Board Meeting. We had our first board meeting of the year and we discussed 3 important topics. First, we approved our club by-laws (as required by Road Runners Club of America). See Todd Rose if you are interested in a copy. Second, we discussed our training program for the Long Beach Marathon. Tentatively, we will be meeting Saturday mornings at 7am (beginning May 14th) in the Joe’s Crab Shack parking lot. This location puts the group closer to runs actually part of the Marathon course. Earlier in February, the core board met with a representative of the Marathon’s Executive Office about some grandiose plans (bike training, inline skate training, etc.) they are considering. Whether or not the Marathon has these training events, AREC will still continue to offer our own marathon training program.
Last year’s program was very successful. Our regular group of trainees ALL completed the marathon. In order to continue its success, it is very important that we have sufficient volunteers to help out. One voiced concern was the long runs… a infrequent volunteer probably will not go out and just run 20 miles. Both Todd Rose and I tackled that last year when we ran portions of the run (get them started… help them finish). The conclusion at the meeting was that this responsibility cannot just fall on 1-2 people, so we will be setting out a sign-up sheet in the next several weeks.
The last plot point at the meeting was the possibility of putting on occasional AREC 5Ks. The idea being that members (and others) could see how they are doing inexpensively. This could also serve as a fundraiser for the club. We are thinking possibly of tying-in the first race with the kickoff of the Marathon training. If you are willing to help out in this endeavor, it would be greatly appreciated.
Membership. The membership report shows that to date we have 50 paid members for 2005, a combination of new and renewals. AREC welcomes all runners to its runs regardless if they are members or not. But… for just $25 per year, or $40 per household, gets you a year’s membership. Benefits include a technical team t-shirt, a few social events, as well as insurance and membership in a national running organization. If you are renewing your membership, NO NEED TO FILL OUT A NEW FORM! (See me or Todd Rose at a run, you can doublecheck the information and sign it.) OR, you can e-mail me and I’ll send you a PDF-version (which you can sign and mail back with a check, or bring to a workout).
Safety. Days are getting longer, but still remember to wear light-colored / reflective / blinking light clothing at the Wednesday night run. Yield right-of-way to all vehicles, just to be on the safe side. Also, remember to show up on time, because then you’ll start with the group, and there is more safety in numbers.
Afghans and Tees. There is still one AREC afghan available ($30). Also, last year’s design shirt (white dri-release with blue lettering) is available for $10, or REALLY OLD cotton tanks and shirts (assorted varieties) for $5. Sizes are limited.
Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon. Some folks have been asking about JSRM, which comes up sooner than you’d believe. The cost is still $40/person. If you have a team in mind, see Todd Rose for an entry form, or just sign up and we will try and coordinate a team for you.