RUN RSVP: Saturday 01/24

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.

Rocky Mount Endurance Kids

6:00 pm Kick Off Meeting on Monday - Location TBD. . . stay tuned!

BIG NEWS! The RMEC is about to take on a new challenge, and your help is needed. Several club members have expressed interest in beginning a program that focuses on improving the health and fitness of children in our area. We applied for a grant through the Road Runner Club of America, but lost out to other running clubs. We were however able to secure a $500 grant from RBC Bank to get us started. As a result, we are excited to announce we are launching the Rocky Mount Endurance Kids program in 2009!

The goal of this program is to take elementary school age children and put them through an 8-10 week program that will:

• educated them on the importance of a healthy lifestyle
• show them proper ways to exercise
• inform them about a healthy diet
• motivate them to stay active
• train them for a "fun run" event

To be honest, we can not announce much more at this time, because the planning has just begun. So why am I announcing something that is not ready to begin? Simple. . . we need you.

Tracy Proctor is heading up this initiative, and it can not be done alone. We need to have RMEC members commit time, enthusiasm, and energy for this program to be a success. Most likely we will have 2-3 times per week when we meet with RMEK participants to instruct and exercise. This is not a one person job. You do not need to be an expert to help. Tracy has a great guide that we will model our program after. You simply need to provide the effort.

Originally we were planning to create our own mini-race for kids only in the spring. This plan changed however once we learned about the new Fun Run for Charities in Rocky Mount on May 30th. Nothing is set in stone, but most likely we will "train" a group of kids for this race. All participants in the RMEK program will get a shirt from us to wear in the race, and some handouts about the topics we will cover.

Our hope is to make this free to kids who wish to participate, however we will most likely need a few sponsors to help pull this off. If you or your company are interested in supporting this great opportunity, please let us know ASAP.

To have a successful program, we need to have participants enrolled by the last week of March at the latest. This means we need to get a lot accomplished over the next 4-6 weeks. This is a BIG DEAL for the RMEC. This gives us a chance to be something more than just a running club. Nash and Edgecombe counties are the two most obese counties in the state of North Carolina. We can't fix that over night, but we can start with the youth in our community and change people's lives!

What's Next?

** COMMENTS STRONGLY REQUESTED **

Despite the snow, it is safe to say that many of us our working towards a spring race now. For some of you it is a half marathon, and for others it is a full. I know the Shamrock and the Flying Pig have garnered the most attention from the RMEC, but I am going to highlight five options that our group may be interested in. These are listed in date order:

03/07 Umstead - This Raleigh trail race is only a marathon. It is very hilly and limited to 200 runners. Frank and Scott are registered, and I am going to try to grab one of the "canceled" spots next week if possible.

03/21 National - To be honest I forget about this race until yesterday. I have run the half here twice, and think it is a great race. The took the first three years to find a course that works well for the city and the runners. They have a real winner now. If you want to see DC on foot, without the crowds of the Marine Corps marathon, this is a great option. Plus it is just a short drive and a cheap hotel stay.

03/22 Shamrock - This flat coastal marathon is held at Virginia Beach, and also includes a half. Several RMEC runners have raced here is the past. It is a well organized event that grows every year. To my knowledge Derek, Cliff, Tim, John, Levi and Ron (half) are training for this.

05/03 Flying Pig - At one pint this looked to be the big race for the RMEC. Registration opened up in Januray. This is a very popular race, but I am not sure if it sells out. To my knowledge Frank, Tracy H, Ursula (half), Arthur, Ron, Amber, Levi, Misty, Jeff H, and Eric P are training for this. This race also has a half option.

06/20 Grandma's - This race is held in Duluth Minnesota, and is the premier US summer marathon. Typically (but not always) this race offers cool temps on a PR friendly course. Tracy P. is registered again as this is her old home town. There might be options for free lodging if you join Tracy on the trip. Frank, Ryan, Ursula, and I joined her in 2007 and had a blast. Tracy would LOVE a training partner for this race.

Please post comments here to confirm what you are training for. We all understand plans can change, so there is no shame if you change your mind later. It helps me plan our weekend runs, and it helps other RMEC members get inspired and know who to train with. Even if I mentioned your name above, please post a comment to confirm your plans, and what distance you are training for.

"I don't think we're in Orlando any more Toto"

Three days ago I was wearing a bathing suit and watching the kids come down a water slide. Amazing how quickly things can change! I have some catching up to do at home, work, and the blog. I will try to get updates out as often as possible. I will start by recapping the opening race weekend for the RMEC.

Right off the bat, Frank had a great race at the Frosty 50k on Saturday 01/10. He set a new 50k PR in fact! The cool temps combined with an double out-and-back course set up perfectly for Frank. He ended up finishing the 31 mile race in a time of 6:38:24. Great job Frank! It is also interesting to note that the race winner ran a 3:09. To put that in perspective, it was a 6:06 pace for 31 miles!

Also racing on Saturday, but in a much warmer climate was Tracy H., Patti, and Ursula. For the second year in a row, these three ladies earned their "Donald" medals at the Disney World Half Marathon among over 12,000 finishers. Despite running most of the race together and posing for several pictures, all of them ran impressive times. Ursula and Tracy left Patti with a friend soon after the halfway point in the race. Tracy crossed the finish line in 2:35:03, and Ursula was right behind with 2:35:05. Some long photo lines held Patti back, and she crossed in 2:52:20. Great job ladies!

The next day, new RMEC member, Kim Blackwelder lined up for her first marathon and had one heck of a debut! She finished in 5:06:17 running a consistent pace throughout the race. Kim, feel free to post a comment about your race experience, or shoot me an email if you would like me to do a blog post. We love to hear runner reports on their races.

I also was racing the full marathon, and was very pleased with my race. I finished with a time of 3:41:20. Not my fastest marathon, but a race I feel really good about. Here are a few interesting tidbits from the race for me. . .

1. I was amazed how many runners had gas in the race (and they were not ashamed)
2. I ran most of the race near a joggler. The crowd loved him.
3. At mile 16 I was running by a guy racing in Crocs (seriously. . . Crocs!)
4. I proudly crossed the line minutes before the "pink tutu" guy from Runner's World. Turns out his chip time blew me away. Still, a very nice guy to talk to.

Finally, I had to post a picture of my finish line photo. Not because I am arrogant, but because it is so funny. If not for the clock time in the picture, you would think I won the race. Despite 15,000 marathon finishers, I managed to cross the line with NO ONE near me (except for Lilo and Stich). The picture cracks me up. For more race photos and other neat Disney information check out the My Disney Marathon site.

One other thing to point out. My old college roommate and one of my closest friends also ran Disney this past weekend. He proudly wore a RMEC shirt (he is President of the RMEC Orlando Chapter), and set a new PR finishing in 4:51:28. I know he reads our blog. . . Congrats Scoob! You had a fantastic race.

Sweetheart 5k Updates

The Sweetheart 5k is now over 120 registered runners, and they still expect at least 250 by race day! So far there are about 20 teams entered, but the majority are individual race entries. Please continue to encourage people to register for the event. Remember this is a 5k and 1-mile Fun Run. It is a great opportunity to get a non-runners excited about trying something new and healthy. Walkers are welcome to participate.

The shirts and medals have been ordered. Click on the images below for a sneak peak of what's coming. Women get a pink shirt, men red, and Fun Run participants get a black shirt. Also, don't forget that all Fun Run Finisher's under 10 get a special award!

We are still assembling the Couple's awards for combine age group categories. If you or your company would like to contribute to the "gift basket" please email Lynn Driver at Parks and Rec and let him know ASAP. We will have seven total baskets to give out, so what ever is given we need seven of. Thanks!

The Official "2nd Annual Unofficial Rocky Mount Marathon"

Many of you remember that last year Frank ran and won the 1st ever Rocky Mount Marathon. This was a GPS measure 26.2 mile course around Rocky Mount. This "race" will be held again on January 31st 2009. The start, finish, and route as still getting planned at the moment, but everyone is welcome to join for as many or as few miles as you chose.

The race will be precision timed by the watch you chose to wear that day. If you want a shirt or medal, you must bring your own. Awards ceremonies will be held back at your own house with a hot cup of coffee or a cold beer. . . your choice. More details will follow. If you are interested in joining Frank for all or part of the run post a comment.

Keep an eye out for this run. . . it just might turn in to a big event in a few years!

Greenville Duathlon Reminder

I wanted to remind the RMEC about the Short Course Duathlon in Greenville this coming weekend. This is a low cost event at $40.00, and a very short drive to Greenville. The price goes up on o1/13, so don't wait to register! Remember that RMEC members get 10% off most Finish Strong events. If you do not have the discount code, send an email to runrmec@yahoo.com

This is a great way to warm up to the idea of doing a triathlon. There are not many opportunities like this to race around here. Take advantage of it, and try something new! The race consist of a 3-mile run, a 14-mile bike, and then another 1.5 mile run.