You likely saw this coming, but the FLRC board and race directors regret to announce the cancellation of the in-person runnings of the Winter Chill 5K series, our indoor track meets, the Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile, and the Skunk Cabbage Classic.

In large part, we made this decision due to the recent rise in COVID-19 infection rates in the community and the concern that holiday gatherings will cause infections to surge even higher. Plus, Cornell University’s Barton Hall indoor track is not available for large groups, particularly off-campus visitors. Please help us control infections in our community by staying home, celebrating the holidays virtually with loved ones, and masking up whenever you’re in public.

The FLRC board and race directors will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and discuss future races at our upcoming board meetings. At the moment, we’re still hoping to hold the Super Frosty Loomis snowshoe race on February 6th and will make a final decision in mid-January.

As much as we hate canceling races, we’re excited about a major initiative we have planned for the local running community throughout 2021: the FLRC Challenge! Learn more about it here.

We encourage you to exercise regularly—the many benefits may include fun, stress relief, and boosting the immune system. Try to run in uncrowded areas, mask up when passing close to others, and [please follow our COVID-19 recommendations](https://fingerlakesrunners.org/covid-19/).

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

Greetings, runners! We have no in-person events again this month, but there’s still plenty to do. Most importantly, please help us support Loaves & Fishes in our Virtual Turkey Trot! We’re also hoping you’ll join in the fun of our Happy Holidays Scavenger Hunt for the rest of the year. Plus, be sure to check out our FLRC Presents series of injury talks—the next one looks at Achilles tendinopathy. Finally, note that regular deer hunting season goes from Saturday, November 21st through the end of Sunday, December 13th, so be sure to wear blaze orange if you’re out on the trails. Read on for details!

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.

Build some fun into your runs with FLRC’s Happy Holidays Scavenger Hunt

Looking to spice up some dreary early winter runs? In FLRC’s Happy Holidays Scavenger Hunt, you’ll compete with fellow runners to find six items each week on your runs through the end of the year. For each item you find, take a selfie or a picture and post it to the FLRC Forum to earn a point. Each week, the runner(s) with the most points will be entered into a drawing to win fabulous FLRC swag at the end of the event. The Happy Holidays Scavenger Hunt is free, you can join at any time, and it will run from November 22 to December 31, 2020. You can run, walk, or hike, and there’s no minimum mileage required. Scavenger Hunt director Heather Cobb will be posting the first week’s items to find soon, and you can read more details on the forum.

Mark your calendar for “FLRC Presents: Managing Achilles Tendinopathy” on 11/23 at 6:30 PM

Our FLRC Presents series of virtual presentations is continuing! On Monday, November 23th 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. The talk is free, but registration is required to get the Zoom connection details.

 200-day hiking streak by FLRC members Amy and Elizabeth Dawson

Congrats to FLRC members Amy Dawson and her daughter Elizabeth Dawson for their 200-day streak of hiking—covering nearly 600 miles—in local state parks during the pandemic. Their efforts garnered them a mention in both the Ithaca Times and New York State’s daily coronavirus update, a worthwhile email newsletter from the state about how we’re faring. Each installment includes a “Deep Breath Moment” featuring people who’ve done something extraordinary during these challenging times.

Watch “FLRC Presents: Managing Runner’s Knee” on YouTube

If you missed Jason Tuori’s second presentation on patellofemoral pain, also known as runner’s knee, you can still watch it on FLRC’s YouTube channel. And if you have questions about what’s going on in your knee, feel free to ask them on the FLRC forum!

FLRC weekly workouts continue after helping Gabrielle Woo to a PR

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. FLRC member Gabrielle Woo reported that she dropped her half-marathon PR by over 5 minutes after running the long-distance workouts all summer. 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 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 running together again!

—Adam Engst, FLRC President and VP of Track

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

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