March 2010 Newsletter

Dear Friends and Members of Club Fat Ass,

One would think that wintertime is a slack time for an outdoors- oriented club. Not so with this one!

A big, fat "Thank you!" to our newest Event Hosts: Jason in Kirkwood, Missouri (International Ozark Foothills Trail Hopper), Glenissa Sygitowicz in Bellingham, Washington (Chuckanut Calf Cramper) and Katie Longworth of Victoria, BC (Spaghetti Trees). Looks like there will be more road trips this year!

Club members in the lower mainland of British Columbia were treated to an unseasonably warm early spring and the once-in-a-lifetime excitement of the winter Olympics and Paralympic games. Some CFA members took the opportunity to invite Olympic guests out for a run on our beautiful trails. Thanks for all of you who volunteered to play tour guide and we look forward to sharing the the trails with more visitors during the Paralympics.

They're almost ready! Good news for all who have patiently waited for the 2010 no stink, long sleeve collectors shirt. First dibs if you're attending the Capilano Night Run this Saturday. For all others, look for an email with pick-up or mailing information next week. If you have time to help with packaging one evening (Sunday), that would be lovely.

Speaking of shirts, we have a deal for you: Buy a classic blue or black short sleeve Club Fat Ass shirt and get a box of PowerBar Sport bars or gel chews. You can order yours here.

Happy Trails,

Sibylle Tinsel

Club Fat Ass Events: Capilano Canyon Night Run

Run with A Local. Club Fat Ass' contribution the the Olympic and Paralympic excitement matching locals and visitors up for runs. Details here.

Capilano Canyon Night Run. 13 March - North Vancouver, BC, Canada. A 90-minute run that starts in a suburban neighborhood, traverses the twilight zone, then stimulates your senses with a trail run in the mist and inky blackness of the Capilano Canyon. Choose between a guided group run at a gentle pace for the socially-inclined and first time night runner or a competitive run for those more motivated by the clock and the opportunity to rip their buddy's lungs out. Both runs followed by a potluck party. More info here!

Photo right: a chain of bobbing lights on the trail of Capilano Canyon during last year's night run.

Photo left: Some young Fools charging down Mountain Highway

Spring Mountain Highway Madness. 21 March - North Vancouver, BC, Canada. This mind-numbing interval session is officially held twice a year. Runners complete one or more 15 km laps (with approximately 1 km or 3,300' of elevation change per lap) on a wide dirt and gravel access road (no traffic). Check it out here!

Photo right: Crossing the floating bridge across Buntzen Lake during Run To the Clouds

Run to the Clouds. 27 March - Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada. A 12.5km or 25km run, all on trails with some gravel road sections. Come see and run around beautiful Buntzen Lake and surrounding mountains. A challenging route with over 2000 vertical feet (or 600 metres) of elevation gain/loss. Fantastic views of Buntzen Lake and the Greater Vancouver area. Details here.

Spaghetti Trees. 3 April - Victoria, BC Canada. The newest offering on the Club Fat Ass calendar features a 12km or 16km trail run in East Sooke Regional Park past ancient copper mines and gorgeous west coast vistas. Get to the start via an optional bike ride along the Galloping Goose trail from the ferry. Play along with antics along the course and finish the day with a pint of local micro brew in a 116-year-old pub. Why is it called Spaghetti Trees? We'd love to hear your guesses :). Find out more here.

Burnaby Mountain Run. 4 April - Burnaby, BC, Canada. Check out the trails around the Simon Fraser University. Great views - weather permitting - and a killer hill! Details here.

Flash - 5Peaks Golden Ears Warm-Up. 17 April - Golden Ears Park, BC Canada. A fun and free group orientation run on the 8.8km Sports- and the 14km Enduro Course. There will be faster and slower pace groups on each course, so there's something for everyone. This event is for trail runners who are registered or thinking of signing up for the popular 5Peaks race at Golden Ears Provincial Park on Saturday 24 April 2010. Get to know the trail you will race on so you can kick some butt on race day! Of course, you are welcome to run with us even if you are not registered for the 5Peaks race. Details and free registration here.

Film World Premiere - XS-NRG. 24 April - Powell River, BC Canada.

The Sunshine Coast Trail is a relatively undiscovered gem of a trail that stretches 180 kilometers from Sarah Point in the north to Saltery Bay in the south on the upper Sunshine Coast near Powell River, British Columbia. A few years ago, four city boys from Vancouver threatened to run the entire 180K trail non-stop. Locals said it couldn't be done. The attempt was filmed. The world premier of the film has now been scheduled for release in Powell River on the Marathon Shuffle weekend in April. A week later, on 1 May, the film will premier in Vancouver. Find out what happened on the trail in this never before seen footage by film maker Angus McLellan and run the Marathon Shuffle the following morning to discover the trail firsthand. Buy your ticket here.

Flash - Marathon Shuffle. 25 April - Powell River, BC, Canada. The Marathon Shuffle is a new CFA event with a long standing history. Since 1991, Eagle Walz has hosted the "Shuffle" as a fund-raiser for the Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society (PRPAWS). A CFA member is the only person to have run the whole SCT and CFA members are threatening to take back the current course records for the Marathon Shuffle, a 30km run or walk through beautiful terrain and remaining stands of old growth rainforest. A Half Shuffle distance is also possible. In support of Eagle and his environmental and social goals, CFA has "adopted" the Marathon Shuffle as a Flash Event. (Free for members and non-members of Club Fat Ass). More info here.

Photo left: Views before the last descent down to Powell Lake and well deserved refreshments at the Shinglemill Pub after the Marathon Shuffle.

2010 Club Garment. They're almost ready! Good news for all who have patiently waited for the 2010 no stink, long sleeve collectors shirt. First dibs if you're attending the Capilano Night Run this Saturday. For all others, look for an email with pick-up or mailing information next week. If you have time to help with packaging one evening (Sunday), that would be lovely.

Speaking of shirts, we have a deal for you: Buy a classic blue or black short sleeve Club Fat Ass shirt and get a box of PowerBar Sport bars or gel chews. You can order yours here. A big thanks to MEC's Lori Moody for facilitating this.

Photo right: an enthusiastic Swiss member, Christina Prati, sporting her CFA shirt at a race finish

2010 Membership Registration. Registration and Renewal for Club Fat Ass for 2010 is ongoing! Don't miss out on a whole year of free events.

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 favorite 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.

CFA member, Glenn Pace, again ran the 24 hour relay (this time he completed 110 Miles) to 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