from Deb Cunningham
Hi Road Runners,
Summer is upon us, bringing the height of running season. The club has several events planned to help you train for your summer and fall races.
If you‘re training for a marathon or a half, our Marathon Training Series is just what you need. We have a 15 mile and two more twenty mile races between now & mid-September. For the half-marathon crowd, you can run the some or all of the distance at any of these upcoming races. With an out and back/out and back course layout and mile markers on each mile, it’s easy to start with the group and knock off early to get in the amount of mileage you need.
Speaking of marathoning, the next race for club teams is the Denver Marathon. If you want to run as part of a RMRR relay team, see Bob Basse or email him at bob.basse@questar.com. As the club’s team director, he’ll point you in the right direction.
If your race plans run to shorter distances, check out track workouts at Heritage HS on Wednesday nights. Scott Kukel puts us through intervals totaling ~3 miles each week. The 3 mile distance and pace of the workouts is perfect fit for your 5k goal race.
You can also participate in the club’s set of Trophy Series races. Summer’s races are short and fast. Our June race was 2 miles, followed by a pancake breakfast in Bible Park. We had a great turnout with 99 of you joining the fun.
August features a 5k at deKoevend park, followed by a kid’s fun run and a potluck/BBQ. I look forward to the Friday night 5k all year. It’s my favorite club event because of the camaraderie. After we race, there is plenty of time to unwind with a burger and good conversation. If you love running because of the social aspect, check this event out.
Continuing with the social theme, the club also has fun runs of one or two laps in Wash park on Tuesday nights. I have not run with this group, but hear that they have 20-25 people during the summer months. Some of the group enjoy dinner together afterwards.
For those interested in some quality training with their social runs, check out the Saturday morning long run at deKoevend. On a given weekend, you’ll find people in the Saturday group going from 6-18 miles. The pace is slower because we’re running a long way, but there you’ll find people running 8:30-10 minute pace.
Switching from running to volunteering for a minute, I wanted to remind all of you that you can get great RMRR logo gear for volunteering. If you volunteer for 30 or more hours, you qualify for merchandise like duffle bags, fleece shirts, jackets, and vests. If you direct a race alone or with someone as co-director, you also qualify for a prize. The prize committee hasn’t selected the awards for 2008 yet, but one thing is certain, they’ll feature the club’s 50th anniversary logo.
For those of you who missed the April and May races, we have an eye-catching 50th Anniversary logo with the 1959-2009 dates marking 50 years. You’ll start to see this logo on raffle prizes as the year progresses.
As we promote our 50th Anniversary in 2009, you’ll be hearing more about the anniversary events. To start to get the word out, we’ve ordered 1000 temporary tattoos. That’s right – tattoos. For those of you who always wanted to race w/ the RMRR logo on your calf, your shoulder or elsewhere – you’re in luck! The tattoos are here and we’ll have supplies of them at each of the events. They’re free to all of you. All you need to do is wear them to your next race to promote the club.
Finally, I’ll close with thanks for what all of you club members have accomplished this year. Whether you are on our board, making the decisions needed to keep the club going, or directing a race, or coming out to volunteer or run, you are RMRR. Your passion for your sport is inspiring. I’m happy to be a part of this group and look forward to the fun we’ll have as we gear up to Celebrate 50.