RUN RSVP: 1/11/11

Happy New Year!  It is time for our annual New Years Day run in Battleboro, NC.  If you are geographically challenged, this is 10 minutes from the Harris Teeter.  For this year's run we will start at Gerry's house.  We know that many of you will be celebrating the night before, so we pushed the start time back to 8:30 instead of the normal 7:00 am.

• Where: Saturday, 8:30 am @ Gerry's House
• Supported: BYOB
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 3.6 Miles; 8.4 Miles

This is always a fun morning of running.  It is the one day when you can honestly say "I have not missed a day of running this year". 

Routes are updated now with two options.

So start the year off on the right foot, and join us at the RMEC New Year's Day Group Run!

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5. . . Time to Start a Training Log!

If you are like most runners, you are pretty proud of your races, but you are even more proud of the work you put in to get there. It is easy to look up past race results online, and remember that day, but it is difficult to remember your training runs.

Saturday is 2011. This is the perfect time to start keeping a training log. A training log is a way to keep track of all of your runs for the year. You can also track any cross training, and weight training you do. There are multiple benefits to a training log:

• Track your progress - see how you have improved, and get motivated by reviewing the miles you have accumulated
• Prevent injury - by noting how you feel during and after your runs, you can detect injuries before they become severe and cause you to miss a race
• Follow a plan - if you have a training plan, a training log will give you a way to track it.
• Shoes - training logs will let you know how many miles you have on your shoes, so you know when to replace them
• Graphs - get a graphical view of your training progress

There are countless ways to have a training log:

- Paper - Lots of runners still use a notebook and a pen to track their runs. Gets the job done just fine.
- Spreadsheets - There are lots of spreadsheets available online, or you can create your own. Here is one you can download.
- Garmin - Most Garmin watches will download your data to he Garmin site. If you don't do this yet, I highly recommend it.
- Online - Countless sites now have tools to track your progress online. Here are a few:

• Runner's World Training Log
• Running Ahead (also supports Garmin downloads)
• Cool Running Active Trainer
• Nike Training Tool

There are even lots of phone "aps" out there now that you can use as well.  It does not mater what you pick. Find the one that you like the best. This is the time to start! January 1 is on Saturday. . . get in a run, and start your log!

2011 Sweetheart 5k

RMEC I need your help. The registration for the Sweetheart 5k presented by Dental Care Center is going great.  In fact this is the best it has ever done. Unlike all of our other races, the Sweetheart can handle virtually an unlimited amount of runners. I really would like to see the race grow into something special over the years to come. So how do I need your help?

• Sign up for the race ("RMECMEMBER" gets members a discount)
• Send an email to a friend (runners know runners)
• Call a friend
• Post it on facebook
• Sign up you kids for the Fun Run

We have 70 registered members in the RMEC. If each of you can just get one person to sign up it would have a tremendous impact on the race.  Seriously take five minutes right now and get someone to sign up.  The race is only six weeks away.

It really will is a fun event. The 5k is at 9:00, and the 1 Mile Family Fun Run is immediately following. The entire day including awards should be wrapped up by 10:30 am. We will once again have custom medals for award winners and gift certificates from Raleigh Running Outfitters, a Couples Division, and a diamond giveaway from Wade Designs. All runners get a race shirt and a free sling pack as well.  The first 100 to register get a technical shirt.  There are about 30 of these left right now.

Thanks!

RUN RSVP: Christmas Weekend

It is a pretty safe bet that no one will show up for regular Saturday group run this weekend.  I have a funny feeling that you will all be busy.  That does not mean there is still not plenty of chances to get a run in.  This post will be a "catch-all" for the Christmas weekend.  All runs will be BYOB unless someone posts about fluids.

• Friday AM: Several have discussed a Christmas Eve morning run.  Time and location is TBD.
• Friday Nooner: Some of the regular "nooners" will be running from the YMCA at lunch time.
• Sunday AM: Sunday morning could be a nice snowy run.  If you haven't run in the snow before, don't miss your chance!
• Sunday 11:30:  Frank and others are running a 12 mile loop at Umstead on Sunday starting at the Reedy Creek entrance.  This would be a beautiful run for anyone who is interested.  Email Frank for details.
• Monday: Many of you are off on Monday, so if you plan to run, let people know.

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO POST A COMMENT.  We have over 60 registered members, and we love to see you out on a run.  Posting a comment lets people know who is going to be there, and encourages others to come out as well.  I have seen times when five people will post and 15 show up.  This is great, but probably others would have come out if they knew you were coming too.

Happy running!

Also. . . would love to have our traditional New Year's Day run in Battleboro if that works out!

Bring on 2011. . . I am going to run a MARATHON!

If you have followed our blog for long, you know how much I like the trailer below.  I think this is the third time I have posted it.  With so many new people following the blog now, and with 2011 just days away, I figured this was a great time to post it again.

This video clip honestly gives me chills every time I watch it. It was the 6-minute trailer for the movie, Spirit of the Marathon.

If this video does not get your heart pounding, butterflies in your stomach, and maybe even tears in your eyes, I will be surprised. After watching this clip, I always feel ready to throw my shoes on and burst out the door for a new PR! The film documents five marathoners on their quest. They range from first timers to elites. Get ready for some goose bumps!

1. Turn up your volume.
2. Make sure the clip has loaded at least 50% (so it is not choppy).
3. Hit play.
4. Sit back and enjoy!

"When you cross that finish line, no matter how slow, no matter how fast. . . it will change your life forever."

Become a Member: LAST CHANCE!

The registration for the 2011 Rocky Mount Endurance Club will close on December 31.  We will order a RMEC item (still TBD, but it will not be another shirt) for all people who are registered before the end of the year. This is the roster that will be sent to the Road Runner Club of America for the RMEC.

It is only a $25 membership fee, and it will get you discounts on the Sweetheart 5k, Roanoke Canal Half Marathon, Golf Club at Rocky Mount 5k & 10k, and the Medoc Trail Races.  So help support local running and join today!

New Year. . . New You: Challenge Yourself!

To use a running reference, the RMEC is really hitting it's stride right now. It may be hard to tell in the cold winter months, but our membership is as strong as it has ever been. Once the holidays pass, you will start to see some of the biggest crowds we have ever seen on Saturday mornings. Don't be left out!

Every year when January 1st comes around we all set resolutions for how we are going to improve in the new year. Often we start late, and/or fall short. That is why I am posting this now. Don't wait until January 1, 2011 to decide your next goal. Decide now, and start to make a plan for your success.

Run my first marathon. . . Set a new PR. . . Drop 15 pounds. . . Run an Ultra. . . Run my first 10k. . . Run four days a week. . . Convince a friend to run. . . Run a half marathon. . . Become a RMEC Member. . . Run one race a month. . . Start to cross train. . . Do my first sprint triathlon. . . Become an Ironman. . . Run a 200 mile relay. . . Run my first trail race. . . Qualify for Boston. . .Start running on Saturday mornings with the group. . .The opportunities are limitless!

There are so many different goals that you can set for 2011. It is time to pick yours and work towards it. From the outside looking in the RMEC may look like a group on elite runners who have no interest in newcomers. If you join us for a run, you will find out we are a down-to-earth group of people who simply stay dedicated to our goals. In fact, four years ago the RMEC was originally built based on a beginner marathon training program. At some point we are all beginners.

So what do I do now?

• Step 1: Pick a goal (or two). Make it a big one. If it doesn't scare you at least a little bit, you should reach higher.
• Step 2: Tell people your goals. Your true friends will motivate and encourage you every step of the way. If you fall short they will be there to pick you back up, not to laugh.

Goals can also be internal and personal, but if you are comfortable sharing, please post a comment on the blog, and let the RMEC know what extraordinary things you are going to do in 2011!  Remember goals are relative to the person setting them.  Running your first 5k can be a giant goal for you.  Be proud of that and let people know.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 1/1/11

Happy New Year!  It is time for our annual New Years Day run in Battleboro, NC.  If you are geographically challenged, this is 10 minutes from the Harris Teeter.  For this year's run we will start at Gerry's house.  We know that many of you will be celebrating the night before, so we pushed the start time back to 8:30 instead of the normal 7:00 am.

• Where: Saturday, 8:30 am @ Gerry's House
• Supported: BYOB
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 8.4 Miles

This is always a fun morning of running.  It is the one day when you can honestly say "I have not missed a day of running this year". 

Right now I just have the 8.4 mile loop posted.  Because of where we are running, the shorter route will probably be an out-and-back (these are long country roads).  Gerry will have some recommendations for those that want to go longer as well.

So start the year off on the right foot, and join us at the RMEC New Year's Day Group Run!

Dash for Cash Race Results

I am overdue on posting some race results.  Life has been pretty busy, so this took a back seat.  I am always happy to have someone else collect race results if they are interested.  Just write a short summary and email it to runrmec@yahoo.com (hint. . . hint).

18 runners (that I could find) ran at the Dash for Cash two weekends ago, and had some very impressive performances.  With this many running it would take too long to write details about everyone, so I will stick with a list instead:

10 Mile Results:

• 6th - 1:01:22 Ashley Bass (6:09 pace) 1st Age Group
• 10th - 1:04:09 John Batchelor (6:25) 2nd AG
• 16th - 1:05:51 Derek Hurdle (6:36) 2nd AG
• 33rd - 1:12:09 Emily Bass (7:13) 5th Overall Female and 1st AG
• 39th - 1:13:39 Tim Shea (7:22) 2nd AG
• 63rd - 1:18:53 Levi Moore (7:22)
• 64th - 1:18:57 Greg Delbridge (7:54)
• 68th - 1:19:58 Wayne Painter (8:00)

5k Results:

• 7th - 19:32 Zack Shea (6:18) 1st AG
• 99th - 25:35 Tom Thurman (8:14) 2nd AG
• 100th - 25:37 - George Mount
• 117th - 26:03 Jon Shingleton (8:24)
• 144th - 27:28 Amber Shingleon (8:51)
• 162nd - 28:09 Arthur Bennett (9:04)
• 176th - 28:34 Margaret Bentley (9:12)
• 197th - 29:07 Eric Ghiloni (9:23)
• 399th - 38:46 Brandie Ghiloni (12:29)
• 416th - 40:37 Alane Floyd (13:05)

Team Competition:

In the 10-Mile Ashely (Ageless) Bass took 6th overall.  He lead the RMEC relay team (Ashley, John, Emily, and Tim) to a third place finish.  The Kenyan team from Chapel Hill put together a team that was untouchable (they won by over half an hour).  2nd place went to the Greenville team which happened to have a team member with a very strong resemblance to Derek Hurdle.

In the 5k team competition, Zack Shea (Tim's son) lead the RMEC to a second place finish.  The team consisted of Zack, Tom, George, Jon, and Amber.  They beat the third place team by over three minutes.  The other RMEC team consisted of Margaret, Eric, Brandie, and Alane.  The powerful rookie team posted a combined time of 1:36:27.

It was great to have som many from the RMEC out supporting local racing, and supporting each other.  Great job everyone!

RUN RSVP: Saturday 12/11

Sorry for the late RSVP post!  Life has been busy lately.  We will plan for a 7:00 am cold run tomorrow morning from the Teeter.  To keep things simple I have used the old standby 6.67 mile loop.  It is easy to adjust, and supplies two fluid stops every time.
Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: TBD
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 4 Mile Candlewood;  6.67 Loop Route

Remember, even though it is cold, you still need fluids.  You will not sweat out as much as you do in the summer, but it is still important to stay healthy.  Bring gloves and a hat to keep your warm!

Cold Weather Running

This is a post I have used several times, but it is a good one. Some of you already know this, but being reminded never hurts:

1. Wear Layers - You can always take extra clothing off as you warm up. If you however start with just your base layer and a heavy jacket, you have no "middle ground". You are likely too hot or too cold. If you have layers, you can peal them off little by little.
2. Be Technical - Be sure to keep technical clothing as your bottom layer. It is fine to throw an old cotton t-shirt on as a middle or top layer, or a sweatshirt. Just keep some wicking clothing on as a base layer.  This will pull the sweat away from your body.
3. Head and Hands - Do not forget to keep your head and hands warm. If you don't have one, go buy a cheap stocking hat. An ear warmer is fine too, but with temps in the 20s and 30s you will want to hold in the heat. As for gloves, go cheap. My recommendation is going to the kids department in Target. You can buy a two pack of kids gloves for $1.49. They are super stretchy, and you can put on both pair at once. If your hands get hot, peal off a single pair. These gloves fit my hands in case you are wondering how stretchy they are.
4. Band aides and Body Glide - Don't forget this! Guys, protect your chest. Cold weather can make you chafe badly. You do not want to finish your run with a bloody shirt.  Also when you are not seating, your clothing does not have a layer of moisture to glide against.  This can mean chafed thighs, legs, etc.
5. Get Warm - When you finish your run get warm! Have something in your car to put on. Once you stop running, your body will very quickly get a chill. Don't take a chance at getting sick. You may even need to take of wet clothes and replace with something dry.

Winter Gear Sale

Eric has a friend that runs a company called TrailHeads.  They are currently running a special that has a 25% discount code.  When you order type in KENT25 (in all capital letters) and you will get a 25% discount and free shipping.

Eric has used the products before and says it is good quality stuff.  Also, a portion of sales go to National Sports Center for the Disabled, Guiding Eyes for the Blind and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

2010 Blue Ridge Relay RMEC

Back in September the RMEC put together a 6-man team for the Blue Ridge Relay.  Just in case you do not know, the BRR is a 208 mile relay race through the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Three months later I finally got around to making a video of our trip.  This squeezes 28 hours of running into a 10 minute video.  The video takes a while to load, so I strongly recommend pausing it and letting it buffer for a while before hitting play. 

 [Mild Warning on the video. . . we missed a turn that added 12 miles to our run, and the emotions show just a wee bit]

So why am I posting this video in December?  I am trying to fire people up to want to do a relay!  If this video does nothing to get you excited, then a relay is probably not for you.  If it got your heart rate up just a little bit. . .  give it a try!  You do NOT need to be some super skilled experienced marathon to do this.

The RMEC currently has two teams that are running the American Odyssey Relay on April 29-30.  This 200 mile race starts in Gettysburg, PA and finishes in Washington, DC.  Although the distance is roughly the same as the Blue Ridge Relay, the course is far less challenging in regards to hills.

Team 1 is Ryan, Dave, John, Dennis, Michael, and Derek.  Team 2 is Scott, Greg, Steve, Eric, Levi, and Ron.  We would LOVE to have at least one more team join us.  There are several women who have mentioned putting together a team (Kinnie, Tracy, Liz, Ursula, Emily. . .)

There are several options to pull off another relay team. . .

• Option 1: A six person Ultra team (everybody runs 6 times and takes one van)
• Option 2: A nine person team (everybody runs 4 times and you could take one big van or two mini vans)
• Option 3: A 12 persion team (every body runs 3 times and you take two big vans)

If you do option 3, you could easily put together a team that had 6 guys in one van and six girls in the other.  There are lots of options.  We just need people to commit.  Prices go up on January 1st.  We are mailing our application in this month.  If we get a third team, we can work out a discount too.

This is more about an accomplishment, and less about speed.  Don't wait for others to say they want to do it before you chime in.  It will take some people committing to get the ball rolling. . . So, who is in?

RUN RSVP: Saturday @ Teeter. Time is TBD

I am posting a RUN RSVP for the weekend, but am not sure if we will have a big group run.  Please use this post to let others know when, where, and how far you plan to run.  Even if you plan for an afternoon run, let us know.  You may grab a running partner.

Run Details:

• Where: You Choose!
• Supported: NA
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: You Choose!

This evening several from the RMEC will be enjoying so Christmas celebration late into the evening.  For this reason, I do not expect an early start for.  In addition about 15 of you are racing on Sunday afternoon at the Dash for Cash in Greenville, so you may not be planning for a Saturday run.  Add those two things together, and a small crowd is expected.

Good luck to Ted and Liz at the Dallas Marathon this weekend, and good luck to all of the Dash for Cash runners (even that traitor Derek).