happy hour

BCsign

Bear Creek a Perfect Spot For Hanging Out

Thank you to everyone who came out to last night’s meetup at Bear Creek Resort.

What an amazing night! I think this was my favorite happy hour location yet. Not that the others weren’t great spots, but something about the entire atmosphere: being outdoors, the views, the perfect weather; it was certainly a great night to hang out with some amazing fellow runners. My approximate headcount was around 55-60 people, a great turnout!

I am so happy to have been able to introduce some people to a new Lehigh Valley running spot which also happens to be a great place to simply hang out, enjoy amazing food prepared by chef Michael Greenstein (the Southwest Chicken and Black Bean Eggrolls – to die for!) We were entertained by musician Jim Meck who played a wide range of songs.

As evening set in we found ourselves escaping the night chill by heading indoors to the bar. I left the party around 11 pm and there were still people chilling out and having some great conversations. If you didn’t make it out – I’m sorry you missed this one. Be sure to come to the next one; I’m planning on hosting another happy hour some time in mid-autumn.

Thank you to Dr. Laurie Reinhart from Spine and Sport Chiropractic Center for co-hosting last night’s happy hour.

Terry, Amby (behind the umbrella) and Kimberly enjoying a conversation In the background, Marty and Todd discussing trail running

Gayle, Jennie and Chris having a laugh - I find that they are always smiling and laughing, always a good thing!

Kathy and Jaime

LVHNmarathon

Valley News – August 9

MARATHON REGISTRATION CLOSING SOON
Four more days to register for the LVHN Marathon for VIA. An email that went out yesterday said registration closes midnight on August 12th. This is your last chance to run the race on September 11th. The race includes a marathon, marathon relay, half marathon and a 5k walk. The 5k takes place on Saturday, September 10. New this year is a race expo and pasta dinner taking place at the new Steel Stacks in Bethlehem.

SUMMER RUNNING CLOTHES ON SALE
The Finish Line has all of it’s summer apparel marked to 25% off! Stop by the Finish Line today. A better idea is stop before the Group Run tonight (6pm),  do a little shopping and then join the group for an easy 3-5 mile run through Emmaus.

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL RACES
The first ever LVRS Runner’s Choice Awards is taking place right now. Visit the survey and vote for you favorite area races in several categories. You can list up to three favorites in each category. The winners of this contest get bragging rights as the area’s favorite race according to the runners who run them. Voting takes place now through August 31. Vote now.

FREE MASSAGE
This week’s giveaway contest is a free one hour massage at Spine & Sport Chiropractic. So far twenty-nine people are hoping to win this great giveaway being sponsored by Dr. Laurie Reinhart, chiropractor and massage therapist specializing in treating runners and athletes. Enter today!

MINGLE AND MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN
It’s finally here! Join us this Thursday at Bear Creek Resort and give yourself a break from the crowded streets of Bethlehem. Starting at 5:30 pm you can enjoy happy hour priced drinks ($2 domestic drafts, $3 imported drafts, $3.50 on well mixed drinks and $4 on house wines) and .50 wings. We’ll be hanging out on the back deck facing the mountain. Such a beautiful setting, and to top it off, live music starts at 7:00 pm. You can RSVP here on the website, http://lvrunningscene.com/rsvpmaker/mingle-music-on-the-mountain/. Hope to see you on Thursday!

CYCLOCROSS CLINIC
Chris Garges will be running a cyclocross clinic at Upper Saucon Park (Preston Lane, Center Valley) on Thursday, August 18. The clinic will start at 7pm and he’ll spend an hour or so going over the basics of cyclocross including starts, cornering & obstacles. If you don’t have a cross bike, feel free to come out and listen (or bring your mountain bike if you have one). A short course will be set up including two sets of barriers.  As of now there is no one else practicing at that time / location, if we get there and find visitors we’ll just move to an open area.

This event is set up under the multisport club that Chris belongs to, Endurance Multisport, for insurance purposes.  If you’re interested and not an Endurance Multisport club member you will need to sign a waiver.  There is a suggested a minimum $5 donation to the HCM Foundation, but there is no cost for the clinic.  Non-Endurance Multisport members must become a one day club member and sign the waiver.  The cost for a single day membership is $5.

You can contact Chris at Garges@ptd.net if you have any questions.

WEEKEND RACES
Don’t forget to stop by the LVRS Event page for a listing of all the local races with links and descriptions. This weekend there are a couple of 5ks, a 5 mile race, triathlon, trail half marathon, and much more taking place throughout the valley and beyond!

runninglegs

Valley News – August 2

Several of you out there in the Lehigh Valley are now in training mode for your fall goal half marathon or marathon. I’ve run my fair share of long runs – sometimes solo, sometimes with friends – and know how grueling the miles can be after a while. I’d love to connect you guys through the website and help you find some people to train with. Please leave a comment below if you are looking for a training partner this fall and let’s see if we can hook you people up!

LOCAL FALL MARATHONS
September 11 – Lehigh Valley Health Network Marathon for Via
October 9 – Steamtown Marathon
October 23 – Delaware & Lehigh Heritage Marathon
November 13 – Harrisburg Marathon
November 20 – Bucks County Marathon
November 20 – Philadelphia Marathon

LOCAL FALL HALF MARATHONS
September 10 – Amish Country Bird In Hand Half Marathon
September 11 – Capital Blue Cross Harrisburg Half Marathon
September 11 – Lehigh Valley Health Network Half Marathon
September 11 – Sol Lipton Run Fest
September 18 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon
October 1 – Hands-on House Half Marathon
October 16 – Hershey Half Marathon
October 23 – Oktober Lauf Fest
October 23 – Delaware & Lehigh Heritage Half Marathon
October 30 – Gettysburg Blue-Gray Half Marathon
November 20 – Philadelphia Half Marathon

LVRR SUMMER SERIES 5K
Tomorrow night is the final summer 5k for 2011. This FREE race is hosted by Lehigh Valley Road Runners. Obviously, folks are loving the fact that this no-frills race doesn’t cost them a cent this year, the proof is in the numbers – the races have been averaging 155 racers. Registration opens at 5:15 am, race begins at 6:30 pm. Stick around afterwards for free hot dogs on the club. Bring a covered dish to share and join the feast that follows! It’s a lot of fun and should be a great night to finish off the series.

MORE FROM LVRR
This Thursday’s Family Hike will be held at Pool Wildlife Sanctuary in Emmaus. The hike starts at 1:00 pm and hikers will stroll through the woods on a woodland boardwalk, past the creek and a frog pond. The trail is jogging stroller friendly (but not street stroller friendly). Bring water to drink, bug spray and sun lotion and plan to have a great time. RSVPs are encouraged via LVRR website.

The final LVRR Kids Summer Series races take place this Saturday morning beginning at 10:00 am. Remember, if your kids ran in 4 of the 6 events they will receive a free t-shirt commemorating their summer races. This year’s winning t-shirt design and slogan are shown in the News section of the LVRR website. Congratulations to Christopher Chambliss and Hope Green, the winners of this year’s design and slogan contest!

XC SPIKE NIGHT
Aardvark Sports Shop is holding spike nights every Thursday evening at both their shops for local high school and college cross country runners. Spike night hours are from 5:00-8:00 pm. Compare XC spikes from Brooks, Saucony & Nike. You will receive a free Aardvark XC themed t-shirt with your purchase and I’m betting all of you college students are totally going to dig the free pizza! *** There will be NO SPIKE NIGHT on AUGUST 11 in Bethlehem due to Musikfest!!! *** Spike Nights will run through September 8th.

MINGLE ON THE MOUNTAIN
You’ve waited all summer for it. Wait no longer! Next Thursday, Aug. 11, is going to be one rocking night at Bear Creek! Forget Musikfest. I can guarantee less crowds, better food, and an intimate environment with live music. I will be ordering a light food platter. It’s not going to be enough to feed you if you are starving, but it should be a nice sampling of what is on the Bear Creek menu. In order to pay for this I’ll be selling raffle tickets for a 50/50 raffle. Half the money will go towards the platter, and one lucky winner will get the other half of the money. Sounds like a good deal, right? Raffle tickets are $5 each. (Hey, this website hasn’t made me rich (yet) so I gotta do something …) Please RSVP so that I can give Bear Creek a head count. Thanks everyone!

There is also a little contest going on right now sponsored by Bear Creek Resort, just for us. If you register for any of their three upcoming events (Bear Creek Challenge 8/13-14, Bear Creek Adventure Race 8/21, Big Bear Trail Run 10/16) you will be entered to win a very exciting prize. You will get one entry per race. Please read the details for this contest. You MUST enter “LVRS” for the question “How did you hear about this event?” during the registration process. Don’t come to me if you do this wrong. I have nothing to do with this contest other than telling you about it. The prize for this contest is one free night’s stay at the resort.

Bear Creek Resort

Upcoming Raffles at Mingle & Music on the Mountain

So far so good on the number of RSVPs for the upcoming gathering, Mingle & Music on the Mountain, at Bear Creek on , especially just 2 weeks out from this great night! Don’t forget to let me know that you plan to be there so that I can give a head count to Bear Creek. Thanks!

I am going to have a 50/50 raffle that night. What this means is that you purchase a raffle ticket and have a chance to win half of the earnings from the raffle. The other half will go toward some finger food. One ticket = $5.00.

There is also another great raffle going on which is being sponsored by Bear Creek Resort, just for us!
Bear Creek has three great events coming up and if you register for any or all of these upcoming races, you will automatically be entered into the raffle.

Here are the rules:

Read the following completely to ensure you enter this contest correctly.

1. You will get 1 raffle entry for each event. If you register for all three events, that means you get 3 shots at the raffle.
2. Raffle prize is non-transferable, non-refundable. It is what it is, nothing more, nothing less.
3. The time frame to enter the raffle begins now and ends on August 18th. The winner will be chosen at random from amongst all the entrants. The winner will be announced on August 20th.
4. Enter “LVRS” when you are asked the question: “How did you hear about this event?” THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS, YOU WILL NOT BE ENTERED IN THE RAFFLE.

The three events to choose from include:

Bear Creek Challenge – August 13-14
The Bear Creek Challenge is back for the 2nd year.  Once again the BCC has been designated as the Pennsylvania Cross Country Championships by USA Cycling.  We will also once again host the Mid Atlantic Regional Series (MARC) finals.  Anyone racing for the PA States must be a Pennsylvania resident and must have a USAC annual liscense.  All other riders can purchase a USAC day permit.  For more information on USA Cycling, go to www.usacycling.org

The big change this year is that we have been designated as a Triple Crown of Cycling event by the US Cup!.  The Triple Crown is a stand alone event with the Short Track and Super D on Saturday and Cross Country race on Sunday. The 3 races making up the Triple Crown. Riders in each class will be awarded points based on finish towards an eventual Triple Crown winner. You do not need a USAC liscense for the Triple Crown. Riders must race in all 3 triple crown races to be eligible for the title.  Scores from your 2 best races will count.  For more information on the Triple Crown go to www.uscup.net
Registration is on bikereg.com

Bear Creek Adventure Race – August 21, 11:00 am
A 4 hour race which includes navigation & orienteering, 4-8 miles of trail running (& bushwacking!), 8-12 miles of mountain biking, water & rescue strategies, and special tests along the way. Race teams consist of 3 team members and there will be team time trials. Race fee is $135 per team and registration deadline is Aug. 17th. Register on Active.com

Big Bear Trail Run – October 16, 10:15 am
There will be two distances to choose from: 5k and 16k. Registration will take place from 9:00-10:00 am. The race fee is $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the event. Awards for the top three M & F age group winners and all pre-registered runners will receive a race t-shirt. Register on Active.com

The Prize:

Why should you enter this raffle? Well, this is one fantastic prize! The winner will receive one free night’s stay at Bear Creek Resort and Spa. While you are there, enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of Bear Creek Resort, schedule a massage at the spa, take a swim in the pool, hit the trails for a run, and relax in the dining room afterwards for a wonderful dinnerfollowed by a night cap. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

In order to be included in this raffle – AND THIS IS IMPORTANT – you MUST make sure that you answer “LVRS” for the question: “How did you hear about this event?” If you do not enter that into the correct field, you will not be entered into the raffle.

You may sign up for any of these events on August 11th, in person, during the Mingle & Music on the Mountain event.

LVRRFamilyHike_hikers

Valley News – July 12

You know, I was looking at the event calendar here on the website this morning and realized there is rarely anything happening on a Monday. Seems like we should change that, don’t you think? What are your thoughts?

GEORGE YASSO MEMORIAL 5K
Please join the Yasso’s over in Bethlehem next Saturday, July 23, for a fast race through Fountain Hill. The race memorializes George Yasso and all proceeds go to the George Yasso and James Skelly Scholarship Funds which award scholarships to local scholar-athletes each year – four $1,000 scholarships! Event information can be found here and the race application is available for download – http://www.bartyasso.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/2011-GBY-5K.pdf

MINGLE & MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN
Save the date – August 11. This is going to one fun night out. Come on up to Bear Creek Resort where we’ll be hanging out on the back deck with a view of the ski slope and the beautiful mountainside. Happy Hour pricing from 5:30-7:30 pm, live music from 7:00-10:00 pm and a 50/50 raffle. This is an open invitation to all of you awesome athletes out there in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. Invite all of your running, biking, swimming, weight lifting, etc. friends. Let’s get all of the healthy people in the area together in one fun place! (Remember, you do not need to drink to have a good time. Come on up and hang out with us.) Please RSVP for this event so that I can provide the resort with an approximate head count. Thank you.

GOTR FORERUNNER TRADE IN OFFER
Last week I posted an article about Garmin’s Forerunner trade in offer. Here is the deal: Purchase a qualifying Forerunner watch (210, 310XT, 410 or 610) at a specialty running store and trade in a previously used qualifying Forerunner watch and receive $50USD via mail in trade in offer. I wanted to give you a heads up that Aardvark Sports Shop-Bethlehem carries the Forerunner 610 with and without Heart Rate Monitor, 310XT with and without HRM, 210 with and without Heart Rate, and 410 with Heart Rate Monitor!

QUADZILLA 15K TRAIL RACE
Online registration for this inaugural race ends this Wednesday. There are still some spots remaining. If you miss the Wednesday deadline your last chance to register is Saturday (the day before the race) from 12:30-3:00 at Bib Pickup. No race day registration! Is the race hard? You betcha! Is it worth it? Absolutely!! Race day bib pickup is 7:00-7:45 am at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, race begins at 8:00 am. Oh, and the prizes are pretty darn cool, too! Do you have what it takes to be King or Queen of the Hills? http://quadzilla15k.com

GROUP RUNS
Finish Line Tuesday Night Run – The Triangle in Emmaus. The group meets at 6:00 pm outside of the shop and will go out for a short 5-6 mile run through Emmaus. All paces welcome, no one left behind.

Making Strides – Tuesday night, Lehigh Parkway, Allentown. A weekly speed workout for women beginning at 5:30 pm. Meet at the LVRR clubhouse in the Parkway. Contact Ingrid Gerber if you have questions: ingridgerber1@aol.com.

Bears and Brews – Wednesday, Bear Creek, Macungie. Meet at the upper parking lot, 6:30 pm, at Bear Creek Resort for a 6 mile trail run around the property. More info on the Facebook page.

LV Beer Run Club – Wednesday, Bethlehem. I have been checking the webpage and no longer saw updates so I thought perhaps the group disbanded. Nope! They have moved to Facebook. Join up for a short run followed by drinks and trivia at Bethlehem Brew Works. The group meets in front of Aardvark Sports Shop at 8:00 pm. Facebook page

Breakfast Club Runners – Saturday morning, 7:30 am. Meeting spots vary from week to week, be sure to check out the BCR Facebook page for each week’s location. This is a great group of runners, they run a variety of paces, you are certain to fit in there somewhere (I promise!) Be sure to bring an extra shirt and some cash so that you can join the group for breakfast after the run.

UPCOMING RACES – see LVRS event page for more details and links
Hey I Know You 5k – Macungie
Stroehman’s Back on my Feet 20 in 24 – Philadelphia
Quadzilla 15k – Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville
Sportsfest 1k-2k-5k – Allentown

MISS SOMETHING? RECENT ARTICLES ON LV RUNNING SCENE

Local Runner Receives RRCA Roads Scholar Award
ACSM Issues New Guidelines On Quantity And Quality Of Exercise

Mingle and Music on the Mountain

Local Runner Travels To South Africa To Run Big 5 Marathon

Hunting on Sundays? Perhaps.

Local Death Race Survivor Outlasts Many

Bear Creek Resort

Mingle and Music on the Mountain

It’s long overdue and many of you have been asking when the next happy hour will be. Well, here you go! This is going to be a good one, too.

The Details …

When: Thursday, August 11
Time: 5:30-7:30 Happy Hour followed by Music Under The Stars until 10pm
Where: Bear Creek Resort – Deck & Rock Garden – 101 Doe Mountain Lane, Macungie, PA 18062

RAFFLE: There will be a 50/50 raffle – $5 a ticket. Winner gets half the money!! (We’ll use the other half toward some finger food.)

Please invite your family, friends and fellow athletes to this fun night out on the mountain. There will be happy hour specials (both food and drink – I’ll update you with those specifics later) from 5:30-7:30 pm followed by live music from 7:00-10:00 pm.

For those interested in a trail run or ride, there is a great trail following the perimeter of the property which is approximately 6 miles long. If interested in that, please make a note of that in your RSVP and I will try to coordinate.

For more information and to RSVP visit the event page here on LV Running Scene or on Facebook.

LVRS event page – http://lvrunningscene.com/rsvpmaker/mingle-music-on-the-mountain/
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124802307606638

Event hosted by LV Running Scene and Spine and Sport Chiropractic Clinic.