On The Run - August 2019
IN THIS ISSUE
Runner of the Month: Thomas Fung
Congratulations to Runner of the Month Thomas Fung!
President Mike Bertram announced the winner at last month's meeting describing Thomas as a longtime member who is always great to be around:
He's always very welcoming, especially to new members. He has served on the board for 4 years: 2 as President and 2 as Treasurer.
For a little background about Thomas, I turned to his running partner David Schiller.
As evident from anyone who knows Thomas or follows him on Facebook, Thomas always puts the needs and wants of family, friends, and community before himself. Add to the fact that he is a super nice guy, and it is no wonder he ends up “volunteering” to referee swim meets several years in a row or serve as club President for two years. Thomas and Kerri have two children: Skylar, who graduated from San Jose State, and Audrey, who is currently at UC Irvine. His wife Kerri works for the Irvine Public Schools Foundation.
Thomas was born in Taiwan and still has relatives there.
Thomas wrote on Facebook on 2/29/2016:
40 years ago today, my parents (Louis and Catherine) took a chance, uprooted the family from Singapore, and moved to San Francisco Chinatown. On the evening of Feb 29 1976, I arrived in SFO as a green card kid with Taiwan passport. In the beginning, the land of opportunity was difficult for my family. Dad was a civil engineer in Asia. In SF, he sold vacuum cleaners, owned an ice cream shop, and worked on odd jobs before finding his engineering position with CalTran. Before SF, Mom was a teacher. She had to work in a sawing factory and dim sum restaurant before finding her teaching job in Marina Middle School. My sisters (Loretta & Maria) and I tried to fit in but ran into some language barrier problems. We enrolled in ESL classes, got teased and picked on by some but found our friends in Old St. Mary’s Chinese School, Church, & Community. My education/experiences in Ben Franklin, St. Mary’s, Sacred Heart and SLO have shaped a part of me today. My parents’ sacrifices defined me. I am forever grateful to my parents for taking that chance 40 years ago and brought me to the land of opportunities. Too bad my dad can only watch me from heaven, he had showed me how to love my family, help my friends, say my prayers, give back to my community and defend our country, USA.
Growing up he always loved aeronautics and astronautics, which is what he pursued as a career. Starting with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and then McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing). Thomas lead a Titan Payload Fairing Program and has been a Senior Manager for several projects since then. He has worked at the Huntington Beach facility his entire career.
David Schiller ran at lunch with Thomas at McDonnell Douglas and introduced him to SCRR.
Battling plantar and calfinjuries, Thomas was still was able to run the 2018 Big Sur Marathon.
Thomas has created plans for many Tuesday night track workouts.
He enjoys red wine and Japanese whiskey, and especially enjoys sharing both with his friends.
As Lillian Bertram says:
Thomas knows good food and good libations. He knows the best restaurants. And Thomas is the ultimate host. He really knows how to take care of his guests.
Club members look forward to the run and pool party Thomas hosts every year where he cooks up delicious post-run breakfast burritos.
He also enjoys camping and barbecuing with friends.
Mike Pesonen says:
The South Coast Road Runners were fortunate to have Thomas as our president. His dedication and selfless energy made the club better for everyone. I enjoyed every minute working on the board with him.
Thank you, Thomas, for everything you do for the club!
Destination Race: REVEL Mount Hood
At the end of June, a group of Roadrunners traveled to Portland, Oregon to run the REVEL Mount Hood Marathon & Half Marathon.
There were BQs, PRs, age group wins, and lots of fun had by all.
Monthly Club Race: Woodbridge 4th of July
What a great turnout at the Woodbridge 4th of July 5K and 10K!
41 Roadrunners scored in the first race of the 2019-2020 Grand Prix series.
And two speedy members scored over 800 points in the 5K: Jeanie Leitner and Steve Ireland.
Our upcoming club races are the Track Mile (August 10), Surf City 10 (September 21), Halloween Terrifying Ten (October 27), and Dino Dash (November 3).
See you at the races!
Social Event: Summer BBQ Potluck
Thank you to everyone who attended the Summer BBQ Potluck at Citrus Ranch Park!
Recipe Corner: Spanish Gazpacho
This month's recipe was inspired by the wonderful bounty of homegrown tomatoes Fred Cowles and Sherri Ellerby have been generously sharing with club members this summer.
Spanish Gazpacho will make you feel like you’re on a summer vacation in Spain. This smooth and refreshing chilled soup features fresh tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper. You’ll want to keep a batch in the refrigerator to enjoy all summer long.
This recipe by Amy Katz originally appeared on Veggies Save The Day.
Ingredients:
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 pounds tomatoes ripe, roughly chopped
- 1 cup cucumber peeled, roughly chopped
- 1 green bell pepper roughly chopped
- ½ cup white onion roughly chopped
- 1 piece French baguette about 3-4 inches (or other white bread) softened in water (see Notes)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- ¾ cup olive oil
- salt to taste
- extra cucumber and bell pepper diced small, for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- Place all the ingredients (except the garnish) in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary.
- Transfer the gazpacho to a container. Cover and refrigerate the soup for at least an hour or overnight before serving.
- Serve individual portions topped with diced cucumber and bell pepper, if desired.
Notes:
Soak the piece of bread in a bowl of water for a few minutes until it's soft. Carefully squeeze out the excess water before proceeding with the recipe.
Leftover gazpacho will last refrigerated for about 5 days.
Treasurer's Report
| Total Cash Balance, Beginning | $4,184.25 |
| Cash Inflows | $698.51 |
| Cash Outflows-First Thursday | $301.30 |
| Cash Outflows-RRCA Insurance | |
| Cash Outflows-Banquet | |
| Cash Outflows-Uniforms | |
| Cash Outflows-Social Gatherings | |
| Cash Outflows-Other | |
| Net Change in Cash | $397.21 |
| Total Cash Balance, Ending | $4,581.46 |