First Post in YEARS!

Hello RMEC Members old and new. It has been a long time since I have emailed. Below are some important club updates:


MISSING IN ACTION:
Most of you have noticed that I have been MIA in regards to running lately. I am no longer working in Rocky Mount. This plis family activities have made it increasingly difficult to be out on the roads with you. I am trying to get the energy back in the RMEC, but need more help than before to see this happen.

MEMBERSHIP:
The RMEC is a member organization of the Road Runner Club of America. This affords us insurance for all events we do. This includes all groups runs, socials, and races (like the Medoc Trail Races). Without RRCA membership, the club is uninsured. Part of the membership fees goes directly to the RRCA for the club and for your dues. The club nor it's members profit off of the dues. I have opened up registration for the RMEC today. I have set the fees lower than ever before trying to primarily cover our RRCA costs and leave a little cushion. I hope you will strongly consider renewing your membership.

SATURDAY RUNS:
Our group is bigger than ever but also more fractured than ever. Not in a bad way. . . we just have multiple sub-groups that have developed. That is a good thing. The Saturday "long runs" are the best way for the sub-groups to all come together as "The RMEC". This is a great way to train and to motivate each other.

The Saturday runs are coming back, so start showing up! To keep things simple, the official start will always be 6:30 am from the Harris Teeter. If you want to log some earlier miles, do it. . . But be at the parking lot at 6:30 to join the rest of the group.

For these runs to work, I need help putting out the fluids "at the tracks", so I will be looking for people to sign up to take a weekend to help. The club can and will reimburse you for any costs. Just save the receipt.

FALL MARATHON:
This club began as a marathon training team with about 25 members. Every second year we have been successful at picking a fall marathon as a target. The group training is the glue that held us together.

We have LOTS of great options in the area. Several of us are planning to race the Peak to Creek Marathon in October (formerly Ridge to Bridge). This is a down hill North Carolina marathon. It is very scenic with a soft surface similar to the Tobacco Road Marathon. The race opens Saturday Junes 1st at noon, and will sell out in as little as 10 minutes. Whichever race you decide use the Saturday group runs as your way to prepare. Please comment on the blog with your race ideas.  Feel free to share links to your favorite races.

BRING BACK THE BLOG?
When we decided to switch to a FB Group instead of a blog things were different. Virtually everyone and everything that you 'liked' on Facebook showed up in your news feed. Facebook has slowly changed the rules. I see this because of the number of Facebook pages I manage, but general users may not notice.

Now Facebook only shows your posts a limited number of times in news feeds. For example, even though we have 236 RMEC "members" on Facebook, many of the items posted are only seen by 30-50 people. In other words. . . the group page does not reach the full audience, and it never reaches those not on Facebook.

So, should we bring back the old RMEC blog? The easy answer is "yes", but to do this, I need help. I'll be honest and say that work and family has reduced my time. It is not uncommon for me to leave the house a 6:50 am, and not walk back inside until after 7:00 pm. For the blog to work, I need other people who are willing to post too. Let me know by going to the blog (YES, I ACTUALLY MADE A POST) and commenting. This will be a quick test to see if people actually want the blog back.

WEDNESDAY SOCIAL RUNS:
There is a growing number of running clubs that are doing evening social runs. This is even more popular in the summer time when the days are long. I'd like to start organizing runs on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm from Westridge. The distance would vary from 3-6 miles depending on your needs. We would then grab a few beers on the patio post run. Once Lou's Grill opens up across the street we could go there as well. Is there interest? (comment on the blog).