Here is a look at where everyone is running this weekend. We had 29 responses this week. Good luck to everyone and Run It Fast!

Michelle Mitchell:  @runitfast  Luzhniki 15k …(race 2 of 3 part summer cup)

E. Smith:  @runitfast Tour De Pain, 3 races in 24 hours. (4mi/5k/1mi) Jacksonville, FL

Sarah:  @runitfast Going to be running @FleetFeetPtown Women’s 5K in Pleasanton, CA on Sunday! Yay! #neverstoprunning

Dennis Arriaga:  @runitfast Running my 1st Trail Race: The Crystal Springs Trail Run (11 miler) in Woodside, CA.  Nervious and excited at the same time!

Reese:  @runitfast #lululemon #halfmarathon in #Vancouver for #RunReeseRun.org 🙂

Rohnny Petitjean:  @runitfast Liege/be for me Sunday morning.

Lisa Davidson:  @runitfast the #Acura10miler right here in downtown Toronto. Going for a PB!

Clint Randall:  @runitfast @RunFalmouth!

Perry Ligon:  @runitfast The Chiques Challenge – 4mi run & 2mi kayak – a fun one with family – http://t.co/VAG5eMRW

Jason Weekes:  @runitfast running the Transcendence Ultra 12-Hour Endurance Run in Olympia, WA http://t.co/zkZ4tstZ

constancegail:  @runitfast Look where I get to run my 12 mile training run tomorrow! https://t.co/fwVi4ZDY

Jason Parry:  @runitfast 15 miles along beautiful Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.  Eight weeks until @mkelfmarathon

Lisa Gonzales:  @runitfast 16 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday on local trails. Woo!

Elizabeth Rehmer:  @runitfast 15 miles in Livingston mt

Jon Dunlap:  @runitfast Saint John marathon by the sea

Michelle:  @runitfast Running the “Hottest Half” 1/2 marathon in Dallas, TX in memory of my mom #MilesForMom

Mary Jane Schriver:  @runitfast Ultrafit Columbus half marathon

Trisha Street:  @runitfast 7 miles around my neighborhood training for woman’s half St Pete

Running_Mountain High:  @runitfast #Georgetown To IdahoSprings, CO #halfmarathon

Heather:  @runitfast running my 35th marathon this year at Salisbury 54321 😉

Sofie Degrendel:  @runitfast Rythm & Run Antwerpen!! De Rock ‘n’ Roll 1/2 marathon!! Be there, sunday 14h. #running #runners

Giovanni Pessina:  @runitfast pineta di Appiano Gentile Como Italy

80degreessouth:  @runitfast on a treadmill in a freezer facility at Loughborough Uni today. Trying out kit from  sponsor Odlo getting ready for antarctica

Oscar Casanova:  @runitfast Running at “The Hottest Half” in Dallas as a checkpoint of my preparation to the Chicago Marathon

Angela Taylor:  @runitfast hottest half in Dallas!!

Amy McDavitt: @runitfast Falmouth, MA on Sunday in the 40th Falmouth Road Race! Can’t wait! @RunFalmouth

Steve Curley:  @runitfast Falmouth 2012!

Banzaiadventurer:  @runitfast Queensland Australia for the #anacondanoosa

Michael Miller:  @runitfast discovery park, seattle.

This is the “medal” for the Blister In The Sun Marathon that was held on August 5, 2012 in Cookeville, Tennessee.

Not exactly a medal but it sure is hot bling! XXX Fire Orange Habanero Hot Sauce would definitely require lots of cold beverage with any meal this was added too! Fun stuff.

Congrats to RIF #1 Josh for going sub 4 and getting 9th overall while still recovering from the Last Annual Vol State 500K!

There were quite a few RIF Club members at Blister In The Sun. Here are a few of them:

#79 Dallas, #1 Josh, #13 Mikki, and #165 David

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal submitted by RIF #1 Joshua Holmes – follow him on Twitter @bayou]

This is the medal for the ET Full Moon Midnight 51K/Marathon/Half Marathon/10K that was held on August 5, 2012 in Rachel, Nevada.

The race takes place on the Extraterrestrial Highway near the infamous Area 51 and is held as close to the full moon as possible. The race has a staggered start with the 51K and marathon starting at midnight, then the half marathon, and finally the 10K. All races finish at the Little A’le’Inn restaurant. It’s a fun race with lots of costumed and glow in the dark runners.

The medal is awesome and has all the fun elements of the race on it. Love the runner alien and “the end is near” sign. And the moon glows in the dark! I love it. I might be a little biased though since I earned this running the 51K. 🙂 Also, big congratulations to PJ Johnson RIF #87 who ran the half marathon!

Here is another photo of the medal and a photo of me with PJ before the bus ride to the start.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medals submitted by RIF #87 PJ Johnson – follow him on Twitter @runnerinlv and RIF #5 Lisa Gonzales – follow me on Twitter @runlikeacoyote]

Where Run It Fast Runners Are Running This Weekend (August 4-5, 2012)

Storified by Joshua Holmes · Fri, Aug 03 2012 20:28:34

Jennifer Whitley RIF #160

This week’s Run It Fast Club profile is Jennifer Whitley #160. I was lucky enough to meet Jennifer at the Jackson Jackass 50K. I found out when I read her Race Report a few days after it was over that she’d had a rough day out there but finished. Then I heard that she had a bad fall at the Jackal Trail Marathon that required stitches and caused her to DNF for the first time in her 13 years of running… but she was still smiling. Finally, I read her response to our question about her proudest moment and came to the only conclusion possible… Jennifer is one tough runner!

Read on to find out more about Jennifer:

INFO
Name:  Jennifer Whitley
RIF #:  160
Facebook: Yes

STATS
Years running: 13 yrs
Favorite race:  Avenue  of the Giants Marathon
Favorite bling: St George Marathon

FUN RUNNING QUESTIONS

Who inspires your running and why?
So many people inspire me, but one that stands out is my friend Phil Weiland, who is 78! When I joined my first running group, the Las Vegas Track Club, in 2000, Phil was always encouraging me to push myself to run farther and faster, and to never give up. Phil is an amazing person. He still runs countless marathons and 5k races, even though he has suffered a stroke which blinded him in one eye.

If you could go for a run with any famous person (living or dead), who would it be and why?
I wouldn’t mind going for a run with Christopher Walken. I could hear him now… He would say “Jen… two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up… and drowned. The second mouse… wouldn’t quit. He struggled so hard that eventually… he churned that cream into butter… and crawled out. Jen… as of this moment… I am that second mouse!”

What is the strangest/funniest thing you’ve ever seen while running?
It’s not that funny and probably not the strangest but I do find it strange when I come across a lone shoe on any path…

What’s the most beautiful place that you’ve run?
The Valley of Fire is about 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. With beautiful majestic red mountains, this is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park. The valley gets its name from the red sandstone formations and the stark beauty of the Mojave Desert. Ancient trees and early man are represented throughout the park by areas of petrified wood and 3,000 year-old Indian petroglyphs. This is always one of my favorite and challenging marathons to run.

Which of your running routes makes you the happiest and why?
I really enjoy Bryant Grove 8 mile trail. It’s a single track trail that’s mostly shaded path that changes from dirt, sand, stumps, large rock and pebbles. You can almost always spot deer and you are shore side throughout the path. You can listen to the water hit the shore and it’s just peaceful.  4 miles in you end up at a small beach side and when you return you can go canoeing at Couchville Lake for 5 bucks.

Why do you race?
I love the feeling I get before a race… the excitement, the preparation, and going to be seeing friends at events. And of course how I feel after. It just feels good!

Big races or small races? And why?
I do prefer the smaller races because they are a bit more intimate and peaceful.  I am all for a more peaceful run. I’m not into all the hullabaloo.

What running moment are you most proud of?
My most proud moment would have to be finishing my first 50 miler, where I had twisted my ankle at mile four.

If you can’t run, _________?:
Nevada is where I found my passion for running. I started running to drop some weight, but after I lost the pounds I could no longer stop running. It just made me feel right. I have had many great experiences traveling around and participating in marathons and different races throughout California, Nevada, Utah, New York and now Tennessee! If I can’t run… well… you know what happens… life seems unbalanced.

***

I don’t know about you but I can picture and hear that run and conversation with Christopher Walken in my head! Seriously though, Jennifer’s answers remind me that if we don’t give up and we keep on trying, we can succeed. Just like Jennifer and her running inspiration, Phil Weiland. Oh, and like the second little mouse too. 😉 If we just keep going no matter what obstacles life throws in our way, we will finish and hopefully… Run It Fast!

Thanks for sharing Jennifer!

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 Jennifer Whitley and Naresh Kumar]

Here are the medals for the San Francisco Marathon and the First Half Half Marathon that was held on July 29, 2012 in San Francisco, California.

The San Francisco Marathon has a full marathon and 2 half marathons on race day. The First Half runs the first half of the marathon course and includes the Golden Gate Bridge. The Second Half runs the second half of the course and does not go over the bridge. If you run San Francisco, you have to run the bridge!

Here is another view of the medal with the colorful ribbon:

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medals submitted by RIF #140 Dennis Arriaga – follow him on Twitter @dennarr and Margaret Whitehead – follow Margaret on Twitter @margaret_leigh]

Here is the medal for the Sogonapmit Marathon that was held on July 28, 2012 in American Fork, Utah.

This is one wild marathon. You start at 3:20 am and run to the start of the Timpanogos Half Marathon, which starts at 6 am. The challenge is to make it there before the half marathoners start and to try and stay in front of them as you all race down to the finish.

It’s a very cool  spinner medal that also glows in the dark! I also love how the details on each side are the opposite of each other. Nice continuity in the design.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal submitted by RIF #150 Jason Howard. Follow Jason on Twitter @Jasonrunsutah]

It’s time to vote for your favorite April 2012 race medal! We had some really fun ones submitted in April and we picked 15 for you to to choose from. It was hard but I’ve already picked mine!

The medal chosen as the Best Race Medal for April 2012 will be included in the contest for the Best Race Medal of 2012 at the end of the year. Oh, by the way…the March 2012 Best Race Medal vote is still open if you didn’t get a chance to vote and the Rock ‘N’ Roll New Orleans medal is in the lead.

Previous Best Race Medal winners:
January – Inaugural Louisiana Marathon Medal 2012 
February – Surf City Marathon Medal 2012

Ready to vote for the best April 2012 race medal? Choose your favorite:

*updated to add Big Sur…oops!*

Thanks for voting!

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

Here is a look at where everyone is running this weekend. We had 16 responses this week. Good luck to everyone and Run It Fast!

P.S. This is Lisa…again….and I had to go with the old style…again… for today’s post. Hopefully, we’ll be back with the new way next week! Have a great weekend!

Juan Escallon:  @runitfast Bogota half marathon. The biggest running event in Columbia

Michelle Mitchell:  @runitfast 30-35k training run in the hills! Might even see some moo cows!

Michael Miller:  @runitfast i’ll be running the seafair torchlight 8k in sunny seattle, wa.

Jason Howard:  @runitfast doing Sogonapmit marathon in American Fork UT.  Race starts @ finish line of Timpanogos half & runs to the start and back #3:20AM

Dennis Arriaga:  @runitfast Running the San Francisco Marathon – First Half on Sunday. http://t.co/x3YQnQP2  RIF#140

Jennifer Cook:  @runitfast Running at Crane’s Roost Altamonte Springs, FL…mile loop x 3 with a friend…weekly Saturday morning run and chat!

Denise Garrigan:  @runitfast doing about 14 miles tomorrow starting in fazakley preparing 4 the marathon in October I must be mad doing it !

Greg Stanford:  @runitfast gulf coast sea wall sunrise run!

Lisa Gonzales:  @runitfast Running 16 miles Sat and 14 on Sun. Can’t decide if I should run trails or roads. ET Full Moon 51K in one week! #runnerproblems

Sarah:  @runitfast Gonna run like a “Brazen Racing Bad Bass” at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley, CA this weekend! #neverstoprunning

E. Smith:  @runitfast Saturday early AM, 6 miles through Downtown/Riverside, in Jacksonville, FL. #runjax

Nikki Elise Gibson:  @runitfast cross border challenge from Scotland to England!

Kelsey Stevens:  @runitfast I’ll be running the Color Run in MA! wicked excited

Sid Wegener:  @runitfast Mikayla’s Heavenly Hugs 5K http://t.co/Pgbmboqd

Jorge Angel:  @runitfast Runnnig the Bogota (Colombia) Half Marathon!!! Only IAAF Gold Label half in latam. @mediamaratonbog

Curt Metzger:  @runitfast Trinity 5000 in The Town of the Cow. #runchat

The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon has become one of the most popular marathons in the country. It’s a cult like event full of some of the best and most interesting runners from across the United States.

Last year the event sold out in 4 minutes!

So this year, naturally, the process to garner entry into the race has been changed to enable a more equal chance to all hoping to run the marathon. Instead of it being a speed push/refresh (your browser) contest to see who gets in to the event.

Monkey Trent (RD) sent over these instructions on how registation for the 2012 race will happen:

PAY ATTENTION: Registration for 2012 will involve a weighted lottery. Registrants will be directed to the registration website, below. The registration website will be open for one week. That is, you will have one week to put your name in the hat. After this weeklong period closes, we will use a weighted lottery to select those who will have the misfortune of running the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon this Fall. If selected to run your credit card will be charged $80, and we will notify you of your poor luck. If you are not selected to run, you can thank your lucky stars.

Approximately 300 runners will be selected by the lottery to run the marathon.

Please note: there will be an option to make a $180 donation to the Friends of Warner Parks, which will allow you to bypass the lottery and get right in. This option will be available to the first 20 registrants who take this offer, on a first come, first served basis.

Registration for the lottery should open on August 1, 2012 at 8AM Central Daylight Time. Registration for the lottery will close on August 8, 2012 at 8am. The lottery to be held a short time later.

When registration opens, you can Click Here to access online registration. Until then, there is really no point in trying.

Oh, and all the usual stuff applies. That is, please bring an ID with you to packet pickup. It is reasonable to bring your confirmation email. We will not be offering refunds if you do not start, do not finish, do not have fun or do not PR. Or really for any other reason. You may not transfer your registration. To repeat, no refunds, no transfers. Since registration is capped, yours may keep out another runner. Therefore, we ask that you show up ready to run on race morning. If you cannot make it, please try again next year. Regardless, we will offer you a good run.

Good luck to all who attempt to register. I’m hoping for equally good (or is it bad?) luck so that I can see you there.

The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon will take place on November 18, 2012 at 8:00am CST just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.