Diane Bolton (RIF #159) is the new female leader in the Run It Fast – Extreme Racer Points Standings. She passed RIF #24 Emily Conley to take the lead. RIF #124 Michelle Walker moved up into second place with Conley dropping to third.

Joshua Holmes (RIF #1) continues to lead the men, although RIF #88 Hideki Kinoshita did not report his totals for the past two months.  The third male through August is RIF #101 David Wingard.

(a point is awarded for every mile of racing done by each member. A marathon is worth 26.2 points, half 13.1 and so on.)

Here is a look at the complete standings:

The points competition is open to all members of Run It Fast – The Club.

You can join the international running club by clicking HERE.

[image: Diane Bolton]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Two-Bear Marathon that took place in Whitefish, Montana on September 16, 2012.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by RIF #155 Trent McDowell. Follow the race on Twitter @runningfranklin]

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Here is the finisher’s medal from the Sportlat Valmiera Marathon that took place on September 16, 2012 in Latvian NC-Valmiera Latvia

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by RIF #133 Michelle Mitchell. Follow the race on Twitter @runnerchickey]

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Here is the finisher’s medal from the Summer Spectacular Half Marathon that took place on September 15, 2012 in Santa Monica, California.

Congrats to RIF #49 Dani Obregon who set a new PR at this race.

This same medal was used for the Summer Spectacular marathon and 50K as well.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by RIF #49 Dani Obregon. Follow the race on Twitter @nanyob]

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Here is the finisher’s buckle from the Mark Twain 100 Miler held on September 15-16, 2012 in Berryman, Missouri.

Congrats to Joseph Nance, owner of the beautiful buckle above, on his new PR of 26:44:57 that he set at the Mark Twain 100 over the weekend.

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[buckle photo submitted by Joseph Nance.]

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Here is the finisher’s medal from the United States Air Force Marathon that took place on September 15, 2012 in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Thanks to everyone who submitted a photo of this strong and beautiful medal.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photos submitted by Larry Keister (@royalkeister), Jen Nagle (@jenagle), Matt Henry (@jmatthewhenry), and Chris McCartney (@mccartneycl22)]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Montana Marathon that took place on September 16, 2012 in Billings, Montana.

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[medal photo submitted by RIF #20 Laura Raeder. Follow the race on Twitter @lauraraeder]

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Here is the finisher’s medal from the NorCal Half Marathon that took place on September 16, 2012 in San Jose, California.

This medal is really great. The RD hit a home run in the design of this one.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by RIF #140 Dennis Arriaga. Follow the race on Twitter @dennarr]

Leggo My Ego

It’s doubtful that many of you would consider running 75 miles in less than a day a failure.  And, I’m not sure I consider it one myself.  But, as I sit here licking the wounds of not finishing this weekend’s 100 mile ultra, I can’t help but think about one word.  Ego.  You see, I was thrilled to be included with some running legends in an article recently in the Commercial Appeal that talked about 100 mile ultra marathons and the growth of the sport.  As always, there was one opinionated commenter who made it clear that anyone who would undertake such a ridiculously long endeavor was driven solely by ego.  I’ll admit it has stuck with me.  I’m not someone who considers myself to be exceptionally egotistical.  But, I thought about it during the Mark Twain 100, my third ‘hundred miler’ in a little over a year.  I frankly decided that ego isn’t such a bad thing.  I was running well and felt great.  I was 30-something miles into the race and it was raining steadily.  I love running.  I love running in the rain.  I love running all day and night.  My ego and I were having fun.

Jump forward a few hours and 30 or so miles.  It was still raining.  It was getting dark.  The rocks were rockier.  The roots were rootier.  The dirt was mud.  It was pitch dark.  I was completely alone. My clothes were wet.  My ego and I were battling it out.  My body and my mind were having an old fashioned, ego-driven duel.  My ankles had turned so many times on loose rocks I lost count.  I was chaffed in all the wrong places.  I was puking.  So, I finished the 3rd lap for a total of 75 miles in a little over 18 hours.  I was toast.  Ego, ego, where art thou?

Fact is, I made the smart decision.  My rational side told my egotistical side to sit this one out.  And, as much as it wasn’t officially a check in the “Win” category, in some ways it was.  I believe that on good days and bad days there’s something to be learned that you can take with you for the next time.  Bruised ego and all, I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 things I’ve learned so far running ultras.  I look forward to adding to the list for many years to come.

And, honorable mention….Ego, kept in check, is a remarkable tool.

Here is a look at where everyone is running this weekend. We had 32 responses this week. Good luck to everyone and Run It Fast!

To join Run It Fast – The Club then click HERE to read more details.

Where Run It Fast Runners Are Running This Weekend

Storified by Joshua Holmes · Sat, Sep 15 2012 08:57:07