Karla Bartley, the co-creator and owner of The Island Heron – a brand new Yoga studio in Jamestown, is welcoming our club members to her studio with open arms and offering a 10% discount off everything that they provide – from a drop-in yoga class to a monthly membership. Karla said, "Yoga can and does compliment running nicely and encourages a healthy and active lifestyle." For more information, see www.theislandheron.com.  
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Jimmy Brunelle, who hails from the RIRR's small, but very strong "Atlanta Chapter", has launched a new project called Crusted Salt, a comic strip for, as Jimmy said, "people who like to keep moving. Check it out. Share it, pass it on, Like it, tweet it, follow it on Facebook, Twitter, Email subscribe!"  
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Once again, the folks from the Wampanoag Road Runners are extending the members of our club a $5.00 discount for our first RIRR Grand Prix race of the 2012 season, the Old Fashioned Ten-Mile Race in Foxboro, Mass. To receive this discount, you must mail in your application and note "RIRR: on your form. This offer will stand until Feb. 10, 2012 or until the race is capped at 1,000 runners, so act fast! Click here for the race's web site.



The top 10 finishers in this year's 2011 Grand Prix series are 1. Milt Schumacher (584.24 points), 2. Penny Catalano (561.31), 3. Harry Carter (557.69), 4. Dave Pember (533.45), 5. Cee Vallee (525.88). 6. Mark DiFranco (502.77), 7. Mike Vallee (488.02), 8. Ann Noyes (486.22), 9. Poyee Oster (468.45), and 10. Denise DiFranco, who jumped up from No. 17 to take 10th place by 4.5 points (467.17). Please note: the 20-second discrepancy from October's Ocean Mist race and "Mrs. Claus's" 45-second head start in the Beat Santa 5K were taken into careful consideration, but still did not affect the final 10 places at all.
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What a way to end the running season! An astounding record 57 club runners ran in the 2011 Grand Prix finale, the Beat Santa 5K in Portsmouth. Yes, 57! There have been a handful of Grand Prix races over the past several years in which the club fielded numbers in the 40s, but never did the club reach and surpass 50 -- until this race! For those of you anxiously awaiting the final Grand Prix results, the results are updated and posted on the Grand Prix page.   
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The Red Rooster Ramble in Warren won’t start up again until March, but until then, the 2012 Winter Pub Run Series is under way! Like the Ramble, the runs are 5 miles and start at 6:30 p.m. from the desig­nated pub of the week. Bring lights and reflective gear ... all are welcome! Here's the schedule:  

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26 -- Mudville in Newport, RI

2 -- Common Pub in Bristol, RI

9 -- English Cellar Ale House in Providence, RI

16 -- Oak Hill Tavern in North Kingstown, RI

23 -- Tortilla Flats in Providence, RI

1 -- Speakeasy in Newport, RI

8 -- J.R. Beans in Bristol, RI

15 -- Wild Colonial in Providence, RI

22 -- El Parque in Portsmouth, RI

RIRR member Milt Schumacher will be coordinating Monday night track workouts at the Smithfield High track on Pleasant View Ave in Greenville. Warmups will be at 4:30 p.m., and a workout of 2-3 miles of varying distance intervals will follow. All workouts are open to anyone regardless of speed, experience, or affiliation.

Milt recently said: "Could you be a Trackie? OK, I just made up that handle, but it occurs to me that most of us hear or read of, or see, other runners track experience and think "perhaps that is something I should try." I heartily recommend that you find out for yourself. Join us on Monday afternoons at 4:30-5:30 at the Smithfield High School track on Route 116 in Greenville. Our numbers have been lower than average this year, due to weather conditions, injuries, frequent after-school activities crowding us off the track (those occasions send us a quarter-mile away to the wide-open, but soft surface grassy soccer complex). Now is the perfect time to join us for your initiation (or return). If you want to race faster, you have to train faster (safer, less destructive, and perhaps more fun than just using your races to get faster).
For more information, see the link above or send an e-mail to  miltschumacher@hotmail.com.

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RIRR president Kevin Brennan's 'State of the Union' address is on the Bulletin Board and is a must-read for all RIRR members!

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As usual, race reports and pictures for the club's newsletter and web site will be graciously accepted. Send anything you'd like (contributions, thoughts, comments) to EricBen24@cox.net.

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For those who are familiar with Facebook and have profiles on it, we have our own group (RHODE ISLAND ROAD RUNNERS) on it. Check it out, join the group, and spread the word!