CVR Birthdays: October 21 – November 3
Happy Birthday to: George Aitken, Dylan Broderick, Jaime Gadwah, Eliza Gardner-Morse, Fred Pond, Andrew Thornton-Sherman, and Debra Woloschin!
Hello from Montpelier,
Lots going on in the world of CVR – read on below for a jam-packed newsletter full of updates on races, members out and about in regional events (with a special essay from Ann Bushey!), our next (and final 2024) meeting, a report out from this summer’s coaching/training program, and many more. Also! For those of you who commented on Bob Murphy’s chicken with olives and lemon recipe from the club’s potluck in late September, please see the recipe below, compliments of Mr. Murphy himself!
Happy running,
Heather Tomlins
Upcoming Races and Club Volunteer Needs
Remaining 2024 Race Schedule:
- November 2, 9, and 16: Get ready for Fallen Leaves! Only day-of registration for these fun, fast 5K races starting at the Montpelier High School track. Volunteers for these are always needed, so if you can help out a bit since there is only race day registration and need for some course marshals and timers, please reach out to Tim and Donna!
- December 31: Mark your calendar for our annual New Year’s Eve 5K in downtown Montpelier! Details to come.
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The season may be winding down, but CVR cannot put on races without volunteer support, and your help is always 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.
CVR’s Fall Training Program is a Hit!
We started a week later than planned and at a different location as the flood had completely devastated the town of Plainfield, which was our original meeting place. We ended up at Montpelier High School and used both the track and bike path for the majority of our training. We also did hill repeats in Hubbard Park, a stair workout at the State House and our final meeting place was at Bear Naked for a run out the bike path and a few trails behind U32. It gave the runners a chance to see all thats available to them. We started with 28 people and ended up having TWENTY-ONE of them attain their running goals, some even did BOTH the Groton Forest and the Leaf Peepers!
This group was nothing short of amazing! Some had never run before, some were coming out of hiatus while others just needed a routine and support. Our weekly meetings always consisted of a running workout, either speed or skills and drills and of course a warm up and cool down. We talked nutrition, pacing and recovery methods. We had question and answer time in there as well. We communicated via email and Facebook which worked well .
A HUGE Thank you to the club for allowing this to happen, as it is always a fabulous feeling to see the successful results at the end of these series. The runners truly appreciate it as do I. – April Farnham
(Photo below – a crew from the training program with their fearless coach at Leaf Peepers!)
When Your Kid Runs their First Marathon
Like many of us, I had dreams of my kids growing up to be star runners. Or just runners. But nope. One became a skier and one a dancer. Anything BUT a runner seemed to be what they were aiming for. All my cheery invitations to join me in races came to naught. So when my 23 year old daughter, Brynn, randomly announced she and three Montpelier High School pals were going to run the Portland Marathon, it was all I could do to restrain myself from jumping up and down and screaming like I had won the lottery. Of course, I had my doubts. I mean, couch to marathon in four months seemed like a stretch, and the weather, her work schedule, her lack of a plan, and her general casual approach to the whole thing were definitely working against her, at least in my mind, but I stayed positive.
I got her all the fancy gear I never buy myself, and casually crafted a schedule to follow, just in case, and eventually, along came the texts “ did ten miles,” “did twelve miles,” and then I got the invite. She asked me to bike with her on her 15 miler, which was a blast, and weirdly interrupted by a guy breaking his leg, through which Brynn, a trauma nurse, took care of him for 45 minutes until EMS arrived, then got up, stretched, and said “well THAT cut into my time,” and off she went. I knew she would do it after that. So on October 5th, off to Portland we all went: Brynn, Josie, and Meredith, plus the mom-fan club. We met Tim Noonan, their old high school coach, at bib pick-up; they were so excited to see him. He gave them lots of tips, all of which were “don’t go out too fast.” Race day was sunny, cool, and the girls were organized and ready. Portland is a beautiful out and back marathon with rolling hills. Perfect first marathon. Off they went at 7:45 in the morning, to bagpipes and cheers. We saw them several times, all three just looking strong and happy (almost) the whole way. It was hard, for sure, and they all experienced the last six miles in that special kind of marathon way we all know, but with grit, determination, and the support of a long, deep friendship, they crossed the finish line in various stages, so excited for each other, their accomplishment, and their friendship.
And yes, I cried. That is what the whole running/ marathon thing is all about, right? Friendship, conquering our demons, achieving what we think we might not. And community. I have to shamelessly give gratitude to the CVR community for supporting all these young runners and giving so many young people the gift of the joy of running! Oh, and Tim. Tim crushed it in under four hours, barely breaking a sweat! — Ann Bushey
CVR Seniors Win Bread and Jam in Lebanon
Eight CVR age 60+ athletes enjoyed Saturday’s Downriver Rail Trail 10k, hosted by the Upper Valley Running Club. Racing conditions were near perfect, with beautiful fall colors, temperatures in the mid 50s, and low humidity. The point to point course from Enfield to Lebanon was flat and gradual downhill, with a net elevation loss of 250 feet. This made for some fast times on the leaf covered rail trail. In the 70s age group, Elizabeth McCarthy and Tim Hogeboom captured first place for their genders. John Valentine and John Martin took second and third place, respectively, in the M70-79 age group. Donna Smyers and Dot Martin finished second and third, respectively, in the F60-69 age group. Jim Flint placed second in the M60-69 age group. Jim Rohr (not pictured) rounded out the CVR cohort. There were 70 finishers. CVR athletes took home 10% of the bread and jam age group awards! Results are posted here!
ORO’s Autumn Onion 5K – October 27 in Montpelier!
Are you ready for the best Halloween Costume Race in VT!? Join the fun and race through downtown Montpelier in your best Halloween costume. All ages and abilities are welcome! Registration is open and can be found here. If you participate, send me some photos so we can share with the rest of the club!
Save the Date – Final Club Meeting of 2024 – November 10
We will have a jam-packed meeting on November 10th at the Adamant Community Center, discussing finalizing the 2025 race schedule, updates on our logo refresh, and any other topics – agenda still in the works but if you have suggestions please reach out!
Fun Runs! and Julio’s on the 29th!
Tuesday Fun Runs
Tuesday Fun Runs set off every Tuesday at 5:30pm from the DoL parking lot. Daylight is falling off fast, so our Hubbard Park meet-ups are hibernating until further notice. Get out on Tuesdays while the light is still with us – although informal Tuesday meetups may continue through the winter, we will keep you posted on those as the weather changes! Note that on October 29th the gang will gather at Julio’s after Fun Run for some grub and drinks. Join if you can!
Reminder about Committee Openings
As a note, there is a general call for committee members for a few issues, please reach out to me (by replying directly to this email) if you’re interested in joining any of the below!
Club Logo Refresh Committee – this group has been at work for a few months but new members are always welcome to help us narrow down some ideas for the logo refresh and help plan for presenting to the club at the end of year meeting in November. Is this you? Join Merill, Luke, Addie, Seth, and Heather! (now with Sue and April!)
2025 Race Planning Committee – join Heather, Tim, and Donna (plus others still TBD!) to help plan the slate of races in next year’s series and overall race calendar. This has to be completed before the November meeting, so if you’re interested, speak up soon. (we’ve already started the process but it’s not too late to join!)
End of Year Celebration Dinner – this is tentatively scheduled for mid-January, but a small committee is standing up to identify a venue and help plan the event.
Club Anniversary Event Planning Committee – 2025 marks the 45th birthday of CVR – Merill and Donna are heading this up – won’t you join them? The idea here is to come up with some ideas for how to celebrate the club’s anniversary, whether with one event next year or possibly several. If you want to shape what this looks like, join this committee!
CVR Special Edition – Did You Miss It?
So far we’ve had quite a few great stories come our way that we’ve put out in these special editions. We hope you have been enjoying them! Do you also want to tell your story or share 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!
| News, Races, and Updates from around the Region Race Judicata 5K Run/Walk – November 2! Registration now open Please join the Vermont Bar Association’s Young Lawyers’ Division for our first annual 5K run/walk at Bar Hill in Montpelier, November 2! This event is open to everyone—the Vermont Bar community, law students, friends, family, and the general public. Participants can look forward to: Free food and drink provided by Barr Hill Distillery (including Barr Hill specialty cocktails, local beer, wine, and non-alcoholic house-made beverages)Live musicNetworking and friendship buildingAn all-around great time!Registration is $50 for attorneys, $30 for non-attorneys, and free for current law students and children 12 and under. Please select the sign up button and enter in the information for all participants in your group–we ask that you register all participants in your group, including children 12 and under. Proceeds from this race will go towards scholarships for law students to attend the YLD’s Mid-Winter Thaw, hosted in Montreal in January. Awards to be presented, including a trophy for Top Team, which will be presented at Thaw. Sign up here! Other regional Fall races!Ocean State Rhode Races – Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K, October 27, 2024 | Narragansett, RIhttps://oceanstate.runri.usDirty Turkey 5K, November 17, 2024 | Plymouth, MAhttps://www.runsignup.com/Race/MA/Plymouth/DirtyTurkey5K 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! 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. |
| Club Needs, Opportunities, and Reminders Quarterly Newsletter Support – Now “Special Editions” Rather than publish a newsletter, we will plan to send out the periodic “special editions” – see above for a call for stories! Membership Renewal – Reminder Stan is sending out a reminder to folks about renewing. Renew so you can continue to receive these amazing newsletters! It takes less than 5 minutes. Check your status! There’s a link to RunReg at https://cvrunners.org/join-cvr (“JOIN CVR”). This page also has a printable form for those who prefer to mail their renewal. Renewing with a multi-year membership means fewer year-end renewals for you and less administration for the club. CVR Equipment Use Anyone wanting to use equipment send Sal (and cc myself) a request that includes 1) Date equipment to be removed from the shed, 2) Itemized list of equipment being removed; including quantities, 3) Date equipment will be returned to the shed. Please send Sal (and cc the club president) and email to let us know when the equipment has been returned.Race SeriesThe race series is on again! ORO has updated the series poster (below) to reflect the corrected date for the Groton Forest Trail Run! ORO is also planning to update the poster to include the CVR website for more public spaces. Stay tuned!  |
| 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 |
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