FOOTPRINT Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers
November - December 2013
www.lgraw.com
The FOOTPRINT goes Digital By Kevin Wessels
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ou are holding in your hands the final printed FOOTPRINT. For the past 15 years, the FOOTPRINT has been a great connection between the club and its members. So many of the club’s countless highlights have been captured here.
to do is go to the LGRAW website (lgraw.com) and follow the “media” menu to peruse archived copies dating back to 1997. Throughout the years we have published many race reports, funny running anecdotes, pictures and even cartoons. Below depicts “Life in the RAW” drawn by Noreen “Diva” Henry.
While it may be difficult to wave goodbye to this era, RAW is more than the FOOTPRINT. RAW is that group of friends that run with you no matter what the weather. RAW is that pack of fellow racers that pulls you into their shell while running headfirst into the sleet. RAW is there to celebrate a special birthday or to comfort a painful loss. RAW is that road trip full of memories that you talk about in nearly every run thereafter. RAW is that wacky bunch that pushes you out of the van in the middle of the night to run your relay leg. RAW is that group that welcomes you back no matter how long you’ve been away. RAW is you. Special thanks go to all the creative efforts over years for making the FOOTPRINT the legendary embodiment of RAW that it is. From its prolific writers, including David Ball, Tony Flesch, Marty Metzger, Mark Miller, Thomas Okazaki, Troy Pruett, and Spareribs to the amazing work behind the scenes of Susan Barnett, Kathryn Gleghorn, Kelly Richards, Belynda Warner and Lorraine Wessels. Without the great stories and a way to share them with RAW, much of the special relationship RAW has with its members would be missing. What does the future hold? The FOOTPRINT will now be produced digitally and emailed directly to the members. By going digital, we’ll be able to share our content in a timely manner. The digital FOOTPRINT will be produced on a monthly basis so you can stay up to date on all that’s going on at RAW. You’ll still get all the latest dates for your RAW social calendar, get to know other club members through the “In Step With” column and get all of the same great features the printed version has. The digital FOOTPRINT will be in a more concise format, but all of the FOOTPRINT content you’ve grown accustomed to will still be there. RAW is you….We’ll still be counting on you for member race reports, stories and photos. So while it may be the end of an era, the end of the printed FOOTPRINT, it is also a new beginning. It’s a new beginning we’re excited about. Watch your inbox for the first digital FOOTPRINT. And don’t worry, when you get nostalgic for the FOOTPRINT in its current format, all you have
Pages 8, 9 and 10 of this issue feature reprints of some of the editor’s favorite submissions. These articles are informative, entertaining and highlight some of RAW’s history while showcasing some of the club’s best writers (“Old Man Gregory LaMothe” and Mark Miller have both been recognized by the Road Runners Club of America for their writing). Read the best of... “ How my ponytail saved my life” by Kelly Richards, October 2003 “ Runner’s Whirl” by Spareribs, August 2005 “ Running with Bart” by Jennifer McCloud, July 2006 “ A Personal Worst, Belly Dancers, and a Lesson in Value” by Mark Miller, July 2009 “ How the Internet Begat the RAW Clubhouse” by Richard Craft, September 2011