Run It Fast®

This is the fun finisher’s medal for the Hogeye Marathon that took place on April 14, 2013 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

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[medal submitted by RIF #116 Nicholas Norfolk. Follow him on Twitter @absolut_zer0]

Here is the finisher’s medal/rock from the 3 Days of Syllamo that took place near Mountain View, Arkansas on March 15-17, 2013.

This finisher’s award is just grand. It’s unique, artistic, and one that stands out from the rest of the generic-issued medals that most races give out.

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[Medal submitted by Nicholas Norfolk (@absolut_zer0) and Thomas Gounley (@tgounleyNL).

This is the seriously monstrous bling the finishers of the Little Rock Marathon received on March 3, 2013 in Little Rock, Arkansas!

This medal is huge! And sparkly. It is colorful and pretty and I love the horseshoe and the “Lucky” but is it too big? Is bigger always better? Here are couple more pictures of the medal along with one showing the difference between the marathon medal and the half marathon medal:

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[Medal photos submitted by RIF #192 Leigh Marsh, follow her on Twitter @MsPrincessLeigh and by RIF #191 Kristy Escue, follow her on Twitter @KRISTY_RUNS and by RIF #86 David Chaloupka, follow him on Twitter @Twitchaloupka)

This is the beer glass (with the creek in the background) the finishers of the Sylamore 50K received on February 16, 2013 in Allison, Arkansas.

I’m sure these finisher’s awards got a lot of use after the race!

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[medal submitted by RIF #116 Nicholas Norfolk. Follow him on Twitter @absolut_zer0]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Mid-South Championship Half Marathon that took place on November 3, 2012 in Wynne, Arkansas.

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Front & Back of Mid-South Championship Half Marathon Medal

[Medal photo submitted by RIF #187 Daniel Escue.]

This is the medal for the Soaring Wings Half Marathon that was held on October 27, 2012 in Conway, Arkansas.

Pretty medal. I like the sparkly wings.

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[medal photo submitted by RIF #116 Nicholas Norfolk. Follow him on Twitter @absolut_zer0]

Nicholas Norfolk RIF #116

This week’s RIF Club member profile is Nicholas Norfolk #116. Nicholas is another Marathon Maniac which is amazing considering the short time he’s been running! Kind of makes me feel like a slacker. But seriously, he is an awesome runner. Better than that, he is a huge presence on Twitter. He’s always encouraging other runners, tweeting great articles, and sharing fun races. He’s a great inspiration to the running community and has a fun attitude about running, which you probably noticed from the picture above and you’ll see in his answers below:

INFO
Name: Nicholas L. Norfolk
RIF #: 116
Blog: http://www.icedotathletes.com/author/nlnorfolk/
Twitter: @absolut_zer0
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nlnorfolk

STATS
Years Running: 2

Favorite Race Distance: Half marathon

Favorite PR: This is also my worst PR. The mile at the Go! Mile. Why? I didn’t know what it was like to push myself to the brink. I ran hard and although I reached my goal, it was not without consequence. It was the first time I ever thought I was going to pass out. The world was spinning. It was like I had an out-of-body experience. I left it all out there and for that I’m proud. Now, I’m hesitant to do it again. I may actually pass out next time.

Favorite Race: Jesse is Awesome Half Marathon / Soaring Wings Half Marathon – Both are races that exemplify why we race. Both RDs create an atmosphere that we cherish. I get to witness friends achieving goals and I can cheer them. You don’t run these races. You experience them.

Favorite Bling: 5th Mississippi Blues Marathon – A nice, quality medal and it was my Marathon Maniac qualifying race.

Next Race: Full mOOn Midnight 50k

What Makes You FEEL Fast? This is one of those questions for the “fast” people, right? Do I get to pass on this one? When I feel my hair blowing in the wind I feel fast, but that could also just be the wind blowing fast, eh? I got it! When I “sprint” to the finish. I feel my body take over and my mind reluctantly obeys.

FUN RUNNING QUESTIONS

Who inspires your running and why? Similar to what Ivan Drago said in Rocky VI, I run “For me! For me!” This may sound like a selfish statement, but it’s the truth. Before I became part of the running community, knew about races, or had any idea of the great, elite runners, it was only me.

Each day we all inspire at least one person. You know the answer to this. We inspire ourselves. For if we don’t inspire ourselves, how can one inspire someone else? I love running, but I love inspiring others even more. The will to inspire myself is just as important to my personal well being as it is for me to inspire and motivate my fellow runner.

If you could go for a run with any famous person (living or dead), who would it be and why? I’d love to run with Ted Corbitt. He affected running in so many ways. He’s been called “the father of long distance running.” Not only did he compete, win races, and hold records, but he also gave back.

He served as president of the RRCA and founding president of the New York Road Runners (NYRR). His prowess in running can only be overshadowed by his dedication to the sport. He was instrumental in the growth of the sport at a time when it was unpopular. He was a force to be reckoned with and his legacy lives on through us all. I can only imagine the treasure of knowledge he possessed.

Have you ever worn a costume during a race? What was it and for what race? If not, would you? I have yet to wear a costume for a race, but I definitely would. I enjoy having fun and I think adding a costume to the mix would be great. Not sure if I have the body for some of those costumes, but I’m working on it. I’m telling you I could rock a skort! LOL!

What is your favorite go-to pre-race meal? I’m a seafood guy, so my staple meal is salmon, baby carrots, broccoli, and rice pilaf.

What is the thing you splurge on after a race? I’m not really the splurging type, but if sleep counts as a splurge, that’s what I indulge in.

Big races or small races? And why? I crave the intimacy of small races. I’ll do a big race if I must, which is mainly with friends, but they can get out of hand. Who wants a generic race with generic swag? It’s personal to me. That’s why I love trail races. We look out for one another. The goal for everyone is to finish, but we all want to slay the beast! If I can help someone do that, I’m thrilled to do so.

What is the one piece of running gear you can’t leave the house without? I sweat like crazy, so I need my headband and something to organize my hair. It’s not fun to run when you can’t see because of sweat or hair.

What running moment are you most proud of? Albeit stupidly, I set a goal to run 50 races, including all of the Arkansas Grand Prix Series races. Yes, I did it, but my body has yet to forgive me for the torture I put it through. It was a great way for me to spend my rookie season in the series and to learn about the different races, towns, and people scattered across the great state of Arkansas.

***

I think it’s awesome how Nicholas throws everything he has into something, whether it’s at the Go! Mile or doing that 50 race goal. He is living my favorite mantra: Go Big or Go Home. I also agree with Nicholas when he says we have to inspire ourselves first. No one can run for us. Friends might get us started running or make it fun but in the long run (pun intended…sorry! 😉 ), it’s our own drive that gets us out the door when we are tired or busy. Find what inspires you and remember it for those days when you don’t feel the energy or desire to run.

Thanks for sharing, Nicholas. Good luck at the Full mOOn Midnight 50K! 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 Nicholas Norfolk]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Warrior Dash Arkansas that took place on May 12, 2012 in Amity, Arkansas.

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[Submitted by Jeff Cook. Follow him on Twitter @JayCee5505]

The 2012 Hogeye Marathon Relay took part this past weekend as part of the Hogeye Marathon in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Leah Thorvilson, who was the overall winner of the marathon, also took part on the winning marathon relay team as well.

Her winning team received very unique pig trophies as you can see above.

Check out the 2012 Hogeye Marathon Medal

[submitted by RIF # 34 Leah Thorvilson. Follow her on Twitter @LeahThrovilson]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Hogeye Marathon that took place on April 15, 2012 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Love this medal! As an added bonus the center of this medal is a ‘spinner.’

No word yet if Bobby Petrino’s ‘spinner’ showed up!

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[Submitted by Darron Tytler. Follow him on Twitter @datman65]