2011 Little Rock Marathon Medal

Ok, I've been running races for about 11 years now.  So, I've seen a lot of great medals.  However, I was just sent a picture of this one for the upcoming Little Rock Marathon.

That is freaking awesome!!

A full marathon is not really part of my plan so close to Ironman Texas, but if I did a run - walk combo and paced myself???

Just checked Google Maps and it's about a 6-hour drive.


Considering... Race Day is Sunday, March 6.


(Please Note: Not paid to endorse any of this, it was just sent to me by a friend.)

Here's more information:

Little Rock Marathon Unveils 2011 Finisher’s Medal

(Little Rock, February 4, 2011) – Little Rock Marathon race officials unveiled the 2011 version of its marathon finisher’s medal today in Little
Rock.

The Little Rock Marathon is presented by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and will be held March 5 – 6 in downtown Little Rock.

“In 2004, Runner’s World Magazine reported that we gave out the ‘world’s largest marathon finisher’s medal,” Gina Marchese Pharis, Co-
Executive Director said. “For seven years we have been recognized as having one of the largest marathon finisher’s medals and we believe we
can still claim the title with this year’s Mythic medal.”

“We believe our marathon finishers should take home a medal that represents their achievement,” Pharis said. 

“Our race is known for its fun spirit,” Pharis said.  “Athletes come from around the world to earn our medal.   Only a handful of professional
athletes will take home a prize.  When it is all said and done, the one thing so many finishers cherish is their medal. ”

The 2011 Little Rock Marathon finisher’s medal is 7 ¾ inches long and 5 inches wide.  The medal features the 2011 “A Medal of Mythic Proportions” theme and weighs approximately 1 ½ pounds.  The medal is showcased by a custom ribbon which features the race’s signature globe, as well as race director’s “smooch”.

“We made our marathon medal a little lighter this year so our marathoners can
dance at the post race party with it on,” Pharis said.  “After going 26.2 miles that
extra pound and a half can get in the way of getting your groove on.”

According to Jon Scott of Maxwell Medals & Awards of Traverse City, MI, the
average finisher’s medal is 2.5 inches and weighs approximately 3 ounces.  

The half marathon finisher’s medal also features the 2011 race theme and is 3 ¾
inches long by 2 ½ inches wide.

Race day is Sunday, March 6.  In addition to the marathon, there is a half
marathon, presented by Baptist Health and a four-person relay marathon (26.2
miles divided into four segments), presented by the Heart of Arkansas.  

Hey there! Just received the following comment on my Hood-to-Coast blog entry. 

So, I thought I'd give it a bump to a full post, since I enjoyed the movie so much and I'm pretty impressed that the director took the time to seek out my blog to post the info:

Christoph Baaden said...

Hello Everybody, This is Christoph, director of Hood To Coast. I am so glad you liked our movie. Great news, thanks to the success of our 1-11-11 Event, Hood To Coast will be back for a one-night encore in over 100 movie theaters on Thursday 2-10-11 at 7:30 PM. Hope to see all of you at the movies on 2-10. Best, Christoph 

Additional Info from Mr. Baaden: 

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!  We are excited to announce a one-night encore performance of the running documentary Hood To Coast  in select theaters.  This is your final chance to see the Event with the Red Carpet and Expert Panel. Hood To Coast will be playing again on February 10, 2011 at 7:30pm. To find participating theaters and buy tickets, please visit www.hoodtocoastmovie.com (tickets can also be purchased at your local box office). 

This truly special film opened to rave reviews.  Hood To Coast is the largest relay in the world, where each year 1,000 teams (12,000 runners) cover 197 grueling miles as a relay, putting themselves through an arduous physical journey that as an individual would be impossible.  As Bart Yasso of Runner’s World magazine put it, “If one movie captures the Runner’s High, Hood To Coast is it!”  The film captures the love, dedication, and insanity of the every day runner as well as the excitement, pain, and humor of the unprepared first timer. Their stories are reminders that no matter who you are, you can push yourself beyond where you thought your limits were. If you have already seen the film, please tell your friends that there is another chance to see Hood To Coast  in theaters. Check out the trailer at www.hoodtocoastmovie.com. 

 

My mom & me

What an awesome race! The Bold in the Cold 15k is held in Grapevine, TX by the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers.  This was my first time running one of their races and my first time racing a 15k.  I've done pretty much every other distance -- other than an ultra -- so, it was fun to try something different and a 15k fit nicely in my Ironman Texas training schedule.

Marcy & Me Pre-Race

The name for this race didn't do it justice. "Bold" was not my 4 letter word of choice to describe the 34 degree weather at the race start and freezing wind chill. We were all so cold and there were no amount of layers that were going to keep us warm, although it was extremely comfortable once the race got underway.

The race was mostly on a very scenic trail which part of followed the shoreline of Lake Grapevine. It was gorgeous.  There were enough rolling hills to keep the course challenging. 

One of the best parts of the whole morning?  My mom ran the 5k race! It was the first time that both of us had competed at the same race together!  And, with no training... she kicked some major boo-tay! She placed third in her age group!  THIRD!  She got an awesome medal and I couldn't be more proud of her! 

Me, Jason & Allison

The other best part? I was able to meet up with IMTX training partner, Marcy at Team Village Idiots, and fellow bloggers Jason at Life of An Aspiring Triathlete and Allison at Just Tri and Finish!  I also got to meet Scott and Gary from BeginnerTriathlete.com.  Scott ran the 15k, and unfortunately his new IMAZ tattoo was covered up with compression wear- but it totally rocks!  And Gary was out on the course taking pictures.

Marcy's mom ran the 5k as well and placed 2nd in her age group!  Whoo Whoo!  And a big congratulations to Jason for placing 3rd in his age group!  He averaged a 7:21/min mile! En fuego!


Here's my stats on the race: 

Total time:  1:19:18
8:23/min mile pace over 9.3 miles.

5/29 age group

100/302 total runners

Marcy's Mom & My Mom with their 5k Age Group Win Medals!

77 seconds separated me from taking 3rd place.  There were 13 seconds between me and 4th place.  Not that I'm obsessing over the details. I am very happy with my 8:23 pace, it's faster than what I would have even guessed I could do for that distance and shows some serious progress in my running.

I feel like I'm really learning how to "race."  Normally, I'm in my own little world just ticking away the miles.  Today, I hunted down ponytails (in the nicest possible way, of course), but if I could see another girl in front of me, I was going for the pass.  My 10k runs at lunch with the hills paid off big time today.

Overall, I loved this race and enjoyed the course.  I thanked every volunteer that I passed and had a smile the entire time.  

Post-Race Pancakes! Yummm!

Today is also the birthday of my best friend, Chrys!  Happy Birthday B_ _ _ _ _ H!  Love ya!

A very good day!

Lunch Run Paradise

I can't believe it's been a week since I've been running.  How is that even possible?  I've been hitting the bike trainer and the pool, but have somehow avoided going out into the dark and cold to run.  So, I am so looking forward to getting in a 10k at lunch today.   I feel like a horse ready to get out of the gate. Let these legs stretch out and go!

The picture to the right is one I snapped the other day of part of my lunch time running trail.  It's a pretty quiet country road that has some nice winding turns and a couple of "wake your quads up" hills.  There's even a sweet Lab that comes out to greet me pretty much every run.  I remembered to bring a dog treat today for him, too. 

Hope everyone has a great training day! :)