CRC Annual Meeting - 11/20/2011

Sunday 11/20/2011 Charlotte Running Club is conducting our first annual meeting. We strongly encourage each member to attend. Since the meeting is open to the public, family and friends are welcome to attend as well. A couple of logistics and then the agenda:

Location: Run For Your Life store in SouthPark.
4722-G Sharon Road, Charlotte, NC 28210
980.224.8702 980.224.8702 Location Map

Time: 1pm - we will be doing a short all paces group run a little after 1pm. K-Swiss run test shoes will be available to try out on your run. Carolina's Sports Clinic will be available for post run massages! The Panthers game will be on in the store.
2pm - Start of annual meeting.

Agenda:

• Call to Order


• Thank you


• CRC Goals and Mission


• 2011 Year in Review


• 2011 Finances


• 2012 Charlotte Running Club Board Announced


• 2012 Next Steps


• 2012 Finance Improvements


• 2012 Draft Budget


• Question/Answer


• Other
  1/28/12 CRC 8k Race at McAlpine Park
  CRC Point Series
  
  Thank you to our 2011 Board Members
  Aaron Linz
  Caitlin Chrisman
  Billy Shue
  Ben Hovis
  Emily Barrett
  Jamie Dodge
  Scott Helms
  Jason Holder
  Allen Strickland
  
  Thank you to all our 2012 candidates
  Val Matena
  Aaron Linz
  Chad Randolph
  Billy Shue
  Mike Beigay
  Ben Hovis
  Tom Patania
  Adam Mayes
  Jamaar Valentine
  Scott Helms
  Bill Shires
  Caitlin Chrisman
  Emily Barrett
  Carolyn Maye
  
  
  Thank you to contributors in 2011
  Eimear Goggin – Website
  Bill Shires – Race Results
  Mike Kahn – Media Specialist
  Rebecca Thomason – CRC house, beer mile
  
  Charlotte Running Club Goals
  Maintained and updated by each board each year
  
  2011 Goals
  Set world record in 5K X 100 relay competition
  Expand team competitions
  Establish regularly scheduled and consistent social events
  Launch an annual race
  Appoint a volunteer coordinator
  Begin developing relationships with other regional and national running Clubs
  Develop a system of ordering and distributing branded apparel
  
  2014 Goals
  Have an established annual race
  Have a defined mentor/coaching sys-tem in place
  Purchase a race timing system
  Have a system for measuring success of group runs
  Have criteria in place for relationships with local and national vendors interested in sponsorship / partnership
  
  2016 Goals
  Have a firm sustainable management structure
  Be a regionally recognized and respected running Club
  Field a sponsored elite team
  
  Mission
  CRC guiding principles that board decisions should always adhere to
  
  The Charlotte Running Club's Mission is:
  Help members become more consistent
  Motivate
  Create a sense of camaraderie
  Help members meet running goals
  
  
  2011 Year in Review
  The 2011 CRC Board goal has been to establish a foundation for the future. As a major part of that effort, we continue to talk about sustainable activities. We have a tremendous amount of energy throughout the Club and want to ensure we are taking smart steps forward that align with our Club mission and vision. By doing so, the Charlotte Running Club will continue to support the needs of the running community for many years into the future.
  
  2011 Actions Defined and Approved
  · Mission Statement
  · Vision Statement
  · 1/2/5 year plan
  · Bylaws
  · Yearly Budget
  · Nomination and Election Process
  · Membership fees and membership process
  · Renewed USATF Club membership
  · Joined RRCA
  
  2011 Accomplishments
  · Planned and broke the world record for the 100x5k
  · Water stop volunteers for Firecracker 5k
  · Thunder Road Marathon Course Marshals for Dilworth area
  · Spring Annual Social at French Quarter
  · Fall Marathon Social at Tyber Creek
  · Cinco de Mayo Club Birthday/Tequila Quarter
  · Club picnic at Beatty Park / Michael Kahn’s residence
  · Beer Mile
  · Implemented Sunday fun runs out of Freedom park
  · Blue Ridge Relay sponsored team
  · Club gear available online – spring and fall lines
  · Upgraded Club gear quality based on member feedback
  · Streamlined the newsletter process and moved to a monthly eNewsletter
  · Archived old Club newsletters and posted to the web
  · Streamlined race results software and process
  · Conducted a Club survey and took actions on results, summary results to be published before year end
  · Completed monthly board meetings including a January retreat to Asheville and a spring retreat to Concord. No Club funds were used in Ashville. Gear profits were used to cover meeting space and dinner in Concord
  · Redesigned CRC blog to add more information and increase the diversity of runner spotlights
  · Continued relationship management with local specialty running stores
  · Overhauled Group Run listing to present in several different manners, include all runs in the Charlotte region regardless of whether CRC or not and finalizing plan to continue to better communicate, support, and grow group runs
  · Maintained website, blog, and Facebook with timely Club information and general local running information and awareness
  · Maintained an average of less than 2 days to respond to any Club member, or other inquires to our Club email
  · Began planning for Club race in 2012
  · Successfully managed the transition of responsibilities from Jay Holder to the rest of the Board after he moved

CRC success at Spinx Marathon - Race Recap

Marathon Recap of Greenville Spinx Marathon (10-29-2011) by Matt McGuire. Congrats Matt on a terrific race and thank you for sharing.

Growing up in Boston, my end goal for my running career was always running in the Boston Marathon. After a mystery injury sidelined me during my Junior and Senior year of college (as well as 4 years afterwards) I didn't think I would be able to achieve that goal. Then just as randomly as the injury showed up, it disappeared, and I started to get back into running. After a few successful months, I set my sights on Boston, though I wasn't quite sure about the whole qualifying thing.

I found a training plan online and starting my training. A few months later I was running in my first race since college, the Baltimore Marathon. With a little help from a pace group, I crossed the finish line at 3:09:30, right under the qualifying time for Boston. I immediately started my training for Boston and couldn't wait for April to roll around. Boston was everything I thought it would be, with a huge after party from my family and everything. On top of all that, I got a new PR, crossing the line in 3:07:10. With that goal crossed off my list, I had to figure out what was next. 3 hours, thats what.

Only problem was, I still didn't quite know how to train for a marathon. I decided I needed to find some people who knew what they were doing, and came across the CRC online. I started running Tuesday mornings at the Miner's run, and enjoyed having some fellow runners to push me for once. Ben Hovis was then kind enough to put together a plan for me, which proved to be very successful. My mileage topped out at 74 miles vs. 50 the marathons prior, I added speed work and took my long runs well below the 8 minute pace my previous online plans recommended.

I picked Greenville Spinx Marathon because it was local, it would be a lot more low-key than Boston and my wife could do the half marathon too. Thankfully, the weather was perfect, low/mid 40s, sunny, and the rain that was there all night before had left. I decided I was gonna break the race up into 5 mile chunks to manage my times a little better but also allow myself to respond to how I felt and not micromanage it too much. There were about 600 runners for the marathon, and I found myself starting on, well, the starting line.

I went out with the lead group of 15 or so and went through the 1st 2 miles at 6:10 pace. Then I settled in with 2 other runners and went through 5 miles at 32:30, 1:50 under pace and feeling really good after my taper the last 2 weeks.

Miles 4 to 8 I was pretty much 20 seconds between the guy in front and the guy behind me. I took a pit stop at mile 8, and quickly caught up with a pack of 4 that had passed me during my stop. I ran with these guys from mile 9 to mile 16. I went through mile 10 in 1:07:26, 1:13 under pace. I was still feeling really good, and felt that staying with this group would be beneficial through mile 20. Miles 10-15 had the only hills that the course really had and I went through mile 15 at 1:42:13, :46 under pace.

I had to make a choice around mile 16, and decided for another quick pit stop, which dropped me about 30 seconds behind the group. I was pretty much by myself for the remainder of the race, and that includes the spectators. I think I had passed 2 since mile 8. I picked up the pace to try and catch back up, but they had also picked up the pace as well. It was about to get a little lonely.

Right around mile 18, I felt my hamstrings tighten up, first my right, and then a mile later my left. They continued to get progressively tighter as it went on. I came through mile 20 at 2:14:58, 2:20 under pace, and I felt really good about breaking the 3hr mark. With the 2 mile always being my track event, I decided to turn the last 6.2 into 3 2 mile runs. Mile 22 was 2:28:59, 2:03 under. Mile 23 put me in at an 8:45 split, which made me very nervous. I didn't find out until Mile 24 that it must have been mismarked, but I had fallen well off the pace during that 2 mile stretch. I was only 2 seconds under pace through 24, and my hamstrings were hurting!

Mile 26 was uphill through downtown and I was glad to finally see some other runners and spectators for some extra energy! I came through 26 at 2:58:30, dead even to the pace, and I knew I had to move it. It was right about there where it merged with the half marathon, so all of a sudden I had to dodge other runners. I may or may not have yelled once when I got cut off as I tried to go into my sprint.

The race finished around the warning track of a minor league baseball stadium (side note - it's a replica of Fenway Park, so being from Boston, that was pretty cool) and I could see the clock ahead. I went into full sprint mode, my calves getting completely locked up, and I pushed through it to cross the line in 2:59:57! 2 seconds to spare! Then I had the awesome feeling of accomplishment and severe pain, but I was excited to be able to call myself a sub-3hr marathoner! I ended up finishing 8th overall, and 1st in my age group, which one me a SWEET coffee mug! haha

Thanks again to everyone from the CRC and all my running buddies that helped push me through all the miles and to help me reach my goal! You guys are a great group!

Marathon Inspiraton - Josh Lemke Chicago 2011 Recap

Josh Lemke Recap of 2011 Chicago Marathon (editors note: Great job Josh and thank u for sharing)

I’ve eagerly awaited February 1st’s arrival for the past five years for one reason and one reason only; it was time to register for the Chicago Marathon. As February 2nd rolled around each year I would tell myself that this year I would dedicate myself to my training and actually stick with it as well. This year turned out to be a little different…

It was a chilly morning in February as I showed up for a Wednesday morning run at the Dowd YMCA with the Charlotte Running Club. I found myself apprehensive as I walked through the entryway to the Dowd as I had no idea as what to expect. In the previous years I’ve participated I trained on my own. I had never run with a group let alone a club dedicated to running, or “running club.” I first met Michael Kahn as I ventured my way through the brightly lit hallway. He was excited that another member was joining for a Wednesday run. Apparently the attendance wasn’t as good on Wednesdays as it was on Thursdays. Michael then introduced me to Chad Crockford, Justin Breland and Jason Martin.

It was 6 a.m. as we set out for our run. As I fell towards the back of the group I quickly realized that these guys were out of my league. They immediately started talking about their sub 3 hour marathon times, running Boston and next weekend’s tempo run. “What’s a tempo run,” I thought, I had no idea. As they carried on chatting back and forth on a run that seemed effortless, I was struggling to keep up and began praying that the run would only be 4 or 5 miles. As we pulled back into the “Y,” 8 miles later, out of breath, legs sore and my heart pounding, I immediately knew that this year, this year would be my year.

Let me give a quick recap of my previous Chicago Marathons.

2007: My goal – Break 4 hours. The marathon was cancelled mid-run after a record breaking heat wave that killed one person and sent more than 350 to the hospital. I finished before the race was called in a time of 3:47:01.

2008: My goal – Break 3:40. It was only 7 minutes faster, certainly I could do that. I finished with one second to spare in 3:39:59.

2009: My goal – Break 3:30. It was cold this year. Low 30’s at the start. I dropped my gloves a little too early and my hands were freezing! I finished in 3:29:24.

2010: My goal – Faster than last year. My little brother ran the race with me this year. For the first time I started in the open corral and it was a madhouse. My 4th marathon, his 1st. I edged him out by 7 seconds finishing in 3:48:02. Disappointment set in…

2011: My goal – This was my year!!!

On every training run you quickly learn that almost every day you will be asked, “What is your goal?” I stated that my goal was a “Low 3 hours.” The goal I really wanted but highly doubted was 3:05. The hail mary of goals, the goal I desperately wanted yet hardly considered was to beat 3 hours.

Chicago Marathon 2011

4am – Alarm goes off, I quickly jump out of bed, push ‘brew’ on the hotel coffee pot that I had set the night before and get in the shower.

4:20am – Sipping my coffee and eating a bagel with peanut butter.

4:30am – I told my partner, Matthew, and friends (Kyle, Josh, and Philip) that were there to cheer me on that I wanted to leave the hotel by 5am, I am getting antsy and send text messages to make sure everyone is up and moving.

4.50am – I am down in the lobby texting again to see if they are coming down.

6:10am – We make it to the Balbo Hospitality tent where there is a private gear check and port o potties. A must have in Chicago as the lines are a mile long!

6:20am – Apply body glide, band aids on the nipples, check my gear, and use the restroom for the 15th time, just to be sure.

6:45am – Stretching and pacing, stretching and pacing.

6:50am – Make my way to the B Corral and like every year it is a mad house trying to get there, and there is fear in everyone’s eyes that they will close the gates before they get into the corral!

7:15am – In the corral and waiting for the gun…nerves are getting high and I think I may have to use the restroom again, yikes!

7:45am – The gun goes off and I am shooting for a 6:50 pace which would put me right at 3 hours.

Mile 1 – Even though I am in the B corral the crowd is still tight and I am trying to make my way through. First mile complete in 7:20. I am not off to a good start and am feeling frantic, wait, its only mile one. Chill out!

Mile 2 – The crowd has not cleared out, at all, but I manage to pull off a 6:40 mile. This is much better and I try to settle into my pace.

Mile 3-8 – I am cruising along, enjoying the scene, I was expecting to see my cheer squad around mile 3 but the crowd was a dozen deep and it was impossible to find anyone. I’m pulling off 6:45 miles, give or take a few seconds and I am very happy and feeling great.

Mile 9 - Approaching Boystown and from previous years and training runs I know that at this time is when I like to have someone to run with. I see a guy in front of me that looks like he is going at a good clip. I run up with him and ask his goal. “Sub 3” was his response. Quickly compare times and I am about 10 seconds ahead of him. Perfect! Greg was my new best friend!

Mile 10-17 - We chat back forth a little bit and quickly agree that there will be no more talking. With each passing mile we smile at each other seeing that we are on pace for sub 3 hours.

Mile 18 – This is where I begin to break down every year…”This is my year…This is my year…” Feeling pretty good!!

Mile 19 – Ok, now I am starting to feel it. With each bend of the legs I am beginning to feel a sharp pain in my knees. This is my year, forget the pain. Still on pace for sub 3 hours. “Is this real?”

Mile 20 – Greg is starting to pull away.

Mile 21 – Push it for the next 60 seconds and catch back up with Greg. Don’t let him go. Holy cow my legs are really starting to hurt…but I catch Greg and run a 6:51 mile. Still on pace for 3 hours.

Mile 22 – 24 – I lose Greg again and my legs are really hurting. With each push off I feel a Charlie horse on the verge of taking over my calves. I try running without bending my legs too far. My miles are starting to edge above 7 minutes and I slowly see the 3 hour mark slipping away. I dig deep and try to pick it up but the legs win and I simply cannot push any harder.

Mile 24 - 26 – Quickly I am computing times in my head to make sure I am going to hit my 3:05 goal. I realize that even if I do 8:30 miles I will definitely make it. I have a feeling of relief and exhilaration pour over me but at the same time I want to continue to push my body to its limit. This is my year and I am not leaving anything behind on Michigan Ave.

The Home Stretch - As I make the 2nd to last turn up Roosevelt, the only hill on the course, I pick it up as much as I possibly can. To me it was agony; to everyone else it probably didn’t appear I was moving any faster than I was moments earlier. I make the final turn down Columbus towards the finish line and it is hard to believe that I am actually going to break 3:05.

As I cross the finish line, my first thought is, “Next year, I will go sub 3.”

Official Time: 3:02:45

I would like to say a special thank you to everyone in the Charlotte Running Club for your support, guidance, and motivation. Thanks to Matthew, my friends and family for their continued support of my running. A very special thanks to everyone who made a donation to “Time Out Youth” in support of my fundraising efforts this year. In total I raised over $3,500. If you did not get to make a donation and would like to please click on the following link: http://www.networkforgood.org/pca/Badge.aspx?BadgeId=115215%20

MARATHON RECAP: “THE QUEST FOR SUB-THREE IN D.C.”

There’s something about the days leading up to a marathon that makes me question whether I truly have what it takes to conquer the distance. Maybe it’s the fact that I never actually run the full distance in training. Maybe it’s the memory of hitting the wall in a past marathon. Or maybe it’s the two-week taper after months of high mileage that leaves me feeling restless and uneasy. The Marine Corps Marathon would be my fourth marathon since the first in 2008, yet the same fears and anxiety I felt running my debut marathon would still race through my mind. Sure, I had increased my training mileage, added essential quality workouts to the rotation, and improved my 5k and Half Marathon PRs since last year…but it’s still the marathon, and everybody knows that “anything can happen in a marathon.”

In the beginning of 2011, I set three goals for myself: Run a sub 18-minute 5k, Win a road race, and Run a sub 3-hour marathon. With two goals checked off the list, only one goal remained. And so, after months of tempo runs, Dilworth Speed Loop workouts, and CRC Group Long Runs, I made the trip up to D.C. with my site set on achieving a new PR of “2 hours and change.”
My wife and I arrived in D.C. with the threat of rain, sleet and snow in the weekend forecast. After being snowed out of the Myrtle Beach Marathon in 2010, I was not about to miss another marathon due to snow. Fortunately, all signs pointed to the storm clearing out by Sunday which put my worries at ease.

Since Saturday’s conditions were not conducive to site-seeing, I decided to map out a race strategy in the hotel room while Kristen ran 9-miles around D.C. in the cold rain to prepare for her first half-marathon (so proud of her!). Based on my current fitness level and past experience running marathons, I went into this race thinking 2:56 to 2:59 would be an acceptable target finish range. I wrote down the following pre-race goals:
1) Take it easy the first mile to warm up the muscles, lock into a nice comfortable rhythm around 6:40 pace and hit the half between 1:27-1:28.
2) Stay concentrated on maintaining pace during Miles 14-20 and aim to hit the 20-mile mark around 2:13. Don’t let goal pace slip away by losing focus.
3) During the last 6 miles, visualize running “an easy six down to Freedom Park and back to the house.” Count down the miles to go rather than the miles already run.
4) Fuel with Clif Bloks at 6.5, 10.5, 15.5, and 21 followed by water (since these points precede the water station areas).

Saturday afternoon we met up with my in-laws and took the Metro downtown to pick up my bib and do a little site-seeing in the city. While they wanted to check out the Spy Museum, I convinced them to go to the “Museum of Crime & Punishment” instead. I figured if I saw some of the crazy things they did to torture people back in Medieval Times, maybe 26.2 miles wouldn’t feel so bad the next day? Afterwards, it was off to eat some pasta downtown and back to the hotel early so that I would be well rested for the big test the next morning.
I woke up at 5:30am on race morning after a surprisingly good night of sleep, downed a Clif Bar with some coffee and toast, and got ready so we could leave the hotel by 6:30. All I have to say is good thing we left early! Getting to the start line took a lot longer than I thought as thousands of runners made the 2-mile walk from the Metro stop through security and to the start line. Fortunately, we had timed everything perfectly as I got to the front corral with 15-minutes to spare. After a short welcome speech by Drew Carey (who actually jumped in and ran the marathon), the starting WWII Cannon fired away and we were off and running….let’s do this!
As amped up as I felt at the start, I remembered my race plan and decided to take it easy for the first mile to get warmed up. I hit Mile 1 in 6:43…perfect! Next on the agenda was to try lock in goal pace. I stopped looking at my watch and tried listening to what my body wanted to do. Mile 2 was an uphill which I hit in 6:35 (Wow, 6:30’s never felt so easy after tapering!). From this point on, I assumed 6:30’s would feel less and less easy…not the case at all. Miles 3 and 4 flew by in 6:24 and 6:10. At this point I decided to ditch 6:40 goal pace and just run based on feel. When I crossed over Key Bridge into Georgetown, I got an extra boost of confidence seeing Chad & Danielle Crockford cheering “Go CRC!” (Very cool seeing some CRC representation out there!).

After hitting Mile 5 in 6:24 and Mile 6 in 6:35, it was time to climb up the long hill on Canal Rd. I took my first installment of Clif Bloks and starting climbing. Since I knew this was the last significant climb I would experience, I decided to take it easy on the way up and crush the downhill section. The plan worked out great as I ascended Mile 7 in 6:48, followed by a fast 6:29 (M8) and 6:17 (M9)…feeling great!

My wife and in-laws were waiting for me just before Mile 9. I passed my gloves off and continued onward out of Georgetown. Shortly after seeing Kristen, I was greeted again by Chad & Danielle at the 15k mark where they snapped a photo of me. If you notice, I have a big smile on my face. This is not only because I saw my friends from Charlotte, but because the digital clock behind Chad was displaying 1:00:52 (6:32 pace!)…so much for 6:40’s!
At this point, I knew the course would be mostly flat the rest of the way so I decided it would be a good time to try and be more consistent with my pace. My strategy worked well as I hit the next four miles in 6:33 (M10), 6:28 (M11), 6:31 (M12), and 6:37 (M13). [Note: Stone Temple Pilots cover band at Mile 11 got me fired up which might explain the slightly faster 6:28 split...props to MCM for delivering some quality live bands!].

At last, the half-way digital clock greeted me towards the turnaround point…1:25:47!! Talk about a confidence boost. I was way ahead of my 1:27 goal and feeling confident. Next, the course would head north where I immediately noticed a headwind in my face which made it slightly harder to maintain pace. Despite the wind, I managed to roll off some steady splits hitting 6:36 (M14), 6:37 (M15), and 6:39 (M16) while taking my scheduled Clif Bloks along the way.

With the headwind behind me, it got a whole lot easier heading east towards the National Mall section. Not only did I get to see Kristen again, but I got to see all the famous D.C. landmarks up close. Fan support was excellent during this section as well, which covered Miles 17 to 20. Feeding off the energy of the surroundings, I hit my splits in 6:31 (M17), 6:32 (M18), 6:39 (M19), 6:45 (M20).

Just before the bridge, the 20-mile mark displayed 2:11:45 (6:35 pace!) which was well ahead of my 2:13 goal and 6 minutes ahead of sub-3 hour pace. At this point, I knew Sub 3 hours was pretty much in the bag. Not only was I way ahead of goal pace, but I still felt really good (which had not been the case at Mile 20 in past marathons). I took my last portion of Clif Bloks and headed over the bridge for the last 6.2 miles….almost there!
The last 6 miles were pretty much whatever my body gave me. I didn’t want to get too greedy since I knew I’d hit my goal, so I decided to hit the cruise control at a “comfortably-hard” pace. Not too ambitious, but not too easy. I hit my next four miles in 6:46 (M21), 6:46 (M22), 6:39 (M23), and 6:54 (M24).

With only 2 miles to go, the cumulative effect of 24 miles on my legs combined with the headwind in my face heading up Highway 110 started to take its toll. I tried my best to just zone out and slug forward hitting Mile 25 in 7:08 and Mile 26 in 7:02 (these would be the only splits over 7 minutes for the entire race). Finally, I could hear the crowds cheering as I turned towards the Marine Corps Memorial. Time to finish strong!! …Well, not exactly. It turns out there’s a nice little climb to the finish which ruins any attempt to step up the pace. I would have to settle for 7-minute pace at the finish, but I didn’t care at this point. At last, I crossed the finish line in 2:55:01, a full five minutes under 3-hours….GOAL ACCOMPLISHED!!!
Overall, my performance exceeded all expectations. Considering all the things that could go wrong in a marathon, I would say the day couldn't have gone any better. I'm not sure what my next goal will be in terms of marathoning. For now, I am going to sit back and enjoy accomplishing a huge milestone!

Special thanks to the Charlotte Running Club community for supporting and motivating me throughout my training. And of course my awesome wife who has always been my #1 fan!
Garmin Stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125455727