We all have a lot to be thankful for. Good health, family, and friends, there are a lot of reasons.
The crew at the lululemon showroom in Lancaster wanted to show everyone what they most grateful for in their lives during the holidays. If you stopped by their Queen Street location, you would have found pictures in their front window of each employee with what or whom they are grateful to have in their lives. For some, it was family and friends, while others it was the activities that they enjoy so much. It was a great chance to get to know them a little more and spend some time in the store and around Lancaster. Hilary, Rebecca, and Kate chose to go across the street from the store in a beautiful brick archway. For Steph, we went next door to Mice en Place, a chef’s paradise of a store. Heather wanted to share the love of her son at a little graffiti wall over on Grant Street that I am sure most people have never seen (if you head over, also look for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle around the corner). For Chris, we popped over to Crossfit Collective on Manheim Pike. Finally, Vee got me to come out from behind the camera and join her in front of Lululemon with Luluby all dressed up with some Shimano C50 carbon tubular wheels.
Even though the holidays have passed, I hope you take some time and think about all the things you are grateful to have in your life. Big or small, share with those you are thankful for, and spread some cheer and positivity with the world in these trying times.
Hi, my name is Scott, and I have a problem. It all started with a shirt. It was comfortable, and it fit well, and it kept me cool and dry in the summer when I’m out shooting races. Then it became shorts that had all the same benefits. Yes, I have a lululemon addiction.
If you have seen me shooting at races this year, I have a uniform, whether you realized it or not. Metal vent shirts and Kahuna shorts. I have my wife to blame. She got me started with it, and now, I rarely wear anything else. Because of this, we have become good friends with the ladies at the lululemon showroom in Lancaster, PA. Their store on Queen Street is a bit of a test to see if the brand would be well received in the community. It’s more than just a store though. The company encourages all of their employees to get involved in many parts of the community, the biggest and most obvious part being the fitness area. They host Mat to Market Yoga classes on Saturday AM, and also have a running group that meets up fairly regularly.
The store also reaches out to influential fitness people in the community, and seeks feedback on what they like and dislike about not only their lululemon clothing, but other brands as well. They invite small groups together to share their feedback, and show one of their favorite pieces of clothing to help inspire new ideas.
As a way to celebrate the fall, the store invited several of their friends from the area to come out for a flag football game at Clipper Magazine Stadium, home of the Lancaster Barnstormers minor league baseball team. I had raced a cross race that morning, and went straight to the game thinking I was probably just going to shoot. For the first half, that worked out as there were an odd number of players. Another guy came a little late, which meant I was drafted, and my cameras were handed over to Vee and Heather from lululemon.
It turned into a great and fun experience being able to play on a professional field. The competition was fierce, as each team wanted the bragging rights from the win. At the end of regulation, the score was tied, and we went into overtime. My team scored first, and was able to hold off our opponents with an interception that was run back for a touchdown to end the game.
With the game over, it was time to head to Federal Taphouse to enjoy some food and drinks. With so many beers to choose from, and tons of great food, everyone was happy.
Thanks again to lululemon on Queen Street for organizing a great event.
A few weeks back, two of our favorite businesses in Lancaster had a grand opening at their new location on Orange Street. Vee and I have been huge fans of the Black Comb and Pink Lady as long as we have known about them. Jonathan and Brittany Leitzel moved their businesses to a larger spot just around the block from their original Duke Street location. Some of you from the cycling world might recognize the location as the former home of Orange Street Velo.
For their grand opening, Jonathan, Brittany, Pat, Paul, and Evan invited friends to stop by and see the location before they officially opened for business. Along with more space for the barbers (and room to expand), Brittany now has her own space with two hair washing stations and a mini lounge for her customers. A room with a football table was added with a kegerator for the guys.
Elliot & Co was also on hand with a pop-up shop set up in the back of the store. They had a mix of antiques and modern takes on classic items on hand for purchase.
It has been a lot of hard work for everyone, but the new Orange Street barber shop and salon has become one of the newest fixtures of the Lancaster downtown district.
When I heard professional cycling was coming back to Reading, PA, the area I consider my hometown, I was beyond excited. I would never have guessed that the race would turn out to be as great as it did.
Under cloudy skies, riders set off over the Lindbergh Viaduct and out to the rolling countryside of Berks County. The route looped up to the northern part of the county before heading southwest to come back to the city through West Reading and the Penn Street Bridge. Once back into the city, the course looped up to City Park, and up the famed Duryea Drive. Riders passed the iconic Pagoda and finished the climb to the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower. The course went to the back side of the mountain, and came back into City Park, looping back to the finish at 5th and Penn.
Almost as soon as the riders left the city, the rain started. This added an additional challenge to an already difficult race course. Riders hit the surface multiple times, but it was the slight right hand bend coming back into City Park that caught some of the leaders out. This bend also turned out to be a key point in the course on the final lap. With Danny Summerhill (UnitedHealthcare) and Toms Skujinš (Hincapie Racing Team) descending Mount Penn for the last time, Summerhill used his cyclocross background to keep his bike upright in the slick turn. Skujinš seemed to have some issues navigating the turn as well, and decided at that point to let the UHC rider take the lead and open a gap. Summer hill never looked back, and rode to victory on the flooded streets.
Back on August 23rd, my better half ran the Sol Lipton Run Fest Half Marathon in Pottsville, PA. For her, it was another race to add to her list of half marathons she has completed in the last 4 years, along with training for an upcoming 50k trail race. For me, it was pretty cool to come back to a city where I had one of the rare wins in my cycling career from back when I was a junior.
It was the 35th year of the Sol Lipton Run Fest, and the medals say it all with the slogan “tough as hell.” Even on a bike, it was a rolling course, but a fun one. The event was very well run, considering they were also hosting a 5k at the same time.
Thanks for being patient with getting these posted. There has been a lot of events going on in the mean time, and everyone is busy with Interbike upon us.
Back in June, Easter Seals of Southeastern Pennsylvania hosted their Come Walk With Me 5K at the Philadelphia Zoo. The event gave runners the chance to run along side the animals, including a few peacocks that were roaming the grounds. It was a beautiful day for a run.
It also gave them a chance to connect with some of the kids and their families supported by the organization. The highlighted families were encouraged to set up a display to tell their stories and many also brought friends and family to support the event. After the 5K run, everyone was encouraged to join the walk and enjoy the zoo.
Even with the rain coming down in buckets, almost 500 riders came out to support agriculture through the Colavita|Fine Cooking Farm to Fork Fondo in Orange County, New York. With a motto of “happy tummies ride local”, the event hopes to promote the connection between local agriculture and active lifestyle. Beyond providing the fresh ingredients for healthy eating, the open farmland also provides cyclists with beautiful routes, usually with less traffic. The Cedar Lakes Estates was the host for this first time event, and the charming atmosphere made everyone feel at ease, despite the challenging conditions.
This first edition of the ride had a decidedly Italian feel to it, with Colavita and Bianchi being just a few of the many Italian sponsors of the event. It was fitting as the course almost made you feel as though you were riding through rolling hills in Northern Italy (although rain made it feel like a beautiful day in Belgium). Regardless of which route you had chosen, you better have brought your climbing legs. Even the Piccolo was more rolling hills than flat, and included at least a few decent climbs. All along the route, the rest stops were located at farms nestled into a picturesque backdrop near the Delaware Water Gap. Each of these farms are part of the local land trust that is dedicated to preserving farmland that provide local residents with fresh produce, dairy, and meat. Each stop was staffed by participants of the New Holland Agriculture Volunteer Challenge, who were competing for various local agricultural based causes. Colavita and Fine Cooking Magazine provided plenty of yummy treats for riders to snack on, along with the usual supply of energy gels and bars from GU and fruit.
Leading the way on the Grand Fondo route were the ladies of the Colavita|Bianchi Pro Women’s Cycling team and special guests multi-time US National Champion Tim Johnson and Canadian Olympian Lyne Bessett. Riders had the opportunity to ride and chat with them as they enjoyed the beautiful countryside. Upon return, participants were rewarded with one of the more unique medals I’ve seen, a wooden spoon with the Farm To Fork logo. After you had a chance to clean up and dry off, a feast prepared by Fine Cooking Magazine was waiting. This alone made it worth the wet ride.
Congrats to Tyler Wren and Wrenegade Sports for putting on a great event. On July 12th, the second Farm To Fork Fondo will be held in Pittsfield, VT. So far for this event, it has been announced that the Jamis-Hagens Berman Pro Men’s Team, Cannondale-Garmin’s Ted King, and Custom Velo’s two-time Olympian Bobby Lea, will be along for the ride. Jamis Bicycles will be sponsoring the event, and will be giving away three bicycles that all participants will be eligible to win. New Holland Agriculture will also continuing to sponsor the volunteer challenge. Spots are still available for this beautiful ride, and you will not be disappointed.
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