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

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!

Virtual COVID-19 Run Results and Gift Card Winners

Posted May 12, 2020 by Pete Kresock

A huge thank you to each and every one of you for helping out Ian and Finger Lakes Running Company! Together we raised $15,335.00 to help Ian and his shop stay above water while closed under the New York governor’s mandate. When I put this run together I expected maybe 200 people max. Instead, we had 527 people register—361 in the 19-mile, 129 in the 19K, and 38 in the 1.9-mile. People with ties to Ithaca or to Ian and his store signed up from all over the country. We even had a few runners participate in London, one in China, and one Ithaca expatriate now living in Jerusalem. Let this serve as a testament to how strong and dedicated our running community is to paying it forward and helping one another!

Gift Card Drawing

Congrats to our randomly drawn gift card winners!

The following ten winners will receive gift cards for $50 apiece to Finger Lakes Running & Triathlon Company, purchased by the Finger Lakes Runners Club. We’ll email each of you about how to get your prizes to you.

Carol Luthy
Stephen Jesch
Brian Rahm
Tom Pepinsky
Mikhail Kern
Ellen Abrams
Sandra Gregorich
Jessica Kerns
Paige Anderson
Karen Nassan

Robert Swizdor is the winner of the $50 gift card for Happily Running, donated by Vinny Cappadora.

Results

Self reported results are available now on UltraSignup , and will soon be posted to the FLRC race Web page. If there are any errors in the listed times, please let me know ASAP so I can correct.

Meanwhile, anyone who completed their distance can add this digital finishers badge to your online accolades. Then check out all the stories people shared about their runs on our Facebook event page, and on Twitter and Instagram with #SaveOurShops and #RunGorges.

Several people took videos during their run. While I can’t link to all of them here, these are a few of the highlights.

Simon Ingall running the Danby Down & Dirty course
Scott Dawson’s tour de Trumansburg
Ian Golden’s “A Slice of Ithaca”
Ian’s “Thank you” message

Tompkins Weekly’s news article on the fundraiser

Thank you again to everyone for making Finger Lakes Runners Club’s first run of this type a huge success! I hope you are all motivated to keep active and stay healthy. Thanks again for the overwhelming turnout and show of support!

Pete Kresock, Race Director

FLRC Footnotes for April 2020

Posted April 15, 2020 by Adam Engst

Greetings, runners! It seems like an eternity since the last issue of FLRC Footnotes, with our entire world hunkering down to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Since that time, FLRC has been forced to cancel a number of races and all group runs. But there were good times in the past month too, back when public gatherings were a thing, including an informal party to watch three local women run in the Olympic Trials Marathon. Plus, we held the club’s Annual Meeting, where Bailey, Chelsea, and Ellie shared their experiences and where we handed out snazzy awards to our 2019 Trail Circuit winners.

Read on for club news, local runners with impressive race results, and details on FLRC events and workouts.

CLUB NEWS

Join Fellow Runners on the new FLRC Discussion Forum!

We may not be able to get out to run together in groups these days, but FLRC’s new online discussion forum at forum.fingerlakesrunners.org has been giving local runners a place to get training and injury advice, post trail conditions, chat about the latest running news, ask for gear recommendations, share stories, and more. (The FLRC board, race directors, and committees also rely on private forums for club business.) In March, we migrated all subscribers to the old mailing list to the forum, bringing the user count to over 700. Since the beginning of the year, it has accumulated over 1,200 posts, 1,800 user visits, and 38,000 page views. Check out the wide variety of public forums!

Announcements: Very low-volume forum restricted to posts from FLRC.
Group Runs & Workouts: Post or check here if you’re looking for company on a run.
Injuries: Ask questions about injuries and whine to people who understand your pain.
Training: Wondering how to train for a marathon, or get in shape for a 5K? Ask here.
Where to Run: Share your recommendations and ask for route advice.
Running News: Talk about what’s happening in the wider world of running.
Youth Running: Talk about kids and running—games, workouts, races, and more.
General: Use this forum for anything running-related that doesn’t fit elsewhere.

2019 Trail Circuit Winners and Rankings

Congratulations to the winners of FLRC’s 2019 Trail Circuit! For the Pebblehead and Stonehead rankings, points are awarded as a percentage of the winning time, with the Pebblehead winners picking their best three races and the Stonehead winners capturing the most overall points. The Boulderhead award goes to the runner who completes the most miles. The 2019 Pebblehead winners were Greta Sieve and Eric Sambolec. Sarah Ridenour and Bill King took home the rocks in the Stonehead category. And our Boulderhead of the Year award goes to FLRC board member and Danby Down & Dirty race director Pete Kresock. See the full writeup on the forum, complete with a picture of the laser-engraved stone awards.

Annual Meeting Brings New Lifetime Members, Volunteer of the Year, and Dessert Contest Winner

At FLRC’s Annual Meeting—a month ago when it didn’t seem strange to gather with 70 friends for an event—we honored Gary McCheyne and Dave Jones with lifetime membership. Over the past 12 years, Gary has been on the FLRC board, served as VP of Trails, been the club’s equipment manager, and directed multiple races. Dave has been in the club for decades and has been a dedicated volunteer throughout that time. For 2019, the club’s Volunteer of the Year award went to Tonya Engst for her efforts on the FLRC board, captaining the women’s cross country team, volunteering at track meets and other races, and organizing group runs. Last, but far from least, Mike Stewart won the dessert contest with his tasty and gluten-free cheesecake.

FLRC MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Sam Lagasse 7th in the Boston University Indoor Last Chance Meet

Congrats to Sam Lagasse, who ran an impressive 14:28.72 for 5000m in Boston University’s elite level Indoor Last Chance Meet on February 29th, placing 7th in the second heat. To give you an idea of the level of competition, the first heat was won by Nike’s Shadrack Kipchirchir in 13:08. More details…

Jenny Berkowitz 2nd in the Belmar Parade Day Mile

Another strong local finish came from Jenny Berkowitz, who ran 5:27 to take 2nd place (and a $100 prize) in the Belmar Parade Day Mile in Binghamton on March 7th. On the men’s side, local runners Mik Kern finished just out of the money in 4th place with a 4:59 and Adam Berkowitz was 7th in 5:09. More details…

Adam Pacheck Takes 4th at the Tipperary Hill Shamrock Run

Also on March 7th, FLRC’s Adam Pacheck ran a strong 4th place at the Tipperary Hill Shamrock Run 4 Mile Race, finishing only 44 seconds behind the Syracuse Track Club’s Sam Morse, who competed in the Olympic Trials Marathon. Kudos to Adam, Winter Chill 5K Series race director Sarah Drumheller, and all the other local runners who competed in the nearly 3000-person race. More details…

RACES AND GROUP RUNS

Introducing the FLRC Virtual COVID-19 Fund Run to Benefit the Running Store

We’re pleased to announce our FLRC Virtual COVID-19 Fund Run to benefit Ian Golden’s Finger Lakes Running Company—Ithaca’s only specialty running shop. The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting small businesses especially hard, and many are struggling to stay afloat. Ian’s running store has been a pillar in the Ithaca community for the past 14 years, and this virtual event lets us all give back to one of the institutions that makes Ithaca special. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Finger Lakes Running Company to be used as needed while closed under the “New York State on PAUSE” executive order. Registration is now open on UltraSignup and you can find more details on our Web site. (In short, run 19 miles during the week of April 27th through May 3rd, and if that’s too much, try the 19K version or the 1.9-mile distance with your kids. We’ll be giving out $50 gift cards to the store to 10 randomly chosen runners who submit their finishing times before the end of the day on May 4th.)

FLRC Provides Weekly Workouts on the Forum

As you’re probably aware, FLRC has canceled all formal group runs until such time as public health officials tell us that it’s once again safe to congregate. However, to give you some structure in these times of uncertainty, we’re posting weekly workouts for middle (5K to 15K) and long (half marathon and marathon) distances. If you run with a friend or find yourself in the presence of walkers or runners, please follow FLRC’s recommendations for safe running!

Run the Skunk Cabbage Virtual Race to Get a Finisher’s Medal

This shouldn’t be news to anyone at this point, but in accordance with public health policies, FLRC canceled the Skunk Cabbage Classic 10K and Half Marathon that was scheduled for April 5th. Thanks to all those who donated their registration and T-shirt fees to the club; we refunded everyone else who asked. While supplies last, we’re offering the 2020 Skunk half marathon finisher’s medal to anyone who ran a 10K or a half marathon distance on or before April 5th (see the race reports and photos on the FLRC forum). It’s entirely on the honor system, and we’ll announce when it’s possible to pick up medals at the Finger Lakes Running Company store and when we’ll be able to mail medals to those who can’t make it to Ithaca. More details…

Canceled: March Track, Thom B, Tortoise & Hare, Twilight 5K, June and July Track

Along with Skunk Cabbage, we had to cancel our March indoor track meet. Subsequently, the FLRC board and race directors have decided to cancel the Thom B. Trail Runs, Tortoise & Hare Trail Runs, Twilight 5K, and the June and July outdoor track meets. Details about refunds and more are available on the Announcements forum. Additional race cancellations may be in our future, unfortunately, and we’re monitoring the situation.

Until next month, stay fit, stay healthy, and we look forward to being able to run together again!

—Adam Engst, FLRC President and VP of Track