of us. I average about 14 minute miles on these trails. We can run together or there are maps at the trail head that are relatively easy to follow and the turns are marked but you have to pay close attention. It's a great trail and there are some hills. Let me know if you plan to join us :)"

You can send your email to me deb@runTampa.com or call me at 813-416-4638.

Robinson Preserve Twilight 5k & 1 mi, Bradenton, This Friday!

Okay, this is one race I think I have to do. I raced last weekend and  raced the week before, but gosh, look at the photo. That venue is just irresistible. I have to do it. And it's an evening race, 6:30 p.m.

Race Director, Doug Schiller says, “If you haven’t experienced this amazingly beautiful property, you’ll surely want to now. And, if you have, well, you’re probably already registered for the race.”  

Could there be a better way to begin a weekend?

 

• 5k Chip timed and participants receive a New Balance tech shirt

• Enjoy a GREAT post race party and silent auction, DJ, dinner, beverages and more

• The 5k route is over shell packed trails, six bridges, winding around mangroves, vistas of Tampa Bay Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and 100’s of species of birds then finishes on a paved path

• Kids’ races 3 to 12 years receive official race t-shirt, bib, packet, and finisher’s medal

• Cash awards to the M/F top finishers and award tiles to all winners in their respective groups

Challenging Race, Beautiful Place

As the Florida Trail Challenge Half Marathon approached, being the weather wimp that I am, I mostly worried about the temperature on race morning. Since we’d had temps in the upper twenties only a couple of days before, I was relieved when Steve Jerve predicted a low of 53 and a high in the seventies.

I carefully planned my race attire Saturday night, then cast the planned outfit aside on race morning, deciding on shorts and a short sleeved running tee with a long sleeve ‘throwaway’ outer layer and, on my head, my lucky Boston cap, a black Under Armor cap I found on the ground during the 2008 Boston Marathon.

Florida Trail Challenge Half Here I Come

I'll be running the Florida Trail Challenge Half Marathon in Alafia this weekend. I know it'll be cold, but everything is relative. At least the ground won't be frozen, and I can be certain there will be no snow. Not so bad, really. And since I've run there before, I know it will be beautiful, challenging, but beautiful, at least if I ever feel like it is safe to take my eyes off the trail to look around.