Boss Hog recently had a conversation with Danielle Kruse, a stylist and the manager of Salon
H2O in Erie. Employees at the salon signed up for the Stanganelli’s Pepperoni Ball Jog ‘n Hog as
team “Running with Scissors.” Here’s what Danielle had to say about the team, the challenge
that faces them and how they are training.

Tell us about your team, “Running with Scissors.”
Running with Scissors is made up of employees and customers from Salon H2O on West 26 th
Street. Everyone here is a “runner in training,” but we are also dedicated foodies. We try to be
safe around the salon and at home so I don’t think anyone has or will actually be running with
any scissors!

How did you hear about the Erie Jog ‘n Hog?
We were originally looking for an event to do and Aimee said, “Why can’t we find something
that involves eating, I’d be all over that!” So we Googled “eating and running” and we found
Jog ‘n Hog.

Did you know immediately that you would sign up?
It was NEVER a doubt that we were doing this!

Are you registered as Whole Hoggers or Half Hoggers?
We are all registered as Half Hoggers but even that sounds tough. I’m gastrointestinally
challenged just sipping water when I run.

What do you think will be harder, the running or the eating?
We feel confident about the first 2 miles. After that and the pepperoni ball stop, all bets are
off. Unless we are betting on which team will come in last. We would put money on us for that
distinction.

How is the team training?
I’m training for some 5Ks. Aimee has been running at the top speed of her Yorkie. D2 (the other
Danielle) and Hannah have been regularly “running” to Chipotle for lunch to test their gastro
strength. And Michael, the salon owner, has been filling up on Dairy Queen Blizzards. The rest
of the team has been keeping their training top secret.

Are you planning any type of costume?
We’re looking at ordering some PINK sweatbands that will have our logo on them. Other than
that our costume plan is to look like people who know how to run!

Will you beat the pig? Or will the pig beat you?

That’s the question runners will ask themselves when they line up at the starting line of a Jog ‘n
Hog race.

Here’s how it works: in each race, a designated “Pace Pig” will run alongside participants. Once
the pig reaches the eating area, he/she will hang out for 15 minutes, pose for pictures, and do
whatever else Pace Pigs do. Once the 15 minutes are up, he/she will run back to the finish line.

Each racer that crosses the finish line will get a commemorative sticker that publicly declares
how they fared against the pig.

              (click on pic to enlarge)

So ask yourself…Will you beat the pig? Or will the pig beat you?

Daniel Rubin from the Philadelphia Inquirer writes a column on Jog ‘n Hog.  Click here to read.

Many thanks to the more than 100 Erie Hoggers for participating in the Stanganelli’s Pepperoni Ball Jog ‘n Hog. It was a great event made even better by all of the enthusiasm and excitement that the Erie runners brought to the race. 

Check out this photo of the Hogettes in tutus.

These spirited ladies, who made the trek from the west of the Mississippi, brought their piglets too.

The Hogettes were running alongside the Thera-Pigs, a team of ladies who used their craftiness to make their own t-shirts using our Cinco de Hog logo.

Then there is the Ultimate Hogger, David.  He traveled from the Philadelphia area to make the race and ran with Maggie, his tried and true dog ‘n hog.

The first man to cross the finish line was Mike, who made the event look like a piece of cake. He downed all six pepperoni balls and crossed the finish line  in 33 minutes.  Not far behind was
Meghan, who finished the race in 46 minutes.  She also finished all six pepperoni balls. 

Brian hit it big with biting into the Bacon Ball.  In fact, in won $50 for choosing the right bag.  And we’re sure that with that $50 he’ll be buying lots more pepperoni balls, right Brian?

Special thanks to our many volunteers, the Peninsula staff and to all who made the Erie race a success. Look for video of the event to be coming soon. It will be posted to our website and Facebook page. 

See you next year Erie!

Boss Hog

David is registered for both the Erie and Philadelphia Jog ‘n Hogs and has plans to travel to Nashville in October. This intrigued us so we asked David about his background and motivation for entering multiple Jog ‘n Hogs.

Are you an eater, a runner or both?

I like to eat, no question. And I’m not your classic runner…I’m 6’ 4” and 200 pounds. But I do a lot of road and trail races every year mainly because I like the challenge. So I guess you could say I’m an eater who runs. 

What did you think when you first heard about Jog ‘n Hog?

I thought it was interesting and would have a good t-shirt…that’s important. I usually look forward to the food at the end of a race. I can list every food item at the end of every race I’ve done. I recently did an ultra-trail run and there was nothing more glorious than the food they had at the 10-mile mark.

How have you been training for the Jog ‘n Hog?

I usually don’t train until a week or two before races. For this, I’ll probably try to condition myself to run on a full stomach, so maybe I’ll eat or overeat right before I go out for a run.

What do your friends and family think about you doing a Jog ‘n Hog?

I’ve gotten mixed reviews. I hear “why” a lot. But they know me and they know I like to eat so this race isn’t that outlandish for me.

Have you had experience eating large quantities of food?

I like to go on cruises…when I order room service, I order so much that it will not fit on a tray, they need to bring a cart. The only time I visited the gym during the cruise was for a free raffle prize drawing. I was also recently in Austin, Texas, and I took on a local food challenge where you had to eat 9 Don Juan Tacos in one sitting. If you succeeded the restaurant gave you a t-shirt. I failed miserably. I only ate 2 ¾ which was pretty embarrassing.

Which Jog ‘n Hog race poses the greatest challenge in your opinion?

The pepperoni ball race. That’s a lot of dough and it won’t digest as quickly as the sugary foods.

What’s the most you’ve ever eaten in one sitting?

Not sure, but I’ve eaten to the point where when I get in the car it’s uncomfortable having the seatbelt around me.

Is there a pro athlete you model yourself after?

Not really but I do watch a lot of Man vs. Food. I read that Adam Richman gets on a treadmill after eating all of the things he eats so that he can burn off the calories. I figured if he could run after eating then I could too.

Do you think you’re a threat to win one of these races?

Not sure but I’m looking at this race as fun. I figure I can dog it on the course if I want to and nobody will judge me…unless I can’t keep the food down. 

Anything else you’d like to share with Jog ‘n Hog?

I mark Red Lobster’s Shrimp Fest on my calendar each September. I eat 8 or 9 orders (about 115 shrimp) plus the other parts of the meal. Prior to dining I will call ahead and inquire with staff to ensure they have enough shrimp inventory. My parents are embarrassed to go to Red Lobster with me.