New Marathon World Record

Haile Gebrselassie did it again. With good support from pacemakers through the first 19 miles of the race, Gebrselassie continued along to blast away his own world record and become the first man to ever break 2:04 in the marathon - winning in 2:03:59 - that's a 4:44 average mile pace! Staying with Gebrselassie through mile 22, James Kwambai achieved a majar breakthrough to finish second in 2:05:36, a new PR by almost five minutes. Charles Kamathi finished third in 2:07:48.

For the women, Irina Mikitenko knocked nearly five minutes of her PR to win in 2:19:19 - a new German record and a time that makes her the fourth fastest female marathoner ever. Mikitenko's race was spectacular, in that she did not go out with the lead group and was more than 30 seconds back at the 20K mark but chased down and destroyed the rest of the field. Askale Tafa Magarsa finished second in 2:21:31. Helena Kirop finished third in 2:25:01.

Medoc 09 Shirts

Medoc Packet Stuffing Delayed

The Medoc shirts are on their way, but they have a long trip to make from California. The will not make it to Rocky Mount until Wednesday, so we need to push back the race packet stuffing one day. We will now meet Wednesday at 5:45 pm in the main RBC Bank building.

Please post a comment if you can attend. We really only need about eight volunteers, to get it done in under two hours. Thanks everyone!

Volunteers:

• Frank
• Scott
• Connie
• Patti
• Ryan
• Elaine
• Brad
• Arthur
• Derek

RUN RSVP: Saturday 09/26

I have the impression that we could have a big group tomorrow. It sounds like most people are in town, and are ready to get in a good run. For the first time, we are going to venture out on some of the Half Marathon course. We will run the trail section of the course for now, and will later come back and add in the neighborhood section. My goal is to get everyone comfortable and familiar with the course.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 6:30 am @ Sunset Park (Chico's lot)
• Supported: Two fountains, plus fluids at start/finish
• Weather: Forecast (64F at start)
• Routes: 8 miles, 12 miles

There is a water fountain in Battlepark that we pass twice. This are the only "on-the-course" fluids out there, so if you want something other than water, bring it with you. Those going longer than eight miles, will be able to rehydrate back at Chicos.

If you have friends who plan to run the half marathon, bring them out to join us. If they are running the race, they should be up for an eight mile run. As always. . . ANYONE is welcome to join us! Tell a friend. . . RSVP online with your pace and distance.

Quote for the Day: "Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian and sub-2:12 marathoner

More Discounts on Running Gear.

As always I strongly recommend buying from a local running store whenever your have a chance, and remind you all that Raleigh Running Outfitters give the RMEC a 15% discount. If you can't make it to Raleigh, and you know what you want, these discounts may be of use.

FootLocker family of stores is having a 30% off Friends & Family sale. Coupons expire September 28, so don't wait if you need to buy.

• Foot Locker coupon code: FF8938FT printable
• Footaction coupon code: FF89VP30 printable
• Champs coupon code: FF896P30 (no printable)

Happy shoping.

Pre-Race Medoc Jobs

Hello everyone. Hope you are all enjoying the cooler weather. Sorry for another Medoc post, but at least for the next 10 days, this is the primary focus of the RMEC. I wanted to summarize where we stand on pre-race activities for Medoc. We still need some more people to pull this all off. Let me know if you can help fill any spots. The race committee will be spending most of the day on Friday, setting up the race course and the park, so we can not be there for packet pickup duties.

What: Packet Stuffing
Where: RBC Building
When: Tues 09/30
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
**DELAYED ONE DAY - SEE ABOVE**

What: Packet Pickup #1
Where: Raleigh Running Outfitters
When: Thursday 10/02
Time: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

• 10-11 Kinnie, Patti
• 11-12 Kinnie, Patti
• 12-1 Patti, __________
• 1-2 Patti, __________
• 2-3 Patti
• 3-4 Ursula
• 4-5 Ursula, Patti
• 5-6 Ursula, Patti

What: Packet Pickup #2
Where: Rocky Mount Holiday Inn
When: Friday 10/03
Time: 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm

• 4-5 Ursula, __________
• 5-6 Ursula, Ron, Robin, and Kelly
• 6-7 Ron, Larry, Chelsey
• 7-8 Ron, Larry, Chelsey
• 8-9 Ron, Kinnie (will take packets)

Tables:
What: We need collapsible tables. The white hard plastic ones are best.
When: We need these by Friday morning

• Eric
• Scott
• Robin
• Patti
• __________
• __________
• __________

Some Medoc Runner Updates

Registration Update: The 10-Miler will most likely sell out by this Thursday. If you know someone who plans to run, they better sign up now. There will be no extra spots added. Shirts, Medals, "Extra Surprise", and race numbers have all been ordered.

Aid Stations and Fluids: The Medoc races are almost entirely on trails. Unlike a road event trails do not allow for perfectly placed aid stations every two miles. Medoc runners will have aid stations roughly every 5k on the course. There is a primary aid station by the main shelter. This point will be passed twice during the full single loop course. There is a second aid station placed on the jeep trail of the Summit Loop. This will be passed once on the full single loop course.

Using these aid stations, runners will get aid at the approximate intervals.

• 10-Miler: Start, 1.0, 3.7, 6.9, and Finish
• Marathon: Start, 2.7, 5.9, 8.5, 11.6, 14.8, 17.4, 20.5, 23.7, and Finish

We strongly encourage all runners to carry a water bottle. Many trail runners will do this out of habit, but if you are new to trail racing you may not have planned for this. The aid stations will be more than happy to quickly fill your bottle if you want to take fluid with you. We do ask that you please not litter on the trail. You can carry a plain water bottle, a fuel belt, a camel back, or any other option. Be sure to check out Raleigh Running Outfitters for several great choices!

In addition to fluids, we will have GU brand energy gels on the course. We will also have some sweet and salty snacks for anyone that needs extra energy to carry them to the finish.

Added Perk for Finishers: We said from the beginning of our race planning that this was an event "for the runners". We are not organizing the Medoc Trail Races with a profit goal in mind.

We are very pleased with the number of people who have registered. We are now over 210 runners, with people coming from 11 states and 76 cities! Having such success with registration has enabled us to invest more back into the event. Every finisher will now receive an added reward for their hard work! We will keep the reward a surprise for now, but we think you will be pleased.

So add it all up. . . long sleeve technical shirt + finishers medal + finish line surprise + post race food + great running trails + happy volunteers = One GREAT race at a low cost. Don't miss out. Spots are running out to race.

Volunteers: We are very happy with the volunteers we have signed up so far, but we need more! A marathon is not an easy event to support. Please. . . we beg that you will each try to find a volunteer to help ensure we pull off a flawless event! Come on RMEC. . . do your part to help!

Wilmington Tri Results

Jeff and Dave continued their triathlon dominance this past weekend in Wilmington. The Wilmington YMCA Triathlon is the biggest race in the NCTS, and the largest from Washington DC to Florida with 1,300 participants.

Dave had an outstanding performance. Despite completing a half-ironman in 90 degree temperatures just six days prior, he pulled out 105th place! The final 5k leg he ran in 20:23 on his way to a total time of 1:21:22.

Dave narrowly edged out Jeff who finished just 17 seconds behind with a time Jeff out swam and out ran Dave, but a solid bike ride and quick transitions by Dave gave him the overall lead. Jeff still flew through the 5k with an amazing 19:19 and a total time of 1:21:39. Here are the complete results.

As always. . . great job gentlemen!

RUN RSVP: Saturday 09/20 (TIME CHANGE)

It was great to see everyone out at Ford's Colony last weekend. I really hope we can see a BIG group tomorrow. First of all, I pushed the start time back to 6:30 am. This makes it so we are not starting in the dark, and everyone gets an extra 30 minutes of sleep! Second of all, it might be one of the nicest days to run we have had since the winter. The starting temperatures are supposed to be 59, and not get any higher than 64 by 10:00 am.

If you are running the full OBX, you should be running about an 18 mile run this weekend (if you plan on two 20's). If you are training for the FCSB Half Marathon you should be at 6-7 miles this weekend. Chicago runners are doing you last 20+ mile run this weekend. Here is the Saturday running schedule if you need it. I have also added a shorter Candlewood route in case there is anyone reading the blog who wants to come out an join us!

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 6:30 am @ Harris Teeter
• Supported: Yes
• Weather: Forecast (59F at start)
• Routes: 4 miles; 7.25 miles; 18 miles

The 7.25 mile route has the Steeplechase loop. If you skip the loop it cuts about 3/4ths of a mile off the distance. All other routes can be easily adjusted as well.

FLUIDS: I plan to run from my house to and meet you at the Harris Teeter. I need to run 22, and would prefer to add the extra miles on the front of my run if possible. This means we need help with fluids. I will have fluids at my house. Can someone put fluids at the tracks and also at Co-Ah-Bar. It can be two different people. The RMEC will pay you back for whatever you get (Steve, I still owe you). Please post a comment if you can do fluids, and say where you will put them.

As always. . . ANYONE is welcome to join us! Tell a friend. . . RSVP online with your pace and distance.

Quote for the Day: "It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys." - Emil Zatopek

Medoc Needs Your Help

Thanks again for everyone's support on the Ford's Colony Races. The RMEC really came together to help make the event a success. Medoc is less than three weeks away, so it is time to do it all over again. This time it will be even more challenging, because the course is longer, there will be more runners, and it is not exactly in Rocky Mount.

We need items:

• 6-8 Long Tables - we prefer the white plastic tops, because they are much easier to carry
• US Cellular Cell Phones - US Cellular is the only coverage that works at Medoc. Can we borrow your phone on Saturday?
• Good Walkie-Talkies - We have some, but a few extras would not hurt
• Flash Lights - Helps with parking and course setup
• Lockable Trailer - We plan to rent a U-Haul, but could save on the budget if someone has another option
• Megaphone - Needed to give runner instructions

We need people:

09/30 Bag Stuffing - On Tuesday evening we will meet at RBC and do the same thing we did for Ford's Colony. It should take less than two hours to complete if we can get 8-10 volunteers.

10/02 Packet Pickup - We have packet pickup at Raleigh Running Outfitters from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm. We need people who can cover the following shifts:

• 10:00 -1:00 am One Person (you will need to unpack)
• 12:00 -3:00 pm One Person
• 3:00 -6:00 pm One or Two People (you will need to pack up)

10/03 Packet Pickup - We have a second pickup option at the Rocky Mount Holiday Inn from 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm. We need people ho can cover the following shifts:

• 3:30 - 6:00 pm - Two People (you will need to unpack)
• 5:30 - 9:00 pm - Two People (you will need to pack up)

Race Day Volunteers:
There are lots of other volunteer duties, but most of these are race day activities. We will be covering these with our volunteers, but we still need more. Right now we have about 25 volunteers. We are hoping to get 40, so we have a good ways to go. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please talk to them. Volunteers can register online for free, and get a long sleeve race shirt.

Duke Live Half Ironman Results

Do you remember who hot and humid it was at the Ford's Colony Race on Saturday when we were running our 5ks and 10ks? Do you remember how Sunday felt just as miserable? Well Dave Lavely completed the Duke Liver Half Ironman on Sunday in that heat.

Dave placed 184th among all men with a total time of 6:20:18. Yes, that is over six HOURS of activity on a tough course with temperatures over 90. After a 43 minute swim, Dave had a 3:15 bike ride on a hilly course. The half marathon run takes place on a double-loop trail course during the hottest part of the day. Dave still managed to run a 2:16.

Update: Also racing from the RMEC was Jason Irvin who finished in 6:05:02 and in 152nd place. Jason blew through the swim in under 37 minutes, and smoked the bike ride in under three hours. Looks like Jason's training for his full Ironman is paying off.

Very impressive performance for both Dave and Jason. Especially when you consider that 7% of those who started did not finish. Great job Dave!

Ford's Colony Race Photos

I know the sun was beating down on everyone this weekend, but the good news is this gave us great lighting for race photos! Frank Lilley and Barbara Stallings were taking pictures of both the 5k and 10k runners. I honestly don't think there are many people who were missed.

To see your race photos, visit the Ford's Colony race site, and click on Race Photos to the left. Some firewalls may prevent you from viewing the pictures in the office. Thanks Frank and Barbara. These are GREAT pictures! You can download any pictures for free, and print copies yourself, or order them online.

Frank captured just about every 10k runner that came by, and Barbara got most of the 5k runners at the finish line. She has several pictures that show just how close the 5k finish was. Both of them have awards photos as well.

The Telegram took a few pictures that you can pay for online as well. I wish they did more than just take a few pictures, but this is the best we could get. The pictures that Frank and Barbara took are equally as good, and we have ten times the number of photos.

Ford's Colony Feedback Requested

Congratulations Runners. In this post, we are requesting feedback on the Ford's Colony 5k and 10k. If you ran, walked, or volunteered we want to hear from you.

To leave feedback, click the comments link at the very bottom (way down). You do not need to register with blogger to post a comment. You also do not have to be a RMEC member. We want every one's input.

How was the start? Did you like the course? Did packet pickup go okay? Did you like the awards? Was there enough food and drink? Was the course marked clearly? Did it get too crowded? Could we handle more runners? Did you like the shirt? Did you like the registration process?

Anything that was important to you, is important to us. We can only get better if we know what we did well, and where we need to improve.

Thank you!

Michael Forrester & Scott Wingfield

Tropical Storms Can't Stop Dave and Jeff

Two RMEC Members braved the storm last weekend and raced at Williamsburg. The Patriots Point Triathlon had several weather issues. Saturday's Half Ironman distance was canceled completely. Sundays Sprint and International distance events were converted to a biathlon instead. The water was simply not safe for an open water swim. They still had 155 men show up to compete.

Jeff Miller finished 33 overall with a total time of 2:13:50. His second run was a 44:51 10k. Very impressive time on it’s own, but even more impressive after nearly 90 minutes of running and cycling. Jeff finished 9th in his age group.

Only 19 athletes behind was Dave Lavely with a total time of 2:20:16. Dave took the lead from Jeff on the cycling portion of the race, but Jeff passed him again during the run. Dave finish 4th in his age group.

Way to go RMEC!

Great job tonight everyone! The RMEC really came through big time. The race packet stuffing could not have gone any better. We got it done in under two hours thanks to all of your help.

I really appreciate the club stepping up to help out with Ford's Colony. I know some are working with packet pickup, and many others are racing on Saturday. If you have a RMEC shirt, wear it with pride in the race. Even if you are not volunteering, you still represent the RMEC. Do everything you can to make people feel welcome before, during, and after the race.

I look forward to even more great support as we get ready for Medoc! We still REALLY NEED volunteers for this event, so please do your part to find us assistance. Medoc is a far more challenging event to pull off. It can't be done without willing volunteers.

Thanks again!

RMEC Your Help is Needed Again!

Hard to believe, but the Ford's Colony 5k and 10k race is this weekend! We are expecting over 300 runners, spectators, and volunteers to join us Saturday morning for this inaugural event. There are a few prerace activities where Scott and I need your help.

Race Packet Assembly: Tentatively we are planning for Wednesday afternoon/evening to assemble race packets. This means getting the right chip, with the right number and the right shirt in the runners bags. We also are adding in some coupons, key chains, coozies, etc. from our sponsor. Each bag and race number will be labeled with the runners name. The location is not set yet. I am trying to figure out if I can do this in the our old board room. This gives us LOTS of space to set up an assembly line with several tables. We can do it anywhere, but having lots of clear space is a BIG plus. If you can help, post here, and let me know what time you can do it. Thursday is also an option, so if you reply give your availability for both days. We will have pizza!

Race Packet Pickup: We are strongly encouraging local runners to pick up their race packets in advance. This will make race day far less stressful. Early packet pickup is available at Davenport Honda on English Road this Friday from noon - 8:00 pm. We will remind runners of this with an email this week. I would not be surprised to see over 100 runners pick them up early. I am looking for people is two hour blocks to work this table. Two people per slot is probably enough, but three would not hurt.

• 12:00 - 2:00 pm (Busy) - Michael F, Mike V., Scott
• 2:00 - 4:00 pm (Slow) - Ursula, Steve
• 4:00 - 6:00 pm (Very Busy) - Patti, Tracy P. , Ursula
• 6:00 - 8:00 pm (Moderate) - Ron, Kelly, Eric P

Whoever does the last shift, needs to bring the race packets, and race banner from Davenport Honda to Ford's Colony Friday evening.

UPDATE: Here are the bag stuffing volunteers for Wednesday. We will meet Wednesday at the RBC Building at 6:00 pm. Thanks everyone for offering to help. I think we have enough now to get this done quickly. Anymore people, and it might get confusing.

• Michael
• Scott
• Patti
• Sandy
• Brian
• Kelly
• Eric P
• Derek
• Arthur
• Frank
• Ryan

Please try to get here right at 6:00 so we don't need to keep running downstairs to let people in. The building is secure so Frank, Scott, or I will need to let you in and escort you. Thanks to Frank for making his two conference rooms available!

Marathon Movie DVD Release

The documentary Spirit of the Marathon will be released on DVD on October 7th, 2008. You can sign up for the pre purchase starting on Monday. Pre-orders will be signed by the director. You can find more at the official movie site.

If you are not familiar with this movie, it follows multiple marthons as they prepare for the 2006 Chicago Marathon. The follow elites, and first timers in what is one the the closest finishes in marathon history. Patti had a chance to see it last year at the Chicago film festival and gave it race reviews.

For a preview clip (which I still LOVE to watch), visit this old blog post.

RUN RSVP: Saturday 09/06

First of all, sorry for a pretty inactive blog this week. Ursula has been out of town since Sunday, and I have been on kid patrol. Add on top of that that our YMCA has been closed all week, so I have been trying to squeeze in runs at random times. I just have not have any free time this week.

I am posting a Saturday RSVP post, but I am not posting any routes for several reason.

• Four of us got our long run in Thursday
• Many of you are out of town racing (weather permitting)
• And a tropical storm is supposed to be here on Saturday

There is a chance Saturday morning will be fine for running, but I want you all to use your best judgment. First of all, if you do run, I do not suggest starting in the dark, so push the start time back to 6:30 am. Secondly, understand that if conditions are good enough to run, there will likely be lots of people out going to the store and taking care of last minute things. They most likely are not looking for runners on the roads. Bottom line. . . Be alert!

If you plan to run at another time like Saturday afternoon, or Sunday post a response here. Let people know where you are running, how far, and what pace. Happy running!

Updated Running Groups:

• 5:45 am Scott and John for 16-20 miles at 8:45ish pace (Harris Teeter)
• 7:15 am Kinnie, and others for 6 miles at 9:30 pace (Harris Teeter)
• 1:00 pm Elaine and Misty for 8 miles at "slow pace" (Location TBD)
• Others that may run: Kelly, Robin, Tampa, Tracy H, Tracy P, Jason, and Michael

Please keep posting comments!

More Rock 'n Roll Results

Well, I did not do a good job of looking at the RnR results. There were some other RMEC members who raced as well.

Travis Hartney (the son of Jeff) ran a 1:58:58. This an impressive time for just about any runner, but Travis is only 14. His sub 2-hour performance was good enough for 12th place in his age group! Way to go Travis!

Steve Cooper has been having an amazing summer with his marathon training. Every run he seems to get stronger. It should come as no surprise that he set a new PR, and broke the two hour barrier for the first time. His finishing time was 1:56:34, knocking 18 minutes off his previous PR. WOW! (edit: make that 7 minutes off. . . still impressive)

Several others from Rocky Mount, Battleboro, and Nashville also raced who will be in Ford's Colony. If you are a reader but not a member (you know who you are). . . Congrats to you too!