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Million-Dollar Fitness Plan
Long-time runner spreads his healthy message through community outreach

by Steve Schirra

For Avon resident Bud Hagy, ambition was never a problem. Back in 1983, the then-28-year-old started a company out of the trunk of his car with just $500. Now, at 54, his two companies bring in around $45 million a year.

About the time the entrepreneur began his first company, he also decided to take control of his health. "I was about 29 and decided that I was going to start taking care of my body," he says. "I was watching the marathoners on Lake Avenue run by, and they were older guys. I decided that if they could do it, I could do it."

Hagy began training slowly, but soon was well on his way to getting in shape. "I started out running around the block, and three months later, I ended up running a 35k."

In his first race, he finished in the top 20 percent - not too bad for a beginner. To date, Hagy has completed 85 marathons, including six appearances in the Boston Marathon.

A former self-proclaimed "weekend warrior," Hagy says he finally realized that staying healthy and active was the key to success. "I was a partier back when I was younger, and I think I realized that I couldn't run a business and have a clear head when I was doing that. I knew I had to change my way and my habits."

Hagy's fitness regimen includes daily five- to seven-mile runs (50 or 60 miles per week before marathons) and a healthy diet, free from desserts and sweets. "Watching my diet is real critical."

Impressed with his own results from living healthy, Hagy is enthusiastic about sharing his message with others and helping them improve their lives through fitness. He decided to give his 80-employee staff the means to get in shape by adding a fitness center they can use free of charge. His wife, a Pilates instructor, even comes in one night a week for group fitness classes.

Hagy also has used running as a way to give back to the community. In 1991, he served as a board member for the Revco-Cleveland Marathon. A last-minute change to the route through Westlake sat him down with the city's mayor, who asked him if he ever thought about starting a Westlake marathon. Celebrate Westlake was born.

In its first year, from 300 to 400 athletes participated in the five-mile run, and the race lost $2,500. The second year, the race made $4,000. To date, Celebrate Westlake has raised almost $2 million for charity, hosting about 1,500 runners, walkers and children per year. Like Hagy's first business, the race's success ballooned into something larger than life.

"These aren't just runs; they're events. When you can hand back the money to charities that need it, that's even better."

Hagy also serves as the director of the five-mile Eagle Run, whose 800 participants raise $60,000 each year for charity. In addition, he created the 5K Turkey Dash in honor of a neighbor who, at only 34, passed away from breast cancer. He hopes that through his events, he can support the surrounding community, as well as make a lasting impression, especially on his younger participants.

"If I had someone tutor me on running when I was young, I think I would have been healthier in my old years," he says. "I think it's a great mental and physical activity for someone who might not be coordinated to play basketball or football."

Running has become not just a hobby for Hagy, but a lifestyle. "You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have your health, it's not worth it. That's why I always have high energy. You have to if you want to be successful."

by Kevin Madzia

0 miles

www.nps.gov/cuva

Don't ride here, yet. Other than the Towpath Trail, off-road bicycling is forbidden in all areas of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). In 2005, the National Park Service agreed to work with the International Mountain Biking Association on a pilot project to build mountain biking trails in three national parks, including the CVNP. No time line exists for the construction of the trail, but this hotly anticipated project should be a huge attraction for mountain biking enthusiasts from around the region and beyond.

35 miles (continuous section between Cleveland and Akron)

Beginner

www.canalwayohio.com/towpathtrail.htm

Yes, I know, it's not a mountain bike trail. It's just for families, right? Now, any cyclist reading this who has not ridden on the Towpath, raise your hand. Anyone? Anyone? The Towpath is a resource we are lucky to have. Casual riders make it their full-time home. Racers use it for recovery rides or training in the off-season. Commuters can take it from Akron to Cleveland or many points inbetween. I am a Towpath rider. Are you a Towpath rider? It's OK, I won't tell.

3.5 miles

Beginner to intermediate

www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/quailhlw.htm

If you are a total beginner to mountain biking, head to Hartville to check out the trail at Quail Hollow State Park. This user-friendly loop is fairly flat and has just enough twists, rocks, logs and roots to give you a taste of what real mountain biking is all about, but nothing that will get you in too far over your head. The trailhead is easy to find on the main park road off of Congress Lake Avenue, which can be reached from downtown Hartville or Route 224.

8 miles

Beginner to Intermediate

www.camba.us/pn/index.php?name=Reviews&req=showcontent&id=13

Tucked among the strip malls and subdivisions north of downtown Medina, the trails at Reagan Park are Northeastern Ohio's best-kept mountain biking secret. What started as a small tangle of rogue trails carved by local riders has been expanded into a first-class trail, well-marked with signs for first-timers. Park at the soccer fields near the intersection of Route 3 and Huffman Road, and point your bike down the gravel path behind the picnic pavilion.

Beginner to advanced

When you just gotta ride pavement, the CVNP is the place to do it. This is where to take your out-of-state friends to show them that Ohio is not as flat as they think. Start in Peninsula with the basic "valley loop." Ride south on Akron-Peninsula Road for about nine miles, then turn right onto Merriman Road, which becomes Riverview Road and leads you back to Peninsula with only one major hill. Want more hills? Turn left on just about any side road, grab a low gear, and head uphill. Make two right turns and hunker down for a screaming descent back to the main loop. Repeat.

10 miles

Intermediate to advanced

www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/westbrnc.htm

This is the Swiss Army knife of local trails, offering something for everybody. Choose from fast, smooth, swooping descents for the speed freaks, to climbs that will burn your thighs, to heinous rock gardens, gnarly roots, log piles and bridges. It's an intermediate's playground, with enough obstacles to keep the experts grinning.

Like most local trails, these are maintained by the Cleveland Area Mountain Bike Association. The CAMBA folks are constantly working to expand and improve this trail. So thank them, or better yet, join them. West Branch State Park is near Ravenna. The trailhead is near the west ramp boat launch on Rock Spring Road. Take I-76 to Route 14 south, turn left onto Tallmadge Road, then left onto Rock Spring Road.

25 miles

Intermediate to advanced

www.mohicanstatepark.org

A year ago, the mountain bike trail at Mohican State Park was just an eight-mile, one-way affair. Even then, it was worth the drive to Loudonville. Since then, the Mohican/Malabar Bike Club has been busy building a new trail that offers a 25-mile loop without ever seeing the same tree twice. The trail work is top-notch, leaving it very ridable, even after some rain storms that turn other trails into a muddy mess. A day at Mohican is a truly epic experience. The trailhead is easy to find, near the entrance to the campground on Route 3 about two miles south of Loudonville.

12 miles

Advanced

www.vulturesknob.com

No story about mountain biking in Ohio would be complete without mentioning The Knob, the great-grand-daddy of Ohio mountain biking. Located in Wooster, private owners of the land built a trail that will eat you alive and, if you're lucky, spit your bike out afterward. Consider yourself warned. Maps are available on the Web site.

By Don May, Lois Nicholson and Cloyce Ryland

When asked to identify a "best" hike for someone, we can only tell you that there are a multitude of wonderful places to hike in Ohio, and all of them can be a "best" hike for you.

Because there are so many and varied options, determine what you want your best hike to be. This will vary from a walk with binoculars and bird book in hand through many of our metro park trails to aerobic bushwhacking through some of the wild ravines in the Cuyahoga Valley. We have listed hikes with some descriptions of those that we and members of Why Not Adventure have dubbed as some of the best hikes in Ohio.

Southern Ohio's terrain was not altered by glaciers during the last ice age and has features totally different from the glaciated portions of northern Ohio. Many of our hikers call trails in the unglaciated area of Hocking Hills one of their favorite areas to hike.

The drive to southern Ohio is worth the trip. You will find yourself surrounded by deep ravines, walls of sandstone conglomerate bedrock and beautiful waterfalls. Thick woods provide the coolness welcomed during the warm, summer days.

Located in northeast Ohio and similar, but less extensive or grand, are outcropping of Sharon conglomerate that make up the Nelson-Kennedy Ledges and Hinckley Ledges. More local outcrops and ravines can be found along the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) corridor running between Akron and Cleveland.

For a scenic destination in any season, Brandywine Falls is one of the most powerful and beautiful falls in the area. Visit this location after a heavy rain and stand below the falls to catch the spray and power of the water. Winter serves up a menu of ice formations from the ice-bound falls.

For a more tantalizing set of waterfalls, especially in the early spring, Blue Hen and Buttermilk Falls above Boston Mills ski resort are connected by a ravine trail through hemlock and beech woods. This can be an extraordinary scenic hike in the fall with the sun shining through the changing leaves.

For a grand view, from a height, the Ledges in CVNP offer a visa of the breadth of the Cuyahoga Valley. This well-marked hike traverses an outcropping of sandstone ledges.

For those who feel comfortable not always knowing exactly where they are, north of the Ledges and the Happy Day's Visitor's Center is an area with few roads or marked trails and is also great for "bushwhacking."

To the south, just north of Akron off Route 8 is The Gorge. This is a short, but impressive, hike taking you along the Cuyahoga River, site of the proposed town of Summit in the early 1800s. You can hike on, and among, sandstone outcrops. Mary Camble Cave is part of this hike.

For dramatic walks overlooking deep ravines and the Chagrin River, the North and South Chagrin Metro Park reservations have many excellent examples. The trail from Buttermilk Falls to Squires Castle in the North Chagrin Reservation is an excellent morning hike that takes you through hemlock and beech woods overlooking deep ravines that feed into the Chagrin.

If you tire of ravines, rocks and trees, then Mentor Marsh is a great hike. Close to Lake Erie, this hike is a favorite of bird watchers.

With the exception of Hocking Hills, the hikes listed above are well within an hours drive from about anywhere in northeast Ohio area.

When we are in the outdoors, we try to make the hike we are on "the best." Seeking out and sharing all it has to offer with friends, you can too.

Cleveland Metroparks
216-635-3200

www.clemetparks.com/recreation/hiking/index.asp

Miles of varying distances

Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Main office, 15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville
216-524-1497

www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/planavisit/todo/recreation/hiking.htm

Miles of varying distances

19852 SR 664 South, Logan
740-385-6842

www.dnr.state.oh.us/Parks/parks/hocking.htm

26 miles of hiking trails

Lake Metroparks
440-639-PARK (7275) or 800-227-PARK

www.lakemetroparks.com

Miles of varying distances

5185 Corduroy Road, Mentor

216-257-0777

www.buckeyetrail.org/shorthike01.html

6 miles of hiking trails

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park
State Route 282, Nelson Township

440-564-2279

www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/nelsonk.htm

3 miles of hiking trails

By David Herpy

Northeast Ohio is a paddler's paradise. Whether it's canoeing on one of the many state-designated wild and scenic rivers, coastal kayaking along the shoreline of Lake Erie, recreational kayaking on one of many inland lakes and reservoirs, or whitewater kayaking in one of the few play spots, Northeast Ohio is home to some great paddling of all types.

Following is my list of the eight best places to paddle. These are based on access, level of difficulty, location, rental facilities and scenery.

My favorite place to paddle anywhere is on Lake Erie at Lake Metroparks Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park. It's one of the cleanest and safest beaches on the shoreline of Lake Erie in Ohio. Protected by a breakwall a half mile off shore, Fairport Harbor is a great place for beginning to novice paddlers. With two lighthouses, ore boats porting up the mouth of the Grand River on a daily basis, a U.S. Coast Guard Station and Mentor Headlands State Park beach just around the corner, the scenery never gets old.

Location: From Cleveland, take Route 2 east to the Fairport Harbor/Richmond Street exit and go north to the light at the Richmond Street/Route 283 intersection. Proceed north (straight) for about 1/4 mile to High Street. Turn right on High Street and proceed to Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park entrance.

Paddling distance: Paddling distances range from an easy half-mile paddle to the breakwall to a full-day coastal kayak tour along the shoreline of Lake Erie. Lake Metroparks manages three additional parks east of the Grand River along the shoreline of Lake Erie, all with access to the lake: Painesville Township Park in Painesville Township, Lakeshore Reservation in North Perry Village and Arcola Creek Park in Madison Township.

Technical difficulty: The difficulty depends on the waves, weather and wind of the day. On calm days, Fairport Harbor is very easy paddling. On days with strong wind out of the northeast, paddlers can surf the waves inside the harbor. A great way to judge the strength of the wind is to watch the smoke rising from the Perry Nuclear Power Plant to the east. If the smoke is vertical, the wind is light. If the smoke is horizontal, the wind is strong.

Rental information: Lake Metroparks rents single and double sit-on-top kayaks. Singles are $10 per hour. Doubles are $20 per hour. Rental kayaks are issued to ages 16 and over with a valid ID. Ages 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, call 440-639-9972 or go to www.lakemetroparks.com.

Other: Open seven days a week. Parking fee is $2 for residents, $3 for non-residents, per vehicle.

On Jan. 17, 1974, the Grand River became Ohio's second wild and scenic river. Designated sections include from Harpersfield covered bridge downstream to the Norfolk and Western Railroad trestle south of Painesville (wild, 23 miles) and from the U.S. 322 bridge in Ashtabula County downstream to Harpersfield covered bridge (scenic, 33 miles).

The upper portion of the Grand River in Ashtabula County is designated scenic. The river is bordered in many areas by extensive swamp forests of elm, ash, maple, pine, pin oak and swamp white oak. The slow flow of this section of the river, along with the adjoining wetlands, provides excellent habitat for a number of wildlife species, especially river otters, which have made a strong comeback after their reintroduction by the Division of Wildlife in 1986 and 1988.

The lower section of the Grand River in Lake County is designated wild. Here, the river is characterized by steeply-incised valley walls of Chagrin shale. A view of the river in this area is truly spectacular, especially following spring and summer showers when waterfalls cascade over the steep shale bluffs. (Information taken from www.ohiodnr.com/dnap/sr/grand.htm.)

Location: The headwaters of the river can be found in Portage and Geauga counties. From there, the river flows north through Trumbull County and into Ashtabula County. In the northern part of the county, the river begins flowing westward into Lake County.

Paddling distance: The designated sections of the Grand River are approximately 56 miles. Sections of the river from various access points, however, range from eight to 30 miles.

Technical difficulty: The difficulty depends on the water level. The higher the water, the faster and more difficult the river. Overall, the Grand River is good for beginning paddlers.

Rental information: There are two canoe liveries that service the Grand River. Grand River Canoe Livery, 3825 Forbes Road, Rock Creek, 800-Me-Canoe, www.grandrivercanoe.com. Raccoon Run Canoe and Kayak Rental, 1153 State Road, Geneva, 440-466-7414, www.raccoonruncanoerental.com.

Other: Check both Web sites for prices, trip distances and months/days/hours of operation.

Another great place for beginning paddlers is Hinckley Lake, a 90-acre inland lake managed and operated by Cleveland Metroparks. Located in Hinckley Township in Medina County, the lake features a boating area, a boat launch ramp and a boathouse with boat rentals and concessions.

Location: Hinckley Lake boathouse is off of West Drive in Hinckley Reservation, between Bellus and State roads in Hinckley Township.

Paddling distance: Hinckley Lake is only a 90-acre lake, so paddling distances are fairly short. The lake is a great place to try paddling or paddle around at a leisurely pace.

Technical difficulty: The difficulty is typically very easy paddling. Because it is so small and well-protected on all sides by the shores and hills of Hinckley Reservation, the lake is usually calm, which makes it a great place for beginning paddlers.

Rental information: The boathouse rents canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, rowboats and electric-powered pontoon boats. Canoes are $12 for an hour, $19 for two hours or $30 for three hours. Single kayaks are $12 for an hour, $19 for two hours or $30 for three hours. Double kayaks are $15 for an hour, $22 for two hours or $30 for three hours.

Other: Open seven days a week, weather permitting. www.clemetparks.com.

Cleveland Lakefront State Park, www.ohiodnr.com/parks/parks/clevelkf.htm.

Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation - Emerald Necklace Marina, www.clemetparks.com (park info), www.kayak41north.com (rental info).

La Due Reservoir (Geauga County), www.ohiodnr.com

Upper Cuyahoga River (Portage County), www.ohiodnr.com/watercraft/boat/rivers/cuyahoga.html (river info), www.camphicanoe.com (rental info).

West Branch State Park (Portage County), www.ohiodnr.com/parks/parks/westbrnc.htm (park info), www.recservices.kent.edu (rental info).