RUN RSVP: Saturday 05/31

With seven people racing this weekend, it may be a small group running. I will not be able to join the run, but do not want that to prevent everyone else from running. Below are details for a Saturday run. Some people are also interested in a Sunday run.

Specifically Tracy is doing a 22-mile run begining at 5:45 am. She would love some company on her run. You do not need to be there are 5:45. Just post a comment and let us know if you can run Sunday, and she can modify her route to join you.

I hope to start seeing some new folks out on the runs, so I added a 5-mile loop to the routes. It shares the same roads with the 12-mile route, so you will not run alone. It can also be shortened more if needed to take out the back part of Greystone.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: TBD
• Weather: Forecast
• Route: 5-mile route. 12-mile route is below.

If someone can put out fluids, we can use the normal spot at the tracks. It will be warm, so I encourage taking fluids if no one can put them out.

As always, if you are not familiar with the roads, look over the maps, and print some directions. Details are in the description below the maps on mapmyrun.com. The map shows two water stops, but it will only be at the tracks.

Please RSVP by posting a comment, and let us know your estimated pace. This lets me make the right amount of Gatorade, and helps others know who they can run with. Thanks, and see you all tomorrow!

Good Luck Racers!

Good luck this weekend to those participating in the Lake Kristi Triathlon in Greenville. Kinnie, Jeff, Jason, Ursula, Eric, Dave, and Mary are all racing. There are probably other names that I did not mention,so let us know if you are racing too.

This is a sprint triathlon, and you can still sign up. It is a great for those wanting to try their first. Plus you will be among friends with a good crowd of RMEC support there with you.

Eric has offered to carpool to help save on gas. He is happy to drive and can take a couple of others. He is leaving around 5:30 to 5:45 and will leave shortly after the awards. If someone wants to ride you can drop off your stuff on Friday evening and he will have the car loaded are ready to go.

Good luck everyone!

Group Bike Rides

Eric has organized a few bike rides this week. Hope that some of the RMEC members can join in on the ride. Never forget that cross training is key to staying healthy and injury free during your marathon training.

5/29 Thursday morning bike ride: 5:45 AM from Belton and Schrimper parking lot for 17.5 miles. Weather permitting.

** NEW ** 5/29 Thursday afteroon bike ride: TBD from Belton Schrimper lot. Planning to do the 17.5 mile reservoir loop at a 17-18 mph pace. This is a make up ride for the rain outs this week. Please RSVP if you plan to ride.

Medoc Brochures and Posters

I know I have been putting a fair amount of Medoc related items on our blog here lately, and I may be hitting the point of over-saturation. That being said, here is one more post about the event.

The design is complete for the race brochures and the race posters. Speical thanks to Kim Emery at White Ink Creative for the design work. I highly recommend Kim if your business is looking for help with any creative activities. I can provide her contact to anyone who may be interested.

Thanks also to Tim Shea and the staff at Eagle Press who will be printing for us this week. The race brochure is fantastic, and the poster is worthy of a frame.
I need your help now to find locations to help promote the event. Brochures are limited to 1,000 pieces, so we want to make sure we use these in locations where they will be the most effective. We hope to get about 100 posters, so we should have an ample number to put out. Be thinking of potential locations. Don't just limit yourself to Rocky Mount. If you have contacts in any other locations, now is the time to ask for a favor! Be thinking of sporting goods stores, restaurants, gyms, break rooms at large businesses, retail stores, etc.

Registration continues to move along at a steady pace, and we are four months out. I still predict the races will fill up. Once the registration fees start to increase we anticipate a jump in runners.

"It's just another Medoc Monday. . . wooh oh oh. . ."

Some of us are planning to do a run at Medoc Mountain State Park on Monday. We will meet at 7:00 am at the Harris Teeter, and drive to the park. The park is about 30 minutes away, so the actual run will begin around 7:30.

The route we will run is about 10 miles, but the trails set up to run any distance you prefer. We are scouting the course for the Medoc Trail Races this coming October. Everyone is welcome to join! We will do other Medoc runs for those who want to become familiar with the course.

The weather is looking perfect this weekend for running. Hope you can join us. Post a comment if you plan to run, so we wont leave without you.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 05/24

I am not sure how many of you are in town with it being a three day weekend, but I am listing a run RSVP in case there is enough interest. Our family will be going to the Vollmer Farm 5k, but I should still be able to get in a few miles at 7:00 am.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes at the tracks
• Weather: Forecast
• Route: 7-mile route. 10-mile route is below. .

As always, if you are not familiar with the roads, look over the maps, and print some directions. Details are in the description below the maps on mapmyrun.com. The map shows two water stops, but it will only be at the tracks.

Please RSVP by posting a comment, and let us know your estimated pace. This lets me make the right amount of Gatorade, and helps others know who they can run with. Thanks, and see you all tomorrow!

Fall Marathon Team?

Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll and posted comments below. As expected people are heading in lots of different directions. The same thing happened in the winter, but once we made a decision on a race, everyone followed along and we ended up taking a big crowd to the Myrtle Beach Marathon and had a great time. Based on that experience and the poll results, I am going to make a recommendation. . .

Those looking for a fall marathon or a half marathon should run at the Outer Banks. Here are my reasons:

• Fall marathons are supposed to be fun. Take an extended weekend and enjoy the trip.
• Most of us have not run OBX, so it is a new race
• The course is flat, and good for first timers
• Six people voted to say they were interested in the full or the half.
• Runners could use the Medoc 10-miler as a training race (shameless plug).

The City of Oaks is another great option, but no one voted for the marathon in the poll. Richmond is still my personal favorite and they added a half this year, but most of you seem to be looking for a change.

I can create a training plan for people to follow. You can of course customize to meet your needs, but this will give everyone a similar approach and make the weekend runs, and any speed training much easier to manage.

So what do you say RMEC? Who is in?

Race Results and more!

Run for the Warriors: Saturday was a beautiful day for a race and about 800 people showed up for the third annual Run for the Warriors at Camp Lejuene, NC. Several RMEC runners participated in the event. Jeff Hartney ran an impressive sub-20 5k finishing with a time of 19:23. Close behind was Jeff's 14 year old son Travis, who crossed the line in 21:03. When Jeff emailed me he was being too modest and forgot to mention he finished 3rd out of 363 5k finishers, only 16 seconds behind the race winner. Travis won his age group by a wide margin as well.

Levi Moore also raced, but opted for the 10k, along with 381 other runners. Levi ran strong and finished with a time of 46:53 (a 7:34 pace). This was good enough for a finish in the top 25% of all finishers. Jeff summed it up well when he said "This is a great race and the best people in the world to support. The very ones who defend us!!"

Surf and Turf: Dave Lavely returned for another year at the Surf and Turf Sprint Triathlon. For those who are not familiar with this race, it is not your normal tri. In this race you begin with a 750m ocean swim, and then have a 4-mile bike, followed by a 2-mile run, followed by another 4-mile bike, followed by a 1-mile run. . . WOW! You better be good at changing you shoes! Dave finished in 62nd place with a time of 1:02:37 knocking a minute off of last years time. Once again, he did his best in the run portion, running a 7:02 final mile. Congrats Dave!

WWF: A few months ago I did a post about a half marathon walking team that Kinnie and Mary had organized. They were called Women Walking for Fitness (WWF). This group of ladies met regularly to improve their fitness and increase their miles as the worked towards their goal of a 13.1 miles. I am happy to report that seven women completed their 13.1 mile walk this past weekend! Great job ladies! The WWF is proof that people can do anything that they set their mind too. This was not a group of endurance runners who started this quest, but their dedication lead them to the finish.

This group is a perfect example of why I want to see the RMEC host a Half Marathon Training Team in Rocky Mount. We can improve people's health, and even change lives. Please help by offering your time to be a coach/organizer/motivator. We need YOU to help pull this off.

Race Fee Increases!

There are some local races in the next few weeks that will have fee increases very soon. Don't wait to sign up!

Strawberry Jam 5k - Vollmer Farms is hosting a cross country 5k on The Back Forty this coming weekend as part of their Jump-N-Jam day. The race entry is only $25 through tomorrow, but jumps to $40 on Wednesday. They have a simple online registration form. I am not sure, but it looks like you pay at the race, and just sign up online. The race should be lots of fun, and is something different to try.

Lake Kristi Tri - Greenville will have the Lake Kristi Sprint Triathlon on May 31st. This is a great race to introduce people to triathlons. It is a half mile lake swim in a calm man made lake. The bike is 15 miles, and the run is a 5k. The entry fee is only $40 which is a steal for a triathlon. It goes up to $60 however if your entry is not postmarked by May 23rd. At least five RMEC people are doing this race. It is a short drive, and does not even require a hotel stay. Go join them! Need a bike? Ask the RMEC. . . someone may be able to help.

Medoc Trail Races - Okay, I admit, the Medoc prices do not increase until the end of June, but we would really like to see some of the 17 people who voted in the poll to start signing up. So far two people from RMEC have registered. We are actually seeing pretty good enrollment numbers for a race that is four and a half months away. We have a club of 10 runners who is signing up, and we even have a runner from New Mexico registered. If things continue at their current pace, the races will likely fill up. Early registrations greatly help the race committee, because we can pay for more expenses now, and have better planning. If you plan to run, please sign up early, and don't forget to use the discount code for our club. Let me know if you need the code. Thanks!

YMCA Now Has a New Masters Swim Coach

Kyle is the super qualified newest Masters coach at the YMCA. The Y has quickly discovered that the Friday 5:00 pm swim time does not work for many people (family, etc.). Once school is out, Kyle is more flexible with timing and would do an AM time (though perhaps not as early as 6 if possible) or a NOON time, which seems to appeal to a number of folks.

Feel free to share your feedback here regarding swim times, or let the Y know directly. Mary has shared the blog address with Kyle, so he can check here for feedback if that is the easiest.

This is a GREAT opportunity to access some real coaching talent and for all the fledgling, improving, and even experienced triathletes, an opportunity not to be missed. I know most of us our "land dwellers", but please considering giving swimming a try. It will strengthen your upper body, legs, and most importantly core all without adding impact to your knees and back. It a great way to cross train, and essential for those hoping to improve on their triathlon times.

Don't be embarrassed to give it a try. Just two years ago at this time, many of you were deciding to train for a marathon. . . something that most of us had never done before.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 05/17

It would seem that most of the RMEC is staying closer to home this weekend, so I am really hopeful we can get a big group out for a run. To my knowledge, only Dave Lavely is racing this weekend at the Surf and Turf Sprint Triathlon. Good luck Dave!

For those in Rocky Mount, lets get our fall marathon training started! I have picked two routes for this week. One is 14 miles (because I think that is how long my plan calls for), but the other is only eight, and can easily be trimmed down to 5 if needed.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes at the tracks
• Weather: Forecast
• Route: 14-mile route. 8-mile route is below. .

I think we may have some new runners join us, so be on the look out for new faces and introduce yourself. If you are not familiar with the roads, look over the maps, and print some directions. Details are in the description below the maps on mapmyrun.com.

Please RSVP by posting a comment, and let us know your estimated pace. This lets me make the right amount of Gatorade. Thanks, and see you all tomorrow!

Blooming Festival Results

It took a while to do a race report for the Blooming Festival this past weekend. The main reason is that I was waiting on the results. Now that they are out, I will give a very brief recap.

There were 73 runners in this inaugural event, and by my estimate the RMEC accounted for 26% of the total partisans. Wow! What a way to make an impression. It was a nice 5k, that I expect will improve in the future. Because of the small race size, and the large number of age group categories, we had too many awards to list. There were also several PRs set.


The one highlight I would like to point out is the youth who ran the race. Lot's of very young children took on the 3.1 mile challenge and did great. In the under eight category, there was a RMEC sweep. Taking first was McKenzie Proctor with a time of 33:43; in second was Kayla Miller with a time of 34:22; and in third was Caroline Forrester with a time of 37:45. Great job girls!

I will be updating our results page this weekend to reflect everyone times. For now, here are the official race results. Great job everyone!

Half Marathon Training Team

The foundation of the RMEC was a marathon training team organized out of Richmond. Many of us saw first hand how this program really evolved in Richmond, and turned former couch potatoes into marathoners. I would like to see the RMEC take the first step in doing the same thing in Rocky Mount.

Thanks to Butch and First Carolina State Bank, we now have a fantastic Half Marathon in Rocky Mount. To many of us, a 13 mile run is no big deal, but to others, it is a big undertaking, and possibly one of the biggest accomplishments of their life. I would like to see us create a 15-20 week training program similar to the Sports Backers and get people from Rocky Mount and the surrounding areas to join us. The details need to be worked out, but here are my thoughts:

• Create 2-4 sub teams depending on who joins
• 3-4 Coaches per team
• All participants join the RMEC (liability reasons)
• All participants get a training plan and notebook
• All participants get a "training/racing" technical shirt
• One entry fee includes everything: RMEC Dues, shirt, race entry, etc.
• We will have a few clinics (shoes, injury prevention, etc.)

To do this, we need coaches! Many of you may not consider yourself a "coach", but this is more about motivation, commitment, and support. We are looking for multiple coaches, so we will be covered when you cannot make it to a run, but we do want people who plan to be there whenever possible. This is NOT about finding the fastest or most fit runners to coach, so DO NOT think you are not qualified. We want coaches of all ages, genders, speed, and experience levels. People want someone they can relate to.

This is a big deal, and something I think we can pull off. When we decided for the RMEC to join the Road Runner Club of America, this is one of the ideas we had in mind. It is a chance for us to change people's lives, and get Rocky Mount active. I think the community would really rally around something like this. Let me know your thoughts and feedback. Thanks!

May 21, 7PM Ride of Silence

**CANCELED - SEE COMMENTS ABOUT THE RIDE IN WILSON**

The following email copy in blue was forwarded to me but originated from a member of the Cyclist of Wilson who are thinking of doing this type of ride. How many people would be interested in trying to do something like this next Wednesday evening (May 21 at 7PM) in Rocky Mount? I have a plan that I think would be relatively safe and could get a pretty good group together for a family type ride. Please see the info in blue for the history.

Ride of Silence - Everyone with a bike less than 12mph! The Ride of Silence will Not be Quiet

On Wednesday, May 21^st, the Ride of Silence will roll across the country, starting at 7:00 PM. In more than 50 cities in the U.S. and Canada, cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.

Chris Phelan organized the first Ride Of Silence in Dallas (May 2004) after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed.

The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There is no brochure, no sponsors, no registration fees and no t-shirt. The ride, which is being held during Bike Safety month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.

I do not think we have time to have an organized ride involving police traffic control etc (at least I know I do not have time). This would be an informal gathering to ride. Anyone who participates does so on their own. It will be your own responsibility to abide by all traffic laws and not to block full lanes of traffic. I do hope that you would wear a helmet and high visibility clothing. Please pass this information around and lets see who can participate. I should be able to make it, but as this is my busy time with work, I can not commit at this point. If I can make it, I would be able to provide a small amount of bike service if needed - air up tires, repair flats on the ride sort of thing.

My thought is that we meet at Sunset park at 6:45. Then start to ride at 7:00. We would ride from Sunset Park, down Sunset to Church Street, turn left and ride to West Thomas Street and then back to Sunset Park. This would be about 3 miles all on one-way streets which means we are not blocking any traffic. Potential Route

If there is not enough interest in Rocky Mount, maybe those who wish to participate can organize to travel to Wilson to ride with their group that evening. I am sure that we can get in touch with them to find out their plan. -Eric

Fall Racing Plans - PLEASE REPLY

I know that summer has not yet arrived, but now is the time to determine what your fall racing plans are. Over the last two years, the glue that has held the RMEC together is training for a fall marathon. Believe it or not, if you plan to run a marathon this fall, it is almost time to get started!

Six of us (Michael, Tracy, Ryan, Derek, Tim, and Matt) are running Chicago is October. I have heard others discuss running OBX, City of Oaks, Richmond, and Medoc, but do not know if there are any firm commitments yet. Cliff and Jason are training for Ironmans, so I expect they will be busy, and some of you plan to do half marathons. Please use the Medoc 10-miler as a training race for whatever you are doing.

So, here is your chance to let the group know what your plans are. The biggest benefit of the RMEC is having people to train with. I expect we may have several mini groups getting ready for different races, but our training will overlap, and our weekend runs will be just as important as ever.

Please post a comment with good details about your fall plans. If there is interest, I am happy to set up another training team with a training plan we can all follow. This actually helps me set up longs to meet your needs. We can even partner with the Sports Backers again if there is interest. This is also the time to recruit your friends into marathon training! Bring some new people out to run.

Here are some races to consider:

• 10/04 Medoc Trail Marathon (NEW)
• 11/02 City of Oaks Half Marathon
• 11/02 City of Oaks Marathon
• 11/09 OBX Half Marathon
• 11/09 OBX Full Marathon
• 11/15 Richmond Half Marathon (NEW)
• 11/15 Richmond Marathon
• 11/22 FCSB Half Marathon (TENTATIVE DATE)
• Others?

RMEC Voice: Frank's First Ultra Report

Note: If anyone would like to write something for the blog, please let me know. We like to read about you success and struggles. It does not have to be about an ultra or a marathon. It does not even have to be about a race. But if you have something to share that you think is interesting, chances are others will find it interesting too. - Michael

Well . . . I finished! And I wasn't last! Okay . . . I was next to last! But I still finished. 8 hours ans 12 minutes of fun and excitement

The Capon Valley 50k proved to me way more than I was expecting. Guess I knew West Virgina had hills, but this was crazy. And talking with many experienced ultra runners, the consensus was that the Capon 50K is about average difficulty for a trail 50k. Damn . . . I would hate to run a hard one! If you like hills and mountains, this is the race for you. Only about 2 miles of the run was on pavement and 95% was in the woods.

It rained all most of the day Friday and all night Friday night, so the trails were muddy . . . REALLY muddy. Probably 1/4 of the trails were "mud over you shoes" quagmires. And did I mention the probably 40 stream crossing? Feet wet all day! The weather was perfect Saturday, slightly rainy and in the 50s!

Course was REALLY well marked, but lots of intersecting trails made the course very difficult to follow. Almost everyone missed a turn or two, but folks would yell out and get you back on course. As a matter of fact, this 50k turned out to be a 33 miler for me . . . yep . . . missed a turn at about the 23 mile point and went about a mile before I realized it. (It was a good flat, mossy section and I was zoned out, enjoying the solid footing!!).

Since this was my first ultra I don't have much to compare it to, but things went smoothly, great aid stations and volunteers. And the scenery was beautiful If I didn't hurt so much, I might have enjoyed it!

Frank Lilley aka "Triple F"

RUN RSVP: Saturday 05/09

The only organized run this weekend in the Blooming Festival 5k. So instead of our normal 7:00 am run, head 15 minutes down the road to Nashville and join in. I assumed everyone knew we would not have a group run, but just in case I am posting this.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 8:00 am @ Blooming Festival
• Supported: Yes
• Weather: Forecast
• Route: 5k route is below.

Hope to see you all at the race. Bring your RMEC application and payment if you are coming.

Another Race Weekend

Lots of people from the RMEC are running in the Blooming Festival 5k this weekend in Nashville. This inaugural event sounds like it will be a lot of fun. Counting kids we could easily have 10 runners in the race, so come out an join in the fun! There is race day registration. Good luck everyone.

Speaking of 10 runners. . . 10 of us do run a 5k, that would equal the total distance that Frank is racing this weekend. That is right. . . Frank is running a 50k this weekend! This will be Frank's first ultra, and somehow I don't think his last. Frank is heading to the Capon Valley 50k in West Virginia. Good luck Triple F!

One more set of race results

This past weekend Russ Hinesley returned back to Indianapolis for his old standby. . . the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. This enormous race had over 30,000 finishers and Russ finished in the top 43% with a a time 2:13:46. Not too shabby for a grandfather of five to beat well more than half of the field! This was also an 11 minute improvement over last year. Great job Russ!

A surprise racer this weekend has Brent Brondyke. Unknown to the RMEC, Brent snuck up to Greensboro for the inaugural North Carolina Marathon. Like all of the other runners, Brent confirmed this was a hilly and challenging course, but a well run race. Despite only one 20 mile in 2008, Brent ran a respectable 4:13:39 on a race that he approached like a training run. Heck of a training run! Great job Brent.

White Lake Sprint Results

Day two of White Lake was a sprint distance that brings out the elites and the newbies. The RMEC was heavy on the "newbies" side, but not entirely. This race began with a 750 meter lake swim, followed by a 14 mile bike ride, and finishing with a 5k run.

The first finisher from RMEC was Kinnie Pruden with a finishing time of 1:26:21. This was good enough for 34th place overall out of 319 women. . . WOW! Kinnie had an impressive swim time of 17:21, followed by the 9th fastest bike time in the event. A solid run gave her a great time, and she just barely missed an age group award taking 4th. Don't forget that Kinnie rode 56 miles in the relay the day before.

Jenni Batchelor was racing her first triathlon, and had not practiced an open water swim until the day before the race. This never held her back as she was the fourth novice finisher with a time of 1:41:05. If not for a minor spill at the end of the bike ride, she just might have taken home the third place award

Tracy Hicks also made her triathlon debut this week, and did it in grand style with a time of 1:43:36. Although worried about the open water, she had no problems on race day. She did her best on the bike, and finished 7th among the novice participants.

Ursula was terrified of the open water swim, but she had made a decision prior to starting that nothing was going to stop her from finishing it. Once back on land, Ursula moved up the ranking in each leg of the race. She also did far better with her transitions in this tri. Ursula finished 32nd in the novice category.

On the men's side, Michael finished in 1:29:19. After a decent swim time, he was able to move up the ranks with the 47th fastest 5k run. All this combined for a 3rd place Novice finish. Eric Seale had a strong open swim, followed by a blazing bike ride where he averaged 22.5 mph! His overall time was 1:30:32, and he finished 13th among the Clydesdale division. Ryan Bullard was yet another RMEC member making a triathlon debut finishing in 1:33:56. This time was good enough for a 10th place Novice finish.

There was one more relay team that participated for the RMEC on Sunday. Patti Miller's knee issue prevented her from being able to run, so she teamed up with Tracy Proctor for a two-person relay. Patti had a great swim, and followed up an outstanding bike ride where she averaged 18.6 MPH. She passed the chip on to Tracy who still managed to run the 2nd fastest relay time of all men and women despite the fact she raced a half marathon the day before. Their hard work paid off as they won 1st place in the Female Relay Category.
Here is a complete summary of all performances this weekend:

White Lake Half Ironman Results

I need to do several updates on races over the past weekend. I will start with the biggest one for the RMEC. We had quite the crowd show up at the White Lake Triathlons on Saturday and Sunday. To begin with, we had five athletes complete the half ironman distance on Saturday. The temperatures started out nice, put peaked at 87 just when the half marathon portion was beginning.

Jeff Miller was first across the line in 132nd place with a time of 5:27:44, knocking 13 minutes off of last year's time. Most impressive for Jeff was running a 1:39 half marathon after nearly four hours of exercise!

Jason Irvin was next from the RMEC with a time of 5:50:26. This was a touch slower than last year, but under much more difficult conditions. Dave Lavely was running a fever the night before the race, but still managed to run an excellent race finishing in 6:03:06 and improving by a minute over 2007. Cliff Amos felt the heat beating down, but still gutted his was to a 6:24:20 finishing time. Congrats guys!

Mary Whitwell had a very impressive race, finishing 104th overall and 2nd in her age group with a time of 6:28:10. She came out of the water with the 39th fastest swim time, and followed up with a solid ride despite windy conditions. A late start time for her age group put Mary in the peak of the heat for the run, but not even dehydration and double vision could stop her from pushing through to the finish. Truly this was one of the gutsiest race performances of the year for the RMEC!

Also on Saturday, the RMEC sent out a relay team comprised of Phoebe Whitwell, Kinnie Pruden and Tracy Proctor. This was an all women's team that was a force to be reckoned with. . . the only problem is there was not a female relay category. Even so, Phoebe at only age 15 in her first open water swim had a 39:54 time for the 1.2 mile distance. Next Kinnie had the 7th fastest relay bike time averaging 20.3 miles per hour for 56 miles. Running the anchor leg was Tracy with a 1:49:37 half marathon time, also good enough for the 7th fastest. Overall the team finished 7th place out of 21 team, and easily would have been the fastest all womens team if they were keeping track. Great job ladies!

The next update will be on the White Lake Sprint. After that I will give an update on the Indianapolis Mini Marathon and the North Carolina Marathon in Greensboro.

RMEC gets ready to race!

It is a big weekend for the RMEC. To start with, Russ Hinesly is back in Indianapolis for another running of the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. This race is an old favorite for Russ and he looks to do very well this weekend. Good luck Russ!

The larger group of RMEC runners will be at White Lake this weekend. On Saturday, Cliff Amos, Dave Lavely, Jeff Miller, Jason Irvin, and Mary Whitwell all return for the Half Ironman distance. For these who do not know, this is a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and a half marathon run. . . a true test of strength and endurance. Also on Saturday the RMEC will have an impressive relay team. Mary's daughter will begin with the swim portion, and then Kinnie Pruden will take over on the bike. Tracy Proctor will be the anchor leg, running the half marathon. No doubt, a very strong team!

On Sunday, White Lake does it all over again for the Sprint Distance. This is a 750m swim, a 14 mile bikes, and a 5k run. Ryan Bullard, Michael Forrester, Ursula Forrester, Tracy Hicks, Kinnie, Eric Seale, and Jeannie Standal will take on this event. Yes, Kinnie is racing both days. . . She just cant get enough. Team Miller will be in full effect as well, as Patti and Jeff team up for a two person relay in the event.

This should be a fun trip for everybody, and I am sure there will be some stories to share when we get back. Good luck everyone!

RUN RSVP: Saturday 05/03

There are lots of RMEC people racing this weekend, so I really don't know if there are enough for a group run. I am still posting a RSVP entry just in case there is enough to pull together a run. I went with another 10 mile route that is easy to cut short for those doing less.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: No - Unless someone else can set it up.
• Weather: Forecast (62F at 7:00 and 70F at 10:00)
• Route: 10 mile route is below.

Please RSVP in the comments if you are coming and provide your estimated pace. It is very important to RSVP this week, because people may not come if they think no else is running.

May 10 Group Ride - Delayed

I am trying to organize a large group ride to see if we could get the group organized and introduce new riders and old. Unfortunately, finding a good weekend is proving difficult.

I was thinking about doing it on May 10. Last night I realized that the Nashville Blooming Festival 5K is May 10 at 8AM, which is the time I was expecting to start the ride. Sunday is Mother's day, so that is out. It seems that weekends are extremely busy for everyone.

Maybe we should try to organize a Wednesday night ride around the reservoir. Would a Wednesday night ride (or other night) work for people? We could leave from the Harris Teeter parking lot at 6PM and there could be a 15 mile ride and a 23 mile ride toward the reservoir. People could socialize at West Ridge after the ride if they wanted. Thoughts? - Thanks, Eric

Medoc is open for registration!

The RMEC is now accepting registrations for our first race! the Medoc Trail Races presented by Raleigh Running Outfitters are open to runners through the race website. We would LOVE to have a few people sign up from the RMEC and test out the enrollment process.

As a paying member of the RMEC, you are entitled to a race discount. If you use MEDOCRMEC as a discount code it will save you five dollars off of your entry. This discount code does not expire, and is only available to RMEC members. If someone who is not in the RMEC uses this, their entry will be canceled, so please keep this only for our group.

Golden Corral has also signed on as a sponsor, and The brand new Rocky Mount Holiday Inn is the official host hotel, with room discounts, and a Friday night packet pickup. Help spread the word. Tell people to check out www.medoctrailmarathon.com. Thanks!