The seasons are changing, and so is our UVRC leadership. RJ announced his departure from the Upper Valley and his presidency in our September newsletter. We will all miss that “Hey Fam!” which undoubtedly precedes a novel length email addressing all running and non running related stream of consciousness that is the most unique constellation of words you’ll read that day or year. Drew Prescott, Kristina Siladi and I are stepping in as a triumvirate to give justice to the long list of duties RJ led single handedly for years! Thanks for your patience as we learn, but let’s all take a moment to thank RJ for the mountains of time and effort he put into making this club fun, welcoming and the smoothest sailing operation on either side of the Connecticut.  

Because I can’t top his creativity, this love note is practically written entirely by RJ himself, a.k.a.:

Rakshasa Digcraft, Urban Ninja, Commuter Jones, Rococo D’Luxe Prince of Derby, Rogar the Mighty Bardbarian, Revolutionary J, and Royale Jackale Adjudicator of the Danse Republic (if you’re lucky enough to follow him on Strava), 

or RJ, a.k.a:

UVRC President, do you ever wonder if you could talk to and understand animals, if they would swear as much as we humans do? I feel like cats especially would be proficient at swearing under their breath #showerthoughts

UVRC President, Self-Love begins with listening to "Everytime we Touch" by Cascada. trust me on this one, i've done the research

UVRC President, The triple dog dare got me thinking of recess. Does anyone want to try four square as an adult? It will either be an absolute bloodbath, or not nearly as fun as we remember. There is no inbetween

UVRC President, you know...when you run at night, there's no way to tell what your shadow is doing when you aren't looking at it

UVRC President, it's not like I dislike pumpkin spice or people who like it, it's just that given that there is generally 0% pumpkin in pumpkin spice there is no actual harvest related rationale for why pumpkin spice could not be sold year round especially considering that the individual ingredients of it actually are sold all year round separately. So the only reason there is a 'season' is artificial and driven by capitalism which in this TED talk I will--- gets dragged off the podium
And now, our UVRC President Emeritus:

He sparked a website revamp (in the works!), helped our club pace several prominent races, coordinated new and improved UVRC swag, made sure our bellies were full of pizza at a minimum of one night a month, ensured the banquets and picnics had crafts and games, kept us cool with ice on those hot TNT nights, and overflowed our newsletters and inboxes with his creativity, among countless other behind the scenes duties. He made every single person he encountered happier from his ridiculous shorts, unbelievably quick wit and permanently fixed smile. RJ’s kindness, forward thinking, optimism and positivity never went unnoticed, and his endless focus on lowering barriers to joining the club will have long lasting effects on our community. 

It’s hard having a President who is also really ridiculously smart. RJ, we wish you the best in your PhD program and Burlington chapter, and hope that you honor your promise to mail each of us our favorite Trader Joe’s snacks at any moment over the next 5 years :) Mochi cravings are REAL, y’all. We thank you for years of over the top enthusiasm, inclusivity, leadership and hard, hard work. 

 -Cara

A few love notes (including favorite RJ phrases), from the rest of the club, who misses you dearly:

“Howdy People!”

Thank you RJ for your constant joy to the UVRC board and community.

I do not have the right words, nor can I write as eloquently as your e-mails to the UVRC community. Just know I truly truly appreciate all that you have done for UVRC.

It’s been a pleasure to work with you.

-Kristine F

"Hello, Fam!"

When I moved to Hartford, one of the first things I did was look for a local running club.

RJ's warm greetings with every UVRC email were always so welcome in my inbox!

-Helene S

I want to thank RJ for his amazing work as UVRC president, but words are failing me. How about I use some of RJ's own?

"Dungeon Diving Adventures with Rakshasa Digcraft and Nero Timberheart: The Tomb of Champlasia"

Or how about:

"Welks and Revolutionary J, Alien DJs from the Outerworlds: Kawaii Future Bass for Boys with Unbreakable Bonds"

Or:

"Ro-bobo the Anime Music Powered Robot: The Quadrillion Drive!"

Really, I think RJ speaks for himself!

Thanks for your hard work RJ,

-Geoff D

Thank you for being a great partner in growing the couch to 5k program to spread our enjoyment of running with hundreds of people in the UV. We already miss the energy and enthusiasm you brought to our group, along with your great outfits. Thanks for every joke, and for your kindness and friendship along the way. As President, you went far above the call of duty so many times over the years, and that never went unnoticed or unappreciated. Thank you so much for making a difference.

-Keri N

Thank you RJ for your hard work, your dedication and your passion as a president 

We appreciated your high energy and good mood that we all needed after a long day at work.

You did an awesome job and we wish you the best in your new Burlington's life

-Sebastien

RJ has invigorated all things UVRC with his infectious enthusiasm and joie de vivre. I will miss him greatly as I am sure will many.

-John S

RJ’s ongoing dialog with club members is fun to tune in to. As I hoped when I passed the torch, the club membership has responded with chuckles, enthusiasm and a welcoming spirit to all newcomers. To be honest I only understand about half of what spews from RJ’s mouth. And, that is why I thought it a good time to step back and welcome in a new generation of Upper Valley runners. Run on UVRC!

Never say die,

-Jim B, Grrrr…

I met RJ a few years ago through the Couch to 5k program, and I am so delighted to call him my friend. Working out with him is always fun because of his perpetually sunny attitude, sense of humor, and encouragement. Thank you, RJ, for being the coolest and kindest president.

-Jess

Goooooood byyyyyeee, RJ Roberts! You kept us rockin' and rollin' and runnin' during your captaincy! From the UV to the MT Washington summit, from the TNT to the RT/rail trail, and every hot and steamy and cold and dark run in between! 

RJ, you kept us going, always reminding us how crazy awesome our sport and community are. From your heavy metal Strava post names to your Saturday double workouts with Couch to 5k and Omer and Bob's muffin runs. Your UVRC emails were IVs of hilarity, positivity, random cultural references, and rambunctious enthusiasm that artfully masked guilting requests for volunteers, newsletter articles, coaches, race sign-ups, and pacers. Well done, always! We salute you. Thank you, from the bottom of our stronger heart muscle and our thinning shoe soles. 

Run on! 

-Dorcas D

RJ, It's hard to find the right words to sum up your contributions to UVRC, and especially hard knowing that YOU have such a gift with words - so much pressure! I am forever grateful that you made UVRC such a welcoming place when we moved here, which in turn helped make Vermont feel like home. We will miss your optimism, your booming voice that can garner a crowd's attention in an instant, your organization, your passion, your ability to inspire a bunch of adults to work together to see whose team can smack a grape the furthest across a field, your creativity, your zany socks and running shorts, and, of course, our inboxes will all be sadder places without your legendary emails. Thank you, RJ, and enjoy Trader Joe's! 

-Kristina S

Thank you RJ for sharing your infectious joy and love for running and life with all of us and for dedicating your time and energy to help shape the UVRC into the amazing club it is today.

-Drew P

The hair. I have been a member of quite a few running clubs over the decades in different parts of the country. RJ's hair is easily THE VERY BEST HAIR of any member in any of those clubs. Then about a year ago, he chopped it off! <GASP!> I was deeply saddened by this life-changing turn of events. But then when I heard WHY he cut off those beautiful locks, I loved him even more. RJ cut those locks for a Halloween costume. YES! HE DID! As much as I loved RJ's hair, I loved even more that he went all-in for a Halloween costume. That is a dedicated person. And that dedicated person threw that same dedication into his UVRC presidential tenure. You will be missed, RJ. Especially your hair.

-Sean M

RJ, thank you so much for your commitment and dedication to UVRC! I know that you've put countless hours into UVRC, and that work has meant so much to myself and everyone in the club. From coaching at Couch to 5K and running the club's Instagram to doing all the behind-the-scenes work for pacer organization and social events, you not only kept the club chugging along but also improved it. During your time as President, I have seen UVRC become a more inclusive and supportive organization for all runners. Thank you for your selfless, tireless leadership.

-Chris W

The leaders at UVRC are always sure to make new runners feel welcome to the club and bring positivity and encouragement to every workout. No one does this better than RJ who always shows up with warm energy and a smile. Thank you to RJ for all you did as UVRC president and always bringing positivity to the team! 

-Andy and Kara M

RJ, your generous spirit and kind personality has kept this club humming along for so many years now. Somehow you seemed to have boundless energy for club, enough energy to run and skate, and also enough energy to be in literally every location at once (I felt like I could bump into on the Leb Rail Trail and at the exact same moment you might be running past Garipay fields or at the same moment in Hanover, and also didn't you live in VT???? Some sort of time/space vortex stuff there). Thanks for all you did, and best wishes on your next adventures - wherever you run (or skate?) off to next is lucky to have you.

-Anne F