OBX Roll Call

The OBX Marathon and Half Marathon is now just three weeks away. This means that most of you marathoners have just begun your taper, and half marathoners will most likely begin theirs next week. It is hard to believe it is just around the corner!

We should have a pretty solid list of who is making the trip to OBX now. If you still have not made a decision. . . it is probably time that you do. Please post here if you are running. Let us know which race, and where you are staying too.

RMEC Inventory Clearence

Inventory: I finally went through all of the old race packets and now have a complete inventory of RMEC items that is available to club members. If we were able to sell all of this, we would have nearly $800 for the RMEC account, which would go a long way to funding both club races in 2009. I realize we will not likely sell everything (in particular the medals), but hope you will all consider getting something.


Medoc Items: As a reminder, the Medoc items are given priority to those who are doing the Medoc Rerun, Volunteers, and Medoc Finishers. The medals and finishers hats are only available to finishers. Don't forget, everyone needs a Medoc medal hanging on their tree this Christmas!

Orange Shirts: In the process of going through the race materials, I did not come across any of the orange Medoc shirts. We should have had about 10 left over, and the extras were intended for sponsors. We know lots of people helped carry stuff from the park. If any one has boxes, take a look and see if you have any shirts. Thanks!

Post Here: If you want anything, post here! Be sure to say the size. If you already posted on the Medoc Rerun, you don't need to post again. Checks should be maed to the RMEC (unless you are getting the black shirts and sack pack - I paid for those). Thanks!

RUN RSVP: Sunday Ladies Run @ Harris Teeter

There is a group of ladies meeting at the Harris Teeter at 7:30 am on Sunday for a run. The route and distance is TBD. The paces will be varied. They most likely will start running around 7:40 a.m.

I wanted to get the word out in case anyone else wanted to join in. So far I think Patti, Tracy, Kinnie, and Ursula are running.

Chicago Marathon Recap

Sorry for the delay on a Chicago race update. A four-day work week plus a less than favorable economy has made this a busy week. So here goes. . .

The Chicago trip went great! Two weeks before the race, we were all trying to figure out where to buy gloves to stay warm. On race ray this never was a problem. It was a record high day for Chicago, but still nothing like 2007. In addition, they were prepared for the heat this time, and we never ran short on fluids.

Knowing the heat was coming, we all tried to take advantage of the first few hours. The breeze was nice, the lake effect cooled things a bit, and the shadows cover the streets. If you look at our splits, you can tell we were all pushing our pace. Ryan Bullard and I went out well below PR pace, but it still felt comfortable early. By about mile 10, it started to feel more like "work", but we were not slowing yet. My mind started playing tricks on me, and eventually I had to let Ryan go around mile 19. He never looked back and want on to set an amazing PR of 3:29:06. His time was in the top 2,000. Pretty impressive for a race with over 32,000 runners!

Crossing the line about the same time as Ryan was Derek Hurdle. Derek was absolutely flying early in the race. He was averaging a 7:20 pace for the first 15k, but began to slow as the shadows faded away. He and Ryan traded places during the last five miles of the run. Derek was still able to post his second consecutive sub 3:30 time, finishing in 3:29:41

Possibly the most impressive performance came from John Batchelor. John was calm and collected before the race. His even paced performance showed that he did not get roped in to the excitement. His pace never went over 9:00 for the entire run. He is the only one in our group that can say that. He flew by me with four miles to go, and eventually reached the finish line in 3:31:47. Wow! What a great marathon debut!

Cramping and over-drinking made miles 21-25 tough for me, but I eventually crossed the line in 3:38:59. Not what I was shooting for at the start, but I reevaluated my goal late in the race, and was still pleased to come in under 3:40.

Tracy Proctor continues to log strong marathon performances even under challenging circumstances. We all know that a marathon has so many opportunities for things to go wrong. . . weather, cramping, hydration, injuries, etc. It is months and months of preparation, yet you role the dice on race day and hope things go your way. Unfortunately stomach issues had an impact on Tracy's race. Worst of all it prevented her from being able to take any energy gels or shot blocks. I can say with 100% honesty, I would never have been able to finish a race under the same circumstances. Tracy pushed through it all, and still ran an impressive 4:21:06. My hat is off to you Tracy! Your drive and dedication is one that we all truly admire.

So, was it a perfect day? Probably not. . . but five RMEC runners covered 131 combined miles on Sunday morning, and no one was hurt. To celebrate, we all went out for some authentic Chicago-style deep dish pizza. We had to wait 45 minutes for it to come out of the oven. . . But it was SOOOOO worth it!

In case you are wondering. . . the woman in the blurry picture above is Lidiya Grigoryeva. She won the marathon with a time of 2:27:17. When she heard how I did she gave me a big hug and a kiss! (okay that last part is not true, but it was still cool to meet her). Congrats everyone!

RUN RSVP: Saturday 10/18

The temperatures looks great for a Saturday run. There may be a little drizzle out early, but don't let that keep you away. . . you would skip a rainy run on race day would you? This is a tricky week as far as picking routes with a distance that meets all of your needs. Our long run plan calls for a 6 mile route and a 20 mile route.

• If you are running OBX with a three week taper, this is your last "long" run. . . however some of you are doing a two week taper.
• If you are running the FCSB Half on the Hal Higdon plan, this is a 10k tempo run for you. . . however some of you are well ahead of plan, and are focused on logging more miles.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes - Fluids and GUs at Tracks
• Weather: Forecast (54 and rain @ 7am - 55 and cloudy @ 10am)
• Routes: 6.67 miles

I picked one route for everyone. . . The route is the right distance for those only doing 6 miles. It is easy to increase if you want to do more. For the 20+ milers, this is something that we have done in the past for your last long run. It is a triple loop course (6.67 miles). I know this is not ideal, but it is easy to set up, it has a mixture of hills and flats, and you stay close to other runners and the fluids.

It works well to stay motivated when seeing other runners, and not everyone has to run the same pace. I don't think there is a big group going 20+. If there is here is another route you could do, if someone can assist with fluids. As always. . . ANYONE is welcome to join us! Tell a friend. . . RSVP online with your pace and distance.

NOTE: Next week will will have a big group. Several runners from the ECU Running Club will join us. I plan to have a route on the half marathon course, because I know several people want to train there. Please spread the word among your friends now. When training on the course, I like to have as many runners as possible.

Quote for the Day: "Mind is everything: muscle - pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind." - Percy Cerutty

Sweetheart 5k Sponsorship Opportunities

As most of you know the Rocky Mount Turkey Trot has been retired after many successful years. I had a meeting with Parks and Rec today, and it looks like it will be replaced with a larger event this February. The plan is to host a Sweetheart 5k on Saturday February 14th. The exact details are not yet finalized but here is what they are shooting for:

• A family friendly 5k and 1 mile fun run.
• A new exciting course around the "Harris Teeter/Sunset" (location requires approavls, and the course is TBD).
• Overall and age group awards.
• A "Sweetheart" division that helps find the fastest couples in Rocky Mount.
• Proceeds will stay in Rocky Mount and benefit local scholarships.

I know it is too early to know for certain, but this is going to be a great event. It is expected to bring in over 200 runners from Rocky Mount and the surrounding area.

SPONSORS: There are a very few limited opportunities to be a sponsor of this event. If you or someone you know is interested, please email runrmec@yahoo.com now. This is what we are looking for:

• $600 - Overall Presenting Sponsor (1 available)
• $400 - Fun Run Sponsor (1 available)
• $300 - Aid Station Sponsor (1 available)
• $250 - Mile Sponsor (3 available)

This is not just a good-will contribution. Sponsors will get great exposure by getting involved. It is actually very low cost advertising to the Rocky Mount and surrounding markets. We pride ourselves on taking care of sponsors. Here is what sponsors receive:

• Runner Packet Pickup at sponsor location (Presenting Sponsor only)
• Company name listed in title of race results (Presenting Sponsor only)
• Company name listed in all race communication (Presenting Sponsor only)
• Largest logo on race shirt (Presenting Sponsor only)
• Color Logo on Race Banner
• Color Logo and link on Race Website
• Logo on official race shirt
• Logo in race brochure
• Company name mentioned in runner email sent to all participants
• Opportunity to add promotional items, coupons, etc. in runner goodie bags
• Logo on race day signage (mile marker, aid station, etc.)
• Complimentary race entries (numbers depends on contribution)

There is a lot of explore offered for such a low cost of sponsorship. There are only six total spots available. The Ford's Colony sponsor slots went very quickly, so please don't delay. The sooner you sign up, the more exposure we can give. If you are interested in contributing at a lesser level, please let me know.

I feel very confident that this race will be a big success. Having a couples division makes it different from any other 5k in the area, and running a race on this side of town is a beautiful location that should draw runners from all over. Please do your part RMEC to help find sponsors. Thanks everyone for your help! - Michael

Running in the Dark

The days are getting short and finding time to run with the sun is harder to do. If you are running or walking in the dark, please take precautions so motorist can see you. A few things to consider:

• Jog-a-lite: You can buy a safety vest at lost of places. I think even Wal-Mart caries them. You can also pick one up at Raleigh Running Outfitters on your next visit to by shoes and apparel.
• RoadID Firefly: This little light sends up a blinking flash every second that lets cars see you in advance.
• Reflective Clothing: There is lots of running gear out there that is reflective. Just take a picture of a person running with your flash on, and they will be lit up in the photo. This is always good to wear, but rarely enough to keep you safe on it's own.

Bottom line, do not take any chances when out on your runs. Early morning, late at night, or even dusk. . . make sure you are seen.