News and Notes

CVR Birthdays this week:

Happy Birthday to: David McMath, Merill Creagh, Katie Humphrey, Kim Musgrave, Myles Thornton-Sherman, Kyla Allon, Susan Nofi, Gary Furlong, Timothy Lamson, and William Biediger!

Hello from Montpelier,

As the heat dome has descended upon Central Vermont, I hope you are all staying cool and ideally getting a run in early morning as opposed to late in the day while we wait this heat out…but I know that can be tough if you’re just not a morning runner! Stay cool regardless, everyone!

The heat wave will pass in time for our next CVR picnic in Hubbard Park on next Tuesday, June 25th, after the Fun Run. We will put out some reminders on our various social media channels ahead, but if you’re in the Montpelier area, regardless of whether you join at Fun Run or just want to jog up to the Old Shelter, we will be hanging out there potluck/picnic style between 6-8pm. Bring something to share or for yourself, but bring yourself! As a note, alcohol is not allowed but any other kind of beverage is welcome. I hope to see many of you there.

Meanwhile, below find more updates on re-opening the CVR gear store, plans for a CVR “brand” refresh, all comers track nights starting up Thursdays at U32 on 6/27, and other information that may be of interest to you. And, the minutes from last week’s CVR Club meeting are up on the website so take a look and catch up on what you may have missed (or refresh yourself on what you heard there!). I will also be sharing additional asks and updates that came out of the meeting in the coming weeks (including more info on a coaching program to be offered soon) so stay tuned. And don’t forget it’s not too late to sign up (or show up) for the Birdland 5K this Saturday! Details below. Be well and enjoy all the summer offerings!

Warmly,
Heather Tomlins

Recent Race Results – Members Out and About at Regional Races

It was a big weekend for New Hampshire racing – and some members participated in multiple races! In the annual Mount Washington road race, CVR was out in full force. Donna Smyers sends the following note:

It was beautiful and warm at the base, but after about halfway, the winds were frigid and strong. While we had a stretch between miles 4 and 5 with a consistent tailwind, the headwind sections on the rest of it were brutal. The official race report said that winds were hitting 50 mph and windchills were near or below freezing. I believe that all of us were slower than our prior MWRR. My last full one was 2021 and I was 5 min slower than 2021. I walked more than I ever have, but ran more near the top to ward off hypothermia. Darrel was ~3 min slower than last year, Jim was 6 min slower than his last year’s debut. Mike Gillis, who definitely has the CVR record for most MWRR’s was only about 45 sec slower than last year. I was unable to get 3 women for a CVR team, so I got 3 NE 65+ club members to sign up as a team and we placed 3rd of 5 teams in the 60+ division (the winning team members were all under 65!).

Meanwhile, on Sunday, was Skip’s Run in Lebanon, NH, a 4-mile race that saw a contingent of CVR runners (some overlap from Mount Washington the day before!). Great work on the roads this weekend all!

Upcoming Races and Club Volunteer Needs

THIS WEEKEND! Saturday, June 22, 9:30am: the CVR/ORO Birdland 5K is happening! Come, rain or shine, and enjoy the beauty of Montpelier’s North Branch Park as you travel across rolling singletrack, lush forested hills, and babbling brooks. Mass start for all loop distances and all categories: 9:30am. Top three finishers in each category will receive ORO gift cards and top three overall will receive a unique prize. In the spirit of conservation, this race will be cup-less. Feel free to bring your own or purchase a silicone, foldable race cup with your registration. If you prefer, you can run with your own bottle or hydration pack. Plastic free is the way to be! DAY OF REGISTRATION WILL BE 8:00-9:00AM. Pre-reg rate: $18; Day-of rate: $25. New detail: Come demo some HOKA trail runners at the upcoming CVR/ORO Birdland 5K race on Saturday 22, mass start 9:30 at North Branch Trails. We will have HOKA Speedgoat and ATR Challengers so don’t miss this chance to trial a pair of these awesome trail runners!This race is part of the Central Vermont Runners and Onion River Outdoors 2024 Race Series.

On Deck for July:

Wednesday, July 1st, 6pm: Sign up for the Montpelier Mile, put on by CVR longtime sponsor and partner Onion River Outdoors!
Saturday, July 13, 9am: Registration is open for Bear Swamp, a rugged but fun 5.7 mile romp through Middlesex. Pre-register for lowest costs!
Saturday, July 27th, 9am: Registration is now open for the Barre Heritage Trail 5K in Websterville, VT. The course travels around historic granite quarries on rugged challenging trails. Registration at RunSignUp.com (see link here). Early registration $5, but fees increase as we get closer to race day. New this year under 19 years old $5. Age group and fun prizes!
Mark your calendars for other summer races, including Berlin Pond (August 15th) and the Northfield 5K (August 31), more information can be found on the website and will be provided here as those races get closer. However, it’s never too early to sign up to volunteer! 🙂

Start Training for a Fall Race:

Sunday, October 6: It’s a long way off, but you can never plan too far ahead, right? Just a reminder that the Leaf Peepers 5K and Half Marathon registration is now open! Get registered here, and start your training for one of Vermont’s best and most scenic races of the year! See below for more info on a need for a volunteer coordinator and event MC!
Look for more info in a coming newsletter about a coached training program that CVR is going to sponsor – stay tuned!

CVR cannot put on races without volunteer support, and your help is needed. Please volunteer now to help the race directors fill necessary jobs and plan for full race day support. Volunteer now online using the Volunteer link on the CVR website homepage at https://cvrunners.org OR by email to the race directors above.

Fun Runs –> Trail Season!

Groton State Forest – June 22nd, 8:00am
Meet at the North Parking Lot and do some running with host Michelle Risley! There are plenty of route options from the northern lot depending on what people want to do. Expect both technical single track and some more moderate multi-use trail. Bring your suit for a dip in Peacham pond afterwards.

From last week’s excursion to Little River State Park: On a perfect June day, hills were climbed, streams were crossed, conversation was had, and history was learned, with most excellent audio-visual narration of plaques provided by Justine, aided by additional notable performances by Peter, Fab, and April. Particularly impressive were the impressions of early settler chickens. Note: Most historical facts were forgotten over post-run beer, necessitating a future reconquering of the Little River State Park.

Want to get the details on the upcoming Trail runs? Mark has started a Google Group as a way to get information out – if you’d like to receive the Trail Running details every week (separate from this update), please email Mark.If you’d like to be a host, please take a look at the sign up sheet here, hosts still needed for late June and into July.

Tuesday Fun Runs
Tuesday Fun Runs set off every Tuesday at 5:30pm from the DoL parking lot. We have also started social meet-ups post-Fun Run on two Tuesdays per month. For June, we will plan on meet-ups as follows:

June 25 – Hubbard Park Picnic (this time at the Old Shelter) – 6-8pm, be there!

CVR Gear Store Re-Opening OH! And Considering a Brand Re-design
We’re re-opening the CVR gear store this summer – we’ll send a more detailed email out separately later this week, but if you want to take a look at what’s on offer, check it out here. The store will be open for 3 weeks so be sure to grab what you want before then! More importantly, as discussed at last week’s meeting, we’re considering a brand re-design so this could be one of your last chances to get gear with our current logo. On the brand re-design front, if you’re interested in joining a committee to look at this issue and help steer the direction we go, please reach out to me for more information! A small group was formed at the meeting and we will be looking to get started this summer. Thank you!

CVR Member’s Run across the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, Aug 2-3
Longtime CVR Member Rowly Brucken shares the following:

I have decided to try to run across Vermont on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail this summer as a final long ultra run of gratitude. It will be a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, marking 34 years almost to the day that I had surgery to remove a liposarcoma from my left leg. I am thankful to each of you who have already expressed an interest in supporting me on this journey. I’m thinking of starting in Swanton at 4pm on Friday, August 2, which may put in me in St Johnsbury in the early afternoon of the next day. Here is a link to the LVRT maps. If you are free and willing to help pace or support, I will enjoy your company immensely on this final long run for me. It is not only my health for which I am grateful, I am thankful for the many miles and/or hours of conversation I have spent with many of you in CVR.

Feel free to also share this information with others who might be interested. I will make live an official ACS fundraising page soon as well. Thank you so much for your consideration! If you are interested, feel free to e-mail me rbrucken@norwich.edu.

Best of luck on this very cool endeavor Rowly!!!

CVR/ORO Race Series Standings
Updated race standings are here! Series coordinator Joe Merrill is tracking all of your successes at our race series races and is ready to start publishing the standings going forward. Please find the current standings here on the website. Joe encourages everyone to take a look and reach out to him if you think something is amiss, including whether your volunteer status has been accurately recorded. Shoot him an email at roadduck99@yahoo.com and let him know!

CVR Special Edition – Did You Miss It?
Last week we published a “special edition” story by Dot Helling, profiling CVR club legend Darragh Ellerson (see website link here). We are hoping to continue sending out these short stories and profiles as we receive them from members – do you have a story to tell or a profile you’d like to have featured? Please reach out and send details to Heather. You could be our next special edition! Stories could cover anything running or club related, such as:

Club history – how races started or stories from past decades of members’ accomplishments
Your achievements – did you tackle your first marathon? Your 15th? Your first 10k? Race stories are inspiring, whether you triumphed, set a personal record, or did not finish but learned a lesson. Tell your fellow members about it!
Personal history – how did you get into the sport of running?
Other ideas!

All stories welcome – pitch me or just send something along with a picture or two to go with! Deadline is rolling!

Volunteer Coordinator and Event MC Needed for Leaf Peepers!
Leaf Peepers is the biggest race CVR puts on and this year we are looking for a volunteer coordinator and an event MC to ensure the event goes on without a hitch. The volunteer coordinator would ideally be able to start helping recruit volunteers this summer, assign roles, and manage volunteers on race day, working closely with Race Director Will Robens to identify volunteer needs. The event MC would call results and be available on the event day to help make the pre-race, start, and finish a fun event for all. Some preparation time required, but overall time commitment is the event itself. If interested in either role or if you’d like more information, please reach out to Will directly at rd@catamountultra.com.

News, Races, and Updates from around the Region

**New this Week** All Comers Track Nights starting at U32, Thursdays from 6/27
Join us for low-key, informal track meets at U32 this summer! Events will be self-timed and open to everyone age 10 and up. This is a great opportunity for some friendly competition and to develop some speed. Arrive at 5:30 to sign up; first event will start at 6:00. For the first week, events will be: 100, mile, 200, 800, and 4×400. The 100 will also be open to kids under 10. We will do our best to fill any incomplete relay teams for those in need of teammates. Meets will continue through July (except 7/3), with the possibility of field event(s) also being offered. Please contact Dylan at dbroderick26@gmail.com with questions.

Vermont 100 Needs Volunteers! July 18-22
The Vermont 100 race is in need of volunteers for varying shifts over the race weekend of July 19-21. Prospective volunteers can check out the sign-up website here and see what kinds of shifts you may be able to work. The sign up is broken up into about 5 hour time blocks: Thursday & Friday 9am-7pm(ish) and then Saturday from 3am – 3pm(ish) on Sunday non-stop as runners will be running through the night. Monday is also an option for clean up. Signing up for one of these shifts, volunteers will get a t-shirt and a free catered meal on Friday night and/or Sunday afternoon. Particular needs: the volunteer coordinator is looking for a group to take the charge at 2 aid stations, Pollys ~mile 96 which is open from 4pm on Saturday – 9am Sunday and the finish line from about 6pm on Saturday – 10am on Sunday. These can be broken down into multiple shifts. For a group that adopts an aid station, they will receive a $300 stipend to purchase a signature food, decorations, etc. and will be able to nominate someone from their club/group to bypass the lottery for the 2025 event. Use the link here to sign up!!
Northeast Kingdom’s “Three Great Runs” for 2024
If you’re looking for any excuse to get up to Newport, VT, this year, check out the remaining two of the NEK’s “Three Great Runs” for this year – the Harry Corrow Freedom Run (July 4), and this fall’s Fly to Pie on October 5! Details on each race can be found in the linked websites above.

FOR SALE

Rebecca Wallick’s book – Wild Running: Lessons from Dogs, Wolves, and the Natural World: a Memoir
It’s not every day that we can say that CVR’s ranks include a newly published author, but we can now with the release of Rebecca Wallick’s book, Wild Running: Lessons from Dogs, Wolves, and the Natural World – a Memoir. I have been thoroughly enjoying this treat of a book as I grab moments to read here and there, and I think it will appeal to other members who want to dive into Rebecca’s world of dogs, running, and helping de-mystify one of the most misunderstand animals in the natural world. Available via Amazon here. Let me know what you think!

Rental available in October for New Hampshire Marathon
CVR Member Kari Bradley has a potential rental option available the week/weekend of October 5 in Newfound Lake, NH, which would be ideal for anyone who has plans to run the New Hampshire Marathon. If this sounds like something you may be looking for, please reach out to Kari at karibradley99@gmail.com.

10% off
Opened in October 2022 in Waitsfield Vermont The Mad Rover carries lifestyle and outdoor apparel for all seasons. We carry STIO, KUHL, PRANA, JETTY and FAIR HARBOR to name a few. We stock backpacks and bags, Sunglasses, Jewelry, Socks, Hats and Hydration vessels of all sizes. All CVR members get 10% off. Owner Steve Kenny has been an avid runner for 20 years.

Current Club Membership Benefits:

Don’t forget that you get many benefits to being a member!

Meet, run with, and socialize with other area runners of all abilities.
Keep up-to-date on area running races and events.
Receive a regular newsletter with race results and club news.
Be eligible for the Central Vermont Runners/Onion River Outdoors Race Series.
Join a club that’s part of the Road Runners Club of America organization.
RRCA is invaluable for insuring CVR races.
Become eligible for discounts at these area businesses:
- Onion River Outdoors – 15% off all running gear, including running shoes, running apparel and socks, reflective gear, run vests, etc. Special orders of Hoka and Altra running shoes included.
- Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel — 10% off running shoes.
- Ski Rack — 15% off running shoes and running apparel.
- Mountain Valley Lotus Massage Therapy — 15% off massages

Club Info:

Elected Officers
President – Heather Tomlins
Vice President – Tim Noonan
Finance – John Valentine
Secretary – Cheryl Lasell
At Large Executive Committee: Anne Treadwell & Dot Helling

John Hackney: website and timing
Donna Smyers: timing
Sal Acosta: Equipment tracking/storage
Stan Brinkerhoff: club membership tracking
Jackie Jancaitis: Race director support
TBD: Winter Group Run organization
Mark Howard: Summer Trail Runs organization
Jeff Prescott: MailChimp Administrator
Ann Bushey: Youth Running Program Grants
Joe Merrill: Race Series Tracking and Awards Dinner MC
Darrel Lasell and Jim Flint: CVR Facebook page managers

CVR Birthdays this week:

CVR Sponsored by: