July 2025 Newsletter

What is it that makes the UVRC such a special club? There are many things, but first and foremost, I would argue, it’s all of you, our amazing members. I’ve had the pleasure of leading the Saturday morning runs for the past year or so, and there are a few examples that stand out in my mind.

One of the themes I repeatedly hear from people is that Saturday morning runs are the most inclusive running club group run they’ve ever been to. And that is thanks to you all who established a culture of inclusivity long before I joined the club and continue to do so each and every week. There is no pace or distance requirement, explicit or implicit, to participate. You welcome new members from all different running backgrounds with open arms and make them feel a part of the club.

Back in May, I went on a family trip and was once again reminded of how awesome our members are. I was leaving the Saturday morning run leaderless and, more importantly, muffinless, since our resident baker, who also happens to be my mom, was part of the family trip. But as always, you all stepped up and not only volunteered to lead the run in my absence but supplied a veritable buffet of post-run treats.

I could provide a litany of other examples, from volunteering at local races to writing an article for our monthly newsletter. So thank you all for the part you play, however big or small, in making the UVRC the wonderful club I feel so fortunate to be a part of.

5K on the Track!

Save the date! Our annual track 5k will be at TNT on July 8th on the Dartmouth Track. Come to race, come to cheer, and/or come for the free pizza at Runner’s Night Out!

SUMMER PICNIC!

More fun awaits! Save the date for our annual Summer Picnic at the Union Village Dam picnic area on Friday 8/1. More details to come this summer.

Segment Challenge Update

Congrats to Elijah Putman, our winner, and all who took on the UVRC Segment Challenge in May! We’d also like to extend a HUGE thank you to William Ren for planning and organizing it. Check out https://uppervalleysegmentrunning.org/ for the leaderboard featuring some pretty impressive stats.

UVRC Campout!

Thank you to all who came out and made our first annual UVRC campout a success! We had a fun group of campers who spent that Saturday doing a mix of racing the Mount Washington Road Race, volunteering at the MWRR, adventuring above tree line, and/or enjoying a family hike. We all enjoyed getting to know each other over dinner and s’mores by the fire. Thanks to Sean Meissner for planning and booking a great group site. We hope to see more of you at Barnes Field next year!

Volunteer Challenge Update

The 2025 Volunteer Challenge is on! Every hour that you as a UVRC member spend volunteering at a race/running event or doing trail work will get you one ticket into a drawing for some sweet swag and prizes at the end of the year. Each time you volunteer at an event, email us at volunteering@uppervalleyrunningclub.org with the subject line “UVRC Volunteer Challenge”. Let us know the number of hours and at what event you volunteered. We’ll keep track of your hours for you until the big drawing at the end of the year!

Running Warehouse Discount Code

As part of your UVRC membership, you are eligible to receive 20% off socks and clothing and 10% off nutrition, select clearance shoes, and hats/visors. Enter the discount code BS4U2KNQ at checkout. Note: this is a new code as of July 1st.

Sponsorship Opportunity

Do you work for a company or know of a local business that is supportive of UVRC and our mission to provide an inclusive community for runners of all abilities? We are currently seeking business sponsorships to fund swag items for UVRC programs. Opportunities for advertisement on such items is an option. Please reach out to contact@uppervalleyrunningclub.org to learn more!

Racing Opportunity: Middlebury Maple Run 10/19

A few key event details:

1. USATF-certified half marathon, 5K and 10K courses
2. Well-organized, great swag, inspiring music on course, complimentary post-race breakfast
3. Scenic routes with views of the Green Mountains and Adirondacks
4. Free 18-week training plan

Run club discount: If you can guarantee registration for 5 or more runners, we will provide you with a 10% discount code for your registrants to use. Email us (UVRC) if you have a group of 5 runners and we can get you the discount code!

To register or learn more, please check out the race website: https://www.middleburymaplerun.com/.

White Mountains Running Retreat

Click HERE to sign up!

Hosted by: Northeast Trail Adventures

Dates: Sunday, July 27 – Wednesday, July 30
(Participants can arrive between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. There is no planned run on Sunday. The retreat ends at noon on Wednesday. There will be a morning run option on Wednesday)

Cost: Pay/Contribute what you can!!
We mean it! The directors of Northeast Trail Adventures want these four days to be accessible to all. We only ask that you bring a positive attitude, that you are willing to be photographed for future Northeast Trail Adventures promotional materials, and that you give us feedback on your experience so that we can offer the very best trail running retreats in the future! Can’t attend all four days? That’s okay too! Come for a day, all four, or anything in between! We want you there!

Location: Hub North in Gorham, NH

What to Expect: During the day we’ll share runs along ridge lines, pass by gorgeous waterfalls and experience some of the technical terrain that can make running a full body activity! In the evenings we’ll enjoy hearty meals, share inspiring stories, and learn from a physical therapist, sports nutritionist, endurance sports coaches, and two of the most elite athletes in our sport today. With multiple options that will vary in length and difficulty every day, this camp is suitable for many abilities and experience levels. Of course, there will be plenty of opportunities to relax, rejuvenate and explore.

The fifth race in the Upper Valley Running Series (UVRS) was Skip’s Run, a 4 miler on June 15th, Father’s Day. Great job to all UVRC participants! Results here.

The next two races in the UVRS are: On July 4th, it’s the Red, White, and Blue 6.2, 5K/10K in Lebanon, NH. Then, on August 24, come run the Triple Dam 10K in Perkinsville, VT.

What’s the UVRS? It’s our club’s series of local road races. Checkout the UVRS website for the latest information:

UVRS results are now available! Check the UVRS website.

Not running? Got a friend or family member who will be there but not running? Consider volunteering.

Happy Running!

Geoff and the UVRS Committee

At the end of June, we said a heartbreaking goodbye to one of the best running buddies we’ve ever known, our fluffy little Border Collie mix named Ardy. We knew Ardy’s body was ailing, we could sense this day coming, we could intellectualize that it was the right thing to do for him, and yet, the grief and sadness hit us both so incredibly hard. We adopted Ardy soon after Sean and I started dating, and his fluffy wagging tail had been a constant presence through so many transitions; he was with us during our engagement, he was the Flower Boy at our wedding, he made numerous moves and cross-country trips, and an eventual cross-country move with us. I still expect to see him wiggling his little butt with happiness at the gate when pull in the driveway. I still see his medicine on the counter and ask myself if I’ve given it to him yet, only to realize that I don’t need to, and yet I can’t bring myself to put it away. I still kneel down to say goodnight to him under the kitchen table, where he always was at my bedtime, before I realize he isn’t there. While these moments bring the inevitable burst of tears, we have also had time in recent days to reflect on all of the joy, dirt and love that Ardy brought into our lives. Ardy spent more time on trails than many humans will get to in their lifetime, and he savored every step.

I have had the joy of being a dog mom to three dogs in my adult life so far. My first was my soulmate dog, the love of my life (sorry, Husband, not your title!), a sweet, loving, loyal Rottweiler mix who I pulled out of a shelter. My Rottie ran further and faster than most dogs his size, though due to that size, I generally didn’t run him for more than 10 miles at a time. He loved to run, and while he certainly found ample joy in the adventure, I also think he did it as a matter of duty as my loyal protector. Our most recent adoption, an adorable low rider mutt from the Navajo Reservation, will run occasionally. When she feels like it. Where she feels like it. On her terms. She will eventually settle in to find joy in the rhythm of running, but the true way to her heart is through her stomach, in the form of both treats and belly rubs. Ardy overlapped with each of these dogs at different times, and of the three of them, Ardy was the one built for running. He was the one who could accompany us for 20+ mile adventures in the mountains and join us for longer races, fully relishing in the adventure of it all.

Sean and I often marveled at how Ardy would start runs with no idea how far or fast the adventure would be. He could be doing a 3-mile shakeout run or a 20-mile mountain adventure, and he was ready for whatever we threw at him. One year for our anniversary, we set off on a loop that tagged four 14,000ft mountains, as we often tried to tag new ones to celebrate another year together. An unexpected dark storm cloud gathered just as we were nearing the first summit, and I called for us to turn around, not wanting to get caught above treeline in a thunderstorm. While we were disappointed that we didn’t reach any summits that day, when we safely made it back to the truck, we looked at Ardy and couldn’t help but smile. In his mind, we had just had a fabulous morning adventure. He didn’t track peaks, pace, mileage, or any of that nonsense that we humans concern ourselves with. He tracked FUN. And that day, he had a ton of fun rolling in summer snow patches, smelling high-alpine wildflowers, and trotting with his two humans along a beautiful mountain trail.

Ardy loved running, and Ardy loved running clubs. While he was very particular about the humans and dogs that he would tolerate having in his inner circle, he seemed to let his guard down at running club group runs. With Durango Running Club in Durango, CO, where he spent most of his life, he enjoyed weekly trail runs that regularly featured some of his best canine buds, with ample opportunities for our little dirt magnet to come home caked in dirt. The Mesa Monument Striders in Fruita, CO is the kind of running club that meets to run for an hour or two on some stunning canyon trails, and then spends another hour or two shooting the breeze around the beer cooler at the trailhead. While Ardy definitely did not like all people, he would spend these MMS post-run gatherings as a little social butterfly, mingling throughout the group and nosing his way under peoples’ hands so they would pet him. It was the most outgoing he would ever be in a group setting, and we think there was just something special about running club vibes for him. Fittingly, Ardy’s last camping trip was in the Whites on the first annual UVRC campout. While we cut our time there short to allow him to rest more comfortably at home on night two, we are thankful that we were able to spend one last night with him curled next to our sleeping bags that weekend.

If you’ve made it this far in reading this, chances are you have a dog, and therefore know just how deep the bonds we forge with our furry companions run. I often wonder what we as humans did to deserve to spend our lives with dogs, and think that one of the best ways to honor them is to learn from them. And so, while pace and mileage goals certainly have their place in our worlds, I would challenge you to spend some of your runs this summer going as far or as fast as you feel like going. Enjoy your surroundings and just find joy in putting one foot in front of the other without an agenda. And if you come home with dirt on you, you’ll know you’re on the right track. In other words – Run Like Ardy. And when you finish your run, please give your dog an extra treat and scratch in honor of our fluffy little running buddy; may he rest in peace knowing he’ll always be loved.

Name: Harmony Tyner

Current Town: Lebanon, NH

Hometown: Duluth, MN

Profession: Infectious Disease Physician

Why did you join UVRC?
We were looking to be part of a community and have a sense of belonging, while doing one of our favorite things!

What prompted you to start running?
I wanted to stay cardiovascularly fit.

I continue to run because…
I love it! I love the people I run with, I love the feeling of early morning runs, I love how I feel when I’ve finished a run.

Do you run competitively?
No

I’ve been running for…
About 22 years.

Do you have a favorite race or distance?
A half marathon always feels nice – you feel like you’ve done something without needing a week to recover!

What is your favorite running route?
I love the greenway/rail trail- I can really turn my brain off and just move my feet.

Tell us about your training partners.
I love running with anyone who will talk to me! I run with Seth, my husband. He does prefer trail running to road running, where I like road running (I don’t fall down as much!).

What do you do to cross train?
Hiking and a little biking and a little weight lifting.

Do you have an injury and recovery story?
For the longest time I had issues with my IT band. Any time I increased my mileage above 5-8 miles, I would get that horrible knee pain. That went on for years. It seemed like that was going to be the major barrier to ever running longer distances. Then I married a physical therapist who noticed that I didn’t have my anterior talo-fibular ligament in my right ankle anymore (a sprain when I was in middle school) which made my arch weak. He suggested I get an arch support for my shoe, and voila. No knee pain ever again. It has been nearly 10 years without knee issues.

Share your notable running streaks or unusual running events.
Once I did a 5 day conference (8 hour lectures online) from home. I set my laptop on a stand in front of my treadmill and jogged all day, every while listening to/watching the conference. I jogged 30 miles a day on my treadmill for 5 days. My feet were sore by the end of that.

Share a recent notable running moment.
I came in second in my age/gender group at the shamrock shuffle- a big deal for me!

Proudest running moment?
The first time I ran a 5k with my mile time under an 8 minute mile. For most of my life I would never have thought that was possible. Since then I have done that a few times, and it still surprises me every time.

If you could run with anyone, who would it be and why?
There are so many people with whom I would love to have an hour long running chat! Maybe Kate Middleton- she looks like a runner, and I bet we would get along.

What is your running motto?
There is no substitute for consistency.

Anything else you’d like to add?
I love a challenging fast run, but if I had to pick between a fast run and a nice conversational jog with a friend, I would pick the jog chat with an old friend or a new friend pretty much every time!