By Adam Rasmussen

In May, I completed my first 100-mile trail running race, the Massanutten Mountain Trails (MMT). While it is one of my greatest personal achievements, it is also an accomplishment for the community that welcomed, encouraged, and prepared me for this race. Ultramarathoning is a highly competitive sport with athletes breaking records all the time. And like many other competitive sports, corporate sponsorship has influenced the culture surrounding the elite races. Despite this, the sport remains highly accessible and encouraging for newcomers of all ages and paces at the local level. 

I’ve been a trail runner for 10 years, but never ran more than a half marathon until I decided to take the plunge into ultramarathoning last year. An ultramarathon is a run that is longer than 26.2 miles. The most common race distances in the US are 50K, 50 miles, 100K, and 100 miles.

Most runners, including myself, begin with a 50K (31 miles). That may seem daunting to most of you reading these words. I wasn’t sure I could do it either. One of the many things I learned at my first ultra last year was that I should be confident that my fellow participants and the volunteers staffing the aid stations would have my back. When I developed severe cramps in both calves due to low electrolytes, I lost track of how many runners passing me offered to pick me up, supply salt capsules, and words of encouragement. Friendly volunteers at the aid station filled my water bottles and asked me what I needed to continue, and I finished the race.

I no longer need the help of the ultramarathon community to simply survive a race. Still, I depend on them for advice on the best places and races to run, and for inspiration to push myself beyond what I thought was possible.

That takes me back to MMT. I completed the 100 miles because I trained the last 4 months and because I had a crew and pacers from the community who knew what I needed to cross the finish line. This happened despite serious physical and mental challenges. While I didn’t know it at the time, I broke my big toe 20 miles into the race. What I did know, around mile 80 (~1 a.m.), was that my left calf was in excruciating pain as I faced one of the steepest climbs of the course. When I reached the top of the ridge I couldn’t run. It took me almost two hours to hobble 3.5 miles—by far my low point in the race.

My pacer was having none of my talk about quitting at the next aid station. She and the rest of my crew committed their weekend to ensure that I finished this race, and I wasn’t about to let them down. Fortunately, the ibuprofen I had taken finally kicked in and I was able to pull it together mentally to finish the race. I have no doubt that the ultramarathon community running the aid stations, staffing my crew, and providing pre-race strategies were responsible for me finishing this race and the 10 other ultramarathons I’ve run in the last 14 months.

Even if ultramarathons are a trail too far for you, there are many opportunities to enjoy recreational and competitive trail running in the DC region. I would start with Virginia Happy Trails Running Club (https://new.vhtrc.org/). They offer weekly recreational runs for the slow and the fast and free ultramarathon distance events and competitive races throughout the year. I started with Sundays in the Park, which offers a different experience each week of 7–10 miles in Rock Creek Park and the Potomac Heritage Trail, sometimes meeting right here in Arlington at Roosevelt Island. I also recommend volunteering to staff an aid station at a VHTRC event so that you can experience what it’s like to participate before committing to the training. 

By Kathleen McSweeney

For half a century, Robert and Shelya White have lived on the corner of North Fillmore and 4th Street across from Lyon Park. In 1973 they toured what was then a dilapidated two-bedroom house. They purchased their home over the strong objections of their realtor because they liked the neighborhood, it was close to their jobs, and the house was the right price ($37,950) for their family. Talks of a metro being planned a few blocks away in Clarendon sealed the deal. They raised two sons, Steven and Robert, in that home. In 2008, Shelya and Robert did a major renovation and rebuilt the house that stands on the corner today. 

Both Shelya and Robert are retired Federal employees. Shelya worked as a Human Resources Specialist for several agencies. She mentioned that she should have followed the advice she routinely gave new government hires: “Take an early retirement and then spend your life traveling.” Robert worked as a civil servant for 33 years, first as an environmental and physical scientist before retiring from Federal service and contracting with Northrup Grumman. After retiring, Shelya was able to take her own advice. She and Robert have taken trips to several places including England, France, Switzerland and the Vatican, Australia, Hawaii, Tahiti, the Carribean, Panama, and Alaska.

In addition to their busy jobs and family responsibilities, Shelya and Robert have volunteered for decades. Much of their charitable work has been as members of the Eastern Star (Shelya and Robert) and Masons (Robert) helping to raise significant funds for many worthy causes.  Both have held leadership positions and served as Grand Representatives from Virginia to Australia (Robert in 2013 and 2014) and to New York (Shelya in 2015). Robert is a founder and served as secretary of the Patriot Lodge at George Mason University, and Shelya currently serves as the Secretary of the local Unity Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. 

Locally, Robert served on the Board and was the Vice President of the Arlington Historic Society. Shelya has served for decades on the Board of the Lyon Park Woman’s Club and has been a reliable volunteer at Lyon Park annual events such as the Spring Fair, Halloween donut and cider distribution, spaghetti dinner, and regular cupcake sales. For years, members of the Woman’s Club have appreciated receiving Shelya’s hand-written cards extending good wishes for birthdays and special events, and condolences when loved ones have passed. Those cards are a meaningful and personal expression of community here in Lyon Park. 

Growing up, Robert’s family had limited means but were close and supportive. When asked why they spend so much time volunteering Robert stated that he was raised to always help people – whether they be family or members of the community. Shelya responded, “We live in such a privileged community here in Lyon Park. It is heartbreaking to witness other Arlington neighbors who need assistance, and we feel compelled to help.” 

Note: Robert and Shelya have started a 501(c)3 organization to fund research for a very rare, degenerative disease called Alexander Disease that has impacted members of Robert’s family and strikes 1 out of every 2.7 million people. If any neighbor has knowledge and can  assist them in including the charity in the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), please reach out to them.

By Michael Doyle, founding member of NoVa Families for Safe Streets

Have you almost been hit by a car when walking or cycling?  

Now, you can report those “near misses” and help make your streets safer!  Visit the Near Miss Dashboard and report what, where, and when it happened.

Developed with support from Virginia Tech Graduate School of Urban & Regional Planning program plus a grant from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, NoVA Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) is collecting, analyzing, and sharing the data with police and the relevant transportation jurisdictional staff to advocate for/help inform decisions to:

Improve road infrastructure,

Increase police vigilance at
specific locations,

Develop better traffic safety regulations, 

Strive to accomplish the Vision Zero goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax. 

“People experience too many close calls on our streets—times when they were nearly in a crash or saw dangerous conditions on our streets that could lead to crashes in the future. Collecting and sharing these experiences gives us an opportunity to identify dangerous street safety patterns before crashes occur and helps us to alert the relevant authorities so such dangerous conditions can be addressed,” according to Mike Doyle, founder of NoVa FSS.

Based on incident reports logged in the Upgraded Near Miss survey since it was launched on June 17, 2021, 54 percent of the incidents involve pedestrians  and 17 percent involve cyclists. Overwhelmingly, 57 percent of the reported incidents occur when drivers fail to yield to people in a crosswalk.  In addition, speeding and stop sign running contribute to nearly 50 percent of the reported NM incidents. Time of day is a significant factor as well, with over 50% of the incidents occurring during the afternoon rush hour and spiking between 5-6pm.  

NoVA FSS /Arl FSS Mission Statement  

Northern Virginia’s Families for Safe Streets (NoVA FSS) is the umbrella organization for an all-volunteer, nonprofit entity with three chapters in Alexandria (AFSS), Arlington (Arl FSS), and Fairfax (Ffx FSS). We have 1,500 members and we serve as a community voice to bring the municipalities of Alexandria City, Arlington County, and Fairfax County together to advocate for pedestrian and other vulnerable road users’ street safety for all.

To accomplish this, NoVA FSS:

Tells the impact stories of crash survivors and families who had a member killed by traffic violence,

Advocates for Traffic Regulation policy changes related to infrastructure, traffic laws, and penalties, 

Raises public awareness of street safety risks via public outreach forums like Farmers’ Markets and Civic Association meetings,

Educates middle school students through in-person presentations about street safety programs in the
region’s schools,

Work cooperatively with the respective City and/or County police departments and transportation
staff to promote safe streets for all vulnerable road users, and

Displays, on a real time basis, NoVA FSS’s Near Miss Survey map of near misses & dangerous intersections reported by pedestrians and other road users to identify high risk crash locations (including where pedestrians have been killed or seriously injured per Virginia TREDS’s crash data).

To receive our communications about Arl FSS activities and advocacy efforts, simply sign up: FSS Home – Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (novasafestreets.org).  We are also looking for volunteers to help the Arlington FSS Board advance its pedestrian/cyclist street safety programs—interested candidates are most welcome!

View the NoVA FSS presentation given at the March monthly meeting.

By Kathleen McSweeney

When thinking of the neighbors who have helped build community in Lyon Park, Elizabeth Wray is at the top of the list. Even if you don’t know her, you have seen her in one of her many incarnations over the past several decades. She has been Mrs. Claus for years at the Lyon Park holiday parties, a friendly witch who has distributed donuts and cider at the annual Halloween bonfire, ticket seller at the pancake breakfast and the annual chili dinner, cupcake baker at nearly every bake sale, representative to the Lyon Park Board of Governors, and the leader of the Woman’s Club.

Elizabeth’s first career was as an elementary school teacher in Hagerstown, MD. She met her husband in Hagerstown, and his work drew them to Arlington. They moved to her Highland Street home in November 1962, with toddlers in tow, and one more on the way. The Henry Clay Elementary School, which stood on the site of what is now Zitkala-Sa Park, was a huge draw being just steps away from their new home.

In 1977, Elizabeth became a single mother with four children. She worked to support her family and still managed to volunteer in her community. She worked
for C&P Telephone company, which was called Bell Atlantic by the time she retired in 1998. (Today we know it as Verizon.) She enjoyed her work at the phone company, and she put her teaching skills to good use training new customer service representatives. She was active in the PTA and supported the activities of the Clarendon Cub Scout troops and Boy Scout troop based at Mount Olivet Church, her sons drawn by the many activities and canoe trips. Neighbors can still see the canoes Elizabeth stores in her driveway when they aren’t being used by the troop. She has been a member of the LPCA ever since she moved to the neighborhood, and chuckled when she noted that she should have thought to become a lifetime member, seeing as she has been paying her annual LPCA dues for about 62 years. 

She knocked on Lyon Park doors for years to raise money for the American Heart Association and the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, the latter a personal mission since she was one of eight children and has lost six of her siblings to cancer. For years she has made memory bears for a hospice center in Fairfax. Families provide volunteers with garments from their loved ones who spent their final days at the hospice, and volunteers like Elizabeth transform the clothes into a stuffed animal. Elizabeth finds it very rewarding to help families deal with loss and she cherishes the notes she has received from grieving yet grateful family members. 

When asked what she likes about Lyon Park, she says her roots run very deep. She has lived here for over six decades, raised her children here, and has good friends and neighbors. Elizabeth knows that if she needed anything, she is confident her neighbors would help. It should be noted that this sense of community doesn’t happen by accident. Elizabeth has been the torchbearer for many of our neighborhood traditions, and through
her kind and consistent example, has been instrumental in making Lyon Park the close-knit neighborhood that
she cherishes. 

By Kim Franklin, Lyon Park Newsletter Distribution Chief

As we reach the halfway point in our 2023–2024 Newsletter season, we would like to express our thanks to the neighbors who assist with delivering the Lyon Park Bulletin to each Lyon Park household, 10 months a year.  

Our Zone Captains include:  Jeff Baron (Zone 1), Phillip Conklin (Zone 2), Sandra Rose (Zone 3a–Washington-Lee Apts), Anju Panday (Zone 3b–Washington-Lee Apts), Naomi Wondim (Zone 3c–Washington-Lee Apts), Gary Putnam (Zone 4), Honor O’Hare (Zone 5), Michelle McMahon (Zone 6a), Mark Stafford (Zone 6b), and Chuck Phillips (Zone 7–Cambridge Court Apts).  They each receive between 115 and 350 newsletters, which they hand over to our Block Captains, the ones who go door to door to deliver your newsletter before our monthly LPCA meeting on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. 

Our Block Captains include:  

Zone 1:  Paige Kellogg, Andrew Miller, David & Kristine Barr, Liz Tefera, Barbara Ransom, Lynn Ross, Brittany Catina, Susan Demske & Matt Whitaker, Jim Hecker, Bill Cook, Adam Rasmussen, Connie Betterton, Paul Geary, Missie Burman, Elena Vorolova, Mike Stein, and Jeremy Maier.

Zone 2:  Claire Peters, Nadia Facey, Emily Walsh, Peggy Page, Amanda Carey, Laureen Daly, Lyn Stewart, Eriko Kennedy, and Aline Motabrito.

Zones 3a, b, c:  Sandra Rose, Anju Panday, and Naomi Wondim (they act as Zone and Block Captains for 275 newsletter deliveries!).

Zone 4:  Kit Putnam, Barbara & Larry McBride, Yilien Binstock, Shikhin Agarwal, and Tom & Teresa Colucia.

Zone 5:  Ron Paletzki & Susan Leetmaa, Wendell Brown, Barbara Souders, Jim & Nancy Swigert, B. Brennan, Amanda Hawkins, David & Annie Morgan, Lynn Shotwell, and Lisa Ruff.

Zone 6a:  Laura Desai, Bev Winston, Patty Morrison, Lisa Palmer, Linda Henderson, Jill Nusbaum, Ann Reimers, Julie Young, Tanya Amos, Peter& Zoe Kant, Jill & Greg Siegal.

Zone 6b:  Mark Stafford, Rebecca Metro, Lorraine Gardner, Tracy Hopkins, Maggie Hershey, Trish Montgomery, Elaine Simmons, Aida Peck, and Janalee Jordan Meldrum.

Zone 7:  Chuck Phillips (he acts as Zone and Block Captain for 159 newsletter deliveries!)

As you can see, it really takes a village to accomplish this volunteer activity.  WELL DONE, TEAM AND THANKS!  

If you would like to get involved, please contact Kim Franklin at 571-239-1790 / blufftonjoy@gmail.com.