A confession — I haven’t run since mid-May.

It’s not an injury or laziness, but a conscious choice as I prepared for a five-day, 334.5-mile cycling adventure from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., on the Greater Allegheny Passage and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath.

Local runners and cyclists are familiar with the GAP, the 150-mile paved and crushed limestone route from Pittsburgh’s Point State Park Fountain to Cumberland, Md. The Boston Trail Half Marathon is held annually on a portion of the GAP.

The GAP Trail began with a 27-mile right-of-way purchase by Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1978. Eight years later, the route from Ohiopyle to Confluence was opened with the final connection into Pittsburgh officially completed in 2013.

There are many options for pleasant day trips on the scenic and gentle trail, but biking the entire trail is not an activity for the unprepared or untrained. I followed the advice of experienced cyclists for proper training, including scheduling mileage to build endurance and planning necessary nutrition and hydration for safe riding.

Eight members of Team Beer Biking Club set out from Pittsburgh in the cool of a Wednesday morning, passing familiar landmarks like Hot Metal Bridge, Sand Castle and Kennywood along the Monongahela River, then followed the Youghiogheny south.

We planned to glide into our first stop at Ohiopyle, but a bike breakdown had one bike towed by another for more than 10 miles to a shop in Connellsville. You never know what adventure’s in store, but luckily, we were back on the road within the hour.

On Day 2 we covered the distance to Cumberland, Md., with scenic vistas from Salisbury and Keystone Viaducts. We also biked through four tunnels including the more than half-mile long Big Savage Tunnel. (Bring lights.) Near Rockwood, some of our group braved a hilly road detour around a rockslide while others, me included, rode a shuttle around the affected area.

From there, we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide and highest point on the GAP Trail at 2,392 feet of elevation. We also crossed the Mason-Dixon Line on our downhill cruise to Cumberland and the eastern terminus of the GAP.

We began the next leg of our journey on the 184.5-mile C&O Canal Towpath. The canal operated for nearly 100 years, hauling goods for the people of the Potomac River Valley until a 1924 flood destroyed it and railroads took over shipping.

The C&O Canal National Historical Park contains more than 1,300 historic structures with locks, lockhouses, culverts and the intriguing 3,118-foot Paw Paw Tunnel near Little Orleans, W.Va.

Although the C&O Towpath is fairly level, it’s much narrower than the GAP with large sections of loose gravel, roots and rocks. We were glad to divert to the paved Western Maryland Rail Trail for a portion of the day.

Our second day on the rocky gravel Towpath left us with bruised butts and jarred bodies. One of our guys hit a rock, and he and bike disappeared over a steep bank. Luckily, he suffered only minor scrapes and bruises.

The tough day ended with a stair climb and river crossing to Harper’s Ferry, W.Va., at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. The town is home to the Appalachian Trail Headquarters and the site of abolitionist John Brown’s uprising which ignited the Civil War. We spent the evening and next morning touring the historic town before resuming our gravelly trek to D.C.

On a sunny Sunday morning, we battled both the trail and pedestrians on our way toward our destination. We managed to locate Mile 0 of the C&O across a small pedestrian bridge and celebrated the adventure with photos and high-fives (celebratory beers came later). We counted our blessings in having great weather, no serious injuries, only one breakdown and no flat tires.

Our great adventure done, we looked forward to our shuttle home and a much-deserved rest. Now it’s back to running for me and my Team Beer friends.

Credit to all who made this trip possible: Rapp’s Bicycle, Butler, for bike tune-ups and good advice on preparation; Golden Triangle Bicycle, Pittsburgh, for arranging lodging and shuttle; Bikes Unlimited, Connellsville, for emergency repair at a good price; and my Team Beer Biking Club for everything else.

Saturday, 6:30 a.m.: Mighty Moraine Fall Multi-Sport Festival, Portersville. Olympic Distance Triathlon, Relay and Aquabike at Moraine State Park. runsignup.com/Race/PA/Portersville/MightyMoraineFallMultiSportFestival

Saturday, 8 a.m.: Historic Hill 5K Run, Walk and Ride, Pittsburgh. Run at Freedom Corner in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. runsignup.com/Race/PA/Pittsburgh/HistoricHill

Sunday, 7 a.m.: Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame Half Marathon, Relay, 5K, 10K, Cleveland. www.rockhallhalfmarathon.com

Sunday, 10 a.m.: Mighty Moraine Fall Multi-Sport Festival, Portersville. Sprint Distance Triathlon, Aquabike, Duathlon, Adventure Race at Moraine State Park. runsignup.com/Race/PA/Portersville/MightyMoraineFallMultiSportFestival

Aug. 23, 9 a.m.: 43rd Annual Run Around the Square 5K, Pittsburgh. Run through Regent Square neighborhood and Frick Park. 724-331-9635 or runaroundthesquare.com

Aug. 23, 9 a.m.: Banana Run 5K, Latrobe. Family friendly run/walk through Latrobe finishes at Memorial Stadium. Part of Banana Split Celebration. 724-537-4331 or latroberecreation.org/races/

Aug. 23, 9 a.m.: Ruck Cancer, Allison Park. Run or ruck 5 miles or 5K starting at North Park Boat House. runsignup.com/Race/PA/AllisonPark/RUCKCancer

Aug. 31, 9 a.m.: Brady’s Run Happy 5K and 10K, Beaver Falls. Also 5K Walk and Kids Race. runsignup.com/Race/PA/BeaverFalls/BradysRunHappy

Sept. 1, 9 a.m.: Buhl Day 5K, Hermitage. Follow Buhl Day parade course to Buhl Farm Park. runsignup.com/Race/PA/Hermitage/HERMITAGEBUHLDAY5K

Sept. 5, 6 p.m.: St. Aidan/Alphonsus Harvest Home 5K and 1-Mile, Allison Park. Starts at North Park’s Harmar Pavilion. runsignup.com/Race/PA/AllisonPark/SAINTALPHONSUSTWILIGHT5K1MILE

Sept. 6, 8 a.m.: Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic 25K and 50K, Youngstown. New location in Mill Creek Park’s Wick Recreation Area. runsignup.com/Race/OH/Youngstown/YoungstownUltraTrailClassic

Sept. 6, 8 a.m.: Barber Beast on the Bay 10-Mile, Erie. Obstacle run at Presque Isle State Park. This is the final year for the event. 814-480-6810 or www.barberbeast.org

Sept. 6, 9 a.m.: Lee Foster Memorial 5-Mile, St. Marys. runsignup.com/Race/PA/SaintMarys/LeeFosterMemorial5Mile

Sept. 7, 7 a.m.: Erie Marathon @ Presque Isle. Flat course at Presque Isle State Park. 814-504-2631 or runsignup.com/Race/PA/Erie/ErieMarathon

Sept. 7, 4:30 p.m.: Hoodlebug 5K Run and Fun Walk, Homer City. Part of Annual Fall Festival. runsignup.com/Race/PA/HomerCity/hoodlebug5k

Sept. 11, 6 p.m.: 9/11 First Responders Rememberance 5K Run and 2-Mile Walk, Pulaski. Discount for firefighters, police, military, veterans. runsignup.com/Race/PA/Pulaski/911FirstRespondersRemembrance5k

Sept. 13, 6 a.m.: Rockin’ the Knob Trail Challenge, Claysburg. 50K starts at 6 a.m., half marathon at 9 a.m. and 10K at 10 a.m. at Blue Knob Four Seasons Resort. runsignup.com/Race/PA/Claysburg/RockNTheKnob

Sept. 13, 10 a.m.: Pioneer Pursuit 5K Race, 1-Mile Walk, Kids’ 100-Meter Dash, Butler. Run at Butler County Community College benefits BC3 students and Pioneer Athletics. runsignup.com/Race/PA/Butler/PioneerPursuit

Strawberry Days 5K, June 18: Jed Christiansen, 1st Overall M, 15:56; Megan Puleio, 1st Overall W, 19:17; Joe Floris, 1st Masters M, 18:38; Kara Shuty, 1st Masters W, 23:49; Quintin Weaver, 3rd 20-29 M, 17:24; Maxwell Griffin, 1st 12-15 M, 18:26; Brad Patsy, 1st 40-49 M, 19:40; Scott Choura, 2nd 55-59 M, 21:20; Todd Allman, 1st 60-64 M, 22:28; S Mark Courtney, 1st 65-59 M, 22:50; Atarah Huntsberger, 1st 12-15 M, 22:56; Katie Jordan, 2nd 35-39 W, 23:13; Kellen Ritzert, 1st 50-54 M, 23:33; Robert Dummer, 3rd 35-39 M, 23:37; Terry Beacom, 2nd 45-39 M, 23:38; Dominick Degilio, 2nd 40-44 M, 24:28; Lurena Stewart, 1st 20-29 W, 24:55; Adam Blair, 3rd 40-44 M, 26:39; David Suber, 2nd 65-69 M, 27:16; Mandy James, 2nd 40-44 W, 27:37; Nathan Davis, 3rd 45-49 M, 27:50; Allie Jordan, 2nd 9-11 W, 28:38; Jen Beachem, 3rd 40-44 W, 28:41; Bill Swanik, 3rd 65-59 M, 29:10; Leslie Kramer, 2nd 45-49 W, 29:59; Cindy Suber, 1st 65-69 W, 30:07; Debbie Courtney, 1st 60-64 W, 30:41; Karyn Senita, 3rd 45-49 W, 31:16; Carter Hastings, 2nd 30-34 M, 31:33; Vicki Brendlinger, 2nd 65-69 W, 32:50; Debbie Jamison, 3rd 55-59 W, 41:51; Joe Funte, 3rd 30-34 M, 44:12; Tira McVey, 1st 70+ W, 45:43; Jack Wells, 20:03; John Armstrong, 23:57; Richard Stewart, 24:20; Jalen Ritzert, 24:36; Mason Reynolds, 25:05; Corbin Hamilton, 25:21; Corey Blair, 25:29; Gracen Harris, 25:31; Herb Cratty, 25:42; Gabriella Parfitt, 25:47; Madelyn Blough, 26:15; Lacey Blair, 27:06; Blake Sereday, 27:36; Jim Stewart, 27:44; Tom McMann, 28:00; Anthony Gahler, 29:01; Lisa Leonhard, 29:20; Edward Doughty, 29:22; Greg Faulconbridge, 29:31; Emmett Rice, 29:42; Ben Hindman, 29:59; Nathanael Nuss, 30:50; Meredith Yarington, 32:51; Jessy Thompson, 33:08; Ruth Hindman, 33:09; Ella Faulconbridge, 34:22; Rich Honsaker, 35:24; Tony Sunseri, 35:30; John Sestak, 35:39; Amanda Choura, 36:42; Chrissy Dummer, 36:45; Jim Lakin, 38:19; Amanda Criss, 39:04; Gina Moen, 40:37; Maria Cosme, 40:46; Shawn Miller, 44:12

Strawberry Days Kids Half Mile, June 18: Cole McAfoose, 1st Overall M, 3:30; Brooke Hoobler, 1st Overall W, 3:32; Lizzie Jordan, 2nd Overall W, 3:36; Audriana McMann, 1st 9-11 W, 3:46; Myrilla Degilio, 2nd 8 W, 4:10; Jack McMann, 2nd 6-7 M, 4:25; Brody Moen, 2nd 5 & Under M, 5:13; Jemma Degilio, 1st 5 & Under W, 5:17; Audrey Dean, 5:01; Ember Courtney, 7:02

Butch’s Bucket Brigade 5K, June 21: Hannah Love, 1st Overall W, 20:34; Lucas Bowser, 1st Overall M, 20:55; Cody Katman, 2nd Overall M, 22:59; Bret Atwood, 3rd Overall M, 23:40; Vanessa Drohan, 1st 21-29 W, 23:40; Sadie Atwood, 1st 14 & Under W, 23:54; Matt Drohan, 1st 50-59 M, 24:47; Keith Clark, 3rd 50-59 M, 25:52; Kenley Graham, 2nd 14 & Under W, 26:09; Luke Militzer, 1st 21-29 M, 26:12; Zach Busch, 2nd 30-39 M, 26:13; Beth Graham, 2nd 40-49 W, 26:44; Alex Eppinger, 2nd 15-20 M, 27:07; Susan Landgraf, 1st 50-59 W, 28:11; Ariana Clark, 2nd 21-29 W, 28:30; Beckham Graham, 2nd 14 & Under M, 29:08; Jami Golab, 3rd 30-39 W, 29:11; Anna Clark, 2nd 50-59 W, 30:16; Henry Nolan, 1st 60+ M, 30:25; Kimberly Miller, 3rd 50-59 W, 31:53; Addison Totin, 2nd 15-20 W, 32:07; Anthony Sunseri, 3rd 60+ M, 32:31; Mykaela Lipscomb, 3rd 21-29 W, 33:03; Emma Clark, 3rd 15-20 W, 37:36; Jennifer McCurdy, 1st 60+ W, 40:11; Bailey Barton, 2nd 21-29 M, 40:43; Logan Bowser, 3rd 21-29 M, 41:57; Dianna Craig, 28:57; Breanna Drane, 30:14; Dylan Claypoole, 31:28; Ryanne Miller, 31:50; Tina Johnson, 33:04; Camryn Bowser, 33:13; Tabitha Bowser, 33:14; Chuck Houser, 33:55; Walt Tutell, 34:09; Lauren Bowser, 35:52; Addison Orton, 38:31; Randy Bowser, 39:13; Kayla Wolfe, 40:25; Landon Badac, 42:01; Sarah Drane, 42:25; Norah Hutchman, 42:26; Annie Atwood, 43:42; Lily Atwood, 43:44; Fred Golab, 44:27; Jorn Jensen, 44:34; Amy Farr, 45:34; Nate Shields, 47:30; Molly Atwood, 47:54; Allison Barrett, 47:56; Zach Smith, 48:50; Craig Pavlik, 49:31; Kim Kenetz, 51:43; Madison Byers, 56:17

Pat Neubert is a running columnist for the Butler Eagle. Send comments and suggestions: Patricia Neubert, phone 724-352-4395, email lotzak@consolidated.net