t's half way through the year ... Let me first congratulate this year's executive board, especially the fearless leader, el presidente: Glen Wiener, for leading our club this year.
As I find myself running earlier for my weekend morning runs to escape from the summer heat, I find it relaxing and soothing — as if I owned the city. There is no one in the streets; the glistening sun is peering out as dawn breaks and there is a calmness in the city.
Besides the usual Spring into Summer shorter NYRR races, the NY Flyer Marathon Training Program has begun and is in full swing, once again managed by Glen Wiener and newcomer Jim Sias. Secretary Richard Garland has put together a wonderful section for this program on the NY Flyer web site (Here). We hope that this can assist you in training for your very first or 50th fall marathon. Good luck to all in your respective marathons and time goals!
So what has this executive board done this year?
Let's just answer some questions that many of you may have and talk about what lies ahead. Members of the board have taken on some amazing projects and have done wonderful jobs.
n June, New York Flyers were lucky to team up with the NYRR Foundation in helping out with the running programs for being a race buddy during the Japan Day Race. Over 20 flyers were paired up with NYC children to assist these kids run a 4 miler, some of them for the first time.
On the first of August, the Flyers will lead the pace groups for the NYRR Long Training Run #1. Test your limits by doing some or all the loops. Please sign up now on the web site (Here). If you can’t make the first of August, look for the second one at the end of August.
On August 7th, come on out and support the Flyers at the NYRR Team Championships men's and women's races (Here). Then, stick around for the breakfast social after the race — that’s the second weekend of August folks.
Come on out and support our weekly group runs — the volunteer group run leaders deserve a round of applause for hashing out weekly group runs in sometimes severe weather conditions to help the team. Show your support, and next time thank the group leaders for being out there and volunteering their time. I applaud all of those flyers who have done this voluntary and often unsung job in the past — we appreciate all of you.
The revived newsletter is beautifully done by Secretary Richard Garland with his immense effort to make it entirely web-based and increase the usefulness of this vital communication tool.
The NYF Blog, headed by ex-secretary Eric Stadnyk and assisted by bloggers from the flyer community, recaps recent running events, weekly updated topics, and new member spotlights. Gabi DiBlasi's weekly e-mails have morphed into her own blog posts, as times have changed for the flyers.
The weekly email was brought back and revived to become bi-weeky. Our techno-savy webmasters reengineered this communication tool as we found that even with all of our technological advancements, we still need to get the word out there.
TGIFF: summer Fridays are back, as Elle Green and Ray Sales move it to many different drinking spots and watering holes around Manhattan and other boroughs — check out the next two (I hear) in July.
Scavenger Hunt: Word has it that Heather Marcellis and Elle Green are leading the group to find clues all around Central Park ... look for more details to come very soon; you don't want to FIND yourself missing this one.
Before you know it folks, the New York City Marathon will be here, and that means fall will have come and winter will be just around the corner. Just you wait. Enjoy the summer, heat and all, because the fall and winter months will be here before you know it.
Do you want to see something new, different and exciting? We more than welcome ideas to improve our club. Contact an executive board member today, and share your ideas with us; we are not mind readers and we welcome the enthusiasm of any Flyer with new ideas!
Go Flyers!