Movie: Saint Ralph

If you get Runner's World you may have seen them mention the movie "Saint Ralph" a time or two. It is a movie about a 14 year old Catholic boy whose mother is in a coma. He believes that if he can produce a miracle that it will wake his mother.

Ralph is far from being a Saint, but is a charming and a good natured kid. He decides early in the story that winning the Boston Marathon is just the miracle he needs to produce. I know, the plot sounds far fetched, but you will fall in love with the characters, and be standing up to cheer for the underdog. I promise that you will not be disappointed, go rent this movie!

It is on some of the movie channels now (Encore I think), but it can be picked up through Blockbuster or Netflix's too.

RUN RSVP: 04/28

We are running again this weekend. Hope to see everyone out on the roads again. We will leave from the Harris Teeter at 8:00 a.m. I created two route options again. Please choose what works for you. As always, you can add or subtract to either route as needed.

I will not have time to create written directions this week, so please look over the routes before running. If anyone else wants to create written directions, feel free to post them in the comments below. I will then add them as part of the map, so we will have it in the future.

Run Details:

• Day: Saturday
• Time: 8:00 a.m.
• Where: Harris Teeter
• Distance: Route #1 - 9.8 miles, Route #2 - 4.0 miles (add or cut as needed)
• Route: Map #1, Map #2
• Supported: TBD
• Weather: Forecast

There are several new posts below, so if you have not been to the blog for a while, be sure to scroll down.

Survey Results

I ended up with 24 responses to my training team survey. Because I did not realize I only had 10 days to view the responses, I am now locked out unless I pay for Zoomerang Pro which I do not intend to do. Prior to getting locked out, I did copy the more important data from the first 21 surveys, which I will share below. I am only including the questions that really have any value in their answers.

1. Do you plan to run a marathon in the fall of 2007?
7 - Absolutely
3 - Most Likely
8 - Maybe
4 - Doubtful
0 - No Way
So it looks like 10 people are in for a Marathon, with eight other possible runners.

2. If you plan to run, would you be interested in a marathon training team?
I am happy to say that 100% of you said yes to this question. I guess we did something right last year.

3. How would you rate the importance of the following features?

No real big surprises with the above results. The Weekend running groups with planned and supported routes was clearly tops on the list. It is also evident that having a race along the way is important, which we can work in again this year. The Clinics were low on the list. I think some of this has to do with the experience level of our runners. I think we could still do clinics again this year, but try to add to the topics to make it more interesting. Also, these clinics can be more valuable to runners who are training for their first big race.

4. How would you like the cost to be organized?
This was one of the questions I lost the responses to but I remember seeing the answers somewhat split. Some people liked having one fee for everything. Others wanted to pay their own race entry fee. Depending on the race (or races) for 2007, we could take either approach. If I can arrange a discounted race entry due to the size of our group, it may be beneficial to just have one fee for everything. I will wait to see how things go, and what race we decide to run.

5. Of the following fall marathons, what is your interest level?
This was an interesting question. To quantify the results, I had to weight your answers. If you were "absolutely" going to run a marathon, your answers were given more weight than those who were "maybes". I also weighted your response based on interest level in the races we listed. Depending on how I tweaked my numbers, Raleigh and Richmond were at the top of this list by a wide margin.

This makes for an interesting decision for 2007. By early next week, I will post something on the blog about some options for a training team for this fall. Although November is still a good waysoff, we should still make a decision and start our planning soon. The Sports Backers have already signed up over 200 runners for their 2007 team.

6. If we organize a team for Richmond, would you want to be part of the Sports Backers again?
100% of those interested in Richmond would partner with Sports Backers again. This is good to hear, and shows you all saw value in being part of the team. Don has already contacted me to see if we plan to be back again.

7.Are there other races you are interested in running?
This was another question, where I lost your answers, but I know there was interest in:

- The Rock and Roll Half Marathon.
- The DuPont Park Trail Marathon
- The Dismal Swamp Stomp
- City of Oaks Half Marathon
- Others that I cant remember

8. What activities would you personally like to see the Endurance Club try?
Triathlons was at the top of the list, which is no surprise considering several of you are already entered. Biking, both mountain and road were also high on the list. Competitive Whack-a-Mole, I believe actually came in 2nd. My kids will start a training class at Chuck-e-Cheeses next week for that. Kayaking was also put on the list, which I admit sounds like a lot of fun.

9. What do you think of the emails/blogs?
I combined two questions into one here, but the general response is that people enjoy both, so I will keep them going.

10. If you ran with the train team in 2006 would you recommend it to a friend?
This question had a 100% yes answer, which is another good sign.

11. What you be interested in coaching/leading?
There was some "soft" interest in this answer, but I did not find anyone jumping out of their seat to coach at the time of the survey. I really would like to have a half marathon training team this fall as well, so I am hoping someone out there will step up to the plate. You do not need to be an expert (see myself for evidence), but you do need to be able to organize and motivate. Let me know if you are interested.

Again, I will follow up soon with information about our plans for this fall, and get your feedback once again, now that we can narrow down to just a few choices. Thanks!

5k in Wilson on 05/05

I just add the 8th Annual Wilson Road Race to the upcoming races links to the right. I thought this one may appeal to many of you looking for a short distance race, but within easy driving distance. The race is on Saturday, May 5th, and begins at 8:00 AM at the Regency Athletic Club on 2402 Wooten Blvd. The actual race starts at 8:30. The course is very spectator friendly, and allows fans to see runners four times easily by only walking a few yards.

There is also a one mile fun run if you were interested in bringing out the kids. On Race Day, late registration will begin at 6:30 AM for both races, and end at 7:30 AM for the one-mile race and at 8:00 AM for the 5k race.

For a small town race, this event has a lot to offer. They provide free daycare for children 6 weeks to 12 years of age, a full service locker rooms, smoothies, and access to Regency Athletic Club fitness equipment. Post race, they have lots of food with a breakfast sponsored by Chick-fil-a, bagels, fruit, subs, Dominoes Pizza, Coca-Cola, Dasani water and/or Powerade!

Enter by this Friday, to guarantee yourself a t-shirt! Not a bad deal for $15. . . child care, race, food, drinks, and a shirt!

So, who plans to run?

Your 2007 Race Times

I mentioned a few posts below that I was going to create a page with race results for everyone. That is now available in the right navigation under Quick Links. Please take a minute to review your results and let me know of any errors or omissions. I will keep this updated during the year, but need you to tell me when you run a race. Enjoy!

Buzz Lightyear can't stop Scott!

Scott Wingfield, submitted a picture to the Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon recently for their photo contest. They had asked for pictures of people wearing their race t-shirts. Scott, his son Griffin, and Buzz Lightyear are now on the front page of their web site.

He even got in a plug for the Rocky Mount Endurance Club. Check it out!

Chase of Champions Results

Before I get to the results, I must take moment to say thank you to each and everyone of you for helping to pull off this event. If we can get 50+ people to run and volunteer in just a little over two weeks, just think what we can do with proper planning, sponsors, support from the city, and a real budget! Below are a few names I need to give thanks to:

• The Amos children for shouting out race numbers of finishers
• Arthur Bennett for purchasing the safety pins
• Andy Barker for helping with the water stops and wearing that gold helmet (HA!)
• Ingrid Bullard for working the finish line with me
• Carol Dickens for being a bike escort, and creating the VT ribbons
• David and Tessie Lavely (and family) for manning the water stops
• Patti Miller for constantly recruiting runners for the Chase and the RMEC
• Christine Ransdell for tracking finishing times, and posting results
• Heather Seale for taking pictures.
• Dink Warren for offering parking and bathrooms to everyone
• Scott Wingfield for providing the sign stakes
• Jim Wrenn for helping to spread the word and signing up runners
• Tom Zdebiak for paying for donuts
• All of those people who stuck around and cleaned up.
• All of you who brought used shoes. We have nearly 40 pairs!

Special thanks is needed for:

• Raleigh Running Outfitters for race numbers, balloons, and course signs
• Frank Lilley for being my "partner-in-crime" for all of my crazy running ideas; for spreading the word about the race; for marking the course long before everyone showed up, and taking pictures.
• Allan Hinnant and Bob Mauldin for having the guts to start this race 29 years ago
• EVERYONE for showing up to run, and proving you care.

All 50+ of you were part of the race committee, and didn't even know it. Thanks!

Now, on to the results. Congratulations to Tony for being the overall winner of the 5k. It was actually an exciting finish to the race. Thomas, and Tony were side by side coming down the final straight away, both showing an impressive kick, but Tony was able to edge out the victory by two seconds with a time of 23:52. The first female finisher was Ursula with 29:00 even. She finished 29 seconds in front of Renee who was the second woman finisher.

5k Results:

Place-- Time ------ Name
1 ----- 0:23:52 --- Tony
2 ----- 0:23:54 --- Thomas T.
3 ----- 0:25:22 --- Levi
4 ----- 0:26:47 --- Buck Y.
5 ----- 0:29:00 --- Ursula F.
6 ----- 0:29:29 --- Renee C.
7 ----- 0:30:23 --- Rick I
8 ----- 0:30:48 --- Keena S.
9 ----- 0:30:51 --- Dink W.
10 ---- 0:32:20 --- Amber P.
11 ---- 0:32:34 --- Thomas P.
12 ---- 0:34:26 --- Brianna R.
13 ---- 0:34:27 --- Jon S.
14 ---- 0:34:29 --- Lisa G.
15 ---- 0:40:34 --- Tressie W.
16t --- 0:52:00 --- Bob M.
16t --- 0:52:00 --- Allen H.
16t --- 0:52:00 --- Wilma H.

The 10k was also an impressive race. Cliff and Tim jumped out to an early lead, but Tim was able to pull away before the finish with a time of 44:56. Ryan was able to pass Cliff in the late stages of the race and finish second only 14 seconds behind with a time of 45:10. There was a tie for first with the women. Patti and Kinnie finished hand-in-hand at exactly 56:00 minutes. Both were disqualified for wearing headphones however (only kidding!).

10k Results

Place-- Time ------ Name
1 ----- 0:44:56 --- Tim S.
2 ----- 0:45:10 --- Ryan B.
3 ----- 0:45:36 --- Scott W.
4 ----- 0:45:56 --- Clifford A.
5 ----- 0:46:16 --- Mark B.
6 ----- 0:46:36 --- Abraham
7 ----- 0:46:38 --- Larry M.
8 ----- 0:46:55 --- Jason I.
9t ---- 0:56:00 --- Patti M.
9t ---- 0:56:00 --- Kinnie P.
11 ---- 0:56:38 --- Tom Z.
12t --- 1:03:06 --- Julian M.
12t --- 1:03:06 --- Mike V.
14 ---- 1:03:10 --- Arthur B.
14t --- 1:03:10 --- Russ H.
16 ---- 1:04:35 --- James T.
17 ---- 1:04:55 --- Clyde
18t --- 1:08:17 --- Misty S.
18t --- 1:08:17 --- Elaine W.

Thanks again to everyone who participated and helped!

Chase Odds and Ends

WEEKEND RUNS:
As a reminder everyone is welcome to join us on Saturday mornings for group runs. Look on the blog in the middle of the week to find out details about the run. All paces are welcome!

PHOTOS:
I will soon be posting photos from the race. I want to collect them from anyone who had a camera, so please email me your photos. I will probably do some short "You Tube" video to music by the end of the week.

SHOES:
I still need to determine the best use for the shoes. The age of some of the shoes make it so many donation programs cannot use them for runners. There is a another charity that I think we can use for those older shoes however. Nike has the "Nike Reuse-A-Shoe" program that takes old shoes, and grinds up the rubber soles of shoes, and then reuse them in places where kids can play and be active (tracks, courts, playgrounds, etc.) This also helps the environment by eliminating waste.

There are not drop-off locations in North Carolina, but the shoes are used world wide. The closest location to us is Myrtle Beach. If there is someone in our group heading that way in the near future, we can arrange a drop off. If not I can mail them to Nike, but I may need some help to cover the postage. I have motivation to do this quickly, because you all have some STINKY FEET that are now stinking up my van ;-)

Thank you!

The Unofficial Chase of Champions went off without a problem. Congratulations to all of the runners and thanks to all of the volunteers. In total we had over 50 people show up to support the event. I will post details on the race soon. Thanks again!

04/21 CHASE OF CHAMPIONS - RESPONSE REQUIRED

I thought this topic needed it's own post. I will stick this to the top of the blog for the next two weeks. I need to know who is running the Unofficial Chase of Champions on 04/21.

RUN TIME: 9:00 a.m.

CHECK IN: - 8:15 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

5k COURSE: 5k Route Map (Link).

10K COURSE: 10 Route Map (Link) (UPDATED @ 1:15 p.m. to correct an error at mile 5)

PARTICIPANTS: Confirmed Runners

INFORMATION: Virtual Race Packet (NEW)

I need to assign you a bib number, and will not have time to do this the morning of the run for everyone. The more of these I can assign now, the smoother things will go on Saturday. If you know anyone who is planning on running, tell them to post here, or they can email me if they would like. All I need to know is Name (first and last) and the distance the plan to run (5k or 10k). An email address would be helpful too.

For more details on the run, see the posts below. I will update this sticky with pertinent details as they become available. Reminder, this will be a timed group run, but this is not an official race. Anyone who chooses to run will be running at their own risk. Roads will NOT be close to traffic.

04/16/07 - Never Forget

Please take a moment today to be thankful for what we all have. Today will be a very tough day as the "32 victims" get a name, a face, and a story. I honestly cannot put words together that explain how this tragedy has impacted me, but the picture below I think sums up well what Hokies all across the country are feeling right now.

Those who know me also know how passionate I am about my Alma Mater. To me it is a second home. Although I do not personally know the victims of yesterdays tragedy, I cannot help but feel that I lost 32 brothers and sisters. Please keep the families in your prayers.

Your 2007 Race Performances

I would like to make a page of race performances for our group. Nothing fancy, but something to keep a record of how everyone is doing. I ususally know when you are running a race, but I am sure I have missed several. If you have run a race in 2007, send me an email, or post a comment here. I would like the following information:

• Your Name
• Race Name
• Distance
• Time
• Division Place (if you have it)

Three important things. . .

1. This is not bragging. We are a team, who tries (I hope) to motivate and encourage each other. Having your teammates see how you perform serves as an inspiration. We want to share in the excitement.
2. Time does not matter. No time is too slow. The fact that you are racing is impressive enough. Don't ever feel embarrased to share a time. Even the last place person in a race beat everyone who was sitting at home on the sofa.
3. You don't have to know me. With the unoffical Chase run, more people are visting this site than ever before. If you are from the area and run, I would be glad to post your results. If you would like to join us, please do. All runners, cyclist, and swimmers are welcome. . . No fees, No frills, just fun!

Fords Colony Off Limits for Running

With the arrival of Spring, the staff at Fords Colony are busy at work trying to prepare the course for play. Some runners were reminded this weekend that Fords Colony in private property. I know we have enjoyed a few runs in the quiet setting, but please honor their request and do not run at Fords Colony any longer.

Running from the Harris Teeter every weekend can get a bit old, so I will start looking for other safe running options. Post here if you have any recommendations for group runs. Thanks.

"Real Superheros Wear Shiny Silver Capes"

I found this video through Marathon Guide, and I though it was too good not to share. It is a series of Adidas commercials related to the Boston Marathon (which by the way is this Monday). Only someone who has done a marathon or wants to do a marathon could truly appreciate the photos, videos, and quotes.

The video is a bit slow to load, so you may want to pause it while it downloads some of it before trying to watch it. It is only about four minutes, but worth the time.



You could probably make 10 t-shirts from the quotes in this video. Hopefully this excites, motivates, and inspires you all to get back out this fall for another marathon.

RUN RSVP: 04/14

We are running again this weekend. The weather is supposed to be great so come out and join us. There are several who are on the email distribution that have not come out to join us yet. What are you waiting for? We don't bite! We have runners of all ability levels. Some have been running a little over a year, and others have been running all of their lives. Some run a seven minute pace, and others run a 12 minute pace. Some run 20 miles, some run three. We don't judge. . . just know if you show up to run you will be welcomed.

I have created two routes for this week. You are welcome to run any roads of course, but this will give you two measured options. Route 1 is a 9.25 mile loop. It is on busy roads, and is a route that most of you have not run before. I selfishly created this route, because I need to run to my kids soccer games on Old Carriage. This means I will drop off around six miles. I have run the roads before, and they are fine to do, you just need to stay alert, and realize that cars will be coming much faster than they do in places like Candlewood. I can have water in the van at the soccer fields, if anyone needs to stop and get a drink. I am pretty sure there are bathrooms there too.

The second route is a shorter distance, but starts out the same way. If you would prefer to stay close to the Harris Teeter, this is the route for you. If it is not long enough, add on some extra miles at the end. This is easily done by crossing over Winstead and heading down Woodlawn for a loop.

Run Details:

• Day: Saturday
• Time: 8:00 a.m.
• Where: Harris Teeter
• Distance: Route #1 - 9.2 miles, Route #2 - 4.8 miles (add or cut as needed)
• Route: Map #1, Map #2
• Supported: No
• Weather: Forecast

Remember, we are running at 8:00 a.m. When you select the maps above, click "Show Miles" on the top right to see the mile markers. I will try to write the written directions for the routes later this week. If someone has the time, feel free to do this and email it to me so I can post it.

Chase Update #2: Volunteers and Help

Volunteers: I am trying to do this event as lean as possible, so I do not think we will need many volunteers. Below are what I think we would need:

• Water Table - 2-4 people to fill up cups and set them out on the table and pass them out. having a truck is a plus. Must not be running the "race".
• Course Set Up - 2 people to place signs on the course early Saturday morning. You should know the course route.
• Pre-race - 2-3 people to help pass out bib numbers, and get runner information
  Finish - 2 people to help track runners as the finish - name, number, and time (non runners)
• Course Take Down - 2-3 people to take the signs down on the course.
• Intersection Monitoring - TBD - We may want to place a few people at busy intersections to cheer, and alert runners of any traffic. We cannot stop traffic however

Extra Stuff: I am still trying to pull of some extra stuff for our run. I have an 8 foot table that we can use for a water stop, a board to post results, and as mentioned above lots of course signs. Below are the items that I still need to pull this off. If anyone has these items, or knows someone who can donate please let me know, or post a comment:

Need to Have:

• Another 8 foot table for the start/finish
• Ground Stakes for the course signs
• Staple Gun and staples to stick the course signs to the stakes
• Rubber mallet (preferred) or hammer to put signs in ground
• 100 cups for the water stop
• A cooler with a spout to fill the cups (I have one but we may need two)
• Two large trash cans with bags (one for the start/finish and one for the water stop)
• 400 safety pins
• A REAL BIG box and a pickup truck to collect the donated shoes.

Nice to Have:

• Race Clock (anyone have connections?)
• 4-5 Clip Boards
• 3-4 case of bottled water for the finish (I may see if Harris Teeter can provide)
• 6-8 dozen donuts for the finish (I may see if Dunkin Donuts can provide)
• Megaphone (in case my big mouth is not loud enough)

Chase Update #1: Details

Communications Update: I wanted to give you all an update on the Unofficial Chase of Champions. I have notified the City Manager, the Rocky Mount Police Department, and the Chamber of Commerce about our run on 04/21. It has been received well, and so far there does not appear to be any issues. I have been clear in my communication to everyone that this is not a closed course, and all runners are aware of this fact and will accept that risk. I still need to contact the church who owns the land where the start occurs and make sure we can congregate there before and after the race.

Roads: The Rocky Mount Police Department has assigned two officers to assist us for the run. I have not spoken to the officers yet, so I am not certain what assistance they will be able to provide. It could be just checking in before we start, or it could be helping us get through the first few miles down Western and Sunset. Even if they just stop by to say hello, we will gladly accept anything they can do to make it run smoothly. I will share more once I hear from them.

Supplies: I visited Raleigh Running Outfitters on Saturday, and they were extremely generous in providing supplies for our run. They gave of lots of race numbers that Frank had previously requested. They also gave us course signs (arrows, mile markers, "Runners Ahead", start, finish, etc.). The even threw in a few New Balance balloons, and a finish line tape. Lastly, I grabbed a stack of Raleigh Running Outfitter stickers for your car if anyone is interested.

Shameless Plug: Please do what you can to support Raleigh Running Outfitters. Without having a local running specialty store in Rocky Mount, Raleigh Running Outfitters is the closest you will find. The service is first class. If you have never bought in a store designed for runners, you should give it a try. They will let you try on 10 pairs of shoes with a smile. Take them outside in the parking lot of you need to (try that at the mall). Bottom line is they know shoes, and they know running. When you leave their store you will feel great about your purchase. They are helping us pull out our "race", so please help them by rewarding them with your business.

Not too late for the Tri-Relay

I know you have all seen the posts about the Duke Liver Center Triathlon in September. We now have four teams entered, one more about to sign up, and two more teams that are still "maybes" but seem like they will be entering.

• Team 1*: (S) Mary, (B) Kinnie, and (R) Patti
• Team 2*: (S) Mike, (B) Jeff, and (R) Dave
• Team 3*: (S) Doug, (B) Eric, and (R) Michael
• Team 4: (S) Elizabeth, (B) Ursula, and (R) Jenni
• Team 5: (S) Carol, (B) Tracy H, and (R) Andy
• Team 6*: (S) George, (B) Tim, and (R) Ryan
• Team 7: (S) Rebecca, (B) Name Coming Soon, and (R) Tracy P

* entered

This event will truly be a blast. If we get seven teams, that is 21 people participating in the event! How cool will that be!?!? If you are reading these posts and thinking "that's not for me. . . I am not a triathlete", my goal right now is to change your mind.

This is a team event. If you can swim, or bike, or run you are perfect for this event. Not anyone who has signed up has grand illusions of winning, but we all are quietly excited about doing well and winning the mythical and imaginary Rocky Mount Tri Cup (anybody want to make a trophy by the way?).

My point is this. . . we are all going to Raleigh and giving it our best effort, but our main purpose is to have fun. This is really building up to become a fun event for our group. All of us know the runners around town, but this is giving us a chance to meet some swimmers and cyclist too. It is also causing the RMEC to grow by leaps and bounds.

So come on. . . take a chance. . . throw your hat in the ring and give this a "tri". If you are interested in running, biking, or swimming post a comment, and we will try to create team #8!

Coming soon. . . I will reveal all of the team names.

RUN RSVP: 04/07

Time for an Easter Run!. Several people have asked me about running this weekend, so it sounds like there should be plenty of folks around to run. I made a new route to get us on some different roads, and also to run things backwards. Hopefully this will be a change of pace for you. We will not run in Candlewood, which I know makes some of you happy. I pushed the start time back to 8:00 a.m..

Run Details:

• Day: Saturday
• Time: 8:00 a.m.
• Where: Harris Teeter
• Distance: 9.4 miles (add or cut as needed)
• Route: Map
• Supported: TBD
• Weather: Forecast

I pushed the start time back to 8:00 a.m. There is plenty of daylight now, and the temps should be okay for an earlier start. We will likely start even earlier in the coming weeks. I posted the written directions for this run under the Harris Teeter routes link to the route. After getting to the route page, scroll down too the 9.4 mile route.

04/21 Unoffical Chase of Champions

Background: Most of you know that the Chase of Champions was canceled this year, and a group of us would like to still organize an unofficial run on the old course. I thought we could find a way spin this into something positive for us and the community. What we came up with is a used running shoe donation, to go along with our "race." There are lots of people out there with all of the talent in the world to run, but without the means to obtain the proper shoes. That is where we can help.

Many of you completed an online survey about the Chase of Champions. As expected. . .there was no perfect date. . . every charity was selected for the shoes. . . people wanted to run the 5k, 10k, or see both of them run. . . In other words, there is not a perfect solution that will work for everyone. So here is what we came up with.

The Date: We will run our "race" on Saturday 4/21. This was the original date for the 2007 race. With equal conflicts on every date, it just made sense to run it on 04/21. Plus many of the runners in the area not part of the RMEC can run that weekend as well due to the official Chase canceling the race. So mark you calendars, and tell a friend.

The Time: This is not set yet, but my initial idea is to make it around 9:00 am. This would give us time to set up a few signs marking the course, put out some fluids, and collect used shoes. More details on this will come later.

The Size: Originally I had planned to write a letter to the Telegram to promote what we were doing. Based on some feedback in the survey, and the number of surveys I received from names I did not know, I began to realize that this could get far bigger than I expected. A lot of runners is great, but it could also be a liability with no traffic control. For this reason, let's let this spread by "word-of-mouth." I still think we could pull in 30-40 runners which would be a great turnout.

The Distance: It looks like 90% of those interested want to run the 10k, but there are still some that would like to do the 5k course. So we can do them both. If the crowd is larger than expected, we can start them five minutes apart to avoid traffic concerns.

The Safety Factor: As mentioned above, this will not be a closed course. There will be no traffic control. Cars will not stop for us to cross a road. I may have some sort of a waiver for people to sign (not sure about this yet). I know this sounds silly, but if 50+ people show up, because they hear a "race" is going on, I need to cover my rear-end. Everyone on this email is experienced in running with traffic, but I don't know who else may decide to run.

The "Race" Factor: This is a certified course, and we will find someway to time this, even if I am standing at the finish line with my wrist watch. That being said. . . pick your own pace. Some of you will want to give it everything you got and try to set a PR. Others will probably use it as a training run and a way to show support to the future of the Chase of Champions. Whatever you decide is fine.

The Awards: I will personally pat you on the back, and everyone else will be in awe of your performance. Seriously. . . this is a no-frills run. If you are looking for awards, this is not the event for you. I will do my best with paper and pen to track the results of everyone who finishes the race, and will gladly recognize the top performers at the finish. After the race I will send something to the Telegram letting them know about the shoe donations, and also share any race results we have.

The Shoe Donation: As mentioned above, the survey showed that there was interest in just about every charity I listed. The strongest interest was trying to keep our donation local. Because of the time frame, I am not certain if we can contact the local schools and coordinate all that is involved. Needing to contact multiple schools adds to the complexity. I not saying that we will not do it, but I need someone to make the contact quickly to pull this off.

Another recommendation that was made was to give the shoes to the local Boys and Girls Club. This is another great idea, but would also require making some phone calls.

The main purpose of the donation, is to get shoes in the hands (or on the feet rather) of those who want to run, but do not have the proper equipment. Sure, our used shoes have some miles logged on them, but odds are these will not be going to people training for a marathon, so they still have lots of use left if them. Whatever you decide to donate, try to clean them up and make them shine. Wash the laces, or replace them if they are too stained to get clean. If your children have some running shoes they have outgrown those would be great as well.

What comes next:

1. Mark you calendars for 4/21
2. Tell a friend, but be clear this is a group run, and not an organized race
3. Clean up your old shoes
4. Tell me if you can help (making calls about shoes, setting up a water table, making course signs, etc.)

With a full year to plan and prepare, I feel confident that we can recertify the course and start the Chase of Champions back in 2008, bigger and better than ever. This year is just something to get us by until then. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

As an FYI, there may be a half marathon brewing this fall is Rocky Mount too. . . stay tuned for more information soon.

Spring Racing has begun!

Last weekend was a huge race weekend in the southeast with nearly 70,000 runners participating in three different races. Two of the largest 10ks in the United States were run. The weather was perfect for racing, and the fans turned out by the thousands to cheer on the runners.

In Charleston, Ryan and Ursula both ran the Cooper River Bridge Run. Even though they never saw each other the entire race, they finished within 45 seconds of each other. After taking 13 minutes just to reach the starting line, Ryan quickly realized this was not the time to see how fast he could run a 10k. He instead enjoyed time with old friends, and dodged the hordes of walkers clogging up the bridge. His finishing time was 57:54

Not even a minute behind Ryan came Ursula. Her chip time was 1:03:06. Considering this race covered more miles than she had run in the past two weeks, she was thrilled with her performance. Looks like all of the spinning, cycling, and cross training is paying off. If her legs recover well from the race, hopefully we will see her back on the roads very soon.

Tracy H and her family headed back to Richmond for the Monument Avenue 10k. Much like the Copper River Bridge Run, this race is full of runners of all ages and ability levels. Despite the crowds, Tracy ran her way to a new PR, crossing the line in 56:58. Her 5k split was almost exactly half of her overall time showing she ran a smart a even paced race.

Her PR was not even the highlight of the day. Tracy said " I cried like a baby when I saw my two boys run the mile and finish with big smiles on their faces." It was truly a family affair for Tracy. Her husband Bob (59:13) and her sister Mandy (1:18:18) ran their first 10ks. I am sure Tracy had just a little smile on her face knowing she was the fast one in the car on the ride home. Congrats to everyone!