The UPRRC Annual Meeting was called to order on 11/08/14 at 12:23 p.m. at the Jasper Ridge Brewery in Ishpeming by President Jesse Haavisto. Present at the meeting were: Jesse Haavisto, Maija Niemi, Bill Sved, Larry Morse, Kathleen Morse, Barb Trudeau, Neal Collick, Dean Juntunen, Christie Pruett, Sandy Haavisto, John Haavisto, John Wallace, Nick Roberts, Andy DeHate, Stacie Nardi, and Antonia Nardi.
The minutes from the 2013 Annual Meeting were distributed. President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion to accept the minutes from the 2013 Annual Meeting. The motion was made by John Wallace and seconded by Barb Trudeau. Motion carried.
Treasurer Sandy Haavisto distributed the UPRRC Financial Report (09/01/13-08/31/14). Sandy stated that membership has dropped from 270 to 229 members. She stated that of these 229 members, approximately 200 are paying members and corporate sponsors. She also stated that expenses have increased largely as a result of increased printing costs. Also, Sandy said she has been volunteering her time as treasurer during the last year and has not taken any funds from the club for her services. President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion to accept the Treasurer’s report. Dean Juntunen made the motion and Bill Sved seconded it. Motion carried.
No editor’s report was presented as editor Melissa Wentarmini, was not present at the meeting. However, discussion ensued regarding the length of articles submitted for inclusion in the Running Amuck newsletter. President Jesse Haavisto made a motion that Running Amuck articles be limited to 1 ½ pages printed to 2 pages including photos. This motion was made by Bill Sved and seconded by Barb Trudeau. Motion carried. Further discussion ensued over how the 1 ½-2 page format would be determined.
President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion to amend the original motion to include word count to be determined by Melissa. This motion was made by Sandy Haavisto and seconded by Dean Juntunen. Motion carried.
President Jesse Haavisto presented the Webmaster comments on behalf of Eric Charette, who's full report can be read here. These comments were: there have been approximately 22,000 page views in the last nine months; the views have been primarily Upper Peninsula people looking at the site; race directors are getting better at completing online forms for races; and the membership list is now automated not manually entered. Discussion ensued regarding the lack of races on the UPRRC calendar and the reasons why. There have been a lot of local races over the last year that have not been on the UPRRC calendar. Bill Sved asked that a motion be made that Vice-President Andy Grosvenor be responsible for getting races on the calendar. Nobody seconded the motion. Bill Sved withdrew the motion.
The election and ballot information was presented by President Jesse Haavisto. Stacie Nardi will not be running for secretary for the upcoming 2015 calendar year. Jesse stated he posted a call for secretarial candidates on the UPRRC website and the UPRRC facebook page.
President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion to accept the following membership fees: Individual $20, Household $25, and Race/Corporate $30. Sandy Haavisto made a motion to accept these membership fees and Kathleen Morse seconded the motion. Motion carried.
President Jesse Haavisto also asked for a motion to eliminate the $300 lifetime membership option as has been available in prior years. The motion was made by Bill Sved and seconded by Sandy Haavisto. Motion carried.
President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion to offer a discount of $5.00 for 2015 dues to all 2014 memberships renewed by February 28, 2015 (postmark date). This is the same discount as was offered last year. Sandy Haavisto made the motion and Christie Pruett seconded it. Motion carried.
Next, President Jesse Haavisto asked for another motion to continue posting race applications on the website and inserting into newsletter with no fee (no change from last year). Dean Juntunen made the motion and Bill Sved seconded it. Motion carried.
Barb Trudeau, Equipment Manager, brought up the issue that the digital clock has been malfunctioning. President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion to obtain an estimate to repair the clock. Barb Trudeau made the motion and Dean Juntunen seconded it. Motion carried. President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion that the fee schedule for renting the digital clock pending needed repairs be: $20 for running events open to members, $45 for all other events. In addition, continue $100 deposit for all rentals and the $20 for the PA System unless requesting clock rental also. The motion was made by Bill Sved and seconded by Stacie Nardi. Motion carried.
Under new business, Bill Sved made the suggestion that the Traveling plaques be made digital in lieu of the plaques that have been used previously. President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion to switch from a concrete to an exclusively electronic Hall of Fame and go to only individual awards for M/F Runners of the year, Event, and Volunteer rather than maintain the traveling plaques. Bill Sved made the motion and John Wallace seconded the motion. Motion carried.
President Jesse Haavisto also asked for a motion to eliminate the youth female runner and youth male runner of the year awards starting with the upcoming calendar year. The motion was made by Bill Sved and seconded by Kathleen Morse.
President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion to accept 11/07/15 as the next annual meeting date at the Jasper Ridge Brewery in Ishpeming. The club run will be at 11 a.m. and the meeting will follow at 12 p.m. Sandy Haavisto made the motion and Christie Pruett seconded the motion. Motion carried.
President Jesse Haavisto asked for a motion to adjourn. Sandy Haavisto made the motion and Christie Pruett seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned at 2:01 p.m.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Webmaster Notes for Annual Meeting
The new website has been up and running since March 1, 2014.
Our goals for the new website were as follows:
Our goals for the new website were as follows:
- Provide a single starting point for everything our club members need in the digital world
- Provide more value to our club members by leveraging current technology of web design
- Grow membership through promotion of the club beyond the newsletter through the website, social media and other channels
- Provide more real time content from Club Offers and Staff
- Consider that some members will want to access the site from a mobile device, while others will have limited bandwidth to access the website from their home computers
- Help to control or reduce the cost to develop and maintain the website
- Streamline processes to make the management of the club easier
- In the first 9 months, we had 22,000 page views (2500 a month or 80 a day) by 4400 unique visitors
- The geography breakdown was 15% of viewers were from Escanaba, 14% from Marquette County, 5% from Iron Mountain, 4% from Ironwood, 4% from Houghton, 3% from Chicago and minor others make up the rest.
- Even though 81% of our traffic are from desktops (70% from Windows, 11% from Mac) we did have 19% from Mobile (15% iOS, 2% Android). We do have mobile versions of all of our pages.
- Race Directors are completing the online request to have races listed on our calendar
- Blogging has helped us reach our membership with additional content
- Use of Social Media (Twitter, Facebook) has helped us reach more members with club information
- Submission of race results have been very low this year compared to other years.
- Management of membership lists (actively working this process to make less manual)
Seeking new UPPRC Secretary
Following many years of service to the UPRRC, Stacie Nardi has decided to move retire from her role as Secretary. If you are interested in serving the Club at a higher level, we are currently seeking candidates. The duties and process for voting are noted below.
As outlined by the UPPRC Constitution, Section IV (MANAGEMENT OR GOVERNMENT) part B (Duties of the officers) subpart 3 defines the roles of the Secretary to include:
To record minutes of meetings, to keep a file of such minutes, and when requested by the president, to accept assignments involving correspondence and the keeping of records.
The Constitution also defines the term of office to be one year, beginning with or at the close of the first meeting held within the calendar year. However, offices filled upon resignation also shall expire at the time of the first meeting of the calendar year.
Elections are also documented by the constitution, which note that officers shall be elected by a majority vote of members by mail ballot and ballots presented at the annual meeting. Prior to each election a committee shall be designated to facilitate the election. A quorum shall consist of twice the number of elected officers plus one. No official meeting shall be held unless a quorum is present.
If you are interested in serving, please contact Jesse Haavisto at jhaavist@alumni.nmu.edu or any of the club officers listed on our contacts page of the website.
As outlined by the UPPRC Constitution, Section IV (MANAGEMENT OR GOVERNMENT) part B (Duties of the officers) subpart 3 defines the roles of the Secretary to include:
To record minutes of meetings, to keep a file of such minutes, and when requested by the president, to accept assignments involving correspondence and the keeping of records.
The Constitution also defines the term of office to be one year, beginning with or at the close of the first meeting held within the calendar year. However, offices filled upon resignation also shall expire at the time of the first meeting of the calendar year.
Elections are also documented by the constitution, which note that officers shall be elected by a majority vote of members by mail ballot and ballots presented at the annual meeting. Prior to each election a committee shall be designated to facilitate the election. A quorum shall consist of twice the number of elected officers plus one. No official meeting shall be held unless a quorum is present.
If you are interested in serving, please contact Jesse Haavisto at jhaavist@alumni.nmu.edu or any of the club officers listed on our contacts page of the website.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Newest UPRRC Members
Welcome to the newest members of the Upper Peninsula Road Runners Club!
- Vickie Vuckovic - Ironwood, MI
- Gwen & Jim, Chase, Joey & Jake Magnuson - Gwinn, MI
- Anna & Chris Nelson - Marquette, MI
- Drew & Sunny, Gabe, Ellison & Noah Richmond - Iron Mountain, MI
- David McNease - Ishpeming, MI
Sunday, August 17, 2014
UPRRC Member Fast Eddie breaks USA and World Records
The races are over: 24 Hour, 48 Hour and full 6 days in the Dome as it was billed. The big dome with the quarter mile track inside it, up in Anchorage, Alaska.
It was said at the event that only 300 people in the world do multi-day races, and maybe 40 of them set national or world records. Fast Eddie Rousseau was in rare company, though he had met a number of the other competitors in ultra-marathons over the past many years. Coincidentally, this was the 30 year anniversary of his last work life trip to Alaska and ironically his only overall marathon win in the old Earthquake Park Marathon. So a good omen to come, he thought.
But Eddie arrived with a bad head and chest cold. So he fought the cold, the other runners and the track for 6 days. "I got tired early and napped in the first 24 hours (normally never do), and only hit 80 miles," he said. Forget records he thought and decided to sleep only when dead on his feet and for only 20 minutes at a time. That way Fast Eddie managed to be on the track almost 22 of every 24 hours though with sore legs and going very slow.
Miraculously, he had no leg injury or foot problems/blisters. Some runners got knocked out by both issues. So his long but slow progress on the track paid off. Fast Eddie managed to total 336 miles. A new US Masters Division 70-74 Record and a World Masters 70-74 Division Indoor Track Record!!!! He might have other records as well, like for the 48 Hour Distance etc.
He placed 15th out of 48 entered runners and top runner over age 70. The second 70-74 year old was from England and had but 260 miles, some 93 miles behind him. " So I was very lucky, especially with the bad cold," he said as he left the dome. Then someone else said, " who was that tough 74 year old runner?"
It was said at the event that only 300 people in the world do multi-day races, and maybe 40 of them set national or world records. Fast Eddie Rousseau was in rare company, though he had met a number of the other competitors in ultra-marathons over the past many years. Coincidentally, this was the 30 year anniversary of his last work life trip to Alaska and ironically his only overall marathon win in the old Earthquake Park Marathon. So a good omen to come, he thought.
But Eddie arrived with a bad head and chest cold. So he fought the cold, the other runners and the track for 6 days. "I got tired early and napped in the first 24 hours (normally never do), and only hit 80 miles," he said. Forget records he thought and decided to sleep only when dead on his feet and for only 20 minutes at a time. That way Fast Eddie managed to be on the track almost 22 of every 24 hours though with sore legs and going very slow.
Miraculously, he had no leg injury or foot problems/blisters. Some runners got knocked out by both issues. So his long but slow progress on the track paid off. Fast Eddie managed to total 336 miles. A new US Masters Division 70-74 Record and a World Masters 70-74 Division Indoor Track Record!!!! He might have other records as well, like for the 48 Hour Distance etc.
He placed 15th out of 48 entered runners and top runner over age 70. The second 70-74 year old was from England and had but 260 miles, some 93 miles behind him. " So I was very lucky, especially with the bad cold," he said as he left the dome. Then someone else said, " who was that tough 74 year old runner?"
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
2014 Festival Ironwood Walk, Run and Roll
The 2014 Festival Ironwood Walk, Run and Roll was held on Saturday, July 19 at Norrie Park.
Lukas and Samuel Schnyder and Melissa Johnson won the Longest Distance award, traveling over 8,000 miles from Johannesburg, South Africa, to compete.
It’s fun to see where entrants come from,” said race director, Chris Bergquist. “This year we had folks from Virginia, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Upper and Lower Michigan.”
Mallory Young, age 5, from Negaunee, MI, was the youngest entrant and Margaret Bull, Ironwood, was the senior entrant at age 86.
“The wide range of ages shows that this event is for all spectrums of the family,” said Bergquist. “Aspirus Grand View is the sponsor of this event and we gear this to be a healthy event that all family members can enjoy together.”
This year’s race was moved out to Norrie Park due to US2 being detoured along McLeod Avenue.
“I was not sure how moving to Norrie Park would affect the race,” said Chris Bergquist, race director. “As it turned out, the park was a great place to hold the event. I had a lot of positive comments about the flatter course and people were amazed at how beautiful it was out at Norrie Park.”
“I really want to thank all the volunteers who came out to help with the race,” said Bergquist. “The event could not happen without their volunteer efforts.”
Photos courtesy of Chris Bergquist .
Jason Smith and Jenna Magness took top honors in the 2-mile event
Paxson Menard and Hannah Palmeter won the 5-mile male and female events
Mallory Young, age 5, and Margaret Bull, age 86, were the youngest and oldest entrants
- Jason Smith from Milwaukee, WI, was the top male finisher in the 2-mile event in a time of 10:42.
- Jenna Magness, Lansing, MI, won the women’s 2-mile title in a time of 13:57.
- Paxson Menard, Poplar Grove, IL, was the 5-mile champion posting a time of 29:04.
- Hannah Palmeter, Bessemer, was the overall female in the 5-mile event in a time of 32:02
Lukas and Samuel Schnyder and Melissa Johnson won the Longest Distance award, traveling over 8,000 miles from Johannesburg, South Africa, to compete.
It’s fun to see where entrants come from,” said race director, Chris Bergquist. “This year we had folks from Virginia, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Upper and Lower Michigan.”
Mallory Young, age 5, from Negaunee, MI, was the youngest entrant and Margaret Bull, Ironwood, was the senior entrant at age 86.
“The wide range of ages shows that this event is for all spectrums of the family,” said Bergquist. “Aspirus Grand View is the sponsor of this event and we gear this to be a healthy event that all family members can enjoy together.”
This year’s race was moved out to Norrie Park due to US2 being detoured along McLeod Avenue.
“I was not sure how moving to Norrie Park would affect the race,” said Chris Bergquist, race director. “As it turned out, the park was a great place to hold the event. I had a lot of positive comments about the flatter course and people were amazed at how beautiful it was out at Norrie Park.”
“I really want to thank all the volunteers who came out to help with the race,” said Bergquist. “The event could not happen without their volunteer efforts.”
Photos courtesy of Chris Bergquist .
Jason Smith and Jenna Magness took top honors in the 2-mile event
Paxson Menard and Hannah Palmeter won the 5-mile male and female events
Mallory Young, age 5, and Margaret Bull, age 86, were the youngest and oldest entrants
Saturday, July 19, 2014
26th annual Bessemer Hometown Run
The 26th annual Bessemer Hometown Run was held Saturday, June 28 as part of the Bessemer Blast 2014 week long celebration. Despite the hot and humid weather, 277 runners/walkers participated in the 10k run and 2 mile walk/run. We had 213 2 mile participants and 64 10k participants. It was another highly successful race and a great day to be a part of BESSEMER BLAST 2014. Dave Rowe, teacher at A.D. Johnston High School as well as a race participant, and Madeline Gabka, an A.D. Johnston High School student, kicked off the race with our National Anthem.
Ella Miljevich, of Rhinelander set an age group record in the 2 mile race with a time of 21:48 IN THE 5 & under age bracket. Ironwood’s Terri Johnson set an age group record with a time of 17:28 in the 65-69 age group. The Byrns family won the family with the largest number of participants prize. They had 12 participants in the race! This was the fifth year of the Tot Trot which is a mini-fun run for kids ages 0 to 8. We had another great turnout for this event as well. It is awesome to see the determination on the little one’s faces as they run this event!
I’d like to offer a HUGE THANK YOU to all the volunteers who help in any fashion with this race!!! Without you this event would not be the success that it is! Your help is great appreciated. Thank you to all the participants—you make the HOMETOWN RUN what it is! I’d also like to thank our sponsors – Abelman Clothing and Footwear, Leather and Gift, and Kathy Whitburn (American Solutions for Business).
I would also like to thank Dairy Queen and Lac Vieux Desert Resort/Casino for donations to this event. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE 27TH ANNUAL RACE!
Lori Bennetts
Race Director
- Sam Dean, 17, of Ironwood, was the top male 2 miler with a time of 11:21.
- Lilly Wieringa, 15, of Bessemer, was the top female 2 miler with a time of 14:55.
- Andy Warren, 27, of Ironwood, was the top 10k male with a time of 35:23. Andy’s time was a new record for the 25-29 year old age bracket.
- Hannah Palmeter, 19, of Bessemer, was the top 10k female with a time of 39:56. Hannah’s time is a new record for the 15-19 year old age bracket.
- Matt Tingstad,38, of Bessemer, was the top male in the Stroller Division with a time of 16:40. This is Matt’s 2nd consecutive win.
- Sarah Oja, 32, of Grand Rapids, MN, was the top female in the Stroller Division with a time of 26:09.
Full results are posted on the UPRRC website http://www.uprrc.org/2014-results.html
Ella Miljevich, of Rhinelander set an age group record in the 2 mile race with a time of 21:48 IN THE 5 & under age bracket. Ironwood’s Terri Johnson set an age group record with a time of 17:28 in the 65-69 age group. The Byrns family won the family with the largest number of participants prize. They had 12 participants in the race! This was the fifth year of the Tot Trot which is a mini-fun run for kids ages 0 to 8. We had another great turnout for this event as well. It is awesome to see the determination on the little one’s faces as they run this event!
I’d like to offer a HUGE THANK YOU to all the volunteers who help in any fashion with this race!!! Without you this event would not be the success that it is! Your help is great appreciated. Thank you to all the participants—you make the HOMETOWN RUN what it is! I’d also like to thank our sponsors – Abelman Clothing and Footwear, Leather and Gift, and Kathy Whitburn (American Solutions for Business).
I would also like to thank Dairy Queen and Lac Vieux Desert Resort/Casino for donations to this event. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE 27TH ANNUAL RACE!
Lori Bennetts
Race Director
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Muffin Runners
We have a funny sounding name but that's because we have a lot of fun on our runs! The Muffin Runners Wednesday morning group has grown substantially this summer and they are showing up at races in good numbers. Interested in joining them for a run? Contact Bill Sved for more details.
Nebel Field in Munising at the Pictured Rocks Road Race, June 29, 2014
Marquette Commons, June 18, 2014
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Newest UPRRC Members
Welcome to the newest members of the Upper Peninsula Road Runners Club!
- John Henry Kibit - Marquette, MI
- Doreen Motto - Wilson, MI
- Krista, Scott, Ben and Caleb Wealton - Ishpeming, MI
- Bob and Barb Jacobson - Holt, MI
- Josh Purrenhage - Crystal Falls, MI
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
2013 UPRRC Race of the Year
The Upper Peninsula Road Runners Club is proud to announce the winner of the 2013 UPRRC Race of the Year as the YMCA Teal Lake Triathlon.
Held in Negaunee for the 5th year, this triathlon features a 1/4 mile swim, 20km bike, and a 5km run for adults and can be completed by a team or an individual and had 150 participants last year. Teal Lake also offers a kids division which is a 300' swim, 2 mile bike and a 1/2 mile run and had 50 participants.
The event is popular with first time and beginning triathletes and is a family orientated event. The proceeds are used to fund the scholarship program of the YMCA of Marquette County.
Jenna Zudunek, Marquette County YMCA Senior Health Innovations Leader, accepts the award for the YMCA Teal Lake Triathlon presented by UPRRC member Bill Sved.
Photo courtesy of Bill Sved
Held in Negaunee for the 5th year, this triathlon features a 1/4 mile swim, 20km bike, and a 5km run for adults and can be completed by a team or an individual and had 150 participants last year. Teal Lake also offers a kids division which is a 300' swim, 2 mile bike and a 1/2 mile run and had 50 participants.
The event is popular with first time and beginning triathletes and is a family orientated event. The proceeds are used to fund the scholarship program of the YMCA of Marquette County.
Jenna Zudunek, Marquette County YMCA Senior Health Innovations Leader, accepts the award for the YMCA Teal Lake Triathlon presented by UPRRC member Bill Sved.
Photo courtesy of Bill Sved
Friday, May 16, 2014
Newest UPRRC Members
Welcome to our newest members!
Penny Coon - Elmira, MI
Jodi Hemmila - Ishpeming, MI
Kimberly North - St.Ignace, MI
Joshua Carlson - Ishpeming, MI
Rudyard Pool Committee - Rudyard, MI
Karen Prusi - Negaunee, MI
Sherrye Woodworth - Marquette, MI
Jean Fettig - Pelkie, MI
Amy Pokladowski - Bark River, MI
Gus Olson - Escanaba, MI
Eric & Jessica Hooper - Ishpeming, MI
Jody Parker - Marquette, MI
Penny Coon - Elmira, MI
Jodi Hemmila - Ishpeming, MI
Kimberly North - St.Ignace, MI
Joshua Carlson - Ishpeming, MI
Rudyard Pool Committee - Rudyard, MI
Karen Prusi - Negaunee, MI
Sherrye Woodworth - Marquette, MI
Jean Fettig - Pelkie, MI
Amy Pokladowski - Bark River, MI
Gus Olson - Escanaba, MI
Eric & Jessica Hooper - Ishpeming, MI
Jody Parker - Marquette, MI
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
2013 UPRRC Volunteer of the Year
The Upper Peninsula Road Runners Club is proud to announce that our 2013 UPRRC Volunteer of the Year is Annie Trudell of Ishpeming, MI.
Annie has been the force behind the Ishpeming Firecracker 5K held at Al Quaal Park each Fourth of July. About two decades ago, Annie could be seen with shovel, pick, rake, or another hand tool working on improving the trails in the park, not to mention driving a dump truck of fill material to distribute on the trails. The Firecracker was started by Fred Minnich of Ishpeming and after assisting with the race for a few years, Annie took over as race director. Annie is already planning for next year as that will be the 25th Ishpeming Firecracker 5K. She plans to turn the duties of directing the race over to others after next year’s race. This year’s event had 216 finishers from 11 different States.
Please congratulate Annie the next time you see her!
Annie has been the force behind the Ishpeming Firecracker 5K held at Al Quaal Park each Fourth of July. About two decades ago, Annie could be seen with shovel, pick, rake, or another hand tool working on improving the trails in the park, not to mention driving a dump truck of fill material to distribute on the trails. The Firecracker was started by Fred Minnich of Ishpeming and after assisting with the race for a few years, Annie took over as race director. Annie is already planning for next year as that will be the 25th Ishpeming Firecracker 5K. She plans to turn the duties of directing the race over to others after next year’s race. This year’s event had 216 finishers from 11 different States.
Please congratulate Annie the next time you see her!
Friday, March 7, 2014
2014 US National Snowshoe Championships - Fast Eddie
Last weekend at Prospect Mountain in Woodford, Vermont the US National Showshoe Championships were held and the UPPRC was represented proudly by our very own Fast Eddie (Ed Rousseau). At age 75, Eddie was able to capture a silver medal for 2nd place in his age group!
Here were some thoughts that Eddy shared with us (in his own words) that we wanted to pass along to you.
We had a perfect day on Saturday. Sunny, around 20 degrees at the start of my Men's National 10K event. There were 6 qualifiers in my 75 -79 Masters Division, several are veterans of running high altitudes and mountain races in Colorado and the Northeast. The 10k race started above 2,000' and in the first half of the race, there were switchbacks with 700' of climb up the mountain. The course was mostly on a single track snowshoe trail. The second half of the race brought us back down the mountain on some very sharp switchbacks.
I walked fast on the real steep parts going up to preserve my calf muscles. I could see that there was a guy ahead of me by only 4 minutes in my division. Had I recognized him at the start it would have been interesting; I recognized only 2 of my 6 competitors. The guy ahead of me was from New England and was familiar with this course. I did hold on for a silver medal and keep the other 4 guys in my division behind me.
My legs are a bit sore yet after two days, but I am excited to start with some long training runs up to 30 miles in the next few weeks in an effort to be ready for the 100km nationals on April 12 in Madison, WI.
Meanwhile, I'll savor this silver medal.
Cheers! Fast Eddie
Official Results
Here were some thoughts that Eddy shared with us (in his own words) that we wanted to pass along to you.
We had a perfect day on Saturday. Sunny, around 20 degrees at the start of my Men's National 10K event. There were 6 qualifiers in my 75 -79 Masters Division, several are veterans of running high altitudes and mountain races in Colorado and the Northeast. The 10k race started above 2,000' and in the first half of the race, there were switchbacks with 700' of climb up the mountain. The course was mostly on a single track snowshoe trail. The second half of the race brought us back down the mountain on some very sharp switchbacks.
I walked fast on the real steep parts going up to preserve my calf muscles. I could see that there was a guy ahead of me by only 4 minutes in my division. Had I recognized him at the start it would have been interesting; I recognized only 2 of my 6 competitors. The guy ahead of me was from New England and was familiar with this course. I did hold on for a silver medal and keep the other 4 guys in my division behind me.
My legs are a bit sore yet after two days, but I am excited to start with some long training runs up to 30 miles in the next few weeks in an effort to be ready for the 100km nationals on April 12 in Madison, WI.
Meanwhile, I'll savor this silver medal.
Cheers! Fast Eddie
Official Results
| PLACE | TIME | NAME | AGE | DIV | CITY | STATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 192 | 1:27:26 | Ed Alibozek Jr | 75 | M7579 | Adams | MA |
| 195 | 1:31:48 | Ed Rousseau | 75 | M7579 | Minneapolis | MN |
| 202 | 1:41:59 | Kermit Cadrette | 76 | M7579 | Rome | NY |
| 208 | 1:55:39 | Jerry Levasseur | 77 | M7579 | Brunswick | ME |
| 210 | 1:56:10 | Jim Kauffold | 77 | M7579 | Belmont | CA |
| 211 | 2:01:25 | Jules Seltzer | 78 | M7579 | Pittsfield | MA |
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Newest UPRRC Members
Welcome to our newest members!
- Joyce Gayon - Gile, WI
- Gladstone Senior Citizens
- Westley and Ewa Papciak -Florence, WI
- Richard Anderson - Marquette, MI
- Karl, Susan & Emily Johnson - Kansas City, MO
- Andria Nicholas - Iron Mountain, MI
- Jake Palomaki - Ishpeming, MI
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Cold Temperatures Spark Hot Ideas
Having spent the majority of my life in Upper Michigan and Northern Wisconsin, I know what it means to have a cold winter. As a college student at Michigan Tech, I lived through the winter of 1995-96 when we had nearly 12 feet of snow. So while it may not be as cold in Alabama during my current winters, I understand what cold is and know it is also relative to what you are used to. So when temperatures dipped into the single digits in January 2013 in Huntsville, the city basically shut for a few days.
During this cold snap, I began to plan my annual visit home to the U.P. to spend some time with my parents. I was especially looking forward to being in Michigan during July and August so that I could escape the heat of the South. As I was planning my trip, I decided to check out the UP Road Runners Club website to see what the date was for my favorite hometown race, the Lake Antoine Classic. I try to run either Lake Antoine or Norway Classic during my yearly during visits back home. While browsing the site for these race specifics, I thought I could offer my services as a web developer as a way to give back to my hometown club. So I spent those bitter cold days in January of 2013 coming up with the basic framework for a new website and pitched my idea to Melissa Wentarmini, a good friend from back home, who is not only an accomplished runner, but a liaison for the UPRRC.
Having built a few websites in the past, I have learned (painfully at times) that it makes sense to know and understand all of the requirements before starting a design. First, I determined the objectives of the new website project.
Here is some of the functionality of the new club website.
During the design, I made sure that our members will have the same user experience regardless of how they view or connect. So while I recommend using Google Chrome, the website has been tested using the latest versions of the top 5 most popular internet browsers.
Pages were designed to present the majority of the content within the visible screen to limit the amount of required scrolling. This design works best when viewed at resolutions of 1280x1024, 1400x900 or even 1024x768. For pages with more content, I added a button that only appears when scrolling down. It will quickly take the user back to the top of the page.
For those members who have very limited or slower connections, I tried to minimize the amount of design fluff that makes some websites difficult to load, while still presenting a visually pleasing yet user-friendly experience. During testing at various network speeds, I found the main page loads in 1.25 seconds and features some browser caching, which makes pages with static content load faster. .
I have been working very closely with the Officers and Staff on this project to ensure that we best meet the needs of the general membership. I want to give a special thank you to Gary Barrett for helping me with the content and requirements and Melissa Wentarmini and the Board for the opportunity to help. It’s been great fun! I am glad that it was so cold then, and that it is so cold now as it was a pleasure to sit in front of the fireplace and code away! It goes to show that even in the coldest of temperatures, you can have the hottest of ideas.
We plan to launch the new website on by the end of February, so be sure to stop by and check it out. As always your feedback is welcome as this website is for you, the members of the Upper Peninsula Road Runners Club. Please send your comments to UPRoadRunners@gmail.com
So just a year after suffering through a cold winter when this project started, we are all amidst an even colder winter this season as the fruits of our labor and the vision becomes a reality.
Eric Charette
UPRRC Web Master
During this cold snap, I began to plan my annual visit home to the U.P. to spend some time with my parents. I was especially looking forward to being in Michigan during July and August so that I could escape the heat of the South. As I was planning my trip, I decided to check out the UP Road Runners Club website to see what the date was for my favorite hometown race, the Lake Antoine Classic. I try to run either Lake Antoine or Norway Classic during my yearly during visits back home. While browsing the site for these race specifics, I thought I could offer my services as a web developer as a way to give back to my hometown club. So I spent those bitter cold days in January of 2013 coming up with the basic framework for a new website and pitched my idea to Melissa Wentarmini, a good friend from back home, who is not only an accomplished runner, but a liaison for the UPRRC.
Having built a few websites in the past, I have learned (painfully at times) that it makes sense to know and understand all of the requirements before starting a design. First, I determined the objectives of the new website project.
- Provide a single starting point for everything our club members need in the digital world
- Provide more value to our club members by leveraging current technology of web design
- Grow membership through promotion of the club beyond the newsletter through the website, social media and other channels
- Provide more real time content from Club Offers and Staff
- Consider that some members will want to access the site from a mobile device, while others will have limited bandwidth to access the website from their home computers
- Help to control or reduce the cost to develop and maintain the website
- Streamline processes to make the management of the club easier
Here is some of the functionality of the new club website.
- Refreshed user interface featuring a navigation menu and modern styling
- A race calendar containing details with links to race websites, registrations and an electronic form for race directors to submit races for inclusion
- Real time membership list and surrounding processes to streamline maintenance of list management
- Viewing the club constitution and hall of fame documents within the browser (no downloading)
- Reference information for race directors, including UPRRC sanctioning details, requesting a race brochure inclusion in the newsletter, a form to reserving equipment and link to download club logos
- A blog with content delivered by our Officers, Staff, Trustees and Regional Representatives
- Real time feed from Twitter (which is linked to Facebook) for latest information from the club and quick clinks to all social media appearing on every page
- Headlines from this month's Running Amuck
- A forum for our members to share stories, ask questions and discuss other club matters
During the design, I made sure that our members will have the same user experience regardless of how they view or connect. So while I recommend using Google Chrome, the website has been tested using the latest versions of the top 5 most popular internet browsers.
- Google Chrome Version 32.0.1700.107
- Firefox version 27
- Safari version 7.0.1
- Opera version 12.15
- Internet Explorer version 9 and 10
Pages were designed to present the majority of the content within the visible screen to limit the amount of required scrolling. This design works best when viewed at resolutions of 1280x1024, 1400x900 or even 1024x768. For pages with more content, I added a button that only appears when scrolling down. It will quickly take the user back to the top of the page.
For those members who have very limited or slower connections, I tried to minimize the amount of design fluff that makes some websites difficult to load, while still presenting a visually pleasing yet user-friendly experience. During testing at various network speeds, I found the main page loads in 1.25 seconds and features some browser caching, which makes pages with static content load faster. .
I have been working very closely with the Officers and Staff on this project to ensure that we best meet the needs of the general membership. I want to give a special thank you to Gary Barrett for helping me with the content and requirements and Melissa Wentarmini and the Board for the opportunity to help. It’s been great fun! I am glad that it was so cold then, and that it is so cold now as it was a pleasure to sit in front of the fireplace and code away! It goes to show that even in the coldest of temperatures, you can have the hottest of ideas.
We plan to launch the new website on by the end of February, so be sure to stop by and check it out. As always your feedback is welcome as this website is for you, the members of the Upper Peninsula Road Runners Club. Please send your comments to UPRoadRunners@gmail.com
So just a year after suffering through a cold winter when this project started, we are all amidst an even colder winter this season as the fruits of our labor and the vision becomes a reality.
Eric Charette
UPRRC Web Master
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Newest UPRRC Members
Welcome to our newest members!
- Jeff and Jessica Caldwell - Negaunee, MI
- Amber and Shayla Huebner - Marquette, MI
- Jennifer, Tim and Annika Neuschwander - Marquette, MI
- Tim, Karla, Grace and Hannah Shandonay - Marquette, MI
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