4 local runners ran the Boomtown Half Marathon in Joplin, MO on June 12. Laura Broederdorf, former Hendrix College runner, ran this as part of her training for the Chicago Marathon where she is running her first marathon. As many runners do, she is running for more than a race – she is running as part of Team in Training to raise money to help people with Leukemia and Lymphoma. If you’d like to be a part of this great effort, read more about this on her fundraising page and join with her in this great cause. A little bit from a lot makes a big difference. Here are the results from the half marathon:
And here is an excerpt from Laura’s fundraising page:
My goal is to raise $3500, run 1000 miles in honor of Ben Hines, and represent Team in Training for Ben at the Rock and Roll San Antonio marathon in November. Ben is a senior in high school and was diagnosed with B cell lymphoma in December. He has completed all chemotherapy treatments with a very positive outlook, and is one individual who receives financial assistance for treatment and services from LLS. He’s really an inspirational young man, as I found out listening to some of his radio spots and watching him play the drums. He’s had a much better outlook on his diagnosis than I expect I would have.
Association, Race Results
When: Tuesday, March 16 at 6 – 7 pm
Where: Conway Regional Fitness Center
Guest Speaker: Leah Thorvilson, 2008 & 2009 Arkansas Female Runner of the Year
It’s been a busy running season already with 3 Grand Prix races behind us and a lot of marathon racing and training completed. Over 20 runners will be heading to New Orleans for the half marathon / marathon event next weekend and many others are in the final preparation for the Little Rock half and full marathon the following weekend. There will be a lot of stories and PR’s to share in the next membership meeting.
Leah Thorvilson will be our guest speaker, sharing her story and talking about setting goals and reaching them. One of the great things about running is no matter how fast you are, you get to race with elite runners. I’ve run the Berlin marathon twice and both times Haile Gebrselassie broke the world record. Tommy Walsh ran the Phoenix marathon last month where Deena Kastor, American Olympic bronze medal winner, won the half marathon and our runners going to New Orleans to run the half marathon will be in the field with Ryan Hall. On a local level, we get to “run with” Leah in Grand Prix races all the time. Some of you may know her from her overall win at the first Soaring Wings Half marathon in 2008 when she crossed the finish line in 1:16, running at a 5:52 pace for the entire course. Leah also was the 2010 Little Rock Marathon female winner. Others may know her by her contagious smile and friendly disposition. Our March meeting is a great opportunity to hear her story and learn and be inspired by it.
Join us in March for a night of inspiration and information about the sport of running. Invite your friends. You don’t have to be a member to attend.
Association, Membership Meetings
The Conway Running Club held the February board meeting tonight at the Fitness Center. Tonight was the last meeting led Judy Massingill as president. Effective March 1, Stacy Ohlde will take over as president for the 2010 year. As much as it is important to have rotation in the officer positions in the running club, we will all miss Judy’s dedication and commitment to running and the people who enjoy it. So much has been done under her leadership and she hands it over to Stacy at a very exciting time for running and the Conway Running Club. Fortunately she is committed to continue on, helping the club serve it’s members and increase the membership. Join me in expressing your appreciation for Judy when you see her (run with her) next.
It’s fitting that Christian is in this picture as many consider him the “go to guy” when it comes to doing so many of the things that the club does and is a part of. Thanks to both of you for a great 2009 and 2010 to come.
Association
As the 2010 Grand Prix gets under way this weekend with the first event (One Hour Track Run in Russellville), you might want to take a look back at how our Conway runners fared in the 2009 season. Thanks to John Harrison for putting this together for us. Grand Prix racing is a lot of fun and a great way to improve your running and make more running friends. Any time you can turn an individual sport (like running, tennis, golf, swimming, etc.) into a team sport, you really take it to the next level.
Get more information and/or sign up for the Grand Prix. You’ll be glad you did.
2009 Conway Grand Prix Individual Results.
Association, Grand Prix, Race Results, Training / Racing
2010 promises to be a great year for the Conway Running Club. We had 47 present for our first member meeting. We all enjoyed hearing an update on the walking/running/biking trail system in Conway from Brian Knopp with the Parks and Recreation Department. It will be years before the plan is completed but just knowing there is a plan is great. Brad Rogers was happy to hear that they do plan some PERMANENT toilets along some of the new trails. We covered the annual task of electing new officers for 2010 term. Effective March 1st they are as follows:
President – Stacey Ohlde
President Elect – Not filled at this time (anybody want to consider this position?)
Treasurer/Secretary – Christian Sterka
Past President – Judy Massingill
News Letter Editor – Jermaine Jones
Program Director – Not filled at this time
Public Relations Director – Brad Rogers
Fun Run/Social Director – Jamie Schwartz
Equipment Manager – Christian Sterka
Unofficial positions:
Grand Prix Coordinator – Billy Gaines
Photographer – Frank Massingill
We are going to bring back a monthly publishing of our News Letter. Jermaine needs everyone’s help with this. Please submit articles of interest, personal experiences, favorite quotes, recipes, pictures, running tips, etc to newsletter@conwayrunning.org by the 25th of each month for publication in the next month’s newsletter. Send race results or information about races you are planning to enter so we can track the race to results@conwayrunning.org.
Association, Membership Meetings
We’ve heard that people have a misunderstanding of who the Conway Running Club is, but when we found out that even Google doesn’t understand who we are we realized it was time to do something about it.
Yes, it is true, there are a lot of fast runners in Conway. It’s also true that we’d like for all of the fast runners in Conway to join the club and our Grand Prix team. We believe there are enough fast runners in Conway to get first place in the Arkansas Grand Prix in 2010 if we can get the word out. You don’t have to run all of the races and you don’t have to be fast. The scoring can get a little complicated but suffice it to say that the Spa Pacers edged out our women’s team by 4 points and there were a few races we didn’t have enough women entered to make a team and so those that were able to get points didn’t get any. Consider racing with us. Not only will it make you faster, but it will add a new dimension to your running and keep you motivated to keep training. Running can be a lonely sport, but running with a group and racing with a team can change all of that.
Now, back to our image problem. Not everybody in the Conway Running Club runs fast and is part of the Grand Prix team. There are all levels of runners and we want to be a club that is open to all levels of walkers and runners. One of the most important principles of committing to a running program is to start where you are and add frequency and pace slowly. To do otherwise is to invite burnout, discouragement or injury into your life and these are not our friends. Our friends are those who we get to know while walking and running down the streets of Conway, talking and laughing together. It has been said that when we are not running we talk about running and when we are running we talk about everything else.
If you are not a fast runner or a racer, we need you. We need you to help us fix our image problem. If you like to run but don’t run at 5am in the morning, we need you. We need you to help us fix our image problem. Tell us about your group that meets to run and we’ll spread the word and get some more people out there to run with you. If you have a time and a place to meet with someone expecting you to be there you are more likely to be consistent with your running. If you set goals, you are more likely to meet them. And that is what the Conway Running Club is all about. The bonus is that we all become great friends and are there with you, no matter what you face in your life.
Please join us at our 2010 membership meeting on January 14th at 6pm at the Conway Regional Fitness Center. You don’t have to be a member to attend. Whatever you do, consider becoming a member of the Conway Running Club, you don’t have to be fast or run at 5am.
Association, Grand Prix, Training / Racing
Post the Conway Running Club flyer where you work and play. Spread the word about the running club. Now is the time of year when so many people realize they need to make some changes (resolutions) in their lifestyle.
We all know that without a group of friends, without a place and time to meet together, without a goal … we are less likely to make the changes we want. Spread the word that the Conway Running Club is a group of people who have fun and “stick with it”. Click on the image to the right to print the flyer and post it where you work and play.
Spread the word today!
Association
There will be meeting for all members and guests of the Conway Running Club on Thursday, Jan 14th at the Conway Regional Fitness Center on Salem Road, at 6:00 pm.(in the class room located behind the reception desk). Please make plans to attend.
The board has been working hard to come up with a plan for 2010. We want to see our club become more active. Although running is considered an individual sport, sticking with it and improving is something that requires other people. Others to help you stay motivated, others who share a time and place to show up to run on a regular basis and people who miss you when you are not there. We want the Conway Running Club to be all it can be, but it takes YOU to make it happen.
The agenda will include our Grand Prix Team, socials this year, races we will be helping with, other exciting things.
Feel free to invite anyone you think might be interested in joining the CRC. Come and lend a helping hand.
Judy Massingill, President
Association, Membership Meetings
