Club Events
An alphabetical list of all Club Fat Ass events around the world is at the bottom of this page. You can also see a list of upcoming events by date.
Club Fat Ass offers three different event types. The Scheduled Event, the Speaker Event and the Flash Event. To find out more about the differences, click here.
Have fun...and happy trails!
Sibylle Tinsel
Chief Executive Fat Ass
Ann's Get Your Fat Ass Off The Couch Run
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Course | Thanks! | Results | Contact | FAQ
What?
- A fun run on winding trails and back roads of lower Seymour Mountain
- "Old Chesterfield" 20km or "Cushy Couch" 10km
- Enjoy the fall atmosphere in a temperate rain forest
- formerly know as "Wendy's Get Your Fat Ass Off The Couch". Wendy, who conceived and hosted this event for 4 years, has moved and is hosting a new event in Squamish. Ann Taylor was happy to take over and keep this event alive as "Ann's Get Your Fat Ass Off the Couch
- Brunch finisher party at the Mosquito Creek Grill at 12:30PM
When and Where?
- Saturday 18 October 2008 (3rd Saturday in October)
- Start: 08:30am
- Start at the Ron Andrews Recreation Center, North Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA
- See agenda for details on how to get there and course description
How Much?
- Free for Club Fat Ass members (click here for current info on member benefits and fee)
- To keep hassles on the morning of the run to a minimum and allow the host to participate as well we ask to please sign up for both, the club membership and the event online and in advance.
Registration - Ann's Get Your Fat Ass Off the Couch
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Course | Thanks! | Results | Contact | FAQ
This is a Club Fat Ass (CFA) event, so we adhere to CFA event management guidelines and privacy policy. Please complete the whole form. Your personal information is required in case I need to contact you... or your next of kin! Also, to make sure I spell your name right in the results. The other information helps me to plan any aid or post-event activities. Please help me to host a safer, better event by registering early and by notifying me if you can't make it. I'm constantly looking for ways to improve, so please share your thoughts or questions with me in the Suggestion Box below. After you click on "Submit" below, your registration details will be confirmed.
Ann TaylorYour Club Fat Ass Event Host
Agenda - Ann's Get Your Fat Ass Off The Couch
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Saturday 18 October 2008 |
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| 07:00? | Have breakfast. Check the weather. Print off your route instructions and this page so you know how to get to the start |
| 08:00 | Arrive at the start - Ron Andrews Recreation Center. Check-in. |
| 08:15 | Welcome and final briefing |
| 08:25 | Photo |
| 08:30 | Start |
| 9:30 | First finishers - "Cushy Couch" route |
| 10:15 | First finishers - "Big Chesterfield" route |
| 12:00 | Last finishers (hopefully!) |
| 12:30 | Party starts at the Mosquito Creek Pub |
| ? | End of party |
Directions to the Start and Finish
The run starts promptly at 08:30 at the Ron Andrews Recreation Center at 931 Lytton Street (corner of Lytton Street and Mount Seymour Parkway) in North Vancouver. Please plan to arrive by 8:00 to get checked in and briefed.
For a map please click here.
From Burnaby on highway #1 heading west from the Second Narrows Bridge, take the Mount Seymour Parkway exit towards Deep Cove. You will pass by the Real Canadian Superstore. Pass Berkley Street at the top of the hill. The Ron Andrews Recreation Center will be on your right at the next stop sign.
From West Van on highway #1 heading east, pass the Lynn Valley exit, go down the long hill and take the exit after the orange bridge. Turn left at the lights, then stay in the right lane. Continue as above.
From downtown cross to the north shore via the bridge of your choice then as above.
What to Bring?
- Aid. (Whatever food, water or electrolyte drink you need for the distance you are running and whatever clothing you need for the weather.) If you expect and are prepared for no external aid, you may be pleasantly surprised... but do not count on it!
- Official timing system. (A watch will do, even if the second hand doesn't work.) Please be sure to keep track of your finish time and to give it to the timekeeper.
- Change of clothes. A bathing suit if you want to use the pool or hot tub at the rec center.
- Course directions.
Pre- and Post-Event
- free parking at the rec center.
- showers and rec center facilities are available at the start/finish. Entry for a shower is $ 2.00
- runners, volunteers, friends and family are encouraged to meet at 12:30 at the Mosquito Creek Grill for what we anticipate will be an absolutely awesome party. We'll recognize the great accomplishments of the run, share war stories, photos, gather stats and otherwise enjoy the afternoon.
Other Notes
- please read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- please, please, please do not drop litter on the trail. (Consider picking it up if you find any.)
- this event is not sponsored, sanctioned, permitted or anything else that would qualify it as an official event. It's a party!
- be sure to bring a copy of the course directions for the event you are attempting. We recommend you put them in a baggie so they don't turn to mush.
Event Home | Registration | Background | Agenda |
Course | Thanks! | Results | Contact | FAQ
Course
Event Home | Registration | Background | Agenda |
Course | Thanks! | Results | Contact | FAQ
Big Chesterfield 20km
This course winds in and around the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve (LSCR) on moderately technical trails. There are some hills, but they are not overly challenging. Roots, logs and rocks can be extremely slippery this time of year so please use caution. Note: If in doubt at an intersection, stay on the larger, more travelled trail! This is a Club Fat Ass event so the course is environmentally friendly and is not marked, so please make sure you print out this course description (scroll down for a printer friendly version) and bring it and a plastic baggie to protect it with you on the day of the run. Better yet, train on the course and bring the directions!
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Fast |
Big Chesterfield |
km |
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08:00 |
Reference Point – Ron Andrews Recreation Center - Start / Finish |
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08:30 |
Start. Opposite the Chevron station. The white stop line on the road on the south side of Bendale Road at the corner of Lytton. |
0.0 |
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1. Warmup. This relatively flat section takes you approximately 2 km to Canyon Creek Park and the trails. Use this section to warm up and chat with your fellow runners. |
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- go straight along Bendale one block to Berkley Road. Go right onto Berkley. |
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- follow Berkley approximately 2 km until it ends at Hyannis Drive. Turn left on Hyannis and run one block to entrance of Canyon Creek Park. |
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2. Lower Loop Trail. This is a relatively tame section of trail that goes down to the river and back. |
2.2 |
| - Go through cement barriers. You will see a large sign: "Welcome to the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve" and a trail leading into the woods | ||
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- After about 600m, go left and onto a long section of boardwalk then about 30m to a fork in the trail. Go left and then left again onto a long downhill section on the side of a ravine |
2.8 |
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- When you come to a T-intersection with a wooden gate, go left. Continue along the wide trail (Fisherman’s Trail) parallel to Seymour River for about 200m to a well-marked intersection with the Baden Powell Trail. Go left and slightly uphill on a winding trail. |
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| -You will cross a small wooden bridge and then go left and up a ravine with a creek until you come out on a paved road (Hyannis Drive). Turn left and run down the road 20 meters to the entrance of Canyon Creek Park to where you started onto the trail earlier. | ||
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3. Scenic Route. This section takes you up and down the Seymour River valley a couple of times back to where you stand. |
5.0 |
| - continue as before along main trail, then left onto the boardwalk. At the intersection 30m after the boardwalk, stay right and uphill. | ||
| - At the T-intersection about 50m up the trail, go left and uphill. At the intersection with Bridle Path trail, stay straight. After about 500m, you will cross a bridge. Go steeply uphill to a clearing under the power lines. | 5.0 | |
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09:00 |
- Go left and downhill on trail just to the right of power lines. About half way between the first 2 towers, turn right onto a small trail that makes a tunnel through some scrubby bushes. (If you come to an open area with a single bike jump, turn back 20m…you’ve gone too far!) |
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- go straight onto a narrow trail that goes up a small ravine. After 50m, you will come to a trail intersection with a yellow tag (8) on a tree. Continue straight. |
6.3 |
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- At the intersection with trail to your left, so straight. At the first junction, go left and contour the a little swampy lake (Lizard Lake.) Go steeply uphill to a T-intersection at the top of a narrow ridge then right. |
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- the narrow trail (Bottletop Trail) winds down the side of the ravine to the Seymour River. Watch out for ruts and loose rock. At T-intersection just above the river, turn right onto the wide path (Fisherman’s Trail). |
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- In about 30m, you will cross an old iron bridge (Twin Bridges). On the far side of the bridge, take the wide trail straight up about 2K. |
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| - As the trail flattens out near the white pumping station, you will see a wooden bike gate on your right. Pass through this gate and into a wide tail (Homestead Trail) that is almost 1K downhill. | ||
| - at the T-intersection above the river, go right onto the wide trail (Fisherman’s Trail.) Enjoy this flat stretch with the river to your left for about 1.5K back to Twin Bridges. | 9.8 | |
| - Cross the bridge and follow the wide path 400m to a large blue sign “Mystery Creek Trail to Mount Seymour”. Go left and up this fairly wide, steep trail | ||
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09:20 |
- at the top of the trail, you will reach an open area under the power lines. Stop! There is a small island of scrubby bushes directly in front of you that hides a narrow path through some more scrubby bushes. Take this little path, and don’t whine if you get a bit wet from the dew. (Note: if you find yourself going uphill or downhill under the power lines, go back!) |
13.4 |
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- go uphill and away from the power lines for about 1K along a narrow ridge. You will come to a flat, somewhat clear area with a burnt stump in front of you and a couple of big fallen logs to your right. Go right at the edge of the ravine, around the logs and downhill. |
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| - At the first T-intersection, go right. Follow this trail straight about 1K flat then through a little ravine and back to the power lines. Go left. |
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- Go uphill on rocky trail under power lines. When you reach a flat open area, go right and downhill over a bridge then up a short hill. After about 200m, you will pass an intersection (Bridle Path). Stay straight. |
14.8 |
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- After 100m there will be a Y-intersection. Go right. Just before the now-familiar boardwalk, go right then left and downhill. (This is the lower loop you did at the start.) |
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| - When you come to a T-intersection with a wooden gate, go left. Continue along the wide trail (Fisherman’s Trail) parallel to Seymour River for about 100m to a well-marked intersection with the Baden Powell Trail. Go left and slightly uphill on a winding trail. | ||
| -You will cross a small wooden bridge and then go left and up a ravine until you come out on a paved road (Hyannis Drive). Go right. |
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4. Warmdown. This relatively flat section takes you back to the start/finish. |
17.8 | |
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- At the first corner (Berkley), go right. Continue approximately 1 km to Bendale Road. Go left and run one block to Lytton Street. |
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11:00 |
Reference Point – Ron Andrews Gym. Lytton and Mount Seymour Parkway. |
20.0 |
Event Home | Registration | Background | Agenda |
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Cushy Couch 10km
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Cushy Couch 10km |
km |
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08:00 |
Reference Point – Ron Andrews Recreation Center - Start / Finish |
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08:30 |
Start. The white stop line on the road on the south side of Bendale Road at the corner of Lytton. |
0.0 |
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1. Paved Road. This relatively flat section takes you approximately 2 km to Canyon Creek Park and the trails. |
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- go straight along Bendale one block to Berkley Road. Go right onto Berkley. |
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- follow Berkley approximately 2 km until it ends at Hyannis Drive. Turn left on Hyannis and run one block to where it ends at entrance to Canyon Creek Park. Go through cement barriers. You will see a large sign welcoming you to the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. |
2.2 |
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2. Trail. This trail section is a mix of nice groomed, fast trails and rooty, rocky ups and downs. It's a loop that gets you back to Hyannis Drive. |
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| - after passing the concrete barrier continue straight along main trail. Go left at the first intersection and cross a section of board walk. | ||
| - At the end of the boardwalk veer right. Continue past a couple of minor trails until you come to a t-intersection. | ||
| - Go left and uphill at intersection. Trail becomes a bit rocky and may be muddy. After about 500m, you will cross a bridge. | ||
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09:00 |
- go steeply uphill to power lines, then downhill on trail just to the right of power lines. About half way between the first 2 towers, turn right onto a small trail that makes a tunnel through the bushes. (If you come to an open area with a single bike jump, turn back 20m…you’ve gone too far!) |
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- go straight along trail 25m into forest. You will come to a yellow tag (18) on a tree. Continue straight. |
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- At the intersection with trail to your left, so straight. At the first junction, go left and contour the a little swampy lake (Lizard Lake.) Go steeply uphill to a T-intersection at the top of a narrow ridge then right. |
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- follow trail around left side of lake and head up to a ridge. At the T-intersection at top of ridge, go right then steeply downhill on a rocky, rutted trail (Bottletop Trail). As you near the bottom, you will hear and then see a river (Seymour River) below to your right. |
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- at T-intersection just above the river, turn left onto the wide path (Fisherman’s Trail). |
5.8 |
| - Run along this path to the intersection with the Baden Powell Trail. Turn left onto the Baden Powell trail. Follow this path and BP until you come out on a paved road (Hyannis Drive). Turn right and run up the road 100 meters to Berkeley Street. | 7.8 | |
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- Turn right onto Berkley. Continue approximately 1.5 km to Bendale Road. Go left and run one block to Lytton Street. Turn Right on Lytton and back to Ron Andrew’s Recreation Centre. |
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11:00 |
Reference Point – Ron Andrews Gym. Lytton and Mount Seymour Parkway. |
10km |
Event Home | Registration | Background | Agenda |
Course | Thanks! | Results | Contact | FAQ
Results
Event Home | Registration | Background | Agenda |
Course | Thanks! | Results | Contact | FAQ
Get Your Fat Ass Off the Couch - 2007 Results
Thanks to all who participated in this years inaugural Ann’s Get Your Fat Ass Off The Couch.
The day was met with grey skies and rainy conditions but 30 diehards showed up for a great run. I’m sure many considered staying in their nice cozy beds….but how guilty would we have felt?!
The course was very slippery, muddy and wet. There was one extremely large deep puddle that added the adventure element….I was wondering whether we had rounded Lizard Lake early!
The 10km runaway winner was Greg Barreca in a smoking 59 minutes. The 20 km distance was made a little longer to make it a true 20 km. Ron Katzman and Chris Benn came in at 1 hour 55 minutes with Des Mott following close behind.
Gottfried greeted us at the top of homestead with some delicious baking and homemade wine…what a pleasant surprise. The rear of the field was brought in by Pat Barry, Sibylle Tinsel, Cheryl Johnson and Rhonda Schuler, who missed Gottfried's superb aidstation.
The wind up brunch was held at Mosquito Creek and draw prizes were won by Heather, Sophia, Berg, Karl and Lorraine. Gottfried came through again with the donation of his homemade wine and Trail Runner magazine donated 2 subscriptions for a year.
Thanks again to all who participated in making this a fun and
successful run…it is hard to follow in Wendy’s
shoes. I look forward to seeing everyone on the trails
Ann
If you would like to write your own report, please do so using your blog (admin can link it to this page), or if you prefer, use the "comment" function below.
Any photos of the days can be posted to Flickr, added to the Club Fat Ass Flickr group and tagged with GetYourFatAssOffTheCouch2007 and ClubFatAssEvents.
| First Name | Last Name | Event | Points | Time |
| Big Chesterfield 20km |
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| Chris | Benn | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 1 | 1:55 |
| Ran | Katzman | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 2 | 1:55 |
| Jennifer | D'Aoust | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 1 | 2:00 |
| desmond | mott | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 2 | 2:02 |
| Penny | Jakobsen | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 2 | 2:05 |
| Ann | Taylor | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 3** | 2:05 |
| susan | seager | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 1 | 2:06 |
| Arlee | MacAulay | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 2 | 2:20 |
| Jim | Mendelli | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 1 | 2:20 |
| Melissa | Pace | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 1 | 2:20 |
| Cynnimon | Rain | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 2 | 2:20 |
| Patricia | Barry | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 3* | 2:52 |
| Sibylle | Tinsel | Big Chesterfield - 20km | 3* | 2:52 |
| Cushy Couch 10 Km |
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| Greg | Barreca | Cushy Couch - 10km | 1 | 0:58 |
| John | Machray | Cushy Couch - 10km | 1 | 1:02 |
| Heather | King | Cushy Couch - 10km | 2 | 1:03 |
| Sophia | Sagur | Cushy Couch - 10km | 2 | 1:03 |
| Berglind | Hafsteinsdottir | Big Chesterfield - 20km | *2 | 1:10 |
| Custom Courses |
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| rhonda | schuller | 15km custom | 1 | 2:30 |
| Cheryl | Johnson | 15km custom | 2 | 2:20 |
| Elke | Bauer | 18.5 km custom | 1 | 2:20 |
| Alli | Conroy | custom | 2 | 2:18 |
| Doug | MacKay | 15km custom | 2 | 2:00 |
| Rob | Ruff | 18.5 km custom | 1 | 1:53 |
| laddie | hannam | 15km custom | 2 | 1:39 |
| Lorraine | Suomi | custom | 1 | 1:30 |
| Karl | Jensen | 12km custom | 2 | 1:28 |
| Wendy | Montgomery | 11.5km custom | 2 | 1:02 |
| Afraid of the puddles? |
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| Gilles | Barbeau | -1 | DNS | |
| Patricia | Jensen | -1 | Slept In | |
| Kristie | Congram | -1 | DNS | |
| Pano | Skrivanos | -1 | DNS | |
| * garbage
collected ** EH |
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2006
Check out photos of the day on the Club Fat Ass Flickr Page.
At the 4th annual event we were greeted with fantastic weather, a great participant turnout, and an excellent aid station run by the one and only Mick McGuire.
Congratulations to Gary, Ted, and Patricia for their recording breaking 20km run times.
One bonus point went to Berglind for volunteering, without delay, for future CFA duties and one to Desmond for picking up garbage albeit it was a doggie poop bag. Eventhough, he did insist it was empty, we can never be certain. 
Mike Wakefield received two bonus points, one for picking up garbage and the other for presenting me, the Event Host, with a bouquet of maple leaves. Yes, this EH can be bought.
There was a great turnout at the Raven for our post race party. Amongst the draw prizes were two Trail Runner Magazine subscriptions, a variety of Kinesys products, great swag from North Shore Athletics, and three passes to Body World 3 – The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies.
This is my last year as the host of this event and I am very pleased to introduce Ann Taylor who will take over for next year. Currently, I am working on my next CFA project which will be an epic adventure in Squamish. For those of you who know me well there will be no technical trails, no hiding in bushes and lots of uphill running.
Thanks to all who participated and, of course, to our sponsors. See you all again next year!
*** Bonus Points for the bouquet of fall leaves ;-) and garbage pick up
2005 - Year 3
19 Starters
19 Finishers
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's "Wendy's Get Your Fat Ass Off the Couch".
I am sure that a few people were having second thoughts about running the event as they listened to the downpour throughout the night. Luckily, we were rewarded with a great day that was warm and got progressively sunnier as time passed.
Thank you to the group that waited for me as I lifted myself out of the mud. We may have broken the course record if we had not had to stop. We missed it by one minute.
It was great to see a number of new faces and to have such a big group get together for the post race event.
The award for the best run of the day has to go to Sibylle Tinsel for her 26 minute PB over last year. Check out Sibylle's blog about the run.
| First Name | Last Name | Time | Points |
| Jeb | Breckenridge | 1:48 | 1 |
| Bill | Dagg | 1:48 | 2 |
| Desmond | Mott | 1:48 | 2 |
| Wendy | Montgomery | 1:48 | 3 |
| Chris | Benn | 1:48 | 2 |
| Paul | Cubbon | 1:48 | 2 |
| Blair | Simonite | 1:49 | 1 |
| Derrick | Johnstone | 2:00 | 1 |
| Doug | MacKay | 2:00 | 2 |
| Ryan | Reilly | 2:32 | 2 |
| Caroline | Lepard | 2:32 | 2 |
| Gilles | Barbeau | 2:33 | 1 |
| Sibylle | Tinsel | 2:34 | 2 |
| Karl | Jensen | 2:34 | 2 |
| Craig | Moore | 2:47 | 2 |
| Custom Course | |||
| Adam | Shih | 2:47 | 2 |
| Cheryl | Johnson | 2:42 | 2 |
| Patricia | Barry | 2:42 | 2 |
| Eileen | Bistrisky | 2:47 | 2 |
Event Home | Registration |Background | Agenda | Course | Thanks! | Results | Contact | FAQ
Getting My Behind Off The Couch
Listening to the torrential rains the night before Wendy's Get Your Fat Ass Off The Couch Run was not encouraging. I was trying to get excited about running for 3 hours soaking wet, cold and miserable. In principle, I like running in the rain, feeling the rain drops on my face, jumping through the puddles and getting all nice and warm in the shower afterward. But this particular morning, I felt tired and not up to dealing with the additional challenge of the elements.
Alas, I was signed-up and I knew Pat would be in front of my house to car pool to the start at 7:45. The sky looked promising when we headed east on the highway to meet the other runners at the Ron Andrews Rec Centre and by the time we got out of the car to greet Wendy, it had stopped raining. The temperature were in the mid-teens. It felt like warm air was pushing the rain clouds away. Most runners at the start line sported way too much clothes for the dry skies and rising temperatures. As soon as we were heading up the road on Berkely to the trailhead, I pulled off my rain gear. Short sleeves and tights were just fine for me.
There were 19 Club Fat Ass members looping up and down the trails on lower Seymour Mountain. I broke my pattern of being the involuntary sweep and joined the group around Craig Moore, Gilles Barbereau, Caroline Lepard, Ryan Reilly and Karl Jensen. Figuring I could always fall back to my usual group should the pace catch-up to me, I played guide, preventing the "fast" guys from taking short cuts ;-) This was my 3rd time running Wendy's course and I didn't need to consult the directions, which made us save a few minutes.
Our chitter chatter kept us running at a good pace - for me anyway. Thankfully, the guys like to walk the uphills...giving me a breather. Conversation hopped from bold mushroom hunters (did you know that there are old mushroom hunter, bold mushroom hunters, but not very many bold,old mushroom hunters), to the Double (now Vancouver 100), to the Western States 100 Endurance Run (Gilles is eyeing this one and was getting loads of advise and info from both Karl, a seasoned 100 mile runner, and Craig, of "Double" fame) and back to The Double. Did I hear anybody say The Triple?
The trails were beautifull. Sunlight illuminating squeeky clean, bight yellow maple leafs among the evergreen rain forest.
By the time I had rescued the guys from a serious shortcut up the powerline my legs were tired and I had trouble hanging on. A beautifully winding trail following up a ridgeline and then down to huge mud puddles revived me. Unfortunately, the rest of the gang smelled the barn as well and as soon as we hit the pavement Karl and I were rather unceremoniusly left in the dust. So much for playing guide...
In the end my time was 26 minutes faster than last year. I am quite sore and happy today. Thanks, gang!
2004 - Year 2
2004 Finisher Party
With the fear that we would be running in the rain, it turned out to be a fairly dry Saturday morning when 17 brave souls congregated at the Ron Andrews Rec Centre for the 2nd running of this Club Fat Ass event.