The 2nd Shiver by the River 5K/10K is Sunday January 9th, at Jim Dietrich Park, in Muhlenberg Twp.
Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., and both races start at 10:00 a.m.
If you have never run this race or maybe you haven’t run it for a few years, come out and join us, and maybe reconnect with runners you haven’t seen in ages!
Because of the continuance of COVID, we will have some slight changes. We are asking runners to get their bibs and then make their way outside. But before you leave, check out the swag we have for sale – previous years’ t-shirts, etc.!!!! If it gets too crowded, we may limit the number of people in the farmhouse.
We will have soup; but instead of bagels, we will have individually wrapped pretzels. Instead of the tables of snacks, each runner will receive a bag of snacks at registration (as we did last year). Depending on the weather, we may ask runners to not gather inside, but instead grab some food and head outside to the pavilion (at the end of the parking lot) or the porch.
Per CDC guidelines, we ask that anyone who is not vaccinated to wear a mask inside the farmhouse.
If you choose not to run the race, please consider volunteering. We need volunteers before the race, for parking and registration; during the race – on the road, at the finish line and in the farmhouse; and after the race – for cleanup. If you can help prior to the race, please plan to arrive between 8:00 – 8:15. If you can help with the race itself, please arrive no later than 9:30. Look for one of the race directors somewhere around the farmhouse.
‘Twas time for the Kris Kringle,
And so it begun.
An in-person race--
Let's see who will run.
Applications were mailed
And planning took place.
We kept moving forward
And hoped we could race.
Registrations came in,
But the numbers were low.
Seemed everyone was waiting
To be sure the race would go.
Back to a 5-Miler,
The regular course was planned.
But the next pandemic might stop us,
And the race would be canned.
But good luck was with us,
And all came together.
500 runners showed up,
And so did good weather.
Kringle’s comeback was successful!
Our volunteers are THE BEST!
Some details yet to complete,
Next month we’ll share the rest.
Join Fleet Feet West Reading for their 4th annual Teddy Bear Trot on Saturday, February 12th!
Fleet Feet is looking forward to giving back to the community through their partners at Opportunity House in Reading. They ask that everyone bring a brand NEW Teddy Bear to the event. Runners will take the teddy bears from Squawk and B2 Bistro to Opportunity House where they will be donated to children utilizing the Children’s Alliance Center. After making your donation, you will continue on route to finish your 4 mile fun run. Feel free to stick around for some breakfast at Squawk.
The $10.00 charge for this event will be entirely donated to Opportunity House as they continue to serve our homeless community. Additional monetary donations will be accepted at the event and will be given to Opportunity House to support their endeavors.
Everyone will have a chance to wear/test Karhu shoes, an exclusive Fleet Feet product. Karhu is Finnish for the word “Bear”, making their brand a perfect partner for this event! Fleet Feet will donate the sales from the first 10 Karhu shoes sold between February 11-13.
Race directors Len Burton and Barry Goodhart met with Kevin Bieber, Director of the Oley Valley Fairgrounds, and the representatives from the Oley Ambulance Association and gave them a $1,200 donation from the Oley Valley Apple Country Classic proceeds.
On December 4th, I raced the Devil Dog 100-miler in Prince William Forest Park, Virginia, having also finished 4th in the race in 2019.
This year was warm during the day, and I was comfortable running in shorts and a t-shirt. However, racing a trail 100-miler in December meant that most of the race would be in the dark. Once the sun went behind the hills, I added layers, and ran with a head lamp and a waist light. The added lumens were key to navigating the rooty, leaf-covered single-track trails in the dark.
I finished 8th overall in 24:21:11, enjoyed another buckle, ate, slept, went to work, and began planning for the next training block.
This is my last entry as the lame duck President given the Pacers’ Christmas Party is now on Michelle’s tab. First order of business is to thank Michelle Henry for stepping up and to offer my support and congratulations. I strongly believe she has the talent and backing to increase participation and continue the path of community engagement set by so many members before us.
President-elect, Michelle Henry
In my first letter to the club, I shared the guidance disclosed by one of our members–simply put, “Don’t F@#$ it up.” I think my three years pushed that metric. This wasn’t limbo, however, and I’ve set the bar as low as possible. Figure at some point we cancelled all the races, social events, group runs, post-run gatherings, monthly meetings, and discouraged socializing in general. We had a flood, a few earthquakes, a mass emergence of cicadas, a pandemic, and that still didn’t stop our support of other local organizations and businesses.
The world has thrown at this group of runners, bikers, and motivated people a flurry of hardships, and in the words of Tom Chobot, aka “Ultra Runner,” we simply continued to move forward. This wasn’t singular, as the entire lot of us moved forward. The product of our relationships. A friend penned the epitome of that thought today which is worth sharing.
To have friends – who truly care about one another, who help each other, who look out for one another and who laugh and cry and play together, well, there are few greater things in life.
I would like to thank all the race directors for their tireless work organizing and executing events in what were unknown and constantly changing conditions. How about race day morning in 2019 when Blue Marsh dam flooded out the Gring’s Mill course or when COVID protocols forced Kris Kringle to go virtual and the Shiver series postponements only days in advance.
I would like to thank the volunteers that came out to each of the races and events to support both the race directors and the participants. Yep, we dealt with rainstorms marking courses, total changes to logistics and venues, and the uncertainty of how to gather, hydrate, award, and disperse participants while keeping everyone as safe as possible. Teamwork at its finest.
I would also like to thank and apologize to those extended families of these volunteers who put up with the late nights, early mornings, boxes everywhere, wet clothes, dirty cars, and likely some cursing.
I’m not sure if it’s pride or thanks, but the individuals that brought the idea and execution of the Race Mates program went above and beyond. This is the program where we’ve teamed up with IM Able, creating an opportunity for adaptive athletes to participate in some of the local events.
Lastly on this train of thanks is the runners. Yes, you are the ones that have put the bibs on and provided the parade of motivation set by example and perseverance. To the age group 70+, you show the rest of us there’s no limit, no time to stop, no excuse. To the youth, we see at the JR High Invitational among other races, this is the investment we’ll be thankful for later. To those between those two fence posts, continue doing your best. That loud onerous cow bell has always been ringing “thank you for running” because I’m a page behind on my training plan.
Hope to see you all at the Christmas Party and all the other events Michelle and the new team have planned for the club.
Thanks again for your support and friendship during my tenure as Pacer President.
Treasury Report – Shaun Luther—112% of target; some income from the upcoming races is coming in; and then some income from expenses of the ending races is going out. Members should expect to be seeing the membership renewal emails. FYI—if you aren’t getting the Pacer emails, you may have unsubscribed by some means. Contact Shaun to check about your status.
Races:
Charlie Horse Half Marathon (date to be announced for 2022)—Shaun Luther—registration goes live on Sign Up on December 1. The course will be the same course as last year—i.e., no bus to the start at Rustic Park. Shaun is trying to change the date of the race due to the traffic conflict with the large annual event at Maple Grove.
Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run—Donna Hey—June 26, 2022 (Sunday) at Nolde Forest. Nothing going on yet. Nolde is doing seeding this Saturday, and need volunteers (must be pre-registered).
Grings Mill 5K and 10K (August 7, 2022)—Jason Karpinski—Ron Horn, of Pretzel City Sports, is booked for August 7, 2022.
Blues Cruise 50K (First Sunday in October, every year)—no report
Oley Valley Country Classic (completed for 2021)—Lenny Burton—profit was a little lower than expected. Will re-look at expenses. May go back to the original day in November. But might have a venue charge on a non-festival day. Motion made to make a $1000 donation to the Oley Valley Ambulance Association, seconded, and passed by the membership.
Kris Kringle 5-Miler (Sunday, December 26, 2021)—Polly Corvaia—156 runners registered so far. Looking for 500. Day-of registration is offered. The start time has changed to 10 a.m. (previously has been 11 a.m.). An e-blast will be sent from Run SignUp. Volunteers between 7:30 and 8:00; registration opens at 8:30. Hoodies (550) are ordered, but not printed yet. Will tailor the printing to the number registered. Gnome design. All the permits are in. Advertising being done. Will be still at the 4H center. Pre-wrapped snack foods, and some fresh fruit. Must wear masks inside (per Penn State). Kim Lewis is doing the design of the hoodie. Fleet Feet web site has offered a banner advertisement. Polly described the volunteer process for the new people who were present at the meeting. The race is clockwise this year – i.e., major hill in the beginning.
Shiver by the River 5K and 10K (First race is Sunday, December 12, 2021)—Sue Jackson—first race coming up; will have packaged food and soup, but no bagels. Depending on the weather, the registration may be in the pavilion or possibly inside. Masks may be required. Registration starts at 8:30—Volunteers needed, as always. Temple Fire Company is currently reserved for the after-party on March 13th. 115 currently registered. Will have day-of registration. Runners can still choose the 5K or 10K on race day. Both races start at the same time this year.
Jr. High Cross Country Fall Invitational (completed for 2021)—Tom Chobot—described the event for the benefit of the new folks at the meeting. Senior high cross country event – 17 Pacer volunteers this year. Managed by Tom and Gwen Chobot, with support from the Pacers. Numbers of runners still a bit low, likely due to the Covid conditions. Phil Lechner’s junior high girls won the county championship, and Tom’s team won the senior high county event.
Committee Reports
Social Committee:
Christmas Party—Michelle Henry—Friday, December 3, Grill Fire Company, 6 to 11 p.m., raffles, and DJ this year. (Still offering the membership renewal, raffle tickets, and can credit card payments accepted).
Communications Committee—Jane Setley—The Facebook “Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club” page and the Club’s Web page are the two official communication pages, and both have restricted access to post information. The “Pagoda Pacer Discussion Group” on FB is considered unofficial communication, but it is open to all who want to post something. John Durand is always looking for more help to add to this information
Community Service
Weekly runs—Great turnout for new runner event. The group is getting back to gathering together at a food/beverage location after the run. Suggestion made that walkers post that they will be walking, in order to give some reassurance to people who might want to walk, but don’t know if there will be someone to walk with. Also, don’t hesitate to put up an inquiry or notice about a mile/hour time, to see if others will be doing the same.
Charity Committee
Scholarship announcement will be announced in December newsletter, with the end an February application deadline. The scholarships are 2 for Berks County Senior High runners and 2 for children of Pacer members.
Old business: None
New business
Next adaptive runner race—Mike Whalen—“Run for Riley” 5K on November 14, local third grader who is suffering from brain cancer. Next race will probably be the Shiver in December.
Donna Hey worked an agreement with Deiffenbach’s to ‘potato chip’ every Pacer race. If we agree, we will advertise their logo in some way – maybe on the web site. They will also be offered 4 entries per race for the exchange. Donna will order the chips and deliver them to the race director. (Estimated 3,000 bags of chips to cover all the races).
Club elections – winners are president- Michelle Henry; board members are – reelected Karen Rule, Ellie Alderfer, & Beth Kohl, and new member – Steve Vida. 97 votes out of 360 members.
Sincere thanks expressed to Steve McGuire and Mike Yoder who are ending their tenures as president and board member.
Pagoda Pacers News 