FOOTPRINT Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers
March - April 2013
www.lgraw.com
Photo Credit Sporting Image
15th Annual Bold in the Cold
The start of the 15th Annual Bold in the Cold on January 12, 2013.
(l-r) Laurie Lukanich, Sakina Vidacak, John Hayes and Elizabeth Lawrence
Thank you to our 15th annual Bold in the Cold 5K & 15K Sponsors Baylor SportsCare
As volunteers, (l-r) Sandie Nathan, Staci Rivero and Danyah Arafat-Johnson wear many hats.
Camp Gladiator™ Einstein Bros. Bagels 5 Hour Energy Drink ® Luke’s Locker Rainforest Cafe ® St. Onge Chiropractic & Sports Therapy Sunstone Yoga ® Southlake Taqueria Burritos Locos (l-r) Reba Becker, Debbie Carpenter, Mary Jo and Megan Stukey (First 5K for mom & daughter)
Grapevine CrossFitters: (l-r) Rebecca Anderson, Shawna Mohler, Jesse Lomeli and Stacy Ward
P.O. Box 2982 Grapevine, TX 76099 RAW Board and Committees PRESIDENT | Kathryn Gleghorn president@lgraw.com VICE PRESIDENT | Staci Rivero vp@lgraw.com SECRETARY | Janet Dixon secretary@lgraw.com TREASURER | Jeff Garber treasurer@lgraw.com
ASSTANT TREASURER | Diane Ferguson astr@lgraw.com DIRECTORS Jack Burcie volunteer@lgraw.com Diane Hernandez membership@lgraw.com Kyle Keifer gbib@lgraw.com Chris Morris pr@lgraw.com Dennis Novak media@lgraw.com Melissa Schlenker funrun@lgraw.com Laura Swenson social@lgraw.com
FOOTPRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Kevin Wessels MEDIA COORDINATOR Dennis Novak ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kathryn Gleghorn Staci Rivero CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Lorraine Wessels DESIGN & PRODUCTION | Reneé McConnell
Membership Data Diane Hernandez membership@lgraw.com
FOOTPRINT Submissions Send articles to: lgrawfootprint@verizon.net Footnotes to: media@lgraw.com
2 FOOTPRINT | March - April 2013
FOOTN OTES•FOOTN OTES•FOOTN OTES•FOOTN OTES
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers Club
THANK YOU • To all the volunteers who put out water and sports drink for the weekend runs. We appreciate each and every one of you! CONDOLENCES • To Marcel and Karen Bosworth on the passing of Marcel’s father. CONGR ATULATIONS • Laura Swenson who welcomed her first grandchild, Jaxson, who was born on January 1st. • Grant Hase, son of Jack and Charlotte, who graduated high school early this past December. • Debbie Carpenter for being named Carrollton Fire Rescue Officer of the Year. • Chris Rehyer for winning Grapevine’s Don Ramey Community Spirit Award. SPEEDY RECOVERY • To Michelle Liles, Melissa Schkenker, Lizzi Fogolini, Mark Miller and Leana Sloan while they recover from their injuries. GET WELL • To Veda Miner. R AW EVENTS • Stay up to date on all the latest happenings at RAW on Facebook or the RAW Forum. LOST & FOUND • Left something at the clubhouse? Check to see if we found it. All unclaimed items are in the clear tote along the north wall of the clubhouse (just outside the bathroom). CHANGE OF ADDRESS • To update your address, please email membership@lgraw.com ANNOUNCEMENTS Customize your running gear with the RAW Logo! Have your favorite “tech wear” printed with a heat transfer RAW Logo at Digital Creations (330 W. Northwest Hwy.) in Grapevine. The RAW logo can be added to your favorite tech shirt/shorts or other items. Prices vary by size of logo. Embroidered logos are available at The Embroidery Shop (418 S. Barton) in Grapevine. The RAW logos can be put on T-shirts, shorts, sweatshirts, jackets, blankets, towels, etc. Price varies by the size of the logo and the turnaround time is usually one week or less. FOOTPRINT Deadline Deadline for the next FOOTPRINT is April 1st. Send your articles to: lgrawfootprint @verizon.net. Send your Footnotes to: media@lgraw.com
Follow us on Facebook
Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers page to get the latest updates in your News Feed.
RAW Around Town | Social Calendar & Events Check the RAW forum for information on all club events: www.lgraw.com WEEKEND WALK/RUN Saturday & Sunday mornings 7 AM (daylight savings time) 8 AM (standard time)
week-at-a-glance
TRAIL RUNS
Wednesday & Friday mornings 6 and 7 AM (year round) at the clubhouse
SUNDAY
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Walk/Run every Sunday
Check the RAW forum or LGRAW Facebook page for more details.
LGRAW Clubhouse 7 AM (daylight savings time) 8 AM (standard time)
RAW Walk/Run
March 2 • 5PM • Amores in Grapevine April 6 • 5PM • Taqueria Burritos Locos in Grapevine
BOARD MEETING
WEDNESDAY
March 11 • 7PM April 8 • 7PM
We meet at 7 PM on the second Monday of the month at the clubhouse. All members are welcome to attend.
WATER DUTY VOLUNTEER
The sign-up sheet is located on the back door of the clubhouse. Sign up for just one day; it is not required that you sign up for both Saturday and Sunday. You can also work in tandem, one member puts out the water and the other takes care of the pick up.
PUTTING “W” BACK INTO RAW
Ed Folliard has agreed to be the lead for the RAW walkers. If you have any questions about the “walkers,” email Ed at Edwardfolliard@gmail.com. Walking is a great way to get in some miles and a fantastic way to rehab an injury.
INJURY PREVENTION MEASURES FOR RUNNER’S CLASS
Thursday, March 14, 7:30 PM at the clubhouse. Learn a simple set of exercises to decrease you risk of running related injury, how running form can lead to injury and how your diet affects your pain...and more.
KETTLEBELL DEMO/CLASS
Sunday, March 17 – at the RAW clubhouse following your weekend run/walk. A come and go demo from 8:15-9:00 AM with a 15 minute class beginning at 8:30 AM.
Trail Run Trail Run every Wednesday LGRAW Clubhouse 6 and 7 AM (year round)
FRIDAY Trail Run Trail Run every Friday LGRAW Clubhouse 6 and 7 AM (year round)
SATURDAY RAW Walk/Runs Walk/Run every Saturday 7 AM (daylight savings time) 8 AM (standard time)
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION RACE & SOCIAL
To show our appreciation for our volunteers all RAW Volunteers are invited to join us on Tuesday, April 2 for a 10K race and social. Watch your inbox for all the details.
NEWCOMERS Mentoring PROGRAM
Newcomers are always welcome to join RAW every Saturday and Sunday for our weekend walks/runs. To encourage newcomers to join us, RAW will have club members available on the first Sunday of the month to mentor them. We will do our best to match people up with someone who can show them the course, water stops, introduce them around and answer questions they might have.
First Sunday of the month 8AM (standard time) 7AM (daylight savings time) at the clubhouse.
Welcome a Newbie & Become a Mentor First Sunday of the month For more information, contact Kathryn at president@lgraw.com.
March - April 2013 |
FOOTPRINT 3
President’s Message A perspective to the members from RAW President Kathryn Gleghorn “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” ~ Warren Buffet
My current term as club president is actually my third time to serve on the RAW board and during that time the annual membership fee has come up for discussion on several occasions as a way to generate more revenue. As I mentioned in the previous “President’s Message,” your annual membership dues are a pretty good value considering what you get in exchange for your twenty or thirty dollars. I don’t know when or if RAW will raise membership fees any time soon, but I believe that even if they raised membership fees by fifty percent, it would still be a good value.
Kathryn
IN
UNNER S ER
ND WALKERS
4 FOOTPRINT | March - April 2013
So if you haven’t been out to the clubhouse for a weekend run or walk recently, come back out to RAW and experience the value of your club membership.
A
Our recent Bold in the Cold race had at least ten percent of the race registrants take advantage of the RAW member discounted entry fee. The discounted entry fee is a benefit extended to all RAW members and is the sole reason some people become RAW members. The whole package of benefits of being a RAW member is definitely worth your membership fee, but even if you only utilize one of the membership benefits, I believe you’re still getting a good value for your money.
RAW could probably charge a higher race fee and still keep our participant numbers, but would we be enhancing the race experience? Would we still be giving the racer a good value for their money? These races with the higher entry fee are usually the for-profit racing companies that are benefitting no one but their own checkbook. It’s a matter of individual preference with regard to what each person sees as a reasonable entry fee and the value each person gets from their race experience, but RAW, I believe will always be a good value for their race and membership fees because we are a grassroots running club that puts running, walking and camaraderie at the top of the list. And being able to come out to the lake every weekend of the year to socialize and exercise with like minded fellow club members is one of the best member benefits!
V
I remember my first big 10K had a twelve dollar student entry fee back in the late 70s and I can say that my first big road race registration fee was an outstanding value. As a grassroots running club, I know firsthand that RAW tries to keep membership dues and race entry fees very affordable. In RAW’s fifteen year history, we’ve never increased membership dues. As Co-Race Director of this year’s Bold in the Cold, I know that Kelly “K2” Richards and I gave our race registration pricing structure a lot of consideration. We wanted the registration fees to be a good value at an affordable price for individuals, as well as families. In our early planning stages we even came up with some marketing ideas on how to offer special discount pricing to tie in with our fall race, Double Trouble, and took advantage of the Black Friday holiday shopping mood by offering a oneday only discounted race registration pricing. This was a great way to increase early registration numbers and another way to offer affordable registration fees.
I’ve had a few members approach me and ask why RAW allows our members to run our races when we need our members to volunteer on race day. There are several reasons why RAW doesn’t restrict our members from running our races. While the reasons are varied, I always say the major reason is that all of our races need both participants and volunteers and you can’t take away a stated benefit that might possibly be the only reason some people join RAW in the first place. Each RAW race owes its success to the volunteer race director, the volunteer crew and the race participants. We charge a reasonable fee and put on a good race experience for our participants.
KE GR APE
uring a recent weekend at RAW, the subject of the ever-increasing race entry fee came up. Some of the folks I was talking to have been part of the running community for 20 to 30 years and we reminisced about how back in the early 80s you could register for a big city marathon for $35 or $40. These days you’d be hardpressed to find a half-marathon at the same price point in any city.
LA
D
VO
LUNTEER
my first race Dennis Novak
T
he FOOTPRINT is full of members’ accounts of the latest race or preparation for the next race. We old codgers, though, like to reminisce about the old days. And I thought, “Let everyone join in.” What I’m proposing is for members to write in about their “First time.” No Ribs, we don’t want to hear about you and Cleopatra. We want to hear about their first race. Where and when was it? What was it like? How did you do? What made it memorable? My first race was around 1981 or ‘82 and was put on by an aging, oversized strip mall in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. It was called the “Barrington Square 5” (miles not K) and it offered the absolutely ugliest t-shirt I’ve ever seen. It
was just a black square on a yellow shirt with the name of the race inscribed. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, so I just tried to keep up and hang on. I finished in 35 minutes and change (about a quarter of the way back in the pack) and I had the time of my life. I don’t think the post-race goodies were particularly bountiful, but I must have hung around for an hour after I finished just to soak it all in. If you’ve got a first-race memory, we’d like to hear about it. Send it in as a Microsoft Word formatted document to lgrawfootprint@verizon.net and share it with the rest of the club.
RRCA Runnings
Road Runners Club of America By Kelly “K2” Richards, RRCA Director-At-Large
The RRCA is a grassroots organization. But what does this mean? In reality, it means different things to different people, as there is no legal definition for the term “grassroots” as it relates to nonprofit organizations. However, academia has attempted to provide some framework for the term “grassroots.” Grassroots generally refers to local people working together or organizing to find solutions to problems in their communities. Grassroots organizations are often contrasted with organizations founded by community “outsiders.”
dictate management or operations to the members, but does provide guidelines and guidance on best practices. This is what makes the RRCA a “grassroots” organization.
Based on the general term “grassroots,” the RRCA is a grassroots organization. The RRCA is a national association of clubs and events, and the National Office does not organize these entities locally. Organization of running clubs and events is the responsibility of local people. The RRCA, in turn, provides services, benefits and programs to support the grassroots (locally organized) clubs and events. The RRCA does not
The RRCA was founded on the allvolunteer, nonprofit running club and running event model, and this business model continues to represent the majority of the RRCA clubs today. Even as the oldest and largest national association of running clubs, running events and runners, the RRCA has remained a grassroots organization. I find this reassuring when I fret about the big bad race company from out of town, which appears in our community for
As many of you know RAW is one of the over 1,200 clubs across the nation that makes up the RRCA. As stated, the RRCA does not dictate how RAW should run (no pun intended!), however there are certain rules that RAW must follow to be an RRCA member such as the RRCA by-laws and guidelines.
48-hours. Or the occasional seedy race director who seems to pocket more money than their “benefiting this organization” advertising would leave you to believe. Why? Because I know the little guys like us at RAW have the support and structure of the biggest and oldest running club organization, which has a defined mission, solid vision and values the strength and support of its network of grassroots members and volunteers. After 55 years of growth, sharing best practices, introducing new programs, educating runners, training coaches, and so much more, the roots of the RRCA are holding the local running club and its 100% volunteer effort races firmly in place.
March - April 2013 |
FOOTPRINT 5
where are they now Mustafa Varol By Kelly “K2” Richards
You’re Turkish but moved from Canada to the United States for a project at DFW Airport for three years. I came to Texas to work on the DFW Airport Automated People Mover (APM) Project. It is the airport’s transit system with automatic traincontrolled, driverless vehicles, running on a 5-kilometer long elevated guide way connecting all terminals. Once your project was done at the airport you moved to Seoul, South Korea, but now live, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. I left Texas in December 2004 and moved to Seoul in January 2005. I worked there on the Yongin Light Rail Transit project for 5 1/2 years. I ran many marathons and one 50K and one 90K in various locations in Korea. I married a Turkish woman while I was there. She became a runner one year after we got married. We moved to Kingston, Ontario, Canada, in mid-2010. I have been working in Kingston on a Saudi Arabia Monorail Transit project since then. I will be moving to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by March 2013 for a few years. While in DFW you joined RAW and found a new “family” away from home. When I moved to DFW from Vancouver in January 2002, it was my first assignment outside of Canada. I left three daughters back in Canada. They were my entire family because the rest of my family lived in Turkey. Therefore, until I found RAW, I was lonely and sad. Joining RAW made me very happy. I was already a runner, but running with RAW and participating in social activities made my running more enjoyable. RAW truly become my “family” away from home.
6 FOOTPRINT | March - April 2013
You also participated in RAW’s biking group affectionately known as BRAW. Yes, but just for a short period towards the end of my stay in DFW. Many members met your three daughters when they came to visit you while you were living in Texas. How are they doing? They are all grown up and doing fine. My eldest and second oldest are both married and living in Toronto. I have three grandchildren (two girls and one boy), two from my oldest and one from my second daughter. My youngest daughter is living in Edmonton with her mother and she is a first-year student at the University of Alberta. Once club member tried to give you the nickname “Gus” but that didn’t go over so well. I did not like it. A couple of “firsts” you experienced while living in Texas were country western dancing and attending a baseball game. Western dancing was a good experience, although I did not do well. It was fun because many people went. Baseball was not my favorite. In 2004, you ran your first 50-mile race at Grasslands on the same day Alan and Hélène (LN) Walker, Rick Sanford, K2 and Mel Crafton all ran their first 50-milers. I did Palo Duro 50 as well, but I cannot remember which was first. I had never run that far before. All my motivation came from RAW friends. Are you still running? Do you run trails or ultras? What distance do you mostly race these days? I am still running, but not as much as when I was in DFW and Korea. These days, I run one to two marathons and two to three half
Mustafa Varol
marathons in a year. No trails, no ultras. I wish I was living in Grapevine and still running with RAW. Have you been back to DFW or met up with any of your RAW buds since leaving? Yes, I returned once in the year 2007 on a business trip to DFW. Two years ago, I met-up with Marty and Tia Metzger in Niagara Falls, which was so nice. Marty and I ran the Niagara Falls International Marathon and Tia did the Half Marathon. What would you like all your old RAW running buds to know about you and your life? I am happy with my wife, children and grandchildren. I am now 63 and planning to retire at 65. Then I will have more time to run and travel. I definitely plan to visit DFW and run with all my RAW friends there.
Trail Trekking for Trash By Kathryn Glghorn
T
he city of Grapevine held their first Keep Grapevine Beautiful (KGVB) of 2013 with their annual Trail Trekking for Trash clean up on Saturday, January 26. This KGVB January clean up proved to be the best time to access the trails while the trees and brush were bare. In upholding RAW’s commitment to the city as part of the Adoptan-Area program, we had a great group of volunteers come out in force to give back to the community and participate. Gary Howsam did a fantastic job as our trail clean up liaison recruiting volunteers and coordinating with the city to obtain the necessary supplies. RAW can be very proud of our clean up efforts! Here are the clean up statistics we reported to the city of Grapevine: 40 volunteers including 6 youth. 75 volunteer hours worked. 58 bags of trash collected. Types of trash - Volunteers found the usual aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles, broken glass, plastic bags, paper bags, STYROFOAM™ cups, cigarette butts, numerous small pieces of Styrofoam, all kinds of plastic junk other than bottles and bags and pieces of broken glass. The somewhat unusual would include: mattress, sink, part of a wheelbarrow, car brake parts, other car parts, dead animal bones, baseballs, golf balls, tennis balls, a football, underwear and other articles of clothing, shoes, approximately 30 feet of steel garden edging, lumber, bricks, lawn sprinkler, small Cookie Monster mailbox, rusted box springs, bike parts, plastic lawn chair and a garbage can. Areas worked - The RAW team scoured the shoreline of MacPherson Slough from Boathouse Road to the creek where it enters the lake, parts of the creek bed from Dove Road northward, the woods north of Dove Road from the Horseshoe Trails parking lot over to Silvercrest, the woods along Wilbanks paved trail, drainage creek inside Horseshoe Trails Park from lakeshore up to homes, the woods and grassy areas along creek from shoreline up to the dirt trails in the park, large exposed lake bottom area in MacPherson Slough, part of shoreline along Snakey Lane and part of the wooded area across from the LGRAW clubhouse. The next KGVB trail clean up is scheduled for April with the “Don’t Mess with Texas Trash Off” and RAW will once again be taking to the trails to do some cleaning up at that time. In the meantime, please remember to pick up any trash you see along the trails on your weekly run / walk. That helps keep our running trails immaculate all year.
Jeff Garber in the muck at KGVB.
(l-r) Belynda Warner, Jeff Barnhart, Noreen and Ray Henry showing that the rubbish never had a chance.
David Moyer and son, Grady
March - April 2013 |
FOOTPRINT 7
Fun at the 2013 Walt Disney World® Marathon By Ed Folliard
T
he Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend was January 12th and 13th. Three RAW members participated in the 20th anniversary of this event. Beverly Kiefner and Chris Mayhan ran their first marathon and Ed Folliard completed his second Goofy Challenge. The races started with fireworks and Disney characters. The half marathon was on Saturday and the marathon was Sunday. The packet pickup was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on the Disney property and had a large number of speakers, demonstrations, and exhibitors. The marathon route included a trip through the Magic Kingdom® Park with a run down Main Street and through the castle with trumpeters in costume. It went through the Walt Disney World Speedway, which had muscle cars and antique cars on display throughout the track. Runners then went through Animal Kingdom®, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Yacht Club, and finally through Epcot® to the finish. Throughout the course, there were Disney characters and a lot of entertainment. The course was, at times, crowded where it narrowed. This is probably not a race to try to improve your PR (personal record), but the hospitability and entertainment was spectacular. This is definitely not just another race. I highly recommend it for your first marathon because of the level of service, the flat course, and all of the entertaining distractions. The Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge consists of completing the half marathon on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday. Runners who complete both not only get a Goofy medal, but the Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse finisher medals as well.
Beverly and Chris getting “Goofy” on Main Street at Disney World.
Chris Mayhan described her experience finishing her first marathon. “For me, it all started a year ago when I ran my first eight miles around the lake. Never in my wildest dream did I think I would be running a marathon. The Disney World Marathon was better than I could have ever imagined. The excitement I experienced running around the parks with my friends is something I will never forget. This new year I plan to run more than before. In 2014, hello Goofy!”
Chris Reyher wins Don Ramey Community Spirit Award
T
Chris Reyher
he Grapevine Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of its 54th Annual Grapevine Chamber of Commerce Community Awards at their annual Banquet. Our own, Chris Reyher received the Don Ramey Community Spirit Award (sponsored by Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southlake). Chris has served as the Chair of Citizens for a Better Grapevine, a volunteer group that created and organized citizen based Vote Yes efforts in 2011 and 2012 for two very important City
8 FOOTPRINT | March - April 2013
Council initiated referendums that will benefit Grapevine for many years to come, 2011 Crime Control Prevention District (CCPD) Election and 2012 Bond Election. Chris is also a member of Grapevine 4B Economic Development Board, member of Volunteers in Police Service, Alumnus of Grapevine Citizen’s Police Academy, and Volunteer for 9-11 Firefighters’ Memorial. The passage of the half cent sales tax for 15 year term and the almost $70 million in bonds for two new buildings are significant milestones. However, for Chris it was always about the project
or cause; never about him or his own agenda. That selfless pursuit of the goal and ability to incorporate others’ ideas and contributions as he moved important projects forward is a rare leadership style. His humble, caring way of keeping everyone on task until the job is done has benefited Grapevine greatly over the past several years. Chris has freely given his time and talent to Grapevine – a community he has proudly called home for many years.
On Your Mark!
membership
The Valley
BENEFITS
By Mark Miller
Sunstone Yoga
“One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.” ~ G.K. Chesterton
Y
ou have either been in one, are currently in one, or soon will be. A valley, a dark place, or a low spot. A time of difficulty that tests your resolve and makes you question your direction. No one is exempt. Valleys occur during races. You’re in the middle miles, the finish line is too far away to be a comforting thought, and exhaustion erodes your will. You wonder just why you’re doing this. In a 5K, the valley lasts for minutes, but seems so steep. In a marathon, the valley is more gradual but can stretch for miles. Doubts besiege you, and you’re sure this is never going to end. Then something happens. An aid station provides a pick up. You hear a shout of encouragement from a friend, or even a competitor. You turn a corner and discover a long downhill. Something or someone provides encouragement when it is needed most. On the hardest days, it doesn’t happen until after the finish line. No matter how tough the race may have been, you finally reach the finish and, exhausted as you are, you know you’ll see another day, another race. If only valleys were limited to footraces. Wouldn’t it be nice if the greatest challenge we faced was how to get through those tough middle miles of this weekend’s race? But life happens. An injury sidelines you from a favorite race. A job loss leaves you wondering when the next paycheck will come. The loss of a loved one leaves a void that seems it will never close. These valleys last not for minutes or miles, but for months or years. Some valleys cast long shadows. Will you ever see the sun again? This is where I found myself in January. Severe knee pain left me limping, then icing, then visiting an orthopedist. Treatment has included continued ice treatments, physical therapy, and worst of all, rest. Non-runners just don’t understand why it is so miserable for a runner not to run. How could they? That daily rush of oxygen and endorphins, the feeling of accomplishment, the satisfaction of
well-earned tiredness; they cannot know this. Running friends - they get it. They’ve been there. That’s the upshot: no matter how deep your valley, someone else has been there. They’ve walked where you’ve been. They’ve seen the other side and know how to emerge.
Heat up your fitness with Yoga or Hot Pilates at Sunstone Yoga ®. LGRAW members receive a free class the first Sunday of the month at any Sunstone studio location: Uptown Lakewood North Dallas Preston & Forest Plano Frisco Rockwall Southlake Las Colinas Flower Mound McKinney Austin
This is what I discovered at January’s Bold in the Cold race. Temporarily sidelined, I volunteered rather than run. I admit it: I hate being at a race and not running. It drives me crazy. Everywhere I looked, people were doing what I wished I could. I fidgeted, walked in circles, and tried to appear useful to mitigate the edginess. While there, running friends shared their experiences and encouragement regarding injuries.
Print the coupon from the membership benefits section from lgraw.com and redeem it at a Sunday class at Sunstone Yoga.
Then something remarkable happened. I had just shared the story of my dad’s death in the previous FOOTPRINT. One person after another shared hugs, encouragement and understanding. Many of you told me your stories. To say I was moved would understate the situation. To each of you who reached out to me, thank you. Seriously, thank you. You have no idea how much it means to know that friends care, and that others have been there.
For additional member benefits, log on through the membership page at lgraw.com.
I left the race that day not with another finish or award, but something better. I went home with a fresh supply of encouragement and a renewed sense of determination. My knee is getting better each day and I am cautiously rebuilding my mileage. And the sting of my father’s death will always remain, but healing does happen. That’s the thing about valleys – they’re rarely as deep or as long as they appear when you’re in the depths of one. I’m anxious to get on another starting line. And I’m ready, too, to return a portion of the encouragement and support that you’ve shown to me. I aim to be better at both in the future. Valleys do not last. Thankfully, the encouragement of friendship does.
The 55th Annual RRCA National Convention May 2-5 Albuquerque, New Mexico
To learn more information about the convention, log on to rrca.org / services/rrca-convention
March - April 2013 |
FOOTPRINT 9
In Step With Nannette Poole Are you from around here or did you decide to bring your talents to DFW? I’m from these parts. If you want to learn more about Texas, all that you need to do is join the RAW walkers any Saturday or Sunday morning. I’ll be more than happy to tell you the Texas state amphibian, bird, dish, fish, flower, flying mammal, fruit, gem, grass, insect, large mammal, pepper, plant, reptile, small mammal, tree and more. Yes, I am Texas born and Texas bred. What’s the history of your running “habit”? When did you start? How did you progress? My earliest running memory would be of me as one of the slowest runners on the recreational softball team in elementary school. I progressed to being one of the slowest runners on the high school dance team. Next, I became one of the slowest runners in a college jogging class. Now I am one of the faster RAW walkers. Go walkers! When did you join RAW? I joined RAW in November 2011. After living in Plano, Texas, for about 20 years, I was looking for a place to move that would meet my daughter’s current needs and be a good fit for me too. I chose a house that is only a half-mile away from the RAW clubhouse, the trails and Grapevine Lake. What does running do for you now? II am not competitive or fast, but I have lots of time during RAW walks to laugh and visit with other RAW members, say silent prayers or simply take deep breaths and enjoy being outside. Walking helps me have an awareness of how I feel and it puts a routine into place to help me live a healthier lifestyle. What’s your favorite place to run – local? Anywhere? I like to run / walk around Grapevine Lake or anywhere with a friend. Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano is also a nice place to run / walk.
10 FOOTPRINT | March - April 2013
What day in your running career would you like to live over again? October 7, 2012. I joined my best friend for her first half marathon in New York. It was the Divas Half Marathon ® so runners received flowers, boas, tiaras and champagne. Now, that was a fun day! But if I had to pick one race to live over it would be one of the races I ran with family. Over twenty years ago my dad, niece and I traveled to Austin, Texas, to participate in a run. I would pick that day. Assuming you have a life outside the club, tell us about it. I do have a life outside the club and I am blessed to share it with the best family and friends in the universe. My greatest joy is my 16-year old daughter. She is absolutely the most wonderful thing that I have ever been a part of. What’s your favorite sport / physical activity outside of running? Well, I do like to dance, but I became addicted to country and western dancing. The addiction got so bad I had to enter a two-step program. Fess-up – tell us one secret about yourself. I feel like I can tell y’all this if you just come a little closer. My sister, Barbara, came to RAW when she was visiting me from Amarillo and on her first walk she received the RAW nickname, Angel. So here is my secret: I dream about the day I will receive my RAW nickname.
LAKE GRAPEVINE RUNNERS & WALKERS CLUB
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION New Membership
Male Female DOB___/___/___
Renewal
Name_________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________ City__________________________________________________
Can we publish this information in the club directory? Yes No Participating Family Members Name ___________________ M F DOB___/___/___
State_____________ Zip Code_____________________________
Name ___________________ M F DOB___/___/___
Home Phone (
Name ___________________ M F DOB___/___/___
)___________________________________
E-Mail Address_________________________________________
Name ___________________ M F DOB___/___/___
I know that participating and volunteering to work in club events can be potentially hazardous. I assume all risks associated with running, walking and volunteering to work in club events. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts and in consideration of your acceptance of my application for membership, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers, Inc., Road Runners Club of America and all sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims of liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in club activities. I grant permission to all of the foregoing to use any photographs, motion pictures, recordings or any other records for any legitimate purpose.
Membership Dues $20 Single $30 Family Signature __________________________________________ Date______/______/______ Mail completed application and payment to LGRAW (Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers), P.O. Box 2982, Grapevine, TX 76099 or drop in the membership box at the LGRAW Clubhouse.
Keep your membership current
RAW offers online membership at www.lgraw.com You can still renew at the clubhouse or through the mail. Simply fill out the membership application and drop it off or send it in.
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers
MEMBERSHIP
UPDATE
New Members Tabitha Conner Carole Cross Linda Davis Diane Gunter Gina Johnson
Peggy Munroe Priscilla Reese Greg Torres Richard Walker Linda Webster
Membership Renewals Danyah Arafat-Johnson Reba Becker & Debbie Carpenter Jack Burcie John Bush Letha Cruthirds Janet & Dennis Dixon Jack Hase & Family Christine Mayhan
Ed Oleksiak Eileen Pontaoe Denise Rathmann Chris Reyher Steven Rush Al Walker Randy Wolf
Welcome to all of our New Members March - April 2013 |
FOOTPRINT 11
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers P.O. Box 2982 Grapevine, TX 76099
Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Grapevine, TX Permit No. 243
SHARE WITH A VISITOR OR NEW MEMBER After reading this issue, drop it off at the clubhouse for visitors to get to know us.
LGRAW Race Directors Needed If you have ever thought about being a race director for one of RAW’s signature races, we have a deal for you! Enroll in the RRCA’s Race Director Certification Course and after completing the course, race direct one of our RAW races and and you are eligible to be reimbursed your course fee of $250. Check out the Race Director Certification Course details at http://www.rrca.org/ programs/race-director-certification/ If interested in this offer, please contact Kathryn Gleghorn at president@lgraw.com.
LAKE GRAPEVINE RUNNERS AND WALKERS
lgraw.com