Goals, Tools and Missions - Peninsula TNT Summer Team Week 1

When we started this blog, "Marathoning for Life" was a goal. We want to race as long as we are physically able and still have passion for the sport. The title also came to reflect how we use marathoning as a tool to keep us healthier.  

Last week I was reminded that the title is also a mission. The reason we started marathoning was to raise money for Team in Training. Marathoning for us was literally saving lives.

Our Summer season kicked off for the Peninsula team last Wednesday. Our first regional training on Saturday was a quick 30 minute out and back on the Oracle Bay Trail where we got to know the dozen participants we have training for the Tinkerbell Half marathon and Rock n Roll Seattle half and full. 

Training Captain Cathy had an early start marking mileage.

Pre-training words from our team manager, Guy.

I chatted with each of the team members on the trail. Hal was a long time TNT veteran whose goal is to improve on his PR for the Seattle full. Nick has done a couple of half marathons and is recovering from a torn hip flexor, so he'll be staying on the flatter course at Tink. Lauren has done a few 5K's and her mother was a TNT alum who had a great season and recommended that Lauren join. Yuli, another first timer, told me he'd never run more than 1.5K in his life. Saturday's training was officially the longest he'd ever run! We have a few teammates coming back after a few years off like Robin, Andrea and Vickie and some recent alum like Kelly, Valerie and Paul. I hope to get to chat more with them as the season goes on. 

Our honoree speaker was Minnie. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 diffuse large B Cell lymphoma when she was six months pregnant. MRI's confirmed several tumors throughout her body. In the past, if the cancer was caught in the first trimester, the diagnosis would have leaned toward aborting the pregnancy, but medicine had matured in the last 20 years thanks in part to LLS funds. Minnie underwent a modified chemotherapy and she delivered a healthy son, Keiron. Shortly after his birth, doctors found tumors in her kidneys and brain, prompting radiation and more chemotherapy.

Minnie's story has a happy ending. She came through with some short-term memory loss, but has now been in remission for six years with an amazing outlook on life. Read more about her recovery on this article at the Stanford Medicine site.

We had our gear clinic at Road Runner Sports in San Carlos and a went for a post-training breakfast at Hobee's. This season's team is smaller than I'm used to, but so far with the new coaching team things are running pretty smoothly. I'm looking forward to our next track workout Wednesday where we'll start working on technique.

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News from the Road:

The Z Adventures - Cruise Marathons group finished another multi-stop event this weekend. About 30 participants ran races in 7 countries at the full, half, 10k and 5k distances. The medals were wedge-shaped and together formed a larger circle. Reviews so far have been positive. White Continent/Punta Arenas alum Tee, Brent and Kamika checked off more countries on their long list of races. 

Also concluding this week was the Marathon Expedition Caribbean Running Cruise. Congrats to Jennifer and Blair, and to John and Jenny for another successful event. Other races for your bucket list this weekend include the Daytona Half Marathon (thanks Tawni for the cool video from the track!) and the 20th anniversary of the Surf City Half and Full marathon (congrats to Stephanie, Melinda, Leah, Jessica, Adrian, Kevin and Jennifer).

100 Half Marathon Club president Jenipher finished her 100th Half Marathon at the Go Hard or Go Home Half in Prospect Park, New York. Congratulations, Jenipher!

We're a month into 2016 and working on two challenges. Susan and I joined Kara Goucher's Run The Year 2016 challenge, targeting 2,016 miles in the year. I'm counting miles from walking around at work (incidental mileage too) so to be safe, I'm shooting for about 2700 miles for the year to clear a 2 mile/day baseline. With a bit over 279 miles through February 7th, things are looking good.

Al, Lisa Marie, Tawni and I are also doing the VIP Joe Challenge in honor of our friend Joe Harris. He underwent surgery after RNR San Antonio and is back on the roads prepping for RNR New Orleans. Joe is the all-time leader for Rock n Roll races completed at 116. The four of use are shooting to finish 116 miles each in February, one for each race Joe has completed. I'm only counting "intentional" workout miles for this one. I'm just over 24 miles for February, so I'll need to step it up a bit.

When I Grow Up, I Want to be Just Like Nancy

Our friend/mentor/captain, Nancy, celebrates her 80^th birthday this year. Friends and family convened to celebrate this milestone and more importantly, a transition into a new age group! Watch out runners, this endurance athlete walker is going to give you some new competition.

In anticipation for her birthday party, she posted, “Oh I'm getting worried. Tomorrow my two families are going to meet! My children are going to meet the people with whom I act like I'm a youngster. Gonna be some shocked people, I'm thinking!” We ALL love you Nancy just the way you are! Walking in the door at the birthday party, I complimented Nancy on the new hairdo. “I like the tufts of purple, Nancy!” 

“It’s actually raspberry. Purple is for old ladies.” 

Nancy with her first TNT Mentor, Tim

That in a nutshell sums up Nancy. She may have been the oldest person at her own birthday party but her spirit and positive attitude toward life makes her seem younger than everyone around her.

Nancy and her three children, Cindy, Bob and Boyd. When their family gets together and someone asks 'who's the youngest?', they all point to their mom.

Ron met Nancy at Clorox 16 years ago where she was working as an on-site nurse. They were both members of Diamond Toastmasters and Nancy gave a speech to the club about fundraising for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS) through Team in Training (TNT). In exchange for raising several thousand dollars, TNT coaches train you to complete a half or full marathon. 

Nancy signed up for TNT when she turned 65. Tim was Nancy’s mentor her first season with TNT in 2001. Nancy was Ron’s mentor his first season with TNT in 2005. Ron was Susan’s mentor her first season with TNT in 2006. We affectionately call Tim our great-grandmentor (he hates the term but I’m sure he appreciates the legacy).

Four Generations of Team in Training Participants

Tim Yagle, Nancy Ryder, Ron Carino, Susan Carino (from left to right)

Clorox has a generous charity matching, making it easier and less intimidating to fundraise. Her first marathon event was the Mayor’s Midnight Sun marathon and since then she’s made 6 trips to Anchorage, Alaska, finishing five full and one half marathon. That season they were headed to Anchorage again. Ron, always happy to help a worthy cause, joined the Team. I laughed at him, being the oh so supportive wife that I am. I told him that there was no way he could complete a marathon with his bad knees. Here’s the catch – Nancy was a mentor on the marathon Walk Team. Ron decided he would walk a marathon, help a worthy cause, and check off 'eating a meal in all 50 states' at the same time. We’ve both come such a long way since then. 

This was taken during a race in Anchorage in either 2005 or 2006. We've all lost track.

Nancy quickly adopted me even though I chose not to fundraise for TNT that season. I occasionally came to trainings as an observer with my friend Wendy. She and I had decided to train for the half marathon in Anchorage because we were only half crazy. However, once we reached 13 miles it seemed too easy so we kept training for the full 26.2 miles.

Fast forward six months, on June 17, 2005 Ron and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary with Nancy and Wendy with breakfast (a meal in Alaska) at Safeway in Seward before going on a most memorable cruise seeing whales and getting dive-bombed by puffins. The marathon was more challenging than we expected. It was cold, wet, and windy. Yet, all of us on the team completed the event forging lifelong friendships along the way. We have several memorable trips including RNR Savannah 2010 and a full marathon at Mount Desert Island (Bar Harbor, Maine) with our friend Michelle.

Michelle passed away in 2010, but not before we got her to finish her first full marathon.

I no longer laugh at Ron for wanting to do a marathon and we’re planning to complete half marathons in all 50 states someday. Well, I guess Ron will also end up eating a meal in all 50 states again but at least this time he’ll have earned the calories.

So what makes Nancy so special to us? Besides being someone who we admire, respect, and are in awe of for who she is as a person. Even Nancy’s doctor is jealous of her and how strong her heart is. She puts new meaning into being young at heart.

Personalities can be broken down into the four elements – Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Nancy is the WATER personality type. Not just because she fondly gives out epsom salts to all her TNT mentees for the ice bath after the race. Symbolically though her heart is her guide in everything she does, and she is very attuned to other people’s experiences. Nancy doesn’t dwell on the past. She doesn’t live with regrets. She doesn’t focus on the negative things in life. Instead, she focuses on the future and how she can help others. True to her profession as a nurse, she puts others ahead of herself.

Take for example, a race in Monterey, CA a few years back. People often ask me what my favorite local race is and I always recommend the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay in November. The course is flat, scenic along the ocean, and the hand crafted medal is unique, though fragile. Nancy and I raced together several times and one year, Nancy was having a particularly difficult race. We finished together beyond the 3.5 hour cut off after the finish line had been torn down. It wasn’t until she told me that she had given blood the day before to the event that we realized why she was struggling. (Note to the readers, don’t give blood at least a week prior or a week after an endurance event.) You need all your blood for strength to endure and recover! But true to Nancy’s character, she was giving to others first before thinking of herself.

Fellow TNTer Roz put together the Nancy Quiz at the birthday party - 20 questions about Nancy’s life. All of us struggled with the answers (except maybe her daughter Cindy and two sons Bob and Boyd). Of course they debated a few of the answers but we let Nancy be the final authority about her own life. Even after spending hours walking with her, we learned a lot more that we never even knew about!

During the Quiz we learned that 50 of the 52 weekends in 2015, she was either participating in a race, volunteering at a race, or out actively training. Nancy was the first person we knew who broke an unspoken TNT training rule: you need three to four months to train for a half marathon and at least six months to adequate train for a full marathon. We stuck to this schedule for the first two years, completing each event six months apart. 

Rebel Nancy however was known to do more than one race every few months. If fact, she often did more than one race in a weekend. Her reputation raised a few eyebrows among TNT coaches but it opened our eyes to another approach to marathoning. Instead of training every weekend and completing long miles either alone without support, in a small mentoring group, or with the full team, you can get your mileage in at a race. The caveat is that you treat the race like a training event rather than another opportunity for a personal record (PR). Striving for a PR every six months or so is still good advice. Nancy broke the mold and is living proof that you can be active and healthy into your 80’s.

Nancy is young at heart and living proof that attitude is everything. 

We want to be like Nancy when we grow up.

~//~

If Nancy inspires you as much as she inspired us, please consider a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for support of research and financial assistance of patients at her web page (http://pages.teamintraining.org/gba/anchor16/nryder). She'll be headed to Alaska this June for a second half marathon, her seventh race there and an well more than 100 since turning 65. 

Inspired by Greatness. Humbled by Humility - National Black Marathoners Association Induction Celebration

On December 12, 2015 the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) inducted nine marathoners and ultramathoners as 2015 Hall of Fame Honorees – three of whom we have the privilege to know. The official annual summit and hall of fame banquet took place in Dallas, TX and several of our friends flew to Dallas for the event. A committee of eight led by two highly dedicated individuals, Rudy and Laura, coordinated a local celebration at the Lake Merritt Boat House on January 24, 2016 so that the rest of us could honor their accomplishments.

Founded in 2004, the NBMA is a not-for-profit organization that encourages Black Americans to pursue a healthy lifestyle through running and walking. The National Black Distance Runner Hall of Fame honors athletes in three categories. The Trail Blazer and Distance Runner awards recognize lifetime runners who have demonstrated not only athletic performance but have also made an overall contribution of the sport of long distance running.  The third Hall of Fame category is the Running Community Service Award. This award recognizes lifetime volunteer service over a period of at least fifteen years to the running community. Community involvement includes financial donations, scholarship programs, youth programs, volunteer support, and developing relationships that benefit the mission of the club.

Mebrahtom "Meb" Keflezighi

(Photo credit National Black Marathoners Association’s Newsletter #20)

Meb received the silver medal in the 2008 Olympic Marathon and won the 2009 New York City Marathon and the 2014 Boston Marathon. A tribute to his character, Meb carried the names of the victims of the 2013 Boston marathon bombings with him during the 2014 race. Meb became the first American citizen to win the race in over 30 years and at 38 years old, the oldest individual to win the race since 1931. Read more at  Rock n Roll's site here.

We have crossed paths with Meb on the Rock ‘n’ Roll circuit in his role as the VP of Running for Competitor Group, Inc. Not only is he an inspirational motivational speaker he has made himself quite accessible to those around him. We were on the same Southwest plane with Meb in 2014 headed to San Antonio, TX. I built up enough courage to ask him for a photo in the airport which he graciously posed for with us.

This year in San Antonio, during the 10k RNR race on Saturday, December 5, Meb doubled back to personally encourage the runners behind him. He was also waiting near the finish line at the half and full marathon the next day cheering on the finishers.  What a great ambassador for not only the RNR series but for running in general.

Lisa Felder

(Photo credit National Black Marathoners Association’s Newsletter #20)

This NBMA trailblazer has completed over 300 marathons and 111 ultramarathons. Mama Lisa coached the East Bay Team in Training (TNT) run team for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) from 1998 through 2009. She launched the first ever TNT Ultra Team in 2009.

Coach Lisa earned the nickname Mama Lisa from a TNT participant who after assessing the spread of clothes, shoes, gear, food, etc. that she laid out for the team, he explained, “You’re more than our coach! You’re our mama!” The name stuck and that’s what we all affectionately call her.

Her story begins as a 238 lb mother who started walking around the soccer field to keep warm while watching her son play soccer. The first race she ever participated in was the Bay to Breakers. She completed her first marathon in just over three hours at the San Francisco marathon. Her personal passion for running, especially ultrarunning, is highly infectious. She has single handedly inspired almost all of the ultrarunners on the East Bay and became the most knowledgeable coach we’ve ever known to diagnose aggravations and address running injuries. She gives herself tirelessly to the cause. The story highlighting her dedication was begging people to break her out of the hospital while she was receiving treatments for stage 4 breast cancer because she desperately wanted to be out on the course with her participants at the Oakland marathon. Mama Lisa was always the last Coach out on the course, ringing her cow bell, and making sure every last runner and walker made it back from a long training. Our affection for Mama Lisa runs deep. She is living proof that you can do anything you want to do if you dedicate yourself to it.

As fate would have it, NBMA did the great honor of also inducting Mama Lisa’s husband, Alphonzo Jackson, into the Hall of Fame the very same year. Coach Al and Mama Lisa are a power couple and a force to be reckoned with. They have set an amazing example for others and are our inspiration for all that we do together on the marathoning circuit.

Alphonzo Jackson

(Photo credit National Black Marathoners Association’s Newsletter #20)

Al was ranked third in the world in the 5k (16:28) and half marathon (1:15:28) in his age division in 1996 at 50 years old. He has completed 38 marathons, 7 duathlons, several triathlons, hundreds of 5Ks and 10Ks. His marathon personal record (PR) at the Los Angeles Marathon was 2:38:40.

He originally viewed himself as an elite athlete and the day finally came when he had to choose between continuing to pursue his own personal records or focusing his time and energy on helping others.  As a I remember the story, he discussed this fork in the road in his career with Mama Lisa who wisely said, “Where do you derive the greatest inspiration from? Your own personal achievements or the achievements of others?” The rest is history since Coach Al has served as the Head Coach for Team in Training's East Bay Run Team for 20 years. It wasn’t an easy transition from being an elite runner to figuring out how to coach people off the coach to complete a half or full marathon. Humbly, Coach Al openly shares his story how he underestimated how difficult it is to run a full marathon. So difficult in fact that he failed to complete his first two attempts. He made it to mile 24 the first time around before dropping out and then only made it to mile 22 the second time around. He had to learn that marathoning wasn’t about running fast enough to qualify for Boston, it was about mental toughness.

Knowing how hard it can be to complete a marathon, Coach Al did everything in his power to help his participants complete the event. My favorite Coach Al story was during the full marathon in Rome, Italy. I was with a fellow TNTer who as struggling toward the end of the race. I tried everything I could think of to help her continue to put one foot in front of the other. Coach Al ran up and took a completely different approach. He asked her, “What flavor?” She and I looked at each other quizzically. He repeated, “What flavor gelato do you want?” Not being able to think clearly she said, “Vanilla.” Coach Al was gone in a flash. Later I heard about how he ran to the closest gelato shop, cut in line, ordered a vanilla gelato cone, and ran back out on the course to find us. My fellow TNTer inhaled that gelato and took off running toward the finish line. Now that’s a coach who is truly willing to do anything to help his participants and someone who knows exactly the right thing to say and do at the right time.

From 2000 to 2010 (until funding ran out), Coach Al was also the Athletic Director/Coach for Students Run Oakland. This was his way of giving back something to his neighborhood and training leaders for the future. He believed that training these kids to be disciplined enough to complete a marathon, would help prepare them for the rest of their lives.

Being present with Coach Al is seeing charisma in action. He believes in you before you believe in yourself. His training mantras are well rehearsed and proclaimed loudly by all of his current and past participants. “If you don’t mind, it don’t matter” and “Just do the damn thing.”

One of his TNT participants was so inspired by Coach Al, that they wrote a letter to the Olympic committee and nominated him to carry the Olympic Torch for the United States in 2002. He describes this as one of the most memorable highlights of his life.

If the day finally comes that we hang up our racing shoes and retire, we'll look back on a lot of races and medals. But the things that we'll remember most are the people we met, especially the ones who inspired us to take the path that we travelled and continue to inspire generations by their example. 

Thank you, Meb, Coach Al and Mama Lisa. Because of you, we're marathoners for Life.

The Last of the First 100 - Rock n Roll San Antonio Weekend 2015

I wonder how important milestones are. I remember the first marathon and how much I looked forward to finishing it and joining the half of one percent who've finished an endurance event. I have a feeling that percentage has changed in the last 10 years, but we've also raised our bar. Fourteen full marathons (or 13 and an ultra) a dozen 5K, 10K and 15K races and 99 half marathons later, we came into San Antonio ready to close out the year with a bang.

The end of the calendar year is significant for the Rock n Roll Marathon series. With the TourPass program, this is the last chance to add races for the Hall of Fame and Heavy Medal program. This year 84 people finished 15 or more races. My Facebook feed already has a lot of people trying to figure out if they will keep that schedule for 2016 or take a break for when the Heavy Medals are redesigned.

We've already signed up for 12 races. I think people know our intentions.

As much as we appreciate the races and the opportunity to travel and see friends across the country, this journey would not be the same without the people who make the races happen. We'd like to thank two of them for their friendship and years of service.

Darlene retired after San Antonio. She is always one of the first staff members we see in the Brooks merchandise area. I've purchased many a luggage tag or half-zip pullover over the years after chatting with her. She's a SoCal resident, so we hope to see her at RNR San Diego or Los Angeles (assuming LA comes back on the schedule). 

Amy V. recently moved to New York and is leaving CGI for other opportunities. She worked the Rock n Roll booth getting people to sign up for more races (like we need encouragement?). We usually saw her after the races to pick up Heavy Medals. I like to think that's one of the better assignments, other than explaining how medals 2 - 4 are sent by mail dozens of times every race.

Amy and Mindy (center) at the RNR Booth.

This was the first of a lot of pictures of friends making the Hall of Fame this year. The other blog has more details. The 11 people in this picture have finished about 170 races in 2015 alone. That doesn't count the Remix races.

With the 10K on Saturday, we headed out for a late lunch at The County Line on the Riverwalk. Once again something about the RNR Gypsy group makes it easier for us to find each other. Drew was just in time to share our brownie dessert.

Drew also had a dilemma. With the Stairway to Seven Heavy Medal on the line and a badly sprained ankle, he rented a knee scooter from a local medical supply store to see if he could finish out the year. Drew wanted to do a test race for the 10K and knew he needed a lot of tweaks. Fortunately, we were able to connect him with Ilona who finished her last 10 races of 2015 on HER scooter, many of them with sub-2 hour times. I'm amazed at how determined our friends can be to overcome adversity.

I followed Al and Drew to Hotel Havana for pre-dinner cigars and drinks. I didn't partake of either, but it was great to catch up with Jim, Beth and David. We've been on this journey together for five years. And no matter how long it's been since the last time we met, we pick up the conversation like we just left each other. 

Grainy night shot. Maybe with a better phone, I'd get the better selfie?

Drew and I left to meet Susan, Sherry, Ethan, Michelle, Ted and Garrett at Rosario's for a late dinner with Kamika joining us later. I didn't realize how many places we've been that we now want to revisit, all because of the races. We've eaten here 5 times in the last three years.

Saturday, December 5th.
We had a civilized 9 AM start for the 10K on Saturday. The short walk to the starting line at the Alamodome was chilly, but sunny. Drew was ready to get some miles in to test the scooter. 

The 10K course is pretty flat and so far this year I PRed at the 5K and half marathon distances. Why not make it a clean sweep? When I decide to push a race, there aren't many pictures, if any. It was a good 10K and I took nearly 3 minutes off my previous PR. 

Race 1 done. Photo op with Joe who volunteered to hand out water for the finishers. Truly a class act.

Al helped Drew navigate the brick roads near the Alamo in the early miles. Susan and Kamika stayed with Drew for the last 4. I'm really glad I went back out to catch this picture. It'll be 6 weeks until I see most of these friends again.

One down. One more to finish the year.

Post race lunch was at Charlie Wants a Burger. With pretty much everyone on the TourPass circuit doing the Remix, it wasn't surprising that we'd run into a lot of them. This group? 240+ Heavy Medal races in the RNR series this year alone. Pretty incredible.

Dinner was back at The County Line because of the long waits everywhere on the Riverwalk. The menu is a carnivore's dream, but surprisingly Susan-friendly. Baked potatoes, grilled veggies and another Kahlua brownie with apple cobbler and we were set. We called it early to make the 6 AM parking lot closure the next morning.  We went with our throwback Half Fanatics jerseys for the occasion. With over 13,000 members, being #1731 and #1732 makes us old-timers. The bibs are courtesy of a club we recently joined. If you have more than 10 half marathons complete, check out the 100 Half Marathons club. They have some great member only discounts and are in the process of redesigning the club's shirts and singlets.

Thanks, Joe, for the thoughtful card and gift card!

Sunday, December 6th. Our 100th Half Marathon

We splurged for VIP this weekend to take advantage of gear check and a great seat for the headliner concert afterwards. Temps started in the high 40's. Susan actually shocked herself with how cold her hands were when she crossed her arms for this picture.

One of my favorite race memories was sharing a space blanket on the bridge at Rock n Roll Montreal in 2013. It seems we were walking down memory lane a lot in San Antonio.

Michelle added one more race so she could make San Antonio her 100th half. That weekend was raining and cold, so I feel kinda guilty about applying peer pressure.

OK, not really. 

The back bibs drew a lot of attention. We counted about as many 'congratulations' on the race as the halfs we've completed.

Parts of racing that we love. Where else can you take a selfie with the elites of the craft? Olympian and Boston Marathon winner Meb was also cheering people on after the 10K the day before. I gave him a high five at mile 5.

This was not a push race. I wanted to finish with Susan, so I was taking time out for pictures. We caught Kamika in his usual place - just over the starting line so he could see all his friends off.  Cue crazy faces.

Two years ago in the early miles of SA2LV we passed this building.  Susan swears she doesn't remember it. Heh.

Two years ago, Al took a picture with a guy in a pink pig costume with an air conditioning unit in his rear end. This year, no pig, so we settled for the restaurant sign. We may try their food next year when we come back. Susan may pass.

We weren't the only ones celebrating a milestone. Lida was finishing her 100th FULL marathon in San Antonio. Her Superwoman costume came complete with a cape with a huge 100 on the back.

I'm not usually one for planning moments like these, but with such a big achievement looming, I made sure I let Susan know it was coming. Thanks to Al for capturing the moment and for Ann for the wonderful shout out (and the goofy dance off).

Al was juggling two phones at the time. Here's the picture centered.

Our 100th half was in the books. All that was left was collecting the hardware. Mindy and Amy had a busy day handing out Gold Records and Hall of Fame microphones.

We thanked Tracy and Josh for all the work they did to keep Rock n Roll going and making it a great experience. The thank-you scroll to the CGI staff that was signed by the Heavy Medalists at the expo is on the way to headquarters as we speak.

Drew finished his half in a little over three hours. Word has it he even got a phone number from a young lady who helped him get his scooter up the hill at mile 9. The Stairway to Seven was well earned. He skipped the Dallas half the following week to heal.

As the headliner (Third Eye Blind) started playing, it was easier to dance without the pound and a half of metal around our necks. Our table looked like a high stakes poker game. If you think about it, each of those medals probably conservatively cost us upwards of $7500 in races, air fare, hotel, meals and swag.

Milestones are big deals. I get that now. Sometimes a big goal looks so intimidating you have to break it down into smaller steps. Ten years ago, we had no idea we'd be looking up and seeing our 100th anything when it came to races.

Now we're looking forward... to the next 100.

~//~

Rock n Roll San Antonio was held for the 9th time under the Rock n Roll name in 2015. This was the second year CGI offered the 10K Remix. There were 18,845 total finishers (2,506 in the full marathon, 12,053 in the half, 2,282 in the 10K and 2,004 in the 5K). In addition to Meb (CGI VP or Running), elites Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan and Amy Hastings were on hand for tune ups leading up to Olympic trials.

Not much has changed in the course in the last few years for the half marathon. The first 10K go through downtown and the last 10K go up the hills through Trinity College. Starting temps for the last three years have ranged from the high 40's to the mid 50's ending in the low to high 60's. It hasn't rained on us since we've raced there.

Big congrats go to our friends who had memorable races in San Antonio.  After setting the goal to run 20 RNR events this year, Amy H. capped off the year with her first full marathon.  Victory Headstand Runner, Jim D. dedicated his marathon to his uncle who passed away last year. Jim set a PR by over 8 minutes. Kudos this weekend also go to Mitch G. for completing a marathon in the last of the 50 states (plus DC). Mitch completed the circuit at Honolulu on December 13th.

We've already signed up for 14 Rock n Roll Races in 2016. San Antonio is on the schedule. We'll be waiting for the schedule to firm up in October - either SoCal or Vancouver - to figure out the 15th.