Half Marathon Options

09/02 RnR Half (Va Beach): If you are considering running the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon on Labor Day you better sign up soon. There are only 800 spots left in one of the largest half marathons on the east coast. For those running the Richmond Marathon, your training plan calls for a half marathon race on this date.

08/25 Patrick Henry Half (Hanover Va): Another option for a half marathon is the Patrick Henry Half. This race will have hundreds of Sports Backers Marathon Training Team members racing. This race is a combination of three races that used to be run in September. The race is a week ahead of the RnR Half. If you are training for Richmond, we may need to adjust your schedule slightly if you plan to run this race. Just let me know.

RSVP: 07/09 Monday RMEC 5k Series #1

Monday night is the first of three 5ks we will run in Rocky Mount. We will run the Chase of Champions 5k course which is linked below. Please make yourself familiar with the course, because it will not be marked. There are still painted arrows on the road from the past Chase races, but they are faded. Remember, the course will not be closed to traffic. You must always yield to cars, and be aware of the traffic around you, even if it costs you time off your PR.

Race #1

• Date: July 9th @ 7:00 p.m.
• Start: Chase of Champions Start
• Route: http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/nc/rocky-mount/330519268
• Description: This is the Chase of Champions 5k course. It is an out-and-back that includes a loop around City Lake

Remember, the goal is to simulate a race for many of our new runners, and also to see how well you are doing. Please come out and join us. Use the comment feature to let me know if you are coming, so we can have enough post race drinks for everyone. See you Monday!

RMEC Members Run the Great Raleigh Road Race

For the last two years, the Great Raleigh Road Race was not run. Butch brought the 5-mile event back in 2007, and ran it on July 4th. Brent participated along with his son Mikah, and one of his students Sam. Some of you got to meet Sam on a weekend run, if you were fast enough to keep up.

Brent finished in 36:22, and took 5th in his age group. Mikah and Sam both blazed through the course. Mikah finished 41st overall with a time of 32:56 (a 6:36 pace) and Sam crossed just a few runners early with a time of 32:29 (a 6:33 pace). Great job guys!

Richmond Updates

In case you did not see it, the Richmond Marathon website added a few links that may interest you. The first is a video update by Bart Yasso on the Runners World Website. Bart gives video previews of upcoming races. This is a special edition where he speaks about some of the upcoming fall marathons. Richmond is one he highlights.

The next update is the message board that was added to their web site. This was on their site in the past, but was eventually pulled down. Unfortunately anonymous posting allows for people to spam message boards, and also to use colorful language. I am hopeful this year the board will me monitored better. It is slow going now, but will get lively as the race gets closer.

The third is a YouTube link that is embedded on the home page. Scroll down a bit, and you will see the short video that highlights the race. Enjoy!

RUN RSVP: 07/07

Come out and run 7 miles on 7/7/7. We will be running from the Harris Teeter again this Saturday. For some of you we will be on new roads, so please look over the maps and directions. As always, check my directions to make sure they match the maps properly before the run. The directions are in the description on the maps pages. Remember, we start at 6:30 am now to beat the heat.

This week is a recovery week, so take advantage of the lower miles. If you feel like you must run more, you are welcome to add on, but remember the novice plan jumps to seven next week, and the intermediates start hitting double digit runs.

Run Details:

• Day: Saturday @ 6:30 a.m.
• Where: Harris Teeter
• Novice Distance: 4 miles
• Intermediate Distance: 7 miles
• Supported: Water Fountain Only
• Weather: Forecast

There will not be fluids this week on the route, but these are short enough runs where you should be okay. Be sure to get water at the fountain in stone park at mile 2.

I will be visiting family this weekend, so Ryan and Tracy will get everyone out on the run, and make sure you all get back safely. Please RSVP, so they know who to expect. My mom found a local 5k for Ursula and I to run, so we will be doing the Firecraker 5k on Saturday.

4th of July Run RSVP

I have heard a few people in town are looking for a run on Wednesday morning. I though I would check to see if people are interested in a group run. I will not have a set route, pace, or distance, but feel free to join us for a 4th of July run!

Run Details:

• Day: Wednesday
• Time: 6:30 a.m.
• Where: Harris Teeter
• Distance: Pick your own
• Routes: NA
• Supported: No - BYOB
• Weather: Forecast

RMEC Technical Shirt Update

I will spare you the details. . . but all the shirts ordered will be the micromesh 100% polyester wicking shirts. This is the best option for summer running. BaySix USA can now provide lots of colors for the shirts, and has three different styles. Please let me know if you want to change your order.

T-Shirt style:

• Description: As the name indicates, this is a shirt with sleeves. Can be used by men and women
• Colors: White, Black, Cardinal (darker red), gold (bright yellowish), hunter, navy, orange, purple, red, royal, silver, and teal
• Sizing: All sizing is based on typical men's sizes

Cap Sleeve Style:

• Description: This is also a t-shirt style, but the sleeves are shorter. This is a women's shirt.
• Colors: White, Black, Cardinal (darker red), gold (bright yellowish), hunter, navy, orange, purple, red, royal, silver, and teal
• Sizing: All sizing is based on typical women's shirts

Sleeveless:

• Description: This is more of a muscle shirt style. Can be worn by men and women, but the arm holes are big. Good racing shirt.
• Colors: White, Cardinal (darker red), and Navy
• Sizing: All sizing is based on typical men's sizes

I have updated the order list to reflect the micromesh shirts. I assumed cap-sleeves for the women, but you are welcome to order the t-shirt style or sleeveless too. I know not everyone wants this style of shirt. Also, for those who had requested both kinds of fabric, I still have two shirts on the list, but I put the "extra" shirt at the bottom. Let me know if you only want one shirt now, or if you want two different colors, etc.

On a related topic, we can also get "sack packs" for $11 a piece. These are a 15x18 Nylon Drawstring Sack with cord and zipper pouch. They don't hold much, but are great for races when you need a small bag to hold your shoes, keys, and such. Let me know if you want one of these also. These all need to come in one color. I picked orange because they will stand out. . . ummm. . . and because I am a Hokie. I will order extra bags in case I don't here from everyone.

Please let me know by Thursday @ 5:00 pm if you want to change you order. If I don't hear from you, I will stick with the white shirt as planned.

NOTE: Black Cotton Tee Shirt orders are still on target, and will be done by Carol.