Run It Fast®

This is the medal for the Santa Hustle Half Marathon that was held on December 16, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Santa Hustle races are held throughout the U.S. and each participant not only gets this cool medal, but also a Santa hat, beard, and shirt to run in!

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[Marathon medal photo submitted by Tory Connelly. Follow her on Twitter @ToryBoBory]

This is the medal for the Jacksonville Bank Marathon that was held on December 16, 2012 in Jacksonville, Florida.

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[Medal photo submitted by E. B.  Follow him on Twitter @theycallmebum]

This is the medal for the Holly Jolly Half Marathon that was held on December 16, 2012 in Camarillo, California.

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[Medal submitted by RIF #5 Lisa Gonzales. Follow her on on Twitter @runlikeacoyote]

This is the medal for the Holiday Half Marathon that was held on December 16, 2012 in Portland, Oregon.

Love the snowman medal! Congratulations to RIF #147 Josh who set a PR at the Holiday Half!

Here is another photo of the medal:

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[Medal photo submitted by RIF #147 Josh Liggett.  Follow him on Twitter @waves_of_light. And by Sarah Abernathy. Follow her on Twitter @livz4running]

This is the medal for the Paramount Ranch Trail Half Marathon that was held on December 15, 2012 in Calabasas, California.

This trail race takes place on an old western movie set so the cowboy boots fit this race perfectly. It’s a fun medal with a cool design!

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[Medal submitted by RIF #5 Lisa Gonzales. Follow her on on Twitter @runlikeacoyote]

This is the medal for the Pisa Marathon that was held on December 16, 2012 in Pisa, Italy.

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[Medal photo submitted by Daniele Pagni.  Follow him on Twitter @pag666]

This is the medal for the ZombieRunner Bay Trail Run Marathon that was held on December 15, 2012 in Palo Alto, California.

Congratulations to RIF #140 Dennis who completed his 1st marathon there!

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[Medal photo submitted by RIF #140 Dennis Arriaga.  Follow him on Twitter @dennarr]

This is the medal for the Last Chance 50K that was held on December 15, 2012 in Cordesville, South Carolina.

Great medal! Love the Mayan symbols on it. Definitely appropriate given the name of the race. Here’s a photo of the back which is just as cool.

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[Marathon medal photo submitted by Ned Barrett. Follow him on Twitter @NedBarrett1]

The Bling Case had 48 medal submissions in November! Another great month for racing and once again it was difficult to narrow it down. We chose the 16 medals below because they are pretty cool and/or unique. You know the drill…the medal chosen as the Best Race Medal for November 2012 will be included in the contest for the Best Race Medal of 2012 at the end of the year.

You can still cast your vote for the best race medal in October for one more week here: October 2012 Best Medal Vote.

Here are the Best Race Medal winners so far this year:
January – Inaugural Louisiana Marathon Medal 2012 
February – Surf City Marathon Medal 2012
March – Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Half Marathon Medal 2012
April – Flying Pirate Half Marathon Medal 2012
May – Safari Park Half Marathon Medal 2012
June – Navy Ten Nautical Miler Medal 2012
July – Sogonapmit Marathon Medal 2012
August – North Country Run Medal 2012
September – United States Air Force Marathon Medal 2012

Pick your favorite November 2012 race medal from these 16 and vote!

Thanks for voting!

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RIF #186 Danny Staggs

This week’s Run It Fast – The Club profile is #186 Danny Staggs. Danny is another one of our newly minted ultra runners. He just completed his first ultra at the Black Diamond 40 Mile on Black Friday and came in 4th! What a great ultra debut!

Meet Danny:

INFO
Name: Danny Staggs
RIF #: 186
Facebook: Danny Staggs

STATS
Years Running: 12
Favorite Race Distance: Marathon
Favorite PR: Oct. 2009 Louisville Marathon 3:43:44
Favorite Race: Loonies Midnight Marathon. This was my hometown’s first marathon and I just happened to be co-race director. I also ran in it and had a blast.
Favorite Bling: Little Rock Marathon. The medal is huge with a spinner in the center. It was so heavy I didn’t leave it around my neck for very long.

Next Race: Rocket City Marathon Dec 8, 2012
What Makes You FEEL Fast?: When it’s warm enough I like to run without a shirt. I always feel faster even though I may not actually be faster.

FUN RUNNING QUESTIONS
Who inspires your running and why?
My wife and daughter are my greatest inspiration. They have always been very supportive of me even before they began running. Years ago they would call me crazy for training in nasty weather and such, but now they run and participate in races and understand why I was always out there pushing myself.

Which of your running routes makes you the happiest and why?
I love training on the Loonies Marathon Course. It brings back memories of the Marathon training runs we held leading up to the race. We would invite other runners to come and train on the course. It also brings back memories of the race itself which was so much fun.

What is the thing you splurge on after a race?
I always enjoy a big hamburger as a reward.

Why do you race?
The number one reason I race is for the sense of accomplishment I feel after I’ve pushed myself to my limits both physically and mentally.

Big races or small races? And why?
Small races without a doubt. The pre race logistics are much less stressful in smaller races.

What is the one piece of running gear you can’t leave the house without?
Since I’ve been running in them I would have to say my Hoka shoes.

What’s your pre-race routine?
Wake up two hours before the race, eat breakfast which usually consists of oatmeal, yogurt, banana with peanut butter and pop tarts. I then take a shower and relax as much as possible before the race. I always like to get to the race at least thirty minutes prior to start time.

What running moment are you most proud of?
Running with my wife and daughter in a 5K race this past spring and crossing the finish line together. Words can’t describe the feeling.

Finally, Danny had this to share with the RIF readers:
I started running in the spring of 2000 as a way to lose weight and better my overall health. When I first started running regularly I was 40 pounds heavier and felt sluggish most of the time. My first race was a 5K in the summer of 2000 and I was hooked. I completed my first Marathon in April, 2001. Since then I’ve completed 46 Marathons and one Ultra Marathon along with numerous shorter distances. Most of my Marathons have taken place in the last 3 years with 15 of them in 2012. My current goal is to complete 50 Marathons before I reach age 50. If my body holds up I should easily reach that goal soon.

If I could give any running advice I would say to just stick with it. It’s not always easy and setbacks such as injuries will occur. It’s easy to get frustrated when things are not going as planned and things may not always fall into place like we hoped they would but if you continue to set goals and keep reaching for them amazing things can happen in your life. The people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made through running are better than any award I will ever receive.

***

Danny wasn’t kidding when he said his wife and daughter support his running. They crewed for him at the Black Diamond 40 Mile and they were a great help to all the runners. Danny must have really encouraged his daughter, Amanda, as well because she just became a member of Run It Fast – The Club (RIF #210) too! Welcome Amanda!

It’s kind of funny that I had planned to post Danny’s profile this week on RIF. Sometimes, we get a message from an unexpected source and the advice that Danny shared in his last paragraph was something I needed to hear this week. It’s a good reminder we can all use at times in our running careers. Things won’t always be perfect but I guess that’s what makes it so satisfying when we do reach our goals, whether it’s your 1st marathon or your 46th. Thank you Danny for sharing that and letting us interview you.

Good luck at Rocket City this weekend and on your quest to do 50 by 50. I have no doubt you will Run It Fast!

If you’d like to join Run It Fast – The Club or would like more information about it, please click this link:

Run It Fast – The Club (JOIN TODAY)

[All photos submitted by Danny Staggs]