PPTC Monthly Meeting Recap: January 2021
I’ve been doing these monthly meeting write-ups for a year now. A lot has changed since January 2020—at that point I wouldn’t have guessed most of our 2020 meetings would be virtual—but plenty has stayed the same. For example, President Tom still opens up the meeting.
“I usually say this is one [of the] normal things I do every month, but we did have Harry’s Handicap, and that’s normal,” he said, referencing the traditional New Year’s Day race that the club managed to hold virtually this year.
He then went into a metaphor about the pandemic being a marathon, in which 2020 was the first 20 miles and what’s ahead being the final 10K. I will say, the darkness of winter makes for a fantastic, symbolic Wall, so for many reasons, I hope Tom’s parable holds up.
New Members
Four new members joined the call and introduced themselves. Some have been members for months (one joined just hours before the call), but it was the first meeting for all of them. Reasons for joining included wanting good reasons to get outside, learning how to run smart, and—club favorite—caving to peer pressure from other PPTC members. We push because we care.
Announcements
Leanne shared that we will have our annual club awards as usual in February, though this year’s event will be virtual. It will start at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, and will be capped at the first 250 members who RSVP to the event. (Details will come out in an email). The captains promise a fun, interactive event, so be sure to RSVP when the opportunity arises. There will, of course, be awards, and members must submit nominations by Jan. 15 (again, look for details in an email).
Adam called out the new Workout of the Week series, which will be posted on Facebook and in the Google Forum. If you haven’t been training much, remember to take it easy when you’re getting started.
Stuart confirmed that the Cherry Tree 10 Miler will go on in 2021 as a virtual event, from Feb. 12-22. Solo attempts and relay teams are welcome, as usual.
Crystal showed that the social committee isn’t slowing down in the colder months, with another bake swap coming up (#PastryPartyTrackClub) and a virtual knitting circle led by Linda. Experienced knitters looking for a project can join and knit a PPTC hat.
Featured Speaker
Lillian introduced John Honerkamp, our Brooklyn neighbor with a lengthy running resume. John is the founder of Off The Hook Track Club and co-founder of The Run Collective, which created Runner Safety Awareness Week.
He spoke about their efforts to help people better understand runner safety, advocate for change to improve runner safety, and bring in more people to the conversation who can help increase safety for all runners, as many people face different threats when they go out for a run.
“It’s very common for the running industry to say all you need is a pair of shoes and get out the door, but that’s not true for everyone,” he said.
Runner Safety Awareness Week is Jan. 18-24.
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PPTC is a diverse and supportive team. We want to showcase and celebrate the diversity of our club and membership, and encourage everyone to share your stories with us.
Text: Christine DiGangi
Edited & Produced by: Alison Kotch