USAFit/Philly

So I've been spending a fair amount of time on USAFit/Philly these past weeks. I've been cleaning and organizing the contact database, working on some publicity and trying to figure out the website.

Next weekend (March 5-7) is the USAFit organizers meeting in Austin, TX. USAFit pays for the organizers to come together to learn how to run the programs. I'm looking forward to that in hopes that it will fill in some of the gaps.

Until then I've been using some skills from my day job to decide how to promote the group. (I may be repeating some stuff I've already posted about.. I'm not looking back to check first.) I've created a business card size flyer that people can easily hand out when asked about our group. I'm hoping that people will put it in their pocket when running or walking on the trails too. I figured a full size flyer is too bulky to carry around but a business card size can easily be handed off from one to the other...

One of the neat things about USAFit is that I design the flyer or tell them what I want and they design it and get it print. I just have to come up with the idea.

I've also been setting up for our group to have a booth at the Endurance Sports Expo the weekend of March 13-14. The expo is at the Greater Philadlephia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. In fact the buidling is right off one of the main trails we have our group run/walks.

I also hooked up with a publication called the Coffeenews. They put a one page 'newspaper' in about 2 dozen coffeeshops and similar stores in the oaks, collegeville, trappe area.. again right in our group meeting neighborhood. One of our group members brought it to my attention.

I have the three main coaches for the season lined up. I need to find some assistant coaches and a walking coach. I want to have a half marathon group this year. I will coach that group myself if there are any takers. I noticed we had a handful of people last year who only wanted to do the half marathon and they were really good about sticking with the routine but it might be easier if they had a coach and a designation all their own.

There seems to be a lot of work to do as organizer right now; probably more than during the acutal season... we'll see. I'm enjoying it though.