Hello FMRC!

Well, apparently summer is officially over and the racing season is quickly coming to a close. For those of you that missed out on the team Challenge Series weekend and BBQ - well, you missed out!  A big thank you goes out to all of you that stepped up to volunteer on both Saturday and Sunday.  The Challenge Series weekend is an important weekend for our club and its a chance for us to all celebrate being healthy enough to enjoy doing what we do.  A big thank you to Vali and her team of volunteers for arranging another steller team BBQ on Sunday afternoon.  As we close out 2011, we will start planning for 2012 with several club business activities that need everyone's attention and involvement.  Over the next month or so you will start to see e-mails asking for volunteers to help with the 2012 ALS spin a thon in February.  We will also be sending out notices about the 2012 Elite team selection process, the 2012 BOD elections and of course the FMRC holiday party.

For those of you who have been aiming to complete the 2011 Challenge Series, make sure you have logged your races, completed your volunteer hours and raced all of the required races.  I think there are a few more chances to race but you need to make sure you have completed all of the CS requirements.

Thanks again to everyone who puts in so much hard work and effort to make FMRC the best club in the bay!  We should all be very proud of what we have created.  If you have any interest in helping out with the day to day operations of the club please contact me directly and we can discuss where your talents are needed the most.

Yours in sport,
Chris McCrary
President - FMRC

Holiday Party
The annual holiday party is tentatively scheduled for the second weekend in December. Plans are underway to see if we can top last year's bash. If you'd like to help on the planning committee, please send Vali Holroyd an email.


Cycle for ALS
Thanks to ClubSport San Ramon for welcoming us back for our 2012 Cycle for ALS fundraiser. We have raised more than $60,000 during the first three years of this annual fundraising effort and owe a lot of thanks to Rebecca Sol and her team for providing us with such a great venue. This year's event is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, February 11 and will challenge the entire club to get involved. Stay tuned for details, and if you'd like to help put this event together, please send Janet Fazio an email.

Well, a couple unfortunate things happened this summer.  First, Allie Bigelow moved to North Carolina.  For those of you who don’t know Allie, she was one of our fastest runners.  She also brought a bright smile and colorful shoes to every workout and race.  I know many of us who trained and raced with her were sorry to see her go.  Let’s all wish her well in her future adventures.  

Second, Ralph Gowen beat me again!  He beat me in Boston, and then again at the Fast & Furious 5K.  What’s up with that?  Is he doing squats in front of the TV at night, or maybe he gave up chocolate and red wine.  If you know his training regimen, please share it with me.  I’ll then share it with all of you.  Don’t tell Ralph though; it will be our secret.

Now for some results.  

On July 17th, several of our FMRC teammates competed in the Jail Break run to benefit Special Olympics.  We took no prisoners in this race.  Look at the results:

Jail Break 10K:
Christine Brighton - 1st Overall
Rosaura Tennant - 1st Overall Master
Brian Collett - 2nd Overall
Amanda Henry - 3rd AG
Frank Nolte - 1st AG

Jail Break 5K:
Stella Rosenfield - 1st Overall Master, 4th Overall

Wharf to Wharf took place on July 24th in Santa Cruz, and everyone from FMRC was gunning for a coveted wind-breaker that the race organizers bestow on the first 100 men and first 100 women who crossed the line.  This is not an easy chore when you toe the line with runners from Kenya and those who competed in the Olympics.  You can’t intimidate FMRC athletes though.  Here are those who walked away with a wind-breaker that day:

Wharf to Wharf 6-miler:
Steve Chavez - 73rd Overall, 2nd AG
Michael Parry - 79th Overall, 19th AG

Christine Brighton - 17th Overall, 1st AG
Allie Bigelow - 20th Overall, 4th AG
Tara Carriera - 22nd Overall, 5th AG
Carrie Chavez - 75th Overall
Diane Batchelor - 98th Overall, 10th AG

The inaugural Fast & Furious 5K took place on August 7th.  Although the course became a bit circuitous thanks to some hapless volunteers, we all made it to the finish line safe and sound, in plenty of time to see the bike race.  Here’s how we did:

Fast & Furious 5K:
Michael Parry - 1st Overall
Tara Carreira - 1st Overall
Brian Collett - 2nd Overall
Rosaura Tennant - 3rd Overall

Sofia Mutlu - 1st AG – Youngest competitor?
Madison Chavez - 1st AG
Ralph Gowen - 1st AG
Carolyn Sanchez - 1st AG
Julie Pfeifle - 1st AG
Maggie Fillmore - 1st AG

Angel Barros - 2nd AG
Sharley Simpson - 2nd AG
Andy Frey - 2nd AG
Diane Batchelor - 2nd AG
Betsy Barsamian-Teman - 2nd AG
Linda Robinson - 2nd AG

David Haan - 3rd AG
Karna Mapes - 3rd AG
Michael Stella - 3rd AG
Tiffany Deusebio - 3rd AG
Doug Marshall - 3rd AG

On September 11th, our own Jason Cooke and his band of gypsies commandeered downtown Walnut Creek as organizers of the Walnut Festival Run benefitting local schools.  Brian Collett jumped to an early lead and never took his foot off the accelerator, easily winning the 10K.  Equally impressive were the beautiful freckle-faced duo of Tara Carreira and Page Spicer who finished 1st and 2nd in the 5K.  Kudos, also, to Ralph Gowen who crushed his previous PR with an outstanding effort.  Here are the complete results:

Walnut Festival Run 10K:
Brian Collett – 1st overall
Josh Weiss – 1st AG

Jeff Mapes – 2nd AG
Jay Boragno – 2nd AG
Michael Stella – 2nd AG

Walnut Festival Run 5K:
Tara Carreira – 1st overall
Page Spicer – 2nd overall

Mark Dean – 1st AG
Ralph Gowen – 1st AG
Jesus Guijarro – 1st AG
Diane Batchelor – 1st AG
Larry Feigenbaum – 1st AG

Patrick Hansen – 2nd AG
Mark Goralka – 2nd AG
Joe Condon – 2nd AG
Rachelle Fong – 2nd AG
Liesbeth Magna – 2nd AG

Terry Gilchrist – 3rd AG

FMRC’s Challenge Series Weekend kicked off with the Back to School Scholarship Run on Saturday September  9th at Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton.  This is a small, friendly trail run where participants each walk away with a grocery bag filled with food.  Before indulging in the goodies, though, we had a race to run.  Tiffany Deusebio and Diane Batchelor showed that ladies can kick dirt just as well as the men finishing first and second in the 10K.  Twelve-year-old Ashley Foster proved that girls can kick dirt too, placing a strong 2nd in her age division.  Here is the complete scoreboard:

Back to School Run 5K:
Brian Collett – 2nd Overall, 1st AG
Larry Feigenbaum – 1st AG
Elaine Morrison – 1st AG
Ashley Foster – 2nd AG

Back to School Run 10K:
Tiffany Deusebio – 1st Overall
Diane Batchelor – 1st Overall Masters, 2nd Overall
Ed Maier – 2nd Overall, 1st AG
Lloyd George – 2nd AG
Ralph Gowen – 3rd AG


We only have a few more Challenge Series races scheduled this year, so please come out and race with your teammates.  The list includes:

•    Primo’s Run for Education 5K and ½ Marathon on Sunday October 9th
•    Lake Chabot Trail Run 5-miler, ½ Marathon, Full Marathon, and 50K on Saturday November 5th
•    Clarksburg Country Run 5K, ½ Marathon, and 20-miler on November 13th
•    Bah Humbug 5K on December 3rd
•    and… the California International Marathon in Sacramento on December 4th

I hope everyone had a great summer!

Michael Stella
Director of Running

Greetings from the Transition Area,

We are cleaning up now, and breaking down the racks. The season is just about done. There has been a ton of races. With respect to FMRC, lots of podiums, along with incredible memories on the foundation of massive training, showing up injured, doing a “first race”, facing adversity, or attempting a distance deemed impossible just months prior.

The success of an age group athlete in my mind is the ability to take “the impossible” and bring “impossible” to fruition. That could be a first ever podium, a first ever completion of a race regardless of time, a first ever Saturday club ride where you hung with the “A” group.

I think what is magical about FMRC is the pursuit  of “conquer and completion”. As we have athletes ranging from former Olympic competitors to Kona qualifiers to Running World Age Group specialists to first ever racers, I am so proud to see there is virtually no chest pumping or “look at me” attitudes, but a community of mentoring, support and “back slapping atta boys n girls” to encourage ALL of our members regardless of ability.

As we enter the tenth month of the year, I look at the fact real life plays a big part of our “training”. Babies were born, people married, New jobs were won, Members re-located to different cities, knees got blown, people went down on bikes- (God Speed Dean Harper for a fast recovery), Super kids moved on to college, and Mom and Dad are so proud.

Yeah, podiums are important, training is important, but the beauty of this club is what I saw first hand this year- we are not a a running or triathlon club, but a community who supports each other on and off the track.

A couple personal “shout outs” to some people who made a difference:
• Karin LaBerge- for her grace and competitive spirit whether it be to earn a podium or take care of a bad ass skin cancer challenge.
• Steve and Carrie Chavez for their continued and relentless dedication towards the FMRC family.
• Pamela Herbert for taking up ALL the slack for the FMRC Triathlon duties. PH, I owe you big time!!!
• Chris McCrary and Sharon Okada for ALL they do. “nuff said”.
• The Breen family and the Forward Motion Sports staff. Again, 36 minute 10K or first ever 5K, the Forward Motion Sports team makes you feel good about what ever the goal is.
• Vali Holroyd for keeping our club stimulated off the track.

There are countless people who make this club successful. My apologies if I did not mention you with respect to your efforts, but then this would be a novel.

As the volunteers who steer the big ship called FMRC get together to discuss what can be done next year to make this club even better, I ask all of you to step up and take the initiative to speak your mind, offer to do some heavy lifting, point out what we can do better, and take ownership to make this club the best it can be.

Thank you all for your support on and off my track. I am so lucky to be a part of this incredible family.

XO,

Johnny Rocket
Co-Director of Triathlon

Ride for ALS - Sharon Okada

I wanted to send you all a huge thank you!  Your donations and support made it a very meaningful day for me, all the participants, the Zucker family and the Forward Motion Race Club.  The Ride to Defeat ALS 2011 raised over $300,000! That is significant!  Your generous donations totaled $1510.  I really don't have the right words to tell you how proud and grateful that makes me feel.  I get emotional just thinking about it because it is a message of generosity and concern that goes a long way. 

It couldn't have been a more beautiful day in the Napa Valley.  The first 20 miles went by fast because the scenery was so breathtaking.  The middle 30 were pretty good too....a little bit of climbing was fun.  The last 10 well.....let me just say it's a long time to sit on a bike.  The course ended up being 5 miles short so Rob, Christy and I rode the extra 5 miles to make it a legitimate 60 miles.  The whole ride including the stops took 4 1/2 hours.  It was a super fun day and an honor to be surrounded by all the participants on bikes, on foot and volunteering for a great cause. 

If you have any desire to get involved in the 2012 ride please let me know. They even have a 10 mile family ride!  It was great to see kids out there. 

   


How FMRC changed me - Bonnie Hammer

Being a Tri Newbie in FMRC has changed my life in so many ways.  I've started swimming again, something I'd done very little of even though I was on the swim team in high school and spend most of my vacations in and around the water.  I've started riding a bike again, something I hadn't done for over three years, when my hybrid was stolen.  Indeed, biking has become my favorite of the three, though I'd been running for nearly 20 years.  I've lost weight and fat and gained strength and muscles.  Probably best of all, though, I've gained friendships that I believe will last beyond my Newbie days and for years to come.  Now that we have our first Triathlon, the Tri for Real, under our belts, Ron, Paula, Eric, and I have vowed to continue our weekend bike rides and Friday night swims.  In fact, we recently began to ride with the "big boys and girls" on Saturday's.  And while I haven't made it for the whole 50 mile ride yet, my goal is to soon graduate to the B group and ride the whole way with them without getting dropped!  For now, though, I'm happy to be a tweener and looking forward to being a supporter of next year's Newbies.  The elite members of the FMRC were there for me, pushing and motivating me into action last Spring, and I thank them all for their undying support and encouragement.  A special thanks to our leader, Chris McCrary, the biggest motivator of them all, who has been there for me and the rest since the beginning.  Without him I'd probably still be just running and my bike would be still sitting in my garage with two flat tires.  



Tri-ing Really Hard - Ron Kalich

About four months ago a number of FMRC “Newbies” set out on a journey to become triathletes culminating at the Tri For Real at Shadow Cliffs on September 18.  Happily, Bonnie, Eric, Paula and Ron competed in their first triathlon, completed the Tri For Real, and lived to tell the story.  What a great feeling of achievement! What a great time!  What a great club and great friends!  Who knew that a triathlon could be conquered with a little bit (okay, a serious, but manageable amount) of training?  Although completing the race was never in doubt, concerns about each segment—Will I be able to swim the lake? Will my legs hold up on the bike after the swim and transition? Will I be able to climb the hills on the run in the heat after the first two legs?—could have been consuming.  Instead, we had confidence because we had trained with our FMRC newbie group for all aspects of the race, and our fearless leader Chris McCrary was there to guide and motivate us throughout.  (We hear Chris’ encouragement in our heads even when he isn’t there!)

As a runner, I hadn’t participated in swimming or biking as sports.  During our training, I completed my very first group bike ride as well as learned how to swim (even though I was comfortable in the water, this was quite a challenge as an adult).  Having a weekly training schedule provided by FMRC along with numerous opportunities to join up with other newbies and FMRCers at regularly scheduled sessions made tracking toward the goal easier to accomplish.

Bottom line—I’m hooked, and think that anyone can do it.  The “Newbies” will be competing in the Marin County triathlon in early November.  For any other FMRCers or friends that are on the fence—don’t be shy, come join us—I’m looking forward to helping others find the joy of TRI.

The FMRC Elite team began as an idea in 2006. The Board of Directors of the club were brain storming ideas to grow the young race club and entice it's current elite level athletes to race in our team kits. The elite age group members of our club at that time were being picked up by other teams who were offering product and entry fees for them to race on their teams. These athletes continued to train with FMRC but raced in other kits. Could you blame them?
 
So the Elite Team was formed and started in 2007 with 19 athletes who were current members. They were hand selected based on their performances in races in their AG. The Elite Team was lead by Mr. Joe Foster, who took on the first Director Sportif role. The Elite Team had their own sponsors and were offered discounts for varying products and some free products as well as free race kits in exchange for agreeing to race a certain number of local races, in the team kit, blog about it and ....HERE IS THE KICKER....Give BACK 10 hours minimum volunteer hours to the club by way of clinics, educational opportunities, hosted training sessions etc. It was up to the athlete to choose how they wanted to give back. This was the difference between our elite team and other teams was this obligation to give back to the club. So choosing members of the team was not only based on ability but whether or not the person was a leader and wanted to inspire and help others in the sport.
 
Examples of Elite Team lead clinics/workouts: Monica Mozzacco-Zucker and her sunday Ladies rides; Team Chavez Tues AM Track; Jan Maynard and his Wed night track; Brett MacDonell and his bike maintanance clinic, Ed Maier and his family runs, Tara Carreira and her Hill repeats in Livermore; Tiffany Deusebio and her hill repeats in Danville; Dean Harper, Kim Bruce and Karin Laberge and their swim clinics; Doug Marshall and the Yosemite trip; Larry Feigenbaum and his B group leading for Sat rides; Glenn Puzio and his Ab workouts; Tanya Grossman and Carrie Chavez and their Trigger Point Clinics; John Fulton and his leading of the triathlon portion of the club as well as team photographer;  Todd Taffoli and his race volunteer organizing;  and Rosaura and her track sessions..... There are many more but I would be here forever writing all the ways the Elite Team gives back and has help build the framework of the club.
 
Beginning in the second year, athletes had to apply to be on the team.
 
That time of year is upon us again. Application time for the 2012 FMRC Elite Team is coming up very soon. Stay tuned for the application to be available in late October/early Nov.
 
If you are a strong athlete in your age group at races, love giving back to the club and are a good role model for others please consider applying for the team. Often times this year I would hear how X person should have been on the Elite Team. I would say- you are probably right- problem is they did not apply.
 
So don't be shy. Go for it and apply.
 
Carrie Chavez
FMRC Elite Team member and co-captain (with Mrs Tara Carreira- runner extraordinaire and all around awesome team member and friend)

Our very own Brett MacDonell has earned a coveted spot to the Ironman World Championships in Kona on 10/8/11. It could not have happened to a nicer guy or one who works any harder. Brett- we are so happy for you and the whole team will be cheering you on from our computers. Please read about his qualifying race here,
 
Brett has been a member of the FMRC Elite Team for the last 3 years. He has a lengthy resume including 10 qualifying spots and 9 trips to Kona: 1989( what did they wear back then? what kind of bike? Brett we need a pic), 93, 94, 95, 96, 08, 09, 10 and now 11. INCREDIBLE!!
 
By day he is a firefighter. His passion is triathlon and has been for many years. He is always eager to help athletes on our team. He has hosted many clinics including bike maintanance and assisited the newbies on rides up Mt Diablo. This year he and Jan Maynard hosted a group in the early spring on a coast ride. We are so fortunate to have him on the team.
 
Please tune in to Ironman.com on October 8th for live feed from his race in Kona. Brett's race number is 701.