John Beck

Bon vivant par excellence
Organizer of good things. Skeptical romantic. Needs pasta.

Dash and Deciduous 5k

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Dash and Deciduous 5k trail run

Saturday, June 10th 2017, 10 AM Start

***REGISTER ONLINE FOR FREE***

The Uptown Gentlefriends present the Dash and Deciduous 5k trail run at Clayton Park. This is a FREE timed 5k group run. Despite the fact that this is a FREE 5k, registration is required due to the field size being limited to 40 runners. Once the field limit is reached additional runners will go on a waiting list in the order they registered.

Handmade awards will be given to the top male and female. The awards will be handmade using objects found around the farmlands at Clayton Park. “Easter eggs” will be hidden throughout the course for runners to find which can be returned for prizes.

Do not expect to get a 5k PR at this course. This is a fun timed group run. I would consider the course to be an entry level course for a trail runner. Beginners may find the course challenging with over 310ft of combined elevation climb with some sections loaded with ankle twisting roots that appear to come out of nowhere. Veteran trail runners will find the course to be fast and fun with a few short very runnable sections that will allow you to gain a lot of ground on the leader (or keep the lead). The course will be well-marked and no one well get lost. There will be a self-serve water station at mile 1.1 and again at mile 2.6. This may be an unmanned water station so runners will need to stop to get their own water.

The course is very spectator friendly. Cheer on your friends and family at the start and then again at mile .75 before the runners enter the woods. You’ll have the chance to cheer them on again by taking a short walk to the 2.2 mile mark (see course map) just after they complete a difficult uphill section and need your cheers to lift their spirits for the rest of the run. Be sure to congratulate them at the finish line!

Refreshments will be served post-run at the picnic area near the parking lot.

Post-run party will be held down the street at Screamin’ Hill Brewery starting at 12 noon. The brewery is located on a small farm and has an excellent selection of hand crafted beers. They do not have any dining options, however visitors are allowed to bring their own food. I suggest Phil’s Take-Out which is located 6 minutes in the opposite direction but has some great sandwiches and entrees at low prices (they open at 11). Parking is very limited at the brewery, I suggest making friends at the 5k and carpooling the 3 minutes down the road.

Thank you for participating in the first Uptown Gentlefriends 5k. Keep in mind this is a group trail run and NOT a race. You are responsible for your own safety. Clayton Park is a wonderful place to run but can be challenging, never underestimate the course and the dangers that come from trail running there. I would consider myself a veteran trail runner and Clayton Park is the ONLY park where I have tripped on roots and rocks. Not just once, but many times. Give Clayton Park respect and it will respect you!
– John Beck
Run Organizer

Click here for the interactive course map on Strava

Clayton Park
161 Emley’s Hill Rd, Imlaystown, NJ 08526

Screamin’ Hill Brewery
83 Emley’s Hill Rd, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514

Phil’s Take-Out
173 Route 526, Allentown, NJ 08501

LINKS
Like the Uptown Gentlefriends on Facebook
Follow the Uptown Gentlefriends on Twitter
Join the Uptown Gentlefriends on Strava
Dash and Deciduous 5k event page on Facebook
Team Uptown Gentlefriends group on Facebook
***REGISTER ONLINE FOR FREE***

Uptown Gentlefriends 12 Hour Track Attack

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Uptown Gentlefriends 12 Hour Track Attack: April 29th 2017, 6am to 6pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/730105377139297/

In 2016 the Uptown Gentlefriends invited their friends and families to join them for a 12 hour training run at the local high school track. At the end of the day over 40 people showed up and every one of them logged AT LEAST 1 lap. Some did well over a hundred laps! As a group they logged 984 laps – that’s 246 miles!

In 2017 we hope to get even more people involved and top our 2016 mileage! Join us! We will have several coolers with cold drinks and delicious snacks. We will also have chairs and a canopy to relax under. Bring your families! Several kids ran last year; all ages are welcome!

Come out, get some fresh air and get some steps in. Walk a lap or run many. Or bring a book and just hang out with us all day. A few of us are using this as training for upcoming endurance runs, so your presence alone will motivate us – we need the help!

Runners will be responsible for counting their own laps. Those with a Garmin GPS device can install an app that will count laps, such as Auto Lap Counter (https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/4ae5506a-0d33-4948-a101-d1b2128f3bbc). This comes in handy as it will only count laps once the “start zone” is crossed, so any additional mileage, such as aid station breaks or bathroom breaks, won’t be counted. A more advanced app option is Loop Ultra Racer (https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/d647721e-5147-4a84-9914-e023236b1f13) which can be configured to not only show the number of laps but the projected total laps/mileage based on your lap times during the 12 hours. There may be other options available for other brands of watches or an old fashioned method of physically counting each lap. It’s up to you!

There are currently no bathroom facilities. We’re hoping that a port-o-potty appears once spring starts. They usually do. Otherwise there are permanent restrooms at the park located across the street (about a quarter mile away).

Rain date will be the next day; April 30th.

Follow the Uptown Gentlefriends on Strava:
https://www.strava.com/clubs/gentlefriends

Follow the Uptown Gentlefriends on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/U_Gentlefriends

2016 Finisher’s awards and more!

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Baltimore Marathon

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Ran the Baltimore marathon this past weekend. It was such a great race. A lot more challenging than I thought it would be. Such a great city. Great course. Great spectators! I can hardly wait to do this race again. Definitely going to stay for an extra night. Also, the race has the sweetest finisher’s medal that I’ve ever received!

REI Trail Series 5k at Historic Smithville Park

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The Arms of Velae

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Added a new video to the artwork section. It was a video I started in 2013 and then gave up on. I revisited it today and finished it off. It’s alright. I guess. At least it’s short.

Bucks County 10 Miler 2016

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Due to some injuries (knee, shin) and the way my training was going I didn’t expect to repeat last year’s performance. It was a cold, rainy day and the towpath was muddy and slick. I was hopeful to get under 90 minutes, shooting for 85. Ended up finishing under 80 minutes. Not too far off from last year’s run. Even though it was painful at times the race gave me confidence and made me hopeful about future races.19100121-3_v4-177c89460de08175a2c061538de29393

April Website Updates

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I updated many pages on www.beckinabox.com. Most notably added a new painting and a new video under the artwork section. I also fixed many of the pages under the artwork: video section to reflect embedded video from YouTube. The unfortunately part is that not all of the videos are on YouTube, either YouTube removed them due to copyright or I just never uploaded them to begin with (and probably never will). Those pages that I didn’t embed the YouTube video will resort to using an obsolete QuickTime plug-in. I will someday modernize those pages.

I also updated many other pages. Fixed some formatting errors. Updated general info and links. And stuff like that.

Let me know if anyone encounters any errors and your thoughts on my latest video. Thanks!

Naked Bavarian 2016

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Ran the Naked Bavarian 40 miler trail race over the weekend. I didn’t train much for it. I tore my MCL back in September and slowly got back into running. In January I really started piling on the miles which started giving me shin splints so I had to cut back on my miles and even stop for a bit. So I went into running a difficult 40 mile trail race with my previous longest run at only 9 miles. A long way off from 40. Anyway, I hung in there, got just ahead of the cutoffs and actually passed a few people in the last 15 miles to finish 91st out of 99. There were over 40 runners who actually gave up after their first 20 mile lap. My teammate Keilynn ran the 20 mile version of the race and wrote this great recap, I hope you all check it out. It has some great pictures in it: http://natureorbust.com/2016/03/07/naked-bavarian-marathon/

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Men’s Personal Grooming (Shaving)

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A few years ago I started to become interested in men’s personal grooming. I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe I didn’t like the way my skin reacted to those overpriced quadruple blade systems. Maybe I actually started caring about my skin. Maybe I got tired of spending a fortune on replacement blades every month, or having to charge up some cheap plastic electric razor. Maybe I just wanted shaving to feel a little more traditional.

I’m far from knowledgeable or even experienced, but I genuinely look forward to shaving every day and wanted to share some of my limited experience. Every morning I make sure I give myself a little extra time to do it right. If I don’t shave right after a shower, I usually relax my skin with a hot towel prepared with a little bit of  Vick’s VaporRub.

I use Taylor of Old Bond Street shave soap. I’ve been in love with their lavender scent, although I honestly haven’t tried a scent from them that I didn’t enjoy. I’ll occasionally use other shave soaps as well, such as Geo. F. Trumper and Proraso. I use a generic ceramic shave mug to hold the soap, along with a pure badger hair shave brush from The Art of Shaving. When I first started out I used a cheap brush that quickly fell apart, so my advice is to upgrade to a better shave brush. Your skin will thank you.

As far as razors go, I use a long-handled Merkur safety razor. I originally used Merkur double-edged blades, but now I use Feather blades. Some blades are definitely sharper than others, but sharpest isn’t always best. I’ve found that it really depends on your shaving style and skin type.

As for aftershaves, that’s completely up to personal preference. Going back to my original reasoning for shaving this way, part of it is because I want it to feel classic and masculine. Because of that, I tend to use more old-school aftershaves—musky, spicy, traditional scents. I honestly don’t think I use a single contemporary aftershave.

The aftershave I use most is Clubman Pinaud. Clubman has been around since the early 1800s, and it was one of the first aftershaves I ever used. It’s a fresh powdery scent and still my go-to when heading out to events. If I’m going to an evening dinner date or small party, I’ll usually use a bay rum aftershave. Different brands all have their own variations, but for the most part they’re spicy scents that really stand out. I usually use Clubman Bay Rum or Layrite No. 9 Bay Rum.

For everyday use during the spring and summer, I tend to use Lucky Tiger, Aqua Velva, or Florida Water—another classic product that dates back to the early 1800s. During the fall and winter I usually find myself reaching for Skin Bracer or Stetson. Other aftershaves that regularly stay in rotation are Old Spice Classic and Brut Classic, two scents that are recognizable, relaxing, and great for the daily grind.

There are so many aftershaves out there, and like I said, everyone has their own preferences and favorites. Some aftershaves I’d still love to try someday are Canoe, Musgo Real, Osage Rub, British Sterling, Gabel’s Bay Rum, Royall Lyme, Muelhens, Clubman Lilac Vegetal, Clubman Lime Sec, Tabac, Proraso, Jovan Musk, Royal Copenhagen, and English Leather.

If anyone feels like gifting me a bottle of any of them, I’d be forever grateful.