Upper Valley Running Club

January Board Meeting, January 13th, 2020, 6:30 pm at River Valley College, on the mall in Lebanon NH

Attendance: Tim Smith, Rebecca, Amanda, Jim Burnett, Geoff Dunbar, Alex Hall, Joffrey Peters, Krissy Flythe, Mike Gonnerman (non-board member)

Absent: Paul Coats, Tiffany Currier, Dorcas DenHartog

• There was a discussion about the time for the board meeting. It was decided that we will try 6:00PM for board meetings going forward.
• Open Door – The event was cancelled with short notice based on the snow storm that evening. A couple of folks showed up and they were open and could see the facility and ask questions. Discussions about rescheduling the event have already started:. 
  • Proposed Jan 17th (Friday) as a backup date for the open house event.
  • Consensus in the room is the short time frame, and the kickoff to a three day weekend, probably would not make for a successful event.  
  • If Carly wishes to move forward, we will support to the extent we can. But our recommendation would be to push out further to allow coordination with the club.
• Updates to ongoing responsibilities.
  • Action: update Mary Peters, who is no longer the leader of Saturday morning runs. Hannah Taska leader @ 9 am at O&B’s, Scott King C25K leader @ 8 am at CCBA
  • Action: are there other items that need to be updated?
• Mount Washington: 
  • Rebecca is taking over organization from Mike Gonnerman
  • Mike Gonnerman is in attendance for knowledge transfer
  • Policy: unclear whether or not volunteers are able to volunteer and run on day of. 
  • Everyone who wants to run should sign up for the lottery. 
  • Rebecca will be sending out the process to club members soon. Turn around for needed action is quick.
    • Club’s draft policy for the process:
      • If you get selected, you will be in charge of providing a volunteer
      • Bypass numbers will go to those who are not selected, and are able to provide a volunteer. 
      • Need 8 volunteers at check in time. Doesn’t hurt to have some extra people around to help out. 
  • Need some incentives for club members who could volunteer but not run if we run into issues there. 
    • Rent a house or hut?
    • Group camping?
• Jingle Bell Run
  • It was great. It was well attended regardless of the fresh snow fall.
  • Should we combine the annual dinner party and the jingle bell run? 
    • It could be at the DOC house, catered by Ramuntos
    • Should occur after the tree lighting ceremony to avoid that night and also take advantage of the tree decorations
    • Geoff/Amanda will talk to Nancy (the event organizer) about the proposal. 
•  NHGP
  • Schedule is set. Number of events is now 4 out of 5. Schedule is on the NHGP website. 
  • New England half marathon is the longest event. 
  • Events are no longer disqualified after a couple years of attendance, allowing a race like Shamrock Shuffle to remain year after year.
  • Scoring has been modified slightly. Team scoring will be based on your best 4 scores out of 5 races. However, any individual who wants to compete to win their age group should attend all 5 races. It’s unlikely you can miss a race and still win.
• Shamrock Shuffle
  • Discount code for NHGP? 
  • 10% discount as inclusion for NHGP
  • It was decided that the cut-off for UVRC membership will be February 1st. The code will be shared via email after this cutoff so only members can take advantage of the 10% discount. 
• UVRS 
  • Initial meeting has taken place
  • The committee is talking to race directors to get final details squared away.
  • Similarly to past years, the RedZone will kickoff the schedule. 
  • RedZone will now count towards participation. In some races, you can run the shorter event for participation credit to complete the series, but those runners will not count in the age group scoring.
  • The race schedule was discussed among the board, but will not be announced until the RedZone race.
• Apparel store was not discussed in Tiffany’s absence. 
• Jim Cioffredi/Mark Goodell
  • Cioffredi’s will be hosting a runner’s expo on April’s 4th
  • We may be able to set up a booth dependent on availability of volunteers (Jim & Tim are tentative). 
  • We should have flyers promoting the club available. 
• Tim Smith is proposing and volunteering to host a seminar on periodic training
  • Tim will talk to Dorcas to explore this seminar topic. 
  • Presentation/Seminar will be on year long training cycles. Talk to folks about training for a singular big race or what the popular big races in the area are, and designing a training schedule for success.. 
  • Suggestion to do the talk/presentation, but also published a follow up piece in the newsletter.
  • Shooting for a February date. This will try to preempt runners having already set up their yearly goals. This should be a good resource to runners who are still deciding, or are new to planning their annual running goals in advance. Early March would be a suitable alternative. 
• Social calendar:
  • Most social events happen in the second half of the year. 
  • Proposal to add a winter event at a cabin in Norwich as part of the Upper Valley Land Trust. This is part of the Brookmeade area. 
    • The long term plan for the Brookmeade committee is to restore the cabin. Currently there is no heat and no electricity. The event UVRC is exploring would occur well before their organization’s ability to restore the cabin.
    • There may be a fee to clean out and prep the cabin if we want access to the inside. 
    • UVRC could use the area around the cabin without issue. 
  • Timing: Late February/early March event?
  • Tim/Amanda in charge
• Dartmouth Relays
  • UVRC provided some volunteers for the event. 
  • Dartmouth is in the process of expanding their indoor practice facilities. The discussion about getting any access for the UVRC to Leverone during the winter has been dormant for many years, as Dartmouth did not have the ability to allow community use outside of their collegiate teams. 
  • UVRC may submit and application/proposal for winter access to the facility in the upcoming years.
  • Helpful to have a list of UVRC members with Dartmouth work/alum connections.
• Olympic Trials viewing party for the club?
  • Laura Hagley has qualified, and is competing in the Olympic Trials this year. 
  • Saturday, February 29, 2020 – Atlanta, Georgia.  Coverage starting at 12noon (?)
  • UVRC will plan to reserve a room at the Lebanon Salt Hill. 
  • If the programming is available through Comcast, than Salt Hill can accommodate the request. 
  • Rebecca/Amanda will be in charge of organizing. 
• Couch to 5k
  • 10 week program in spring culminating at RW&B 5K, July 4th, 8 week in fall. The 8 week program would start immediately after the spring session, July 4th. 
• Next meeting: February 24th, 6pm in Salt Hill Lebanon. 
• 2019 Budget ended with $1,000 in the UVRC account

Action Items for February 24th meeting:

• Jim – Email Carly Wynn to have her recommend a make-up date for the Open House at Open – DONE
• Geoff – update ongoing responsibilities, such as Hannah Taska now leading Saturday Runs – DONE
• Rebecca – re. MWRR, send out email to membership explaining registration and volunteering for MWRR – DONE
• Amanda, Jim – Ask Nancy Dunbar for her thoughts about combining the Jingle Bell Run with the Annual Banquet – DONE
• Jim – contact Cioffredi’s to confirm that UVRC would like to have a booth at the Runners” Expo, April 4th – DONE
• Tim, Dorcas – set up date for meeting at Howe Library to make a presentation on the topic of Setting Up Your Yearly Training-Running Schedule –Tuesday, Feb 25, 7:00-8:00.DONE. 
• Amanda, Tim – set up a date to have a winter (late February- early March)activity gathering at Brookmeade cabin in Norwich –
• Krissy, Rebecca – make arrangements to watch the Olympic Trials Marathon on a big screen TV at Salt Hill Lebanon, February 29th, 2020 – DONE
• Krissy, Keriann – send out email and submit article to Newsletter announcing 2020 C25K program schedule

December 16, 2019

Lebanon Town Hall

UVRC September Board Meeting Minutes

Present: 

(Board*): Jim Burnett**, Dorcas DenHartog*, Alex Hall*, Amanda Kievet*, Geoff Dunbar*, Krissy Flythe(*), Rebecca Stanfield McCown*, Joffrey Peters*, 

Not present: Paul Coats (on sabbatical)*, Tiffany Currier*, Tim Smith *

1. Jim: Meeting called to order 6:35 pm
2. Open Door Wellness Center update: 
   1. Free open house, January 8, 2020, 6 pm-7 pm, 18 N. Main Street, WRJ, VT. 
3. Rebecca: Hats! We have hats
   1. Volunteers at least 3 events, couch to 5k coaches, and board members earned a UVRC trucker hat. 
   2. Those who have earned a hat will receive an email Thank you and note that they can pick it up at the Jingle Bell Run, Tuesday, December 17th. 
   3. Confirm parameters for next year – those who qualify: volunteer at 3 events, coach Cto5K, board members, and committee members. 
   4. Encourages race directors to communicate with UVRC about the need for and UVRC volunteers (Jim). 
4. Geoff: Awards for UVRC series finishers
   1. Will receive a gear bag 
5. Amanda: Jingle Bell Run
   1. Amanda will lead; Geoff has been volunteered. 
6. Krissy: LOH/Lebanon Town Hall
   1. Renovation completion date undetermined 
   2. Meeting room available, though smaller, at  River Valley College OR Jim’s house.
7. Jim: 2020 Race Series
   1. Meeting date: 
      1. For UVRC race series club has 5 nominations: Skip’s Run 4M, Shaker Seven 7M, Run With The Law 5K, Red White and Blue 6.2M, Tiger Run 12K, 
   2. New England Road Race Grand Prix Series 2020 is published
   3. Capital Area Racing Series (CARS) 2020 has eight races published, starting in March.
   4. Talk of changing the scoring system so clubs with fewer members can score well, rather than leaning towards 3 scorers per age group; instead, xc scoring and age-graded scoring for masters division, so 20 member participants clubs could do well. 
8. Geoff: UVRC series 2020
   1. About five committee members coming back
   2. The first meeting in early January 202o to choose the races. 
   3. Expect to announce it at the Red Zone 5k in Wilder, VT. 
   4. Need a new scorekeeper
9. (Tim): TNT 
   1. Is going well, tho’ low attendance
   2. Pub Night, however, is well attended
   3. Best news – three + people coming from Couch to 5K. Kerianne has been posting good notes encouraging people to come for a social run.
   4. Couch to 5K 2020 – Amanda and Kerianne will discuss during the drive to Buffalo. 
   5. First Lebanon Park and Rec/UVRC Couch to 5k outreach announcing Saturday workouts, 8am Carter Community Building, indoor stretch, and workout. 
10. Krissy: A race for everyone else, 0.5km
    1. To consider, a run done in Texas, it has raised >$7K (fundraiser for Lebanon Park and Rec. Department), ending at Salt Hill. What does the board think? YES!
    2. ‘Perfect Day in May, Point Five K’ (Alex)

Next Meeting:

• Monday, January 13th, 6:30 at River Valley College, on the Mall in Lebanon – across from Omer and Bob’s (15 Hanover Street, Lebanon).   (After Dartmouth Relays)

November 17, 2019

Lebanon Town Hall

UVRC September Board Meeting Minutes

Present: 

(Board*): Jim Burnett**, Dorcas DenHartog*, Alex Hall*, Tim Smith *, Amanda Kievet*, Geoff Dunbar*, Krissy Flythe(*), Rebecca Stanfield McCown*, Joffrey Peters*, Scott King, 

Not present: Paul Coats (on sabbatical)*, Tiffany Currier*

1. Jim: Meeting called to order 
2. Scott: Indoor C25K Winter Workout
   1. Checked with Jim Vanier about CCB use for indoor stretching, in place cardio workout. Saturdays 7:45am  it’s open, so 8am-9am. Workouts start first Saturday in December (December 7th)
   2. Need to be a member of UVRC (not CCB)
   3. Krissy will set it up registration on the website
   4. Workout: take off shoes, then stretching (recommend bringing a yoga mat), cardio, then stretching.
   5. 9am runners could join C25K warmdown as a warmup. 
3. Tim: Turkey Trot preparations
   1.  
4. Krissy: club financial statement 
   1. sending out announcements about renewing club memberships. 
   2. How many members have renewed their membership? New members?
   3. Shared a sample questionnaire to survey Couch to 5K members’ experience
5. Tiffany:
   1.  UVRC apparel through Top Stitch. 
6. Amanda:  banquet debrief
   1. About 45 people attended
   2. Jim Westridge did a great DJ job
   3. Food arrived 5 minutes before dinner to start. 
      1. Liba Catering for next year – will contact her
   4. Good volunteer response for Setup and Cleanup.
   5. Next year: call Dartmouth Security BEFORE to unlock facility
7. Hannah: organizing Saturday Runs. 
   1. How’s it going? What can we do to help?
8. Amanda and Joffrey: UVRC Pub Nights and Wed Pub Runs, 
   1. Action Item: send email out to plug UV Trail Runners MeetUp opportunities, trail runs on Wednesday evenings
   2. Attendance is down but varies widely
   3. Liba is interested in bringing soup after TNT’s  (except Pub Nights) at Occum – great idea! (hang out by fire pit behind Occum House?)
9. Mike and Betsy Gonnerman: Volunteer tracking
   1. Shared the spreadsheet with Jim
10. Nancy and Lori: Jingle Bell Run
    1. Tues. December 17th @ 6pm at Ramunto’s.
    2. limit the UVRS and Volunteering awards presentations to 10 minutes each will allow enough time for the raffle
11. Alex: UVRC website recreation
    1. Several people with strong technical backgrounds have volunteered to help
12. Geoff: UVRSeries
    1. Turkey Trot is the last event
    2. Awards will be ready for Jingle Bell Run
    3. Main Street Mile – put in next year’s series?
13. Rebecca: Volunteer Trucker Hats
    1. Trucker Hats are to be awarded at Jingle Bell Run. 
    2. Trucker Hat order is due to arrive in time.
    3. Meant to recognize those who have met the volunteering goal
    4. Suggest volunteer request emails include a reminder of the Trucker Hat benefit.
    5. Who gets a Trucker Hat:
       1.  15 have volunteered at three or more events, including C25K coaches, TNT coaches. (~21 people thus far)
14. Rebecca: Covered Bridges Half Marathon 2020
    1. Looking for creative ideas to find 30 pacers (you get two shirts! It’s fun!)
    2. Goal: minimum 2, prefer 3 pacers per pace time
    3. Recommend limiting Pacer responsibilities to include a pre-race day pacer information meeting; every other Saturday run through the spring from Billings Farm to help pacers preview/practice the course was helpful; pasta dinner attendance optional.
    4. Reach out to other running clubs for pacers 

Next Meeting: 

• Monday, December 16th (day before Jingle Bell Run, 6:30 at Lebanon Town Hall  

October 21, 2019

Lebanon Town Hall

UVRC September Board Meeting Minutes

Present: 

(Board*): Jim Burnett**, Dorcas DenHartog*, Alex Hall*, Tim Smith *, Amanda Kievet*, Geoff Dunbar*, Tiffany Currier*, Krissy Flythe(*)

Not present: Paul Coats (on sabbatical)*, Joffrey Peters*, Rebecca Stanfield McCown*, TNT

1. Jim Meeting called to order 6:37pm
2. Tiffany’s report: UVRC clothing orders.  
   1. She’s working with Top Stitch (TS)  to set up a UVRC apparel store, will meet with TS rep there on Monday about a hard cost for opening orders, fall and spring -ordering for fall/winter, spring/summer gear. It can all be done online, virtual store. 
   2. Embroidery (less than 20 min) vs. screen printing (needs 20 minimum)
   3. Quality brands and materials – but not Brooks (Tim); Tiffany will ask if we order our preferred brands and Topstitch do the embroidery. 
   4. Warmup jacket and pants option preferable (Jim); ventilation panel back of jacket is nice; reflective additions would be nice (esp. Winter TNT/Occum Pond)
   5. Store could be open this winter if using limited apparel brand options – preference jackets and pants). Best to start small (Geoff). 
3. Tim’s report: TNT
   1. balancing TNT coverage with Jim – went well. Late October 30 plus people!
   2. Winter TNT- four workouts rotating every month; it makes sense to continue the ‘speed maintenance’ routine. Tim will write the workouts.
   3. Rob Daniels has offered to take over leading the winter workouts for Tim, December – February, taking it up again come Shamrock Shuffle time. 
   4. Tim – consider moving from HHS track to Occum after daylight savings time? until after Turkey Trot? Consider HHS track work, Couch to 5K ends and may add more to TNTs. Decision: move to Occum for safety, efficiency, more inviting for C25K runners. 
   5. C25K leaders, Chuck and Janet Morgan, and Keriann – share with them Occum map and let them know that this option is open to them, or they can also reach out to c25K members to plan their own workouts. 
      1. Action item: invite C25K leaders to come to next board meeting and how we can integrate and continue to support these new runners. 
   6. Krissy: will send out a survey to C25K members about their experience(s) in the program. 

1. Amanda’s report: Social committee
   1. Annual banquet, Saturday, November 9th. Same as last year — Maple Street Catering (Laura Hagley), at Occum Pond/DOC House (Mike Silverman). BYOBeer and BYODesserts. She will send out member email and volunteer requests for people to help make it fun.
      1. Action Item (Jim): At banquet solicit help and interest in contributing to planning fun Social committee events. 
      2. Action Item (Amanda): contact Nancy about Jingle Bell run. 
2. Rebecca’s report: Social committee
   1. pattern/color scheme chosen; The minimum order is 35, they will cost between $15.25-$16 each. So we are looking at at least $560.
      1. ***Action Item (Jim): contact Gonnermans – how many volunteers have earned a hat so we can give them out at the banquet (11/9/19)
3. Jim: Carly Wynn to offer a free class to what Open Door can offer runners/athletes. 
4. Alex: Social/Technology.
   1. Action Item: to write up a blurb to be used throughout our social channels, that would explain 1) join the club to receive 2) Follow the club on Facebook 3) get MeetUp notifications. Once we have that, whoever is in control of the channels can update the “About” sections and add it to repeating events on Meetup.
   2. Alex does not expect to be webmaster much longer; looking for someone/needs to recruit someone to do it. 
      1. Amanda has an idea and would like to be involved with building it, but not with maintaining it.
      2. Joffrey is familiar with the technology; he may be interested. 
      3. Could be between the two of them there is a good balance of time, interest, skill.
   3. Action Item (Amanda): be prepared by next Board Meeting to present her ideas. 
   4. Action Item (Alex): reach out to club to see who might like to be involved. 
   5. Action Item (Alex, Amanda, Krissy): communicate together in the transition of data streams, databases, to new site; they will updated Board at each meeting. 

1. Jim and Krissy: Roster report. 
   1. Change to the calendar year (January – December (12 months) OR current October 1-December 31 (15 months) – stay same: 
      1. Action Item (Krissy): will send membership email re: open early-enrollment October 1st that is good through December 2020. 
   2. Current enrollment: 317 members

1. Jim: Update on discussion with Gate City Striders director.
   1. Masters use age-graded times; runners who run faster can score points in both open and age-graded.
   2. Xc scoring would be used
   3. Currently best way to be successful: 3 people/each of 12 age groups. This new way, with only 15 people, you could be successful. 
   4. Could possibly be four titles: open men, open men, age-graded men, age-graded women. 
   5. Scheduling meeting is mid-December with Gate City Striders, Greater Derry Track Club, UVRC, . . .  some interest in a wide track/trail race. 
      1. Action Item (Jim and NH running club directors): ask if they would like this new system. 
2. Geoff: budget item
3. Tim: 
   1. suggests a coaching presentation on how to train for a goal race, the reasoning behind a training plan. Opportunity to lay out the 2020 race calendar. Hold at the Howe Library meeting space. In January and/or February 2020; a panel discussion open to everyone. 
   2. Also suggests UVRC attend a race outside of New Hampshire/a New England race. 

Next Meeting: 

• Monday, November 18th, 6:30 at Lebanon Town Hall