The Extreme Runner Points program is well under way and we’ve had a great turnout so far. 43 Run It Fast – The Club members have submitted their races and miles for the first 4 months of the year. This is a summary of all the races and miles that have been entered so far:

Pretty cool, huh? So far, Run It Fast – The Club members have run almost half way around the world and run a boat load of races! But that’s not all. I’d also like to highlight some of the fun run things they shared with us when they submitted their races and miles.

January

2 members ran a couple of firsts: Congratulations to Daniela Obregon #49 (@Nanyob) for running her first half marathon and Rick Jarvis #13 who ran his first marathon (and also ran another one in January!).

Nicholas Norfolk #116 (@absolut_zer0) became a Marathon Maniac!

2 members set PRs in January: Dennis Arriaga #140 (@dennarr) set a 5K PR and Hideki Kinoshita #88 (@RunKino) set a marathon PR at the MS Blues and then again a week later at Houston! Congratulations to you both on Running It Fast!

February

3 members set PRs in February:  Dennis Arriaga #140 (@dennarr) set a 10K PR this time and Kevin Ronayne #11(@KRona217) set a PR in the 5 Mile. Once again that running machine, Hideki Kinosita #88 (@RunKino), set a marathon PR! Yay! That’s how you Run It Fast!

March

Daniela Obregon #49 (@Nanyob) ran her first marathon! GoDani Go!

 There were a slew of PRs set:  Dennis Arriaga #140 (@dennarr) set another 5K PR, Kevin Ronanye #11 (@KRona217) also set a 5K PR, Nadia Ruiz Gonzales #69 set a marathon PR at the LA Marathon, and Hideki Kinoshita #88 (@RunKino) set ANOTHER marathon PR at NOLA. Way to Run It Fast!

Congratulations to Perry Ligon #146 (@perry_ligon) who placed 4^th in his age group (50-59) at the St. Patty’s Scramble 15K Trail Race!

April

For firsts in April, we have Dennis Arriaga #140 (@dennarr) who ran his first half marathon! Congrats Dennis!

4 members set April PRs: Mark Sikkila #108 set a PR for the half marathon, Christy Bowers #60 set a PR for the 10K, Hideki Kinoshita #88 (@RunKino) set a 4 Mile PR, and Michelle Mitchell #133 set a PR in the 100K. Awesome job of Running It Fast you guys!

Congratulations to Alicia Eno #126 who was 2^nd Woman Overall at the Dash for Dad 13.1 in Memphis, Hideki Kinoshita #88 (@RunKino) who placed 3^rd in his age group at the Martian Marathon, Marj Mithchell #4 who placed 1^st in her age group at the Shiloh Run In The Park 4 Miler, and Michelle Mitchell #133 who won a 2 mile race and placed 2^nd in her half marathon

***

As you can see, Run It Fast – The Club members have started off the year with a bang! I know the rest of the year is going to be just as fun. No, even better. I can’t wait to see everyone Run It Fast in 2012!

So come on! Don’t be shy. If you haven’t submitted your races and miles for the Extreme Runner Points program for January through April, you can do so here:

Run It Fast – The Club Extreme Runner Entry Form

You can click here to find out more information about it: Extreme Racer Standings Program (details).

In case you missed the post on the current standings thru April 2012, click here: Run It Fast – The Club Extreme Runner Point Standings (thru April 2012)

And for information on joining Run It Fast – The Club click HERE. Join us today and be a part of the fun!

P.S. If you submitted races but forgot to submit your monthly mileage totals, you can leave a comment here or send me an email or a tweet and I will add them for you.

Welcome to the Run It Fast – The Club Extreme Racer Contest for 2014!

Here’s how it works:

-Each month, RIF Club members will enter their race stats in our database.

-You will be awarded 1 point for each mile you raced during the month. For example, if you raced a 5K this month, you would get 3.1 points for the month.

-The database will calculate the number of “race miles” you ran for the month and keep track of them for you  and us.

-We will post the standings each month so you can see where you are in the standings.

-At the end of the year, we’ll crown a male and a female Extreme Runner (with possible age group awards/recognition as well).

So how do you enter your race information? We’ve created a form for you to enter your data into. You can find the form here for now:

Run It Fast – Club Extreme Runner Entry Form

We’ll be adding a link to it on the Run It Fast – The Club page for future access. Let’s look at an example of how RIF #5 filled out the form for January – April:

When you fill out the form, you’ll be entering data for one month at a time but I wanted to give you an idea of how the data will look with various examples. As you can see, RIF #5 ran one race in March that wasn’t a “normal” distance so that race was counted in the Other Races for that month and RIF #5 entered the number of miles for that race. (yes, that means you’ll have to calculate your “Other Races” miles for us – so thank you!).

The form also asks you for your Total Monthly Miles (it should include both “race” and normal training miles for the month) but this number is NOT part of the contest. Total Monthly Miles is just for fun and to see how much everyone is running. Nothing is filled out in Notes above but we hope you’ll share any accomplishments you had for the month with us. We would love to know about new PRs, new race distances completed, age group awards, wins, etc.

This is a sample of what the form looks like:

You just enter your data for the month and click Submit. It’s that easy! But make sure you don’t submit your stats until the month is over. Once again, here is the link to the data entry form:

Run It Fast – Club Extreme Runner Entry Form

Good luck and Run It Fast!

2017 Extreme Racer Winner – Ila Brandli (Results)
2016 Extreme Racer Winner – Karen Vollan (Results)
2015 Extreme Racer Winner – John Leighton (Results)
2014 Extreme Racer Winner – Ed Ettinghausen (Results)
2013 Extreme Racer Winner – David Wingard (Results)
2012 Extreme Racer Winner – Steve Hughes (Results)

Just a reminder…this contest is for Run It Fast – The Club members only so if you aren’t a part of Run It Fast – The Club and want to join in on the fun, click this link:

Run It Fast – The Club

In March, we brought you the amazing story of Amy Petty who not only survived being trapped in the rubble of the Federal building during the Oklahoma City bombings but who also lost 200 pounds to make life better for herself and her son. You can read the story here:

RELATED: OKC Bombing Survivor Amy Petty’s Inspirational Story

When we last talked with Amy, she was training for her first marathon – The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon which took place this past weekend on April 29, 2012. I thought I would check in with her and see how her first marathon went. As it turns out, fate threw her yet another curve!

 A couple of weeks before the marathon, Amy was riding in the Redbud Classic 50 Mile Ride when she was hit by a tandem bike. She was knocked unconcious and didn’t wake up until she was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Luckily, she didn’t break anything but had major road rash and injured her knee. Her knee was giving her trouble after the accident and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to run but when I talked to her a few days before the marathon she said was feeling great. Ever the positive spirit, she said “Ah the challenges…when I cross that finish line I will know for a fact that I can do anything I set my mind to despite the obstacles!!!” No way was she going to let a little bike accident stop her!

I’m happy to report that Amy completed her first marathon in 6 hours and 30 minutes and she is now a marathoner! Amy was kind enough to answer a few more questions for me about her experience that day.

RIF: How did you feel before the start?

Amy: I was excited and nervous at the start.  I lined up with 27,000 other friends that I didn’t know yet.  The energy was awesome.  And then….to hear 27,000 go completely silent when we have the 168 seconds of silence to honor the lives of the 168 people killed….eerie.  – I cried like a baby.

RIF: Did you ever feel like stopping or was it just one foot in front of the other?

Amy: I sailed along on a total runners high until mile 10.6.  Then my left knee, the one that hit the pavement the hardest in my cycling accident two weeks ago, started giving me trouble.  I began limping at a pace of 17 minutes a mile.  3 power walkers passed me up.  I was devastated.  I had spent months training and was on track for a 5:30 finish time.  I watched between mile 10.6 and mile 17 as it slipped away.  At mile 17 I stopped to pee.  Big mistake.  When I opened the porta-potty door there were two medics there.  Does that tell you how bad I looked?  They were waiting for me and started talking to me about pulling off the course.  I asked if there was a medic tent nearby where I could get my knee wrapped up.  They escorted me to the tent and they wrapped the knee and tried to talk me into pulling off the course.  I said I was going to finish if I had to crawl.  Then suddenly a cyclist friend of mine showed up beside me and made me start talking to her.  A stranger gave me what I hope was Advil and by mile 19 I was doing a 12ish minute pace which I held until the very end.

 It was so enlightening to me.  Here I thought I had it all planned out but things went differently.  Isn’t that life?  I thought my life was all planned out too but suddenly at age 45 I’m single.  Well guess what – when push comes to shove you find out what you are made of and you dig deep and somehow rally yourself to finish strong regardless of past regrets or failures.  

 When I turned the last corner I saw my coach Mark Bravo and he told me that Camille Herron (who is one of the coolest elite runners ever) had won and broken the female record in the state.  I had been rooting for her and was thrilled.  He said she was waiting at the finish line to see me!!!  Bless her heart!  She finished in like 2:40something and I looked at the clock ahead and realized I was going to finish in 6 ½ hours…..the same amount of time that I was buried alive on April 19, 1995.  Somehow it seemed fitting. The finish line couldn’t have been more special regardless of my pace!  But hey….I sure did set myself up for an easy PR for next year! 

Amy, Mark Bravo & Camille Herron

RIF: How did you celebrate after the marathon?

Amy: I got a little ripped off on the celebration part because my aging body revolted against me and I ended up sucking down Advil and taking it easy.  However, I was able to visit my nieces party for just a bit with some of the other runners and that made me feel like I was one of the “cool kids”!

Congratulations on your first marathon Amy! I hope you got that celebration & partied like a rock star!

I don’t know about you but I think Amy is definitely one of the “cool kids”. Amy pushed past her limits on Sunday and she pushed herself to not only finish but to Run It Fast in those last miles! Once again, she proved that a positive spirit, the will to succeed, a sense of humor, and determination can help you overcome incredible odds! I think that’s very cool.

Amy Petty Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Finish

[photos and video provided by Amy Petty]

Here is the finsher’s medal for the Tel Aviv Marathon that took place on March 30, 2012.

The detail on the front (and the back – see photo below) is awesome and the medal gives a great sense of place. I think I actually like the back more!

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Submitted by RunHudi – follow on twitter @RunHudi]

Here is the finisher’s medal for the 40th Anniversary of the Andrew Jackson Marathon that was held on Saturday, March 31, 2012 in Jackson, TN.

It’s a simple but classic design to celebrate the anniversary. I think fits the spirit of this marathon and I also like the aged look of the medal.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Submitted by Dani Obregon RIF #49 – follow her on twitter @Nanyob]

We are very sad to report that Micah ‘Caballo Blanco’ True was found dead today. The Silver City Sun-News is reporting that Caballo was found at 6 pm on Saturday in the Gila National Forest after a 4 day search. He had gone out for a run on Tuesday and never returned. I know a lot of prayers went out for his safe return but it was not meant to be.

As most of us who’ve read Born to Run know, Caballo was a central character in the book and was the Race Director for the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon. It was after reading about Chris McDougall’s adventures in Copper Canyon with Caballo that I began to think of running as something that could be fun and an adventure and not something that was supposed to be painful or a punishment. Caballo’s attitude about it opened my eyes to what running could/should be and I know that it affected many other runners the same way. He was and will continue to be an inspiration to runners everywhere.

Rest in peace, Caballo Blanco. You are a legend in the running world and you will be missed.

This is the finisher’s medal (and shirt) for the Bearathon Half Marathon which took place in Waco, TX on March 24, 2012. 

This is a great medal for the Bearathon which is known as the “”The Toughest Half-Marathon in the State of Texas”. Love the bear paw with wings over all of the inspirational words!

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[This medal was submitted by Aaron Johnstone RIF #94 – follow him on twitter @TexasRunnr]

This is the finisher’s medal for the NC Half Marathon which took place in Concord, North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway on March 25, 2012.

This is a fabulous medal to commemorate the event. The half marathon course takes the runners on all 3 tracks at the Speedway and finishes under a checkered flag on Pit Road. The medal captures all of that by including the track, racing cars, the checkered flag, and yes, even flashing lights. This is a must do race for any NASCAR or race  fan and it is definitely on my to-do list!

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal submitted by Elizabeth Kalifeh RIF #104 – follow her on twitter @ekalifeh]

 This is the medal for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas Half Marathon that took place in Dallas, Texas on March 25, 2012.

I like this medal a lot. I think the big boots and the sparkle on DALLAS are exactly what you’d expect to see for that city. Everything is bigger in Texas, right?

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medals submitted by Brian L (follow on twitter –  @bmleub) and MassielSm (follow on twitter – @massielSm)]

Running USA released their Half Marathon Report for 2011 yesterday. I was looking at it and comparing it to the Marathon Report for 2011 they released last month. I am a numbers geek and I like to look at all the data in the reports (median ages, median times, fastest times, slowest times, biggest, etc. ) Ok, I confess…I do compare my times to the median times to see how I compare to the rest of the runners out there. Is that bad? But on a less selfish note, our sport is really growing and that is really awesome to see.

I thought it might be fun to compare the two reports:

Kind of interesting to see the percentages for men & women flip for the marathon vs. the half marathon, don’t you think? And also that the median ages increase slightly as the distance goes up?

Anyway, if you are a numbers geek like me or if you’re just curious to see where the marathon and half marathon are at, you can check out the full report here:

2012 Marathon, Half-Marathon and State of the Sport Reports