I hope the close of February has brought spring to many of your doorsteps. It is the greatest time of year for running, when we can finally begin to shed some layers and leave our gloves and ear warmers at home. Here in the great state of Tennessee, Mother Nature has not yet decided if she’s trying to cling to a few more days of chill temperatures or if she’s ready to sling us forward into the brutal Tennessee summer heat and humidity. There’s not much in between here. Those of you signed up for Run It Fast’s Jackal Marathon series have that wonderful humidity to look forward to in just a few months.
Thinking back on the first two colder months of the year, our Extreme Racer Competition is off to a great start for January and February. RIF’s women are kicking tail, taking 7 of the top 10 overall spots for February. Leading the way on the women’s leaderboard is RIF #473 Teal Clark with 222.7 points. Coming in second place, only 8 points behind, is RIF #525 Karen Vollan with 214.4 points. And sliding into third place is RIF #548 Kit Brazier with 200.78 points.
Leading the men is RIF #279 George Southgate with a whopping 364.7 points. Taking second place is the 2015 Extreme Racer winner, RIF #190 John Kent Leighton with 307.4 points. Coming in third place is RIF #425 Sal Coll with 289.95 points.
Here are the standings through February:
Extreme Racer Top Ten Leaderboard
1. George Southgate – 364.7 points (RIF #279)
2. John Kent Leighton – 307.4 points (RIF #190)
3. Sal Coll – 289.95 points (RIF #425)
4. Teal Clark – 222.7 points (RIF #473)
5. Karen Vollan – 214.4 points (RIF #525)
6. Kit Brazier – 200.78 points (RIF #548)
7. Diane Bolton – 177.8 points (RIF #159
8. Cheryll Bryll – 170.2 points (RIF 432)
9. Suzanne Michelson – 151.9 points (RIF #280)
10. Marylou Corino – 119.2 points (RIF #410)
Extreme Racer Women’s Leaderboard
1. Teal Clark – 222.7 points (RIF #473)
2. Karen Vollan -214.4 points (RIF #525)
3. Kit Brazier – 200.78 points (RIF #548)
4. Diane Bolton – 177.8 point (RIF #159)
5. Cheryll Bryll – 170.2 points (RIF #432)
6. Suzanne Michelson – 151.9 points (RIF #280)
7. Marylou Corino – 119.2 points (RIF #410)
8. Christy Bowers – 86.2 points (RIF #60)
9. Jennifer Liles-Dorris – 61.7 points (RIF #398)
10. Tiffani Glass – 44.6 points (RIF #328)
11. Shannon Miller – 39.3 points (RIF #338)
12. Andrea Kooiman – 39.3 points (RIF #404)
13. Robin Crouch – 29.3 points (RIF #208)
14. Angie Whitworth Pace – 29.3 points (RIF #447)
15. Michelle Talbott – 29.3 points (RIF #527)
16. Jill Williams – 25.5 points (RIF #521)
17. Lisa Gonzales – 13.1 points (RIF #5)
18. Erin Goetz – 11 points (RIF #443)
Extreme Racer Men’s Leaderboard
1.George Southgate – 364.7 points (RIF #279)
2. John Kent Leighton – 307.4 (RIF #190)
3. Sal Coll – 289.95 (RIF #425)
4. Shane Tucker – 90.6 points (RIF #337)
5. Karl Studtman – 78.6 (RIF #221)
6. Scotty Winston – 78.2 points (RIF #364)
7. Joshua Holmes – 62 points (RIF #1)
8. Mike Samuelson – 57.2 points (RIF #282)
9. Stewart Crouch – 42.4 points (RIF #89)
10. Steven Smith – 26.2 (RIF #387)
“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” -Steve Prefontaine
The majority of us, myself included, run races knowing that we will likely never finish in the top. But of course, that is not why we race. No matter what your reason is for racing, it adds a certain amount of value to our lives and it adds value to the lives of those around you. Racing provides a certain determination and focus for the long, grueling, lonesome hours that we put in training beforehand. And it also provides a satisfaction after a strong finish, knowing that we worked hard for it, or a lesson learned after a rough day battling it out. Whatever your reason is for racing, whether it’s for the win, for the Extreme Racer points, or for the depth it adds to your life, keep going strong, and keep sharing those moments with the people around you.
[Extreme Racer points are rewarded per each racing mile completed. Example: marathon = 26.2 points, half marathon 13.1 points, etc.]