Run It Fast®

This is the medal for the Amica Seattle Marathon that was held on November 25, 2012 in Seattle, Washington.

Per Scott “It has a kind of minimalist elegance” and I agree. 🙂

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[medal photo submitted by Scott Hillis – follow him on Twitter @bittermelon]

This is the medal for The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon that was held on November 18, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Very cool wooden medal for a very, very, VERY difficult marathon. The medal and the rest of the swag we received at the race were totally worth the hills though! Here’s a photo of the race shirts, sticker, magnet, and Silipint we received at this year’s race.

The Monkey gloves in the photo with the Silipint were my door prize! Not only does all the monkey loot make this one of the best marathons around but the race and party atmosphere are a blast and the course is gorgeous so you hardly notice the hills! Well, maybe not. 😉 Here’s a photo of some of the Run It Fast – The Club members getting ready to tackle this year’s Flying Monkey.

Check these links out too if you get the chance:

Last Year: 2011 Flying Monkey Marathon Medal

2010 Medal: 2010 Flying Monkey Marathon Medal (Photo)

Follow the Flying Monkey Marathon on Twitter @HHFlyingMonkey

Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon Website

RELATED: Flying Monkey Marathon Named #1 Marathon in Tennessee

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[Medal and race swag photos submitted by RIF #5 Lisa Gonzales – follow her on on Twitter @runlikeacoyote. Group photo submitted by RIF #187 Daniel Escue]

This is the medal for the Philadelphia Marathon that was held on November 18, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Love the motto on this medal. Perfect for a marathon.

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

This is the medal for the Williams Route 66 Marathon that was held on November 18, 2012 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This is the Marathon Maniac version of the medal. Besides the regular version and this one, there is also one for the 50 States Marathon Club. The silver coin is from the Center of the Universe Detour which adds an extra .3 miles to the marathon.

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[Medal photo submitted by RIF #40 Scott Stader.  Follow him on Twitter @scottstader]

This is the “medal” for the X-Country Marathon that was held on November 18, 2012 in the Alafia River State Park in Lithia, Florida.

The runners of this marathon, which takes them over grassy rolling hills, received this glass canteen as their finisher’s award.

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[Medal photo submitted by Phillip Newman.  Follow him on Twitter @tridaddyphil]

The following is a guest post by RIF #124 Michelle Walker:

Road to Boston

by Michelle Walker

Do you have a bucket list? Do you have goals to check off? My big dream for the past 5.5 years has been to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I thought this would be an easy goal to check off.  With the proper training, I knew I could accomplish this goal 5.5 years ago when I ran my very first marathon in Phoenix, AZ.

When I stepped up to the starting line of the 2007 PF Chang’s RnR Marathon in Phoenix, I was very hopeful that I could qualify. I had never run a marathon before, but I have always been a hard worker. I knew that I put in the proper training to earn a spot at the starting line.  Thanks to the encouragement from one of my fellow travelers, I was even confident that I could achieve my Boston Marathon time goal. When the starting gun was fired, I took off. I ran fast. I ran hard. I was feeling good. The sun was shining; temps were unusually cool; and the course was flat. My “I’m going to Boston” euphoria kicked in right away and lasted until well, just mile 16 where I had my first encounter with the infamous “Wall”. I had 10.2 (and the .2 is significant) miles to go; yet, my legs would not move. They were done. Finished. Kaput.  I was quickly humbled as the pace teams who I had hoped to beat progressively passed me. How was I going to make it to the finish line, let alone finish under a BQ standard?

My first effort to remedy the situation was to grab an energy gel. At this point (mile 17), I was on the brink of nausea. A voice inside my head told me not to take the gel packet the smiling race volunteer handed to me. I had never taken this brand or flavor of gel before: a big “no no” in marathon running. (We are taught to mimic our race day during our training runs. There should be no new elements during the race.) In desperate need for energy, I threw the cardinal rule of marathoning out the window.  I inhaled the Cliff brand gel pack as if it were my ticket to the finish line. My upset stomach immediately revolted. I had to move to the sidelines where I literally started to gag. Hundreds of runners passed me while I tried to regain my running composure. Some how, I kept the contents of my stomach inside, as I alternated between walking and running for the next nine miles. I made it to the finish line, but I did not experience the euphoria that so many runners have when they complete their first marathon. Instead, I felt deflated.

The Boston Marathon is the mecca for many long distance runners. The race has a rich history. Having to qualify with a time from a previous marathon creates an exclusive environment. This race is the big badge of honor in the marathon world. The exclusive entry is coveted by most long distance runners.

Due to the increasing popularity of marathon running, the Boston Marathon has become more stringent on their time qualifications. The marathon has set the bar even higher on its standards, making it more difficult to get in. For example, I am in the 40-44 year old age group for females. When I started marathon running, my qualifying time was 3:50. I spent several years training hard, trying to break the 3:50 barrier. About two years ago, the Boston Marathon tightened everyone’s time qualifications because the race was filling up at record pace. To my dismay, my qualifying time of 3:50 was changed to 3:45. When this change occurred, I must admit. I started to lose hope. A time of 3:45 or less seemed like an impossibility.

After the near disaster first marathon experience, I was on a mission. I would train even harder and eventually qualify for Boston! Ironically, my second marathon proved to be even more of a tragedy than my first. I was unable to complete the race, despite my efforts. I learned quickly that the marathon distance was to be respected. I have never been a natural athlete, but I had no idea how much work was ahead of me in order to check the Boston Marathon from my bucket list.

I spent the next five years of my fitness life working on my running endurance. Granted, I did have a baby during that time but even during my pregnancy I trained (under my doctor’s guidelines). I immediately went back to marathoning after the birth of my sixth child, running the WDW Marathon six months postpartum.

Over time I found the more marathons I ran, the better my endurance. The better my endurance, the faster my marathon times. The infamous “Wall” disappeared as I adjusted to the distance. Since January of 2012, I have run 24 marathons. This high frequency of marathon running is not recommended by the experts. For me, however, it works.

I am fortunate that over my 5.5 years of marathoning, I have never had an injury. Nothing. Nada. For me, the best form of training has been the marathon itself. I found myself using each marathon as a training run for the next race. I kept plugging away; logging marathon after marathon. Progressively, I was getting faster and faster.

Five years and 29 marathons after my first race disaster in Phoenix, something clicked. I started consistently running each of my marathons below the 4 hour time mark. This is generally considered to be a quick pace in the marathon world, but my times were still not meeting the new stringent BQ standards.

It wasn’t until I ventured to the mile high city of Denver (where altitude was a factor) in May of this year that I finally crossed the finish line about 15 seconds under the time I needed to qualify for  Boston. I was elated! It took me 38 marathons; five years and 4 months for my dream to become reality.

Since May, I have run ten other BQ times. Little by little, I am shaving even more time off my marathons. I am occasionally placing in my age group; sometimes even placing as one of the top three overall females in the marathon.

On April 15, 2013 when I step up to the starting line of the Boston Marathon, I am sure I will be flooded with a myriad of emotions. What I originally thought to be a short term goal turned into a very long and arduous journey. My road to Boston is one that I will never trade. I have learned so much about myself during the process of seeing this dream come true. I am not the same person who stepped up to the starting line of a marathon in Phoenix more than 5.5 years ago. The confidence that I have gained by realizing how strong, tenacious and persistent I am has been life changing.

If you don’t already have one, I encourage you to make a bucket list. It is rewarding to have goals. It is even more fulfilling to accomplish the goals through your own efforts, no matter how long the journey. Dream big and work hard!

BQing at Colfax Marathon

***

If you’d like to know more about Michelle, you can follow her on Twitter @MarathonMomof6 and/or check out the profile we did on her here: Run It Fast – Club Member Profile – Michelle Walker #124

Ths is the medal for the Catalina Island Eco Marathon that was held on November 10, 2012 in Catalina Island (Avalon), California.

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[Medal photo submitted by RIF #1 Joshua Holmes.  Follow him on Twitter @bayou]

This is the medal for the Outer Banks Marathon that was held on November 11, 2012 in Outer Banks, North Carolina.

Here is a photo of the Outer Banks Half Marathon medal as well:

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[Medal photos submitted by Blair Maury – follow Blair on Twitter @nightoatmeal and by RIF #192 Leigh Marsh. Follow Leigh on Twitter @MsPrincessLeigh]

This is the medal for the Anthem Richmond Marathon that was held on November 10, 2012 in Richmond, Virginia.

Colorful medal!

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[Medal submitted by RIF #126 Alicia Eno. Follow her on Twitter @karhu262girl]

This is the medal for the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon that was held on November 10, 2012 in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.

Beautiful medal! A different monument is chosen for the medal each year and this year’s medal features the Kentucky Monument. Here is another photo of the medal:

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[Medal photos submitted by RIF #185 David Pharr – follow him on Twitter @DavidPharr and by RIF #166 Nathan Judd – follow him on Twitter @Beukdeup]