Run It Fast®

Run It Fast Club members will be representing at the Boston Marathon this year! There will be quite a few members there from Tennessee, Mississippi, New York, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, California, South Carolina, Oregon, and New Hampshire. They’ll all be going for the medal shown above, probably a PR too, and hopefully an Age Group win or two. Whatever their goals, we are so happy and proud that Run It Fast members will be running it fast from Hopkinton, up Heartbreak Hill, and across the finish line in Boston.

Check out our list of Run It Fast Club members who will be there and send them some good luck and well wishes:

RIF #159 Diane Bolton (Bib #26967) will be running her 4th Boston Marathon. Diane is a running machine and just recently completed marathons in Antarctica and Chile in her quest to run this world. Go Diane!

 RIF #28 Kenneth Williams (Bib #20561) has run Boston over 10 times. He’s not only a runner but a coach as well and has travelled the world to run marathons. You can follow him on Twitter here @MarathonKoach and check out his Run It Fast Profile here for more fun facts: Kenneth Williams Profile.

RIF #105 Kathy Shirley (Bib #20098) will be running her 3rd Boston Marathon. You can follow Kathy on Twitter @ipoddess

RIF #92 Steven Lee (Bib #6645) will be running his first Boston Marathon this year. He completed his 50 States quest at the Honolulu Marathon in December and has run a sub 4 marathon in all 50 states. You can follow him on Twitter here: @steventlee

RIF #206 Gary Krugger (Bib #309) will be running his 5th Boston on Monday. He ran a 2:44:48 there last year…when it was hot. It will be exciting to see what he does this year with better weather.

RIF #124 Michelle Walker (Bib #13916) will be running her 1st Boston Marathon. She also just recently completed marathons in Chile and Antarctica. You can follow her on Twitter here @MarathonMomof6, read about her Road to Boston here: Road to Boston, or check out her profile to learn more about her here: Michelle Walker Profile.

RIF #79 Dallas Smith (Bib #18431) will be running his 6th Boston Marathon on Monday. The last 2 years, Dallas finished 2nd in his Age Group! Go Dallas! He also holds quite a few Age records in the state of Tennesse. You can follow him on Twitter here @smithbend and check out his blog here: http://dallasfallsforward.blogspot.com/.

RIF #70 Chuck Engle (Bib #276) “Marathon Junkie” has run a sub 3 hour marathon in all 50 states and has over 275 sub 3 hour marathons on his resume. You can follow him on Twitter here: @MarathonJunkie and read more about him on his blog here: MarathonJunkie.

RIF #101 David Wingard (Bib #19810) will be running his 2nd Boston Marathon. He just completed his quest to run a marathon in each state at the Walt Disney World Marathon. You can follow him on Twitter here: @CockyDW.

RIF #261 Kerri Haskins (Bib #23693) will be running her 1st Boston Marathon. Kerri is on a quest to run a marathon in every state and has only 5 states to go! You can follow her on Twitter here @khrunner0815 and check out her Run It Fast Profile for more fun running facts here: Kerri Haskins Profile.

RIF #139 JD Leman (Bib #3575) is running his 1st Boston Marathon on Monday. It will be only his 4th full marathon. You can follow JD on Twitter here: @lefthash.

RIF #69 Nadia Ruiz Gonzales (Bib #8682) Nadia has completed over 90 marathons and has qualified for Boston over 50 times! You can learn more about her on her Facebook page Nadia Ruiz/Athlete or by checking out her blog: Nadia The Runner. You can also follow her on Twitter here: @IrongirlNadia.

If we left you off it wasn’t intentional. Just message us RunItFast@gmail.com and we’ll add you to the list!!! 🙂

Quite a list, isn’t it? Good luck to everyone running! We will be following along on Monday to see what they are up to. We hope you’ll join us on Monday too and follow along to get the latest info on all the Run It Fast Club members…and oh, yeah…the elites who will be running as well. 😉

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)

RIF #190 John, RIF #159 Diane, and RIF #153 Justin

The year is almost over and WOW…Run It Fast – The Club members have done a LOT of racing! They have submitted 23,263.12 race miles thru November for 2012. They have almost raced their way around the world (and they probably have since not all members have submitted their points…ahem!)! Kind of mind boggling when you think about it but also very, very cool and inspiring.

RIF #194 Steve Hughes, a racing machine, has a seemingly insurmountable lead thru November with 2182.6 points! RIF #159 Diane Bolton is in 2nd place with 1616.51 points and RIF #190 John Kent Leighton is still in 3rd with 1437.98 points.

The Men’s Leaderboard is the same as the Overall Leaderboard for the first two spots with RIF #1 Joshua Holmes in 3rd (1405.9 points) to round out the top 3. Joshua is right on John’s heels in points so that could change by the end of the year!

Diane is leading the women and she is followed by new RIF – The Club member RIF #218 Carol Goslin in 2nd (1096.6)  and RIF #124 Michelle Walker in 3rd (696.7 points).

Not only are 3rd and 4th really close in points but so are 5th and 6th! One more month to go but anything can happen! Who will come out on top? Here are the complete standings through November 2012:

Top Ten Overall
1.   Steve Hughes – 2182.6  (RIF #194)
2.   Diane Bolton – 1616.51  (RIF #159)
3.   John Kent Leighton – 1437.98  (RIF #190)
4.   Joshua Holmes – 1405.9  (RIF #1)
5.   Hideki Kinoshita – 1101.4  (RIF #88)
6.   Carol Goslin – 1096.6  (RIF #218)
7.   Michelle Walker – 696.7  (RIF #124)
8.   Heather Shoemaker – 680.9  (RIF #44)
9.   Nadia Ruiz Gonzales – 561.5  (RIF #69)
10.   Scott Stader – 514.9  (RIF #40)
 
Men’s Leaderboard
1.   Steve Hughes – 2182.6  (RIF #194)
2.   John Kent Leighton – 1437.98  (RIF #190)
3.   Joshua Holmes – 1405.9  (RIF #1)
4.   Hideki Kinoshita – 1101.4  (RIF #88)
5.   Scott Stader – 514.9  (RIF #40)
6.   Alvin Lee – 460.2  (RIF #30)
7.   Danny Staggs – 440.9  (RIF #186)
8.   Nicholas Norfolk – 398.8  (RIF #116)
9.   Jason Howard – 379.9  (RIF #150)
10.   David Wingard – 365.4  (RIF #101)
11.   Rick Thiounn – 299.9  (RIF #111)
12.   Rick Jarvis – 296.8  (RIF #18)
13.   Daniel Escue – 290.25  (RIF #187)
14.   Mark Watson – 244.9  (RIF #173)
15.   Chris Estes – 226.2  (RIF #151)
16.   David Donald – 203.96  (RIF #54)
17.   Perry Ligon – 193  (RIF #146)
18.   Jonathan Bobbitt – 180.6  (RIF #3)
19.   Dennis Arriaga – 176.26  (RIF #140)
20.   Wade Anderson – 170.6  (RIF #22)
21.   Rodrigo Jiménez – 167.2  (RIF #203)
22.   Kevin Leathers – 143  (RIF #12)
23.   Trent Rosenbloom – 141.6  (RIF #57)
24.   David Pharr – 128.2  (RIF #185)
25.   Winston Trice – 126.4  (RIF #29)
26.   Greg Smith – 118.2  (RIF #168)
27.   Robin Robbins – 115.9  (RIF #33)
28.   Steven Reagan – 113.62  (RIF #157)
29.   Mark Sikkila – 113.4  (RIF #108)
30.   Kevin Ronayne – 106.3  (RIF #11)
31.   Josh Liggett – 102.52  (RIF #147)
32.   Nathan Bass – 97.9  (RIF #174)
33.   James Krenis – 83.6  (RIF #67)
34.   Naresh Kumar – 83.4  (RIF #2)
35.   John Hudson – 79.6  (RIF #63)
36.   Brian Wooldridge – 77.9  (RIF #141)
37.   Victor Fleitas – 71.12  (RIF #21)
38.   Scott Lochridge – 65.5  (RIF #32)
39.   Stewart Crouch – 64.8  (RIF #89)
40.   JD Leman – 39.3  (RIF #139)
41.   Scott Gatlin – 29.3  (RIF #80)
42.   Scott Gorski – 25.5  (RIF #107)
43.   Chris Nelson – 19.3  (RIF #135)
44.   Patrick Johnson – 10  (RIF #87)
 
Women’s Leaderboard
1.   Diane Bolton – 1616.51  (RIF #159)
2.   Carol Goslin – 1096.6  (RIF #218)
3.   Michelle Walker – 696.7  (RIF #124)
4.   Heather Shoemaker – 680.9  (RIF #44)
5.   Nadia Ruiz Gonzales – 561.5  (RIF #69)
6.   Lisa Gonzales – 514  (RIF #5)
7.   Shannon Burke – 498.93  (RIF #171)
8.   Laura Raeder – 491.1  (RIF #20)
9.   Mikki Trujillo – 461.9  (RIF #13)
10.   Emily Conley – 426.4  (RIF #24)
11.   Robin Mancinelli – 413.8  (RIF #134)
12.   Alicia Eno – 382.3  (RIF #126)
13.   Michelle Mitchell – 357.2  (RIF #133)
14.   Shannon McGinn – 333  (RIF #46)
15.   Leigh Marsh – 306.5  (RIF #192)
16.   Marlene Deem – 265  (RIF #189)
17.   Jennifer Whitley – 184.9  (RIF #160)
18.   Donna Pittman – 147.2  (RIF #181)
19.   Marj Mitchell – 136.7  (RIF #4)
20.   Christy Bowers – 121.5  (RIF #60)
21.   Daniela Obregon – 107.7  (RIF #49)
22.   Amber Goetz-Bouchard – 105.98  (RIF #15)
23.   Nicole Knutson – 104.8  (RIF #47)
24.   Lisa Edwards – 58  (RIF #122)
25.   Natalie Torres – 42.4  (RIF #72)
26.   Meredith Yox – 40.2  (RIF #128)
27.   Debra Jacildo – 17.39  (RIF #98)

Details on joining Run It Fast – The Club

[Extreme Racer points are rewarded per each racing mile completed. Example: marathon = 26.2 points, half marathon 13.1 points, etc.]

[photo from Diane Bolton]

RIF #159 Diane Bolton has raced her way into 2nd place in the Run It Fast – Club Extreme Racer standings!  The women are slowly but surely gaining on the men as they now hold 6 of the top 10 spots on the Leaderboard. The men better step up!

RIF #194 Steve Hughes extended his lead even further during the month of October to keep his commanding lead (1832.4 points) in the standings. RIF #159 Diane Bolton is in 2nd place (1322.71 points), and RIF #190 John Kent Leighton is now in 3rd (1304.58 points).

The Men’s Leaderboard is the same as the Overall Leaderboard for the first two spots with RIF #1 Joshua Holmes in 3rd (1286.8 points) to round out the top 3.

Diane is leading the women and she is followed by RIF #124 Michelle Walker in 2nd (618.1 points) and RIF #44 Heather Shoemaker in 3rd (544.4 points).

The race for places 2-4 is pretty close so check back next month to see what happens! In the meantime, here is the complete standings through October 2012:

Top Ten Leaderboard
1. Steve Hughes – 1832.4 (RIF#194)
2. Diane Bolton – 1322.71 (RIF#159)
3. John Kent Leighton – 1304.58 (RIF#190)
4. Joshua Holmes – 1286.8 (RIF#1)
5. Hideki Kinoshita – 1075.2 (RIF#88)
6. Michelle Walker – 618.1 (RIF#124)
7. Heather Shoemaker – 544.4 (RIF#44)
8. Nadia Ruiz Gonzales – 509.1 (RIF#69)
9. Shannon Burke – 498.93 (RIF#171)
10. Laura Raeder – 461.8 (RIF#20)

Men’s Leaderboard
1. Steve Hughes – 1832.4 (RIF#194)
2. John Kent Leighton – 1304.58 (RIF#190)
3. Joshua Holmes – 1286.8 (RIF#1)
4. Hideki Kinoshita – 1075.2 (RIF#88)
5. Scott Stader – 427 (RIF#40)
6. Alvin Lee – 381.6 (RIF#30)
7. David Wingard – 365.4 (RIF#101)
8. Danny Staggs – 322.3 (RIF#186)
9. Rick Thiounn – 299.9 (RIF#111)
10. Rick Jarvis – 296.8 (RIF#18)
11. Jason Howard – 295.1 (RIF#150)
12. Daniel Escue – 230.95 (RIF#187)
13. Mark Watson – 230.7 (RIF#173)
14. Chris Estes – 226.2 (RIF#151)
15. David Donald – 203.96 (RIF#54)
16. Perry Ligon – 193 (RIF#146)
17. Jonathan Bobbitt – 180.6 (RIF#3)
18. Wade Anderson – 170.6 (RIF#22)
19. Dennis Arriaga – 156.96 (RIF#140)
20. Kevin Leathers – 143 (RIF#12)
21. Trent Rosenbloom – 141.6 (RIF#57)
22. Nicholas Norfolk – 139.01 (RIF#116)
23. Greg Smith – 118.2 (RIF#168)
24. Mark Sikkila – 113.4 (RIF#108)
25. David Pharr – 102 (RIF#185)
26. Steven Reagan – 100.2 (RIF#157)
27. Robin Robbins – 98.8 (RIF#33)
28. Kevin Ronayne – 95.1 (RIF#11)
29. Nathan Bass – 94.8 (RIF#174)
30. James Krenis – 83.6 (RIF#67)
31. Naresh Kumar – 83.4 (RIF#2)
32. John Hudson – 79.6 (RIF#63)
33. Josh Liggett – 77.92 (RIF#147)
34. Brian Wooldridge – 74.8 (RIF#141)
35. Winston Trice – 72.8 (RIF#29)
36. Victor Fleitas – 71.12 (RIF#21)
37. Scott Lochridge – 65.5 (RIF#32)
38. Stewart Crouch – 64.8 (RIF#89)
39. JD Leman – 39.3 (RIF#139)
40. Scott Gatlin – 29.3 (RIF#80)
41. Scott Gorski – 25.5 (RIF#107)
42. Chris Nelson – 19.3 (RIF#135)
43. Patrick Johnson – 10 (RIF#87)

Women’s Leaderboard
1. Diane Bolton – 1322.71 (RIF#159)
2. Michelle Walker – 618.1 (RIF#124)
3. Heather Shoemaker – 544.4 (RIF#44)
4. Nadia Ruiz Gonzales – 509.1 (RIF#69)
5. Shannon Burke – 498.93 (RIF#171)
6. Laura Raeder – 461.8 (RIF#20)
7. Lisa Gonzales – 445.4 (RIF#5)
8. Emily Conley – 426.4 (RIF#24)
9. Mikki Trujillo – 369.7 (RIF#13)
10. Michelle Mitchell – 357.2 (RIF#133)
11. Robin Mancinelli – 337.6 (RIF#134)
12. Shannon McGinn – 333 (RIF#46)
13. Alicia Eno – 313.7 (RIF#126)
14. Leigh Marsh – 306.5 (RIF#192)
15. Marlene Deem – 212.6 (RIF#189)
16. Jennifer Whitley – 184.9 (RIF#160)
17. Donna Pittman – 147.2 (RIF#181)
18. Marj Mitchell – 123.6 (RIF#4)
19. Daniela Obregon – 107.7 (RIF#49)
20. Amber Goetz-Bouchard – 105.98 (RIF#15)
21. Christy Bowers – 105.3 (RIF#60)
22. Nicole Knutson – 104.8 (RIF#47)
23. Lisa Edwards – 58 (RIF#122)
24. Natalie Torres – 42.4 (RIF#72)
25. Meredith Yox – 34 (RIF#128)
26. Debra Jacildo – 17.39 (RIF#98)

Details on joining Run It Fast – The Club

[Extreme Racer points are rewarded per each racing mile completed. Example: marathon = 26.2 points, half marathon 13.1 points, etc.]

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

RIF #194 Steve Hughes is now the overall leader in the Run It Fast – Club Extreme Racer standings thru the month of September 2012.

Steve has opened up a nice lead with 1,456 total points.  He has a 314 point lead over fellow new member RIF #190 John Kent Leighton (1,142.58 pts).  Third place male goes to RIF #1 Joshua Holmes with 1,124.8 points.

RIF #159 Diane Bolton has an even more impressive lead on the women’s side (4th overall). She has accumulated 1,055.91 points and has a 529.51 pt lead over second place female RIF #124 Michelle Walker (526.4 pts).  Third place female is RIF #69 Nadia Ruiz Gonzales with 509.1 points.

Details on joining Run It Fast – The Club

[Extreme Racer points are rewarded per each racing mile completed. Example: marathon = 26.2 points, half marathon 13.1 points, etc.]

Diane Bolton (RIF #159) is the new female leader in the Run It Fast – Extreme Racer Points Standings. She passed RIF #24 Emily Conley to take the lead. RIF #124 Michelle Walker moved up into second place with Conley dropping to third.

Joshua Holmes (RIF #1) continues to lead the men, although RIF #88 Hideki Kinoshita did not report his totals for the past two months.  The third male through August is RIF #101 David Wingard.

(a point is awarded for every mile of racing done by each member. A marathon is worth 26.2 points, half 13.1 and so on.)

Here is a look at the complete standings:

The points competition is open to all members of Run It Fast – The Club.

You can join the international running club by clicking HERE.

[image: Diane Bolton]

Michelle Walker #124

This week’s RIF – The Club profile is Michelle Walker #124. I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle at the Leading Ladies Marathon in August. I also got to see her take home some age group bling at that race! It was at that race that I also realized Michelle is a Marathon Maniac (and I heard she reached Platinum/ 8 -Star status – Woo! Congrats!) so she obviously runs A LOT of marathons. I thought it would be fun to see which ones were her favorites…and how she finds the time.

Meet Michelle, the marathoning machine:

INFO

Name: Michelle Walker
RIF #: 124
Twitter: MarathonMomof6
Facebook: Michelle Moreland Walker

STATS

Years Running: Marathons – 5.5 years, Half Marathons – 8 years, Shorter Distances – 25 years
Favorite Race Distance: 26.2 – The marathon distance never fails to provide me with a challenge, even after running 48 marathons.
Favorite PR: Leading Ladies Marathon – 3:35:20
Favorite Race: Missoula Marathon
Favorite Bling: Minneapolis Marathon (2011), Leading Ladies Marathon (2012), Rock n Roll Mardi Gras (2012)

Next Race: Omaha Marathon – Sep 23
What Makes You FEEL Fast? Breaking race time barriers I once thought to be impossibilities.

FUN RUNNING QUESTIONS

What’s the most beautiful place that you’ve run? Missoula, MT: I love the West and its jaw dropping, natural beauty.

Have you ever worn a costume during a race? What was it and for what race? The 2011 Marine Corps Marathon was held the day before Halloween. Thinking many runners would be in costume, I dressed up as a bumblebee. To my dismay, very few runners were in costume. Once the race started, so many people (spectators, Marines, and other runners) were cheering for the bee that I felt like an entertainer rather than a runner. The positive reinforcement I received from the bumblebee costume encouraged me to dress up more. I helped pace the 2011 RnR Las Vegas Marathon in a Mrs. Claus outfit.

What is the thing you splurge on after a race? Starbucks’ Mocha Light Frappuccino! Actually, I’m addicted to Frappuccinos and have one almost daily after a workout. (Who needs chocolate milk when you can buy a $5 Frappuccino? :)) After a race, I really indulge – adding the whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.

Why do you race? I have six kids! Yes, that’s right: a half dozen! Being the mother of six is often stressful and overwhelming. Training and participating in races not only serves as my stress reducer, but it fulfills my need for accomplishing measurable goals. My family and I have greatly benefitted from my passion for running.

Big races or small races? Why? I prefer mid size races. I enjoy the social experience of the marathon. A medium sized race allows me to meet and connect with people, without feeling lost in the crowd.

What is the one piece of running gear you can’t leave the house without? My iPod Shuffle! Music motivates me! My running playlist is filled with fast, upbeat music. I have opted not to pace marathons because I am too reliant upon my music to get me to the finish.

What running moment are you most proud of? I was the third overall female to finish the 2012 ET Marathon. I am especially proud of this accomplishment because I wasn’t feeling well during most of the race. I had forgotten my headlamp, as well as the suggested hydration. Despite feeling dehydrated and nauseated, I met my goal time. When I crossed the finish line, I realized I had a mental toughness that I previously didn’t know existed.

***

So…Michelle has run 48 marathons so far…and she has 6 kids! It kind of makes any excuse about not running I might have fly right out the window! What I find very cool about Michelle is that even after 48 marathons, she is still excited about running them, having fun (like the bee & Mrs Claus costumes!), and pushing hard at each marathon. She’s setting PRs and bringing home age group awards. Here’s one more of Michelle at the Tupelo Marathon with some of that very bling:

Thanks for sharing Michelle. Good luck and I know you’ll Run It Fast at the Omaha Marathon!

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 Michelle Walker and Joshua Holmes]

The 2nd annual Blister In The Sun Marathon took place this morning in Cookeville, Tennessee at Cane Creek Park.

Race Director Josh Hite, for the second year in a row, won his race. This year Hite completed the five loops with a time of 3:16:55. He bested the next closest finisher by nearly 30 minutes.

The battle for 2nd and 3rd places went down to the wire with Murfreesboro’s Chris Estes taking 2nd by 35 seconds over James Ramsey who had to settle for third.

The female winner was Jennifer Whitley who finished with a time of 4:19:42. The next two women’s finishers were Michelle Walker and Kelly Delmar.

Legendary Dallas Smith finished in 7th place with a time of 4:04:07.  Dallas’ buddy Albino Jiminez, of Spain, finished in 4:23:17. Jiminez just ran all the way across Spain back earlier this year.

12-year old Christopher Rayder finished in a shocking time of 4:08:49. Rumor is it that he ran a 3:23 at Grandfather Mountain Marathon last month.

Angela Ivory finished her 297th marathon while Texas resident Larry Macon finished his 707th career marathon.

Instead of finisher’s medals the runners received finisher’s frying pans!

Congrats to all of the finishers. Those five loops around Cane Creek Park and the elementary school in that heat can wear down the best of runners.

2011 Blister In the Sun Photos

[photos by Naresh Kumar and Chris Estes]

___________