FLRC Presents: Jason Tuori’s “Managing Achilles Tendinopathy” on 11/23 at 6:30 PM

Posted November 15, 2020 by Adam Engst

In our ongoing FLRC Presents series, physical therapist Jason Tuori is moving on from runner’s knee (watch now, if you missed it live) to the second-most common injury among runners, Achilles tendinopathy, or, as it used to be called, Achilles tendinitis. If you’ve ever had pain on the back of your heel, where the Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel bone, you know how debilitating it can be.

In this free Zoom presentation on Monday, November 23rd at 6:30 PM, Jason will explain the relevant anatomy of the lower leg, how you can differentiate Achilles tendinopathy from other conditions that cause pain in the foot and ankle area, what commonly causes it, how you can treat it, and how you can avoid it in the first place.

As always, we’ll have time for questions after the presentation, and Jason will also answer follow-up questions on the FLRC forum. We’ll post a recording of the talk the next day for those who have schedule conflicts with the live presentation. Sign up today!

Along with a graduate degree in Physical Therapy, Jason 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, including numerous bouts of runner’s knee.

The presentation is free to attend, but registration is required. You’ll receive the Zoom connection details in your confirmation email, which will also prevent the possible Zoombombing of the talk by random trolls.

Run FLRC’s Virtual Turkey Trot and raise money for Loaves & Fishes!

Posted November 6, 2020 by Adam Engst

Greetings, Turkey Trotters!

The Finger Lakes Runners Club is hosting the 48th Annual Turkey Trot as a virtual fund run to benefit Loaves & Fishes of Tompkins County. Loaves & Fishes currently provides over 1200 meals every week to those in need, nearly three times more than last year at this time.

Run, walk, or push a stroller on a 5-mile course of your choice anytime before the end of Thanksgiving Day. No predictions. No times. No pies. Just future calories burned and meals for the hungry!

For 2020 to count toward your inclusion on the Turkey Trot Honor Roll, please register for the Virtual Turkey Trot online. The $10 registration fee is what we ask that you donate to Loaves & Fishes had we all run from Ithaca High School. If you wish, you can add an additional donation. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Loaves & Fishes to help them feed our community. Our goal is to raise at least $3000 to match the amount a normal Turkey Trot usually generates for Loaves & Fishes, and with your help, maybe we can exceed that number.

Hopefully, we will all be together again for the Turkey Trot in 2021, with extra pies awarded to the most accurate predictors!

Gobble, Gobble!

Bruce Roebal
Director, Turkey Trot

FLRC Footnotes for October 2020

Posted October 25, 2020 by Adam Engst

Greetings, runners! There isn’t that much to report again this month, but you can watch our leadoff FLRC Presents talk on YouTube and sign up for the next one, which focuses on runner’s knee. Plus, we’re getting a head start on our traditional Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot, which is turning into a virtual fundraiser for Loaves & Fishes. Read on for details!

Mark Your Calendar for “FLRC Presents: Managing Runner’s Knee” on 10/29 at 6:30 PM

Our FLRC Presents series of virtual presentations is continuing! On Thursday, October 29th at 6:30 PM, physical therapist Jason Tuori will be giving a free live virtual presentation on patellofemoral pain syndrome, more commonly known as runner’s knee. It’s perhaps the most common running injury, with up to half of all runners suffering from it at some point. Tuori will explain the anatomy of the knee, how you can differentiate patellofemoral pain syndrome from other knee conditions, what commonly causes it, how you can treat it, and how you can avoid it in the first place. 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, including numerous bouts of runner’s knee. The talk is free, but registration is required to get the Zoom connection details.

Watch “FLRC Presents: Risk Factors for Running Injuries” on YouTube

If you missed Jason Tuori’s first presentation on the general risk factors for running injuries, you can still watch it on FLRC’s YouTube channel. And if you have questions, feel free to ask them on the FLRC forum!

Turkey Trot goes virtual to raise money for Loaves & Fishes

We may not be able to meet in person for our traditional Turkey Trot prediction run, but race director Bruce Roebal is taking the Turkey Trot virtual this year as a fund run to benefit Loaves & Fishes of Tompkins County. Loaves & Fishes currently provides over 1200 meals every week to those in need, nearly three times more than last year at this time. Run or walk a 5-mile course of your choice anytime the week of Thanksgiving, before the end of Thanksgiving Day. No predictions. No times. No pies. Just future calories burned and meals for the hungry! For 2020 to count toward your inclusion on the Turkey Trot Honor Roll, please register for the Virtual Turkey Trot online. The $10 registration fee is equal to what we would have asked that you donate to Loaves & Fishes had we all run from Ithaca High School. If you wish, you can add an additional amount. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Loaves & Fishes to help their efforts in feeding our community. Our goal is to raise at least $3000 to match the amount a normal Turkey Trot usually generates for Loaves & Fishes, and with your help, maybe we can exceed that number.

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!

Install the COVID Alert NY app on your phone to help stop the spread of COVID-19

Until we as a society can eliminate the coronavirus, races, group runs, and other club events simply won’t be the same. One easy thing we can do now is install the free COVID Alert NY app on our phones—there are versions for the iPhone and for Android. After you enable it, it alerts you if you were in close contact with someone who later tests positive for COVID-19. The underlying technology was created in an unprecedented collaboration between Apple and Google and has received praise from privacy advocates because it doesn’t record or reveal your location or any personal information to anyone, including Apple, Google, New York State, or the federal government. It’s one more way we can all work together to protect each other and move toward normalcy.

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

FLRC Presents: Jason Tuori’s “Managing Runner’s Knee” on 10/29 at 6:30 PM

Posted October 22, 2020 by Adam Engst

In our first FLRC Presents talk, physical therapist Jason Tuori provided a general outline of the risk factors in running injuries. But we all want to know why this hurts and what we can do about it. In his next talk, Jason will be focusing on patellofemoral pain syndrome, more commonly known as runner’s knee, which is perhaps the most common running injury, with up to half of all runners suffering from it at some point.

Tune in to the free Zoom presentation on Thursday, October 29th at 6:30 PM to listen to Jason explain the anatomy of the knee, how you can differentiate patellofemoral pain syndrome from other knee conditions, what commonly causes it, how you can treat it, and how you can avoid it in the first place.

We’ll have time for questions after the presentation, and Jason will also answer follow-up questions on the FLRC forum. We’ll post a recording of the talk the next day for those who have schedule conflicts with the live presentation. Sign up today!

Along with a graduate degree in Physical Therapy, Jason 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, including numerous bouts of runner’s knee.

The presentation is free to attend, but registration is required. You’ll receive the Zoom connection details in your confirmation email, which will also prevent the possible Zoombombing of the talk by random trolls.

FLRC Footnotes for September 2020

Posted September 12, 2020 by Adam Engst

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

Tuesday night MITHACAL MILERS cross country workouts are back!

Posted September 12, 2020 by Adam Engst

Since the safety precautions for FLRC’s Bodyweight for Runners class garnered a perfect 5-star rating from participants, FLRC is pleased to announce that the club is restarting its popular MITHACAL MILERS training group with cross country workouts on Tuesday nights at 6 PM, starting September 15th. With my RRCA-certified coach hat on, I’ll be leading the workouts.

Workouts will focus on the 5K to 10K distance and on conditioning and skills appropriate for cross country racing—think intervals on grass and hills. All workouts will be carefully designed to keep runners spaced well apart while retaining the feeling of running with a group.

The program is free and open to all FLRC members (join here if necessary), but you must register and sign the waiver 3 (just once, not for every session). We aren’t able to make this part of the FLRC Family Running Program, so only adults and older teens (accompanied by an adult) may participate. How fast you are isn’t important, but you should be running at least 20 miles per week and be able to handle a workout of 5 miles or more, with speed work.

Our initial meeting on September 15th will be at the Monkey Run parking area off Route 366 just outside Varna, and we’ll run on the grassy Dryden Rail Trail and in nearby fields and trails. Depending on the group size, we may be able to return to the Cornell Arboretum for future workouts.

To ensure the safety of all participants, FLRC has come up with the following requirements:

Online signup 3 is required to manage group size (maximum of 50, per New York State regulations) and ensure data gathering in the event that contact tracing becomes necessary. Drop-ins are expressly not allowed.
During signup and at every session, participants must agree to the following statements:
- I do not currently feel ill, and I will not attend any session if I do.
- I am not currently running an above-normal temperature, and I will not attend any sessions if my temperature is above normal.
- In the past 14 days, I have not traveled outside New York State.
- In the past 14 days, to the best of my knowledge, I have not been exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.
- In the past 14 days, I have not tested positive for COVID-19.
Everyone involved in the sessions, must maintain at least 6 feet of distance from all other people at all times. More distance is better, within the bounds of being able to hear coaching instructions. There is to be no physical contact of any kind.
Everyone must have a mask with them at all times and must put it on if proximity to another person drops below 6 feet for any reason. Masks do not need to be worn during exercise, but it’s entirely acceptable to wear one if it doesn’t impair breathing.
The FLRC coach will take attendance before each session in case contact tracing is required.
The FLRC coach will verbally review the safety requirements before each session.

Any questions? Feel free to ask on the forum!

Ithaca 5&10, Monster Marathon, Danby Down & Dirty, and Turkey Trot Canceled for 2020

Posted August 18, 2020 by Adam Engst

As much as it pains us to say this, the FLRC board and race directors regret to announce the cancellation of the in-person runnings of the Ithaca 5&10, Monster Marathon, Danby Down & Dirty, and Turkey Trot.

As with previous race cancellations, we made this decision to comply with New York State regulations and recommendations from state and local public health officials. Although we hate canceling races, we felt that it would be irresponsible to encourage large gatherings of runners, particularly with Cornell and Ithaca College students returning to the area from around the country. We must all continue to do everything we can to control infections in our community.

We have refunded those who had already registered for these races. If you have questions or comments, please post on the FLRC forum.

The board and race directors will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and will be discussing our 2021 race calendar and other FLRC events at our upcoming board meetings. Feedback from the community is welcome!

Although all FLRC group runs have also been canceled, we encourage everyone to exercise regularly to keep your immune system strong. Try to run in uncrowded areas, mask up when passing close to others, and please follow our COVID-19 recommendations.

Stay fit, stay healthy, and we look forward to being able to run together again!

Build a Better Running Body with FLRC’s Bodyweight Training Class

Posted July 31, 2020 by Adam Engst

You know you should be incorporating strength work into your training to run faster and avoid injury. But gyms are closed and who wants to touch a weight machine anyway?

To help our local running community get stronger, run better, and stay healthier, FLRC is organizing a 4-week class of twice-weekly outdoor bodyweight training sessions. Sessions will be led by professional strength and conditioning instructors from Infinity Athletics. The 8-session class costs $96 ($12 per session).

The class size is limited to 15 people. If at least 9 people sign up in time, the first session will be Wednesday, August 5th at 6:00 PM at the Stewart Park flagpole 4, followed by Friday, August 7th at 6:00 PM, also at the Stewart Park flagpole. The remaining six sessions will be Mondays and Wednesdays at the Stewart Park flagpole, all at 6:00 PM. Register today! 25 We’ll have a waiting list if necessary, and if there’s sufficient interest, we may start another class.

Sessions will begin with active mobility exercises to help increase joint range of motion. Then the workouts will move into dynamic exercises to increase heart rate and stimulate the central nervous system. The second part of the workouts will always include strength and bodyweight circuits comprising slow eccentric and isometric exercises to help participants get the most out of bodyweight training. Typically, we’ll finish with some core exercises.

To ensure the safety of all participants and the instructors, FLRC has come up with the following requirements:

Online signup is required to manage group size and ensure data gathering in the event that contact tracing becomes necessary. Drop-ins are expressly not allowed.
During signup and at every session, participants must agree to the following statements:
- I do not currently feel ill, and I will not attend any session if I do.
- I am not currently running an above-normal temperature, and I will not attend any sessions if my temperature is above normal.
- In the past 14 days, I have not traveled outside New York State.
- In the past 14 days, to the best of my knowledge, I have not been exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.
- In the past 14 days, I have not tested positive for COVID-19.
Everyone involved in the sessions, participants and instructors alike, must maintain at least 10–12 feet of distance from all other people at all times. More distance is better, within the bounds of being able to hear the instructor. There is to be no physical contact of any kind.
Everyone must have a mask with them at all times and must put it on if proximity to another person drops below 10–12 feet for any reason. Masks do not need to be worn during exercise, but it’s entirely acceptable to wear one if it doesn’t impair breathing.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer and use it before and after sessions. But there shouldn’t be any touching of shared surfaces.
An FLRC rep will take attendance in case contact tracing is required.
The FLRC rep will verbally review the safety requirements before each session.

Any questions? Feel free to ask on the FLRC forum!

Fillmore 5K, Forest Frolic, Forge the Gorgeous, August Track Meet, and Annual Picnic Canceled for 2020

Posted June 17, 2020 by Adam Engst

The FLRC board and race directors regret to announce the cancellation of Fillmore 5K, Forest Frolic, Forge the Gorgeous, the August track meet, and the club’s annual picnic.

As with previous race cancellations, we made this decision to comply with New York State regulations and recommendations from state and local public health officials. Although New York State is starting to reopen and we hate canceling races, we felt that it would currently be irresponsible to encourage large gatherings of runners, some of whom might travel here from areas with higher infection rates. We must all do what we can to continue to control infections in our community.

We have refunded those who had already registered for these races.

For more details or to ask questions, please see the announcement on the FLRC forum.

The board and race directors will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and evaluate other upcoming club races at our monthly board meetings.

Although all FLRC group runs and workouts have also been canceled, we strongly encourage everyone to exercise regularly to keep your immune system strong. Whatever you decide, avoid groups and crowded areas when running, and please follow our COVID-19 recommendations.

Stay fit, stay healthy, and we look forward to being able to run together again!

Finger Lakes 50s and Women’s Distance Festival 5K Canceled for 2020

Posted May 21, 2020 by Adam Engst

The FLRC board and race directors regret to announce the cancellation of the Finger Lakes 50s ultramarathon and the Women’s Distance Festival 5K.

As you can guess, we made this decision to comply with New York State regulations and recommendations from public health officials, and because we believe that physical distancing is a necessary measure to slow the spread of the potentially deadly coronavirus. We hate canceling races, but we must all do what we can to reduce infections in our community.

If you are already registered for the Finger Lakes 50s, you can donate your registration fee to FLRC or request a full refund (minus the UltraSignup processing fee). Please email race director Alex Kleinerman at ak235@cornell.edu by June 1st with your choice.

For more details or to ask questions, please see the post on the FLRC forum.

The board and race directors will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and evaluate other upcoming club races at our monthly board meetings.

Although all FLRC group runs and workouts have also been canceled, we strongly encourage everyone to exercise regularly to keep your immune system strong. Whatever you decide, avoid large groups and crowded areas when running, and please follow our COVID-19 recommendations.

Stay healthy, stay fit, and we look forward to being able to run together again!