Congratulations to this week’s winners who will each receive a race entry to the Lehigh Valley Zoo 5k!

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to meet Chris McDougall, author of  Born To Run, at the race expo the day before the St. Luke’s Lehigh Valley Half Marathon. Let me preface this by saying I am not a barefoot runner nor do I ever plan to run barefoot. I am quite happy running with my feet neatly tucked into my running shoes. My biggest fear would be stepping on something sharp and cutting open my tender feet. Another fear is how much it would change how I run. …

This week around the valley … hardbodies, adventure racing, Lehigh Valley Trails Summit, group runs, geocaching and more.

This week’s highlighted runner is Chris Mertz hailing from Easton. Chris will be heading to Chicago this fall to chase down his marathon PR and hopes to one day run the Comrades Marathon.

Improving core strength will allow you to run for longer without suffering from fatigue and will also decrease your risk of suffering an injury. Improving the strength of your core muscles will involve some time and effort, but fortunately it does not require any heavy weight work. This week’s training tip is brought to you by David Bracetty, head Cross Country coach at Muhlenberg College.

I sat down and did a question & answer session with Mike Marsteller, founder of the HCM Foundation. You will be impressed to learn just how much his new organization has accomplished during it’s first year of existence. The people behind the scenes within this organization are very real and very caring individuals who are making a huge difference in people’s lives. HCM’s next big event is the FOX CHASE CANCER AWAY event on August 7th. By running this, you, too, can help make a difference.

We’re on a roll lately … I think you guys might like this contest. Peek inside for the details.

Congratulations to this week’s winner! I hope to see you at the race. I registered last week for this inaugural event. Who can pass up chocolate?