UPCOMING EVENTS

Flash - Cinny Bun Run. 18 December - Vancouver, BC Canada. Join Reagan on a training run for the Vancouver New Year's Fat Ass 50.  The course will wind it's way over 15km from Spanish Banks through Pacific Spirit Park and back.  More details and registration here.

Photo left. Reagan hamming it up during last years Pure Satisfaction Run.

Flash - Boxing Day 25km.  26 December - Vancouver, BC Canada. Run off the holiday treats with Jess and Bill Dagg as they are training for the Orcas 50km.  Details here.

Vancouver New Year's FA 50 Run. 1 January 2010 - Vancouver, BC, Canada. A 50 km resolution run to kick off the New Year on the right foot. Those who are more hung-over and those with resolutions they are not likely to keep can opt for a custom course of 1 to 49 km. More details here!

Photo right.  Slush and ice on the course of the Vancouver New Year's FA 50 Run

Flash - Ride for the Haggis. 5 February 2011 - North Vancouver, BC Canada. Ride for the Haggis. A road ride of approximately 80 kms followed by a full-on traditional Robbie Burns celebration with elements of poetry, music, address to the haggis, feasting, and drinking of Scotch whisky. Find out if you have what it takes here.

Squamish Scrambler. 12 February - Squamish, BC, Canada. This is an out-and-back snowshoe hike/run up to Elfin Lakes Cabin in Squamish (22km). Bring the family as far as Red Heather, a 10km return snowshoe hike, or continue on up towards Little Diamond Head, or out towards Mamquam Lake, depending on conditions and motivation. Savor spectacular views of The Tantalus Range, Howe Sound and Sky Pilot.  More info here.

Photo left. Views during the Squamish Scrambler hardly ever disappoint.  
Photo right. The Capilano Canyon Night Run is as much a social affair as a run.

Capilano Canyon Night Run. 19 February - 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 and celebration of Fat Tuesday. Entry limited to first 50 entrants, so please register early!

NEWS

2011 Membership Registration. Club membership registration for 2011 is open. Yes, that means it's time to get off the couch and join the Club or renew your membership so you can benefit from all of the sweaty pleasures CFA offers.

Great news for renewing members:  Your annual Club membership dues won't change and the number and variety of Club events continues to grow.  Tell a friend so you'll never run alone again.

Membership Draw.  I am happy to announce that my friend and former Steering Committee member, Michele Sherstan, won the membership draw for renewing her membership before the end of November. Michele won a full refund on her dues.  No, it wasn't fixed... honest!

Newsletter.  After years of talking, we finally moved to a different newsletter management service. This is the first newsletter sent out using the new system. Please let us know if you notice anything aggrivating or unusual.  You can now subscribe or unsubscribe from the Club newsletter directly from your user account on the Club Fat Ass website.

Business Members.  

We are happy to welcome back Active Life Physio and Kintec.  Both business have been long time supporters of Club Fat Ass. Please consider them when you need physio treatment or anything related to your feet and shoes.

A word from Active Life Physiotherapy… Ever been hit by a muscle cramp while out on a fantastic trail run?  Exercise associated muscle cramping (EAMC) can be a debilitating event. Exercise-associated muscle cramps presents with acute pain, muscle stiffness, and soreness. The muscles affected most often include the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf. The muscles on both sides of the body are often involved.  Find out what the latest research says about treating muscle cramps and what the experts at Active Life Physiotherapy recommend here.

New Initiatives.  So many ideas, so little time.  We are hoping to offer training runs in the new year as well as another free, short course, Check-Us-Out run.  If you like to be involved in rolling this out, please let us know. 

CFA ON THE WEB




PAST EVENT RESULTS AND REPORTS

 For the latest results, please click here.

Photo left: Start of the Seymour Super Fun Run

CONTESTS

All our annual contests will  wrap-up on 31 December at midnight.  Check how you're doing in the Club Point Series.  'Still time to make your way to the top of the leader board by submitting all your wandering t-shirt photos.  Ask your friends to favorite them.  Rope your friends into becoming Fat Asses. See how you've done with your New Years Resolutions...

Photo right: Reagan having an animated conversation with Piggy the Active Porker, our mascot.

 

Refer A Friend Contest. Rachel and Jackson are leading, closely followed by Craig, Bill and Julie.  

There still is alomost a month left 

to collect points for refering your friends. The winner will win a pair of Montrail Trail Running Shoes kindly provided by business member Kintec.  Up-to-date standings here. Check out how to participate in the Refer a Friend Contest.

 

Photo left. Jackson and Eric sporting their club colours during the Seymour Super Fun Run

 

2010 Traveling Colours Contest.  It is not too late for submissions.  If you have already submitted a photo, make sure you tell your friends about it.  The more attention an image receives, the better chance it has to be the most popular photo in the

 contest and win. The winner of the 2010 Travelling Colours Contest will receive a full refund on the 2011 membership dues. Second place will go home with a sock package kindly sponsored by businessmember Kintec Footlabs. Currently, Bill Daggs photo of him and an elephant in Africa is in the lead.

Photo right.  Bill admiring an elephant from a safe distance.

Pictures of your 2010 adventures wearing your Club shirt (any colour) can be posted to Flickr following the instructions here. All submissions to date are posted here. 
 

2010 Point Series.  Through a strategic mix of wearing her Club Fat Ass shirt in non CFA events, signing up early for events, collecting garbage and referring new members, Jess Dagg has gained ground on Ean, Reagan, Des and Sibylle.  However, the race is still on, watch your back, Jess! The winner will win bragging rights and a pair of new runners!  Read about how to collect points. Up-to-date standings here.

Photo left. Pat's first bag of the year, Hollyburn Mountain.

CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS

Club Fat Ass and our members support a variety of charities, causes and events.  Please check them out here.

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.


BUSINESS MEMBERS

CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.

UPCOMING EVENTS

First Annual Fat Ass Film Festival. Wednesday 3 November - North Vancouver, BC. Join us and our friends at Kintec for an exclusive screening of videos from CFA runs and peak bagging expeditions throughout the year.  Who knows... you might be a movie star?  Cat-calling and throwing of insults allowed, although we ask that you not hurl peanuts or popcorn unless you plan to stick around and help with the cleanup.  There will be voting and awards. If you are willing to risk running the gauntlet of paparazzi and groupies, at 9:00pm we reconvene with the esteemed directors and movie stars next door at the Taylors Crossing Pub. 

If you would like to enter a movie (1-5 minutes) in the festival, please contact Sibylle.  This evening is free for members and non-members of CFA, but please sign-up soon as space is limited...  Just click here.


CFA - Steering Committee Mixer: Tuesday 9 November - North Vancouver, BC. There are so many things we could do to make the Club even better... if only a few more people would chip in a few hours per month.  If being a part of the management of the Club is something you'd consider, please join us for a Steering Committee Mixer.  We'll talk about plans for next year and you'll have the opportunity to ask questions about the roles of the different Steering Committees. 

We really need you!  We are especially looking for an enthusiastic person to chair the Event Host, Marketing and Sponsorship committees. Please drop me a line if you can attend.

Silly Chili Triathlon. 11 November - North Vancouver, BC.  This event is both something athletic and social to do with your family on the Remembrance Day holiday.  It involves a short run, an even shorter swim and a chili cook-off.  Beans or no beans.  Vegi or road kill.  Mild or burns through plate steel.  Give it your best shot!  Limited space, so please register here soon.

Go Deep: 13 November - North Vancouver, BC. Join our new Event Host, Reagan White on a challenging but beautiful 20 km or an easier, but equally stunning 12km course on lower Seymour Mountain.  Register here.

Seymour Super Fun Run: 27 November - North Vancouver, BC. A late fall challenge on and around the trails of Mount Seymour.  Not to be missed. Check it out here.

 

NEWS

2011 Membership Registration. Club membership registration for 2011 is now open. Yes, that means it's time to get off the couch and join or renew with CFA for the upcoming year.

Great news for renewing members:  Your annual Club membership dues won't change and the number and variety of Club events continues to grow.

Great news if you're thinking about joining:  New members get 14 months of free CFA events to enjoy.

CFA ON THE WEB




PAST EVENT RESULTS AND REPORTS

 For the latest results, please click here.

CONTESTS

Refer A Friend Contest. Same contest, same rules, new year. Up-to-date standings here. Check out how to participate in the Refer a Friend Contest.
 

2010 Traveling Colours Contest.  Pictures of your 2010 adventures wearing your Club shirt (any colour) can be posted to Flickr following the instructions here. All submissions to date are posted here. The winner of the 2010 Travelling Colours Contest will receive a full refund on the 2011 membership dues. Second place will go home with a sock package kindly sponsored by business member Kintec Footlabs.

2010 Point Series.  Through a strategic mix of wearing her Club Fat Ass shirt in non CFA events, signing up early for events, collecting garbage and referring new members, Jess Dagg has gained ground on Ean, Reagan, Des and Sibylle.  However, the race is still on, watch your back, Jess! The winner will win bragging rights and a pair of new runners!  Read about how to collect points. Up-to-date standings here.

CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS

Club Fat Ass and our members support a variety of charities, causes and events.  Please check them out here.

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.


SPONSORS

CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Bagger Challenge. 1 April - 10 October - North Shore Mountains, BC Canada.  See how many North Shore peaks you can run up and bag in a summer.    Find out more here.  We are also looking for GPS data of last years bagging extravaganza to share with all Baggers this year.

Photo left: Wandering around on top of the South Needles 

Photo right: Views from the Howe Sound Crest trail

Photo left: Sunset over Capilano River  during the Midsummer Night Run.

Capilano Canyon Night Run - A Midsummer Night's Dream. August 21 - North Vancouver, BC, Canada. Don't miss this night running classic followed by a garden party and potluck extravaganza.  Details here.

Go Home via the Hanes Valley. August 28 - North Vancouver, BC, Canada.  Chose between a nice and easy 14km trail or tough, backcountry wilderness runs of 18km or 30km length.  More here. 

Flash - Duel at the Pool - 2010.  September 3 - Vancouver, BC, Canada. A 5K swim in Kits Pool. At 8 complete laps to the kilometer, that makes this challenge 20 return laps, or 40 lengths of the world's best pool. Meet the Whale and Mako sharks here. 

Sunshine in September. 4 September - Langdale, BC Canada. 20km or 26km on beautiful, mostly single track trails just off the ferry terminal in Langdale on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Run in forests of grand old trees and gigantic mushrooms. Easy logistics with carpooling, walk on the ferry, run off the ferry and a lovely post-run get together with super views on the ferry ride back. As close to a get a way in a day as you can get! Changes this year include a new Event Host, bag drop and no more running on the highway. More details here.

5Peaks Buntzen Lake Warm-Up. 4 September - Port Coquitlam, BC Canada.  Details here.

Fall Mountain Highway Madness: 12 September - North Vancouver, BC Canada. Check it out here.

 

NEWS

New Member Welcome.  New to the Club? We've heard the word on the street is that CFA is only for the big dogs... you know, the ones that run all day and run all night and eat their young.  Our new New Member Welcome page is intended to dispel a rumor or two and help you find your way around, pick the events that are right for you and to connect with fellow members. 

Ambassador Program.  Also oriented at helping new Club members mingle with the old dogs, we're ramping-up an Ambassador Program.  The idea is to get you outgoing, positive and highly experienced big dogs to "adopt" a new club member.  Make them feel welcome.  Make sure they don't get lost.  Share some of the finer elements of CFA culture with them, like picking up trash and encouraging them to share their experiences and photos with other members in our online clubhouse.  Curious about becoming an Ambassador?  Contact CFA Membership person,  Jackie Montgomery.  You might just make some new friends and earn club points on the way!

Foursquare Game.  When not out there running with you, members of the Club's Steering Committee are constantly looking for ways to make the Club more fun and engaging for you.  We're currently evaluating Foursquare, an online game-thing that uses GPS data from your smartphone.  

Got an iPhone or similar phone with GPS?  Interested in social media stuff?  We'd love to involve you in testing how this might work for CFA events!  Please drop me a line if interested in being a tester.

CFA Steering Committee.  A small group of community minded people are selflessly working behind the scenes to build and manage your Club. We are always looking for help and fresh ideas.  We'd especially like to hear from enthusiastic folks to help as Event Host Chair and with PR and marketing.  Please drop me a line. For a couple of hours a month, you can make a big difference (and we actually have a lot of fun!)

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

TECH TIPS

Image Uploading.  By popular demand here are some pointers on how to get your images into your blog and to the various slideshows on the website.

CFA ON THE WEB




PAST EVENT RESULTS AND REPORTS

Check out the latest event reports here. 

CONTESTS

Refer A Friend Contest. Up-to-date standings here. Check out how to participate in the Refer a Friend Contest.

2010 Traveling Colours Contest.  Pictures of your 2010 adventures wearing your Club shirt (any colour) can be posted to Flickr following the instructions here. All submissions to date are posted here.


Photo right:  Ali running through dandelion meadow during the Slack Ass in Edmonton

Photo left: Jess and Pat happy to reach the finish of the Fat Dog 100

Photo right: Craig collecting bagger and shirt points

 

2010 Point Series. Jess has taken the lead with a steady diet of CFA events and wearing her favorite shirt during other races.  There is still time for you to participate, win bragging rights and a pair of new runners!  Read about how to collect points. Up-to-date standings here.

Bagger Challenge.  Peak bagging season is in full swing, trash talk is at new heights and Craig has used his holidays to tie with last year's winner, Ken Legg, and slowly close in on the leaders, Killaine and Ean.  Time for Craig to get back to work!  Have a look at the standings and links to how it all works here.

CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS

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

 

Newsletter Subscription | Join the Club | CFA Home | Contact Us | Privacy

CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Bagger Challenge. 1 April - 10 October - North Shore Mountains, BC Canada.  See how many North Shore peaks you can run up and bag in a summer.  Start racking up points now by bagging the snowless Howe Sound Island peaks.   Find out more here.  We are also looking for GPS data of last years bagging extravaganza to share with all Baggers this year.

Photo left: Ken holds up a tree during the Tour De Howe Sound 

Photo right: Rick on a rather rickety bridge during a past XTC

Vancouver Skyline XTC. 12 June - North Vancouver, BC, Canada. This trail run with a twist explores some of the most scenic areas of Vancouver's famous North Shore mountains. Runners can choose to run 25K "Up," 25K "Down," 50K "Up and Down" or a "Roll Your Own" custom distance to suit their abilities. Runners will experience approximately 3,000 m (9,000 ft.) of elevation change over the 50 km course on moderate to challenging trails. Find out more and register here.

The Slack Ass 50. 13 June - Edmonton, AB, Canada. Join Event Host Alli Conroy for 13 or 50 miles of Edmonton's extensive trail system along a beautiful river valley. A mix of forest trails and pavement, the trail will follow rolling, well-established trails through major parks for most of the route. There will be some steeper cross country style terrain to mix it up a bit so be prepared. Start/finish at the main pavilion at Hawrelak Park. Find out more and register here.

Photo left:  Event Host Alli taking a break during the Slack Ass in Edmonton

The Squamish Brick. 19/20 June - Squamish, BC Canada. Two back-to-back trail running days from Hell on the STORMY 50/100-mile course. Most 100-mile runners will agree that bricks (back-to-back long runs) build character and stamina. This little jog in the woods ought to do that. Run one day or run both. For anyone who is planning to run the STORMY 50-mile or 100-mile race in 2010 or otherwise. Great familiarization run and perfect timing at 7 weeks before the big event. More info here. Please note that to avoid any possible conflict with the Test of Metal bike race, the start on Saturday has been changed to 7:30am.

Photo above: Peaks to bag...

Flash - 5Peaks Mount Seymour Warm-Up. 11 July - North Vancouver, BC.  A fun and free group orientation run on the 6.3km and 9.8km courses on the 5Peaks course on Seymour Mountain. Combination of single track, technical hiking trails and alpine ski runs.   There will be faster and slower pace groups on each course, so there's something for everyone.  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. If you are able to lead a group, please contact me.

Photo left:  Event Host Carlos showing off the views and trail of the Full Monty 

The Full Monty: 17 July - Victoria, BC, Canada. Can you do the Full Monty? 25km or 50km on beautiful single track trails. Amazing views. Check it out here.

 

NEWS

Business Member.  Please help me to welcome Pushpa Chandra, who has joined us as a Business Member.  Be sure to check out Pushpa's naturopathic services in sports medicine.

CFA Steering Committee.  A small group of community minded people are selflessly working behind the scenes to build and manage your Club. We are always looking for help and fresh ideas.  We'd especially like to hear from enthusiastic folks to help as Event Host Chair and with PR and marketing.  Please drop me a line. For a couple of hours a month, you can make a big difference (and we actually have a lot of fun!)

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

CFA ON THE WEB




PAST EVENT RESULTS AND REPORTS

Vancouver 100. Event Host - Craig Moore.  The skies cleared for what might be the toughest 100km run out there, helping to accomplish a high finisher rate.  We had 10 runners attempting the full enchilada, with a total of 51 athletes participating in one way or another.  You can check out photos, comments and results here.

Photo right: Mike battling exhaustion during the Vancouver 100

Photo left:  Chad and Kirsten getting off course during the Vancouver 100

Escape to Egmont. Event Host - Jackie Montgomery. With a brief break that allowed us some nice weather, we ran the first Escape to Egmont yesterday. With nine starters, we had fair representation of the communities of the sunshine coast. Powell River, Sechelt and Earls Cove runners made the trip to the Earls Cove ferry terminal for the 8:30am start. After starting off with a fairly long uphill along the highway, we made our way along Egmont road (past the brand new firehall!) and onto the forest service road that took us up to Klein Lake. For a full report and results, click here.

 

Chilly Willy 2 into the Heat. Event Host - Lorie Alexander. Well!  Chilly Willy 2 into the "heat" was Chilly Willy into the "rain". Karl did you do a rain dance! Full results here. 

Chuckanut Calf Cramper. Event Host - Genissa Sygitowicz. Fun was had by all at the inaugural Chuckanut Calf Cramper! We had beautiful, sunny weather, cool and perfect for running. After 5 hours on the trails, we were anxious for a cold homebrew and some BBQ. The course proved to be challenging even for the RD, who decided to turn herself around early and hightail it for the keg! Next year's event will be held on Saturday, May 28th (4th Saturday in May) and feature shorter run options in addition to a longer (30k ish) route.  Results, photos and videos here.

Photo left: Genissa Sygitowicz and her hound on the trails during the Chuckanut Calf Cramper.

Photos right: starters at the Burnaby Mountain Warm Up run

5Peaks CFA Burnaby Mountain Warm Up. Event Host - Craig Moore. We had a nice cool day for a group run on top of Burnaby Mountain. In fact it was only about 8C with a breeze that lacked the warmth of the previous few days when temperatures where up to double that. I for one kept my sweatshirt on until we started to run.  Starting in parking lot C was the right place to be for access to the race day course, but, as many of us hadn't been there before it was a little fun to find. Slowly everyone trickled in after driving in circles a bit and making phone calls to help locate the lot. Then we had the challenge of buying a parking ticket to steer clear of the campus security forces that I saw driving around. Actually, that was a nice way for some of us to get a little warm up run because the ticket meter was quite a distance from the area where we parked.  Read on here. 

Flash - Foolishly Yours 50km. Event Host - Karl Jensen.  Results are posted here.

Flash - Tour De Howe Sound. Event Hosts - old time FA's, newbies and future FA's. Photos and videos of the weekend are posted here.

Photo left: Schools of dolphins delight the crew of the Tour De Howe Sound yachts

CONTESTS

Refer A Friend Contest. Same contest, same rules, new year. Up-to-date standings here. Check out how to participate in the Refer a Friend Contest.
 

2010 Traveling Colours Contest.  Same contest, same rules, new year. Pictures of your 2010 adventures wearing your Club shirt (any colour) can be posted to Flickr following the instructions here. All submissions to date are posted here.

Photo left:  Christina in Switzerland wishes for more Fat Asses in her neighborhood.

2010 Point Series. Same contest, same rules, new year and new contenders.  Reagan is stealthily working on his New Years Resolutions and temporarily surpassed Action Jackson and yours truly.   Currently, we have a tie for 2nd between Des, Jess and Ean, but there's still time for you to win bragging rights and a pair of new runners!  Read about how to collect points. Up-to-date standings here.

CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS

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

CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Bagger Challenge. 1 April - 10 October - North Shore Mountains, BC Canada.  See how many North Shore peaks you can run up and bag in a summer.  Start racking up points now by bagging the snowless Howe Sound Island peaks.   Find out more here.  We are also looking for GPS data of last years bagging extravaganza to share with all Baggers this year.

Photo left: On the Howe Sound Crest Trail near Brunswick Lake. 

Photo right: Lynn Loop Trail

North Shore Enduro. 8 May - North Vancouver, BC, Canada. A fun run in Vancouver's rugged North Shore mountains, the Enduro is on a 7.6 km loop course that lasts up to 6 hours. A safe and challenging first trail run featuring some easy and some technical terrain. A great social event for the team runner (2-6 runners can form a team). A tune-up for Western States and other summer 100-milers for the competitive solo runner. More info and registration here.

Flash - Ultra Fuel Cook Off. 13 May - East Vancouver, BC Canada.  Get that skinny ass some padding.  Details here.

Tour de Howe Sound.  14-16 May, Howe Sound, BC, Canada. A sailing, trail running/hiking weekend adventure.  Featuring a sailboat "race" around the outside of Bowen, Anvil, Gambier and Keats Islands, Fell Running: 4 peaks on 4 islands, approximately 46 km of trails, 8,300m vertical climb and plenty of freshly-brewed ultra-fuel.  Room for one more boats that can sleep 4+!  Find out how to enter your boat and crew here.

Chuckanut Calf Cramper. 22 May - Bellingham, WA USA. Something special for our members in Washington.  Join new Event Host, Genissa, for a 20 mile run on well maintained dirt and gravel trails.  Option to turn around earlier and run fewer miles. Enjoy the beauty of the Chuckanut mountains while toning those calves! Details and registration here. 

Photo right: Chuckanut Mountains

Photo left: Pushing up Burnaby Mountain

Flash - 5 Peaks Burnaby Mountain Warm Up. 22 May - Burnaby, BC Canada. A fun and free group orientation run on the Sport (6.3K) and Enduro (9.8K) courses of the 5Peaks Simon Fraser University Race.  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 on Burnaby Mountain in June.  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. If you are able to lead a group,please contact me.

Flash - Chilly Willy 2 "Into the heat" 100 miler. 29 May - Vernon, BC. Tough but pretty. Figure 8 loops in beautiful Kalamalka Provincial Park. Fatass style with one major aid station for your drop bags. Details here.

Vancouver 100. 5-6 June - North Vancouver, BC, Canada. The toughest 100 km in Canada... maybe the world! Due to the challenging nature of this event, participation for the full 100 km is by invitation only, but everyone can still participate by running part of the course with the 100 km participants, coming out to the aid station/picnic area at Cleveland Dam or crewing for a runner. More info and applications here.

Photo right:  Event Host Craig Moore powering down the Baden Powell Trail during a past Vancouver 100 adventure.

Photo left:  Angus Mclellan, film maker of the XS-NRG documentary about the Sunshine Coast Trail and the attempt of 4 city boys to run it's entire length non-stop taking a rest at one of the many beautiful bridges on the Sunshine Coast Trail.

Flash - Escape to Egmont. 6 June - Egmont, BC, Canada. A part-road/mainly-trail out and back run from the Earl's Cove Ferry Terminal, past Klein Lake to Ruby Lake. An excuse to check out the northern-end-of-the-lower-Sunshine-Coast (have I confused you yet? Anticipated distances are approx. 15k and 25k (but custom distances easily accommodated).  More here.

 

NEWS

New Member Chair.  Please join me in welcoming your new Membership Chair, Jackie Montgomery.  Jackie joined Club Fat Ass late last summer and promptly jumped in to rescue the Sunshine in September run. She enthusiastically is planning an array of new member initiatives and a flash event every month of the summer on the Sunshine Coast. Please don't hesitate to contact Jackie with thoughts and suggestions about your membership in Club Fat Ass.

Member Directory.  Thanks to Jackie's idea and Ran's coding magic, I am very excited to introduce our first online member directory. A few things you should know about the member directory:

• Privacy.  We assume that you do not want to share your basic contact information outside of the Club.
• Members only.  For privacy reasons, we felt that this was best.  Only current Club members can access the directory.  
• Logged in.  Please make sure you enter your website user name and password before consulting the member directory. 
• What information is shared?  The member directory shows your Username, First Name, Last Name, City, Province/State and Country. 
• Accuracy.  The information about you in the directory comes from the information you provided when you set up your web account. 
• Updates to Your Member Profile.  Say you  spelled your name wrong when you joined the Club or you have moved.  Whatever the reason, it's easy to change what shows in the member directory!  First, go to your user  profile.  Click on the "Edit" tab, then "Personal Info".  Finally, select the information you'd like to change. 
• Note: To save you time (autofill), the information in your profile is also used when you register for Club events.  Beneath each field you will find an explanation as to who can see the information.  (e.g. the information in the "city" field is visible to logged in members, postal code and phone number is only visible to admin users and is used when you register for events to autofill your registration form)

Member Initiatives.  We've had a record numbers of new members over the past month.  Please be sure to say, "Howdy!" and do what you can to make our new members feel welcome if you see a new face at the next Club event.  To keep the drive alive and add even more value to your membership, we are planning a number of initiatives. Keep your eyes peeled for the new member Welcome Wagon, Member Ambassadors, Bring a Friend program, Member of the Month feature and Student Memberships.  If you're outgoing and would like to contribute, please let me know.

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

CFA ON THE WEB




PAST EVENT RESULTS AND REPORTS

Fluffy Bunny. Event Host - Jess Dagg.  The sun started to shine just after we finished! But..... the rain held off at the beginning, so we all enjoyed cruising around the Buntzen Lake area. A new member, John Pickles, came out for his first CFA event, and I must have done alright, as he says he'll be back :-) Doug and Bill tackled the new "long" course I developed, and my estimate was thankfully correct at 27km. A good challenge they said, especially since this was Doug's longest trail run ever. He shortened it a bit, but still...Congrats Doug! He also won a Trail Runner subscription at the post-event coffee locale so that should keep him going. Thanks Trail Runner mag and other sponsors for prizes. Photo and results are posted here.

XS-NRG - the movie.  Six years ago, a handful of club members set out to run a 180-kilometer wilderness trail.  Their attempt became the subject of this documentary film that was shown to a select, sold-out audience this month.  While it was very cool to see so many familiar faces in the film, critics agreed that it was a great story about a famous trail, about friendship and about teamwork.  It was also quite funny!  The filmmakers plan to take it on the festival circuit.  Check here for the next viewing opportunity. 

 

Marathon Shuffle. Event Host - Eagle Walz.  The Marathon Shuffle on the Sunshine Coast is quickly proving to be one of the more popular Club Fat Ass events.  Over 75 starters explored the beautiful Sunshine Coast Trail, the trail work and new shelters by Eagle and his friends.  We hope that the attention will help to stop the clear cut logging of the old growth forest.  Mark this event on your calendar for next year. Results and photos here. 

5Peaks Bunzten Lake Warm Up. Event Host - 5Peaks (Eric Lorenz) and Club Fat Ass (Sibylle Tinsel) It was a perfect day for a run in a rain forest.  The sky was overcast when our car pool arrived at the parking lot near Alouette Lake in Golden Ears Provincial Park.  Soon excited chatter bonded the runners trying to figure out which group to sign-up for. We had 9 run leaders for about 30 runners, not a bad ratio.  
There were two different distances, 8.8km Sports- and 14km Enduro to choose from.  We set out together on the Valley Trail, following Eric, who had devilish fun guiding via his GPS.  The rest of us leaders navigated from our memory of the course from years past and maps.  Photos and participants list here.

Burnaby Mountain Run. Event Host - Tara Haddad. We had a good crowd out, with a number of newbie members testing the waters and Event Host, Tara, testing her baby jogger with one of her twin boys along for the ride.  The weather was beautiful.  If memory serves right, this was the first and only Burnaby Mountain Run, when the rains were not torrential and we even got to enjoy the touted view ;-)  Des had registered, but wasn't toeing the startline - a bunch of point hounds were jubilant, only to discover, that Des had put in an early start and collected points alright.  Almost everybody scooped litter of the trail to do their good deed of the day and of course keep up with Des and Reagan in the Point Series.  More here.

Foolishly Yours 50km. Event Host - Karl Jensen.  Results here.

CONTESTS

Refer A Friend Contest. Same contest, same rules, new year. Up-to-date standings here. Check out how to participate in the Refer a Friend Contest.
 

2010 Travelling Colours Contest.  Same contest, same rules, new year. Pictures of your 2010 adventures wearing your Club shirt (any colour) can be posted to Flickr following the instructions here. All submissions to date are posted here.

Photo left:  What did the nurses say, John?

2010 Point Series. Same contest, same rules, new year. With Reagan, Des, Jess, Sibylle and Ean almost head to head, it promises to be a heated battle.  There's still time for you to win bragging rights and a pair of new runners, though!  Read about how to collect points. Up-to-date standings here.

CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS

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

CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Bagger Challenge. 1 April - 10 October - North Shore Mountains, BC Canada.  See how many North Shore peaks you can run up and bag in a summer. Until 21 June only the snowless Howe Sound Island peaks qualify.   Find out more here.  We are also looking for GPS data of last years bagging extravaganza to share with all Baggers this year.

Photo right: View of Howe Sound during a past Bagger adventure

Burnaby Mountain Run. 10 April - Burnaby, BC, Canada. Check out the trails around Simon Fraser University. Great views - weather permitting - and a killer hill! Details here. 

Photo right: Moody vistas at a previous Burnaby Mountain Run

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. If you are able to lead a group, please contact me.

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 right: On the Sunshine Coast Trail

Photo left: Suspension Bridge over Buntzen Lake during the Fluffy Bunny

Fluffy Bunny Trail Run: 1 May - Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada. Are you tough enough for the Fluffy Bunny? 9.5km, 15km and  27km options provide fun distances for the whole family. Go for a dip in Buntzen Lake afterward.  Find out more here!

Photo right: On Lynn Loop Trail during the Enduro

North Shore Enduro. 8 May - North Vancouver, BC, Canada. A fun run in Vancouver's rugged North Shore mountains, the Enduro is on a 7.6 km loop course that lasts up to 6 hours. A safe and challenging first trail run featuring some easy and some technical terrain. A great social event for the team runner (2-6 runners can form a team). A tune-up for Western States and other summer 100-milers for the competitive solo runner. More info and registration here.

Tour de Howe Sound.  14-16 May, Howe Sound, BC, Canada. A sailing, trail running/hiking weekend adventure.  Featuring a sailboat "race" around the outside of Bowen, Anvil, Gambier and Keats Islands, Fell Running: 4 peaks on 4 islands, approximately 46 km of trails, 8,300m vertical climb.  Boats that can sleep 4+ needed!  Find out how to enter your boat and crew here.

NEWS

2010 Club Garment and Poster Children.  By now you should have received your 2010 Club colours in the mail or at your local Kintec Footlab store.  Give it a workout.  Let me know what you think of it and please take lots of action photos of you in it for the Travelling Colours Contest!

Our very photogenic 2010 t-shirt poster children were chosen spontaneously at the Mosquito Creek Grill after running the Mountain Highway Madness in March.  Sarah Anderson and Noal Cattone from Seattle are enthusiastic new members of Club Fat Ass. They believe in their trademark, "Movement is Medicine" and claim not not to set any new land speed records. "Our next adventure is the Diez Vista 50k. We hope to get our Bad Ass Fat Ass shirts MUDDY!!!" Check out their FA style Urban Trail Race and website.

ActivePorker iphone App. If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, please download the free ActivePorker app to stay connected to the club while you're on the go.  We are excited and encouraged by the steadily increasing usage of the app and are working on a few updates to be released in the coming months.   If you like the app, please leave a review on iTunes and let us know what you think.  You can also become a fan on the ActivePorker Facebook Fan page, to get the latest info about the app and to follow the hog-wild antics of our traveling club mascot.

The Porker.  "The Porker" is Club Fat Ass's official mascot. He has a rich history and is manifested in several forms: our "golden" mascot, our Club logo and most recently, the ActivePorker iPhone app (see above).  Our Club mascot is made of brass.  He's a bit bigger than a loaf of bread and weights a ton!  (Well, figuratively, anyway.  You can read all about his history here.

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.

CONTESTS

Refer A Friend Contest. Same contest, same rules, new year. Up-to-date standings here. Check out how to participate in the Refer a Friend Contest.
 

2010 Travelling Colours Contest.  Same contest, same rules, new year. Pictures of your 2010 adventures wearing your Club shirt (any colour) can be posted to Flickr following the instructions here. All submissions to date are posted here.

2010 Point Series. Same contest, same rules, new year. Up-to-date standings here. Read here about how to collect points.

CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS

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

CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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. 

Photo right:  Amazing views on a clear day during the Burnaby Mountain Run.

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.

NEWS

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.

CONTESTS

Refer A Friend Contest. Same contest, same rules, new year. Up-to-date standings here. Check out how to participate in the Refer a Friend Contest.
 

2010 Travelling Colours Contest.  Same contest, same rules, new year. Pictures of your 2010 adventures wearing your Club shirt (any colour) can be posted to Flickr following the instructions here. All submissions to date are posted here.

2010 Point Series. Same contest, same rules, new year. Up-to-date standings here. Read here about how to collect points.

CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS

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

CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Healthy Eating Workshop. 23 January - Vancouver, BC.  Check out this nutrition workshop by business member Curb Ivanic of Core Fitness. Special rate for Club Fat Ass members. Details here.

Squamish Scrambler. 6 February - Squamish, BC, Canada. This is an out-and-back snowshoe hike/run up to Elfin Lakes Cabin in Squamish (22km). Bring the family as far as Red Heather, a 10km return snowshoe hike, or continue on up towards Little Diamond Head, or out towards Mamquam Lake, depending on conditions and motivation. Savor spectacular views of The Tantalus Range, Howe Sound and Sky Pilot.  More info here.

Photo left:  Snowshoers on the return route from the Elfin Cabin.

Photo right: On the dark trails during last year's Capilano Canyon Night Run

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 and celebration of Fat Tuesday. Entry limited to first 50 entrants, so please register early!

Photo left: Breaking trail during last years Spring Mountain Highway Madness

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!

2010 Club Garment.  The order is in and the wheels are now in motion for the production of your limited edition 2010 Club garment.  The colours are "sunshine yellow" for both the girls and the boys shirts. We haven't decided on screen colours yet... how about purple for the girls and orange for the boys? 

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.

Sponsors.  A big, fat "Thank you!" to the business members of CFA who supported our Club this past year and those who signed up or renewed for 2010.  Please make sure you consider them when shopping or looking for professional services.  Please also remember that, apart from providing draw prizes, most of our Business members also offer Club Members a discount, so be sure to ask at the cash register.

(click on the Kintec coupon for your print version)

Member Posting Privileges.  Did you know that current Club Fat Ass members have special privileges at the "online clubhouse"?  Did you know that you can organize your training runs as Flash events?  Sure, it's a bit more trouble than sending out an email to the usual suspects, but by sharing your plans with others in the running community, you become an instant leader.  (Sandbaggers, beware: It's harder for run leaders to secret train!)   Routine or exceptional, you can share your running adventures and experiences with your friends and fellow Club members with a blog.  To do this, log in with your member username and look for your navigation block in the left hand column.  Click "create content" and then chose blog.  If you don't see this feature and are a 2010 member, please  drop me a line.  Current members can also share a bit about themselves and have their photo appear with their written contributions to the clubhouse.  Just complete your User Profile.

Web Account Information.  Save time.  Don't miss emails. The start of an event-full new year is the perfect time to confirm your web account information.   Registering for Club events is a snap if you take advantage of the autofill feature.  Your registration form is completed for you from the information in your web account profile.  Please make sure the information and email address is current as this is were the website sends notifications and password requests.  Note: currently, your web account information is separate from the information you submitted with your membership registration.

CONTESTS

Travelling Colours Contest.  As the year came to a close, there were some interesting battles going on between the top finishers in the 2009 Travelling Colors Competition.  Tactics included:  promoting t-shirt photos on Facebook and Flickr with the message to friends and family being, "Vote for me!"  All's fair in love and war! 

Congrats to Bill who won a refund on his 2010 dues for his colourful image taken during a Caribean holiday with fiance, Jess Bassil, and his son.  Runner up was Katie's post run photo at the Run To the Clouds and third place is awarded to Ean, proudly presenting the brass porker he purchased in a garage sale while running the Vancouver Skyline XTC last summer. A slideshow of all 2009 contributions is posted here.

Get a head start on this year's contest by taking lots of photos of yourself in your Club garment and sharing them by following the instructions here.

2009 Point Series. Ta da... the most active Club member of 2009 was Craig Moore of North Vancouver, Canada with 68 Club points.  His strategy? Craig participated in 20 CFA events in 2009.  He signed-up early, showed up, hosted two events, and collected trash at most of the events he participated in.  Craig won a certificate for a pair of running shoes from Kintec Footlabs.

Second and third place go to your's truly and Action Jackson, but we only play for fun not to win.  Fourth place place was claimed by Des Mott of North Vancouver.  Des collected 50 points through a healthy mix of hosting an event and cleaning trash from the trails.

Congrats to everyone in the Club for making this contest a lot of fun. Final 2009 Standings are posted here.

The 2010 Point Series is already in full swing. Read here about how to collect points and win a pair of spanking new trail shoes for accumulating more points than your fellow club members.  2010 standings are posted here.

Refer a Friend Contest. Congrats to Kristie Congram, who won the inaugural Refer a Friend Contest and a SOLE footcare package valued at over $200 provided from Kintec Footlab. Kristie might not have had an active running year as injuries and surgeries put her training on hold, but she certainly was active recruiting new members from as far away as Missouri. 

This contest is intended to recognize those hyper-active Club members who share their love of Club events by dragging along their friends.  Tell them on a run.  Tell them at work.  Tell them when they ask about your Club colors at the gym.  Tell them in person or tell them on Facebook.  However you tell them, be sure to tell them you told them... because you could win a pair of trail runners from Kintec Footlabs!  Check out the simple Refer a Friend Contest rules and meet the competition here. 

New Year's Resolution Contest. And the winner is...Claudia!  She was able to accomplish 80% of the athletic resolutions she made for 2009.  Claudia also received a certificate for a pair of running shoes from our business member, Kintec Footlabs. Here are all the 2009 resolutions and self-evaluations. 

Want to share your 2010 resolutions with the world?  Here's how you can do it!  You can check out any musings related to the contest here. 

The member who comes closest to their resolutions will win a SOLE footcare package courtesy of our friends and sponsors at Kintec Footlabs.

CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS

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

CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Pure Satisfaction: 13 December - North Vancouver, BC. 12km or 24km on slippery, wet, rooty, dark trails...the perfect way to start the busy Christmas season. Bring your jingle bells and wear your Santa hat. Details here.

Photo left: Collin Freeland during a past Pure Satisfaction Run

Photo right: amazing views of Mount Baker during the Galbraith Mountain Tour

Galbraith Mountain Tour. 19 December - Bellingham, WA. A 15-mile trail run on the Lake Padden & Galbraith Mountain trail systems. Prepare for the lack of stairs, boulders, roots and bears but with all the fun of the true single track. If we have clear weather there will be amazing views of Mt. Baker, San Juan Islands & the Northshore mountains of Vancouver. More details here.

Vancouver New Year's FA 50 Run. 1 January 2010 - Vancouver, BC, Canada. A 50 km resolution run to kick off the New Year on the right foot. Those who are more hung-over and those with resolutions they are not likely to keep can opt for a custom course of 1 to 49 km. More details here!

Photo left:  Snowy trails in Stanley Park during last years Vancouver New Year's Day Fat Ass 50km Run.

Photo right: Daniel Probst in shorts at the Squamish Scrambler

Squamish Scrambler. 6 February - Squamish, BC, Canada. This is an out-and-back snowshoe hike/run up to Elfin Lakes Cabin in Squamish (22km). Bring the family as far as Red Heather, a 10km return snowshoe hike, or continue on up towards Little Diamond Head, or out towards Mamquam Lake, depending on conditions and motivation. Savour spectacular views of The Tantalus Range, Howe Sound and Sky Pilot.  More info here.

2010 Membership Registration. Registration and renewal for Club Fat Ass for 2010 is in full-swing.  Don't miss out on the special order no-stink, long-sleeve, yellow 2010 collectors Club shirt... and be sure to kick the new year off on the right foot with your first Club run of the year. 

2010 Club Garment. Did you know Club membership dues include a garment? Collectors take note... the 2010 Club t-shirt will be sunshine yellow for both boys and girls.  It will be the same fabric and cut as our past "FatAssWear" long-sleeve garments that were custom-designed by CFA member Vanessa Fors and cut, sewn and screened in Vancouver, Canada.  As in previous years, we expect to have the new shirts ready for mail-out/pick-up toward the end of February. To make sure you get the limited edition 2010 Club colours, you must sign up before December 31st, as that's when the order goes in. Don't miss out, sign up now!

Contests.  You can find a list of all Club contests under Member Benefits on the left of the website.  All contests will come to an end on 31 December.  Winners will be announced during the awards for the Vancouver New Year's Day Fat Ass 50.  If you participated in any Club contests, please review the rules to improve your chances of winning.

System Emails Go AWOL.  Our Club website should automatically send new account confirmation, event confirmation and a short summary of messages that are posted to the "online clubhouse".  There was a hiccup that saw some messages get sidetracked.  Sorry! Thanks to Ran's detective work it is fixed now.  I should have touched base with you if this impacted you, however, if you are still waiting for an activation email or new password, please drop me a line.

Website Content Notifications.  Our website makes it possible for you to subscribe to a variety of new content.  This means that if you are subscribed you will receive an email notification when new content is posted.  The settings for this feature can be customized.  For example you can subscribe to all blogs or only your friends blogs.  By default, you will receive notifications of any comments made on posts you submitted.  You can subscribe and unsubscribe at any time either from a link directly below the post in question, through a link in the notification email or in your user account settings at http://www.clubfatass.com/user (log in before going there).  If you find that you are getting too many or not enough updates, please take a moment to adjust your settings. 

CONTESTS

New Year's Resolution Contest. It's time to stop thinking and to start acting about your New Year's Resolutions!  We're again offering CFA members and anyone else who is interested a place where they can log their 2010 fitness resolutions. You can look at this as a goal-setting tool, as a way to keep yourself honest or as a contest to see how close you come to meeting your goals. More information at New Years Resolution Contest.

On a similar note, the 2009 New Years Resolution Contest is coming to an end... only a few weeks to the end of the year!  This year's contestants are asked to provide an update as a comment on their original resolutions by December 20th.  Please rate your achievement in percentage points. You can check out any musings related to the contest here: http://www.clubfatass.com/contest/NewYearsResolutions/2009.

The member who comes closest to their resolutions will win a pair of running shoes courtesy of our friends and sponsors at Kintec Footlabs.

Photos left and above: Bill Dagg, his son and Jess Bassil enjoying a tropical vacation in Belize

Photo below: Bill Dagg in the Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park

2009 Travelling Colours Contest.  Time for some scheming and scamming...if you submitted photos to this years contest, you might want to ask your friends to comment and fave your contribution.  The image recording most views/comments and faves (as determined by Flickr) will win this years contest and win a full refund of his or her 2010 Club membership dues. Pictures of your 2009 adventures wearing your Club shirt (any colour) can still be posted to Flickr following the instructions here. All submissions to date are posted here.

2009 Point Series. Craig and Sibylle have been creatively collecting photo, garbage and referal points and are leading the pack.  Up-to-date standings here. Read here about how to collect points and win a pair of spanking new trail shoes.  Point collection will end 20th of December, all points submitted/collected after that date will count for 2010. 

Refer a Friend Contest. This contest is intended to recognize those hyper-active Club members who share their love of Club events by dragging along their friends.  Tell them on a run.  Tell them at work.  Tell them when they ask about your Club colors at the gym.  Tell them in person or tell them on Facebook.  However you tell them, be sure to tell them you told them... because you could win a SOLE footcare package valued at over $200!  Check out the simple Refer a Friend Contest rules and meet the competition here.  Currently in the lead is Kristie Congram, followed by Tim Wiens, Yours Truly and Gary Robbins. 

CAUSES YOUR CLUB SUPPORTS

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

CFA does not sell or otherwise distribute our member list.