Interurban Runners Club Newsletter

November 2015 
In This Issue

SAVE THE DATES!
IRC Christmas Party
When: Saturday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. 
Where: The home of Lance and Danelle Docken:  
 
Lance and Danelle are looking forward to hosting the party again this year. The club is providing the dinner of prime rib, baked potatoes, vegetable and salad. The club is also providing some appetizers but all members are invited to bring one if they would like to share. It's a BYOB function, but the club will provide bottled water.

If you would like to participate in the gift exchange, please bring a gift with a suggested price limit of $15. Hope to see you there!
Santa from an IRC Christmas Party past.

Black Diamond Bakery Run/Walk Winter Edition Saturday, Dec. 19  
December's My Favorite Run is the Black Diamond Bakery Run/Walk and Breakfast hosted by Steve and Dee Israel. Join us on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 9 a.m. We will meet at the Black Diamond Bakery located at 32805 Railroad Avenue, Black Diamond.

Starting at 9 a.m. we will run/walk about 5.5 miles of gravel roads through the trees and hills east of Black Diamond. Breakfast will follow at 10:30 a.m. at the Black Diamond Bakery. Call Steve Israel for questions at 253-797-0041.




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Weekly Runs

Thursdays: 6:30 p.m. next to Lolli's Broiler and Pub: 32925 First Ave. S, Federal Way (near the intersection of First Ave. S and SW 330th St.). Meet in the south area of the parking lot for a social run on the BPA trails and neighborhood streets at various paces and distances; walkers welcome. Regroup for dinner and socializing after. Contact Larry Coyne for more information at 253-653-4456 or [email protected].   
  
Saturdays: 7:30 a.m. at the Cedar River Trail for distances of 4 to 14 miles. Contact Rick Garrison for more information at 253-638-0476 or [email protected].


Volunteers Needed for Seattle Marathon Cleanup Nov. 29 
This annual fundraiser is a good way to help your club! Each year we take down banners, fences, the superstructure of the finish line and any miscellaneous items. We get everything ready to go and then load the trucks. In return, the Seattle Marathon gives a nice donation to the club. Afterward we go to a nearby establishment for food and refreshments. Always a good time with this crew!

The race is Sunday, Nov 29. For those coming from the southend, we carpool from the Park & Ride off of 320th Street and I-5 in Federal Way at 2 p.m. Or, you can meet us any time after 2:30 p.m. at the finish line in Memorial Stadium at the Seattle Center. To volunteer or for questions, contact IRC program manager Marianne Moore at [email protected] or 253-217-0486. Thank you in advance!
 
Oregon Coast 30K Recap - Oct. 11, 2015
By Becky Jacobsen

The Oregon Coast 30K is a particularly scenic event that starts on the coast in Yachats, Ore., runs through part of Cape Perpetua Park and then back to Yachats. Fortunately for me, the weather on race day was significantly better than the weather was on the previous day when Jake and I were driving through one of the heaviest rain storms Western Washington and Oregon have ever seen. Or to put it more accurately, when Jake was driving and cursing like a sailor and I was sitting in the passenger seat struggling not to shout out, "We're all gonna die!" -- one of my favorite scenes from the movie "Airplane"!

The run started and finished at the Adobe Resort which is located right on the ocean. The rooms at the resort were clean and reasonably priced, thanks to the event discount. The food was tasty and plentiful, though a bit pricey; however, the ocean view from the restaurant was spectacular!
Above: Jake (aka awesome race support guy) and Becky.
Right: Beautiful ocean view.


The course was mostly single-track dirt trail through tall trees with occasional peek-a-boo ocean views. Despite the storm the trail was in great condition with only a couple of muddy spots. There was an aid station conveniently placed at mile 6.5-ish which we also passed on the way back so we were able to get refreshments at roughly one-third and two-thirds of the way through the course.

There were 143 total finishers and I came in 91st. For my gender/age division there were 22 finishers and I was 8th with a time of 5:07. Now you might think my time was pretty darn slow (and you'd be right) however, in my defense the course had 4,278 feet of elevation gain and my Garmin logged it at 19.5 miles as opposed to 18.5 miles. In any event, I beat the 6 hour cut off, had a ton of fun and was even able to walk semi-normally a few days later. Super-big thanks to awesome race support guy, Jake, who took great care of me both before and after the run!

If you're contemplating doing this event in the future I have a couple of recommendations: 1) sign up early because the race sold out in two days this year; and 2) don't blow off your training plan and especially don't blow off your hill work -- otherwise you won't beat 5 hours and you'll have to do it again ... like me! 
IRC Member Race Results
Marianne Moore:
"I did an obstacle course race/mud run in Florida. It was the Tribal Extreme Mud Run 10K on Oct. 10. It was a fundraiser event for the Junior League of Lakeland, Florida. The event was on a 10,000-acre property in Mulberry, Florida called Mims Ranch. My time was 2 hours and 28 minutes."

Nice job, Marianne!  
60 Seconds With Becky
Editor's Note: This month I'm starting a new column where I'll interview a different IRC member each month. My first interview is with Becky Jacobsen -- a longtime IRC member, recent board member and former newsletter editor. We thank Becky for her many years of service to the IRC! And we thank her for writing and sharing some of her great running events for the IRC newsletter, including her Oregon Coast 30K report in this issue. Read on to find out why Becky enjoys being part of the IRC.

How long did you serve on the IRC board? 

Most recently, I served on the board from October 2013 to September 2015. Previously, I served on the board for one year (2007-2008) before becoming the newsletter editor for two years (2008-2010).

 

What did you enjoy about being an IRC board member? 

I enjoyed the camaraderie among the board members as we worked toward a common goal of keeping the club active.

 

Share one great IRC memory. 

There have been so many it's hard to pick just one! But if I must, the 2010 Pikes Peak trip to Colorado stands out as one of the best. That was my first big destination run and it was fantastic to share the experience with my fellow IRC members. Four of us, John Pontarolo, Larry and Laura Coyne, and I, did the 13.1 mile Ascent; and one crazy guy, John Kokes, did the 26.2 mile round trip up the mountain and back down again.

 

How does being an IRC member help your running goals? 

The running partners I've made through the IRC inspire me to try new events and motivate me to keep training even when the weather is unpleasant. Thanks so much -- you guys are the best!!

 

Pikes Peak pals, from left to right: Larry and Laura Coyne, Becky Jacobsen, John Pontarolo and John Kokes. 
Alki Liberty Run/Walk Recap
We had a good turnout for the Alki Liberty Run on Nov. 7. Runners and walkers included, from left to right: John Pontarolo, Jake Jacobsen, Larry and Laura Coyne, Tina Williamson, and Becky Jacobsen with her pup Rudy. Missing from the photo: Meridith and J. Ellis and Rick Garrison. We were blessed with no wind in spite of the rain, and afterward we treated ourselves to a hearty breakfast at Christo's on Alki. Becky, Laura and Tina headed out after breakfast for a 32-mile bike ride to Auburn following their morning run!

IRC October Board Report
Board Meeting Minutes
Applebee's Restaurant, Federal Way, WA
Oct. 19, 2015
In attendance were Lance Docken, Larry Coyne, Rick Garrison, John Kokes, John Pontarolo and Marianne Moore. The meeting began about 6:10 p.m.
  • The September board meeting minutes were approved, as presented.
  • Treasurer's Report: John P. reports $1,744.55 in the account. Income included $20 for race entries, and $32 for membership renewals. No expenses to report.
  • The Fall Membership Meeting and Chili Feed was attended by six members. A slate of board members were nominated and elected to serve for the coming year. This included Marianne Moore who will replace Becky Jacobsen. Lance Docken, Larry Coyne, John Pontarolo, John Kokes and Rick Garrison were also elected to continue serving.
  • The coming IRC events are the Alki Liberty Run My Favorite Run, the Seattle Marathon cleanup, and the IRC Christmas Party. Marianne will arrange the carpool to the marathon cleanup and serve as point of contact.
  • No IRC calendar will be published for 2016.
  • John K. reports that a questionnaire survey of the club membership should be ready by the next board meeting for review.
  • John K. still needs to do a final accounting of the Summer Race Series expenses and income.
  • John P. and Lance suggest that the quarterly postcards of IRC events be sent to nonmembers who have made their address available. This would mostly be those who signed up for any of the Summer Series 5K Races.
  • The next meeting will be Nov. 2 at 6 p.m.
Meeting adjourned at 7 p.m.

IRC Board Members and Contact Information:

President: Lance Docken 
[email protected]; 253-970-2404
 
Vice President: Larry Coyne 
[email protected]; 253-653-4456
 
Treasurer: John Pontarolo 
[email protected]; 253-850-5386
 
Secretary: Rick Garrison 
[email protected]; 253-638-0476
 
Member at Large/Race Director: John Kokes 
[email protected]; 206-932-9355
 
Membership Coordinator: Larry Coyne 
[email protected]; 253-653-4456
 
Program Manager: Marianne Moore  
[email protected]; 253-217-0486
 
Newsletter Editor:
Kathy West
[email protected]; 206-932-9355
 
Webmaster:
John Kokes
[email protected]; 206-932-9355
 
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The Interurban Runners Club is an organization for runners of all ages and abilities. The club provides the opportunity to meet other runners and improve running performances through regular workouts. The club also organizes social gatherings and outings for members and their families and friends. Everyone is welcome!