Sweetheart 5k Updates

I know not all of you are on facebook, and many of you might now check the race websites very often. . . so I wanted to give you some updates on the Sweetheart 5k!

Dash for the Diamond: Wade Designs will hold a drawing after the race for a DIAMOND! All 5k runners are automatically entered, but you must be present to win. We are very excited about a prize of this size at a local 5k. Please consider Wade Designs for your next Jewelry purchase.

New Shirt Design: We heard the feedback from 2009. . . guys don't wear shirts with cupid in purple hightops! This years new shirt design has more of a "rock 'n roll" edge to it. Cupid is still the official race logo, but the 2010 shirt rocks! (click to enlarge)

Beach Get-Away: The Rocky Mount Residence Inn has made arrangements for a two night stay at the Morehead City Hampton Inn! In a separate drawing, 5k runners will be able to win this weekend stay overlooking the beach. Once again you must be present to win.

Raleigh Running Outfitters: Jim Micheels at Raleigh Running Outfitters has once again offer big support to the Sweetheart 5k with $870 in gift certificates as awards. These will be given out to overall and age group winners in addition to their custom race medals.

FREE sack packs: The first 150 runners to register will receive a free sports sack pack. These draw string bags are perfect for the gym or when packing for your next race. Sign up soon. . . these will go fast! (click to enlarge)

Wine for the "Sweethearts": Ventosa Plantation Vineyard and Winery will provide some of their local wine to the winners of the Sweetheart Couples Division. Ventosa is located in Scotland Neck, NC.

I honestly believe the Sweetheart 5k, will provide one of the best prize packs of any 5k race in North Carolina. Please consider signing up today, and please help spread the word! We rely heavily on word-of-mouth to advertise our races. This enables us to invest more back into your race experience.

RUN RSVP: Holdays!

It is now that time of year when many from the RMEC are off for the holidays. I wish all of you safe travels wherever you go for the remainder of 2009. For those who are still hanging around Rocky Mount we typically gt together some impromptu running groups.

I will not be able to post a unique RSVP post for every day, so consider this an open forum to share your running plans with the group. New members or old members, please post when you are running or if you are looking for someone to run with. (Remember, if you will be out of town, please do not post that on the blog for safety.)

Here are some typical running days for the club:

• 12/24 - Christmas Eve: Anyone up for a morning run?
• 12/31 - New Years Eve: Some are already planning on a 20 miler to end out 2009
• 01/01 - New Years Day: We have done this run the last few years. Maybe a run from Tracy's house again? This one can't start too early. . .

Happy Running!

Updates:

Thursday 12/31 - Leaving from Dave's house at 7:00 am and running by the Teeter around 7:30 am. Running long! Come join us.

Friday 01/01 - Group run planned at Tracy's. We just need to set the time. How does 9:00 am sound? Tracy let us know what works.

Saturday 01/02 - Scott and I are considering a run on the Canal Trail in the morning. We can carpool if anyone is interested in going with us. We will run 13-16 miles.

Race Updates

I wanted to share a few race updates for those of you not on facebook.

Sweetheart 5k:

Just a few "early bird" spots remain to register for the Sweetheart 5k. Sign up soon to grab one. I am also pleased to announce that the race will once again have a drawing for a WEEKEND BEACH GET AWAY at the Morehead City Hampton Inn.

How is that for a prize prize!! Every 5k entry will be entered in the drawing, but you must be present to win! Special thanks to the Rocky Mount Residence Inn and Courtyard for making the arrangements.

Roanoke Canal Half Marathon & 8k:

I am really pleased with the registrations thus far for the Roanoke Canal Half Marathon and 8k. We are well ahead of where we thought we would be at this time. We will have race brochures available in January which should really help to bring more attention to the event.

If you want a preview of the race course, take a look at the short video below.

RMEC 2010 Membership Roster

Thank you for taking the time to register online for the 2010 RMEC. We will be sending our complete roster to the Road Runner Club of America in January which will also make you a member of our parent organization.

Below are the names that are on the roster as of 12/21:

1. Kelly Allen
2. Clifford Amos
3. Andy Barker
4. Ashley Bass
5. Arthur Bennett
6. David Beam (New)
7. Carolyn Beam (New)
8. Kim Blackwelder
9. Ingrid Bullard
10. Ryan Bullard
11. Charlotte Burnette (New)
12. Teddy Cheetah (New)
13. Tampa Cooper
14. Steve Cooper
15. Christiana Cox (New)
16. Abraham Cox (New)
17. Dennis Crossen (New)
18. Carol Dickens
19. Gerry Felton
20. Ron Fleming
21. Michael Forrester
22. Ursula Forrester
23. Jeff Hartney
24. Laura Haynes
25. Tracy Hicks
26. Russ Hinesley
27. Jason Irvin
28. Robin Johnson
29. Brian Lankford
30. David Lavely
31. Frank Lilley
32. Ted Lord
33. Liz Lord
34. Anthony Lucas
35. William Lucas
36. Larry McKeel
37. Levi Moore
38. Wayne Painter
39. Eric Pate
40. Amber Poole
41. Tracy Proctor
42. Lillian Pruden
43. Winslow Rogers
44. Misty Schmitt
45. Jon Shingleton
46. Julie Stutts (New)
47. Nicole Sykes (New)
48. Thomas Thurman
49. Michael Votava
50. Brad Weisner
51. Elaine Wesiner
52. Mary Whitwell
53. Ralph Willey
54. Leigh Ann Wingfield
55. Scott Wingfield

We are updating the 2010 RMEC Membership Roster. 2010 dues will be $25. We will be scheduling an annual club meeting very soon. For now we want to ensure we have a complete roster to submit to the RRCA. http://rmec2010.eventbrite.com/. The password to register is "run"

RUN RSVP: Saturday 12/19

Well, checking the forecast, I don't see the snow I was hoping for. Nothing is more fun than a "snow run". I hate to keep being boring, but I have the same route that we have used the last three weeks. With a smaller group, it works well to keep everyone pretty close together.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:30 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: At the tracks (pending enough runners)
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 6.67 Miles

Note the start time is 7:30. I am not 100% sure I can make it. I may run in Raleigh if we do some shopping. Please let us know if you are coming, or even considering it. I think some of you are waiting to see others say they are running before the commit. We end up with a bunch running on their own. . . so even if you just "think" you will run, post a comment, and say you need a running partner.

2010 Membership: If you have not done so yet (and you are interested), please sign up as a 2010 RMEC member soon. The password is "run". We will be planning a year end business meeting and will collect dues at that time. Thanks!

Thunder Road Results

The RMEC sent five men to Charlotte this past weekend to participate in the Thunder Road Marathon. If you are not familiar with this race, you can safely describe it as "cold and hilly." It is not hills like Umstead, but Scott described it as 26.2 miles of Candlewood. . . non stop rolling hills with little to no flat land. Don't believe me? Take a look at the elevation chart:

So this is not your typical race to set a PR on. Don't tell that to Ron and Eric however. Both set new Marathon PRs on the cold morning! Ron crossed the line in 4:00:23, just barely missing the coveted sub-four mark. Even more impressive is that Ron did this with negative splits, hitting the half way point at 2:03. Eric was only a mile behind Ron on his way to a new PR. His finishing time was 4:09:47. He also ran a well paced race, only running the second half a minute slower!

Dave was the first from the RMEC to finish when he crossed the line in 3:45:31. Dave was having a strong race and was on pace for a Boston Qualifier until cramps get the best of his legs at mile 21. Even with Cramps, Dave was able to push through and finish 329th overall.

Frank had company on this race as Steve decided to hang back and have fun. Steve had been recovering from a calf injury, so his primary goal was to finish uninjured. Frank finished in 5:46:26 which was good enough for 27th in his new age group! Steve pulled ahead in the last bit of the race to finish in 5:39:37. Best of all. . . no injuries!

To read Franks race report, and see some photos visit his blog. Great job to everyone!

Race Report: Second Empire - Final Standings

Submitted by: Brian Lankford

Ashley and I have completed the last race in the 2009 Second Empire Grand Prix Series. The Jolly Elf Trail Run was completed shortly after 9:00 AM Saturday. (more shortly after 9:00 if you were Ashley). The temperature in Cary at Bond Park at 9:00 AM was 26 or 27 degrees depending who you ask. Either way, my thermometer reads "pretty darn cold" at that temp.

It was a nice cross country start, meaning plenty of room to spread out across the starting line. These races are chip timed, but the points are awarded by gun time. This is a distinct disadvantage when you get stuck 20 ft back at the start behind the recreational runner/walkers. You can easily give up 8 sec to your competition before crossing the starting line. We were both happy with the wide open space!

Ashley and I knew going into this race what we had to accomplish. Ashley was out of 4th place overall in the series by about 8 points to his 16 year old competitor. That means he had to beat him by about 20 seconds. Ashley had to run a great race. I had a 15 point cushion going into the last race to hold the 8th place overall position against my 30 year old competition who had found some speed in the last two races and finished ahead of me in both. Could I hold him off on a trail race in miserable conditions?

We stripped down to our little silk shorts and shirt with a little added protection for our hands and ears. The somewhat long winded announcer was torture as we felt the full force of the cold. At the sound of the horn, I employed the "run like you stole it" mentality across the field to the 5 ft wide trail that we would funnel down into. I was passing all the 8 to 10 year old sprinters who could only think about the first 200 yds across the field and the elf clad, jingle bell hat wearing runners going for their 15 seconds of fame. I made it to the trail area with all the traffic behind me. Actually the leaders were just ahead. It was a bold move, but the ones you pass in the field are less you have to pass on the trails. I wondered how Ashley negotiated the crowd as I ran just behind the leaders. I got my answer very shortly as Ashley came up on my right and glided smoothly in front of me. We exchanged the almost non noticeable head nod, knowing we each had our own agenda to accomplish.

I had not seen my competition yet, but I had employed the new "bust a move" right out of the chute. Unfortunately, Ashley's competition was a good 25 yrds ahead of him.

My initial plan of going out fast is working but I can't trick myself into thinking I can run with the leaders, so I find what I think is a "comfortable" pace. I am being passed by the runners that are usually at the front now and each one of them gives the "grunt" of encouragement as they pass. These are truly great competitors. We all know each other's points, and we all know what each other has to do. Ashley is fading off in the distance, but through my teary eyes, (not because of emotion or pain, it's just so daggone cold) I believe he may be catching the kid.

One mile into the race, I have seen all the regulars in the series and our positions are for the most part at their norm. I'm a little closer to them than normal, but one thing is missing. Where is the 30 year old that has been right in front of me for the last 2 races. I don't have much of a points lead. If he is right behind me and staging a last mile or half mile assault on my points lead, I have to stay fast and strong. I can't look back because we all know that is a sign of weakness and fear! I am very much aware that I could still lose the race and the points at this point.

After the 1-mile mark I am joined by a very pleasant and respectful young lad of about 15 yrs old. He graciously gives me the inside on turns and even grunts out "courtesies". I feel like he is a boy scout helping me across the street. We run side by side for the next 2 miles, well actually the rest of the race. He is not a key player in this story's plot, other than pushing my pace, so I can tell you that. At this point in the race, my feet are numb, honestly I cannot feel them except for the occasional root or rock. My hands are in the same state, I am making a fist now trying to protect my thumbs which are in pain. My mustache feels like it has icicles on it. We have passed the 2-mile mark and I keeping a good pace, feeling well, and have my little buddy beside me for encouragement.

At this point, I still have not seen my 30 year old competitor and know he will be making a move very soon. I know he can beat me because he has done it in the past two races. I can still lose this race and drop in the points if I don't run hard. Me and my bud pick up the pace, at least it feels like it. We are burning up the hills and letting it all out on the down hills. If the 30 year old is going to make a move, he better do it now because I've got my pride and the "boy scout" on my side. I can see the 3-mile marker sign in the distance and what do I see coming back to me? I can't believe it! It is Ashley's 16 year old competition! With .1 miles to go there is no crazy sprint from behind by my competition and Ashley's competition is in my clutches, and Ashley is nowhere in sight. I assume he has crossed the finish line and is looking for the kid, counting the seconds and celebrating his victory.

My race is with my little friend that I have run with for the last two miles and we manage a great finishing kick across the field to the finish line for a great show. He got me by about 10 ft., but I knew that Ashley and I had run the race we had to race and we had both accomplished our goals. Every person in a race has there own race to run and it was a great feeling to know that Ashley and I had just won ours.

Ashley ran a 17:25 and gained 40 pts on the kid. That was good enough to raise him from 5th to 4th place in the overall final standings. (Editors Note: Ashley missed 3rd overall by a single point. 5,302 was third, and he scored 5,301). I never saw my competition because my competition never showed up for the race. Ignorance is bliss, because I ran like he was right behind me, calculating his final assault, the entire time. I managed an 18:17 and that clenched an overall final standings finish of 8th.

I would never have known about or even considered running this series if it weren't for the encouragement of Ashley. It has been a lot of work and dedication. We have pushed ourselves to limits we would never have tried and surpassed all of our expectations. I know as runners that's what we're all about, whether it's a 1st 5k, a faster 5k, a first marathon or whatever. Get out there and push yourself, encourage others, and set your goals high. . .You'll be surprised, You will probably reach them and have to set new goals.

Delayed Dash for Cash Results

I am a bit behind on doing a race report, but last Sunday several people from the RMEC went to Greenville to participate in the Reindeer Dash for Cash. This 10 mile and 5k race is not only the largest running event in Greenville it also is on one the fastest course you will find.

In the 10 mile competition, John Batchelor was the first from the RMEC to cross the finish line. His over all time was 1:06:59 (6:42 pace) which was good enough for 14th overall. Derek ran most of the race with John, and finished in 18th with a 1:07:18 (6:44 pace). John was 1st in his age group, and Derek was 3rd.

I finished finished in 31st place with a 1:09:52 (7:00 pace). I was able to pass several runners in the last two miles, but came up two seconds behind the 3rd place finisher in my age group. Tim Shea finished in 1:13:55 (7:24 pace) and earned 5th place in his age group. The RMEC entered as a 10 mile team as well. With the help of John and Derek's running friend Jarrod, we were able to take 1st place out of 10 teams. We won by about 29 minutes.

The 10-mile race was very competitive. They had several true elite runners sign up to race. The men's winner ran a 49:55 which is a pace of 4:59.9. . . for 10 MILES! The women's winner was equally impressive running a 56:59 (5:42 pace). She finished in second place over all.

The 5k also had some strong RMEC performances. Both Jon Shingleton and Amber Poole had a PRs. Jon knocked over 5 minutes off his Sweetheart 5k time and finished this one in 24:45! Not far behind, Amber finished in 27:01. Nice work guys!

Tim's son, Zach finished 20th overall, and 4th in his age group. This feat is even more impressive when you consider he is only 13. Tom Thurman continues to excel in 5ks, and finished the Dash in 24:57. This performance earned Tom an age group award as he finished 3rd!. John Batchelor was not the only one racing in his family; his wife Jeanette logged another 5k race finishing in 29:03.

So, when you add it all up, I would say we had a good day. Lots of awards, and several PRs. . . most importantly however, we all had fun at a great event. I strongly encourage you to join us next year in Greenville.

Coming soon. . .

• Thunder Road Results
• 2nd Empire Series Final Results
• Updates on the 2010 Roanoke Valley Spring Tri
• 2010 RMEC Roster Update (Have you signed up?)

RUN RSVP: Saturday 12/12

Last weekend was a cold rainy mess, but four of us still showed up to run. Tomorrow will not be wet, but it will be far colder. It will be 29F at 7:00 am, and only 42F at 10:00. For this reason I pushed the starting time to 8:00 am in hopes to get more people out. Be sure to bundle up and wear your Medoc beanies!

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 8:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: At the tracks (pending enough runners)
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 6.67 Miles

If anyone is interested, I would really like like to go run the Roanoke Canal Trail on Saturday. I will likely run an 8:00-8:30 pace, and could do up to 13 miles.

Thunder Road: Good luck to Steve, Ron, Eric, Frank, and Dave this weekend at the Thunder Road Marathon in Charlotte. Sounds like similar weather to last year. Bundle up and have a great race!

2010 Membership: If you have not done so yet (and you are interested), please sign up as a 2010 RMEC member soon. The password is "run". We will be planning a year end business meeting and will collect dues at that time. Thanks!

March 21st. . . Marathon Day. Are you in?

We have had several emails and conversations about getting a group together for a spring marathon. It looks like March 21st, 2010 is going to be the weekend that many from the RMEC have selected for their race. There are three options all on the same day:

Tobacco Road Marathon:

• Info: This inaugural race will be held in Cary on Sunday 03/21. This makes for an easy drive on race morning, so it would be an affordable option.
• Course: The course uses the American Tobacco Trail for about 18 miles of the race (a bit ironic for a race called Tobacco "Road"). When on the trail you hit two out-and-back sections. There are a few photos of the trail on the race website, and you can see it is not a challenging trail at all. It is wide with great footing.
• Time: The race starts at 7:00 am
• Cost: $60 ($80 on Jan 1)
• Host: FS Series (Finish Strong) is timing this event, but it is directed by a new group of runners.

Wrightsville Beach Marathon:

• Info: This is another inaugural race and will be held in Wrightsville Beach also on Sunday. This is another drivable race, but a hotel would be needed for Saturday night.
• Course This also has an interesting course. It is a point-to-point race, but the first 20 miles are done through two loops of the Landfall development. The loops have some unusual "humps" where it breaks off the main road briefly (I assume to add needed distance). After that runners do a loop through Long Leaf Acres before finishing. I know you run one bridge at mile one, but I assume it is a flat course otherwise.
• Time: 6:30 am. It is an early start, but that is not always bad.
• Cost: $75 and the price does not increase until race day ($95).
• Host: Although they are not the primary race director, this is a Setup Events' race. Bill Scott is known for well organized races.

Shamrock Marathon:

• Info: This is the old standby on the east coast when looking at a March marathon. The race is held at Virginia Beach and always draws a lively crowd and has nice race swag.
• Course: A very fast course. It is flat, but can be windy, which is extra tough it the day is cold.
• Time: 8:00 am. The half starts at 7:00.
• Cost: $100 ($110 on Jan 1). It would be the more expensive option of the three, but it is a proven race.
• Host: Not sure the exact details, but again this is a proven race.

All three options above are on the same date. All three also have a half marathon options. I do sincerely hope if you plan to race a half marathon in March that you will select the Roanoke Canal Half Marathon on March 13, 2010. I also hope that you will consider the 8k for a training run if you plan to race a marathon on 03/21.

So, who plans to race a marathon on March 21st? You don't have to pick a race now, but traveling with a group is the most fun, so please share your choice.

2010 Sweetheart 5k

Open for Registration: The Sweetheart 5k is back for 2010! Registration is now open online. The first 40 people to register get the "Early Bird" discount of only $20. Please help spread the word. 2010 RMEC members an save 10% by using the code "RMEC" when registering.

New Website: We have a new website for 2010. Visit www.sweetheart5k.com to get started. The RMEC is my pilot group, s0 please share any feedback about the site if you notice any errors.

Couple Division: The Sweetheart 5k has a unique couples competition that allows runners to combine times and compete against other couples to find the “fastest couple in eastern North Carolina”. Last year 41 couples competed. We would love to see even more in 2010!

Sponsors Needed: As with all races, we are seeking out sponsors to help put on the race. I really need the help of the RMEC if you know of any potential sponsors. Please take time to review the sponsor page. If you know any local businesses share this information with them, or feel free to let me know their contact information, and I can send them a package. I need to nail these down quickly so we can go to print with the race brochures. Thank you.

Proceeds: The event proceeds will stay local. Proceeds from the Sweetheart 5K will benefit the Rocky Mount Friends of Little League Baseball, Inc. The RMFLLB support the Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation Department Athletic Division Youth Sport programs by providing funding for athletic equipment, supplies, and facility.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 12/05

It has been a while since we have had a big group run. Lets try to use tomorrow as a morning to get a bunch of people running. It will give you a great chance to wear your Medoc finishers beanie and keep your head warm! Not only that, we can spend the morning trying to figure out who will make the biggest idiot of themselves at the Lavely Christmas party!

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: At the tracks (pending enough runners)
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 6.67 Miles

The forecast is cold and rainy. I can put fluids at the tracks, but if there is honestly not anyone interested in facing the elements I will not worry about. So please RSVP if you are coming.

Don't forget about the Lavely Christmas Party on Saturday. All RMEC members are invited. The Lavely's are very gracious hosts to open up their home to such a large group. The RMEC will help to provide some of the beverages for the occasion, so this is the closest thing we get to our annual Christmas party.

Reindeer Dash for Cash

I wanted to make sure the RMEC know about a great race that is only 45 minutes from Rocky Mount. Greenville annually hosts the Reindeer Dash for Cash in December. This years race is this coming Sunday. Because it is December, they take advantage of the cool temperatures, and host an afternoon race. Both the 5k and 10-mile race start at 1:00 p.m. If you have not run an afternoon race before, they are always a good time.

John and I are running the 10-Miler. We are waiting on Tim to confirm as well. We plan to assemble a RMEC team. Teams have 3-5 members, so we have room for two more. You all run the full race, and they take the top three times.

Hope the RMEC will consider running. This is the largest race that Greenville hosts. I plan to leave around 11:20 to get there in plenty of time.