Sign Up for Nashville 5k

The Nashville Blooming Festival 5k is about to go from $15 to $25 on their entry fee. This is a small town local race that the RMEC should do our best to help support. The race is on May 10th (one week from Saturday). Next to our Turkey Trot, this is the closest 5k you will find to Rocky Mount, so get out and run!

If you print and mail your application by tomorrow, you should okay for the $15 fee. There are not any kid races, but you could walk with them in the 5k if they are willing.

Post a comment if you plan to run!

Medoc Trail Races - Sponsorships Needed

The Medoc Trail Races presented by Raleigh Running Outfitters is now a reality. We have made lots of progress, and our race comittee is meeting about every other week. Raleigh Running Outfitters is now the presenting sponsor, and Eagle Press is printing all race brochures for us.

We have also finalized the events, and have decided to focus on two different races. We will have the Medoc 10 Miler, and the Medoc Marathon. Both races will start on park roads to allow runners to spread out, but will then enter the trails for a beautiful and challenging course.

Our goal of this race is to give runners a first class event, that includes a unique race medal, a colorful long sleeve shirt, a well supported run, and good food at the finish. With the sponsorships we have so far, we can pull this off, but just barely. If we are hit with any surprise expenses late in the process, it could really have an adverse effect on our budget. For this reason I wanted to remind people that we are still looking for sponsors.

If you know anyone who may be interested, please let us know. We hope to go to print on the race brochures this week, and open registration in the next two weeks. For this reason we really want to finalize our key sponsors now, so they can get the full benefit.

We would love to bring in a Platinum Sponsor for the event with a $500 contribution. Raleigh Running Outfitters was able to give $1000 in cash and merchandise, but an extra $500 would make us feel much more comfortable with our budget. We are also looking for Gold ($250- $499) and Silver Sponsors ($150 - $249) as well.

Please let me know if you know of anyone who may be interested. You can have them email us at runrmec@yahoo.com. Thank you!

Weekend Results

Jeff Miller and Dave Lavely joined 234 other runners this Saturday in Chapel Hill for the inaugural Tar Heel 10-miler. Not a bad sized crowd for the first running of the race. Both Jeff and Dave are training for a Half Ironman next weekend at White Lake, so this was a "training race". Based on the results it appears they are ready for White Lake. Jeff finished in 19th place overall with 1:08:11 (6:49 pace). This time was good enough for 4th place in his age group. Only eight runners later, Dave crossed in 1:11:20 (7:08 pace). Dave benefited from being an "old man" and took first place in his age group! (Kidding about the old man thing). Here is a link to the compete results.

Speaking of old men. . . Frank completed another marathon running the Country Music Marathon. Frank said, "I have never passed so many people in my life. I felt like I was flying." This information of course came after the fact that Frank told me they arrived late, and crossed the starting line with the half marathon walkers. . .one hour after the gun time. Never-the-less, Frank bobbed and weaved his way from the back, and finished with an impressive 5:14:45, his fastest marathon in 2008. This was much better than his gun time of 6:18:21.

I also wanted to point out there were big crowds are both the Saturday Morning run, and the Lake Gaston practice swim. Between the two we had 20+ athletes out! I am glad to see more people out enjoying the weather and staying active. So of you we have not seen on a Saturday morning for a long time. Come out and join us again. . . we would love to see you!

I have updated the 2008 RMEC Results Page. Let me know if I am missing anyone.

Good luck racers!

I know of two RMEC members racing this weekend. Please speak up if there are others. First, close to home, Dave Lavely is running the Tarheel 10-Miler in Chapel Hill. This is a new addition to the Franklin 5000 race. If you are looking for a 5k or a 10 mile race, go join Dave on Saturday.

Further away from home, Frank "Triple F" Lilley, is adding another state and another marathon to his resume as he heads to Tennessee for the Country Music Marathon. Frank is running this race with his semi-son. This race constantly has great reviews, so I am sure Frank will have a blast, and will have lots of pictures to show for it. Good luck guys!

If anyone was interested in a different 5k, the Skirt Chaser 5k takes place late Saturday afternoon. This race pits the boys against the girls, by giving the women a head start in the race. It will be followed with an outdoor social. Should be lots of fun. Lastly, there is a 5k in Cary on Sunday if anyone is interested.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 04/26

Note the time change. We are going to start meeting at 7:00 am now. The sun is up earlier, and the weather will soon be getting hotter. This may be a small group, as a few of you are racing, and several are swimming on Saturday. Unless people are opposed to it, I was going to use the same routes we used last weekend, and leave from City Lake. I have family in town, and having a water stop at my house makes it easier to set up.

The 10 mile route is pictured below, but there is a shorter 7.5 mile route that uses the same roads if anyone is interested.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ City Lake
• Supported: Yes - My House and fountains
• Weather: Forecast (61F at 7:00 and 68F at 10:00)
• Route: 10 mile route is below. Shorter 7.5 Mile Loop

Please RSVP in the comments if you are coming. If you can provide your estimated pace, it will help. This lets people know if there is someone near their speed to run with, and will help encourage others to come out for a run. Thanks!

Tour de Georgia

Hello all. You may not know it, but the Tour de Georgia is taking place this week. It is a great race - I just wish it did not take place during our busy season so I could go watch a couple stages. There is a very good field this year with Team Slipstream, Astana(last year's Team Discovery basically), Jelly Belly, High Road, and CSC(possibly the strongest Team Team in the world) involved to name a few. If you have never seen a stage race, they occasionally have something called a Team Time Trial. Basically, the 8 members of a team (or however many are remaining in the race - you start with 8) work together to set the fasted time possible on a course by working together. One difference for this one will be that they are not allowing time trial / aero bikes to be used due to the hilly nature of Road Atlanta.

Tomorrow, 4/24/08 they are racing 4 laps of Road Atlanta (2.5 mile lap) as the first Team Time Trial in the US since 1986. They will keep the time of the 5th team rider to cross the finish line which opens up different strategies. It is pretty short and exciting. Anyway, you can watch it live on the internet starting at 1PM. VS will show highlights from the entire tour on May 4th at 2PM. If you get SportSouth on your dish package - you might be able to see daily coverage - I'm jealous!--Eric

Fiesta Biathlon Results

Okay, I willingly admit the following race results are not as impressive as a Boston Qualifier, or a debut marathon time, however in the Rocky Mount Endurance Club, we acknowledge all race performances for the sheer fact that it takes guts to sign up for a race. That being said, four RMEC people raced this weekend in the Fiesta Biathlon in Greenville, NC.

Ursula and I, had issues arranging childcare, so we entered as a relay team and took turns watching the kids. We placed 5th in the coed division. I ran a 20:03 in the 5k, and Ursula rode 55:03 in the 15 mile bike. This combined for 1:15:05, and placed us 32 out of all finishers (relay and individuals).

Our combined relay time was still not good enough to hold off Eric Seale. After setting a 5k PR of 28:40, Eric posted the 8th fastest bike time of 43:30. His bike speed allowed him to pass 35 racers! This moved him up from 64th place after the run to 29th by the end of the race. All of this was good enough for a 4th place age group finish.

Right on Ursula's back wheel was Rob Powell with a time of 1:15:14. Rob was one of the original founders of the Fiesta Biathlon over 20 years ago, and he is still racing! Sunday, he began with a 22:35 5k and finished with a 52:40 on the bike. Despite finishing 33rd overall, Rob was in a super competitive age group and only managed 11th in his age group. He would have placed no worse than 5th in every other age group.

Congrats everyone on taking on a new challenge!

Runner Safety: Please Read

As runners in Rocky Mount, we often get spoiled by the seemingly endless roads we have to run on. We should however never forget to take precaution when we go out to run. One of our runners recently had an encounter when they were running this weekend. A red haired man in a white 4x4 pickup truck pulled up beside them, asking questions, and eventually exposed himself to the runner.

In situations like this, you need to know how to handle yourself.

• First and foremost, never engage with a person who is trying to upset you, or doing something inappropriate.
• If a car is looking for help, don't stop moving, and never go to their window.
• If you feel uncomfortable head to the nearest house, and ring the doorbell.
• If there is nowhere nearby and you do not have a phone, hold your hand to your ear like you have a cell phone and pretend as if you are making a call. Most people will not stick around to see if you have a phone.

The items above are how to handle a bad situation. The best thing to do is to prevent them.

• Don't run alone.
• Carry a cell phone if you can.
• Don't run with head phones, so you can stay alert and aware of your surroundings
• Always let someone know when you are going running, and the roads you will be on.
• Always carry ID, like a drivers license or a roadid.

Men and women need to be careful. I have had cars swerve directly at me on a run, so don't think mean are not a risk. As we enter the summer months, the heat will be tough, so these rules become even more important. Bottom line. . . take care of yourself.

Charlottesville Marathon Recap

Congratulations to Jeff Hartney and Levi Moore on their completion of the Charlottesville Marathon this past weekend! For those who are not familiar with the course, it is a peaceful and beautiful race through the mountains of Charlottesville Virginia. All though the views are stunning the course is the most challenging I have ever seen.

This was Jeff's first marathon in many years, and it was Levi's first ever. It is safe to say that Levi picked a challenge for his marathon debut, and he did excellent finishing in 4:12:17! I forsee faster finishes in Levi's marathoning future, but to begin with a 4:12 in Charlottesville is very impressive. This was good enough for 245th out of 511 total finishers.

Jeff has been posting some impressive half marathon times of late, so I expected good things in his return to the marathon. Jeff did not disappoint. He finished in 3:16:24! In case you did not know, Jeff is 44 which means he was well under the 3:20 qualifying time for Boston. WOW! Jeff finished 30th overall and 5th in his age group. Just think about what time he could post on a flat course.

Jeff and Levi have recently begun running with the RMEC on a few weekends, and have both joined the club. You have probably seen them at the Y. Be sure to introduce yourself the next time you are out on a run. Congrats to both Jeff and Levi. Excellent races! Here is a link to the complete results.

SWIM RSVP: Saturday 04/26

Kinnie, is coordinating an open water swim practice at Lake Gaston this coming Saturday. The tentative plan right now is to swim around noon, and give people a chance to experience the open water in a wet suit. Even though many of you have done open water swims in the past, refreshing yourself on how it feels is a good idea before the race.

Run Details:

• Day: Saturday @ noon
• Where: Lake Gaston
• Weather: Forecast

More details will follow in regards to carpooling, and when they will leave Rocky Mount. If you are interested, post a comment now. If there is not enough interest, she may try another day/time. I am also going to check about doing a reservoir swim as well. It will likely be one day after work early next week. Andy and Tracy both live on the reservoir, so I will see what I can find out.

RMEC is now official!

Scott filed to become a non-profit organization, and we have now received our Tax ID from the IRS. We have opened a checking account, so we will be depositing the $25 checks for membership beginning next week. If you have not sent a check yet, and completed an application, please do so as quickly as possible!

The next step is to file with the Road Runner Club of America. To do this, I need to send our check for each member, so lets get your checks in, so I can write one to RRCA. Thanks everyone!

RUN RSVP: Saturday 04/19

Several from the RMEC are racing in the Fiesta Biathlon on Sunday, so I don't know how many plan to come out to run on Saturday. I plan to run if all goes well with the kids, but will likely only run about 10 to save my legs for Sunday. I have a 10 mile route, but encourage everyone to add or subtract to meet their own needs.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturda, 7:30 am @ City Lake
• Supported: Yes - My House and fountains
• Weather: Forecast (57F at 8:00 and 66F at 10:00)

I decided to mix it up a bit, and do a route from City Lake. I really like this route, and it stays on the NW side of Hammond. Although the map does not show it, I will have fluids at my house around mile 6.2. We will make a slight route adjustment to get you there that I can explain before we start. There is also a water fountain at Winstead Elementary (mile 7) and a fountain at Sunset Park (mile 9).

The weather is PERFECT for a run. Come out and join us. Please post a comment if you are coming. This is a big help to me. You do not need to register to post a comment.

If anyone is interested there is a 10k in Raleigh tomorrow as well. Look to the right under Upcoming Races.

Tri Roanke Spring Results

This is a very busy week in the office, I have been behind on RMEC updates. I need to recognize our latest race performances. Three people from the RMEC competed on Saturday in the Tri Roanoke Valley Sprint Triathlon, and all did well.

Josh Malinowski has not been able to join us on a weekend run for a while, but that did not stop him from finishing 8th overall in the event, and second in his division. He did well in all three attributes, but shined the most during the run.

Cliff Amos competed in the event with his 14 year old son Colin. I believe this was Colin's first triathlon, and he had an outstanding debut finishing in 28th place, and first in his division. Being such a young competitor garnered some attention, as he has even interview after the race. Cliff was clearly a very proud dad.

Ursula also competed in her first ever triathlon, and did very well. Like most land dwellers she had dreaded the swim, but handled the challenge with ease. With each leg of the triathlon she climbed up the rankings, and eventually finished 11th among women, and 2nd in her division. Another finisher of note is Larry Pendleton who finished 2nd. Some of you may remember that Larry competed in the Duke Tri Relays with the RMEC last year.


For a complete list of results, follow this link. Also, there are some great race photographs online as well.

There were 65 total finishers in the race, but the feedback has been positive from those who race. This is an excellent triathlon for the newbies looking to do their first, or for the experienced who are looking for a challenging sprint to support their training. If the event is hosted in 2009, the RMEC should strongly consider taking a big group and supporting the local event. Congrats to everyone!

Fiesta Biathlon This Weekend

There is a great race opportunity coming up this Sunday in Greenville, that I hope you all will consider. The 22nd Annual Uptown Greenville Fiesta Biathlon kicks off at 1:00 pm. This long time running and biking event is known for being well run and lots of fun. The event begins with a 5k run, and finishes with a 15k bike. Both course are out-and-backs, so there are opportunities to see other RMEC members along the way.

The event is low cost as well. It only cost $35 to enter ($5 less if you enter today). You can also enter as a team for $10 more. All participants get a technical t-shirt, and get to enjoy great Mexican food at the post race party. Would be great for the RMEC to have a good showing at an event so close to home.

It does not matter what kind of bike you have, or how fast you are. Come join the fun. Go to the early service at church, and then head to Greenville!

Race Finisher Certificate

I know the Richmond Marathon was now several months ago, but I wanted to remind you all to order you FREE finisher certificate through Brightroom.

1) Go to this link for Richmond
2) Enter your name and click "Show Photos"
3) On your photo page click "Official Finisher Certificate"
4) On the next page order the FREE option, and enter your mailing information.

If you ran Myrtle Beach, follow the same steps as above, except use this link. This works for the Half and the Full Marathon.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 04/12

As you are aware, we have delayed our "unofficial Chase race", but we will still have our normal 7:30 am Saturday run however. This run will begin with the 5k Battlepark loop from the YMCA. It will finish there as well. This will give people a chance to still record a 5k. After that, I have an additional 8.75 mile route for those who are going a longer distance. This route takes in most of the Chase roads.

Run Details:

• Day: Saturday @ 7:30 am
• Where: Harrison Family YMCA
• Route: Part 1 and Part 2
• Supported: TBD - There are fountains
• Weather: Forecast (52F at 8:00 and 50F at 10:00)

Come out and see how well you can run a 5k. You may surprise yourself. After that stay on the roads and get a few more miles. I am not sure if I can get fluids out or not. Ursula is racing on Saturday, so I have kid duty. I hope to be at the YMCA with Gatorade when you start, and after the first 5k, you can rehydrate. There are fountains in the park as well.

Spring has sprung. . . time to lace up your shoes and get back on the roads! Post a comment if you are joining us!

Weekend Riding

The weather is not looking particularly wonderful for Saturday. I am not planning to ride on Saturday, but run and swim (but not simultaneously I hope!). If you plan to ride, please post a comment so that others can help form a riding group.

Tim, Jeff and I are planning to ride on Sunday morning for 55 or so. We will leave the dentist office at 6:30 am with the goal of being back by 10. The course starts off relatively flat, goes into some rolling hills and then flattens out again for the last 1/4 of the ride.

• Start: Dentist Office
• Distance: 55 miles

We will leave from Dentist office and head up to Harris Teeter where this mapped route starts and we will end at the dentist office instead of Harris Teeter - same overall distance). - Eric

Good luck racers!

This weekend Ursula, Cliff, and his son are competing in the Tri Roanoke Valley Sprint Triathlon. Cliff is a veteran of triathlons, so this is just a tune up race for his upcoming Half Ironman at White Lake, and his full Ironman at the end of the year.

This will be Ursula's first triathlon, and also a tune up for her lake swim in the White Lake Sprint in May. There may be others racing this weekend as well. Good luck to everyone!

Images of Rocky Mount Magazine

Some of you may have seen the Images of Rocky Mount magazine publication. Wednesday (04/08) a photographer will be taking photos of runners on the trails. We are leaving on our normal "nooner run" from the YMCA and will head to the wooden bridge to be in the photo shoot. Everyone is welcome to join. Not sure exactly why they are taking the picture, but wear a RMEC shirt if you have one to help us spread the word! Be at the bridge by 12:15.

Chase Delayed - Still Running However. . .

We are going to delay the unofficial Chase of Champions. Sorry for the confusion with the date, and the late cancellation. With it falling during Spring Break, there were far more people who could not run. I never realized the 12th was part of Spring Break when we picked it. I don't expect a really big crowd for the race, but would like to see more than 20, which we were far from getting.

So, here is the plan for Saturday. We will run from the YMCA at 7:30 am. The first portion of our run will be the Battle Park loop, which we estimate at being almost exactly a 5k. We can race/run those first 3.1 miles, and those that wish to run longer can continue. I will make a route that reflects this. This way we can still have a time trial of sorts for those seeking a 5k time. I will still post the results on the blog.

If you truly want to race a 5k, there is an event in Greenville, and one in Durham this weekend that should be great options. If you are interested in a sprint triathlon, there is one in Roanoke Rapids. The deadline was yesterday, but it appears to still be allowing online entries.

So, if you want to run 3.1 miles, 20 miles, or something in between, come out and join us at the YMCA at 7:30. I will have an RSVP post on Thursday with the route. I will also be looking for a place to leave fluids.

RMEC Rocks Raleigh!

The third race in the North Carolina Half Marathon series took place on Saturday under rainy skies. This did not stop the RMEC from having some very impressive performances.

First across the line from Rocky Mount was Jeff Miller with a 1:31:59. This is a major PR for Jeff at the half, and I think one that all of us have been expecting to see. Jeff finished 19th overall, and 5th in his age group. Next from the RMEC was Tracy Proctor, with a 1:42:26 improving her previous PR set just one month earlier. Tracy was also 5th in her age group, and just the 16th female finisher.

Larry McKeel continues to rack up half marathons and finished in 1:49:26 and was the third RMEC finisher. Nipping on Larry's heels was Jason Irvin with a 1:50:16. Larry, Jason and Tracy ran in all three of the inaugural NC Half Marathon series events.

The rain could not slow down Mary Whitwell either, as she also ran a PR finishing in 1:58:52. This performance was good enough for 5th place in her age group as well. Not too shabby for a person who does not consider herself a runner!

Tammy Malinowski who has run one of our club 5ks last year with us also ran the half marathon. Tammy ran an impressive 2:34:45, while her husband Josh ran the 5k in 22:29, good enough for a second place age group award.

Below is a list of all local runners in the half marathon:

1:31:59 - JEFF MILLER
1:42:26 - TRACY PROCTOR
1:43:41 - LARRY CRAWFORD
1:49:26 - LARRY MCKEEL
1:50:16 - JASON IRVIN
1:50:43 - BILLY HALL
1:56:23 - RALPH WILLEY
1:58:52 - MARY WHITWELL
2:23:29 - ASHLEY HOLLAND
2:34:45 - TAMMY MALINOWSKI

Congrats to all runners! I will update the RMEC 2008 Race Results section this week with all of your details!

Tarboro 5k Recap

The RMEC split up into two groups this weekend. Several of us went to Tarboro for the 5k, and another group went to Raleigh for the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon. I will share those race results in the next blog entry (and they are very impressive). For now I will start with Tarboro.

15 of the 100 runners were from Rocky Mount. Brian Lankford lead the the way finishing 3rd overall with a 18:12 time. Not too bad for a 45 year old chasing down some high school cross country runners. Robert Mayfield was next from Rocky Mount finishing 5th in 19:22. I was close behind with a 19:28 in 6th.

The RMEC did well collecting hardware. Myself, Scott Wingfield (21:10), and Eric Pate (22:52) made a clean sweep in the 30-39 age group taking 1st through third. . . and yes, there was more than three people in our age group if you were wondering. Deana Guido who ran a few of our 5k training races last year finished 2nd in the 30-39 age group with a 26:37, and Tom Thurman took second in the 50-59 age group with a 24:38.

Here is a complete list of race results and also a link to race photos. Great job everyone!

Medoc Sponsorship Needed

The race committee for the Medoc Trail Marathon is making great progress as we work towards our 10/04 race date. We are currently finalizing the course, having planning meetings, reserving facilities, updating the website, pricing supplies, and creating the race budget. When it comes to the budget, we have lots of debits in our future, but are looking for some credits. This is where sponsors come in.

We are looking for sponsors to help make this new race a success. We are looking for either cash contributions, or in kind donations of items we need to host the event. This includes things like cups, tables, sound system, timing equipment, food, race numbers, etc. All contributions are tax deductible. Races cost money, and our goal is to do everything possible to give runners a first class experience.

If you know anyone who would be interested in helping to sponsor this race, please let myself or Frank know. We have some proposed sponsorship packages on the Medoc website, but are willing to work with people to find an option that mutually benefits the race, it's runners, and it's sponsors.

Be sure to check out the website. It is still in "beta" mode now, so if you find any bugs or errors. Let us know.

Big Race Weekend!

This coming weekend is the biggest race weekend of the year in the south east. It really kicks of the spring racing season. Although I don't think anyone from the RMEC is running in the two big races (Monument Avenue and Cooper River Bridge), I am hoping you are still taking advantage of some of the closer options.

Some of you are heading to Raleigh for the third installment of the North Carolina Half Marathon Series. The Raleigh Rocks race has a half marathon, 5k, and kids races. If you can make it to the event, it sounds like it will be fun. Seven Mary Three will be the headline band at the race.

Closer to Rocky Mount, and on a smaller scale is the Movin' for Community Outreach 5k in Tarboro. You can get to the start of this race in 15 minutes from Rocky Mount. It is a small local race, but something that the RMEC could help increase enrollment on. They also have a free kids race. The website was recently updated, so you can check for more details. You can register the day of the race.

Becuase there are two races, we will likely not have a group run. My preference would be for those who are staying local to instead head to Tarboro, and help support that race.

Happy Running!

Don't forget the Chase!

UPDATE: I just added a poll about the date. I did not realize when we picked a date that this would be during spring break for many of you. I want to see if we should postpone the event.

I do not expect our unofficial Chase of Champions to draw the same crowd it did last year, but I am still hopeful I will see lots of RMEC people next Saturday. So far I have heard from the following saying they plan to run:

10k:

• Arthur B
• Amber P
• Brent B
• Tracy P
• Eric P

5k:

• Jon S
• Eric S
• Michael F

Maybe:

• Derek

Keep in mind this is a run, not an official race. I will record times for people who participate and have them posted on the blog. You are welcome to choose your own pace, but I encourage people to make this an aggressive run, even if we do not have awards, and a closed race course.

To "sign up" go the the original post, that has the details. Spread the word, and bring a friend with you. This is a great way to help promote the RMEC and grow our membership. I have not seen many of you since the Turkey Trot, so consider this a reunion run and come join the fun.