Our next SPRR meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 9, 2014.  It's hard to believe we're starting a new year already.  As always, our meeting will begin at 6:30pm at the Suncoast Hospice.  Our guest speaker will be Frank Adornato and will speak to us on how to keep track of your workouts. 

Frank Adornato has been involved in athletics and fitness for more than 30 years. He began competing in the sport of triathlon in 1985, and has raced in over 100 triathlons of all distances. He is a 5-time IRONMAN including 2 finishes at the Hawaii IRONMAN Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. He has traveled throughout the United States and internationally to train and compete. Frank qualified for and raced with Team USA at the ITU Long Course Championship Triathlon in Sweden. He has also raced several "fresh start" marathons including NYC and  the Kona Marathon where he was age group champ M 55-59. Frank continues to train and compete, and often finishes among the top 3 in his age group.

His educational background includes a college certification as a Fitness Specialist, complementing a graduate degree in science. Frank was an invited member of the Fitness Specialist Advisory Committee at Raritan Valley College, North Branch, New Jersey, and he was the Strength & Conditioning coach for the Somerset Valley YMCA swim teams.

Frank has written numerous articles on fitness, and he speaks to corporate marketing and R & D groups, and community groups on the subject of fitness and its positive impact on personal and corporate productivity. He is the co-author of the book "Gearing Up For A Better You... by Living a Healthy and Balanced Lifestyle", and has published his latest book entitled "Fitness And Training Tid-Bits".

This will be a great program to start our new year with.  I hope you can join us, Thursday, January 9, 6:30pm.

The Suncoast Hospice

3050 1st Avenue South

St. Petersburg, FL

January 9, 2014

6:30 p.m.

We wish all of you with January birthdays the best ever and many more happy miles: 

Michelle Bosco          Virginia Edmonds      Sunny L'Heureaux       Jessica Rutherford

Paul Brim                   Marti Galloway          Gary Long                    Eric Sager

Tom Browne              Stacey Golden           Stephanie Massey       Steve Sidell

Dianne Clendenin      Kristin Heatherly        Marie Mazzara             Katherine Thompson

Greg Colgan              Constantina James    Carol Montgomery       Jennifer Volpe

Tracy Connolly           Peter Kaszyk             Karen Newsome          Mima Weiser

Sylvia Crowhurst        Jack Keefe                Brenda Parnell             Kim Wood

Annette Dayton          Beth Keeton              Gary Renfrow

Matt Dieter                 Chris Lauber              Joanna Rosse

Thank you for participating in our first ever Silent Auction.  We hope you had a good time. 

Thanks to you, we were able to raise $728 for our Scholarship Fund.  Next year, now that

we have a little experience, we hope to make this a bigger and better event. 

Special thanks to our donors:

The Alden Resorts 

Meilus Therepy

Lourdes Rasdall

Bill and Karen Mathews

Bill Castleman

Ginger Herring

Various Race Directors for the SPRR Grand Prix Race entries

Frank Adornato

Sharon Andrews

Laurie Germann

Lynn Gray

Frog Pond

Skidders

Mazarros

Florida Orange Grove Wines  

SPRR                 

SPRR Grand Prix Series is under way.  Make sure you REGISTER.  It's not too late.  Racers will

have to register for the Grand Prix by using the Registration Form on the SPRR website or by email. 

The Grand Prix will run from December, with the Manatee River Run 5 miler, and end in June with the

SPRR Beach Race.  Awards will be announced at our SPRR September meeting.

Runners will be able to choose from more races this year, but will need to compete in at least 5

races to be eligible for Grand Prix awards.  Points will be given by the age-graded system.  More

information will be coming and will be up on our website.  The Grand Prix schedule is as follows:

Manatee River Run 5 Miler - December 22

J. West Prostate Cancer 5K - January 4

St. Pete Beach Classic 5K/10K - January 18

St. Pete Beach Classic Half Marathon - January 19

Clearwater Running Series - Marathon/Half Marathon/ 5 Miler/ 5K - January 19

Best Damn Race Half Marathon/10K/5K - February 1

Discover Caladesi Island 10 Miler - February 15

Gasparilla Distance Classic 5K/15K - February 22

Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon/8K - February 23

Suncoast Classic - 5K/10K - March 1

Florida Beach Half Marathon/5K - March 23

Robinson Preserve Twilight 5K - March 28

Athlete Iron Girl 15K - April 13

Miles for Moffitt 5 Miler/ 5K - May 10

SPRR Beach Race - June 27

We plan to profile our board of directors throughout this year, in an effort to help you become more

familiar with who we are.  I'll start:

           GINGER HERRING

Ginger has been a member of the St. Pete Road Runners since January 2007. She has served on the                                                      Board of Directors for the past four years.  She begins her fifth year on the board serving her third year                                                        as President and her fourth year as Editor of Up to Speed, the SPRR Newsletter.

Ginger has leadership skills developed as Coordinator of the Annual Fund at Stetson University College of                                           Law, Director of the Annual Fund at Eckerd College, and Coordinator of Planned Giving at the Pinellas                                               Education Foundation. She has created, organized and directed the Stetson Law Run at Stetson University                                      College of Law and the Pel-I-Can Run (now known as the Triton Run) at Eckerd College.  And, is finally now retired.

Ginger has been running for 24 years.  We're sure you'll remember her story of how she could not run one block                               without thinking she was certainly going to die.  She didn't die and has worked her way up to marathon racing.                                      Ginger has just completed her 25th marathon at Space Coast and feels proud to have qualified for Boston many                                   times, completing in 7 Boston Marathons. 

Ginger feels fortunate to still be running, although much slower, and has learned to embrace the joy of running.                                         It took a long time, but she can now say she enjoys the journey.

Mickey Hooke placed 1st Overall and received a gold medal running the 2013 Florida Senior Games 10K Dec. 7.

He ran the 10K in 37:15.  He now has 21 Championship Titles since 2000.

Mickey also ran the City of Palms River Run

12/7/13

10K - 37:15

7th Overall

1st Male Master

Lung Cancer Research Council 5K

11/9/13

Port Charlotte, FL

5K - 17:54

1st Overall

Mickey Hooke, 53 ,of Bradenton, Florida captured 2 State Titles in a period of 7 days at the 2013 Florida Senior Games State Championships in Lee County, Florida. On December 7, 2013, Hooke won the Florida Senior Games  10K Road Race Title in the 35th Annual City of Palms River Run. Hooke had a finish time of 37:15, the challenging 10K traversed both the Edison and Caloosahatchee Bridges in downtown Ft. Myers. Hooke's time was 2 minutes and 36 seconds ahead of his nearest Senior Games competitor.  December 14th saw Hooke in Cape Coral competing for the 2013 Florida Senior Games 5K Title on a warm humid morning. Hooke was able to take the win in 18:15, 1 minute and 57 seconds ahead of his nearest Senior competitor, and setting a New Grandmasters Record for the course. Hooke now has 22 Championship Titles since 2000, 5 during 2013.

************************************************************************* 

Carol Jean Vosburgh won 2 gold medals at her bike State Championship in Cape Coral.  She arrived with a

zipwheel flat.  Kip changed it for her and she went on to win her 2 gold medals.

                     *************************************************************************

The SPRR Holiday Party award winners were:

Crutch Award - Sylvia Crowhurst (given to an SPRR member who greatly overcame injury/illness and came back

                         strong.

Outstanding Volunteer Award - Don Rasdall

Most Inspirational - Gilbert Dolores

Most Improved - Karen Mathews

                       *********************************************************************

OUC Half Marathon in the books.

Just finished: 1:49:05
I could feel that marathon from last week at mile marker 9. Last 4 miles were
rough. Very warm in Orlando. Thanks for the good vibes from St.Pete RR's.
Now time for my 2 free Mich Ultra's....

Regards,
Donald Rasdall 

                         **********************************************************************  

Don't forget to check out our new singlets and shirts.  No matter what you think, cooler

weather will be here before you know it.  You'll need one of our long sleeved SPRR shirts. 

At $20 a shirt, you're getting quite a deal.  Contact Laurie Germann (link is on the sidebar)

today!  Laurie will be happy to meet you at a convenient place to deliver your order saving

you shipping costs.

                      ***********************************************************************

For more pictures and up-to-date news and gossip, check out our

Facebook Page.

RACE SCHEDULE

January 4     J. West Prostrate Cancer 5K                       Gulfport Casino             Gulfport

January 11    Disney World Half Marathon                        Epcot Center                 Buena Vista

 January12    Disney World Marathon                                Epcot Center                Buena Vista

                     Kiwanis Adventure Run 5K/5 Mile                Honeymoon Isle           Dunedin

January 18   St. Pete Beach Classic 5K/10K                    Sirata Beach Resort     St. Pete Beach

                     St. Pete Beach Classic Beach 5K                Sirata Beach Resort     St. Pete Beach

January 19   St. Pete Beach Classic Half Marathon         Sirata Beach Resort     St. Pete Beach

                     Clearwater Marathon/Half Marathon/5 mile Coachman Park            Clearwater

January 25   Pound the Pavement 5K                              Walsingham Park          Largo

January 26   Suncoast Half Marathon                               Lakewood Ranch          Lakewood Ranch

 Good luck runners.  Please don't be shy - let me know your results.                               

RS

Wife:  OH NO!  I'm convinced my mind is almost gone.

Husband:  I'm not surprised.  You've been giving me a piece of it every day for 20 years.

Enjoy the journey 

Ginger