RUN RSVP: Thanksgiving Weekend

This is an interesting week. Many of you are traveling, some of you have family in town, and some of you might just be looking for a weekend to rest. I am not planning a specific route, but want to use this post so people can comment, and plan some group runs. I have picked two times. Please post if you are interested in either time

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 8:00 am @ Harris Teeter OR Sunday, 1:30 pm @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: No - Unless Someone sets it up.
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: You pick!

If neither time works for you, but you plan to run, let the group know. Please RSVP if you are coming with your day, pace and distance.

First Carolina State Bank Recap

Where do I begin? So many from the RMEC had great performances this weekend, that it might take me half a day to write a recap that does justice to your accomplishments. I could easily write a paragraph each about everyone, but to avoid having the longest blog entry ever written, I am going to try to sum it up quickly. . .

Right off the bat, we had three runners in the top ten for their gender. Ashley Bass finished 4th overall, and 1st in the Master's Division with a time of 1:25:08 in his half marathon debut. Jeff Miller was close behind in 8th place with a time of 1:28:45. This PR for Jeff earned him first place in his age group. The top female finisher for the club goes to Kinnie Pruden with a PR time of 1:52:16. This earned her 8th among all women, and third place in the Masters!

Jeff Hartney finished in 11th place with a time of 1:30:45, which was first in the 45-49 age group. This is easily the most competitive age category in the race (seriously, take a look) so taking first is impressive. Dave Lavely came in one minute behind for second place with a time of 1:31:57. Also in this age group was Tim Shea (1:40:21), Kevin Boudreau (1:44:17), and Larry McKeel (1:45:41). Kevin had been sick late in the week, so finishing alone was great, his strong time makes it even more impressive. Larry set a new PR, knocking almost two minutes off of last years time.

Also in the top 20 overall was Derek Hurdle. Like many others, Derek set a half marathon PR finishing in 1:33:38. This was a three minute improvement over 2007. Ironman, Cliff Amos came in just over the 1:40 mark with a time of 1:40:04 taking second in the 40-44 age group. Also placing in that group was Brent Brondyke with 1:44:18. Our other Ironman, Jason Irvin anchored his corporate team, and finished in 1:46:40.

Scott Wingfield place 37th overall, and had a time of 1:43:28. This was a PR by more than four minutes! Certainly a welcome site after some aggressive fall marathon training. Fellow "nooner" Gerry Felton finished in 1:47:39, only five seconds behind the 3rd place finisher in his age group! Eric Pate, another regular "nooner" just ran the OBX Half a few weeks ago and set a PR. This did not stop him from knocking another five minutes off his time on Saturday!

For the second year in a row, Bob Land impressed at the Half Marathon. This year he ran a 1:50:43, and showed that he is poised for even better racing during the winter. Ron Fleming was a little over two minutes behind Bob, when he finished in 1:53:06. This was Ron's half marathon debut, and he did outstanding! Also making their debut was Kelly Allen and Robin Johnson. This duo has been inseparable on training runs. It was only fitting to see them continue to motivate each other in the race. Both looked strong from start to finish, and smiled the entire way. Great job ladies (the Flying Pig is calling you).

Another inseparatable team was the duo of Misty Schmitt and Elaine Weisner. The two ran together the entire race and crossed the line in 2:30:54. For the second time this year, they tied for 3rd place in their age group! That is hard to do once. . . how do you pull that off twice? Also from the Wesiner family, was Brad Weisner, finishing in 1:58:23, three minutes better than 2007. Speaking of three minute improvements, Levi Moore seems to be fully recovered from his OBX marathon as he posted a 1:54:27 on Saturday (three minutes over last year).

Mary Whitwell continues to rack up age group awards in virtually everything she enters. This year her time 2:02:29 placed her second in her age group, and in the top 25 of all women. Mike Votava came in just a minute sooner with a time 2:01:01. I am not positive, but I feel pretty certain this is a PR for Mike. Amber Poole improved by 10 minutes over last year, and by one minute over her PR. Russ Hinesly also continues to impress, posting a time of 2:15:53, good enough for 6th in his age group.

For complete results, you can view them online. I can't put into words how impressed I am with everyone's performances this weekend. You have my true admiration. A half marathon is not an easy task, and you should all feel proud of your accomplishments! I will try to have some 5k updates very soon.

A few other non-RMEC times worthy of note is Richard Stotlar of Oriental, NC with a time of 1:30:37 (10th place), and Jackeitha Baker of Knightdale, NC with a time of 1:58:54. So, why did I single out these times? Richard is 67, and Jackeitha is 12. . . WOW!

Half Marathon Updates

I will be putting a recap our of the RMEC runners by tomorrow morning. This one will take a while considering the number of RMEC members who ran. In the mean time, here is some news coverage on the race:

• Runners bound for Rocky Mount
• Elementary students join big race
• Pair of race bring out avid and novice runners
• Race Photos: There are only a few with RMEC members

The first two are old stories, but some you may have missed. Congrats everyone!

Good Luck RMEC!

I normally do a "good luck" message to let everyone know who is racing this weekend. Truthfully, there are so many racing my fear is I would leave someone off this list mistakenly, and I don't want anyone to feel left out. So I will begin by saying good luck to everyone! I think this is going to be an exciting weekend for the RMEC. We are poised to see some great performances. Ron, Kelly, and Robin are all running their first half marathon, and are well prepared for a superb race! Others is our group will be competing for age group awards, and quite possibly some overall awards. I will not call you out by name on the blog, but there are four or five of you that I will be anxiously waiting to see emerge from the trails at the finish.

If you are "watch-watcher" don't get too concerned in the early miles. Unless you plan to run a good warm-up (some of you will), you need to use your first few miles to warm up your muscles. Don't expect to go from "cold and standing still" to "race pace" when the gun goes bang. You might even end up injured. If you have warmed up, that is a different story.

Be looking for Frank, Arthur, Patti, Tracy P., and myself out on the course. Not exactly sure where and when you will see us, but we are there to cheer you on. If you need to drop off some stuff, we will be glad to take. Frank will be at MLK waiting for you all. Just remember, once you leave Frank behind, you are on the home stretch. . . give it everything you got and push to the finish!

Dealing with the Cold

I went back in the blog archives to look for tips on cold weather running. Would you believe we have 720 posts. . . man I'm a dork. I found this information related to the Richmond Marathon and thought it would apply very well for tomorrow. So I made a few tweaks and am re-posting it. . .

The First Carolina State Bank Half Marathon is less than 24 hours away (admit it, some of you just got a little butterfly in your stomach reading that). As you can tell, it will be a very cold start to the race. This may cause concern for some of you, but I hope to put your minds at ease and give you some of my tips for a cold race.

#1 - Wear Layers - You can always take extra clothing off as you warm up. If you however start with just your base layer and a heavy jacket, you have no middle ground. You are likely too hot or too cold. If you have layers, you can peal them off little by little. Just make sure your layers are items you don’t mind throwing away (see the bottom of this post).

#2 - Be Technical - Be sure to keep technical clothing as your bottom layer. It is fine to throw an old cotton t-shirt on as a middle or top layer, or a sweatshirt. Just keep some wicking clothing on as a base layer.

#3 - Head and Hands - Do not forget to keep your head and hands warm. If you don't have one, go buy a cheap stocking hat. An ear warmer is fine too, but with temps predicted in the 30s to start, you will want to hold in the heat. As for gloves, go cheap. My recommendation is going to the kids department in Target. You can buy a two pack of kids gloves for $1.49. They are super stretchy, and you can put on both pair at once. If your hands get hot, peal off a single pair. These gloves fit my hands in case you are wondering how stretchy they are.

#4 - Trash Bags - Lots of runners will rip (or cut) a hole in a trash bag as a final external layer. It holds in the heat and is black so it warms up in the sun. You can throw it away when the race is about to start. Bottom line. . . dress warm but with layers. Once your body has warmed up, it will stay warm as long as you keep moving.

#5 - Band aides and Body Glide - Don't forget this! Guys, protect your chest. Cold weather can make you chafe badly. You do not want to finish your race with a bloody shirt.

#6 - Get Warm - When you finish (and you all will) get warm! Have something in your car to put on. Once you stop running, your body will very quickly get a chill. Don't take a chance at getting sick right before the holidays.

Dropping your layers. . .I plan to collect extra clothing at the start of the race from RMEC runners. I will most likely throw it all in a big box that you can rummage through at the finish. I would also like to arrange a person on the race course around mile three to get your extra layers. This may end up being me. It could be Patti, if I can talk her in to it (assuming she is going to be on the course). I will post a comment here once we decide.

Can you Volunteer Friday?

They are looking for 4-5 people to help volunteer the packet pickup tent tomorrow evening from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. It would be great to have some of the RMEC members there to do it. Yes, I know it will be cold, so dress warmly. It is only two hours. . . you can tough it out!

Please post a message here ASAP, if you can be there. Knowing that most of the RMEC is racing on Saturday, this is a chance for us to help out.

Shirt Payment

The shirt order has been placed. I do not have a delivery date yet, but I hope it will be within the next two weeks. Below is the amount everyone owes. I did order one extra medium women's. The first person who asks, gets it.

$ 6.00 - Carol
$16.00 - Cliff
$29.00 - Gerry
$29.00 - Jason
$16.00 - John
$16.00 - Larry (Mailed)
$16.00 - LARGE: Extra Female Shirt (Available)
$16.00 - MEDIUM: Extra Female Shirt (Available)

Please make checks payable to the Rocky Mount Endurance Club (or RMEC). Cash works as well. You can give the payment to Michael, Scott, Ursula, or Frank. This way we can get them deposited quickly before we are charge for the full amount. I would like to have all payments by December 1st at the latest. I will remove you from this list as payments are received. Thanks!

ROLL CALL! Who is running this weekend?

The First Carolina State Bank Half Marathon and 5k is finally here and so is the frigid weather (more on that tomorrow). I know the RMEC is ready to run. We have several first timers, and several that are looking for PRs. . . some might even be looking for a win! Post a message here if you are running the half or the 5k, so I know who to look for.

IMPORTANT: Bring your used running shoes to the race. There will be a collection of used shoes to send to Africa. Don't let them go to waste in your closet. Here is your chance to get rid of your old "kicks".

Sweetheart 5k Brochures and Flyers

We now have brochures and fliers for the Sweetheart 5k presented by Dental Care Center. We are trying to find places in Rocky Mount, Wilson, Tarboro, Roanoke Rapids, Nashville, Greenville, Raleigh, etc. to promote the race. We had had great success putting information at gyms in the past, but that is not the only places that work. Please help Parks and Rec spread the word on this great new event.

BROCHURES: Once again, Eagle Press came through and provided over 1,000 race brochures. You will find that many of you are "staring" in a few of the photos. Click the picture to the right to see the inside of the brochure. 1,000 seems like a lot, but they can go quickly, especially when you try to spread them out over seven different counties. Depending on the location, we may only give you a few brochures, and try to rely more on the fliers.

FLIERS: The fliers are the most cost effective and semi-permanent way to promote the race. I can email you the file for you to print in color. I also have several already printed. Many stores and gyms have places to post fliers, but they usually request permission before you post them. Please be sure to ask first. We do not want to upset anyone.

As a reminder, the RMEC needs the Sweetheart 5k to be a success. We want to see local races succeed in Rocky Mount independent of our club. By laying the foundation for Parks and Rec now, we can help build long term success in the future. This will only take a few minutes of your time to help promote the race. Please post here if you would like fliers and/or brochures to distribute.

Another notch in his "marathon belt"

Frank is back from his adventure in Richmond, and is still moving around just fine! Six days after he ran OBX, Frank drove down to Richmond for another marathon. Even on tired legs and a hillier course he improved his time, finishing in 5:33.

This year Richmond added in a new Half Marathon, making it one of the bigger race weekends on the east coast. Over 14,000 total runners entered the 8k, half, and full marathons. It seems as though things went of with few problems. They did switch to a new disposable chip system, which was not entirely reliable (Frank's start time was missed for example), but overall, Richmond pulled off another successful event.

Shirt Order - REPLY BY WEDNESDAY AT 5:00 PM

We have more than enough interest in getting RMEC shirts again. This post is now for ORDERS. If your name goes in this post, it means you plan to buy a shirt. I would love to give everyone every color choice under the rainbow, in every style available, but we need to get some volume discounts, and also for the tech shirts, we are going for a "team look" so we want something consistent.

We will be ordering the following:

• $16.00: Men's Alosports Sleeveless Tee (Navy/Grey)
• $16.00: Women's Alosports V-Neck Tank (Navy/Pacific)
• $7.00: Cotton Long Sleeve Tee (White)
• $6.00: Cotton Short Sleeve Ringer Tee (Grey/Navy)

The technical shirts All shirts have a volume discount and a "RMEC Member" discount. These are good quality shirts. The tech shirts in particular retail for $24 without any silk screening, so we are getting a good discount. The men's tech shirt is 100% polyester. The women's shirt has 8% spandex, but it is NOT a compression (form fitting) shirt.

Every shirt will of course have the RMEC logo. The shirts come in S, M, L, XL, and XXL. The cotton shirts also have youth sizes (YS, YM, and YL) so they are great for cheering family members!

Please post a message with exactly what you want. (Name, Style, Size, and Quantity). Checks should be made to "Rocky Mount Endurance Club". Even if you posted below. . . you need to post here again! I need to confirm quantities and sizes now that you can see what we are ordering.

POST CLOSED: NO MORE ORDERS. ONE EXTRA MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SHIRT WAS ORDERED IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 11/15

I am out again this weekend still fight foot problems. Don't let that keep you away from running however. I was going to pick a route on the half marathon race course. But I was not sure how many runners we would have, and I like to have a big group when we run out there. I picked an 8 mile route that everyone seemed to like. This is the hospital route that we did a few weeks ago.

Run Details:

• Where: Sunday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: No - Unless Someone sets it up.
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 8 Mile

You can add distance as needed. Please RSVP if you are coming with your pace and distance.

2008 OBX Results and More

It has taken me a while to get this updated, but we had some very impressive performances this past weekend at the OBX Marathon and also at the Harrisburg Marathon. Starting with the OBX marathon, Jeff Hartney placed 66th over with a time of 3:22:04. This impressive time would have been quicker if not for bad cramping late in the race. It was still good enough to qualify for Boston. . . Jeff has already booked his trip!

Next from the RMEC came Steve Cooper with a 3:49:30. This is just Steve's second marathon, and he improved his time by more than two hours. Wow! It is amazing what a healthy Steve can do. Not far behind Steve came Scott Wingfield in 4:04:22. Scott had a strong start, but ended up with stomach issues in the second half of the race. This may have slowed him down, but it never stopped him. He still powered to the finish line giving high fives to his cheering family.

Levi Moore was the next RMEC finisher. His total time was 4:35:08. Following Levi came Arthur Bennett at 5:11:39. Arthur decide to run OBX even when he knew he was behind in his training. Apparently this worked out okay, as he set a new PR by nine minutes!

Frank (Triple F) Lilley is still on his quest for 12 marathons in 2008. Despite a month lay-off he is back on track, and finished with a 5:51:21. Next stop for Frank is the Richmond Marathon. . . oh yeah, that race is tomorrow! Good luck Frank!

In the half marathon, Travis Hartney was first to finish from the RMEC, with a time of 1:51:18. Needless to say, his dad is very proud of the performance. Nipping at his heals came Eric Pate with a 1:53:03. This is a big PR for Eric he previously had run a 2:08. Tracy Hicks came in at 2:02:40, and just narrowly missed a new PR by seconds. Tampa Cooper ran a 2:28:15, and was there to welcome husband Steve when he crossed the line.

I have heard lots of great reports from everyone who ran. It sounds like the course was nice, the event was well organized, and the RMEC members had a great time hanging out together, having dinner, and being fans of the race! I hope we can at least double the size of this group when we head to the Flying Pig Marathon next May!

Other Rocky Mount Runners at OBX Marathonoers were as follows: Julian McLeod 3:46:22, and Doug Bunting 5:23:05. And in the Half: Angela Barnhill 1:48:45, Robert Thompson 1:53:32, Yvonne McLeod 2:10:59, Jonathan Vick 2:21:28, Joe Magallon 2:51:07. If you know these people please congratulate them, and encourage them to join us for some runs.

Not to be missed in all of the OBX news, is Dave Lavely. Dave joined a friend in the Harrisburg Marathon on Sunday. His finishing time alone is impressive (3:38:34). What makes it even more impressive is Dave ran the City of Oaks Marathon just seven days earlier. Nice work Dave!

Sweetheart 5k Open for Registration!

The Sweetheart 5k presented by Dental Care Center is now open for registration. Children and families can also register for the 1-Mile Fun Run sponsored by Providence Bank. Both events are directed by the City of Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation.

I hope the RMEC members will support this race by registering themselves, and encouraging others to run. It is important for our club to have some local races that we do not host. If we are the only one putting on races, it puts a tremendous strain on the RMEC. We want and need more local involvement to have a healthy community that promotes physical fitness and daily exercise.

As a reminder the Sweetheart 5k has a couples division that will award prizes to the fastest pre-registered couples. Couples get to pick their own team name (keep them clean). All runners will of course be eligible for Individual awards as well. This is not a couples only event. In fact, we expect three quarters of those registering will be entered as an individual.

The race has a 250 runner cap. Based on the Ford's Colony races, I honestly believe the Sweetheart 5k will sell out. It has a beautiful course, strong sponsorship, a good marketing plan, a kid's race, and fun prizes. This will be a popular event. Help get the ball rolling, and be the first to register. RMEC members can use the discount code "RMEC" to save 10% off the entry fee for themselves and their families.

Coming soon. . . OBX Results and RMEC Shirt Orders

RUN RSVP: Saturday 11/08

I debated about even posting a group run for this weekend. Half of our Saturday regulars are racing at OBX, a few of us our injured, and some others are out of town. I am one of those injured ones, so I am not running this weekend. We may end up with a small group, so if you plan to run please post your plans. If people do not know you are coming, they might not show up. I am going to let people select their own route as well.

Run Details:

• Where: Sunday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: No - Unless Someone sets it up.
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: Unplanned

Don't forget that the time changed, so I moved us back to a 7:00 a.m. start. There should be plenty of daylight at this time. If you are training the the First Carolina State Bank Half Marathon, this will most likely be your last long run. Be safe. . . don't get injured! Please RSVP if you are coming with your pace.

Good Luck RMEC!

This is the first year the RMEC did not have a "training team" just for one race. The past two years we sent a big crowd to the Richmond Marathon and all followed the same training plans. This year we were spread out over multiple races, but the most popular by far is the OBX Marathon and Half Marathon. We have 11 RMEC members (or family members) running at OBX. Here is how it breaks out:

• Marathon: Jeff Hartney, Levi Moore, Arthur Bennett, Scott Wingfield, Steve Cooper, Frank Lilley
• Half Marathon: Tracy Hicks, Travis Hartney, Eric Pate, Tampa Cooper,
• Fun Run: Sarah Hicks

There are several other Rocky Mount residents also in the race, so be sure to cheer on your fellow runners. This really should be a great weekend for everyone. The weather looks to be mild, and the wind should not be too difficult to handle either. I anticipate several PRs from people in this race, and look forward to hearing your stories when you return!

Dave Lavely is racingagain this weekend. This will be a marathon on two consecutive weekends for him as he travels to Harrisburg, PA to compete in the Select Medical Corporation Harrisburg Marathon. Good luck eveyone!

RMEC Shirt Order

I am starting to investigate another shirt order for RMEC shirts. It has been discussed about getting some nice "racing shirts" (sleeveless or short sleeve) that are all in the same color with the RMEC logo. This makes us easier to pick out in races and gives us a sense of being a team. We don't have the budget to give shirts out, but it is possible we can discount them for current RMEC members. There are price breaks depending on volume, so I hope we could order 40+ shirts.

Depending on quality and the size of the order, the price of the shirts would likely range from $15-$25. The shirt to the right is a sample style that could be order for the women. To get the discounts I can not order multiple styles and colors. Plus it simply gets too confusing on the order. Right now, I am trying to gauge interest (your are not committing to buy anything). If you are not a member of the club, but plan to join in 2009, you are welcome to add your name to the potential order list.

• How many technical RMEC race shirts would you be interested in?
• How many cotton RMEC t-shirts would you be interested in?

This and That

I don't have much information to share, but wanted to try to keep the blog up to date. So here are a few random tidbits of information:

The Great Medoc Rerun: As a reminder, the Medoc Rerun is scheduled for 12/06. We have not set a time, but I was thinking about 9:00 am. This gives everyone a chance to get there, and hopefully have it warm up a touch. Of course don't skip the run if you are going to be late. Come out and run the course backwards! People would love to see you! We are up to 20 runners now. Hope to see that number double if possible! Don't forget that there is a holiday party the same evening will include RMEC members. Come run in the morning, and celebrate at night!

Sweetheart 5k presented by Dental Care Center: If you did not know, the new 5k course has been approved by the Rocky Mount Police Department. Parks and Rec still needs to discuss this with the neighbors of Candlewood and Greystone, but we are optimistic it will be well received by both communities. The race will be completely finished before most people finish their morning cup of coffee. There are still two lots left for sponsors. The brochure will be finalized this weekend, so if you know anyone who might be interested please put them in touch now!

2009 RMEC Dues

As a member of the Road Runner Club of America (RRCA), we must send in our annual payment and a list of current members at the end of this year. I wanted to give everyone a heads up that this is coming up in December. Of course we hope everyone will decide to renew their RMEC membership, but we also hope some of you "online lurkers" (you know who you are) will join us in 2009! There is strength in numbers, and having a larger group increases our opportunity for success, and gives everyone more potential training partners. Current members, please do your part to help recruit for our 2009 membership.

In 2008, our membership fee was $25 annually. The RMEC Officers will review our current balance sheet, and 2009 plans before setting the 2009 dues, but I do not anticipate a substantial change (up or down). The RRCA did not increase our dues, so that is of course in our favor.

As a member you get access to the following: Discounts on running gear; Organized and supported group runs; Reduced entry fees on some local races; Social Outings; Advice from 40+ runners, cyclists, swimmers, and triathletes; Access to the RMEC website; and more. Most importantly, your membership dues enables the RMEC to host local road races, and keep Rocky Mount active.

Lots of Race Results

What a great weekend of racing for the RMEC. We were spread out over multiple cities doing a variety of distances, and everyone did exceptionally well. I will begin at the Beach2Battleship 1/2 Marathon, because I completely forgot to mention that Tim Shea was racing in this event. Tim had been training hard for this half ironman event, waking up before the sun to complete most of his workouts. The hard work paid off, as Tim finished with a time of 5:42:43. Although Tim considers cycling his sport of choice, his run was his most impressive leg of the race, where he ran a 2:03 half marathon after three hours of exercise. All total, Tim finished 102nd out of 255 men, and 12th in his age group.

Cliff Amos was also in Wilmington this weekend, but completing his first ever ironman distance. A race of this distance has a real possibility that you will not finish. This was not a problem for Cliff. With a total time of 12:13:22, Cliff finished in 152nd place. Based on his splits, it appears took a conservative approach to the swim and bike. He finished the swim in 1:01, and the bike in 6:25. He then smoked the marathon and ran a 4:24!

South of Cliff, Jason Irvin was also making his first attempt at the ironman distance in the Ford Ironman Florida. Jason finished with a total time of 12:20:19 (although I need to confirm if this is gun or chip time). Jason had a solid 2.4 mile swim in 1:07:13. He then played to his strength and flew through the bike leg with a time of 5:43. His marathon time was 5:18. This earned Jason 1166th place out of 2270!

My hat is to both Cliff and Jason. Think about just how long 12 hours lasts. . . These guys were jumping in the ocean when the sun came up, and finished the race in the dark while we were putting out kids to bed. Imagine exercising all day. Impressive performance guys!

Coming closer to home, the RMEC had three participants at the City of Oaks races this weekend. Dave Lavely ran the full marathon in 3:55:15. This time might seem a little off of what Dave normally does, but this was a training run for Dave, as he has another marathon next weekend. Ursula Forrester and Amber Poole finished the half marathon in 2:13:23 and 2:21:17 respectively. Ursula placed 116th out of 252 in her age group, and Amber placed 158th out of 282. Both had strong performances and look poised for more great races (First Carolina Half, Disney Half, etc.) as 2008 winds to a close.

Beth Coleman completed her first marathon this weekend on a windy day in New York. She had a goal of getting under 5:00 which she crushed by 15 minutes. Here final time was 4:45:30. Great debut Beth. . . hope you are hooked now!

I welcome any race reports written by RMEC members. Email me a recap and I will have it posted to the blog. People get bored of hearing me ramble about the same stuff over-and-over. A new perspective on an event is fun for everyone to read.