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Dear Friends and Members of Club Fat Ass,
With 7 Scheduled or Flash events in the past few weeks, there've been no excuses for Fat Asses and their friends to not stay active in the outdoors.
The upcoming month is especially full of outdoor adventures, as well. Of special interest is the upcoming speaker night on how to use GPS while on the trails. We're very fortunate to have as a presenter Allan McMordie, both a long-standing volunteer with the North Shore Search and Rescue and fellow CFA member. No prior knowledge is required and if you own a GPS, you are encouraged to bring it along. The event is free and anyone is welcome, but seating is limited to the first 40 who sign up online. Mark the evening of Wednesday 24 June in your agenda for a seminar that could save your life!
Facebook and Twitter are all the rage. A growing number of Club members have been asking me to pull a bit from the professional side of my life and bring these social media tools into how we communicate as a club. (Others are grateful to get away from technology while on Club runs!) For the benefit of all who are currently active or interested in learning more about how to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Flickr, I've added some pointers in our Help section.
Happy Trails,
Sibylle Tinsel
Chief Executive FA
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UPCOMING EVENTS
 Vancouver Skyline XTC. 13 June - North Vancouver, BC, Canada. This trail run with a twist explores some of the most scenic areas of Vancouver's famous North Shore mountains. Runners can choose to run 25K "Up," 25K "Down," 50K "Up and Down" or a "Roll Your Own" custom distance to suit their abilities. Runners will experience approximately 3,000 m (9,000 ft.) of elevation change over the 50 km course on moderate to challenging trails. Find out more and register here.
Photo right: Pat, Claudia and Sibylle at Brothers Creek during the XTC
Photo left: runners crossing the floating bridge across Buntzen Lake during the 2007 Fluffy Bunny
 Fluffy Bunny Trail Run: 20 June - Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada. Are you tough enough for the Fluffy Bunny? 11km, 15km, 25km and 35km options provide fun distances for the whole family. Go for a dip in Buntzen Lake afterward. Find out here!
The Slack Ass 50. 20 June - Edmonton, AB, Canada. Join Event Host Alli Conroy for 13 or 50 miles of Edmonton's extensive trail system along the beautiful river valley. A mix of forest trails and pavement, the trail will follow rolling, well-established trails through major parks for most of the route. There will be some steeper cross country style terrain to mix it up a bit so be prepared. Start/finish at the main pavilion at Hawrelak Park. Find out more and register here.
 The Squamish Brick. 27/28 June - Squamish, BC Canada. Two back-to-back trail running days from Hell on the STORMY 50/100-mile course. Most 100-mile runners will agree that bricks (back-to-back long runs) build character and stamina. This little jog in the woods ought to do that. Run one day or run both. For anyone who is planning to run the STORMY 50-mile or 100-mile race in 2008 or otherwise. Great familiarization run and perfect timing at 7 weeks before the big event. More info here.
 Speaker Night - GPS Seminar. 24 June - North Vancouver, BC Canada. Don't miss this speaker night for an introduction into GPS usage and navigation by Allan McMordie, member of the North Shore Search and Rescue team. Please also see the follow-up GPS Scavenger Hunt event, July 5th, to help you practise what you learned. This seminar is free... donations to NSSR are encouraged. More details and registration here.
GPS Scavenger Hunt. 5 July - North Vancouver, BC, Canada. A GPS guided scavenger hunt on the North Shore between Skyline Drive and Mountain Highway. More info and registration at here.
Photo right: Carlos, Host of the Full Monty exploring an Arbutus tree during last years run.
Photo left: Ludo on top of the world during a previous Full Monty run
 The Full Monty: 18 July - Victoria, BC, Canada. Can you do the Full Monty? 25km or 50km on beautiful single track trails. Amazing views. Check it out here.
Squamish Crawler Night Run: 18 July - Squamish, BC Canada. A 45km night run on the Stormy 100 miler course in preparation for the Stormy 100 miler in August. For anyone who is planning to run the STORMY 100-mile race. Because of the challenging nature of this event all others by invite only. Great familiarization run and perfect timing at 3 weeks before the big event. Apply for an invite here.
Flash - Hotspring Hustle. 19 July - Pitt Lake, BC, Canada. There are hot springs in the mountains on Pitt River. They are hard to reach. Word is that they are quite beautiful. This is an adventure that aims to reward the adventure-seeker with not only an adventure, but with a relaxing dip in the springs! Find more info here.
 Social Media. Check out these pointers on how to use Social Media to stay connected with what is new at CFA, what you're doing and thinking while on the trails and how to share Club events with your friends.
CFA Steering Committee. A small group of community minded people are selflessly working behind the scenes to build and manage your Club. We are always looking for help and fresh ideas. If you can spare a couple of hours a month to work with one of our committees, please drop me a line. We are especially looking for an enthusiastic person to chair the membership committee, some help with media relations and marketing promotions (any tweeters out there?)
2009 Membership Registration. Registration and Renewal for Club Fat Ass for 2009 is ongoing! Don't miss out on a whole year of free events.
TECH TIPS
Private Messaging. Did you know that our "online clubhouse" (the CFA website) offers private messaging? To check if private messaging is enabled for your account (by default it is enabled for new accounts), please go to your user account, click on the "edit" tab, then scroll down the page and make sure the check box beside "Personal Contact Form" is checked. If it is, other members can contact you via our website. While your email address stays private and non-members cannot contact you, members are able to contact non-members who have enabled private messaging. Great for hooking up for a ride or informal run.
Subscriptions. Ever wondered how to set and fine tune your subscriptions for notifications when there are updates to the Club Fat Ass website? Log in and go to your account page, look for the "Subscription" tab and click on it. From there you can set your default subscription settings for different content types like blogs, events and forum topics. Please also be reminded that you can override these settings for each individual post. Just look for the subscribe/unsubscribe link at the bottom of most posts. On a related subject, we apologize for the flood of subscription notices some of you have received earlier in the week because of a technical glitch.
CONTESTS
 2009 Travelling Colours Contest. Pictures of your 2009 adventures wearing your Club shirt (any colour) can be posted to Flickr following the instructions here. Check out photos submitted so far here. This contest is ongoing and photos earn view counts, favorites and comments all year round. The photo that is deemed most interesting by Flickr standards will win! So, be creative and get your friends to comment on your photo or make it a favorite. Contest details are here.
2009 Point Series. "Out of Action" Jackson is still the runaway leader, closely followed by Craig, Sibylle and Des. Rumour has it, Craig is planning a Flash adventure and he's also been actively garnering photo and garbage point (ask him about that doggie bag next time you see him). The competition is definitely heating up and we are not even half way through the year. Up-to-date standings here. Read here about how to collect points and win a pair of spanking new trail shoes.
Refer a Friend Contest. This contest is intended to recognize those hyper-active Club members who share their love of Club events by dragging along their friends. Tell them on a run. Tell them at work. Tell them when they ask about your Club colors at the gym. Tell them in person or tell them on Facebook. However you tell them, be sure to tell them you told them... because you could win a SOLE footcare package valued at over $200! Check out the simple Refer a Friend Contest rules and meet the competition here. Currently in the lead is Kristie Congram.
CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS
If you have any causes close to your heart and want to raise awareness and/or funds let us know. A number of CFA Event Hosts use their events as fund raisers. Be sure to consider the special section on the Club website that offers ideas on how to raise money for your favourite cause while hosting a free CFA event.
North Shore Rescue. NSR is a volunteer Mountain Search and Rescue Team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The team consists of approximately 40 volunteers skilled in search and rescue operations in mountain, canyon and urban settings. A few of our members are also NSR members. We'd like to continue our record of not using their services and rather help with their promotion of back country safety. NSR depending on your donations... consider a few bucks donated as a life insurance policy for yourself or a loved one!
Run for the Cure. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure is Canada's largest single day, volunteer-led fundraising event dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research, education, and awareness programs. If you would like to support one of your fellow members, please click here.
Easter Seals 24 Relay. The Easter Seals 24 Hour Relay is an annual community based fundraising event that challenges groups of people to run or walk Relay-style for 24 hours. Teams of runners and/or walkers made up of Corporate and Recreational groups collect individual pledges or organize team fundraising events to raise funds towards their collective team totals.
As in 2008 CFA member, Glenn Pace, is set again to run the 24 hour relay (this time he is attempting 110 Miles) and raise funds for less fortunate children. Here the link to his fundraising page. Read about his 2008 adventure here.
BC Lung Association. Event Host, Craig Moore, uses his events to raise awareness and funds for the BC Lung Association.
Mary Leliveld Tri BC Fund. Mary was a friend and member of CFA. The fund was established in her memory to help deserving athletes get to competitions they otherwise might not be able to race in.
PRPAWS (Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society
The boys who ran the Sunshine Coast Trail 180 in 2003 and 2004 vowed to help raise funds for PRPAWS, a society that aims to protect old growth forest in the Powell River area. You can help, too, by participating in the Marathon Shuffle.
SPONSORS
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CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.
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Vancouver 100. Event Host - Craig Moore. How do I put into words how great this event is and how much it affects the runners and the club? It is possible but daunting.I’ve been involved with Club Fat Ass for many years, almost since the beginning. I stick with it because I get to do what I want (run on the local trails with old friends and make new friends). It’s easy to sign up for events and see clearly what I’m getting myself into before the Event Host says “go!” The challenge is ready and the purpose is obvious. So what is it about the Vancouver 100 that astounds me every year and makes it so different from the other events? More 
Flash - Lord of the Loop(s). Event Host - Max. The weather was spectacular & we had a stellar turnout. 40 Fat Asses & their friends & family came out to enjoy a picnic and a spirited run through the Capilano Canyon. Race director, Max (age 8), gave a brief speech that summed up the spirit of Lord of the Loops...""Thank you all for coming out here today. The only rule is to have fun". Read the full report and see results 
Flash - Foolish Plunge 100 Mile. Event - Host Karl. Thanks to Tony and Shawn’s participation the Foolish Plunge became an international event. It’s always nice to see our American friends, eh. Shawn suffered a bad ankle sprain going down the Plunge on her fifth loop and had to call it a day. At last report the ankle has considerable swelling and is being aggressively iced. Tony had serious stomach issues during the night, but after some recovery time in his vehicle came out again to finish the full 100 miles. It takes character to come back out after being in as bad a condition as we saw him. Well done Tony! Shawn and Tony are not strangers to suffering, having completed the McNaughton 150 mile race in April under very difficult wet and muddy conditions. More