Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Who's Racing This Weekend

This weekend has athletes from Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team running every distance from 5km to 10km to marathon to ultramarathon to multi-day ultra marathon, showing the diversity of talent with the team.



On Saturday, Rob Youngren and Eric Charette will start their attempt to set the Fastest Known Time on the 335 mile Pinhoti Trail. Youngren and Charette have created a website to track the progress of the effort which can be found at http://pinhotitrailadventurerun.blogspot.com/ They plan on averaging 50-60 miles per day which if everything goes according to plan, would put them on the northern terminus on the 7th day of running.  Full details of the run can be found here.

The team will be supported daily by crew chief Josh Kennedy and will be joined by team mates Joey Butler, Eric Fritz, Blake Thompson, Dink Taylor and Kathy Youngren serving as auxillary crew or pacers.



(From the Strolling Jim 40M website): For 32 years, the first Saturday in May has meant one thing in the scenic hills of Bedford County, Tennessee; the return of the Ultra-Marathoners. And the Ultra-Marathoners have kept coming back. Coming back to stroll the quiet streets of Wartrace and Bell Buckle, enjoying the picturesque homes and quaint shops. Coming back to celebrate the end of winter with a run in the inspiring springtime beauty of the Highland Rim. Coming back to be a part of one of the US most competitive road ultras, and to match their times against the fastest runners of the past 32 years. Coming back to strive for a coveted Gold Shirt. Coming back to feast on the bountiful repast at both pre- and post- run festivities. But, most of all, the Ultra-Marathoners keep coming back because, at the Strolling Jim (40 miler), every runner is a hero, an honored guest, and a welcomed friend.

Competing from the team are Joey Butler, Eric Fritz, Dink Taylor, Tim Vinson, DeWayne Satterfield and Kathy Youngren.



In Ohio, Lisa Rawlings and David Rawlings will be running the Flying Pig Marathon.  This great 26.2 miler looks to be soggy as weather forecasts call for 70% chance of rain all weekend.  David is a mere 42 seconds away from a Boston Qualifying time, so wish him luck.



In Madison, Joe Francica will be running the Run Through the Roses 10km.  This 1st Annual event starts at Bob Jones High School and rolls over the gentle hills of Madison.  Joining Joe is fellow team mate Katie Maehlmann.  Katie has been training in the early morning hours with a group of gals from Madison known as the "Crazy Girls" who are all running the race.



In Huntsville, Christy Scott and Linda Scavarda will be joining the Fleet Feet Cupcakes running the relay for life at John Hunt Park. This all night event looks to have some fun games and all night entertainment.



Shane O'Neill will seek out a gavel (award) at the Law Day 5km. This course is flat and fast and hosted by the Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association.



In Decatur, Jon Elmore and Eric Schotz will be looking for the win at the Steeple Chase 8km. This new event runs past many of the historic churches in town, thus the label 'steeplechase'.



Whitney Hollingsworth will be heading west to Corinth, Mississippi where she will be running the 29th Annual Coca-Cola Classic 10km.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Weekend Results

The weather was the story this weekend as it seem to plague events across the Tennessee Valley. This included the cancellation of the Big 5km in Huntsville and a weather shortened Country Music Marathon for those not on 4:30 marathon pace or better.

The Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team from Huntsville was still very successful all weekend long despite the rainy and windy conditions.



In Nashville at the Country Music Marathon, Shane O'Neill ran a steady race, finishing 25th overall and 1st in his division with a 1:21:33. In the full marathon, Eric Patterson ran 3:07:28 and notched another Boston Qualifying time in 43rd overall place. Lori Jandreau ran 3:31:30 and finished as 38th female overall.

Full Results Here



In Lakeland, Florida on the last day of the RRCA convention, Huntsville Track Club president David Purinton ran the Race the Lakes 10km and was 1st masters and an impressive 2nd overall.



In Muscle Shoals, Eric Charette ran the 6th Annual Swampers 5km and finished 3rd overall in a field of over 300 runners. This race had chip timing provided by team members Eric Schotz and Jon Elmore.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Racing Team in Action

Coming off an impressive weekend of overall wins in three local races and some big marathon marathon finishes at Boston, the Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team from Huntsville is headed back to the roads for more short and long  distance races.

In Nashville, Eric Patterson and Lori Jandreau will represent Huntsville in the Country Music MarathonShane O'Neill will be looking to PR at the half marathon distance. 




David Purinton will be in Lakeland, Florida this weekend attending the RRCA convention as a representative of the Huntsville Track Club.  While there, he will be racing the Race the Lakes 10km on Saturday.


In Madison, Linda Scavarda and Madelyn Patton will be lacing up the Nike's for the Big 5km.



Good luck to the entire team where ever your travels may take you.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Weekend Results

Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team Huntsville runners took overall wins in Huntsville (twice) and Hartselle this weekend in impressive fashion. On Monday in Boston, Fleet Feet owner Dink Taylor and new team member Tim Vinson took on the 114th Boston Marathon. Tim went out hard at just over 6 minute pace and was able to hold onto it through the Newton Hills and go on to run an amazing 2:41:20, placing him 235th of 25,000 and 8th in his age group. Dink ran 2:57:32 putting him in the top one thousand runners. Outstanding performances on both their parts. Be sure to give them a heroes welcome when you see them next!
On Sunday at the Spring Zing 5km, Eric Charette and Jon Elmore ran 17:23 and 17:46 respectively, on a warm and windy course in Huntsville for 1st and 2nd place overall. The race was a benefit for the Montessori School. Official Results
At the Cookie Dash 5km new team member Brandon York continues to impress with a sweeping victory over the rest of the field. Brandon ran a 15:46 on a very challenging course and beat the nearest competitor by 67 seconds. Shane O'Neill notched another 3rd place overall with a 17:17 and David Purinton took overall masters with a 17:36. Whitney Hollingsworth was top master and top female overall and Lisa Rawlings was 3rd place female. There were 421 finishers in the race. Overall Team Results 1 Brandon York, 24 15:47 3 Shane O'Neill, 37 - 5:34 4 David Purinton, 42 - 17:36 6 Marty Clarke, 48 - 18:13 8 Conrad Meyer, 45 - 19:02 9 Joe Francica, 54 - 19:11 10 Brett Wilks, 30 - 19:14 12 Randy McFarland, 49 - 19:39 13 David Rawlings, 38 - 19:42 29 Whitney Hollingswort, 46F - 21:43 33 Lisa Rawlings, 34F - 22:03 Official Results Brett Wilks at the finish.
In Harstelle at the PD Foot Pursuit 5km, the duo of Elmore and Schotz were back at it and topping the podium once again. This time it was Jon Elmore taking the top spot with a time of 17:52 and Eric Schotz taking 2nd overall. The dominance of these guys west of the Tennessee River continues week in and week out.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Alabama State 50 Mile Record

Christy Scott sets 50 Mile State Record



Buck Jones, the Alabama State Record Keeper from the USATF has approved the use of 50 mile spilts in 12 hour events as official state records, given they meet all certification guidelines.  This means that those running in the Delano 12 hour race in Decatur, Alabama from last month are eligible for state records.

Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team member Christy Scott ran a time of 09:45:29 which is the new state age record for  35 year old females.  Congratulations to Christy on her first state record!

More details can be found on the State Running Records website here. A special thanks to Eric Schotz as race director of Delano 12 for following through with Buck to ensure that this record time was eligible.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Racing Team in Action

This is a very slow weekend for races compared to the half dozen that the Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team Huntsville competed in last weekend.

Nationally, Fleet Feet owner Dink Taylor and team mate Tim Vinson take the team to Boston for the 114th Boston Marathon.  You can follow them online with bib numbers 1669 (Dink) and 1382 (Tim).  Bib numbers less than 2000 are typically for athletes qualifying with times after than 2:55 so Dink and Tim will be in fast company.

On tap locally is the Cookie Dash 5km, a rolling hill road course in Southeastern Huntsville. This race is on the Huntsville Track Club Gran Prix circuit and features two cone turn arounds and a cul-de-sac before a fast downhill finish before runners indulge in thousands of cookies and brownies.  I don't have an exact count of who is racing, but Brett Wilks and Randy McFarland have committed and I imagine that the usual suspects will be there, including Shane O'Neill, David Purinton and Donald Bowman for sure. I will follow up with results on Sunday.  The title sponsor for the event is Fleet Feet Huntsville.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Pinhoti Trail Adventure Run



Starting on May 1, 2010, a team of two ultra runners from Northern Alabama will attempt to set the Fastest Known Time on the 335 mile Pinhoti Trail.

In March 2008, the Pinhoti Trail was officially linked to the Appalachian Trail by way of the Benton-MacKaye Trail. In Alabama, most of the trail lies within the Talledega National Forest as it begins near Weogufka and traverses along the ridge line for 175 miles northeast to Tecumsah at the Georgia border. From there, the Georgia section of the Pinhoti Trail travels another 150 miles to the Benton MacKaye Trail, which is a connector to the Appalachian Trail.

Attempting this adventure run are Rob Youngren and Eric Charette of Huntsville, Alabama. Born in Woodland, California and attending the Virgina Military Institute for a degree if Physics, Youngren has a long history of ultra running, have completed the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning in 107 hours during 1998. Rob has completed over 130 ultra marathons in his career and more recently won the Antarctica Marathon and is a member of the Wasatch Speed Goats. Originally from Kingsford. Michigan, Charette has a degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. Eric has a more recent resume of ultra running with some impressive performances and was selected to the 2010 Team inov-8 US for ultra running.

"I've had this idea to run the Pinhoti Trail for some time now and am excited that it is now coming to fruition," noted Youngren. "The Pinhoti Trail is the 3rd longest National Recreation Trail in the United States according to American Trails and we are hoping to bring to awareness to this fantastic trail system and the volunteers who maintain it."

Guiding them along this journey and serving as crew chief will be Josh Kennedy of Huntsville, Alabama. Josh has run every section of the Alabama Pinhoti trail and with his military background he will diligently guide Youngren and Charette along their voyage. Josh himself is no stranger to long miles on the trail, having completed over 70 ultras and marathons, including a sub-24hr finish last year at the Arkansas Traveller 100 Miler.

"When Rob and Eric first approached me with this idea I was on board right away as I knew that this was going to be an epic adventure," stated Kennedy. In addition to the national trail running sponsors, the trio run locally in non-ultra distance road races for the Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team in Huntsville.

This adventure run will be an attempt to establish the Fastest Known Time (FKT) of the Pinhoti by running it end-to-end. The attempt was publicly declared on the Fastest Known Time website on December 1, 2009. In keeping with the "rules" for FKT attempts as noted by Peter Bakwin and generally accepted by the ultra running masses, Youngren and Charette have created a website to track the progress of the effort which can be found at http://pinhotitrailadventurerun.blogspot.com/ During the adventure run, near real time status updates will be made and once the event is over, all official distances and notes will be complied and documented for future attempts to break the record. Follow along with Twitter updates at http://www.twitter.com/PinhotiTrailAR.

To reach the team, please contact Josh Kennedy at (256) 541-2594 or at bamapinhotiteam@gmail.com. More information on the trail can be found at the Pinhoti Trail Alliance website http://www.pinhotitrailalliance.org/ or on the Georgia Pinhoti Trail Alliance website at http://www.georgiapinhoti.org/.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

No Go in St. Louis Go Marathon

Posted by Katie Maehlmann I invite everyone to read about my experience in the St. Louis Go Marathon on my blog, found here: http://howwerollkatiesblog.blogspot.com/ Hopefully I will have a much better race report next time!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Weekend Results

The Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team from Huntsville had another great weekend of racing across the area.

In Decatur, Shane O'Neill took 3rd overall in the 3M River City 10km race with a time of 35:13.  Finishing 2nd overall female was Candace Jacobs with a time of 37:20.

10km Team Results
3 Shane O'Neill 35:13
4 Tim Vinson 35:34
6 Marty Clarke 37:19
7 Candace Jacobs 37:20
19 Randy McFarland 41:51
20 Kathy Youngren 41:53
24 David Rawlings 42:28
46 Lisa Rawlings 44:57

In the 5km race, Eric Fritz took the overall win with a time of 20:12 for a personal best and first ever win.

Official Results



Rick Maehlmann ran 3:3945 at the Go St. Louis Marathon.  This is #16 of 50 states for Rick.  Official results for Katie are still missing online.



At the Run for Gabby 5k in Hampton Cove David Riddle ran 15:38 and besting the nearest runner by over 3 minutes.  This is a great tune up for David before Cotton Row.

Official Results



In the ingural Chick fil-a 5k in Athens, Donald Bowman ran a strong 17:11 fir 2nd overall and Eric Patterson ran 18:50, taking 4th overall amongst a strong field of 414 competitors.

Official Results



Fleet Feet owner Dink Taylor ran the Talledega half marathon Sunday morning finishing 6th overall with a time of 1:24:58.  This is a great tune up for Boston next week for Dink.



While in St. Petersburg, Florida, Eric Schotz managed to find a local 5km race right on the waterfront and brought Fleet Feet Racing to the state of Florida.  He ran 18:29, finishing 11th out of 352 runners.



Jon Elmore took the overall win at the Hartselle Art Studio and Gallery Art in Motion 5k in Hartselle, Alabama today with a time of 18:08, leading start to finish.  Jon had on his new neon green Nike Luna Racers which matched up well with his Team Fleet Feet/Nike green singlet.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Chick Fil A 5k in Athens

Posted by Eric Patterson
WOW!!! The Chick Fil A 5k blew away my expectations. This was a very successful inaugural event! Congratulations to the city of Athens and thanks to the key sponsors,Chick Fil A, Fleet Feet Huntsville, and Athens Limestone Wellness Center. I hope this generated a good income for Jessica Elkins Meningitis Awareness.
This was my first race as a member of the Nike Fleet Feet Racing team in Huntsville. It was my first race in Nike shoes, and I really liked the ride. I ran today in the LunarElite, which is the lightest shoe I've worn to date. I'm working toward running 5ks and 10ks in the LunaRacer, but I figured it wasn't a good idea to jump to such a light weight shoe with minimal support just yet. I'll graduate to those.
Pre-Race
I love leaving the door of my house and doing my warm-up run on the way to the race! Athens needs more races! I am directing the Duck and Run 5k on September 18, so come join us then! I ran into Fleet Feet Racing team mate Madelyn Patton and we did a warm up. She smoked the 5k in 21 and change and won her age group.
The Race
There were the usual kids and beginners in a race this size who jumped out to a sprint start. They were off the pace soon enough and there were just 8 people in front of me. Two were Brandon Mader and Fleet Feet team mate Donald Bowman who finished second overall. The others I caught and passed before the first turn on Bullington. Then, Justin Pruitt passed me just before the turn and I settled into 4th place, where I would remain for rest of the race. I had no idea what was going on behind me. I never looked back.
I ran on Justin's shoulder for most of the race. We hit the 1 mile split in 5:46, my fastest mile ever. Apparently, that's just a tad too fast because I wasn't able to hold that. After the turn on West Hobbs Street, there is a very slight incline. I was sure to stay close to Justin on this incline. I even made a surge to attempt to pass him, but he covered it, so I stayed behind and waited for another opportunity.
We hit the 2nd mile in 11:50, which was too slow for that second mile. Just past mile 2, I made another surge to pass and pulled even, but he covered it and pulled ahead. While even with him, I got a good look at him and knew he wasn't in my age group! He was way too young to be competing with me for the free chicken!
As we reached the courthouse square, he made a surge and pulled ahead by about 5 seconds. I did not cover and I don't know why. I have much to learn about racing. I was planning to surge on the downhill on Washington Street between Jefferson and Houston. I did, but so did he and I lost more ground on him. As we started up the hill, I was pushing, and I could tell I was losing my ability to maintain this pace. I should have pushed harder earlier. I should have covered all of Justin's surges. This isn't a difficult hill, and I run it multiple times per week. However, it sure seemed harder today!
As we turned into the parking lot, I had no idea where the finish was. I never saw the clock! But I was in the finishing chute, so I assumed I was finished. After the race, I met Justin and Brandon and confirmed that they were younger than me. :) 18:50 earned me a PR, 4th of 414 overall, and 1st of 40 in the 31-40 age group.
The weather was perfect. The Nike shoes and clothes felt great. Thanks to Fleet Feet and Nike for inviting me to join their racing team. What an honor!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Racing Team in Action

The spring road racing scene is in full swing in the southern states and the Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team from Huntsville will be competing at seven different events this weekend.

In Decatur, the flat and fast 3M River City 10km race will be held on Saturday morning.  Competing for top honors will be Shane O'Neill, Kathy Youngren, Randy McFarland, Lisa Rawlings, David Rawlings and Tim Vinson.  This year the River City Runners have also added a 5km race to the festivities and Eric Fritz will be competing at that distance.

Christy Scott will be in Kansas City for the Brew to Brew relay competing with her team to benefit Cystic Fibrosis.

Rick and Katie Maehlmann will be in St. Louis on Sunday competing in the Go St. Louis Marathon.  This is another check on the list for these two who are attempting to run a marathon in every state.  This is #16 of 50 (states) for Rick and Katie.

Chris Platt will be in Knoxville, TN this weekend at the Sea Ray Relays pacing in the 10km.

David Riddle will be at the Run for Gabby 5k in Hampton Cove.  Dink Taylor, Suzanne Taylor, Lynn Curry and Lori Jandreau will be volunteering for this race.

Madelyn Patton and Eric Patterson will be running in Athens on Saturday at the ingural Chick fil-a 5k.  Overall and age group awards are free meals at Chick fil-a.  This event benefits Meningitis awareness.

Jon Elmore will be leading the charge for the Racing Team at the Hartselle Art Studio and Gallery Art in Motion 5k in Hartselle, Alabama.  Jon will also be volunteering at the River City 10km as well.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Weekend Results

The Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team had a crazy-awesome weekend on the roads across the Tennessee Valley, dominating at three different races.  New team members had great debut races in their Fleet Feet gear.  Congrats to all who ran!


At the Oak Barrel Half Marathon  in Lynchburg, Tennessee, new team member Lori Jandreau finished 2nd female overall with a 1:37:34.  The normally tough rolling hill course also had winding conditions, slowing times but didn't seem to bother Lori as she was 37th overall out of 645.  Not to be outdone, Lisa Rawlings ran a personal best and finished as 7th overall female.  Staying with the top notch gals, Madelyn Patton also had a good race in her comeback from injury.  David Rawlings ran 1:36:46 for 32nd overall.

Official Results Here


New team member Tim Vinson had an equally impressive performance at the  Running Wild Half marathon in Cullman, AL where he cruised to the overall win in an easy 1:22:36.  In a final tune up for Boston, Tim was able to shut it down late and win by several minutes over the nearest competitor. Linda Scavarda also ran and finished as 4th female.

Official Results Here


Lastly, in Huntsville, new team member Brandon York showed his Fleet Feet off by running 26:49 and finishing 2nd overall at the Scholarship Fund Run 8K.  Donald Bowman rounded out the top 3 with a 28:27.  Candace Jacobs ran 31:03 and Kathy Youngren ran 34:02 finishing 2nd and 3rd overall for females.

Official Results Here

2 Brandon York - 26:49
3 Donald Bowman - 28:27
5 Shane O'Neill - 28:56
6 Kevin Betts - 29:01
7 David Purinton - 29:16
9 Marty Clarke - 29:51
13 Candace Jacobs - 31:03
14 Dink Taylor - 31:14
16 Conrad Meyer - 32:35
19 Rick Maehlmann - 33:37
21 Kathy Youngren - 34:02
23 Eric Fritz - 34:32
24 Randy McFarland - 34:33
29 Katie Maehlmann - 35:41
37 Whitney Hollingsworth - 36:49

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Racing Team in Action

The Nike Fleet Feet Racing Team from Huntsville has many of our athletes competing this weekend on the roads across Alabama and Tennessee at a variety of distances.


Lori Jandreau, Lisa Rawlings, David Rawlings and Madelyn Patton will be traveling to Lynchburg, TN for the Oak Barrel Half Maraton. This scenic half marathon is sponsored by Jack Daniel's.


Linda Scavarda will be looking for the overall win at the inagural running of the Running Wild Half marathon in Cullman, AL. This event is hosted by the Cullman Running Club and expands the events offered by the club from the 5km distance up to the half marathon.


The Huntsville Track Club is hosting the 2010 Scholarship Fund Run 8K on Saturday, April 3, 2010 This HTC Grand Prix Event benefiting the Huntsville Track Club's Scholarship Fund. Packet pickup and late registration will be held at Fleet Feet Sports on Friday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Contesting the 8km will be Katie Maehlmann, Rick Maehlmann, Conrad Meyer and Kathy Youngren.