We are adding another event this year and it will take place before training starts. On Friday June 6 I hope you can join me for a bon fire at "The Caboose". It is my hope that in years to come this can become a big deal but for now we need to start slow and see how it goes. This is what I suggest. A simple get together with great friends around a fire which just happens to take place in front of "The Caboose". Yes there is a story behind the caboose but we will leave that for some other time. I will have a pop corn popper popping and a snow cone maker crushing ice. I will cut a watermelon and Cookie may make a cake or two beside that you are on your own.
We have plenty of metal folding chairs but if you want something more, bring it. You will need to bring you own drinks adult or otherwise. If you feel a need to bring something to share that is fine but not needed. I hope everybody eats dinner before they arrive. People can start arriving around 7:30pm. I will give special dispensation to everybody to skip the run the next morning so you can stay until we run out of wood, sleep in on Saturday and still race on Sunday. We will also show off our trophies from last year that our men's team received along with the trophy our female team won this year at the Shamrock Shuffle. Our female team members will also receive pins for their hard fought victory. This event will take place at 22460 S. 88th ave (also known as Pfeiffer Road) Frankfort, IL, 60423.
I feel very funny having a get together and not providing real food, asking people to bring their own drinks and maybe their own chairs but it is what it is. Several friends told me it would be okay and I hope next year (or maybe later this year) we can do it right. I really hope you can join us. This will be very informal but I would like to get some idea of how many to expect so if you could let me know if you can make it, it would be helpful. I have no idea what kind of a turn out we will have, it could be anywhere from 10 to 100. I hope for 100. Spouses and significant others are not only welcome but strongly encouraged.
Speed work starts on Wednesday at 6:00pm at Chicago Christian High School. The school is located on Rt 83 between Ridgeland and Harlem. The road to a PR in a marathon and the way to Boston starts on the track this Wednesday. If you have any questions about what price is worth paying to go to Boston PLEASE contact me 708-429-9598. I was just therewith 17 of my close personal heros and feel I can speak from experience. THOSE RUNNERS IMPRESS ME.
The super clinic for marathon training is Saturday May 17. Seating is limited to the first 200 at the door. You can sign up and pick up your training packet at this time. I strongly suggest you sign up on-line in
advance. This year there will be two sessions the first will be for returning runners followed by the afternoon session for first timers. Whether you believe it or not you will learn something. You can check
Cara's web site for more details.
The marathon is closed. There still is a way in. Go to the Cara web site and look up a charity we are working with. This year there are over 27. Don't wait too long because even they have limited spaces open.
As always I am easy to get in touch with e-mail me or my home phone is 708-429-9598. I pay my phone bill just in case one of you calls.
Joe Werner
GoKarts@Juno.com
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On October 12, 2008 I will face an enemy I cannot defeat alone. The good thing about our group is that I will not be alone. When I line up, I will line up shoulder to shoulder with you and together we will be over 120 deep. Together no enemy can defeat us. On October 7, 2007 the enemy even with unprecedented help from the heat and humidity could not defeat us. In some cases even the lack of hydration could not defeat us. The enemy thought he broke our spirit, but he was wrong and you are the proof. If we were defeated, if our spirit was broken we would not be preparing to once again embark on an incredible journey.
This journey will take place over the next 20 weeks and it will have many twists and turns. We will journey with many of our old friends as well as some friends we have not yet met. Some days will be harder then others, but all will lead us to where we know we must go. Whether your goal is to finish your first marathon, ran a PR, qualify for Boston or just to finish, we will journey together. On Friday June 6 a short eight days before the first official long run I invite you to join us as we gather around a bon fire to get to know each other a little better. If you have not trained with us before I especially invite you. I know it will take a lot of courage to stop by, but you have a lot of courage. You could not be thinking of running a marathon if you didn’t. I assure you, you will be most welcome.
For more information please go to our web site www.yankeerunners.com click on Gather ‘round the campfire” in the upcoming events section for details. This will be the first of the events we hope you can join us for this year. I urge you to check our web site often for up to date information on what is going on at our site.
Thank you
Joe Werner
gokarts@juno.com
Oak Forest Site Coordinator
