Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Keep On Running!

Congratulations to all of our recruits who stuck out one of the hottest summers on record and finished a tough 10K. Hopefully you had some fun along the way.

We hope you will keep on running. Fall and winter are great running weather. Some of the best races are in the fall. There are informal groups running in Washington Park at 5:30 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout the year, and Saturday morning you can start from Panera West. Check with your leader about other options for continuing running.

Don't forget the Frost Toes Training Program, which gears up its inaugural run on Saturday, September 29 at Panera West. The first run is 5 miles, perfect for graduates of Abe's Army.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Cookout Tonight!!!

Come join us at the Abe's Army Cookout in Lincoln Park tonight at 5:45. Rain or shine! Bring your favorite refreshment and share your race story!

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

FAQs about Abe's Amble

Important: Chips will NOT be included in the packets, but will be distributed Sunday morning before the race. You can pick up your packet Saturday, but you will still have to get your chip on Sunday morning. Volunteers will be on hand at the Bud Tent starting at 6:00 a.m. to pass out chips. My sincere apologies for any confusion, and a big Thank You to Lori for catching this and asking the question.

Registration
Registration does not close. Online at http://www.getmeregistered.com/ (closes at midnight Friday the 17th). You can also download a registration form on http://www.srrc.net/, print it, and mail it in. Another option is to register at Athleticare, 3631 S. 6th Street, Springfield next to FitClub South on Saturday August 18th from noon-5pm. Finally, you can still register the morning of the race in the Bud Tent from 6:30am – 7am though I would not recommend this option as you will probably not get a t-shirt.

Start Times
Walkers will begin at 7am. 10K racers will begin at 7:30am. 2K racers will begin at 7:35am. I always recommend arriving 1 hour before your event. Parking can be an issue with this race becoming so large. You should also allow time to pick up your timing chip and place that properly on your shoe.

10K and 2K
A link to the racecourse is as follows: http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=8151.
The race begins and ends in front of the State Fairgrounds Grandstand.


Walkers
Walkers will start at 7am this year in order to enhance their opportunity to share in the post race festivities and refreshments. Please arrive at the fairgrounds by 6:30am. Walkers should stay on the right hand side of the road during the race and not walk more than two abreast in order to allow runners to pass.

Parking
Gates 8, 9, and 11 will be open for parking. Please say that you are running Abe’s Amble. The gate keepers are also paying attention to the ARCA racers so please specify Abe’s Amble to help eliminate confusion.

Timing Chip
There will be a chip start and finish for all participants starting the race at the proper times. These chips will be removed by volunteers at the finish line. If you leave with your chip still on your shoe, you will be charged a fee.


T-shirts
T-shirts are guaranteed for the first 1,000 packet pickups!! That means you should plan to stop by Athleticare at 3631 S. 6th Street, Springfield on Saturday between noon and 5pm or arrange for someone to pick it up for you.

Packet Pickup
Packet pickup will be at Athleticare, 3631 S. 6th Street, Springfield on Saturday the 18th between noon and 5pm. T-shirts are guaranteed for the first 1,000 packet pickups so I recommend that you make arrangements to pick up your packet Saturday. You may also pick up your packet race morning, 19th, starting at 6am in the Bud Tent next to the State Fairgrounds Grandstand.

Volunteers
Please call Ronda Schappaugh at 217-280-1361 or Jan Wilson at 217-414-8858 if you would like to volunteer. We are in need of finish line workers, water stop, timers, and registration workers.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Some Tips for Race Day

This post has been edited to reflect the announcement about chips.


Following are some common questions about the race experience. This list is by no means all inclusive, so feel free to post a question or ask your leader.

When is Packet Pickup: Athleticare (next to Fit Club South) on Saturday, August 18, from noon to 5.

What's in the Packet? Your race packet will contain your race shirt, your number bib, and assortment of goodies donated by sponsors.

What do I do with the bib? You can either safety pin the number bib to the front of your shirt or shorts, or if you have a race belt, you can use that to secure the bib. It's important to have your number facing front for identification purposes. Tip: Don't pin the bib to both shirt and shorts, this complicates things in the restroom.

Should I wear the shirt at the race? Race tradition has it that you do not wear the race shirt during the race. If you want to change into a dry shirt afterwards, that's acceptable. (ok, so it's a bizarre rite of passage --- I can only guess that the idea is that you have to earn the right to wear the shirt.). For next year's race, wear your shirt from this year. People will know you are a veteran.

What's all this about Chip Timing? In your packet, there will be a small plastic microchip thing-a-mabob. It will either be affixed to an ankle strap, or on a sturdy plastic string that is attached to your shoelace. It is very important to make sure that you wear your chip on race day. When the race starts, you pass over a "pad" that reads the signal from the chip and records your start time. There's another pad at the finish line. Chips are collected after you cross the finish line. If you see someone coming at you with scissors aimed toward your foot, don't panic, it's just a volunteer collecting your chip. If you lose your chip, there is a charge to replace it, so don't walk off with it still tied to your shoe (this happens a lot!).

What time should I get there? The race starts at 7:30, so you should be lined up and ready to go no later than 7:15. You might want to jog a little beforehand to get warmed up (don't overdo it!). Line up according to how you might finish. For example, if you think you will finish in the middle of the pack, find a spot in the middle. Slower runners (like me) should move toward the rear. This keeps you from getting trampled, which is not a good thing.

Do I need to carry water? No, there will be tables at various points along the course with volunteers who will hand you water.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Announcements - Week of August 12

Abe's Amble is Sunday the 19th!!! Can you believe this is the last week of Abe's Army before the race? Where did the summer go?

Meet at Lincoln Park again this week.

Questions about the race? Check out the FAQs in the "Links" section (right column of this blog). Mary Rogers has put together a great article with commonly asked questions. Of course, if you don't find what you are looking for, post a question here or ask your group leader.

Remember the picnic on the 21st, 5:45 at Lincoln Park. Come and relax a little, talk about your race experience and just be glad that WE DON'T HAVE TO RUN IN THE HEAT!!!!

We need volunteers for the Amble: Packet pick-up, race day registration, chip removal, traffic control and water stops. Contact Jan Wilson at 414-8858, 787-5050 or twolazybums@sbcglobal.net.

What's next? You've trained hard all summer and worked your way up to running 6 or more miles at a time. Consider one of the upcoming fall races. Check Foot Trails newsletter for dates.

Want to train with a group? Join up with the Frost Toes, a new training group headed up by Barry House. The Frost Toes gears up in September.http://frost-toes.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Announcements - Week of August 5

Etiquette in the Cemetery - We have received a politely worded complaint about runners in the cemetery not yielding the right of way to motorists, running 3 or 4 abreast and taking up more than one lane. Please remember to run single file on the left side (against traffic). In the area near Lincoln's Tomb, keep the noise level down. Many of the visitors are from out of town and don't know about Abe's Army. Let's leave them with a positive impression.

Safety on the Road - If a car is approaching, call out "Car Back" or "Car Front" and get out of the way. Move to the side of the road and run single file until the car has passed. This is especially important when we have groups of runners going both directions.

Use of the Fairgrounds
Tuesday, August 7 - We meet at Lincoln Park, not the Fairgrounds.
Saturday, August 4 - This will be the last opportunity to run the Abe's Amble course in its entirety due to the State Fair.

Membership in Springfield Road Runners Club - All memberships expire on December 31st, regardless of when the member joined the club. You will have the opportunity to renew your membership at that time.

Parade Run - Consider running this fun, fast race! Applications are available for download on www.srrc.net.

Saturday Social - Floyd's Thirst Parlor, 6-9 p.m., Saturday August 4. Slip into the back room for some refreshments, pizza and fellowship.