RUN RSVP: Saturday 02/28

Many of you doing a three week taper for Shamrock will have a 20+ mile run this weekend. Unfortunately they are calling for rain to start tonight and continue through the entire weekend. The temperatures will be mild on Saturday, so if you throw on a hat and don't mind getting wet you can still run. Sunday will be more rain, and much colder.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes - at the tracks
• Weather: Forecast (54F and Rain @ 7:00)
• Routes: 6.67 Miles - Triple Loop

Knowing it will be bad weather, and people may cut their runs short, I went with an "old standby" route. This is the route we have used many times for people doing their last 20 milers dating all the way back to our early Richmond Marathon training days. It gives you frequent aid, has pretty good hills, and has an out-and-back section on Woodstock, keeping everyone close together.

I have a conflict tomorrow morning, so I need someone to put out fluids at the train tracks. Please post a comment if you can do this so everyone does not bring it. Save your receipt for reimbursement. Also, remember to use the table by the driveway to put our cups, gels, Gatorade, etc.

RSVP with your pace and distance if you are coming. EVERYONE is welcome. . . new people included!

What Are Your next Two Races?

The RMEC is more active then it has ever been. Group runs are typically pulling in 20 runners every Saturday, and this is when the temperatures are below freezing! I can't wait to see the size of the group once Spring arrives. This post is for four reasons:

1) Get the blog active with member's feedback
2) Let your teammates know what you are training for
3) Encourage others to join you
4) Let me know when to look for your race results

With 50 club members, I expect we will be racing all over the place. So take a minute and post a reply with your next two races and the date of the event. I would love to see 50 replies to this post!

Wanna Boogie with Frank?

How about joining me at the best marathon I ran last year . . . the Boogie Marathon and 50 miler.

This year's race will be on Saturday, June 13th and STARTS at 5 PM!! The whole course is run on roads, but you only pass four houses!! I'm fairly certain I can promise you will not find a single spectator on the course to cheer you on . . . but you will pass all the other marathoners and 50 milers many times and they will support you (and you'll support them too!)

The Boogie is a very different sort of race. Not easy but ton's of fun and VERY unique! To get an idea of how unique, just read the waiver:

WAIVER AND RELEASE:
I realize June in North Carolina is hot and humid. Most people and doctors advise against running in heat and humidity. Also, running at night presents special problems such as seeing where you are stepping and watching out for cars. I understand that this area has specific hazards such as rattlesnakes, copperheads, polecats, wildcats, and rednecks who like to drink and drive and throw things. I know that 26 miles can be tough under any conditions but with the possible conditions in this event 26 miles could turn out to be much more of a challenge than I expected. Nevertheless, I like to struggle and really, really want to participate regardless of the expected pain or risk. Therefore, I want everyone to know that I am not being forced to do this event and that I agree for myself and any survivors or possible claimants that I may leave behind, to save, release, and keep harmless the Mangum Track Club, its members, the Runners From Hell and any volunteers or sponsors or any other helpers that may be involved with this event from all liability, claims, or demands for damages incurred by participation in this event or any of its parts. I assume all responsibility for my participation and certify that I am properly trained, mentally fit, and medically able to participate in this hot, hilly, and possibly night marathon. I agree to use a light after dark. I will not litter. I will not kill snakes. I am aware that this event is limited to the no more than 75 entrants and that registration may close abruptly at the race director's discretion. I realize that the race director's {or his delegate} authority is all encompassing and will abide by anything he tells me. Knowing everything in this waiver has not deterred me from entering this event and my signature below indicates that I have read and agree to all this stuff and still intend to participate. I also promise to have fun.

The race director is none other than Doug Dawkins, the guy who just finished running across America. Doug also gave us a lot of great advice as we planned the Medoc Trail Races. Runners agree this is one of the best organized races anywhere. Last year had a GREAT shirt. No medal though. Doug gives finishers a hand-made mug (guess it will be the same this year too!)

I would love to see a huge RMEC turnout for this event. You'll be glad you did! I won't miss it!! -- Frank

5:45 am Running Group

I know you all see the 5:45 am Wednesday running group at the top of this blog. This group is still meeting outside of Cliff's house on Bell Drive, and everyone is welcome to join in. The group is now actually meeting Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

It is not always the same people, but typically Cliff, Tim, Derek, Dave, Jeff M., Ryan, and Michael can be found. Some are far more regulars than others (I am very irregular). This is traditionally a quicker paced group who does 5-7 miles. We normally do one of three loop routes. All paces are welcomed however. Because we run mostly in the dark, you should could with a partner if you will be over an 8:30 pace. This way you will not run alone.

I mainly want to encourage others to join us. Don't let the speed of the group keep you away. The only thing that makes it "fast" group is that they are the only people who have been running. We would love to have more people join in the fun.

Relay for Life Updates

Team Members: It is not too late to join the RMEC Relay for Life team! Right now we have seven RMEC members on the team. This is great to see, but our club has over 50 members. We can do better! Signing up is easy to do, and getting people to help raise money is even easier. Find four friends to give $25 a piece, and you just raised 100 bucks! Sign up online now. . . it only takes two minutes. Just click the "Join" button at the top of the page.

Fund Raising Updates: The RMEC Team has already raised $860.00. Frank has raised $495.00 on his own! He is actually ranked sixth right now out of all Rocky Mount participants. Way to go Frank!

Giving: If you can not join our team, please consider giving. Visit the RMEC Relay Page, and click the Donate Link at the top. This too only takes a minute to do. If you don't want to pick a person on the team, you can give a "Team Gift" instead. All of the proceeds still go to the American Cancer Society.

Walking/Running: On April 24th, the RMEC must have at least one relay team member on the track during the 24 hour event. Frank will obviously cover many of these hours on his own as he has a goal of 50 miles. It would be far better for us to have multiple runners on the track when we can. It would be especially nice to have extra support for Frank once he gets over 30 miles.

This will be a challenge to have RMEC runners on the track for 24 hours, but it is no where near the challenge that people face daily who are battling cancer. This is one day out of our busy lives. Please try to be a part of the team if you are able.

Please note, I understand that giving to any cause is a very personal decision. We would love to have you on the team, but understand if your time and money is given to other causes. No explanation is needed.

Colonial Half Results

Congrats to Elaine and Misty on their great race performances this weekend in Virginia! Both have been training for the Colonial Half Marathon in Williamsburg, and their hard work showed through in their results. In November Elaine and Misty clocked a solid 2:30:54 at the First Carolina State Bank Half Marathon. Just three months later, Misty ran a 2:21:05 and Elaine a 2:24:42. Great job ladies!

When looking up race results, I always seem to find something of interest unrelated to the RMEC. This time is has to do with the women's race winner. Buzunesh Deba from New York ran an amazing 1:15:13. She only missed the women's course record by 11 seconds! That is even more impressive when you consider this is a 30 year old race.

For complete race results click here.

IMPORTANT: Umstead Volunteer Reminder

I wanted to post a reminder to the Umstead Volunteers. Frank, Scott, Dave, and Michael are entered in the Umstead Trail Marathon located in Raleigh on March 7th. We are trying to encourage the RMEC to help volunteer, so we can 1) assist the Godiva Track club, and 2) promote Medoc by wearing Medoc shirts, hats, and medals.

We have been assigned the Trenton aid station that has fluids and food. It is at mile 10 and 19.5. You do not need to be there until 9:30 am, and there is easy parking. The first runners will arrive at mile 10 around 10:00 a.m. The last runner must be at mile 19.5 by 1:50 pm or they will miss the cut off. Although there are only 200 runners, you will have a steady stream the entire time you volunteer, so you will not be bored, and you will be very appreciated by the runners

Based on the last post, Ursula, Robin, Larry, Steve, and Ryan indicated they were going to volunteer. This is great, but more would be even better! If you have never volunteered at a race, this is a great chance to do it. You can make this as fun as you want it to be.

If you have not done so yet, please go to the Umstead site and fill out the volunteer request form. This is critical to their planning. Make sure you indicate the "Trenton aid station" on your request. If you do not already have a Medoc shirt and hat let me know. We want you to wear these at the event. Thanks!

Safe Running Tips

I know most of you already know the information below, but I like to post these safety tips once a year. Take a few minutes to read the items below. Be safe whenever you are running, and don't be afraid to remind your running partners if they are not being safe.

• Always carry identification with you;
• Always run facing traffic. When running in a group, do not take over a lane of traffic-keep to the side;
• When running in a group, look out for one another. Point out oncoming traffic, potholes and debris to fellow runners;
• At night, wear a reflective vest and/or other reflective gear;
• Don’t run with headphones; (from a safety perspective, it is a bad idea)
• Be alert for cars. At an intersection, look at the driver of the car. Make sure the driver acknowledges you before you pass or else give the vehicle the right-of-way;
• Always stretch after running. It is also a good idea to stretch five minutes into a run;
• Drink plenty of water. Even in cold weather you should be drinking plenty of fluid;
• If anything hurts, STOP. For recovery, think RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation); and
• Make sure that you have good shoes that properly fit.
• "Don't be a Lemming" - In other words just because your buddy sprints across the street doesn't mean you should.
• It is better to walk a few minutes and still finish the run, than to run yourself into an injury. Take breaks if they are needed. Especially in the heat.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 02/21

Tomorrow will be COLD! It will be 28F at 7:00 am, and only 37F by 9:00 am. So why get out of bed and run? Two reasons. . . 1) this might be the last truly cold weekend morning we have to run until the fall, and 2) it is Jeff Hartney's last weekend run before he moves to Wilmington. Lets all come out and wish him well. Jeff is currently the only Boston Qualifier in the RMEC. We will be looking for a race report from him to post on the blog after Boston.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes - at the tracks
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 13 Miles

I really tried to make a different route that would let us get on the green ways, but with everyone training for different races, and running a wide range of distances it is tough to do. I did pick a route that is a little less common for us to run however. This one goes past the hospital and Davenport Honda. It has one mile on Halifax, but the last time we did this there was very little traffic. Most of you do not know this route. . . Print directions!

Here are some options to shorten the route:

• Remove 0.8 - Don't turn right off Halifax at Greystone (go left and remove out-and-back)
• Remove 5.0 - Don't turn right off Sunset at Kandemor (run down Sunset back to HT)
• Remove 2.9 - After water stop go down Hawthorne and cut out Knob Hill loop (miles 7-10)

Use your best judgement to shorten the route if needed. Once you finish the first main loop, it is easy to customize the route to your needs. Please start well hydrated. The first water stop is at mile-7 (unless you remove the 0.8 above). If you need more fluids, take them with you.

RSVP with your pace and distance if you are coming.

Good Luck, Congrats, and a 5k

Good Luck: Misty and Elaine are traveling to Williamsburg this week to Colonial Half Marathon. You may not have noticed, but both ladies have been quietly building up their miles, and should have a great race. I am not certain if they are more excited about the 13.1 miles of running, or the eight hours of shopping that will follow. . . Good luck Misty and Elaine!

Congrats: While most of us were racing the Sweetheart 5k, one of us was preparing for a marathon. On Sunday, Frank Lilley ran in George Washington's Birthday Marathon in Greenbelt Maryland. The race is a triple loop on a non-closed course. Turns out the course has a fair amount of traffic, and a pretty sizeable camber to the road. Those two things do not add up to a comfortable run. Never-the-less, Franck pushed through and ran a 5:41:47. This time was good enough for first place among North Carolina finishers. Unfortunately Frank did not win his "Name Group" as the overall race winner was also a Frank (Frank Leiter of Harrisburg, PA).

5k: If anyone is interest there is a 5k at Wesleyan tomorrow morning. I know very little about the race, and do not expect a big crowd, but it might be a fun option if anyone is looking for a race. I expect age group awards would be very possible for the RMEC. Look under upcoming races to the right for a link.

New York City Marathon Opens

Applications to enter the lottery for the 40th running of the ING New York City Marathon will be available at 11 a.m. CST Thursday, Feb. 19 at www.ingnycmarathon.org, said race director Mary Wittenberg, the president and CEO of the New York Road Runners. This year's race will be held on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. More than 105,000 people applied for the 2008 event. The race featured one of its largest fields with more than 38,000 finishers. Applications will be accepted through Monday, June 1. Results will be posted in mid-June.

If you are not familiar with the New York Marathon's lottery process, all applicants pay a non refundable $11 application fee. (Yes, this means they make $1.1 million just of this fee, which does not include the race entry fee). At this point you enter a lottery and wait to see if you are picked.

You can also run by raising money for a charity which Ryan did for Team Fox in 2007. A select few can actually qualify with a full or half marathon time, but the standards are more challenging than Boston. We do however have at least one that would qualify.

All information about applying including charities, and qualifying can be found online. If you ever have plans to run New York, I suggest throwing your name in the hat now. Runner's don't choose when they want to run New York. . . New York let's you know when it is your turn.

I can honestly say it was the best race experience of my life, and I think Ryan might say the same. The entire trip was great from start to finish. When you are running in New York, you feel special. You can't help but think that most other marathoners around the world would love to be in your shoes when you are waiting for the race to start. It is a tough ticket to get, which makes it feel that much more special. I suggest running it some time in your running life. You will not regret it.

Sweetheart 5k RMEC Recap

There are too many RMEC members, spouses, and children who ran to write a summary for everyone. Jeff Miller was the first male finisher from the RMEC with a time of 19:08. New RMEC member Anthony Lucas was right on his heels with a time of 19:11. The first female finisher from the club was Kinnie Pruden with an impressive time of 24:01. RMEC runners were spread around multiple age group awards too. Here is a link to all of the awards. Note, the results sent to the Telegram had a calculation error that caused time to display faster for many runners. This link is the correct results.

I would like to highlight the couples teams, as we made up one third of the 41 teams that finished. Notice just how close some of the teams are. 16th-20th place were all only 52 seconds apart!

• 45:23 - It's Miller Time! - Jeff & Patti (5th)
• 48:42 - Team Wings - Scott & Leigh Ann (11th)
• 49:10 - Team Polley - Cliff & Rosa (12th)
• 50:09 - Flying Forresters - Michael & Ursula (16th)
• 50:11 - Bordyk&Babe - Brent & Debi (17th)
• 50:14 - The Prudens - Billy & Kinnie (18th)
• 50:34 - Sparkles - Dave & Tessie (19th)
• 51:01 - Team Batchelor - John & Jeanette (20th)
• 56:34 - Ole Skool - William & Cynthia (24th)
• 58:56 - Hustle & Bustle - Steve & Tampa (26th)
• 59:08 - Lakeside Lovers - Andy & Carol (27th)
• 60:25 - McAttack - Larry & Chelsey (29th)
• 62:09 - Cougars - Levi & Dana (32nd)
• 66:45 - Blazing Turtle - Tracy & Daniel (37th)

Due to my error with assembling teams, I joined two runners that should not have been joined. Once this was corrected, it turns out that Andy Barker and Carol Dickens won the 100-119 couples division. Great job Lakeside Lovers! They will get their prize later this week.

A few other things to note with the couples. Both Cliff and Levi encouraged coworkers to join a team with them, and got more people active in Rocky Mount. It was great to see them use this race as an opportunity to encourage running. Larry McKeel partnered with his daughter Chelsey to create Team McAttack, and paced her for much of the race. Finally, Tracy ran the entire 5k race with Mackenzie. She even out kicked her dad to the finish!

These are just a few great examples of the RMEC encouraging fitness in Rocky Mount. Please don't let it stop with the Sweetheart 5k. There are lots of local 5ks coming up where you can invite a friend to run and help them start their training. Here are a few to consider that are all listed to the right:

• 02/21 - 5k @ Wesleyan this coming Saturday
• 04/04 - 5k @ Tarboro - many from RMEC ran this in 2008
• 04/25 - 5k @ Greenville called Operation Sunshine. Only $10 for RMEC members (carpool?)
• 05/10 - 5k @ Nashville Blooming Festival - All of RMEC ran this is 2008
• 05/30 - 5k/10k/15k @ Rocky Mount in the Fun Run for Charities (15k was just added!)

Please keep running, and keep encouraging!

Have you tried Athlinks?

I wanted to introduce you to a useful and relatively new site to the RMEC, Athlinks. This site is a collection of race results. What makes it better than just that is you can "claim" all of your results, make your own profile with information about yourself (pictures, bio, goals, upcoming races, equipment, etc), do a bit of social/runner networking (add friends or find rivals), and also join the Rocky Mount Endurance Club to see what our other members are up to! It is a little like facebook for athletes.

There are even a number of tools to compare your race times by year, distance, place, and much more. This really is a neat site, and it is entirely free. You might be surprised just how many race results are out there waiting for you to claim. This site is not just for hard core racers. It is a great tool to keep up with how you are doing, and remind you how much fun you have racing! Be sure to check it out!

For some examples, check out the pages of Ursula, Scott, and Michael.

Races, Races, everywhere!

Krispy Kreme: Right off the bat, I need to congratulate Levi Moore on completing the Krispy Kreme Challenge last weekend. I have not had a chance to get all of the gory details, but Levi was one of 5,519 "runners" to take on the 2-miles, 12 doughnuts, 2-more-miles event. Levi finished in 1:12:03. Surprisingly, he finished 2nd in the "Levi Name Group"

Sweetheart 5k: Good luck to Jeff, Kim, Michael, Cliff, Ursula, Caroline, Levi, Patti, Carol, Andy, Eric, Larry, Tessie, Brent, Ron, Debi, William, Gerry, Tim, Colin, Xavier, Arthur, Bob, Amber, Jon, Steve, Tampa, Scott, William, Leigh Ann, John, Jeanette, Tracy, Daniel, McKenzie, Kinnie, Billy, Henry, Will, Thorne, Carter, Jackson, Jillian, Jenna, Griffin, Anna Scott, and any other RMEC name I missed!

Washington's Birthday Marathon: Frank will be taking on a new marathon on Sunday. It is new to Frank at least. . . This will be the 48th running of the Washington's Birthday Marathon. This loop course event is put on by the DC Roadrunners club. It is actually the 8th longest running marathon in the country. At present there are 163 registered runners. Frank is feeling strong, and is confident that he can win the "North Carolina" group in the race. Good luck Frank!

RUN RSVP: Sat/Sun/Mon

Most of the RMEC is racing on Saturday morning, so we will not have our formal group run. I know many of you still plan to do a long run as you prepare for your upcoming races. I will use this blog post, so people can comment on when and where they plan to run. Please share your plans.

Run Details:

• Where: TBD
• Supported: No
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: TBD

Unfortunately, Scott and I are going to have to cancel our trip to Umstead on Monday morning. The good news is we are going to run at Medoc instead on Sunday at 11:15. The reason we are going to Medoc is to get a good long trail run in, and also to have some pictures taken. Trail Runner Magazine is actually going to do a story on new trail races, and will be including Medoc (How cool is that!). We want to get photos of people running on the trails, so please join us. There is no guarantee that they will use our photos but we would still like to grab a few.

If you are interested in going to Medoc, I can pick people up at Harris Teeter at 10:45. I will be at the park for about three and a half hours however.

Please RSVP with the time, place, distance and date you are coming.

RMEC Sweetheart Favors

Hard to believe, but the Sweetheart 5k in this weekend! There are 220 total registered participants right now. With 180 of them in the 5k, this will be the largest single race Rocky Mount has seen in years. I need a few favors from the RMEC members.

Packets: Please try to pick up your race packets at Dental Care on Friday (12-8). This makes race day much easier. Be sure to tell Dental Care thanks for sponsoring the event.

Running: Runners are told to stay to the right of the yellow line on Candlewood. Please follow this rule, and politely encourage other runners to do the same. This is how the course was measured. If you cut over the yellow line, you will not run a full 5k. All other roads were measured using the shortest distance. With 40 RMEC members running, people will follow your examples.

Weather: Don't let a little rain in the forecast keep you away. Bring an umbrella and a jacket for after the race. 28% of the registered runners will get an award, and there is also a Atlantic Beach hotel stay to be given away. Don't leave early.

Fun Run: Line the streets, and cheer like crazy for the kids in the Fun Run. Make them feel like they are about to win the Olympics

RMEC Shirts: If you have a RMEC shirt that will work with the current forecast, please wear it during and/or after the race.

Parking: Do not park in the Batts, Batts, and Bell parking lot. This is not race parking. You an park in the large church parking lot beside it (not on the HT side), or the parking lot across from the Candlewood entrance.

30 Minute Baby Sitter?

Several RMEC members are looking for a 30 minute baby sitter on Saturday morning during the race. Is there anyone who could help corral a few kids from 7:55 am - 8:25 am?

The kids could stay in the parking lot area beside the finish line. We would need to make sure they do not wander in front of the runners coming in to finish. Any ideas?

Who in the club needs help?

President's Day Group Run @ Umstead

For many of us, Monday is a holiday. Scott and I are going to Umstead State Park in Raleigh on Monday morning for our long run. There is a good chance Frank may join us too. We plan to do 20, before a three week taper for the Umstead Marathon. We have posted a message on the NC Roadrunner club site too, so there could be several others. We would love to have more RMEC folks join us.

We will leave from Camp Lapihio in the park, and try to use as many trails from the race course as possible. There are several turn-arounds on the route, so do not feel like you need to run 20 miles to join us. You can run as much or as little as you would like.

Although this is a very hilly route, most of it is on packed cinder. It is not nearly as much single track as Medoc. In other words, it has hills, but good footing. If people are interested, please post a comment, and we can work out some driving arrangements. Thanks!

RUN RSVP: Saturday 02/07

We have been having bigger crowds of runners every weekend with new runners joining us each time. I look forward to hopefully 20+ runners this Saturday as well. It will be a chilly start at 30F, but will be 49F by 10:00 am.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes - at the tracks
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 10 Miles

The route is a 10-miler that we have not done for a while. It has two "dead-end-turnarounds" which makes it good for a large group. If you plan to run less, you can skip those sections and cut about two miles. There are several other places to cut as well. Please review the route and written directions below the map.

Please RSVP with your pace and distance if you are coming. The larger the group, the harder it is to set up fluid stops, so this is important. I really do not want to see a person running 20 miles run out because we did not prepare enough.

Also. . . our regular water stop at the tracks has been given a face lift! Roger (the person who lives there) has constructed a table for us with some hooks for clothing, and also a clip so we can put a trash bag out for used cups. This is a very nice gesture by Roger. Please be sure to take advantage of the table, and not leave any cups laying around. If you are the last person running and there is still stuff out on the table, please take it with you. I will get the cooler back from you. This way everyone can have something to drink their entire run.

If you are running any morning and go by Roger's house, please do me a favor and toss his newspaper up towards his back door. This is the least we can do to say thanks. I am not certain if I can be there tomorrow yet, so if someone can set up fluids, please post a comment here. Thank you.

Tough Guy Challenge 2009

Scott, emailed me this link, and it was too much fun not to share. If we can find a nearby farm with some ponds, mountains, and a fire field, maybe the RMEC will create one of these. . . any takers? I admire any race that makes the competitors put there number on there forehead.


"Billed as "the safest most dangerous taste of physical and mental endurance pain in the world", the Tough Guy Challenge took place on February 1st, on South Perton Farm, near Wolverhampton, England. Thousands of challengers (men and women) started the endurance race, with hundreds dropping out along the way due to exhaustion or injury - broken bones, dislocations, and over 600 cases of hypothermia. Even the overall winner, James Appleton, was treated briefly for hypothermia. The course takes racers through 21 obstacles - through mud, freezing water, across ropes and burning terrain."

Here is a link to a few more pictures. Some are duplicates.

Tri Reminder & Bike Options

First of all, I wanted to remind the RMEC that it is time to break out of your comfort zone, and do your first Triathlon. There are several options nearby that are great "starter" events.

• 04/04 Tri Roanoke Valley - You can't get an easier swim than 300 yards at an indoor pool! It is only a 30 minute drive too.
• 05/30 Lake Kristi Tri - Okay, ready to get out of the pool? Lake Kristi is a half mile swim, and in very shallow water. This Greenville event is small, fun, and well run!
• 06/13 Buckhorn Sprint - A little more of a challenge, but still a sprint. Plus you have more time to train. This new event is in Wilson

If you are looking for some Bike Options, Eric Seale has a small surplus right now you may want to consider. He prefers to sell locally so he can offer to service them if needed and he will certainly adjust the fit to whomever purchases one.

• Cannondale F3000 (front suspension) in a large size in Volvo Team colors. It has a mixture of XT/LX parts, SRAM twist shifting and Mavic CrossMax Wheels. As I usually ride/rode my Jekyl, this bike probably has around 350 to 400 miles on it. It would be a great Cross Country / Xterra race bike.
• Raven II, Carbon Fiber / aluminum, dual suspension bike (large) with disc brakes and a mixture of XT/LX parts, Shimano rapid fire shifting, and the frame was strengthened at the factory by the lead engineer. I have probably put less than 200 miles on this bike. I would not necessarily suggest using this for racing downhill, but for cross country / off-road riding in this area, it would be perfect - and it looks uber cool. It is fairly light for a dual susp. disc bike.
• Aluminum 56cm (good for riders in the 5' 9 to 6' 0 range) size, CAAD 5 red, white and blue tri bike that I am thinking of (but not totally decided upon) selling. This bike has Ultegra/DuraAce parts and DuraAce/Mavic wheelset with 9 speed cogs.

If interested, Eric will be happy to show them to you, let you ride them. Pricing will be advantageous to encourage a sale and not have them collecting dust.

Shirt Order #2

REPOST: ORDER IS GOING IN TONIGHT. PLEASE POST IF YOU NEED A SHIRT

We are going to replace an additional order for RMEC shirts. Several of the ladies in the group had some size issues. Overall, people really like the shirt quality and design, but they ran a little snug. The main goal is to replace those shirts that caused people a problem before, but we should be able to add in additional shirts for those who missed out the first time, or for new members.

We will be ordering the following:

• $16.00: Men's Alosports Sleeveless Tee (Navy/Grey)
• $16.00: Women's Alosports V-Neck Tank (Navy/Pacific)
• $7.00: Cotton Long Sleeve Tee (White)
• $6.00: Cotton Short Sleeve Ringer Tee (Grey/Navy)

All shirts have a volume discount and a "RMEC Member" discount. These are good quality shirts. The tech shirts in particular retail for $24 without any silk screening, so we are getting a good discount. The shirts come in S, M, L, XL, and XXL. The cotton shirts also have youth sizes (YS, YM, and YL) so they are great for cheering family members!

Please post a message with exactly what you want. (Name, Style, Size, and Quantity). Checks should be made to "Rocky Mount Endurance Club". The shirts will be shipped at the same time the Sweetheart 5k shirts are shipped, so you will have them by the second week in February.

Umstead Marathon Volunteers

RE-POSTED TO ENCOURAGE MORE INVOLVEMENT

Okay RMEC, we need your help! Frank, Scott, Dave, and Michael are all entered in the Umstead Trail Marathon. This annual event is put on by the Carolina Godiva Track Club (CGTC) in William B. Umstead State Park located in Raleigh.

The Godiva Track Club was one of the first sites to list the Medoc Trail Races, and also sent lots of talented runners to participate in our inaugural event. We would like to show our thanks and general support of the running community by volunteering at an aid station for the March 7th race.

This will be a fun thing to do, and I really hope the RMEC will step up to help.

1. You get to cheer for four our your RMEC teammates in the race.
2. You get to experience a beautiful park, and see some of the top trail runners in the state (not us).
3. The race starts at 9:00 am, so you don't need to get up too early.
4. You can help us promote Medoc by wearing your race shirts!
5. You get food and all the Gatorade you can drink!
6. You can have a nice afternoon in Raleigh after the race.

This seriously is a big deal for us that work on Medoc. This is a great opportunity to promote our race while helping another one out. Never forget that you are able to race, because someone else is not. . . it takes volunteers!

Please post a comment ASAP if you will volunteer. I need to let the race committee know how many we will bring. Thank you in advance!

UPDATE: We have been assigned one aid station that has fluids and food. It is at mile 10 and 19.5. You do not need to be there until 9:30 am, and there is easy parking. The first runners will arrive at mile 10 around 10:00 a.m. The last runner must be at mile 19.5 by 1:50 pm or they will miss the cut off. Although there are only 200 runners, you will have a steady stream the entire time you volunteer, so you will not be bored.

RMEC Relay for Life Team

Eric Pate has set up the RMEC Relay for Life team. You can find our team page at this link. Just click on the link to "Join Our Team". At the moment the Early Bird registration is still an option. I don't know how long this will be in effect. It was supposed to expire 1/31. Registration will be $10.00 once this is removed.

Eric has a paper registration forms for anyone who needs one, but I urge as many as possible to register online, so Eric does not have to manually enter the information. There is a plethora of information on the site for anyone who is not familiar with the Relay for Life.

Please note that we have a commitment from "Triple F" for 50 miles, so this should make it easy on the remaining team members to cover the 24 hour event. Thanks to Frank for his early support and for setting such a lofty goal.

This is a big deal guys. Please consider participating. Eric is currently listed as Captain of our team, but we really need someone else to step up in this role. He has a larger role of the Relay for Life Committee, and should not have to pull "double-duty" as our team captain too.

Lavely Wins 2009 Rocky Mount Marathon

With an incredible burst of speed in the final exciting final stretch to the finish line, Dave Lavely managed to lean forward just enough to pass his nearest competitor to win the 2009 Rocky Mount Marathon. Lavely's feat also set a new course record on a rugged day where most entrants decided the bitter winds and freezing temperatures just weren't worth the effort. When asked about his winning PR performance (the marathon was also a PR for Lavley!), he commented " . . . . well . . . . that was fun. Want me to bring your jacket to your car?"

Unfortunately due to the unexpected pace, the official race photographer was not in place to capture a picture of the thrilling finish and Lavely's gravity defying lean to claim the victory. When asked about if he is planning to defend his crown next year. Lavely refused to answer saying he "just wanted to bask in the glory of the victory."

Frank Lilley, the second place finisher commented, "Dave ran a great race. I really didn't believe he would be able to hold the pace for the entire race, but he showed incredible mental toughness and focus. A pace at this level had to be extremely difficult for him to maintain."

It should be noted that Frank went on to finish the inaugural Rocky Mount 50k+ Ultra.

On a more sincere note, thanks to Frank and Scott for setting up the route. A a BIG thanks to everyone that came out to run. We had a huge crowd, and everyone had a great time. The RMEC right now is really at a peak. Our membership numbers are up, but more importantly, you are all staying active. January is a tough time of year to convince people to run. The days are short, the weather is cold, it is just a busy month. If you guys are out logging miles now, you are setting yourself up for a fantastic year of running and racing!