It is 5k Season!

If you are an avid racer, or just getting in to running, you have probably already noticed there are LOTS of 5k race options out there at the beginning of every year. I have been getting several emails about them, so I though it would be easiest for me to summarize them in one post to help spread the word. This list is only 5ks within 50 minutes of us. There are of course other 5k options further away.

• 02/08 - Run for the Roses (Raleigh) - Valentine theme race with a couples option and also a "pump-n-run".
• 02/14 - Sweetheart (Rocky Mount) - Maybe you have heard about this one?
• 02/21 - Tennis Shoes for Africa (Rocky Mount) - New off road race at Wesleyan.
• 02/28 - Polar Plunge (Raleigh) - Race includes an optional plunge in to Lake Raleigh (Brrrr)
• 02/28 - Lace up for a Cure (Greenville) - New event to raise money for a Relay for Life team.
• 03/28 - Raleigh Rocks (Raleigh) - There is a 5k that goes with the Half Marathon (which is on a new course in 2009)
• 04/04 - Moving for Community Outreach (Tarboro) - Fun race. 1st year had 100 runners and all RMEC runners placed. Close by, and worth supporting.
• 04/18 - Pirate Alumni (Greenville) - 2nd year event. Out and back course in Greenville. Wear your purple!
• 04/25 - Operation Sunshine (Greenville) - New cross country event put on by the ECU running club. They really helped support Medoc with runners. Let's return the favor!

I know being a club full of marathoners we don't always run 5ks, but I hope you will consider some of these. It is nice to get out and support the local running communities while having a good time with friends. Everyone should get in a few 5ks a year!

National Tell-a-friend day about the Sweetheart 5k

UPDATE: A weekend stay at Atlantic Beach will be given away at the race!

This may surprise some of you to know that today is Tell-a-friend day about the Sweetheart 5k Day! This means for the next 24 hours, your goal as a RMEC member is to get at least one person to sign up for the either the 5k, or the Family Fun Run. We have 50 members in the club now. If each of you would find one more person to register, we could sell this race out!

Honestly, it would be a tremendous help if you each took the time to get a friend signed up. The event already has over 160 participants, and is well on it's way to raising money for the local Little League Baseball program, so we are not begging for runners. We are however trying to show eastern North Carolina that Rocky Mount is a racing destination. To do this we want well run and well attended events.

Make it a personal goal to get a person signed up for the race before the February 1st price increase! Seriously. . . don't just read this post and check back to the blog tomorrow. Get people signed up!

RUN RSVP: Saturday @ Rocky Mount Marathon

I am posting the RSVP early this week, becuase I am expecting a big crowd and we need to plan the aid stations accordingly. As discussed a few posts below, January 31st will be the Offical 2nd Annual Unoffical Rocky Mount Marathon. This years event will be held on the FCSB Half Marathon course.

We set the start time at 7:00 am, becuase that seems to be working well based on the recent crowds at the group runs. If you need to start earlier or later, that of course is not a problem. We still want to know you are coming, so we can be on the lookout for you.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Sunset Park (by the Tennis Courts)
• Supported: Yes - see below
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 13.1 Miles x 2

Fluids: There will be two fluid stops. One at the start/finish are, and the other at the dog pound before the wooden bridge. If you are running the full distance, this means there will be aid at the following intervals: Start, 5.7, 8.8, 11.2, 13.1, 18.8, 24.3, Finish. There are also a few fountains on the route, but I beleive only City Lake has them turned on. We will have Gatorade and Water. I should be able to locate some energy gels too.

Bathrooms: There are bathrooms by Chicos, Tom Stith Park, MLK Park, and some port-o-pots by the start finish. They are normally unlocked, but there is no guarantee.

Directions: Most of you already know the half marathon course. If not, please review the map closely, and create turn-by-turn directions if needed. There are arrows painted in the road, but they are not alway easy to see. Not getting lost is your responsibility.

Distance: You can choose your distance. This route sets up very well to customize for your needs. The half marathon course is really three sections. 1) West Haven; 2) Church/Falls Road; 3) Greenway. You can easily skip a section, or turn back to the finish at any time. Plan your route before the run, so people can decide who to run with.

Who: EVERYONE is welcome to run. This is a great time for you to bring out a non-member for a group run. If you are not a member, consider this your invitation to join us! You do not need to know someone to come. . . just let us know you are coming so we plan for enough fluids.

Cost: Free

RSVP if you are coming. We really need to know your pace and distance, so we can set up the aid stations.

Little River Trail Run

These race results should have been posted a few weeks ago. While we were at Disney, a group of RMEC members decided to take on a challenge of another trail race here in North Carolina. Kevin Boudreau and Brad Weisner drove to Durham two weekends ago and ran in the Little River Trail Run. This annual event is held by the Trailheads club.

Kevin finished 80th overall out of 259 finishers in the 10 miler. His time of 1:32:05 was good enough to earn him third place in the category of "people-named-Kevin". Brad finished with a time of 1:46:44 in 171st place. . . Brad however won his "name-group".

Both agree that the trails were more technical than Medoc with lots of switch-backs, but said it was a fun race, and the Trailheads did a great job with their organization. This is certainly a race for the RMEC to consider in 2010 if you are looking for a winter trail run.

Congrats guys! (Sorry for my confusing attempt at humor about the name-group placing)

Membership Roster

We will be sending in our annual dues to the Road Runner Club of America this week. As a reminder, being a member of the RMEC also makes you a member of the Road Runner Club of America. Our membership in the this club enables us to host races like the Ford's Colony 5k and 10k and the Medoc Trail Races. It also gives us the means to create new programs like the Rocky Mount Endurance Kids.

Below are the names that we have had confirm their membership. If your name is not on this list and it should be, please let me know. The club discounts (race entries, shirt discounts, shopping discounts, etc.) are intended for active club members.

Below are three lists. Paid are those that have paid. Pending are those that confirmed they want to join/renew but we still need to collect the payment. TBD are those that have not commented if they plan to join/renew.

I have not been around much the past three weeks, so do not worry if you are still outstanding. Unless we hear otherwise, the names in the first two groups will be sent as our official roster. We need to collect the remaining payments to help cover the fees and insurance premiums we must pay the RRCA. We can of course add new members during the year should anyone else want to join.

If I have missed anyone, or if I have your payment status incorrect, please let me know. Between RMEC Shirts, the Medoc Rerun, and the annual dues, I have received a good amount of cash. I believe I have reported it all correctly to Scott, but want to make sure I have done it correctly.

Relay for Life

RMEC Member, Eric Pate is a co-chair on the Accounting Committee for this year's Relay for Life. He is trying to see if there is interest in assembling a RMEC team for the event. The entry fee is $10 per participant and each participant will to try to raise $100. Eric cannot participate because of volunteer responsibilities.

The Relay is April 24 & 25 at the track beside the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. To date there are 38 teams with over 460 participants.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. It offers everyone in a community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Teams of people camp out at the local track and take turns walking or running. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during 24 hours of the event.

Relay For Life is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people to:

• Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight.
• Remember loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing.
• Fight Back. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.

If someone would like to be a captain and organizer of a team, please speak up now and post a comment ASAP. If you are interested in being on the team, post a comment as well.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 01/24

We have been having bigger crowds of runners every weekend with new runners joining us each time. I look forward to hopefully 20+ runners this Saturday as well. It will be a chilly start at 30F, but will be 49F by 10:00 am.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes - at the tracks
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 10 Miles

The route is a 10-miler that we have not done for a while. It has two "dead-end-turnarounds" which makes it good for a large group. If you plan to run less, you can skip those sections and cut about two miles. There are several other places to cut as well. Please review the route and written directions below the map.

Please RSVP with your pace and distance if you are coming. The larger the group, the harder it is to set up fluid stops, so this is important. I really do not want to see a person running 20 miles run out because we did not prepare enough.

Also. . . our regular water stop at the tracks has been given a face lift! Roger (the person who lives there) has constructed a table for us with some hooks for clothing, and also a clip so we can put a trash bag out for used cups. This is a very nice gesture by Roger. Please be sure to take advantage of the table, and not leave any cups laying around. If you are the last person running and there is still stuff out on the table, please take it with you. I will get the cooler back from you. This way everyone can have something to drink their entire run.

If you are running any morning and go by Roger's house, please do me a favor and toss his newspaper up towards his back door. This is the least we can do to say thanks. I am not certain if I can be there tomorrow yet, so if someone can set up fluids, please post a comment here. Thank you.

Rocky Mount Endurance Kids

6:00 pm Kick Off Meeting on Monday - Location TBD. . . stay tuned!

BIG NEWS! The RMEC is about to take on a new challenge, and your help is needed. Several club members have expressed interest in beginning a program that focuses on improving the health and fitness of children in our area. We applied for a grant through the Road Runner Club of America, but lost out to other running clubs. We were however able to secure a $500 grant from RBC Bank to get us started. As a result, we are excited to announce we are launching the Rocky Mount Endurance Kids program in 2009!

The goal of this program is to take elementary school age children and put them through an 8-10 week program that will:

• educated them on the importance of a healthy lifestyle
• show them proper ways to exercise
• inform them about a healthy diet
• motivate them to stay active
• train them for a "fun run" event

To be honest, we can not announce much more at this time, because the planning has just begun. So why am I announcing something that is not ready to begin? Simple. . . we need you.

Tracy Proctor is heading up this initiative, and it can not be done alone. We need to have RMEC members commit time, enthusiasm, and energy for this program to be a success. Most likely we will have 2-3 times per week when we meet with RMEK participants to instruct and exercise. This is not a one person job. You do not need to be an expert to help. Tracy has a great guide that we will model our program after. You simply need to provide the effort.

Originally we were planning to create our own mini-race for kids only in the spring. This plan changed however once we learned about the new Fun Run for Charities in Rocky Mount on May 30th. Nothing is set in stone, but most likely we will "train" a group of kids for this race. All participants in the RMEK program will get a shirt from us to wear in the race, and some handouts about the topics we will cover.

Our hope is to make this free to kids who wish to participate, however we will most likely need a few sponsors to help pull this off. If you or your company are interested in supporting this great opportunity, please let us know ASAP.

To have a successful program, we need to have participants enrolled by the last week of March at the latest. This means we need to get a lot accomplished over the next 4-6 weeks. This is a BIG DEAL for the RMEC. This gives us a chance to be something more than just a running club. Nash and Edgecombe counties are the two most obese counties in the state of North Carolina. We can't fix that over night, but we can start with the youth in our community and change people's lives!

What's Next?

** COMMENTS STRONGLY REQUESTED **

Despite the snow, it is safe to say that many of us our working towards a spring race now. For some of you it is a half marathon, and for others it is a full. I know the Shamrock and the Flying Pig have garnered the most attention from the RMEC, but I am going to highlight five options that our group may be interested in. These are listed in date order:

03/07 Umstead - This Raleigh trail race is only a marathon. It is very hilly and limited to 200 runners. Frank and Scott are registered, and I am going to try to grab one of the "canceled" spots next week if possible.

03/21 National - To be honest I forget about this race until yesterday. I have run the half here twice, and think it is a great race. The took the first three years to find a course that works well for the city and the runners. They have a real winner now. If you want to see DC on foot, without the crowds of the Marine Corps marathon, this is a great option. Plus it is just a short drive and a cheap hotel stay.

03/22 Shamrock - This flat coastal marathon is held at Virginia Beach, and also includes a half. Several RMEC runners have raced here is the past. It is a well organized event that grows every year. To my knowledge Derek, Cliff, Tim, John, Levi and Ron (half) are training for this.

05/03 Flying Pig - At one pint this looked to be the big race for the RMEC. Registration opened up in Januray. This is a very popular race, but I am not sure if it sells out. To my knowledge Frank, Tracy H, Ursula (half), Arthur, Ron, Amber, Levi, Misty, Jeff H, and Eric P are training for this. This race also has a half option.

06/20 Grandma's - This race is held in Duluth Minnesota, and is the premier US summer marathon. Typically (but not always) this race offers cool temps on a PR friendly course. Tracy P. is registered again as this is her old home town. There might be options for free lodging if you join Tracy on the trip. Frank, Ryan, Ursula, and I joined her in 2007 and had a blast. Tracy would LOVE a training partner for this race.

Please post comments here to confirm what you are training for. We all understand plans can change, so there is no shame if you change your mind later. It helps me plan our weekend runs, and it helps other RMEC members get inspired and know who to train with. Even if I mentioned your name above, please post a comment to confirm your plans, and what distance you are training for.

"I don't think we're in Orlando any more Toto"

Three days ago I was wearing a bathing suit and watching the kids come down a water slide. Amazing how quickly things can change! I have some catching up to do at home, work, and the blog. I will try to get updates out as often as possible. I will start by recapping the opening race weekend for the RMEC.

Right off the bat, Frank had a great race at the Frosty 50k on Saturday 01/10. He set a new 50k PR in fact! The cool temps combined with an double out-and-back course set up perfectly for Frank. He ended up finishing the 31 mile race in a time of 6:38:24. Great job Frank! It is also interesting to note that the race winner ran a 3:09. To put that in perspective, it was a 6:06 pace for 31 miles!

Also racing on Saturday, but in a much warmer climate was Tracy H., Patti, and Ursula. For the second year in a row, these three ladies earned their "Donald" medals at the Disney World Half Marathon among over 12,000 finishers. Despite running most of the race together and posing for several pictures, all of them ran impressive times. Ursula and Tracy left Patti with a friend soon after the halfway point in the race. Tracy crossed the finish line in 2:35:03, and Ursula was right behind with 2:35:05. Some long photo lines held Patti back, and she crossed in 2:52:20. Great job ladies!

The next day, new RMEC member, Kim Blackwelder lined up for her first marathon and had one heck of a debut! She finished in 5:06:17 running a consistent pace throughout the race. Kim, feel free to post a comment about your race experience, or shoot me an email if you would like me to do a blog post. We love to hear runner reports on their races.

I also was racing the full marathon, and was very pleased with my race. I finished with a time of 3:41:20. Not my fastest marathon, but a race I feel really good about. Here are a few interesting tidbits from the race for me. . .

1. I was amazed how many runners had gas in the race (and they were not ashamed)
2. I ran most of the race near a joggler. The crowd loved him.
3. At mile 16 I was running by a guy racing in Crocs (seriously. . . Crocs!)
4. I proudly crossed the line minutes before the "pink tutu" guy from Runner's World. Turns out his chip time blew me away. Still, a very nice guy to talk to.

Finally, I had to post a picture of my finish line photo. Not because I am arrogant, but because it is so funny. If not for the clock time in the picture, you would think I won the race. Despite 15,000 marathon finishers, I managed to cross the line with NO ONE near me (except for Lilo and Stich). The picture cracks me up. For more race photos and other neat Disney information check out the My Disney Marathon site.

One other thing to point out. My old college roommate and one of my closest friends also ran Disney this past weekend. He proudly wore a RMEC shirt (he is President of the RMEC Orlando Chapter), and set a new PR finishing in 4:51:28. I know he reads our blog. . . Congrats Scoob! You had a fantastic race.

Sweetheart 5k Updates

The Sweetheart 5k is now over 120 registered runners, and they still expect at least 250 by race day! So far there are about 20 teams entered, but the majority are individual race entries. Please continue to encourage people to register for the event. Remember this is a 5k and 1-mile Fun Run. It is a great opportunity to get a non-runners excited about trying something new and healthy. Walkers are welcome to participate.

The shirts and medals have been ordered. Click on the images below for a sneak peak of what's coming. Women get a pink shirt, men red, and Fun Run participants get a black shirt. Also, don't forget that all Fun Run Finisher's under 10 get a special award!

We are still assembling the Couple's awards for combine age group categories. If you or your company would like to contribute to the "gift basket" please email Lynn Driver at Parks and Rec and let him know ASAP. We will have seven total baskets to give out, so what ever is given we need seven of. Thanks!

The Official "2nd Annual Unofficial Rocky Mount Marathon"

Many of you remember that last year Frank ran and won the 1st ever Rocky Mount Marathon. This was a GPS measure 26.2 mile course around Rocky Mount. This "race" will be held again on January 31st 2009. The start, finish, and route as still getting planned at the moment, but everyone is welcome to join for as many or as few miles as you chose.

The race will be precision timed by the watch you chose to wear that day. If you want a shirt or medal, you must bring your own. Awards ceremonies will be held back at your own house with a hot cup of coffee or a cold beer. . . your choice. More details will follow. If you are interested in joining Frank for all or part of the run post a comment.

Keep an eye out for this run. . . it just might turn in to a big event in a few years!

Greenville Duathlon Reminder

I wanted to remind the RMEC about the Short Course Duathlon in Greenville this coming weekend. This is a low cost event at $40.00, and a very short drive to Greenville. The price goes up on o1/13, so don't wait to register! Remember that RMEC members get 10% off most Finish Strong events. If you do not have the discount code, send an email to runrmec@yahoo.com

This is a great way to warm up to the idea of doing a triathlon. There are not many opportunities like this to race around here. Take advantage of it, and try something new! The race consist of a 3-mile run, a 14-mile bike, and then another 1.5 mile run.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 01/10

Last week we had 20 people show up at the group run. If you have not joined us on a Saturday for a while, you are missing out! Set the alarm, tie your laces, and hit the road! I can not be there tomorrow to put out fluids, and I am not sure what distance people plan to run.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:30 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes - at the tracks
• Weather: Forecast (34F @ Start)
• Routes: 13 Miles

I picked a 13 mile route that goes past the hospital for something a little different. You do not hit the tracks until mile 7 and 10, so bring fluids if you need them more often.

Please RSVP if you are coming (seriously. . . please post if you are coming). Put your pace and distance in your post. This really helps me, and also helps others decide who to run with.

Races this weekend

Tracy H., Patti, and Ursula are all earning their Donald's this weekend at the Disney Half. I am sure they can run with a little less worry knowing they are not running the full the next day. Speaking of the full, I plan to hobble my way through Disney yet again, and earn the new Mickey Medal. Also running from Rocky Mount is Kim Blackwelder. This will be Kim's first marathon. She will be joining the RMEC for 2009, so let's all wish her well in our first (and hopefully not last) marathon. If you are interested, you can sign up to track runners online.

Not to be outdone, Frank is setting the bar high in his first race of the year. He is jumping head first back into running (or is that feet first?). He will kick of the new year by doing another Ultra. This time Frank is running the Frosty 50k at the Salem Lakeshores. Good luck Frank!

Let's get 2009 started!

Everybody Needs a Goal

REPOSTED TO ENCOURAGE MORE COMMENTS - NEW MEMBERS CAN POST TOO

Frank had sent me an email a few weeks ago with the same subject line as this blog post. I think he is right. As runners, we are always setting goals. It might be about how far to go. . . it might be about how fast to go. . . it might be just about finishing. The bottom line is we all use goals to keep us motivated.

In 2008, Frank pretty publicly set a goal of running the marathon distance 12 times during the year. He came very close to missing his goal when he had to make a trip (or two) to the hospital, but he persevered and still reached his goal. I think we all enjoyed following his progress during the year, and in some cases used it as motivation for our own training.

So, now is the time. . . what is/are your 2009 goal(s)? They can be as general, or as specific as you want them to be. I encourage you to share your goals with the RMEC. Don't be afraid of embarrassment, and don't worry about missing your goal. By sharing it with a large group of motivating friends, I think you will find you are more likely to reach your goal.

Here are some examples (not mine):

• "I want to run a sub 4:00 marathon"
• "I want to set a PR at the Flying Pig"
• "I want to qualify for Boston"
• "I want to finish my first marathon"
• "I want to run four days a week"
• "I want to complete my first triathlon"
• "I want to join the RMEC and run my first 10k"
• "I want to catch Medoc"
• "I want to finish an Ultra"
• "I want to break 20 minutes in a 5k"
• "I want to complete a half-ironman"

Give it some thought, and post a reply to this blog entry. You do not have to share your goals, but it would be great to see this post get 30+ comments.

FREE Tri Training Clinic Opportunity

Tri Roanoke Valley will hold a series of free triathlon clinics offering information on equipment, training, nutrition, and training plans. The clinic series will be presented 7:00pm-8:30pm on:

• January 15 - "Introduction to Triathlon",
• February 19 - "Gear Night" (special guest and gear swap),
• March 26 - "Race Day Prep" at the T.J. Davis Recreation Center.

An additional "Performance Based Training Clinic" will be offered by Tom McDowell for beginners and intermediates who want to excel in their race efforts. For more information contact tom@triroanokevalley.com or Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Administration Office at 252-533-2847.

The tri clinics were a great success last year getting people up and started on a program. About half of last years Tri Roanoke Valley participants attended the clinics and well over half of the participants were first timers. Everyone finished and had a great day. This year the tri clinics will continue but the free clinics will be for beginners. A all day "Performance Based Training" clinic will be offered as well to both beginners and experienced athletes wanting to achieve top performance this race year (this one may have a cost).

This is a GREAT opportunity for those of you who want to do your first Tri. Please consider supporting this race. They are going above and beyond to get first timers involved in triathlons. If you have always been too nervous to do one, you will not find a better and closer option than this race.

Post a comment if you plan to register and/or are interested in the clinics. We can easily arrange some carpooling to the clinics.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 01/03

Happy New Year! It is time to hit ground running. What ever your fitness goals for 2009, running will get you there faster. Don't tell yourself, "I'll start next week. . . it is too cold." HOOEY! (Is that a word?) Set the alarm, bundle up, eat a banana, and meet us at the Harris Teeter!

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:30 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes - at the tracks
• Weather: Forecast (34F @ Start)
• Routes: 4.0 Miles

Bring a friend out to run this weekend. New Year's is the best time to find a person waiting to become a runner. Everyone is welcome to join us on the run and post a comment. Even if you have never run with the RMEC before, come out for some fun. I intentionally picked a shorter route, knowing some new people might join us. If you need to run more, just add it on. We all know these roads well enough to create a route on the fly. If you are new to the roads, the directions to this route are below the map linked above. After the Disney Marathon, I will start to plan routes based on those training for Shamrock and the Flying Pig.

Please RSVP if you are coming (seriously. . . please post if you are coming). Put your pace and distance in your post. This really helps me, and also helps others decide who to run with.