Bike Rides week of 6/11 to 6/17

Morning Rides - 5:45 am: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, (Thursday?) and Friday (I will miss Tuesday AM ride - may make it up on Thursday)

Afternoon Rides - 6 pm: I would like to ride Tuesday evening, but it will depend on what time I get back from a business trip. If you are interested in riding Tuesday night, let me know today so I will know who to call if I am or am not going to make it back in time. I still plan to ride on Thursday evening.

Weekend : I will be out of town, so if someone has a plan for the weekend, please respond.Thanks, Eric.

Hydration Belts

Great run Saturday everyone! As you can tell the summer weather arrived early. With it has come thirsty runners. I will begin today preaching the importance of staying hydrated during a run. To put it bluntly, you will never make it through the summer unless you drink on your runs. The summer in North Carolina is brutal. Even if you run early or late, the heat will make three mile runs feel like 13. To combat the heat you need to drink. If you think you will be tougher because you don't drink, you will end up sick or injured.

On our long runs we will have fluids available in strategic locations. If you do not mind carrying a bottle in your hand, you can stop reading now. If however you want your hands free during runs, there are several options available to runners.

• Multi Bottle Belts: Lots of little bottles evenly distributed around your waist (Fuel Belt is the most common)
• Single Bottle: One large bottle that fits in the small of your back (Lots of options)
• Fluid Bladders: A bladder device with a long drinking straw (Camel Back is the most common)

All options have advantages disadvantages. Check them out online, and ask other runners about theirs. Whichever you decide, choose something.

• Fuel Belt --- Amphipod --- Road Runner Sports --- Camel Back

These products can purchase directly through the links above, through sites like Road Runner Sports, or at local stores like Raleigh Running Outfitters. If you have questions, ask any of the runners in our group. We have all options in use at some time or another.

Group Bike Riding Thoughts

I gave some thought to Jeff's question regarding bike etiquette in a group ride. I decided to just sort of free flow some thoughts from my experience rather than try to stick to just "etiquette".

There are no real rules for group rides. Everyone is welcome. Most of what I have written is geared towards maintaining our focus of having the group ride be enjoyable, yet fitness oriented, for everyone who comes out to ride. Everyone starts cycling at some point, and we all have questions, concerns or doubts about how we would fit into a group. I hope this document will answer any questions you may have and allay any concerns - if not, email me and I'll give ya the hard sell to get you out riding with us.

My experience has been that my fitness increases MUCH faster in the group setting. My riding solo generally ends up with no bike, and me sitting on the couch with a beer. The group motivates me. I get up because I know people will be waiting to have me block the wind...the sun and most of their view. I ride harder because of my natural competitiveness in not wanting to get dropped. It is more enjoyable because I don't think about that horrible rasping sound as being actually made by my lungs...I blame it on someone else. Also, I think it is safer. All of my car/bike incidents (8) have occurred when solo - guess those crazy drivers really do think I am as big and slow as a double wide mobile home! ;-) It is easier to see multiple bikes - particularly with all the nutty colors we wear - so think of joining in as a public service. We have had (in my experience) group rides as large as 17 here in Rocky Mount. Most of the time there are groups of 4 to 8. Even with the large group, we started together and then we split into two groups after about 5 miles with one group averaging about 20 mph for 50 odd miles and the other around 16 mph for about 20 miles.

Anyway, please look this over. I have added some safety thoughts to the document, but in reality, 99.9 % of our rides are completely uneventful....unless you consider watching my tongue act like a playing card in my front spokes and event worth noting.

If you have questions or feel I need to edit the document in any way, please let me know. No matter what your level, come join us for a ride, I promise that the group will adjust to any fitness and endurance level and no one will be left behind.

On a bit of a serious note : I hope that everyone will see the wisdom in wearing a helmet and will take the time to write contact and allergy information on a small piece of paper (laminated against sweat) and tape it in the helmet or you can get a nifty little Velcro/cloth anklet made - www.RoadID.com . I go for paper as it is easier to change out contact info on those days when I ride instead of doing my chores and the wife asks me if the life insurance is paid up and exactly where I will be riding as she opens the yellow pages to "half blind, little old people in over-sized caddies with steel bumpers".

Finally, we are to follow the same rules as cars. I am guilty of rolling stop signs and red lights - but I am pretty careful about slowing down to see what is coming (can't imagine why I have had those car/bike incidents....). I am trying to break myself of this habit. Michael has graciously offered to put my dog's shock collar on me and zap me when necessary. - Eric

Good Luck Runners!

Tracy H, her daughter, and her mother-in-law will be running/walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this Saturday in Raleigh. All proceeds from the race will go to the foundation. This is one of the biggest running events of the year for Raleigh, and should be a blast. Please take lots of pictures, and share your results after the race. Good luck!

Runner Safety

This information will be in your training notebooks, and we will discuss it Saturday in our prerun meeting, but it is worth repeating:

• 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.

Here are a few of my own. . .

• "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, then to run yourself into an injury. Take breaks if they are needed. Especially in the heat.
• Help each other out. Point out holes, sticks, cars, etc.
• Consider getting a Road ID. This is a $20 investment that could save your life. It is an ID that velcros to your show laces. It contains any information that you find important.

Gift for 2006 Training Team

I want to let everyone know that Carol has a gift for everyone who did the 2006 training team. You will all be very pleased when you see what she has for you. I love it! Try to get in touch with Carol soon. As an alternative, we actually may plan a reunion breakfast at IHOP if that is easier. Let me know your preference. Thanks Carol!

RUN RSVP: 06/09

The Rocky Mount edition of the Richmond Marathon Training Team starts Saturday! We will run from the YMCA this time, so don't go to the Harris Teeter by mistake. We will have a brief meeting a 8:00 a.m. in the after-school room. If there are any new faces in the room, it may take a little longer, so I can explain the details of the program, but I think I know everyone who is running this year.

We have 17 runners that I know of. If you already have an application, please bring it and your check with you to the meeting. If not, I will have extra copies at the meeting.

Run Details:

• Day: Saturday
• Time: 8:00 a.m. (meeting first)
• Where: Harrison Family YMCA
• Distance: Novice = 4 miles; Intermediate = 7 miles
• Routes: 4 miles; 7 miles **UPDATED**
• Supported: Water fountains on the routes
• Weather: Forecast

As a reminder, everyone is still welcome and encouraged to join us on weekend runs. We are not going to create "haves" and "have-nots" with this training team. It took a full year to build the RMEC into what it is today, and we want to ensure that everyone still feels welcome.

If you are running Richmond, Chicago, Grandmas, OBX, Raleigh, the Duke Tri, or just running to run. . . you are all welcome. SEE YOU ON SATURDAY!