Greetings, runners! It has been an unusual summer, to say the least. As we head into fall, temperatures are dropping into a more comfortable running zone, and the leaves are starting to paint our trails with their fall colors.
We’ve taken a few months off from publishing the FLRC Footnotes because not much was happening, and most of what we had to share was about canceling races. FLRC won’t be having any more races in 2020, but as New York State continues to keep its infection rate under 1%, we’re starting to bring back in-person events. Read on for details about these and other club activities!
CLUB NEWS
FLRC Virtual COVID-19 Fund Run Raises over $15,000 for the Running Store
Big thanks to FLRC board member and event organizer Pete Kresock for putting together FLRC’s first virtual event back in April: the Virtual COVID-19 Fund Run to benefit Ian Golden’s Finger Lakes Running Company. A whopping 527 people participated from all over the world, and the event raised $15,335 to help keep the running store afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. The club also purchased $50 gift cards to the running store to award to 10 random participants. One additional runner won another $50 gift card donated by Vinny Cappadora of Happily Running. Read Pete’s full writeup on the FLRC forum and be sure to check out the coverage in Tompkins Weekly.
High School Runners Steven Segal and Kia Moore Win FLRC Scholarships
Congratulations to Steven Segal of Corning-Painted Post High School and Kia Moore of Charles O. Dickerson High School in Trumansburg, who last spring received $1000 FLRC scholarships based on their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and demonstrated passion for running. Segal is continuing his education and running career at Cornell University, while Moore is attending Ithaca College. See FLRC scholarship coordinator Lorrie Tily’s full writeup on the forum.
Runners Get Stronger in FLRC’s Bodyweight for Runners Class
In August, FLRC board members Gary McCheyne and Adam Engst coordinated a twice-weekly strength training class outdoors at Stewart Park. Led by professional fitness coaches from Infinity Athletics, the classes took participants through a series of strength, conditioning, and mobility exercises without any additional equipment. The outdoor venue made physical distancing easy, while other safety precautions, such as pre-workout health check-ins and required mask-wearing whenever distances dropped below 10 feet, ensured that everyone was comfortable. We received positive feedback on the class and are pondering different ways of continuing it. For that, we need your input—please take our survey!
Special Presentation on Risk Factors for Running Injuries on 9/24 at 6:30 PM
Mark your calendars! Physical therapist Jason Tuori will be giving a free live virtual presentation on Risk Factors for Running Injuries on Thursday, September 24th at 6:30 PM. All runners struggle with injury sooner or later, and Tuori will examine the various risk factors for different runners, talk about which can and cannot be modified, explain why injury prevention and treatment is such a tough problem, and offer advice for how you can stay healthy. Along with a graduate degree in Physical Therapy, Tuori is a certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, a certified USA Track & Field Level 1 Coach, a certified USA Weightlifting Level 1 Coach, and an accomplished runner and triathlete who has dealt with his own share of injuries. So yes, he knows what he’s talking about! Connection details coming soon on the FLRC forum.
WORKOUTS, GROUP RUNS, AND RACES
Tuesday Night MITHACAL MILERS Cross Country Workouts Are Back!
Since the safety precautions for FLRC’s Bodyweight for Runners class garnered a perfect 5-star rating from participants, we’re pleased to announce that the club is restarting its popular MITHACAL MILERS training group with cross country workouts on Tuesday nights at 6 PM. Led by FLRC president and RRCA-certified coach Adam Engst, the free workouts will focus on intervals on grass and hills. They’ll be carefully designed to keep runners spaced well apart while retaining the feeling of running with a group. Stringent safety precautions and full social distancing will be in place at every session. Learn more on the FLRC forum and register today!
FLRC Provides Weekly Workouts for Everyone on the Forum
If you’re looking for some structure for your running, remember that we continue to post our weekly workouts for middle- (5K to 15K) and long- (half marathon and marathon) distance runners on the FLRC forum. If you run with a friend or find yourself in the presence of walkers or runners, please follow FLRC’s recommendations for safe running!
Canceled: Ithaca 5 & 10, Monster Marathon and Half Marathon, Danby Down & Dirty, Turkey Trot, Pete Glavin XC Series
Sadly, the FLRC board and race directors have decided to cancel the remainder of our in-person races for 2020—the 5 & 10, the Monster Marathon, the Danby Down & Dirty Trail Runs, and our in-person running of the Turkey Trot Prediction Run. Further details about the cancellations can be found on our Announcements forum. Stay tuned for information about a virtual Turkey Trot run so that the club can continue its annual fundraiser for Loaves & Fishes of Tompkins County.
Additionally, the organizers of the Pete Glavin Cross Country Series—in which FLRC annually fields a women’s team and the High Noon Athletic Club fields a men’s team—have decided to cancel their series. We look forward to returning to in-person races in 2021.
Until next time, stay fit and stay healthy, and we look forward to being able to run together again!
—Adam Engst, FLRC President and VP of Track