The Lake Runner

Naples Half Marathon * Jan 15, 2012 * Naples, FL

2012-01-27T11:36:00.001-06:00

1623 finishers
362	Charlie Grotevant	1:44:20	2nd, AG 65-69

Resolution 5K * Jan 7, 2012 * Venice, FL

2012-01-27T11:35:00.001-06:00

176 finishers
20	Charlie Grotevant	22:36:00	1st, AG 65-69

Mississippi Blues Marathon * Jan 7, 2012 * Jackson, MS

2012-01-19T19:59:00.001-06:00

727 finishers
629	Cheryl Dwyer	5:38:55
686	Pam Walden	6:11:26

Mississippi Blues Half Marathon * Jan 7, 2012 * Jackson, MS

2012-01-19T19:56:00.001-06:00

1184 finishers
708	Sandy Vail	2:23:57
710	Vicki King	2:23:58	1st AG
962	Connie Reeser-Hall	2:47:19
1009	Dawn Dieckgrafe	2:53:33

ABC Run #71, for Sugar Grove Nature Center

2012-01-15T18:29:00.000-06:00

by Merlin Anderson
What an awesome day to have a run, sunny and about 40 degrees. The parking lot was packed. The building was about full. How many were there? The sign-in sheet showed 71 signatures. Woohoo! -- 71 runners for ABC run #71 on 1/7. What a coincidence!

We collected a total of $1,086 for the Sugar Grove Nature Center, a “January PR” which exceeds last year’s total of $692. The money will go toward further enhancing Imagination Grove, their children’s nature play and discovery area. Any money left over will be used to enhance their library. Imagination Grove provides opportunities for thousands of children to connect with nature, which is important for their physical, emotional, and mental well-being as well as the health of the environment.

Jill Wallace of the Sugar Grove Nature Center was a great host. She opened the building a half-hour early, created a very friendly atmosphere, and provided lots of refreshments. Before we took off running, Jill gave us a big “thank you” and told us about the importance of our contributions.

In the half-hour before the run started, Dan Whalen and Dave Ploense joined me in driving the course where I drove, Dave supervised, and Dan used the GPS app on his smart phone and put flags at each mile mark on the road course and also placed the water/Powerade at the half-way mark.

Dan made sure the road course was accurately marked but how could we ensure that the trail runners would cover the planned 7 miles? That problem was solved when Karen Dudek used her GPS to measure our progress as we twisted and turned our way through the woodland and prairie trails. Highlights of the trail run were the stop at Imagination Grove where several runners tried their luck on the zip line, and watching Trevor Arbogast go back and forth across Timber Creek by carefully negotiating the concrete blocks and stones.

Back at the Center, we enjoyed the camaraderie, refreshments provided by Sugar Grove Nature Center, and the food provided by the runners including coffee cake from Meg Anderson, egg/sausage/cheese casserole from Stacie Brandt, chocolate chip cookies from Kevin Fahling, orange slices from Lisa Sparks, and more.

Thanks so much to everyone that attended and/or contributed.
The next ABC run (#72) will be Saturday, February 18 for the Child Protection Network and will be hosted by Robyn Walter. Details are pending.

Beating Bob’s Bicycle Beer Bet

2012-01-05T20:29:00.003-06:00

by Merlin Anderson

Bob Brandt once again found a new way to challenge me to get riders for my tandem bicycle. In the last six years, I won a beer from Bob five times and only had to buy the beer once.

The previous bets were:
            2005 -- Bob bet I couldn’t get 20 riders (I got 30).
            2006 -- get 2000 tandem bike miles (I got 2001).
            2007 -- average 16 mph on the tandem (I lost).
            2008 -- get 20 riders to ride at least twice in 2008 (I got 24).
            2009 – get 15 guys to ride (I got 17).
            2010 – get 15 couples to ride (I got 15, finishing the challenge on December 31)

Last year, Bob was so impressed (and generous) that he bought a beer and a meal for both Meg and me. Determined to win in 2011, Bob issued what I thought would be the toughest challenge yet – get at least 25 new riders in 2011. Wow! A total of 122 people have already ridden with me. In all these years of bets, I already begged about everyone that I thought might be willing to ride.

Bob can take vicarious pleasure in knowing that I was pushed to the point of embarrassment as I desperately searched for more riders. At least three of the women responded to my perfectly polite question of “Would you like to ride on my tandem bike with me?” with replies such as:
     -- “Doesn’t your wife ride with you?” (“yes, but not enough” wasn’t a convincing response)
     --“Why do you ask?” (this is really hard to explain so I gave up on this prospect)
     --“Maybe later” (I think I know what that means)
Well, Bob, despite the above responses, I won again by getting 32 new riders! I did it by being persistent (“maybe later” doesn’t always mean “no”) and searching the world over. One rider, Ma-Abena, is a teacher from South Africa that is also a singer, song-writer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. She just happened to be in town visiting her sister, Ama Oforiwa, my neighbor. You can check out Ma-Abena’s music and dancing at her website www.ma-abena.com.
Listed below are the top five new riders in terms of number of miles covered on the tandem in 2011:
• Nancy Falk (103 miles): Being a perfusionist means Nancy is a real heart-stopper.
• Rosie Hauck (61 miles): Rosie once did 99 pull-ups.
• Dan Marek (44 miles): Dan’s a fast former farrier.
• George Farnsworth (43 miles): We rode out to watch the impressive railroad track-laying machine,
• Brigette Van Hook (40 miles): Enjoyed a couple of nice rides with Bryan keeping us company.
In the interest of keeping the article short, here are the other 27 new riders:• Richard Verdery (32 miles), Charlie Grotevant (25), Connie Reeser-Hall (23), Raymond Sevier (23), Paul Packard (22), Bryan Van Hook (22), Tom Herr (22), Rachel McDowell (20), Kirsten Marek (16),   Senthil Ramasamy (15), Bill Hahm (15), Sarah Kelch (15), Bonnie Garrett (15), Sara Bernabea (15), Pam Walden (14), Ama Aforiwa (14), Cheryl Dwyer (13), Pam Hess (13), Janet Connelly (12), Robyn Walter (12), Tammy Knippenberg (12), Karen Dudek (12), Lauren Studniarz (10), Cyndy Ruszkowski (9), Lanny Lobdell (6), Ma-aebena Aduonum (6), Ignatious Plato (6).

In addition to the newbies, seventeen other tandem riders joined me at least once this year., including:
Meg Anderson (473 miles), Rebecca Payne (211), Stacy Brandt (115), Donna Creditor (75), John Kastigar (48), Becky Roesner (47), Carolyn Sutter (31), Missy Adams (25), Lisa Sparks (24), John Traynor (24), Deb Aukerman (23), Laurel Schumacher (16), Bob Brandt (14), Michelle White (7), Stacie Rood (6), Tim Rood (6), Jasmine Safford (4).

Thanks so much to everyone for making 2011 another really fun year for riding. I can’t wait to see what 2012 brings.

PAL Half Marathon * Nov 27, 2011, Sarasota, FL

2011-12-20T11:24:00.001-06:00

453 finishers
103	Charlie Grotevant		1st AG 65-69

Spring Marathon & Half Training Program

2011-12-19T15:13:00.001-06:00

by Donna Creditor

2012 Spring Marathon & Half Marathon
Training Program Overview!

Kick-off meeting at 6pm on Thursday, January 12 at Northpoint Elementary School, to outline the training program, answer questions and provide training schedules.
Organized long runs begin the weekend of January 14-15 at 8am. Meet at the Allers shelter at the triangle on Constitution Trail, just off Linden street behind the Normal Parks and Recreation building.
Informational meetings will be on the 4 Thursdays following the kick-off meeting. Topics include Stretching, Hydration/Nutrition, Strength Training and Tips & Strategies from a panel of experts.
The informational meetings will also be at Northpoint Elementary School, from 6-7pm.

Thinking about running a marathon or half marathon this spring? Don’t want to do all those long runs by yourself? How about joining the Lake Run Club Spring Marathon & Half Marathon training group? This program is based on a 15-week build-up for the Illinois Marathon in late April and the Flying Pig Marathon in early May. It would also work for other spring marathons, many of which are listed on the web. (e.g. The Marathon Guide US calendar)

The Spring Marathon Training Program is ideal for runners who have never attempted the 26.2/13.1 distance. The only requirements are that you are running 15-25 miles a week and are able to run 8 continuous miles (5 for half marathoners) without stopping. You should be able to accomplish this by the first run of the program.

This program offers:

Proven training schedules from Hal Higdon.com. This takes the high-mileage week pressures off the first-timer and gradually eases them into the marathon training.
The support of training with a group; especially important for the longer weekend runs.
The opportunity to tap the experienced, brilliant minds of seasoned marathoners.

The Illinois Marathon is also an excellent event for the first timer:

They have a special section, newsletter and other items for debut marathoners
The race is a short drive from Bloomington-Normal
The course is flat
The field is large so you always have someone to run with
The race is fun! There are many spectators to cheer you on along the way!
They have various training aids on their website
The Health and Fitness Expo

Registration

The registration fee is $45 for Lake Run Club members and $55 for non-LRC members. Subtract $10 if you do not want the training program shirt.

The fee includes:

15 weeks of organized group long runs
Informative speakers in the first 5 weeks
Marathon training schedule
For non-members, membership in the Lake Run Club (a $15 value)
LRC Marathon training shirt (optional)

Click here to register for the Spring Marathon Training Program. (The program fee does not include your registration into a race. You must register for that separately, on your own)

What to Expect:

· At our first meeting, program information, training schedules, and a schedule of future meetings will be distributed.

· Group long runs will be held Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8am starting Saturday, January 14. Gatorade and water will be supplied along the way. See Opportunities to Run with Others for the starting location and a map.

· We will set drinks out for the run in most weather conditions, however in the event of severe winter conditions, training may be cancelled that day. Please check the LRC facebook page or your email for cancellation information.

· Groups will form up and leave from the shelter. It will be up to you to partner up with your fellow runners. Veteran marathoners, usually lead the way and offer advice and encouragement. Running with others is a great way to keep yourself going through those long miles!

Program Coordinator: Donna Creditor - (309) 706-6429

Lake Run Club 2011 Award Nominations

2011-12-19T14:50:00.001-06:00

by Jill Usiak

The New Year is quickly approaching and work is underway for the 2011 Lake Run Club Awards banquet on January 28th. As part of the banquet, we’ll recognize outstanding achievements for:

Female Runner of the Year
Male Runner of the Year
Best New Female Runner
Best New Male Runner
Most Improved Female Runner
Most Improved Male Runner
Volunteer of the Year
Comeback of the Year
Race Performance of the Year (please indicate the race for which the person is being nominated.)

Please send your nominations to Jill Usiak by January 5th via Email or by snail mail at:

Jill Usiak
1304 Henry St
Normal, IL 61761

They can be in any format you like but try to include a few sentences to support your nomination. You are welcome to nominate any club member, including yourself – who better to know how successful of a year you had!
The Nominations will be compiled and available for voting in mid-January.
Previous Award winners - (Award History)

Arctic Wave Youth Running Clinic

2011-12-12T20:10:00.007-06:00

by Mitch Hobbs

Arctic Wave Youth Winter Running Clinic December 27-30

A great way to get a jump start on the 2012 Track Season!

Bring yourself or your whole team and build a championship attitude. Having fun is a big part of the clinic, but we aim the clinic towards individuals who really want to become better athletes and leaders.

Our philosophy focuses on education rather than" logging the miles." It is our goal that participants will leave the clinic healthy, motivated, and excited to reach their goals for their upcoming high school/junior high school season

Anyone from grades 6-12 can attend.

Application Form

For more information, email Mitch Hobbs at shoeguy@hotmail.com or call Mitch at Often Running at (309) 454-7749.

ABC Run #70, for Adopt-A-Family

2011-12-12T20:09:00.002-06:00

by Merlin Anderson

It turned out to be a great day for running or walking or bicycling, so 50 participants showed up at the Anderson home on Saturday, December 3 to help create an awesome ABC run experience. An amazing total of $1,032 was raised for the Adopt-A-Family program, enough for to provide a great Christmas for two families! We had committed to provide enough money for one family, so the additional money will be used to help another family. There are more families in need than there are sponsors, so this additional money will really help. Thanks a million to all of you that participated and to those that mailed a contribution to us.

The family we sponsored this year included a boy (age 5) who enjoys playing with monster trucks, a seven year old boy who likes arts and crafts and riding his bike, and a seven year old girl who enjoys reading and loves to dress up. Much of the money we raised will be used to buy clothing and shoes.

The Adopt-A-Family program is administered through The Children’s Foundation of Children’s Home + Aid. This program is different from other holiday programs in that it is not an “open enrollment” program. All recipients have a relationship with their caseworkers and meet with them regularly. All recipients sign a contract that they will not seek benefits from other holiday programs unless it is for food, or for coats through the Salvation Army. This Adopt-A-Family does not purchase coats because the coats would be needed before they receive their gifts.

We gathered just before the run to hear a word from our co-host, Lisa Sparks, and from a representative from The Children’s Foundation, Kristin Fritz. Kristin thanked us sincerely, told us how important our contributions are, and illustrated her points with a couple of heart-warming stories about past beneficiaries of the Adopt-A-Family program. One story was about a mother who said she was astounded that complete strangers would donate time and money to provide a great Christmas for her family.

After Kristin’s inspirational talk, we ran through the neighborhood to the Constitution Trail, eventually breaking into groups of similar paces and distance goals. When we returned, we were treated to a bountiful feast. Meg served her famous coffee cake, aebelskivers, blueberry French toast, egg & sausage casserole, ham & egg & hash brown casserole, and more! (I helped by staying out of the way). And there was more! Food/drink were also provided by Lisa Sparks, Stacy Brandt, Kevin Fahling, John Traynor, Mary Pinkham, Senthil Ramasamy, Denny McDowell, Tom Crain and others (I missed some).

The total amount contributed for all 70 ABC runs is now $43,030. We have supported 25 different charities. Here are the top ten charities in terms of total dollars contributed:
$6,349 – St. Jude (eight runs)
$5,731 – Austin & Haley Carter (two runs: brother & sister, both with bone cancer)
$4,799 – The Baby Fold (eight runs)
$3,419 – El Paso/Gridley Jr. High Cross Country program (five runs)
$2,381 – Sugar Grove Nature Center (six runs)
$2.264 – Heartland Head Start (four runs)
$2,258 – Boys & Girls Club (four runs)
$1,739 – Salvation Army “Coats for Kids” (four runs)
$1,617 – The Children’s Foundation: Scott Early Learning Center (three runs)
$1,448 – Special Olympics (three runs hosted by the McNamara’s)

Thanks to everyone for all your support through participation, contributions, helping, cooking, and friendship.

ABC Run #71 will be 9:00 am, Saturday, January 7 at the Sugar Grove Nature Center.

12 K's of Christmas * Dec 10, 2011 * Gilbert, AZ

2011-12-12T20:07:00.000-06:00

1052 finishers
530	Vicki King	1:13:27	3rd AG
450	Bob King	1:10:59

Saturday Before Christmas Run

2011-12-09T22:58:00.003-06:00

At high noon on the Saturday Before Christmas (December 24, 2011) you can run the Loop, (or any distance you prefer – including a stroll from your car to the bar), consume sustenance, win fabulous prizes, and hang out with really cool people who will attempt to seem interested in you.

The entry fee is zip, water stops are non-existent, course security is noticeably absent, and race organization & leadership is totally defunct. This is a thing ya gotta do. See you there!

When: Saturday December 24, 2011 at 12:00pm

Where: Green Gables at Lake Bloomington (map)

2011 Tom-O-Hawk

2011-12-09T19:59:00.001-06:00

(From the LRC Forum)

The 2011 Tom-O-Hawk event is scheduled for Saturday December 10th.

So far, we only have participants scheduled for the half-marathon event.

Details for it are:

It starts at Green Gables at 7:30 AM for a not-so-quick three times around the Loop course.
First lap will be starting at 7:30 +/-, starting lap 2 at around 9:00, with the third time out at 10:45 or 11:00. Done by 12:30 or 1:00.
The entry for the Half remains cheap at a twelve pack of beer. As usual, bring your own support. The Gables offers a warm spot for between lap recovery, purchased refreshments, and free water or restrooms.
Marathoners are welcome to join too, with entry fee of a case of beer.
Rules remain loose, as the Director - Dave Hawkinson- is expected to stay in Florida, rather than come up for the event. The only other real rule is the time limit of 12 continuous hours to finish.

Runners at the Deer Run are welcome to join before or after, to complete either distance. In addition to the 8K Deer Run Run, about one lap at the lake on the 12K course, plus a little more would yield the Half Marathon distance.

The more the merrier. Just do it. Finisher awards are generally distributed at the Chilly Chili Run in January.

Carolyn Sutter Completes Marathon in 50th State

2011-12-02T22:19:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Carolyn Sutter for becoming the most recent club member to run a marathon in all 50 states !!

See who else has qualified for the 50 States Marathon Club and who is getting close.

Turkey Trot 10K * Nov 24, 2011 * Mesa, AZ

2011-11-29T18:05:00.001-06:00

2943 finishers
1426	Bob King	58:39
1753	Vicki King	1:01:26	PR!

Savannah Rock n Roll Half Marathon * 11/5/2011 * Savannah, GA

2011-11-23T19:02:00.001-06:00

14066 finishers
8252	Vicki King	2:27:43
8973	Connie Reeser-Hall	2:32:47
12009	Dawn Dieckgrafe	3:03:49

Savannah Rock n Roll Marathon * 11/5/2011 * Savannah, GA

2011-11-23T18:56:00.000-06:00

4742 finishers
3924	Pam Walden	5:23:15
3925	Cheryl Dwyer	5:23:15

2011 Miller Park Turkey Trot Map

2011-11-21T19:21:00.006-06:00

Due to construction on Tanner Street, the Turkey Trot route has slightly changed for 2011.

There will be maps at the Pavilion on Thursday as well.

Submitted on behalf of:

Denise M. Balagna
Athletics Program Manager
Bloomington Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Dept.

Next ABC Run #70

2011-11-15T19:50:00.000-06:00

by Meg & Merlin Anderson
What:       ABC (Adventures Benefiting Children) Run/Walk #70
Where:    Start at the Anderson’s (107 South Orr Drive, Normal)
When:      Saturday, December 3 at 8:30am (doors open at 8am)
Why:        Support a family through the Adopt-A-Family program

Price:       Free – but donations of any amount are greatly appreciated.
We hope to raise enough money to provide a great Christmas for two boys (ages 5 & 7) and a girl (age 7).   Much of the money we raise will be used to buy clothing and shoes as well as a few special items that match their individual interests. The five-year-old boy is very active and enjoys playing with monster trucks. The older boy is shy and likes arts and crafts as well as riding his bike.   The seven-year-old girl loves to dress up and also enjoys reading.  This family could really use our help.

The Adopt-A-Family program is administered through The Children’s Foundation. This program is different from other holiday programs in that it is not an “open enrollment” program. All of the recipients have a relationship with their caseworkers and meet with them regularly. All Adopt-A-Family recipients sign a contract agreeing that they will not seek benefits from other holiday programs unless it is for food, or for coats through the Salvation Army.  Adopt-A-Family does not do coats because the coats would be needed before they receive their Adopt-A-Family gifts.

So, let’s all get together to jointly adopt a family for Christmas and to have a really fun run.  There will be a brunch after the run. In addition to her coffee cake, Meg has a great breakfast casserole and many other items planned. Bring something to share if you wish.

Adams Mill Covered Bridge Half Marathon * October 22, 2011 * Flora, IN

2011-11-15T10:06:00.001-06:00

72 finishers
5	Debra Lowell	1:37:49	1st Overall Female

Town & Gown 5K * October 15, 2011 * Normal, IL

2011-11-15T10:04:00.001-06:00

417 finishers
35	Debra Lowell	21:25.1	1st Overall Female

Secretary's Notes - October 2011

2011-11-09T21:56:00.004-06:00

by Jessica Gieson

Lake Run Club Board Meeting
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Swingers Grille - Bloomington, IL

Attendees: Jessica Gieson, Cathie Haab, Mitch Hobbs, Bob King, Vicki King, Bob Lambert, Kevin McCarthy, Rebecca Payne, Tim Rood, Jill Usiak

Membership (Julie Howell): New members joining after September 1 will receive membership through 2012.

Newsletter (Vicki & Bob King): The on-line newsletter has received 489 page views. Newsletter will be posted to LRC Face Book page. Check-out on-line newsletter for club and member updates.

Treasurer (Bob Lambert): 2012 race budgets will be discussed with LRC race directors.

Billing/Advertising (Cathie Haab): Cathie expressed enjoying her time as Billing/Advertising coordinator. Christa Staley will assume position in 2012.

Volunteer Committee (Jill Usiak): Jill will step down at the end of the 2011 race season and is seeking a replacement! The Volunteer Coordinator position is a fun position & allows meeting a LOT of people in the club & community. This is an LRC board position & takes the lead of the Volunteer Committee. Throughout the year the coordinator works with race directors who request our finish line & results services. This position requires good communication, computer skills & general knowledge of how the club operates. If you think you might be interested in taking on this position, please email Jill at jrschn2@yahoo.com or call 309-242-3933 to discuss the details of the positions.

Upcoming Circuit Races: Canal Connection (note earlier start time), Jingle Bell, Deer Run Run

New Business:

· Finish Line Software – Finish line services have been impacted due to software issues likely due to outdated equipment/software. Kevin will research need for new equipment.

· Park to Park – Race director position will be filled by LRC board members.

Old Business:

· LRC site redesign – LRC site currently consists of three separate sites. Mitch will send contact for Starved Rock Runners Club website developer to Kevin. Bob Lambert will also send web development contacts to Kevin. Kevin and Tim will review LRC web needs and options.

· Winter Break Clinic – Mitch is continuing to develop a clinic for junior high and high school students.

The next board meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday, December 6 at Jesse’s Grille, Marriott Hotel. All meetings are open to the public.

Tuesday Night Runs

2011-10-30T22:19:00.000-05:00

by Meg Anderson

Beginning Tuesday, November 8th, Tuesday Night Runs will begin at Meg and Merlin Anderson's house at 107 S. Orr Dr. in Normal. When you see the lights on at 5:15 p.m., walk right in and we'll begin the run promptly at 5:30. The distance is 4 miles, but we are very near our house about every mile and it can easily be shortened. We have a variety of paces and I always run with the back of the pack (10:00 - 12:00 min pace) which is getting lots easier to do each year. Hope you join us!

ABC Run #69, for Heartland Head Start

2011-10-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

by Merlin Anderson

The weather was perfect on Sunday morning, October 16. Our run benefitting Heartland Head Start was held at the Sugar Grove Nature Center. Much thanks to Angela Funk for allowing us to use the facility and for doing a great job of hosting us. Also hosting us were members of the Friends of Heartland Head Start. Sharon Cochran, Tracy Hebb, and David Weber brought delicious food, warmly greeted us, and even served as photographers.

A total of 35 participants included 25 runners, our gracious hosts, and several enthusiastic children. Asa and Harper Lotz as well as Ben, Claire, Jack, and Max Peacock got to enjoy the exhibits in the building and also play in Imagination Grove, thanks to Shayna Schupbach and Kris Peacock who took care of the children while we ran. Most of the runners opted to run the trails and the rest did the 7- mile loop road course. Either way, there was lots of beautiful fall foliage to observe during the run. I spent so much time looking at the foliate and trying to spot deer that I tripped over a tree root. Mary Ellen Schupbach witnessed the fall and complimented me on my “volleyball dig” type of dive.

Charlie Grotevant, driving over from Pontiac to join us would have been the runner travelling the farthest to join us if it wasn’t for Benjamin Funk and Elana Kimbrell who are from Washington, D.C. As you can guess, by the last name of “Funk”, they hail from this area.

Sharon Cochran, a Friend of Heartland Head Start, once again noted how happy all of the runners were as they finished and came in to join the feast. There is nothing like the camaraderie of fellow runners and the joy of giving to a worthwhile cause. We raised a total of $450 for Heartland Head Start which will be used to expand their library of children’s books to enhance their family literacy program for low income families. This is the fourth time we have done a run for Heartland Head Start. The funds raised by all four events add up to a tidy sum of $2,264.

Thanks again to Angela Funk for hosting us, the Heartland Head Start representatives for also being great hosts, and thanks every participant for your fellowship, food, and generous financial support.

ABC Run/Walk #69

2011-10-13T15:55:00.001-05:00

by Merlin Anderson

What: ABC Run/Walk #69 (ABC = Adventures Benefiting Children)

When: Sunday October 16, at 8:00 a.m. (doors open at 7:30)

Where: Sugar Grove Nature Center* (Thanks much to Angela Funk for letting us use Sugar Grove. I’m hoping for colorful fall foliage)

Why: To benefit the children of Heartland Head Start.

Price: Free – but donations of any amount are greatly appreciated.

Checks may be made payable to Heartland Head Start.

Courses: The main course is a 7 mile loop course on roads. You can turn this into a shorter course by turning around at any point.
The other option is to run the trails. I’m hoping many adventurers will join me in running those trails.

Amenities:       Water/Gatorade will be near the 3.5 mile point of the road course and at the Sugar Grove Nature Center.
                        Meg's coffee cake will be at the finish as well as water, coffee, bananas, and snack items provided by Heartland Head start.
                        Bring something to share if you wish.

Questions: Call Merlin or Meg at 454-4820.

*Directions from Bloomington, IL to the Sugar Grove Nature Center (4532 N. 725 East Road):
Take I-55 South.
Take the Shirley exit (the first exit) #154.
Turn right at the top of the off-ramp, on County Road 34.
Turn left at the T-intersection onto Old Route 66.
Proceed approximately 4.5 miles to Funks Grove Road. Turn right.
Proceed over railroad tracks, and take the first left.
At this point, there will be signs for Sugar Grove Nature Center. Follow this road.
At the Dead End sign, continue straight.
The road will open up to prairie and you will see the nature center buildings on your right.
When you come to the gravel lane, turn right, and proceed to the parking lot.

Volunteer Opportunities - Fall 2011

2011-10-06T19:33:00.004-05:00

by Dawn Dieckgrafe

LRC needs YOU!!

As you may have noticed, fall is a very busy time for the Lake Run Club. We are coordinating 1 to 3 finish lines almost every weekend. On October 8, we have 3 finish lines we are coordinating.

We could use your help! You don’t need to be experienced, the coordinators will help you learn the ropes. Many of our volunteers (both experienced and brand new) will attest that it’s a fun thing to do for a couple of hours and it really isn’t difficult. Sometimes it even gives you a new place to run before or after the race.

Your help really is appreciated. Please check out the Volunteer Opportunities section of the Lake Run Club website for upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Lake Run Club New Members–September, 2011

2011-10-04T21:57:00.001-05:00

Barbara Whiteman

Matthew Shepard

Melissa Streitmatter

Mike O'Grady

Tim Whiteman

Fox Valley Half Marathon * 9/18/2011 * St. Charles, IL

2011-09-21T09:56:00.001-05:00

562 finishers
10	Tim Rood	1:35:32	1st AG, 10th Overall, PR!
33	Stacie Rood	1:45:07	3rd Masters, 7th Female Overall

Secretary's Notes - August 2011

2011-09-16T13:52:00.000-05:00

by Jessica Gieson

Lake Run Club Board Meeting
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Swingers Grille - Bloomington, IL

Attendees: Jessica Gieson, Mitch Hobbs, Julie Howell, Kevin McCarthy, Rebecca Payne, Tim Rood, Tom Arbogast

Membership (Julie Howell): Paul created a member template in Excel. New member data can now be uploaded rather than input by Julie. New members joining after September 1st will receive membership through 2012.
Members: 890
Households: 564

Newsletter (Vicki & Bob King): Check-out on-line newsletter for club and member updates. No report at this time.

Treasurer (Bob Lambert): Request to purchase software to prepare financials approved by board. Increase in shirt expenses is being analyzed and watched.

Billing/Advertising (Cathie Haab): No report at this time.

Volunteer Committee (Jill Usiak): Volunteer on-line sign-up working well. Please continue to volunteer!

Kid’s Run: First year at Bloomington High School went well, more re-cap next meeting.

Park-2-Park: Board recapped race and is considering forming board member committee to fill race director position.

Upcoming Circuit Races: Evergreen 5K

New Business:

· Winter Break Clinic – Mitch is exploring

Old Business:

· Equipment tracking/management – If you need access to the shed please contact Tim Rood to make arrangements.

· LRC site redesign – LRC site currently consists of three separate sites. Merger of the sites will continue to be discussed by the technological owner of each.

· Summer training program – Women’s only training program had 45 participants. No target race, however Evergreen 5K follows training.

· Marathon program – Kevin will follow-up on Advocate Healthcare use of program.

The next board meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday, October 4 at Swingers Grille. All meetings are open to the public.

ABC Run #68, for Seedling Theatre

2011-08-20T22:09:00.000-05:00

by Laurel Schumacher

ABC Run #68 for the Seedling Theatre Program was a huge success! The weather couldn’t have been better for folks to come out, get a good run in, enjoy great food and support an awesome cause. Seedling is a program for disabled children and young adults to perform theatrically. Donna Anhalt (the director/manager) puts her heart and soul into these kids, giving them opportunities to be on stage, develop relationships, and most important- feel like a normal kid. Being at one of these performances is so moving- you’ll laugh, cry and leave with plenty of warm fuzzies!

Thank you all for coming out to support Seedling- your contributions will directly affect many a kid in numerous and unimaginable ways! And rumor has it next year the kids may come back for some more performing…..so mark your calendars now!

A huge thanks too, to Merlin and Meg Anderson who give countless hours and coffeecakes in support of such worthy causes like Seedling!

Merlin adds “many thanks to Larry and Laurel Schumacher for being great hosts and to all 28 participants for making it a fun morning and contributing a fine total of $532 for Seedling Theatre".

Danvers Days 5K Founder - Thom Carlson

2011-08-16T20:03:00.000-05:00

The Danvers Days Committee sadly reports the death of the founder of the Danvers Days 5K Run, Thom Carlson. Thom lived in Danvers during the inception of “Danvers Days”, a weekend Festival that takes place the 3^rd weekend of August each year. While working on the first schedule of events, the weekend organizers decided a 5K run would be something town residents might enjoy. However, no one on the committee had ever been a runner and so there was discussion of a man seen running around Danvers every night, who it might be and would he know anything about putting a race together.

Little did they know the man was a passionate runner who would gladly take on the task. He worked endless hours to make the race one for young and old to enjoy. He even went so far as to rent a wheel from “Weaver’s Rent All” so he could personally walk the course he designed to make sure it was exact. He even asked Danvers residents to stand on their curbs and spray the runners to cool them off as they ran by. And naming his theme for his shirt each year was a part he always enjoyed. His favorite theme was “Run for your Life”.

The race started out with about 25 runners and grew over the years to more than 200 runners.

The Lake Run Club was eventually hired to run the finish line and results board because it had clearly become a race for everyone. It drew many runners from out of state and was known for its famous “Heartbreak Hill” which Thom strategically placed on the course to teach runners they needed to learn to pace themselves because they never knew what was ahead of them.

Thom ran the PeachTree Road Race in Georgia, the Chicago Marathon and the Boston Marathon to name a few of his achievements.

Sadly, we were informed that Thom was killed on the 4^th of July this year while vacationing with his wife, Melody, in Tennessee. His tragic and untimely death has touched the lives of all who knew him.

The Danvers Days 5K race was put on hold this year, but hopefully will be back in 2012. If you decide to run this race, please give yourself that extra push to make it to the top of “Heartbreak Hill”. The race was his legacy. Let’s give a little back in Thom’s memory.

ABC Run #67, for St. Jude

2011-08-13T14:38:00.006-05:00

by Merlin Anderson

ABC Run #67 was hosted by Lisa Sparks at her home on July 23 and raised an awesome $1,441 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, thanks to generous contributions from the 46 participants and generous contributions from five that were not able to attend. Of all 67 ABC Runs, $1,441 is the third highest amount!

Among the 46 participants were six first-time ABC runners: Stan Winterroth, Angela Null, Erin Donaldson, Chris Werry, Janice Forrest, and Audrey Honiotes. Welcome!

The running conditions could only be described as hot, humid, and sunny. The only thing that got me through the run was the cheerful atmosphere created by the group. There’s nothing as uplifting as the attitudes of runners giving generously to a good cause and looking forward to consuming huge quantities of great food.

Speaking of great food, as soon as I cooled down enough to change into dry clothes, I checked out the food and the spread was awesome. I started out with blueberry pancakes, cantaloupe, grapes, orange juice, and coffee – all courtesy of Lisa Sparks. I followed that up by wolfing down coffee cake from Meg Anderson, egg and sausage casserole from Stacy Brandt, egg and veggie casserole from Tammy Knippenberg, cinnamon rolls from Mary Pinkham, cranberry granola bars from Leann Steidinger, peanut butter cookies from Kevin Tuuk, and chocolate chip cookies from Kevin Fahling. After it was all over, Lisa remarked, “I can’t believe we ate most of the food!”

After finishing eating, Lisa announced the winners of our St. Jude trivia contest, with fabulous prizes donated by Often Running, thanks to Mitch Hobbs. The top prize went to Melinda Cheek for getting nine of the ten questions correct. Several others picked up prizes for getting eight correct answers. If you knew the following quick facts, you could have been a winner.

Danny Thomas founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 1962. St. Jude’s mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. About 5,700 patients visit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital every year. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. The Bloomington/Normal-to-Peoria St. Jude run raised about $250,000 in 2010.

Thanks, Lisa, for your great hospitality. Thanks, everyone, for your generous donations, and your sharing of food and friendship.

ABC Run #68 to benefit The Seedling Theater will be on August 14 at 7:30 (doors open at 7:00). Laurel and Larry Schumacher will host this run at their home (3612 Wine Way in Bloomington).

ABC Run #66, for Easter Seals Timber Pointe Outdoor Center

2011-07-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

by Merlin Anderson

ABC Run #66 was held on June 26 to benefit the Easter Seals Timber Pointe Outdoor Center. The weather was perfect for the 29 participants to enjoy the morning by running, eating, and chatting. The contribution bucket contained a very nice sum of $557 to help Timber Pointe continue to offer great programs for children and adults with special needs and disabilities.

Craig Anderson, Director of Camping, did a great job of hosting by making sure signs were up to point us to the meeting spot and by being there before 7:00 to greet the runners. Among the runners arriving were seven new ABC runners: Chris Rogers, Rachael McDowell, Tammy Knippenberg, Karin McDowell, Reid Kelly, Ian Kelly, and Mauricio Sadicoff. Welcome!

Most runners chose either the 4.7 mile out-and-back course, or the 8 mile course to run all the way around the lake, plus the 1/3 mile from the meeting spot to the road and back. I heard Roger Aukerman was the only runner to take advantage of the opportunity to run the trails at Timber Pointe.

The food at the finish was awesome as usual, thanks to Meg Anderson (coffee cake), Kevin Fahling (cookies), Senthil Ramasamy (bagels & cream cheese), Mary Pinkham (Panera coffee cake), Rich Beal (muffins), and Rachel Brunner (bananas & apples).

Thanks a million to everyone for your participation and contributions.

The next ABC runs will be:

ABC #67 to benefit St Jude will be 7:30 am on July 23 at Lisa Spark's home (doors open at 7:00).
ABC #68 to benefit The Seedling Theater will be 8:00 am on August 14 at the Schumacher’s (doors open at 7:30).

Secretary's Notes - June 2011

2011-07-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

by Jessica Gieson

Lake Run Club Board Meeting

Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Swingers Grille – Bloomington, IL

Attendees: Jessica Gieson, Mitch Hobbs, Julie Howell, Bob Lambert, Kevin McCarthy, Rebecca Payne, Tim Rood, Jill Usiak, Tom Arbogast

Membership (Julie Howell): Membership reflects cancellation of all non-renewing members.

Members: 860
Households: 558
Male Members: 358
New Members: 29

Newsletter (Vicki & Bob King): Checkout on-line newsletter for club and member updates. No report at this time.

Treasurer (Bob Lambert): YTD income appears down due to timing of expense and income recognition.

Billing/Advertising (Cathie Haab): No report at this time.

Volunteer Committee (Jill Usiak): Volunteer on-line sign-up working well. Please continue to volunteer! Due to high number of current races for which LRC provides finish line services, no additional races will be added to finish line services until Finish Line Coordinator is secured. Jill will implement new races or race director mentor program in 2012.

Ride-the-Wave and Catch-the-Wave: Programs were recapped with coordinators. Inclusion of LRC membership in RTW and CTW registration was discussed. Renewal and non-renewals of those added to membership through program will be reviewed prior to no longer including membership in program cost. Programs net profit decreased due to less sponsorship in 2011 than prior years; coordinators will be mindful of expense reduction.

Park-2-Park: Corn Crib contract finalized. Female and Male winners will throw first pitch at July 8 Cornbelters game. Rob Barnett will resign as race coordinator following wrap-up of 2011 race.

Upcoming Circuit Races:

Steamboat, Lexington, Park-2-Park, Dog Days, Evergreen

Equipment Tracking/Management: To ease management of LRC equipment and supplies, lock on shed will be changed. If you have a key please return to Tim Rood. New access to storage shed will be limited to Tim Rood, Bill Hahm, Kevin McCarthy, and Mitch Hobbs. If you need access to the shed please contact Tim Rood to make arrangements. Maintenance and cleaning of timing equipment has been done.

LRC site redesign: LRC site currently consists of three separate sites. Merger of the sites will continue to be discussed by the technological owner of each.

Summer Training Program: Women’s only training program, “Heat Wave” Monday evenings the 1st week of June – 2nd week in Aug. Anderson Park Shelter @ 6:00. No target race, however, Evergreen 5K would follow training.

Marathon Program: Addition of half marathon training finalized. Program begins June 22.

The next board meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday, August 2 at Swingers Grille. All meetings are open to the public.

YMCA 5K * May 30, 2011 * Streator, IL

2011-06-26T23:00:00.001-05:00

161 finishers
36	Charlie Grotevant	0:24:14	1st Age Group 65-69

Warrior 5K * May 28, 2011 * Kankakee, IL

2011-06-26T22:59:00.001-05:00

61 finishers
17	Charlie Grotevant	0:23:28	1st Age Group 65-69

Pork Chop 4 Miler * May 21, 2011 * Chenoa, IL

2011-06-26T22:58:00.001-05:00

61 finishers
15	Charlie Grotevant	0:30:06	1st Age Group 60 & over

Kilbride Family Classic 5K * June 19, 2011 * Kankakee, IL

2011-06-26T22:57:00.001-05:00

614 finishers
100	Charlie Grotevant	0:22:54	1st Age Group 65-69

Grow & Go 5K * May 14, 2011 * Bloomington, IL

2011-06-26T22:55:00.001-05:00

124 finishers
17	Charlie Grotevant	0:23:43	3rd Age Group 60 & over
33	Peg Stark	0:35:26	2nd Age Group 50-54

Running in the “Near Northwest”

2011-06-13T23:10:00.000-05:00

by Vicki King

Okay – I’ve now added both Nebraska and South Dakota to the list of states I’ve run in. Next up is Wyoming. In case you didn’t already know this, my lifetime goal (or bucket list, as people tend to say now) is to run a race in every state.

This summer my husband Bob King and I are taking an RV trip to the “near northwest;” visiting National Parks, Monuments, etc in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota – in that order. And of course we traveled through Nebraska just to get out here, so on Saturday June 4, we were able to run the June Jamboree 10K in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Then we planned to do a trail run in Rapid City, SD on Thursday evening, June 9. But since it rained off and on all day, doing a 3-5 mile trail run (online I couldn’t tell the exact distance) in misting rain, after a day of rain, just didn’t sound like fun… So we went to plan B, and ran the Belle Fourche, SD Hay Fever 4 mile race on Saturday June 11 instead.

The Rapid City trail run wasn’t a true “race” anyway – it was part of a series of trail runs where they accumulate points based on how many trail runs you do all summer, plus your cumulative time. But I figured if we ran it, I could count it as a race for my list.

Well, the Belle Fourche race was kind of interesting also. First of all – there were only about 10 runners. Yes, that’s right – 9 to 11 runners; I forgot to count at the start line. I do know there were 8 runners (counting us) pre-registered… Most of the folks were walkers who started 15 minutes after the runners. I think I was next-to-last of the runners. But at least I didn’t get lost!

The course was on city streets and well marked, but not certified, of course. My GPS was more than .1 short when I got to the finish, so I kept running down the street and into the community center parking lot (why is Deb McNamara not surprised???) to make a full 4 miles on my watch. So although they clocked me at 39:10, I finished a true 4 miles in 40:18 (10:04 pace).

We did not wear race numbers, although they did call out both my name and time as I crossed the “finish line”; and they did not give out age group awards. They did give everyone who ran a $5 gift card for Subway – usable at any Subway, so that’s good! And we got T-shirts… which say in big bold letters on the back “walk this way”. As you can tell, it was a fitness kind of event – geared toward walkers more than runners.

It was a nice cool morning – in the low 60’s – but very windy and the course was hilly. (Oh, and did I mention that Belle Fourche is a little over 3,000 feet above sea level??) Take a look at my mile splits and see if you can tell which miles were downhill and which ones were uphill, into the wind: 9:08 – 9:51 – 11:28 – 9:49. Oh yeah, mile 3 was a real killer. But hey – it was a nice 4 mile run overall in a different place, and I enjoyed it.

And guess what – we are very close to the famous Mickelson Trail!! That’s the 109 mile trail that runs through the Black Hills of South Dakota, between Deadwood at the north end and Edgemont at the south end. (Oh darn, we just missed the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon… That race gets rave reviews from everyone who runs it.) The trail brochure contains some very helpful information – where the trailheads are, how long each segment is, and what to do if you encounter a mountain lion… I plan to do this week’s long run on the trail, hoping to see nothing more than peaceful, scenic beauty.

ABC Run #65, for EPGJHXC

2011-06-13T22:05:00.000-05:00

by Merlin Anderson

ABC Run #65 was held May 15, 2011 to benefit the El Paso-Gridley Junior High Cross Country program (EPGXC). Once again, the weather was less than ideal (cold, windy, slightly rainy). And, once again, a good number of participants (28) braved the conditions to join in on the fun and to support the EPGXC program with total contributions of $514.

Our contributions help provide the junior high kids of El Paso-Gridley the opportunity to run cross country. The school does not provide funding, so the kids rely on the ABC runs. Four of the junior high cross country kids were there to show their support and appreciation: Ryan Filkins, Shelby Heffron, Alana Halvorsen, and Autumn Kridner.

Volunteer head coach, Mike Heffron, hosted this event with the help of his wife, Robin Heffron, and son, Shelby. The kids and coach say “Thanks a million.”

The next three ABC runs will be:

ABC #66 at / for the Easter Seals Timber Pointe Outdoor Center will be 7:30 am on June 26.

ABC #67 to benefit St. Jude will be 7:30 am on July 23 at Lisa Spark's home.
ABC #68 to benefit The Seedling Theater will be 8:00 am on August 14 at the Schumacher’s.

Mark your calendars, and I hope to see you out there!

Madison Quarter Marathon * May 29, 2011 * Madison, WI

2011-06-07T07:57:00.001-05:00

1082 finishers
335	Michael McGuckin	1:00:32

Boston Marathon * April 18, 2011 * Boston, MA

2011-05-17T21:20:00.001-05:00

23879 finishers
2361	Kyle Bobbitt	3:06:31

Secretary's Notes - May 2011

2011-05-15T22:26:00.000-05:00

by Jessica Gieson

Lake Run Club Board Meeting

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Swingers Grille - Bloomington, IL

Attendees: Jessica Gieson, Mitch Hobbs, Jana Kiefer, Bob King, Vicki King, Kevin McCarthy, Rebecca Payne, Tim Rood, Jill Usiak

Membership (Julie Howell): Membership reflects cancellation of all non-renewing members

Members: 824

Households: 542

Male Members: 358

Female Members: 466

Other Clubs: 14

Newsletter (Vicki & Bob King): No issues with on-line newsletter, no further report at this time.

Treasurer (Bob Lambert): Currently preparing taxes. Checks for Lake Run expenses requiring immediate payment have been given to race director.

Billing/Advertising (Cathie Haab): Cathie Haab is resigning at the end of the year. Kevin will work with Cathie throughout the year to coordinate a smooth transition.

Volunteer Committee (Jill Usiak): On-line sign-up working well. Please continue to volunteer! Jill requested funding to purchase Lake Run Club merchandise/swag for volunteers. The board approved providing $500 towards purchase. Missi Adams, Volunteer Recognition Coordinator, will coordinate purchase.

Jill also discussed requiring all new races or race directors using LRC finish line services work with an LRC Member Mentor to ensure they are prepared and aware of finish line needs prior to race. Jill will begin to formalize the mentor program.

Ride-the-Wave and Catch-the-Wave: No big issues combining day, location, and speaker resources. Programs will be recapped with coordinators.

Lake Run: Volunteer needs have been met. Ride and Catch the Wave packet pick-up at last night of program.

Park-2-Park: Course logistics and contract with Corn Crib being finalized.

Old Business:

LRC site redesign: LRC site currently consists of three separate sites. Merger of the sites will continue to be discussed by the technological owner of each.

Summer training program: Mitch working to begin Women’s Only training program, “Heat Wave,” this summer. Program will likely be held Monday evenings from the 1st week of June thru the 2nd week in August. No target race, however the Evergreen 5k would follow training.

Marathon Program: Discussed addition of half marathon training with John Kastigar, no issues foreseen. Kevin and John will further finalization addition.

New Business:

Connecting with members: With the move to on-line newsletter, it is important to increase touch points with new and current members. Suggestions include increasing activity on Face Book and coordinating club socials. Kevin will also research ability to send mass e-mails to members.

The next board meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday, June 7 at Swingers Grille. All meetings are open to the public.

Christie Clinic Illinois Half Marathon * April 30, 2011 * Champaign-Urbana, IL

2011-05-07T12:23:00.001-05:00

6442 finishers
618	Charlie Grotevant	1:44:39	1st AG 65-69
711	Stacie Rood	1:46:18
2390	Deb Aukerman	2:02:51	PR!
4096	Sandy Vail	2:18:36	PR!
4861	Dawn Dieckgrafe	2:27:46
4899	Connie Reeser-Hall	2:28:24	PR!
5240	Bob Catanese	2:35:13

Get Your Rear In Gear 5K * Mar 26, 2011 * Ft. Myers, FL

2011-05-07T12:22:00.001-05:00

325 finishers
47	Charlie Grotevant	23:05:00	1st AG 65-69

Gasparilla Classic 15K * Feb 26, 2011 * Tampa, FL

2011-05-07T12:21:00.001-05:00

5029 finishers
653	Charlie Grotevant	1:14:18	4th AG 65-69

30th Annual Lake Run – May 7, 2011

2011-05-03T21:41:00.001-05:00

The 30th Annual Lake Run at Lake Bloomington, sponsored by the Lake Run Club, is Saturday May 7, 2011. For more information on this years race go here.

Secretary's Notes - April 2011

2011-05-03T09:18:00.013-05:00

by Jessica Gieson

Lake Run Club Board Meeting

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Swingers Grille - Bloomington, IL

Attendees: Tom Arbogast, Ron Barnett, Jessica Gieson, Cathie Haab, Mitch Hobbs, Julie Howell, Kevin McCarthy, Rebecca Payne, Tim Rood, Rich Beal, Tod Williamson

Membership (Julie Howell): The club has 1222 members; 730 households. Julie proposed not automatically including membership in Catch-the-Wave and Ride-the-Wave registration.

Newsletter (Vicki and Bob King): No report at this time.

Treasurer (Bob Lambert): P/L statement prepared. Preparation of financials in other than Adobe was discussed. No issues noted in doing so. It was determined purchase of Adobe not required.

Billing/Advertising (Cathie Haab): No report at this time.

Kids Run for Fun: Program will be held at Bloomington High School due to construction at IWU track.

Ride the Wave: Track workout will be held Kingsley Junior High due to construction at IWU track.

Summer Track Workouts: Alternate track locations being explored due to construction at IWU track.

Lake Run: Tod Williamson reported that awards have been ordered; and there are no current issues.

Park-2-Park: The board discussed and approved change of course. Finish will now be at Cornbelters Stadium. Race distance will remain the same, 5 miles.

Old Business:

· The equipment shed inventory was completed by Tim and Kevin. The Board approved the sale of old, no-longer-used time clocks.

· The LRC website currently consists of three separate sites. A redesign and merger of the sites will continue to be discussed by the technological owner of each.

· Mitch is working to begin a Women’s Only training program this summer.

New Business:

· Rich Beal reported that a Race for the Cure will be held in Bloomington on September 10, 2011.

The next board meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday, May 3 at Swingers Grille. All meetings are open to the public.

Country Music Marathon * April 30, 2011 * Nashville, TN

2011-05-03T09:06:00.001-05:00

4082 finishers
1186	Dan Anderson	4:13:48	PR!

Country Music Half Marathon * April 30, 2011 * Nashville, TN

2011-05-03T09:05:00.001-05:00

21944 finishers
12531	Wendy Anderson	2:32:05

Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon * April 30, 2011 * Champaign-Urbana, IL

2011-05-03T09:04:00.001-05:00

2131 finishers
951	George Brown	4:14:50

St Louis Marathon * April 10, 2011 * St Louis, MO

2011-05-03T08:35:00.003-05:00

1914 finishers
1561	George Brown	5:10:22

ABC Run #64 for The Baby Fold

2011-05-02T17:15:00.000-05:00

by Merlin Anderson

After days of rain, April 23 turned out to be a great day to run. No doubt this contributed to the success of ABC Run #64. A nice group of 59 participants contributed an impressive total of $1,001 to The Baby Fold, a multi-service agency that provides Residential, Special Education, Child Welfare, and Family Support Services to children and families in central Illinois.

After Jennifer Keen thanked the runners and told us about the continued financial pressures facing The Baby Fold, I told the runners about the three routes: a 3-mile route up the trail to near the I55 overpass and back, a 6-mile route to the grain bins & back, or a 9-mile route that continued on past the grain bins. My strategy for marking the course was to use my GPS and drop an Easter egg along the trail at the 1.5 mile mark and the 3-mile mark. I brought only two eggs, so Larry Schumacher improvised by finding a cigarette pack to place at the 4.5 mile mark. There were no reports of runners stopping for a smoke break.

Of the 59 participants, 23 were first-timers. Too many to print names here (also, I’m not sure I can clearly read all the handwriting from the sign-in sheet). Suffice it to say, it was very interesting. There were several Catch The Wave and Ride The Wave participants thanks to Bill Hahm and Robyn Walter for informing the groups. We also had a group of Lean Body Concepts boot camp members as well as a Missfit Roller Derby girl.

As runners returned, they were treated to an Easter egg hunt. My egg was filled with dark chocolate M&Ms. Roger Aukerman did not have such luck because a squirrel evidently broke into his Easter egg before he returned from his run.

The post-run food choice was awesome – coffee cake, bagels & cream cheese, muffins, two varieties of chocolate chip cookies, a bowl of mixed fruit slices, bananas, apples, and so much more! Thanks, everybody, for your enthusiastic participation and support. Thanks to Senthil Ramasamy for taking all the photos (you can see these on Facebook). And thanks to Jennifer Keen for a great job of hosting us at The Baby Fold and for enhancing this event with the Easter egg hunt.

The next ABC run will be Sunday, May 15 at El Paso, 8:00am, hosted by Mike Heffron to benefit the El Paso/Gridley Junior High Cross-Country program.

LBL 60K Trail Run * March 12, 2011 * Grand Rivers, KY

2011-04-12T11:56:00.001-05:00

109 finishers
97	Donna Creditor	9:39:57

LBL Trail Marathon * March 12, 2011 *Grand Rivers, KY

2011-04-12T11:55:00.001-05:00

105 finishers
59	Deb Aukerman	5:24:52	3rd AG

LBL 23K Trail Run * March 12, 2011 * Grand Rivers, KY

2011-04-12T11:53:00.001-05:00

167 finishers
135	Jana Kiefer	3:20:39
142	Steve Barr	3:27:52
157	Roger Aukerman	3:44:33

Team in Training

2011-03-30T17:24:00.000-05:00

by Lauren Schweizer

Interested in participating in the Peoria Steamboat Classic, the SOLD OUT Chicago Marathon, or the Nike Women’s Marathon? Try running for a cause!

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training (TNT) program is a ground-breaking charity endurance training program that has reached a remarkable milestone of raising $1 billion to support blood cancer research and patient services. TNT has prepared thousands to achieve their dream of completing a marathon or half-marathon. The enormous success of this program has helped make possible advances in blood cancer therapies and treatments that have prolonged and enhanced the lives of so many patients.

Whether you have done an endurance event or this is your first time, Team In Training's certified coaches and team support will help you reach your goals! For more information please contact Lauren Schweizer at lauren.schweizer@lls.org or visit www.teamintraining.org/il.

ABC Run #63 for The Children's Foundation

2011-03-30T17:12:00.000-05:00

by Merlin Anderson

Last year, I wrote about the hypothesis that ABC runs offset global warming by ushering in cold fronts before each run. Once again, we have offset the effects of greenhouse gases by merely holding another ABC run.

Despite an unseasonably cool 25 degrees with a 16 mph Northeast wind, a total of 28 participants showed up to run and contribute a total of $589 to Scott Early Learning Center, a program of The Children’s Foundation. The Children’s Foundation is a social service organization offering child, youth and family services. To learn more, visit http://www.childrenshomeandaid.org/Page.aspx?pid=356

We had four new ABC run participants, including Mark Mikel, Toni Andrews, Bonnie Garrett, and Kerry Shaver. Welcome and we hope to see you often!

Lisa Sparks helped organize this event, including arranging for Harry Johnson, of The Children’s Foundation, to open the Scott Early Learning Center so that we would have a nice place to congregate. Mark Mikel, a Children’s Foundation board member (and runner and triathlete), also joined us. Before the run, Harry thanked us for participating and told us about all the valuable services provided by Scott Early Learning Center and The Children’s Foundation.

Harry sent a nice follow-up email in which he wrote “On behalf of the staff, board and especially the children we serve at The Children’s Foundation of Children’s Home + Aid, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your generous donation from last Saturday’s run. Your gift will go to work in the lives of our boys and girls by providing programs and services for these children. The Scott Early Learning Center works with at risk infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers to insure they are learning and developing at the proper developmental levels. Every way your gift is used helps our children overcome the long odds they face to reach success. “

Thanks, everyone for your participation, contributions, and food. In addition to Meg’s coffee cake, we had Panera bagels from Mark Mikel, bananas and oranges and water and Gatorade from Harry Johnson. I didn’t see who brought the delicious banana bread but my guess is Kristen Dixon, who got there before I did. Or was it Suzy Rogers or Sarah Kelch. OK, that’s three guesses. Please tell me I got it right.

Honda LA Marathon * March 20, 2011 * Los Angeles, CA

2011-03-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

*19866 finishers*
7103	Barbara Simmons	4:42:00

Adopt-a-Highway 2011 Schedule

2011-03-25T17:19:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars! Here are the Adopt-a-Highway dates for 2011.

All clean-ups are on Saturdays.

April 23 at 9:15 am
June 25 at 9:15 am
August 13 after Evergreen 5K (approximately 9:15am)
October 1 after Run the Woods 5K (approximately 10:30am)

We meet at the LRC Adopt-a-Highway sign by the farmhouse near the intersection of county roads 1750 East and 2350 North (1 mile south of Carver’s Corner).

Questions? Contact Tammy Knippenberg at 309-454-5746 or tknippenberg@yahoo.com

Tammy needs at least 3 other volunteers besides herself.

Secretary's Notes - February 2011

2011-03-25T17:09:00.000-05:00

by Jessica Gieson

Lake Run Club Board Meeting

Wednesday, February 16, 2010

Swingers Grille - Bloomington, IL

Attendees: Tom Arbogast, Ron Barnett, Jessica Gieson, Cathie Haab, Mitch Hobbs, Julie Howell, Kevin McCarthy, Rebecca Payne, Tim Rood, Jill Usiak

Membership (Julie Howell): The club has 978 members; 513 households. We had 8 new members in January and 29 new members in February. 24 people used the online payments system for their renewal. New members via Catch the Wave and Ride the Wave will receive their shirts at the program.

Newsletter (Vicki & Bob King): No updates.

Treasurer (Bob Lambert): P/L statement is being prepared; there are a few outstanding bills from the banquet and Chilly Chili. Exploring opening a different checking account that would allow web access.

Volunteers (Jill Usiak): Volunteer committee positions have been filled:

Coordinator/Board Member – Jill Usiak

Point Master - Kim Barman

Equipment Manager - Tim Rood

Volunteer sign-up website – Merlin Anderson

Additional Members - Dawn Dieckgrafe, Melissa Adams

Billing/Advertising (Cathie Haab):

To aid the billing process and help avoid future outstanding invoices, Jill will notify race directors that payment should be given to the finish line coordinator after the race. A finish line form and SASE will be provided in finish line box. Finish line coordinator will send to Cathie.

Catch the Wave and Ride the Wave: Robin Walter is the 2011 Ride the Wave coordinator. Record number of participants (68) for Ride the Wave. Both programs will be on Wednesday evenings at GE Park.

Upcoming Circuit Races:

3/05 – Miller Park 5K

3/13 – St Pats 5K

3/26 – CIDA 5K

4/02 – Springfield half marathon

4/03 – CCHS 5K

4/16 – Eureka 4 miler

5/07 – Lake Run

Old Business:

· The board discussed a possible course change for Park-2-Park resulting in a new finish location, Corn Belters Stadium. This might increase race distance. Kevin and Ron Barnett will review and discussion will be continued.

· The Clear Stream recycle bins have been ordered and will be used at St Pat’s 5K.

· The equipment shed inventory will be completed in March by Tim and Kevin.

· The LRC website currently consists of three separate sites. A redesign and merger of the sites will be discussed by the technological owner of each.

New Business:

· Cones will be purchased for marking Tipton Park race courses.

· Online race entry process, fees, etc. will be established for upcoming races.

· A summer race training program, with possible race goal being Evergreen 5K, will be explored by Mitch.

· Marathon Training Program coordinator to be confirmed; with possible addition of half marathon program.

The next board meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday, April 5, at Swingers Grille. All meetings are open to the public.

Mardi Gras Rock 'n' Roll Marathon * February 13, 2011 * New Orleans, LA

2011-03-11T21:46:00.000-06:00

3179 finishers
1034	George Brown	4:02:09

Constitution Trail Closure

2011-03-08T09:47:00.000-06:00

Tom Cinnamon

For those Lake Run Club members who were not aware of the Constitution Trail detour due to the Vernon Avenue bridge closure, please see the details below.

According to my calculations, the recommended detour will add approximately .44 miles (one-way) to the LRC mile marker route starting at Allers Shelter.

Feb 21 Press Release from Gene Brown, Town Engineer

Eastbound Vernon Avenue will be closed to all traffic between Baugh Drive and Angela Drive beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, and remain closed until approximately July 29, 2011, for Phase I of the Vernon Avenue Bridge Improvement Project over Sugar Creek just east of Brookwood Drive.

Vernon Avenue between Baugh Drive and Angela Drive will be reduced to one lane for westbound traffic during Phase I of the project.

Eastbound Vernon Avenue through traffic will be detoured north on Linden Street to College Avenue, east on College Avenue to Towanda Avenue, and south on Towanda Avenue to Vernon Avenue.

Vernon Avenue will be open to local traffic west of Baugh Drive and east of Angela Drive during this time.

Constitution Trail will also be closed to through traffic between Grandview Drive and Towanda Avenue during this time. Eastbound Constitution Trail traffic will be detoured on sidewalks north on Grandview Drive to Vernon Avenue, east on Vernon Avenue to Baugh Drive, north on Baugh Drive to Towanda Avenue, and south on Towanda Avenue to Constitution Trail. Westbound Constitution Trail traffic will be detoured on sidewalks north on Towanda Avenue to Baugh Drive, south on Baugh Drive to Vernon Avenue, west on Vernon Avenue to Grandview Drive, and south on Grandview Drive to Constitution Trail.

Constitution Trail will be closed to all traffic along Vernon Avenue between Baugh Drive and Angela Drive during this time including the Vernon Avenue crossing at Angela Drive.

The Vernon Avenue Bridge Improvement Project consists of removal and replacement of the existing concrete bridge deck including the addition of a ten foot wide concrete surface for Constitution Trail and associated roadway improvements on Vernon Avenue from Baugh Drive to Angela Drive. The construction cost for this project is approximately $1.85 million dollars of which the town received $1.36 million dollars of federal Major Bridge Rehabilitation Program funds from IDOT.

ABC Run #62, for the Boys & Girls Club

2011-03-08T09:35:00.000-06:00

by Merlin Anderson

The weather forecast called for about eight inches of snow to fall a couple days before ABC Run #62, held on February 26, 2011. Luckily, we got only about two inches and most of that had melted.

David Smith did a good job of hosting in place of Evelyn Young, the director of the Boys & Girls Club, who was not able to attend due to an illness. A fun group of 31 runners participated and donated a very nice sum of $503 to the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington/Normal. In four years we have raised a total of $2,258 for the Boys & Girls Club. The grand total for all 62 ABC Runs is $36,912. Pretty good for a group of runners sharing a run, food, and some cash for a good cause!

Participating in an ABC run for first time were Randy Barnett and Kristen Dixon. Thanks for running, and join us often! Thanks to everyone for your participation, contributions, and food including Meg’s coffee cake, Kevin Fahling’s chocolate chip cookies, Robyn Walter’s pumpkin bread, Stacy Brandt’s chocolate chip banana cake, Jen Ho’s white chocolate popcorn, and Claire Hedden’s grapefruit wedges.

A bittersweet feature of this ABC run was giving away Patrick Tower’s running clothing. Patrick tragically passed away on January 28. I had just met Patrick on January 11 when he first came to one of our Tuesday night runs. If you didn’t attend the Tuesday night runs, you might remember Patrick as the “cheesehead” at the Chilly Chili run this year. I could tell right away that Patrick would be another great running friend and couldn’t wait to get to run with him (I wasn’t able to run on Tuesday nights because of my teaching schedule).

Patrick was very interested in the ABC runs and he asked to be on the email notification list, expecting to be able to attend this ABC run. Patrick’s wife, Ingrith, donated all of Patrick’s running clothes because she felt that Patrick would have liked to have other runners make good use of all the tech fiber apparel that he had so recently purchased. When I wear the outfit of his that I selected, I am reminded of his fresh enthusiasm for running and am thankful for all the runs I enjoy, be they with friends or on my own.

The next ABC Run (#63) will be 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 26 at/for The Children’s Foundation Scott Early Learning Center located at 403 South State Street in Bloomington. Doors will open at 7:30. We hope you can join us.

Mecedes Marathon * Feb 13, 2011 * Birmingham, AL

2011-02-15T19:14:00.002-06:00

1012 finishers
36	Mark Fetzer	3:08:49	PR, Boston Qualifier

London's Run 10K * Jan 29, 2011 * Queen Creek, AZ

2011-01-30T13:05:00.002-06:00

610 finishers
215	Bob King	0:58:36
320	Vicki King	1:03:29	2nd AG

ABC Run #61 for Sugar Grove Foundation

2011-01-24T21:33:00.000-06:00

by Merlin Anderson

January 15, 2001 - this one was truly a Winter Wonderland Run! Nice temperature in the twenties and a couple of inches of snow to make the trails perfect for running. The roads were also in good shape for those preferring the 7-mile road course. We had a total of 41 participants including all the runners, a few walkers, and Kevin Tuuk’s four grandchildren.

We collected a total of $692 for the Sugar Grove Nature Center, a “January PR”. The money will again go toward further enhancing Imagination Grove, their children’s nature play and discovery area. Imagination Grove provides opportunities for thousands of children to connect with nature, which is important for their physical, emotional, and mental well-being as well as the health of the environment.

Angela Funk of the Sugar Grove Nature Center was a great host. She opened the building a half-hour early, created a very friendly atmosphere, and provided lots of refreshments. Before we took off running, Angela gave us a big “thank you” and told us about how “Imagination Grove” will soon be recognized for excellence in a national publication.

This run could also be dubbed the Adventures in Alliteration run as we dashed after deer, leaped a log, crossed a creek, scared a squirrel, zoomed on a zip-line, and slung some snowballs. The zip-line in Imagination Grove was a real highlight. I was hoping to get a vote for best zip-line performance but they were all good, including Tim Rood losing his Viking horned hat, John Kastigar losing his grip, Kevin McCarthy for greatest gymnastic flexibility while hanging on a zip line. Most graceful was a tie between Karen Caspers, Stacy Brandt, and Missy Adams.

Nigel Keen, Dan Anderson, Eric Fortune, and Bruce Sutter managed to cross the large creek (Timber Creek) by walking on top of a fallen tree. While the rest of us turned back to run the planned course, these four intrepid runners created their own adventure by continuing through the woods on the other side of the creek, dashing past deer blinds (chanting “I’m not a deer”), prancing over a plowed field, and finally finding a road leading back to the Sugar Grove Nature Center.

Thanks to everyone that attended and/or contributed. Thanks also for bringing the food to supplement Meg’s coffee cake and the food/drink provided by Angela. I’m not sure who all brought food, but thanks to Stacy Brandt for the egg casserole, Kevin Fahling for the cookies, and Deb Aukerman for the pumpkin bread.

The next ABC run (#62) will be Saturday, February 26 at the Boys and Girls Club in Bloomington. The doors open at 8:00 and the run starts at 8:30. Hope to see you there.

Secretary's Notes - December 7, 2010

2011-01-21T16:02:00.000-06:00

by Jessica Gieson

Lake Run Club Board Meeting

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Medici - Normal, IL

Attendees: Tom Arbogast, Jessica Gieson, Cathie Haab, Mitch Hobbs, Jana Kiefer, Bob Lambert, Kevin McCarthy, Rebecca Payne, Tim Rood, and John Trainor

Membership (Julie Howell): Reminder 2011 membership renewals are due. Payment can be made by check or on-line.

Newsletter (Vicki & Bob King): 500 renewal and banquet letters were prepared and sent.

Treasurer (Bob Lambert): Marathon training fees to be received. Move to electronic newsletter has resulted in zero newsletter expenses in 2010. Please inform Bob of any deposits made to the LRC account.

Volunteers (Jill Usiak): Jill and Les are coordinating the awards banquet in January.

Billing/Advertising (Cathie Haab): Outstanding invoices were discussed. Cathie will forward a list to Tim Rood for collection follow-up. To avoid future outstanding invoices, LRC will implement pre-payment of race equipment rental, and "bill to" information should be provided by race director prior to race.

Catch and Ride the Wave: Robin Walter is the 2011 coordinator. Both programs will be run jointly on Wednesday evenings at GE Park.

Upcoming Races: Da Deer Run

Old Business:

· Clear Stream recycle bins are in the process of being ordered.

· LRC will continue to rent space from Prenzler to store event equipment.

· Location for board meetings was discussed. Further review of suggestions will be made and location of February meeting is TBD.

New Business:

LRC website redesign – the LRC website currently consists of three separate sites. Merger of the sites will be discussed by the technological owner of each.

New 2011 race – Potential organizers of a new race asked for input from the board. Discussion of potential timing and course will be passed on.

The next board meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday, February 1, location TBD. All meetings are open to the public.

Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon * Jan 16, 2011 * Phoenix, AZ

2011-01-19T12:49:00.001-06:00

19298 finishers
11424	Bob King	2:30:50
12433	Vicki King	2:36:36

Longest Causeway 10K * Jan 8, 2011 * Port Isabel, TX

2011-01-18T20:02:00.003-06:00

1373 finishers
250	Bill McNamara	0:50:00
960	Deb McNamara	1:11:41

Survivor Trail Race Series #1 (5K) * 12/18/2010 * Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL

2011-01-11T09:55:00.002-06:00

346 finishers
169	Kirsten Marek	0:29:40

Reindeer Run for the Horses Cross-Country 5K * 12/19/2010 * Minooka, IL

2011-01-10T15:00:00.002-06:00

68 finishers
14	Kirsten Marek	33:04	1st AG. Note -- the front pack of runners (me included!) took a wrong turn at the start of the race -- finishing time reflects actual running distance of 3.8 miles!

Multi-club Happy Hour - Sat Jan 15

2011-01-07T18:25:00.000-06:00

by Kevin McCarthy

The Tri-Shark Triathlon Club is organizing a happy hour at Medici from 4-6pm on Saturday, January 15th.

The point is to get together with club members, Wheelers, Tri-birds (the ISU Tri club), Masters Swimmers, Vitesse and Bloomington Cycle bike shop employees, and Lake Run Club members.

It will be a good time to connect with other club members, coordinate winter workouts, and plan race calendars. Come one and come all!

Barely Beating Bob’s Bike Bet

2011-01-06T11:58:00.000-06:00

by Merlin Anderson

Each year Bob Brandt challenges me to accomplish something regarding the tandem bike and either I achieve it (Bob buys me a beer) or I don’t (I buy Bob a beer). Bob usually buys, not because they are unfair bets, but because I’m inherently frugal when it comes to buying beer. The previous bets were:
2005 -- Bob bet I couldn’t get 20 riders (I got 30).
2006 -- the bet was 2000 tandem bike miles (I got 2001).
2007 -- average 16 mph on the tandem (I lost).
2008 -- get 20 riders to ride at least twice in 2008 (I got 24).
2009 -- get 15 guys to ride (I got 17).

For 2010, we agreed to an even tougher challenge – getting at least 15 couples to ride. That means at least 30 total riders because each person must ride with me. Each rider must ride at least 5 miles. We also agreed a “couple” can either be a married couple or an unmarried couple who are “generally recognized as a couple” (by being seen together frequently). That definition saves me from having to ask socially awkward questions such as “Is your relationship romantic or strictly platonic?”

This was the toughest bet yet and it wasn’t decided until the last day of the year but Bob buys again because 15 couples rode with me. In fact, this bet was so tough that I resorted to a considerable amount of begging, to which I heard a plethora of great excuses/reasons on the part of many of my targeted riders. Some of my favorite turn-downs included:
            “I tore my meniscus and my ACL and had surgery”
            “I think I have carpal tunnel syndrome”
            “I have to clean the garage”
            “It’s hunting season”
            “I’m pregnant”

“I’m afraid to let you drive”

So I give a big “thank you” to the following brave couples who were not afraid to ride with me (or could not think up a good excuse when I called). Couples are listed in order of completion. The mileage figures are their total tandem miles which include miles for all rides in 2010.

• 1st couple (April 10): Diana and Bob Brandt (18 miles, 22 miles). It was mighty sportsmanlike of Bob and Diana to risk losing the bet by being one of the couples.

• 2^nd couple (April 16): Deb and Roger Aukerman (43 miles, 13 miles). Deb and I discussed the basketball program at The Ohio State University.

• 3^rd couple (May 12): Carolyn and Bruce Sutter (60 miles, 23 miles). The ride with Carolyn was highlighted by a “turkey dog” (a small dog whose bark sounded like a turkey gobbling).

• 4^th couple (May 18): Sandra and McLean Oglesby (5 miles each). Some of you might know that Sandra is Frances Connolly’s daughter. Frances now lives in Ontario.

• 5^th couple (May 26): Wendy and Dan Anderson (15 miles each). Wendy and Dan split an ice cream ride by trading shoes and switching bikes at the Danvers ice cream stop.

• 6^th couple (May 27): John and Mary Kastigar (112 miles, 7 miles). John kept the monthly tandem streak going through 47 months. The streak started in February, 2007.

• 7^th couple (June 24): Laurel and Larry Schumacher (17 miles, 26 miles). Our rides were a good chance to discuss ABC #58 hosted by Laurel and Larry to benefit the Seedling Theatre.

• 8^th couple (July 6): Laura Vedeen-Wheatley and Dan Wheatley (16 miles, 18 miles). Laura and Dan are newlyweds, having tied the knot on December 31, 2009.

• 9^th couple (July 20): Missy Adams and Kevin McCarthy (15 miles, 12 miles). I think I forgot to include Kevin’s prime excuse – “I have a client coming”.

• 10^th couple (August 11): Kent Lowry and Jenny Keen (28 miles, 29 miles). I dub Jenny as “Fastest Vice President of Finance” for achieving a top speed of 32.6 mph during our ride.

• 11^th couple (August 28): Tom Lauritson and Kathy Alexander (17 miles, 8 miles). Tom and I talked about his 1988 adventure involving biking 116 miles on a 90+ degree day.

• 12^th couple (September 30): Erin Furimsky and Tyler Lotz (14 miles, 10 miles). Tyler told me all about his interesting trip to Poland including a tour of Auschwitz.

• 13^th couple (October 8): Jessica and Seth Giesen (11 miles, 10 miles). I learned that both Jessica and Seth were planning to do the Florida ironman triathlon.

• 14^th couple (October 29): Rachel and Jeremy Brunner (11 miles, 6 miles). Rachel set a marathon PR at Quad Cities while Jeremy set a half-marathon PR there.

• 15^th couple (December 31) Tim and Stacie Rood (10 miles, 5 miles). Stacie gets the “Just In Time” award for riding on December 31 and finishing the ride two minutes before a rainstorm.

That covers the couples. Twenty other people rode with me, including Meg Anderson (393 miles), Rebecca Payne (251), Kevin Tuuk (30), Becky Roesner (30), Stacy Brandt (29), Adriene Powel (29), Donna Creditor (26), Leann Steidinger (23), Imara White (23) Kim Guttschow (21), Scott Todd (20), Megan Bachman (18), Lisa Sparks (16), Denny McDowell (15), Nadia White (14), Tanya Anderson (14), Michelle White (10), and Saori Hanaki-Martin (7).

Thanks a million to all my fellow riders for another great year!

Jacksonville Bank Marathon * 12/19/2010 * Jacksonville, FL

2010-12-28T12:37:00.001-06:00

882 finishers
512	George Brown	4:09:52	#72

Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon * 12/5/2010 * Las Vegas, NV

2010-12-19T12:15:00.001-06:00

19217 finishers
2349	Barbara Simmons	1:53:45	PR!

Great River Run * 11/27/2010 * Alton, IL

2010-12-18T21:10:00.001-06:00

1134 finishers
301	George Brown	1:19:23

12 K's of Christmas * 12/11/2010 * Gilbert, AZ

2010-12-12T20:44:00.001-06:00

1022 finishers
631	Bob King	1:22:43
643	Vicki King	1:23:21

ABC Run #60, for Adopt-A-Family

2010-12-10T08:34:00.004-06:00

by Merlin Anderson

Even though the streets were clogged with a few inches of wet snow, 31 participants and a couple of anonymous donors made ABC #60 another big success, with $592 in contributions to the Adopt-A-Family program. This is almost double the $300 needed to provide a great Christmas for Jahzara (age 3) and Kya (5 months). These two wonderful little sisters are currently being cared for by their grandmother while their parents work hard to be reunited and be able to care for the girls themselves. The additional money will be used to help provide a great Christmas for another family. There have been more families in need this year than there are sponsors, so this additional money will really help.

Much of the money we raised will be used to buy clothing and shoes. Church clothes are listed as a special need. Other special requests include “educational toy, jungle gym, toy vacuum, baby doll”. The Adopt-A-Family program is administered through The Children’s Foundation. This program is different from other holiday programs in that it is not an “open enrollment” program. All of the recipients have a relationship with their caseworkers and meet with them regularly. All recipients sign a contract agreeing that they will not seek benefits from other holiday programs unless it is for food, or for coats through the Salvation Army. This Adopt-A-Family does not purchase coats because the coats would be needed before they receive their gifts.

The run itself was a great winter adventure! We ran on fresh snow through the neighborhood and west on the trail. Those doing three miles turned around at Airport Road while the six-milers continued to the Chateau area of the trail where they took a break for some to engage in a snowball fight before returning to the Sparks’ home. It felt great to romp in the snow, play like a child, and be able to contribute to the welfare of a couple of wonderful children.

When we returned to the Sparks’ home, we were rewarded with awesome hospitality provided by Lisa and Jay Sparks, including Jay’s super great blueberry pancakes, Meg’s famous coffee cake, Stacy Brandt’s tasty chocolate banana bread, Kevin Fahling’s awesome chocolate chip cookies, and more!

The Adopt-A-Family program is the 24th different charity we have supported with ABC runs. The total amount contributed for all 60 ABC runs is now $35,719. Here are the top ten charities in terms of total dollars contributed:

$5,731 – Austin & Haley Carter (two runs: brother & sister, both with bone cancer)

$4,908 – St. Jude (seven runs)

$3,798 – The Baby Fold (seven runs)

$2,905 – El Paso/Gridley Jr. High Cross Country program (four runs)
$1,814 – Heartland Head Start (three runs)

$1,755 – Boys & Girls Club (three runs)

$1,739 – Salvation Army “Coats for Kids” (four runs)

$1,689 – Sugar Grove Nature Center (five runs)

$1,448 – Special Olympics (three runs hosted by the McNamara’s)

$1,355 – Karley Parker

Thanks a million to everyone for all your support through participation, contributions, hosting, helping, cooking, and friendship!

ABC Run #61 will be 9:00 a.m., Saturday, January 15 at the Sugar Grove Nature Center.

PAL Half Marathon * 11/28/2010 * Sarasota, FL

2010-12-06T21:07:00.001-06:00

375 finishers
82	Charlie Grotevant	1:44:38	1st AG 65-69

Harvest Hustle 5K * 11/20/2010 * Bradenton, FL

2010-12-06T21:06:00.001-06:00

244 finishers
44	Charlie Grotevant	22:27:00	1st AG 65-69

Special Olympics 5K * 11/14/2010 * Lido Key , FL

2010-12-06T20:57:00.003-06:00

335 finishers
53	Charlie Grotevant	22:20:00	1st AG 65-69

When You Have to Change Your Running Ambitions and Goals

2010-11-23T11:16:00.000-06:00

by Peg Stark

As another year comes to an end and a new one soon begins, we give thanks for all the races we did, the PR’s we can be proud of, the volunteers who made it all possible, and the friends who ran and helped us. A good job well done.

Bucket lists… Many of us have them, especially for specific races, distances, or destinations. But for me, things changed a bit this year. I learned that the Osteo Arthritis in my knees has gotten somewhat worse in the past couple of years than expected. So does that mean I have to quit running?

NO! I can still run, but more conservatively than ever. It’s always good to have a doctor that will support your fitness needs in a big way and do his or her darnedest to get you back out there doing what you love to do – which in my case is RUN!

The bad news is that while many of you are planning those marathons and half marathons, etc. for next year… I had to give up those goals. I’m one of a handful of runners who have to accept the fact that I was not made for long distances due to the stress on my knee joints. Yes, I read all the articles about the impact of running on the joints, especially when arthritis is involved. Generally, it’s okay to have the moderate impact of shorter distances. That seems to have a better outcome in keeping OA manageable than running longer distances. It’s the stress of impact and the length of time compounded over 5 or 6 hours of running that would do me in. No matter how much or how well I trained for a marathon, I would most likely be in excruciating pain by the time I crossed the finish line. The doctor added that if I continued to push my running too hard and train too aggressively, I would need a knee replacement in five years!

It was hard at first to think, “I can’t do a Marathon!” I always had planned to train for one; kept putting it on the calendar each year and then had to scratch it off when something came up. So when I decided to just “forget it for good,” it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t have to stress over it any more. If I never run a marathon, will it make me any less of a person or any less of a runner? I hope not!

The good news is that I as long as I continue to be conservative, to change my ambitions and goals to run for my own enjoyment, I should be able to keep physically fit, stay in shape, and manage my weight. By doing my running 3 days a week along with other cross training, I plan to keep in shape enough to run some 5Ks, 4 and 5 milers, and even 10K races for my own fun and competitiveness without the stresses of specialized training. My main key is run/walk intervals. But if I want to keep from having that knee replacement, I’ve got to do it!

Over the past few weeks, I have really felt a transformation in my running. I’m more relaxed; my running seems so much easier now. I can run faster and cover more distance in timed run intervals with 1 minute walk breaks than I ever did before. And, I’m having a lot of fun with it in the process. That is all that matters to me. J

Secretary's Notes - October 2010

2010-11-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

by Jessica Gieson

Lake Run Club Board Meeting
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Medici - Normal, IL

Attendees: Jessica Gieson, Julie Howell, Bob King, Vicki King, Rebecca Payne, Jill Usiak, Kevin McCarthy, Mitch Hobbs, John Trainor

Membership (Julie Howell): 903 Members, 472 Households, 4 new members since 08/30/10.

Newsletter (Vicki & Bob King): No updates.

Treasurer (Bob Lambert): No updates.

Volunteers (Jill Usiak): Finish line volunteer training may be done at any race. Please contact Jill Usiak if interested.

Billing/Advertising (Cathie Haab): No updates.

Upcoming Races: Allerton, Canal Connection, Jingle Bell

Volunteer Coordinator Position – Jill has proposed breaking the committee into multiple positions to fulfill the coordinator responsibilities. The board approved the proposal. Current committee members will have the option to fill positions first and then will open to membership.

Volunteer Committee positions:

Racing Manager (200 pts.) – LRC Board Position; handle all finish line and equipment requests, contact coordinators to cover races, attend board meetings to report all of the committees happenings, issues and upcoming races.

Volunteer Point-master (200 pts.) – input all race points into tracking system; if this system eventually becomes obsolete, then this person would monitor/spot check.

Equipment Manager (100 pts.) – manage the LRC equipment in the storage shed; this includes maintenance of equipment, keeping track of our inventory and making sure race finish line & software boxes are stocked.

Volunteer Sign-up site Manager (100 pts.) – list all sign-ups on the volunteer sign up page, make requests or thank you’s on Forum & Facebook.

Volunteer Recognition Coordinator (100 pts.) – this person will coordinate all activities for our dedicated volunteers each year; this includes the Fall Volunteer Appreciation Party, freebies to hand out at races, volunteer awards for the banquet.

Newsletter Assignment Coordinator (100 pts.) – this person will be responsible for scheduling and supplying newsletter articles to the online newsletter at least every other month (at least 6 articles/year).

LRC 2010 Banquet – Jill and Les Usiak are coordinating the 2010 LRC banquet to be held January 8 at the Corn Palace Restaurant, US Cellular Coliseum. Awards budget was approved by board. Registration forms will be sent out in renewal notices.

Membership Renewal/Banquet Registration Mailing – Membership renewal notice, provided by Julie Howell, and banquet registration form, provided by Jill Usiak, will be mailed out together. Bob and Vicki King will print address labels and have the copies printed and folded by end of October.

Equipment Rentals – Equipment is currently rented out by individual piece. To ease the rental process, equipment will be rented as a package. A few package options will be available; pricing will reflect each package. A rental agreement will be drafted to accompany equipment rentals.

The board approved loaning the club’s Clear Stream Recycling bins to community events. A use agreement will be drafted to detail usage expectations.

The Lake Run – Todd Williamson will serve as Race Director and Mitch Hobbs will serve as Co-Race Director.

The next board meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday, December 7 at Jesse’s Grill, Marriott Hotel. All meetings are open to the public.

State Farm Good Neighbor Grant Program

2010-11-09T12:38:00.000-06:00

by Kevin McCarthy

Attn State Farm Employees:

Through the Good Neighbor Grant Program, the State Farm Companies Foundation awards a $500 grant on behalf of each eligible State Farm associate (active employee, agent, or retiree) who volunteers a minimum of 40 hours per calendar year to an eligible nonprofit organization. The Lake Run Club is an eligible nonprofit organization!

If you volunteered during 2010, please estimate your total number of volunteer hours and consider submitting an application for this program on behalf of the LRC. Also, there is still time to volunteer and rack up some more volunteer hours in support of our club! Contact Kevin McCarthy (club president) at Kevman4@comcast.net or Jill Usiak (volunteer coordinator) at jrschn2@yahoo.com or logon to http://tri-shark.org/LRC/Volunteer.aspx for volunteer opportunities.

Thanks for helping keep our club a strong resource for running and racing in Central Illinois!

TUESDAY NIGHT GROUP RUNS

2010-11-06T10:23:00.000-05:00

by Meg Anderson

Meg & Merlin Anderson’s house

107 S Orr Dr, Normal

It’s that time of year again to meet at the Anderson’s for a run together in the dark! Don’t let the ending of Daylight Saving Time keep you inside. Runners are invited to meet at our house on Tuesdays, starting November 9, to run with a group. We usually run 4 miles, but the course is a figure 8 in our neighborhood that can be adjusted each mile. Merl goes out with the faster runners and I will always run/walk with the “back of the packers.”

Please arrive after 5:15 pm and we’ll leave promptly at 5:30. The light will be on, so just walk in the front door.

Directions to 107 South Orr:

Coming from Veterans Parkway, turn west onto College Avenue (towards ISU). After the second stoplight (Towanda Ave), take the first left onto Orr. We are the 4th house on the right. Feel free to park in the driveway. Any questions, call us at 454-4820.

Remember to keep your runs safe by wearing reflective gear or carrying a flashlight to be visible to others, especially cars as they do have the right of way in streets. Also, be “car friendly” and run in single file when cars approach.

Hope you can join us!

Farmdale 50

2010-11-02T11:02:00.000-05:00

by Tim Rood

It’s 3:00am and the alarm sounds. I’ve been awake for about 10 minutes already, so I pull myself out of bed. It was the first decent night of sleep I had gotten all week. Ugh, why did running 50 miles sound like a good idea several months ago?

A smoothie, a bagel and a banana later and I was in the car headed to Peoria. Arriving at the Farmdale Reservoir, I was quickly struck by a rush of insecurities! Did I really think I was ready for a 50 mile race? There weren’t many rookies at this race. All the other runners seemed to know each other and the race directors… I was scared I had bitten off more than I could chew.

At 4:50am the race director gathered everyone for some pre-race announcements. No microphone needed – there are only 39 runners! He explained that the course was well marked and “You would have to be really stupid if you got lost!” Oh great, more pressure! One of the runners thought the National Anthem would be appropriate so he started singing and most joined in a cappella. Very cool!

Thankfully a couple days before the race I realized I might need a headlamp. Donna Creditor came through! With her headlamp strapped to my head I strolled to the start line trying to look like anything but the terrified rookie I was! The director said “Go” and we were off. The course started on a fire road for about ¼ mile. Pretty easy, I thought. The guy next to me explained that this would quickly come to an end and the real trail would begin. We made a left turn into the woods and I now realized what he meant. Very strange to be running in the pitch black when all you can see is the ground below your feet and a few bouncing headlamps in the distance.

The group was spread out and soon I found myself alone in the woods, no clue where I was, and only 49 more miles to go. I came to a clearing and could hear water running. I stopped and used my lamp to confirm the existence of a river. I began to look around for the trail. Surely it wasn’t on the other side, I thought. Just then a runner came up behind me and asked why I stopped. I told him I was looking for the trail and without hesitation he said “Straight ahead” and headed through the water. Thankfully it was only a couple inches deep!

After another mile I took my eyes off the trail to check my pace and immediately kicked a tree root. I was sprawled across the trail wondering if there was any way I would make it one 10-mile lap let alone five. Lucky not to be seriously injured, I dusted myself off and continued into the darkness. Soon I kicked another root and this time I was head over heels for what seemed like forever. I finally came to rest in some tree branches wondering if I could stand. I knew I messed up my hand and I had pain shooting from my toes to my knee! I got to my feet and was happy that everything seemed to be pretty much in place with only a small trickle of blood coming from my finger. As the pain in my foot slowly subsided I was determined not to fall again. Picking up my feet, staying focused on the trail in front of me, and not looking at my watch, I managed to go several miles in the upright position.

I passed through the aid station at the 5-mile mark, refilled my water, and back out to the trail I went. Then the coyotes started howling! They sounded a lot closer than they probably were so I decided to slow down and shine my lamp into the woods. Bam, down I went. Based on the pain in my foot I was sure it was broken. I was wondering if could get back to the start on my own or if I would be hauled out on the front of a four wheeler like so many unfortunate deer before me. Again the pain slowly subsided and I soon found myself on a straight, flat stretch of gravel. Only ¼ of a mile and lap one would be over! Coming out of the clearing I could hear a few cheers from those beautiful people they call volunteers. As I entered the start/finish area the adrenaline was in full gear! I had made lap one! Clock time 1:33:06.

The sun seemed to be close so I ditched the headlamp, refilled the water bottle, grabbed a few pretzels and headed back down the trail for lap two. Making the left turn into the trail was a much different experience this time: I could see! I was instantly struck with the very real question “How did I not die?” What I was now able to see was the vast beauty and danger of Farmdale Reservoir. The second loop of the race I was consumed with “What if’s.” What if I had taken one of my falls and rolled down one of the 40-foot drop offs so close to the trail? What if one of my stumbles had left me impaled on a tree branch sticking up from the trail? What if I was able to actually see the constant short ascents and descents over never-ending switchback root- and rock-covered trail? These questions kept me distracted but they all had the same answer: I might not have run so fast!

By now my pace had slowed significantly. I realized that if I was going to complete this race, I needed to act like I knew what I was doing. I would need to stop falling, need to walk the uphills, and need to stop every now and then to take in the scenery. There were beautiful meadows, cliffs, rivers and deer! Lots of deer! Soon I was at the 5-mile aid station filling my water bottle again, downing a few pretzels and the so important Hammer S cap that Donna had so graciously donated to my cause! With a few words of encouragement from the volunteers I was back onto the trail!

The second half of loop two was very much the same. Scoping out the trail, trying to take in all I could, learning to be a “trail runner.” Before long I was back on that coveted ¼ mile stretch of straight, flat gravel road. It had kind of snuck up on me but when I hit it I knew civilization was close! I emerged from the clearing and was again energized by the sight and sound of wonderful cheers from friends, volunteers and family! Stacie had arrived by now and I was glad to see her. I stopped for a few moments and talked with her as well as my two awesome personal cheerleaders, Donna and Steve. They all lied and told me I looked great. Stacie brought me a PB&J sandwich, helped refill my bottle, and promised she would be there for loop four. Official split time for loop two – 1:47:09!

Loop three was by far the most difficult loop of the day. The PB&J was not sitting well, my legs and feet were very sore, and the GPS seemed to be stuck. I would try not to look and then when I was sure another mile had gone by I would check only to find I had only run 3 tenths. It was a constant mental battle of the positives and negatives of DNF’ing. Should I stop at three loops? Positives: I would be done, Stacie would not have to run, I might be able to walk again before I was 45, I would be home sooner to mow the grass, I could still say I ran an ultra, and more supplies would be left for everyone else! However I was lucid enough to weigh the negatives: Stacie was waiting (for 3 hours) to run a loop with me, I trained a long time for this (well ok I didn’t but I told myself that!), I told a lot of people I was running a 50 mile race and they seemed to actually care how I did, it was a beautiful day, and… I started it and would be damned if I wasn’t going to finish it! So I straggled along as fast as my legs could go and soon I was in the clearing, scanning the grounds to see if my pacer was ready to go. Loop three – 2:05:13.

Before we headed out for the fourth loop, the race directors brought out the awards. I was able to see that along with the satisfaction of finishing, I would be awarded a large victory stone if I was first in the Clydesdale division! The director told me I was in first place but no one knew how far back the next Clydesdale runner was. Stacie and I headed out onto the course. I was now an experienced trail runner and was imparting my vast knowledge of trail running onto her. Not too fast, watch the roots, pick your feet up, walk the hills; it took almost 30 seconds to unload all my advice. Unfortunately it didn’t help and she kicked a root and crashed onto the trail.

I turned back to help. Stacie had banged her knee up pretty bad and her nicely matched running ensemble was now covered in dirt and a little blood. Within a few seconds she was back up, telling me to get going and complaining that her new white Brooks were no longer white! The fourth loop went by much better. It really helped to be sharing it with my favorite running partner. My stomach had settled, and this being the fourth time around, I was getting to really know the lay of the land.

As we neared the aid station a runner caught up to us. As he passed I asked if he was a Clydesdale. He wasn’t, but said he had passed someone about 15 minutes back who asked him the same question. Now I had some extra motivation to keep going. A challenger for the stone! Stacie and I continued to move well through the back half of the loop and before long I was telling her that the end was ¼ mile from the end of this lovely flat straight stretch. We came into the clearing to some warm applause and more lies about how good I looked!

I decided that with only 10 miles to go I would forgo food. I didn’t want any more stomach issues and I was hydrating well and taking my supplements. I was now confidant I would complete the race. Stacie promised she would backtrack into the course and meet up with me to pace me to the finish. As I filled the water bottle and grabbed a few pretzels another runner entered the finish shoot. He looked to be a few pounds under 200 but I convinced myself that he was in fact the Clydesdale that was stalking me. It was just the motivation I needed to be off into the fifth and final loop of the day. Loop four – 2:05:54.

Loop five started out very well. The thoughts of finishing my first ultra were becoming reality. I knew exactly where to run and where to walk. I knew when to expect the doldrums to set in and exactly how far it was to the aid station without looking at my GPS. I was feeling confident! As I approached the big water crossing for the last time I decided to pull out my iPhone and take a picture. I wish I had done it more often as it is very difficult to explain the beauty and difficulty of the trail to a “flatlander.” As I clicked the picture I heard a runner approaching. Was it the Clydesdale? I wasn’t going to wait to find out. I put the phone back in the pack and was off again down the trail.

As I pushed around the corner and up a hill I looked down to confirm that yes indeed it was the guy I had seen at the start/finish. The rest of the final loop was very much the same, a big game of cat and mouse between me and my adversary. I would walk the uphills and he would close the gap; I would start to run and widen it as he walked. Back and forth we went, mile after mile. I was feeling really good and as I approached that final big hill around mile 7 Stacie yelled out some encouragement. I was really pumped to see her and knew the finish was near.

I explained the importance of staying ahead of the guy in the red singlet. Stacie knew I was in a zone. I was determined to finish strong and she was just the support I needed to get there. The last few miles went very fast. As we hit the dam for the last time she pulled up alongside me. No need for conversation – just knowing she was there was all I needed to get through. I reflected back on the day I requested permission to do this crazy thing. I knew I would not be able to accomplish it without her support, in the days and weeks leading up to it and also during the run itself. I realized how lucky I was to have such a wonderful support system in place. Not many spouses would encourage such behavior let alone join in for about 13 miles of the punishment!

As we hit the clearing for the last time, I grabbed her hand and we raised our arms together in celebration of a great accomplishment. She then peeled off and I headed to the finish line for the final time! Loop five – 2:04:06 – my third fastest of the five loops! Finish time 9:35:28! First place Clydesdale Division!

After a quick picture next to the clock I quickly realized how exhausted I was. I had my first Rich Beal sighting of the day and even though we sat virtually next to each other we didn’t say a word. My feet were pounding, my head was a little dizzy, and I was quite sure that I was going lose whatever lunch I still had inside. I moved from a bench to the ground to a hail bail but nothing was very comfortable. Stacie brought my favorite recovery drink, Prairie Farms chocolate milk, and I downed the quart in two swigs. That did not sit well, so I found a shady spot in the grass and lay down to try and regain some sense of normalcy.

After a short while I was able to get up and move around a bit. The race director awarded me my coveted Clydesdale Champion Stone! I later learned that the runner in the red singlet was not a fellow Clydesdale. I thanked him just the same for providing the inspiration I needed to finish strong. Stacie and I stayed around a while to cheer on those who finished after me. It was great to see the joy and pain intermingle in a wicked dance on their faces. With Stone in hand we headed to the car. Mission accomplished!

What’s next?? Who knows? Take life one day at a time and see where it leads!

Lake Run Club 2010 Award Nominations

2010-10-31T12:02:00.001-05:00

by Jana Kiefer

We are approaching November, and work is underway for an early Lake Run Club banquet on January 8th. As part of the banquet, we’ll recognize outstanding achievements for:

Female Runner of the Year
Male Runner of the Year
Best New Female Runner
Best New Male Runner
Most Improved Female Runner
Most Improved Male Runner
Volunteer of the Year
Comeback of the Year
Race Performance of the Year (please indicate the race for which the person is being nominated.)

Prior year Award Winners can be found here.

Please send your nominations to Jana Kiefer by November 26th via Email or by snail mail at:

Jana Kiefer
1301 S. Madison,
Bloomington, IL 61701

ABC Run #59 for Heartland Head Start

2010-10-28T18:32:00.001-05:00

by Merlin Anderson

Peals of thunder and the patter of rain are forming the musical backdrop to my efforts to recap this ABC run and I can only think, “We got away with one today!” What do I mean “got away with one”? Well, the ABC runs this year have invariably been met with inclement weather, starting in January when we ran in temperatures that were 40 degrees colder than the “Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run” that was held in International Falls, Minnesota only a week earlier. Our luck got even worse after that! So, as soon as I scheduled ABC #59, the National Weather Service immediately amended their massive meteorological model and forecast thunderstorms for today.

Sharon Cochran, a Friend of Heartland Head Start, noted the satisfied glow exhibited by all the runners as they returned to feast on the ample spread of goodies and thought that the glow came from enjoying the camaraderie of fellow runners, the endorphins earned from exertion, and the joy of giving to a worthwhile cause. Yes, it was all those things…and more. The glow and the grins were also due to “getting away with one”, like the adult version of beaning your friend with an eraser during math class and not getting caught.

Amazingly, a total of 40 participants managed to get away with running five or six miles with only a few sprinkles to deal with. Those 40 participants left a substantial total of $606 to help Heartland Head Start purchase books, games and other “family literacy” activities that parents and children can enjoy at home to help prepare children for school.

Thanks much to the Heartland Head Start representatives for being fantastic hosts (including parking direction, music, food, and drinks) and thanks a million to every participant for your fellowship, food, and generous financial support.

Sharon Chochran adds “You are all awesome. We accomplished lots in that some of you learned more about the program, you donated money to help low income children and families in our community, and we all had a great time! Hey, we got away with it! We hope we can do this with you again next year!”

Canal Connection – Important new information

2010-10-26T11:39:00.000-05:00

by Jon Bastuck, race director

As usual, the Canal Connection 10K will start at 11:00am on the first Sunday of November. New for this year, however, is the addition of a Veterans Day parade beginning at 1:00pm. The Utica village council granted the VFW permission to host this parade. This may cause some congestion for parking before the race and/or leaving the area afterwards.

Parking before the race:

The village has reserved the area on the south side of the canal and the school for the runners. This is the property with 4 large grain silos on it. We will have people there to assist with parking. There should be enough room, but since we haven’t dealt with this before, we are asking everyone to please share a ride with another runner if possible.

Traffic before and after the race:

If at all possible, try to get here earlier than usual and board the buses for LaSalle as soon as you’ve registered. It is more important than ever to get the race started on time. Otherwise, post-race traffic may be held up waiting for the parade to pass. We need to start the awards ceremony at12:15 in order to allow everyone to leave the gym by 12:50, and get out of Utica if you so desire.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience all this may cause, but you won't be disappointed in the race. It will still be a great, well-organized event on a beautiful, scenic course with plenty of good food. See you on the 7th.

Directions for getting to the race and avoiding the traffic:

Coming from the north on I-39: go to the first exit past I-80 and turn east on Rt 6. Go one mile past Rt 178 and turn right at the Cajun Connection. Go 1 mile and again turn right. This road will take you to downtown Utica.

Coming from the south on I-39: turn right at the first exit (Rt 6) after the Illinois River. Go east past Rt 178 for 1 mile and turn right at the Cajun Connection. Go 1 mile and again turn right. This road will take you to downtown Utica.

Coming from the west on I-80: turn south at I-39. Take the first exit (Rt 6) to the east. Go one mile past Rt 178 and turn right at the Cajun Connection. Go 1 mile and again turn right. This road will take you to downtown Utica.

Coming from the east on I-80: get off at Ottawa (exit 90) and go south to the stop light at Rt 6. Turn right and go 8 miles to Cajun Connection, then turn left. Go 1 mile and turn right. This road will take you to downtown Utica.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS GET TO THE REGISTRATION EARLY AND IMMEDIATELY BOARD THE BUSES TO LASALLE.

Bank of America Chicago Marathon * 10/10/2010 * Chicago, IL

2010-10-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

36,159 finishers
4001	Mark Fetzer	3:38:00	PR!

Farmdale Trail Run * 10-9-2010 * Farmdale Reservoir, East Peoria, IL

2010-10-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

10 Mile Trail Run
97 finishers
37	Kirsten Marek	1:38:05
*****
30 Mile Trail Run
37 finishers
15	Rich Beal	6:22:40
*****
50 Mile Trail Run
28 finishers
7	Tim Rood	9:35:28	1st Clydesdale

Portland Marathon * 10/3/2010 * Portland, Maine

2010-10-11T08:21:00.001-05:00

982 finishers
428	George Brown	4:04:38

Good Luck Marathon Runners

2010-10-05T15:33:00.000-05:00

by Tom Crain

By now you should be excited and ready to go for the Chicago marathon!

You should be on your down time from your hard work of long runs and those half mile repeats on the track. Getting your base in was the key to all this.

I hope that when you did your long runs, they were slow and easy. Even your world class runners would do their long runs at 6:30 minute miles.

I hope you’re ready to go, and good luck to all. And remember, if you have a bad day at the marathon, or something doesn’t turn out the way you wanted, just tell yourself it’s not your last race, and you’ll do things differently “next time.” Just try to remember what went wrong or what you want to improve and work on it for your next one!

Secretary's Notes - August 2010

2010-10-05T15:31:00.000-05:00

Lake Run Club Board Meeting
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Medici Normal, IL

Attendees: Jessica Gieson, Julie Howell, Jana Kiefer, John Kastigar, Bob Lambert, Rebecca Payne, Tim Rood, Jill Usiak, Kevin McCarthy, Mitch Hobbs, Kirby Cheek, John Traynor

Membership (Julie Howell): 884 Members; 449 Males; 434 Females; 456 Households.

Newsletter (Vicki & Bob King): No new newsletter updates.

Treasurer (Bob Lambert): To date all races are profitable.

Volunteers (Jill Usiak): The Lake Run Club provided timing services for 27 races in 2009. There are 35-40 races on the 2010 timing schedule. At this time no additional races are being added to 2010 finish line and timing schedule. Additional finish line coordinators would be needed to accept additional races.

Finish line volunteer training may be done at any race. Contact Jill if interested.

Volunteer points have been updated through June.

Billing/Advertising (Cathie Haab): All billing is up-to-date.

Marathon Training Program (John Kastigar): The five scheduled classroom sessions were completed the first five weeks of the program. Attendance was greater than prior years when classroom sessions were spread throughout the program. John has re-marked mile markers on the trail due to construction and re-routing of the trail. Fall marathons other than Chicago with dates fitting into the training schedule are being explored.

Kids Run: Program was very successful. There was an increase in runners and profit from prior years.

Upcoming Races/Race Reports: Evergreen Lake, Danvers Days, Shoreline Classic, Run the Woods.

Park2Park: The race was profitable. A donation of was made to the St Jude team for providing water stop volunteer services. Additional donations will be made after discussing with the race director.

Dog Days (Mitch Hobbs): The course was slightly short this year due to misplacement of turnaround cone. Mitch thanked all volunteers for their help at the race.

Old Business:

Jingle Bells has been confirmed as a 2010 circuit race.

To announce the new circuit point system (entry of your own points), Kevin drafted an explanatory letter to be sent to the club.

The board approved the purchase of 10 Clear Stream Recycling bins, $500, to be used at club races.

New Business:
Board members discussed goals in upcoming year.

Jill Usiak will be stepping down as Volunteer Coordinator although she will continue to be a very active volunteer and will plan the Volunteer Appreciation Party and other gatherings.

Jill and Les Usiak will continue to coordinate the 2010 LRC banquet.

Due to the noise level at Medici, alternate board meeting locations are being explored.

The next board meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday, October 5, Location TBD. All meetings are open to the public.

Air Force Marathon * 9/18/2010 * Dayton, OH

2010-09-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

2417 finishers
769	George Brown	4:10:45	70th Marathon
1671	Becky Simpson	4:59:50

Dwight Harvest Days 5K * 9/18/2010 * Dwight, IL

2010-09-28T22:22:00.001-05:00

187 finishers
8	Kelly McBride	19:44:00	1st in AG
48	Kirsten Marek	24:09:00	1st AG, PR!

Air Force Half-Marathon * 9/18/2010 * Dayton, OH

2010-09-28T10:57:00.000-05:00

4301 finishers
123	Rob Johnson	1:35:21
126	Christine Johnson	1:35:26
3114	Dawn Dieckgrafe	2:43:45
3221	Connie Reeser-Hall	2:47:51

The Lake Runner

Naples Half Marathon * Jan 15, 2012 * Naples, FL

Resolution 5K * Jan 7, 2012 * Venice, FL

Mississippi Blues Marathon * Jan 7, 2012 * Jackson, MS

Mississippi Blues Half Marathon * Jan 7, 2012 * Jackson, MS

ABC Run #71, for Sugar Grove Nature Center

Beating Bob’s Bicycle Beer Bet

PAL Half Marathon * Nov 27, 2011, Sarasota, FL

Spring Marathon & Half Training Program

2012 Spring Marathon & Half MarathonTraining Program Overview!

Registration

What to Expect:

Program Coordinator: Donna Creditor - (309) 706-6429

Lake Run Club 2011 Award Nominations

Arctic Wave Youth Running Clinic

ABC Run #70, for Adopt-A-Family

12 K's of Christmas * Dec 10, 2011 * Gilbert, AZ

Saturday Before Christmas Run

2011 Tom-O-Hawk

Carolyn Sutter Completes Marathon in 50th State

Turkey Trot 10K * Nov 24, 2011 * Mesa, AZ

Savannah Rock n Roll Half Marathon * 11/5/2011 * Savannah, GA

Savannah Rock n Roll Marathon * 11/5/2011 * Savannah, GA

2011 Miller Park Turkey Trot Map

Next ABC Run #70

Adams Mill Covered Bridge Half Marathon * October 22, 2011 * Flora, IN

Town & Gown 5K * October 15, 2011 * Normal, IL

Secretary's Notes - October 2011

Tuesday Night Runs

ABC Run #69, for Heartland Head Start

ABC Run/Walk #69

Volunteer Opportunities - Fall 2011

Lake Run Club New Members–September, 2011

Fox Valley Half Marathon * 9/18/2011 * St. Charles, IL

Secretary's Notes - August 2011

ABC Run #68, for Seedling Theatre

Danvers Days 5K Founder - Thom Carlson

ABC Run #67, for St. Jude

ABC Run #66, for Easter Seals Timber Pointe Outdoor Center

Secretary's Notes - June 2011

YMCA 5K * May 30, 2011 * Streator, IL

Warrior 5K * May 28, 2011 * Kankakee, IL

Pork Chop 4 Miler * May 21, 2011 * Chenoa, IL

Kilbride Family Classic 5K * June 19, 2011 * Kankakee, IL

Grow & Go 5K * May 14, 2011 * Bloomington, IL

Running in the “Near Northwest”

ABC Run #65, for EPGJHXC

Madison Quarter Marathon * May 29, 2011 * Madison, WI

Boston Marathon * April 18, 2011 * Boston, MA

Secretary's Notes - May 2011

Christie Clinic Illinois Half Marathon * April 30, 2011 * Champaign-Urbana, IL

Get Your Rear In Gear 5K * Mar 26, 2011 * Ft. Myers, FL

Gasparilla Classic 15K * Feb 26, 2011 * Tampa, FL

30th Annual Lake Run – May 7, 2011

Secretary's Notes - April 2011

Country Music Marathon * April 30, 2011 * Nashville, TN

Country Music Half Marathon * April 30, 2011 * Nashville, TN

Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon * April 30, 2011 * Champaign-Urbana, IL

St Louis Marathon * April 10, 2011 * St Louis, MO

ABC Run #64 for The Baby Fold

LBL 60K Trail Run * March 12, 2011 * Grand Rivers, KY

LBL Trail Marathon * March 12, 2011 *Grand Rivers, KY

LBL 23K Trail Run * March 12, 2011 * Grand Rivers, KY

Team in Training

ABC Run #63 for The Children's Foundation

Honda LA Marathon * March 20, 2011 * Los Angeles, CA

Adopt-a-Highway 2011 Schedule

Secretary's Notes - February 2011

Mardi Gras Rock 'n' Roll Marathon * February 13, 2011 * New Orleans, LA

Constitution Trail Closure

ABC Run #62, for the Boys & Girls Club

Mecedes Marathon * Feb 13, 2011 * Birmingham, AL

London's Run 10K * Jan 29, 2011 * Queen Creek, AZ

ABC Run #61 for Sugar Grove Foundation

Secretary's Notes - December 7, 2010

Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon * Jan 16, 2011 * Phoenix, AZ

Longest Causeway 10K * Jan 8, 2011 * Port Isabel, TX

Survivor Trail Race Series #1 (5K) * 12/18/2010 * Rock Cut State Park, Rockford, IL

Reindeer Run for the Horses Cross-Country 5K * 12/19/2010 * Minooka, IL

Multi-club Happy Hour - Sat Jan 15

2012 Spring Marathon & Half Marathon
Training Program Overview!