NRC MEMBERS OF THE MONTH – LAUREN REED AND ROY TAMEZ

Lauren Reed

This month’s female Member of the Month is not just another pretty face.  Her bright, blue eyes and captivating smile are mesmerizing, true.  But along with her caring, bubbly personality, she is an ambitious, unwavering, go-getter!  Whether it’s work or play, Lauren Reed is a force to be reckoned with.

Lauren was born in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to Nashville with her family when she was 10 years old.  She is the oldest of four kids, which makes sense.  Her confidence, organization, drive and leadership are telltale traits of a first-born child.  Fearless from the beginning, she taught herself how to do a back handspring in her own backyard!  After seeing this, her parents decided to get her into gymnastics quick, so she wouldn’t get hurt.  That turned out to be a perfect fit for Lauren.  With Lauren’s petite frame, you might imagine she was the one standing on someone’s hand at the top of a huge pyramid.  You’d be right!  Cheerleading was a big part of her life.  She participated on both her high school squad doing football games and competitions, along with an All-Star Squad that was strictly competition and traveled nationally.  She says her favorite event was tumbling, although she swears she is completely uncoordinated.  Determined to succeed, when routines were being taught, she would watch and memorize the sequences, then go run them on her own until she had them perfect.

Lauren’s hard work paid off through a cheerleading scholarship and she went on to Murray State in Kentucky.  It was there, during her freshman year, that she met her future husband.  She had ventured out to a Sigma Chi party one night.  It was 3 am and she happened to bump into a tall, handsome senior, Richard Reed, who made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.  They were instantly smitten and their romance began. Unfortunately, he had to leave for a job out-of-state after graduation.  A month later, he returned to Murray because he missed her so much he had to come back.  Isn’t that sweet!  Then in Lauren’s senior year, Richard found an opportunity in Louisville.  Upon graduating, she secured a spot at a major PR firm there and joined him.  The two married soon after and have an adorable, almost four year old son, Jack Henry.

Lauren knew she wanted to work in Public Relations from the start.  She studied abroad in London, shadowing at Edelman, the world’s largest public relations firm and went to work straight from college with a firm based in Louisville.  She excelled during her first few years there so much so that they sent her to Nashville to open their Tennessee office.  She was also the recipient of the Mercury Award for emerging public relations professionals in Middle Tennessee.

Just last year, Lauren took a big jump and started her own public relations company.  With her brand new office open in Germantown, Lauren is grateful for her clients and truly enjoys helping them tell their stories.  NRC runners got a taste of her success not long ago at the pre-grand opening event of her client, Rock Bottom Brewery and she has also lent her expertise to the C25K program as head of the sponsorship recruitment and as a running mentor.  Lauren ran the 5K with her sister, Meredith.

Lauren used to dread running. Then a few years ago she saw an ad for Ellie’s Run for Africa in her church bulletin.  Little did she know this was a hilly, cross-country 5K held in Percy Warner Park!  She signed up and planned on training…but didn’t.  Race day she put on her sweats and hoodie and met up with one of her sisters.  As they headed out of Nolensville that morning, she thought, “Hey, should we eat?”  So, they stopped at a convenience store, browsed the aisles and decided on a Slim Fast.  Nice, pre-race fuel!  It took her 40 minutes, but as soon as she finished she was ready to sign up for her next race!  She did the I Run for the Party 10k and then took on the Women’s Half Marathon in September.  All of these races are wrought with hills, but of course this doesn’t faze Lauren.  She continued her momentum and has completed many other races since then.

During training for the 2012 Chicago Marathon, Lauren started having issues with her knee and discovered that her years of tumbling and cheerleading had taken their toll on her joints.  She visited a friend of NRC, Dr. Johnson, and learned that what she had was basically arthritis.  He recommended an injectable treatment and handed her a brochure with models all over the age of 65!  Lauren laughed it off, agreed to the treatment and got amazing results.  She was able to resume running pain free and although she was unable to do Chicago due to the timing, she completed the Rocket City Marathon just months later with a great time.  She participated in the Rutherford Relay last year and has plans with fellow NRCers, Jeff and Wendy Mucci, for a Ragnar TN team of husbands and wives they’ve lovingly named, “Couples Therapy”! So far it is just the four of them, so let them know if you want to be on this fun-loving team!

For fun (well maybe that’s not the right word) she has just recently started accompanying her hubby to CrossFit classes.  Even though the classes are really hard, she has yet to have a class that is tougher than doing a marathon so, when it gets difficult she just tells herself, it’s not tougher than mile 24!  Now that’s great motivation!  In turn, Richard drank the running kool-aid, joining Lauren for runs this past Fall.  Resolved to get healthy, he began running and has achieved some pretty awesome weight loss goals.  Also, a C25K mentor, he is doing his first half alongside his beautiful wife at the ever-popular Murfreesboro Middle Half this October.

Lauren has ambitious running goals.  For the Middle Half she is aiming for a sub-1:50, which is a 6-minute personal record.  She is registered for Rocket City again this year and wants to finish in 4:15.  She really wants to do a 50K some day, but for now she’s looking to improve her marathon time.  She’s excited to return to her favorite race next year, the New Orleans Half Marathon. Depending on how much she crushes her time there, she hopes to “dance” the full Carmel Marathon in April 2014, Wendy Mucci style!  Seriously though, she loves the idea of having fun, taking photos, interacting with people, and soaking in the experience every step of the way.

Between being mom, wife and business owner, there is little time for much else; but just as she finds time to run, she avoids burnout through spending time with her other love, the beach.  In fact, she makes a point to visit a new beach at least every other year.  A few faves are St. John and Kauai, where she surfed for the first time.  As you would expect, someone who stood one-legged on a hand in the air had no trouble on a surfboard.

What does she love about NRC?  The people and how they help each other meet their goals!  Like when she was going for a half marathon PR.  She thinks NRCers Joe and Lisa Singer cared more about her getting in under 2 hours than she did! They helped her train and paced her for 11 miles on race day. During her first marathon, Scott Alexander jumped in and ran with her with his khaki shorts on for ten miles. Joe Singer joined them around mile 18 and the whole time they would not let her give up, especially after she hit the dreaded marathon wall.

It’s this kind of camaraderie that sets NRC apart from other clubs.  If she hadn’t heard about NRC from member, Shannon Nelson, who was her Fleet Feet pace leader for the Country Music Half, she may have never come.  She’d heard that NRC was all fast runners and was afraid she couldn’t keep up, so Shannon told her to come and run with her.  Her first run was with Shannon, Terry Bickel, Kathy Sorensen, and Jennifer Manternach.  That was last February and we’re so thankful she decided to make NRC her place to be on Wednesday nights!  She definitely has the spirit of NRC!  Giver her a shout out and congratulate her at the next run!

ROY TAMEZ

You don’t have to hang out with NRC very long and you’ll hear those three little words that rouse the hearts of even the most defeated athlete, “RUN LIKE ROY”!  Coined by a fellow NRCer, Wayne Jacks at the Tom King Half, the battle cry has truly taken hold.  Why such a short phrase can instantly lengthen the stride and lighten the load for NRCers in their moments of need is obvious once you get to know Roy Tamez.

Born in Houston, TX, Roy is proud of his “Tex-Mex” roots.  He was adopted by his loving parents into a family of 5 sisters and 2 brothers, all much older.  Growing up in the 70’s, Roy was kind of a hippie.  To those who know him, this probably makes a lot of sense with his laid-back attitude and long locks.  After school, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served 4 and half years for his country.  He was stationed in Okinawa and spent time in Japan, the Philippines, Korea and Germany.  Being so young and unfamiliar with other cultures at the time, he recalls, “It really made you appreciate what you had back home.  Even if you weren’t wealthy back in the states, experiencing these others places, you realized how much you really had.”   He met his wife, Darlene, at Andrews Air Force base in 1979 and they have been together ever since.

Roy always wanted to live in California.  So after the Air Force, he went home to Houston, told his family he was moving to Cali, packed up his car and headed for the West Coast.  He settled down in Sacramento where his family would reside for many years.  It was heaven to him and the perfect place to raise their two children, Ryan (who lives in South Beach Miami, FL) and April (who lives near Nolensville).

You might think a guy with his own tag line was running marathons in his youth, but not so.  Throughout most of his life, Roy would run on and off, signing up for a 5k or 10k every six months or so, but never really trained.  He chose the New York Marathon as his first, where he finished in 4:26, but it just about killed him.  With no real training, he relied on the people cheering along the way as he went through the five boroughs to motivate him.  Good thing he is a natural.  Other races he has done include the San Diego Marathon (running injured) in 2007 and the Orange County Marathon in 2008.

It wasn’t until 2011 that Roy felt compelled to begin running more seriously.  Crazy, huh?!  Living in downtown Miami in a high-rise condo, he looked down one day to find the starting line for the ING marathon right outside his front door.  He took it as a sign that he needed to do that race.  Darlene was in, too, but this time they joined a group to train that was using intervals (running fine minutes and walking one) just like NRC C25K!  This is amazing when you realize that just a few years later he would quality for the Boston Marathon.

After retiring in 2008, Roy realized running was a great way to fill his days.  It was fun, kept him healthy, and wouldn’t tap out their retirement fund.  When he did the Fleet Feet Trail Series and ran Percy Warner Park, it was love at first muddy sock!  He just completed an Ultra Trail Run (50 miles) in Gnaw Bone, Indiana which took him 12 and half hours to complete!  It was really tough and beat him up, so of course he’ll be doing another one!  He’s also doing the Nashville Ultra 50 mile road race.  If you’re looking for some ultra-inspiring entertainment, Roy recommends the documentary, Unbreakable: The Western States 100, which follows four runners through their experiences in preparing and racing this epic ultra trail course.

Lucky for us Roy and Darlene moved to Nashville in December 2011 to be close to their grandsons and got wind of NRC through Fleet Feet.  He finally came out in March 2012.  Not long after Scott and others welcomed him into NRC, he got lost on one of the routes.  He had started out with a fast paced group, but the hills were too much.  It was dark, he was new to the route and had no idea which way to go, so he waited by a stop sign until a group of little headlights made their way up the path.  It was Adriane Martinez, Tandy Blaylock and myself, among others, who got the honor of rescuing Roy that night!

He’s a busy guy for being retired.  He will be doing the Montreal marathon in September, the StumpJump 50k Trail Ultra in early October, and then the California International Marathon in Sacramento where he will be racing along side our Nevada Running Club.  More recently, Roy and Darlene have started a vegan diet.  This has them exploring new foods and trying out recipes.  How has this impacted his running?  Well, he’s run 2 marathons, several halfs and a 50 miler as a vegan and he’s never felt better!

Roy is among an elite group of runners who have qualified for Boston 2014.  He thanks Joe Singer, another NRC BQer, for planting the seed.  Without him taking note of Roy’s race times, seeing potential and telling him to go for it, it may not have happened.  The Marine Corp Marathon last October was his first attempt.  He missed it by 8 seconds, but just a week later, he qualified at the Savannah Marathon!   Now encouraging others, he’s one of the mentors for the C25K 4Runners as they prepare to break personal records of their own!

The support and inspiration he’s received from NRC has really made a difference in his life in more ways than one.  Running wise, he says he has never been this fast or been able to go this far before, and he attributes it to NRC.  Most importantly, he appreciates what Scott has been able to do in pulling everyone together, even as our numbers grow.  NRC has quickly become his running family, which means a lot to him.

Roy is cool, but kind; wise, yet rugged.  He’s relaxed like a California sunset, yet as fierce as an Okinawa volcano when the competition’s on.  He inspires us to run like him and we are extremely blessed to have him as part of NRC.  If you haven’t met him yet, definitely make a point to introduce yourself at our next run and tell him congrats!  Peace.

– Amy O.

There is a saying that goes, “Some people come into your life as a blessing, some as a lesson.”  This month’s female runner definitely came into NRC’s life as a blessing, and although Adriane Martinez now runs the roads of Nevada, we continue to be blessed by her friendship from afar.

Her story starts in rural Nevada in a small mining and ranching town named Winnemucca.  She grew up in a very tight knit family and loved her community.  Every summer her parents would take Adriane, and her brother and sister, on family vacations to Park City, UT.  They have continued this tradition for close to 17 years now, and she has wonderful memories of then and now with their own growing families.  She moved to Reno after high school graduation to attend college and stayed there until moving to Nashville in Fall 2010.

By day, Adriane is a paralegal specializing in Intellectual Property and is surrounded by cool gear on a daily basis (i.e. Apple iPhones, Starbucks brand, and more).  She really enjoys getting to see inventions and brands from a different perspective.  She is also Wife and Mom to an awesome family!  She loves spending time with her husband Kito and children, Aliya, 5 ½ and Tyler, almost 3!  The happy couple met in college in 2003 while working as law firm runners (legal couriers).  When a group of co-workers started a pick up basketball game during their lunch hour, she and Kito guarded each other (she was the only girl and well, Kito was more of a soccer player, plus he knew a good thing when he saw it) and it was “game on” from there.

From hoops to Gu, Adriane has been running off and on since late 2004.  She had wanted to challenge herself and a friend Jenny Sinocruz encouraged her to run; it didn’t hurt that she worked for a company with an onsite gym and a running club.  Before long she started to amass a long list of accomplishments and every single one has an amazing story.  I wish I had room to include them all, but you can always find her on Facebook and she’ll be happy to share!

She considers her first half, the Silver State Half Marathon, her biggest achievement.  It was in that race she proved to herself that she could run for 13.1 miles.  She also completed the WIPRO San Francisco Half Marathon (her current half PR by 19 minutes and all-time favorite place to run), the Reno Tahoe Odyssey an 178 mile adventure relay for Angel Kiss Foundation, Journal Jog (with her sister), Viva La Diva (thanks to Shawn Berkau), Rutherford Relay (with NRC friends), Rock and River Marathon (as training coach), and several as a family such as the Franklin Turkey Trot and most recently Miracles in Motion a 1.7 mile course that Aliya was so excited to do because the proceeds go to their local children’s hospital (Like mother, Like daughter!).   Of course, she keeps a special place for CMM, which she ran in honor of her Grandpa who died from cancer in 2008 and St. Jude.  One of the best, but toughest courses out there, she realized during the race, it was not a PR course or day – still, she was thankful to just be able to run.

This petite powerhouse first found out about NRC in December 2011 after a visit to Fleet Feet.  She was buying a pair of shoes to start training for the Country Music Marathon (CMM), saw a flyer and researched NRC on the web.  After emailing Scott for specifics and getting an immediate, detailed reply, Adriane was so impressed she had to try it out.  Her goal was initially to train with the group to finish CMM, which she did; however, NRC became more than a group to run with…NRC runners became her family away from family.

Adriane has a lot of fond memories of her NRC runs!  Like many of us, she remembers her first run with NRC, which was with Kelli Alexander and Shawn Berkau.  The perfect people for a stellar first impression!  If she wasn’t already sold, she said Scott, Lisa and Joe Singer, and I all made a point to welcome her and that she and Steve Kraft bonded immediately as they were both newbies.  She also recalls how she loved that when she asked JoAnne King what she was training for, JoAnne responded, “Life, I just want to be healthy!” And, how Jennifer Oubre taught her to run for fun – which is a motto she now lives by.

She’d say NRC definitely was, and is, an important part of her family’s life.  Last Fall, when telling Scott they were moving, Adriane broke down in tears.  Also, when explaining the recent tragedy in Boston to Aliya, the first thing she asked was if Mr. Scott and Mr. Joe were okay!  Having moved miles from her family, NRC became like family for the 4 of them and they always enjoyed spending Wednesday nights with NRC.

In true NRC spirit, Adriane couldn’t just move and go back to running solo.  She started thinking about what she would do without NRC with no local running clubs near her.  Inspired by Scott, and the people of NRC, which make it more than just running club, she decided to start her own.  She wanted it to mirror NRC – a group of friends who hung out together, gave back to the community, and supported each other!  Kito, her brother-in-law (Chris Kegler) were in, as was an NRC connection in the area, Shawn Skillman.  Since the 2nd week of January they have been running every Saturday at the Sparks Marina.  The first NRC West text went to 7 and now has grown to 36 people, plus she posts on Running Buddies, a local running FB page.  The group is growing steadily and the feedback she is getting is awesome!  She is already on her way to impacting peoples’ lives and changing the world by promoting health through exercise, fellowship, and support and giving back.

Someday she hopes the two NRCs can join together for a run, maybe at Carmel, CIM, San Francisco or even a local run in Nashville! She added, “I would love NRC-West runners to meet NRC runners and see why I have so many good things to say about NRC and the people.  I’ve told some of the runners to ask to be a part of the NRC group on Facebook to see all the motivation and support provided by this amazing group.”

I asked Adriane a few things about what she does when she’s not running or hanging with the family.  She is a movie person with her favorites being, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken and Forrest Gump (Run Forrest Run!), but she’s a sucker for Nicholas Sparks’ books.  She won’t say no to a hotel in San Francisco, although she likes camping, too and is definitely a dog lover (her favorite pet was her first Brittany Spaniel, Duke).  She’s also a night owl, not a morning person, which is hard for us runners!  She said she often procrastinates sleeping watching HGTV (House Hunters) or reading magazines.  Finally, I asked her if she had to be a piece of running gear, what would she be and why.  Her answer?  She would pick shoes, because they can take you places and she likes to think there are still a lot of places for her to go.  Plus shoes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, which makes them unique, and each one of us is unique and special in our own way.  Well said!

Adriane, you are obviously going places and are without a doubt one of the most special people we know!  Take a minute to tell Adriane how proud we are of her and all she is doing to spread the NRC spirit!!!  Thanks for bringing NRC one step closer to world domination!  Congrats!

The life of our male runner of the month reads like an inspirational, action-packed, guide for the irreverently deranged, which could only mean one thing… it’s NRC’s own sexy Brit, Wayne Jacks!  This little devil is known for his blush-inducing comments on NRC’s Facebook page and mad web and logo design skills, but what you don’t know about him will leave you gobsmacked!

Born in Essex, England Wayne had a happy childhood, but adds that his Dad was massive into sports, like karate and kayaking, while he was more massive into… well, TV.  In fact, he goes so far as to say he was a “chubby kid”.  It didn’t help that his Grandmother was an especially awesome cook who made all his favorites, including steak and kidney pie and black pudding (which isn’t even pudding at all; it’s basically a sausage made of fried blood).  Yum, right?!

Wayne went on from high school to complete a two-year degree and then decided he wanted to enter the world of business.  So at 18 years of age, he took a job managing movie theatres, making him the youngest multi-plex manager in the UK!  Little did he know, the action wouldn’t stay on the movie screen.  He was the victim of weekly robberies, where he was threatened with iron bars, shot at and even tied up with a knife put to his throat!  So, um, you could say that the job nearly killed him, (understatement of the century) and so he left for a less adventurous stint as one of the opening managers of the famous tourist attraction, the London Eye.  One of his employees was a cute Canadian, Kate Cruikshank.  Wayne was still married at the time, so while they became fast friends their story of romance would have to wait.  When his first wife tired of the London weather, they came stateside to Manchester, TN and Wayne got his green card.  Since then, he has lived in Murfreesboro and now in Nolensville.

Looking at Wayne, you would never imagine that he’s only been working out for about 7 years and only started running outdoors a year ago! In fact, last week was his 1-year anniversary of running with NRC!!!  It seems like he’s been with us forever.  As surprising as that is, I was completely dumbfounded to hear that he also used to weigh 300 pounds!  No one would ever guess it from watching him speed off from Town Hall now, but Wayne has not always been addicted to running.  The sedentary lifestyle and love of food of his youth eventually caught up with him; but after hitting 300 pounds, he committed himself to getting active and eating better.

It wasn’t easy, but he had some motivation along the way.  After his divorce, Wayne happened upon Kate again through Daily Mile!  They would chat and encourage each other towards their running goals, Wayne on his treadmill and Kate on her mountain trails.  One thing led to another, they started dating, and he realized quickly that his true love was Kate all along.  They were married in what was an absolutely beautiful wedding in 2011 at Gigi’s house in Franklin (yes, the cupcake guru Gigi!).  They soon welcomed a new addition, their lovable pup Basil (pronounced Bazzle, of course) and started settling in.

Lucky for us, Kate’s jones for a running club led her to our website (Yay, Amy K.!), which then led them to (drum roll, please) NRC!  I had the privilege of running with The Jacks their first Wednesday with us and while they tend to avoid the hot, summer runs, they have been regular NRC runners ever since.  Wayne isn’t one to shirk a challenge; so when Kate suggested his first official race be a half marathon trail race over Raccoon Mountain, Wayne didn’t blink an eye.  He followed Kate’s training plan for the Scenic City Half Marathon in Chattanooga and having run on a treadmill for his entire running career, he was floored when he finished his first (flat) training run outside of 13.1 miles in 2:07.  Then the same weekend he received his citizenship in Nashville, they headed out to run his first race.  He was crazy nervous, but when he crossed the finish line he felt strong and was blown away with his time of 2:09!  He can’t say enough about how beautiful the course was or how well Kate had prepared him for the run.  Plus, Kate had told the race crew that it was Wayne’s first race and his 10-year anniversary of achieving his weight loss goals.  He’ll always remember that day since they not only announced his milestones as he finished, but they gave him one of the medals reserved for full marathoners in honor of his feats.

Wayne is among many NRCers who have eaten the words, “I will NEVER do a half marathon.”  Since his momentous first, he has done 6 half marathons!  They include the Hard Rock Half and his favorite race, the Space Coast Half in Florida, which features dolphins jumping along the coastline and a spectacular sunrise.  He finished Space Coast with a 1:58 and he is still chasing the “high” he felt after finishing that race.  While he is currently battling issues with his back (dang Daily Mile challenge), he has slowed his training, but he is planning to return to Chattanooga for the Scenic City again this May.

When he’s not working or running Wayne is a painter!  He’s invented his own unique process to create incredible works of art!  It’s too difficult to explain, so you just have to see it!  Check out www.projectwanksy.com to view a time-lapse clip of Wayne in action.  It’s really cool!

I asked Wayne, if he could be any piece of running gear what he’d be and why.  His answer, “a buff, because it’s one of those things that’s really useful, and you don’t realize you need it until you’ve got one.”  (Don’t know what a buff is – click here!! http://www.buffusa.com/sports/collections/filter/running)  So true!  NRC didn’t know how much we needed Wayne until he joined our ranks.  Now it just wouldn’t be NRC without our resident racy, comedian!

With all Wayne has overcome in his life, he will tell you he truly believes that a person can do anything they set their mind to – Words of wisdom for our C25Kers and all of us working towards a goal.  He is so thankful for the Nolensville Drinking Club, eh hum, I mean, Nolensville Running Club, noting that home doesn’t feel so far away because of all of his friends in NRC!  So next time you see him be sure to say congrats, or better yet, buy him a high gravity beer (you’re welcome, Wayne).  Cheers!!!!

It is time again to spotlight our latest NRC Runners of the Month.  This month, we get the chance to know two of our favorite people a little better.  Who are they?  Well, both of their spouses have had the honor of being selected as Runners of the Month before so now it is their turn in the spotlight!!  Ok…..time to let the cat (or in this case, the runner) out of the bag.

LISA SINGER (interview by Scott Alexander)

If you have been with NRC for any length of time, you already know Lisa Singer.  In fact, on your initial visit to NRC, chances are that Lisa (and her husband Joe) made a point to come up and introduce themselves and welcome you to the club.  If you don’t know Lisa, you probably became aware a couple of weeks ago that she is one of our favorites when you saw post after post on Facebook about Lisa and her race in New Orleans.  Yep, we love Lisa and NRC is lucky to have her as part of our club!!

Lisa Singer started running in her early 20’s in Germany.  She and her ex-husband would run around a little town called Ansbach.  One of her first races was what Lisa called a Wolksmarching event.  In this event, you walk, run, and march a 10k distance.  According to Lisa, the best things about this event were the beer tent at the finish line and the tiny cuckoo clocks that were given to everyone who completed the race!!

After she got married to Joe, the two of them moved from Tullahoma to Lenox Village.  Lisa loves the area because it is convenient to both of their jobs and for the kids (who live with their mom in Springhill).  It is also convenient to NRC as well as to the new running club in Lenox Village, the Southside Runners.  Lisa wanted me to mention that this club, led by NRC’s Jamie Shea, meets on Thursday nights at 6:15.  Jamie….Lisa said that you owe her for the free plug!!

When I asked Lisa how she found out about NRC, she told me that Chuck Hargrove (a great guy and highly visible runner in the Nashville running community) posted something about NRC on his Facebook page in May/June of 2011.  Lisa said that she and Joe showed up about two weeks after finding out about the group.  She remembers that the group consisted of about 10 people at the time and that it was David Dye’s first time out with the group as well.  How does she remember this?  Well, Lisa remembers David being very excited about finding the group and, as all of us know, David Dye is a hard person to forget!! : )

I asked Lisa to give me the top 3 races that have been the most fun/rewarding for her.  Here was Lisa’s answer in her own words:

1. New Orleans Marathon, for obvious reasons…  I can say that I came within two minutes of qualifying for Boston in my first attempt.  We had you guys back here cheering us on & we had eight runners with us that made the trip so memorable.  We would totally do that marathon again in the distant future after we’ve run a few races in other states.
2. Chicago Marathon, the fact that Joe got his Boston Qualifying time there is enough reason to be number 2.  That is the happiest I’ve ever seen him.  I’m betting that ranks right in behind the births of Jessica & Joey. LOL!  We truly appreciated the support via facebook for that one.  I was shocked when I looked at his race photos & he was posing as a dragon while running through Chinatown after he knew he had his Boston qualifying time sealed.
3. Indianapolis Monumental, we ran the half but looking back maybe I should’ve run the full.  That was the most effortless half marathon I’ve ever run.  Flat as a pancake, 34 degrees at the start, & I didn’t start breathing hard until mile 11. We walked right out of our hotel room to the start before the sun came up. It was very cool to watch the sun rise & look at the lights of downtown Indy.  I was stoked that I ran a 1:48 four weeks after running Chicago.

Great answer Lisa!!  Now that we know about Lisa’s top 3 past races, I asked her what her plans were for this year.  Like the majority of NRC, Lisa will be going to Carmel, Indiana in April.  If the weather is to her liking, she will let Joe pace her while doing the full.  If the weather is not ideal, she will probably drop back to the half.  As most of us know, Lisa runs long distances better when the temps are well under 55 degrees.  If Lisa doesn’t get her Boston qualifying time in Carmel, she will be looking at another marathon in early fall.

Speaking of other marathons, I asked Lisa if she had the chance to run in any marathon which one would she choose?  The answer was LONDON (with many exclamation points!!).  She said that she and Joe are looking to do this sometime in the next 2 to 4 years.

Future running goals for Lisa?  I knew the answer to this but, as a good interviewer, I had to ask the question, right?  The answer was obviously qualifying for the Boston Marathon.  According to Lisa, this is the only goal that she is focusing on right now.  I can speak for all of NRC in saying that we know that you are going to do this Lisa!!!!

In ending my interview with Lisa, I asked her to give me some advice that some of our newer NRCers can use.  Once again, I am giving this to you in Lisa’s own words.  Here ya go:

I’m going to give you more than one. ;-P

Listen to other runners who have been there & done that with speed training, long runs, nutrition, etc… Everyone is different in how their body responds to training.  I’m an example of that.  I do not run my long runs 30 seconds to a full minute slower than my goal pace like most long distance runners do.  I have done what works best for me & it got me my first sub 4 hour marathon.

In your first marathon, do what the majority of first timers are doing. When you are training for your 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, & so on you can experiment with what works better for you. What I’m saying is be conservative with your first marathon so that you can avoid injury.  After you have that “base” mileage, you can experiment.

Listen to advice about nutrition.  Amy Klotz told me how she fueled during her Carmel marathon & what she ate in the mornings. Joe & I have been eating spaghetti with lots of bread almost every Friday night since last summer.  I eat a lot of oatmeal, a banana, water, & coffee before I do my long runs.  I allow a full hour for my breakfast to settle before we leave to run..

Never underestimate the value of GOOD carbs.  I have learned that bread does not make me fat, it makes me faster. LOL!

Never underestimate the value of a good chiropractor & massage therapist.

Never underestimate the value of a good running store.

Never underestimate the value of a core group of runners who are willing to pay money to track your races. LOL!

Lisa…as long as you are racing, NRC is going to pay money to track you!!  Thanks Lisa for all that you do for NRC and congratulations!!

MIKE OWSLEY (Interview by Amy Owsley)

The NRC male Runner of the Month isn’t what you’d call a “seasoned professional”, I mean; he has just barely worn the tread out on his running shoes!  With only a year and a half of running under his belt, you could say he is a newbie to the sport.  You could also say, that he is one of the nicest guys in NRC, but I’m biased!  My husband, Mike “the Bearded One” Owsley (“ow” pronounced like “ouch” which is what he said after the first time he ever ran a mile) made the decision to take up running just after his 40^th birthday.  He wanted to combat the rut he was getting into, coming home every night and plopping down on the couch for night of TV.  He credits me for being a good example and the NRC crew for making him feel welcome on those first evenings he came to eat post-run at Mama’s Java (MJs).  Now a NRC regular, he runs Wednesdays, Saturdays and even sometimes on Sundays with the new NRC Smyrna edition, but I bet even those who’ve chatted it up with him during and after runs may not know his story, so here it goes…

Michael Louis Owsley Jr. was born in Charleston, S.C. where his father “Big Mike” was stationed in the Navy.  After moving to Newport, Rhode Island and then to Lexington, KY, his family ended up in Owensboro, KY where he spent his formative years.  Funny story, when Mike was in the seventh grade he got a call from a girl in his class.  His Mom answered the phone and when the girl asked for Mike, his Mom questioned, “Big Mike or Little Mike” and the girl answered, “Big Mike, the one in seventh grade!”  So we know now where the origins of his ego began!

When Mike turned 8, his Mom had his brother Andrew, fulfilling his demands that his sibling not have freckles and not be a girl.  He was an active kid and played on basketball and football teams and played tennis for fun, but swimming was his main sport throughout childhood.  He started swimming at the age of 12 on a summer team through their Country Club.  He was a natural and liked it so much that he endured the cold waters of morning swim training to compete on his high school team.  While he competed in all strokes, his forte was Freestyle.  During that time, he worked for his Dad in the family drugstore, Dennis & Akers, pitching in wherever he was needed and delivering prescriptions to the homebound.

A big part of Mike’s life is music.  His Mom’s side of the family is very musical.  His uncles and cousins still sing and play together at family gatherings to this day.  Mike was into music from his early years reaching up to hit the piano keys first, eventually taking lessons and then moving on to bass and guitar.  He formed his first group at age 14 playing keyboards in an 80’s band – of course it actually was the 80’s (cue up picture of Mike with mullet)!  The name of this band was “The Edge”.  A sign of the times, Mike said he remembers how he loved his synthesizer because it had a helicopter sound effect.  Oh yeah!  In his next band, no one wanted to play the bass, so Mike took it up and played it in many future bands.  Most recently, he played guitar and sang lead in his own Rolling Stones cover band!

He came to Nashville after auditioning for the band, Audio Adrenaline, and clinching a spot as an auxiliary musician on their tour.  Mike traveled with them on the road for about 4 years and got to visit lots of cool places all over the U.S., Europe, Brazil, New Zealand and Australia.  He met his match (me, of course) in the summer of ’99 and we were inseparable.  We married in October of 2001 and soon after he gave up life on the road to settle down.  The music didn’t stop there.  Mike and I formed a punk rock band called, American Chills, which allowed us to do music and spend time together. After several years and many more adventures, the band split up.  Although not currently in a band, Mike says he will always play music and is still up for jamming with friends and playing out when opportunities arise.

Mike loves Nashville.  He says, “Nashville is the perfect size city.  Large enough to have lots of different things to go see and do, but still small enough to have a small town feel and friendly people.”  Nashville is also one of the best cities for runners!  Mike started running after his 40^th birthday which was only just a year and a half ago.  One of the reasons he said was because he saw me running on a regular basis and staying in shape and was inspired.  He decided he wanted to get out and do more.  He said, “I never imagined running with a “running club”, but meeting up with the group at dinners after the runs, I got to know Scott and several others and they are just good people!”  Once he got it in his head he was going to start running, he built up a base doing short runs around the neighborhood on his own.  Then one night he decided to meet me at MJs after a Wed night run and got to know the NRC crew.  He did that for a while and it was just the motivation he needed to keep going and ultimately, start running with the club.

Now, Mike is no stranger to races.  He has been a spectator for all of my races and my biggest cheerleader over the years.  So, when he decided he wanted to do the Carmel Half, he knew a little of what to expect.  He printed off the Galloway training schedule and stuck it on the fridge, making it official.   He loved the run/walk combo and the plan’s philosophy on how walking is okay and even encouraged at times.  The first race he participated in was the Rudolph Red Nose Run 5K as part of his half training.  Then in April 2011, he completed the Carmel Half in 2:15 – a great first time if I do say so myself.  He had a great experience doing that race with NRC!  Since then he also did both races at the Franklin Classic with me and he plans on doing more half marathons and getting a sub 2 hour PR down the road.

Right now, though he is taking some time to be Daddy before committing to any major training plans.  He is proud papa to our son, August, who will be 3 months old on March 7^th.  Every spare minute he has is spent with August reading books, playing music for him or doing “tummy time” (which is also an NRC dance move – LOL!)

When asked, Mike said his favorite place to run would be out at Crockett Park Greenway, because of the scenery and his favorite pieces of running gear are his Under Armor shirts (no chaffing).  He admits that he really likes the benefits of running sometimes, more than the running itself, but he gets so much from the social aspect and fellowship, too.  His dream place to live would be Kauai (where he spent his honeymoon) with its ideal weather and beautiful surroundings.  He loves the ocean and, those who know him would agree that, his personality fits the laid back tropical feel perfectly.  You may not know that Mike is a huge Stephen King fan.  He has read every book he has written and considers the Dark Tower series among his all-time best books.  When he’s not being Daddy, running, reading, or playing music Mike also likes to complete Do-It-Yourself projects around the house.  His most recent project was remodeling his kitchen.  He said the whole project was full of new experiences and he learned a lot of what to do and what NOT to do.  He also told me not to get any ideas for new projects for a while. (okay, okay.)

So, next time you see an awesome stroller (thanks NRC!) out at our runs, it is very likely that Mike is the man behind the wheels.  As you buzz by, be sure to say hi and congratulate him on runner of the month!

Interview with Terry Bickel by Wendy Mucci.

The saying is that good things come in small packages.  If you’ve met Terry Bickel you know the saying is right.  The pint-sized powerhouse is a woman of many talents.  After running with Terry a  year, I was amazed at how many new skills and talents I didn’t even know about.

I knew Terry has the talent of being able to get a smile out of just about anyone and making new folks feel instantly at ease.  I knew she was a goal setter and a planner/organizer.  I had heard rumors that she might be able to kick most of our butts.  What I didn’t know was that she is a fourth degree black-belt and a dancer.

Teresa Jane Bickel (don’t call her that—remember she is a fourth degree blackbelt) grew up in Lenoir City, Tn.  where she went  to high school with dreams of being an accountant.  While at college she took a turn to the creative side and ended up as a performing arts dance student.  “When I went to college I wanted to take karate classes so I could take care of myself, but ended up in dance because my roommate wanted to take dance classes,” Terry said.  Before she graduated she finally took the karate classes she wanted to take.  The instructor offered her “a free month and we will see if you can handle it.”  Terry took that challenge head on.  “I said I will die before  I don’t earn a blackbelt.”  Four years later, she earned that belt.

While in karate Terry would run to stay in shape, but only out of necessity.  Her friend, Wendy Shotwell, asked her to run the Music City Half Marathon.  “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,”  Bickel replied.  “Who would want to run for four hours on a Saturday?”  Thinking that she could at least do the 10 week training with her friend, she would go on to run the half marathon.  And you know how this story goes, because if you are reading this story you are a runner and you know running sucks you in.  Which meant that the Music City Half in 2008 would be the first of many races Terry would run.

Running is only part of what keeps Terry busy.  She is mother to Dalton, a freshman at Ravenwood, and wife to Brian, who keeps her on her toes.  Brian was a bandmate friend of Terry’s and they met at a  Brother Kane concert.  “We met that night and we’ve spoken to each other every single day since then,” said Brian.  “We both like KISS, Star Trek and darts.”  Terry chimed in, “the original Star Trek, not that crap that came after.”

As a family Terry and Brian enjoy hiking and camping. Terry and Briand spend lots of time watching Dalton play soccer and basketball.  Brian continues to play guitar in a band  that performs in the area and Terry can often be found listening to him play.  Terry also loves to water ski, horseback ride, play Frisbee golf and spend time with friends.

Terry’s relationship with NRC began towards the beginning of NRC.  “I started when Scott started the Saturday thing, “ she said.  “At first I didn’t come out Wednesdays because I was a good person and went to church.”  Her favorite thing about NRC is “the support and having people to run with.”  She, like all of us, also appreciates Scott Alexander.  “You can always count on Scott to help you achieve your goals.”

Terry knows.  With the support of NRC she has ran several races.  Her favorites are the Purity Dairy Run and the half marathon she ran in Pensacola.  “I liked Purity because I exceeded my goal and Iiked Pensacola because it was new and a challenge for me as well as a PR.  Soon you will find her running the Zoo Run, the Purity Run and the Carmel Half.

She is fun, energetic, encouraging, friendly and will always make you feel at home.  If you haven’t had the chance to run with her on a Saturday or a Wednesday, seek her out.  I’m warning you though—don’t even try to wimp out by cutting the cul de sac by the fields, she will make you run the whole circle and somehow, you’ll be smiling the whole time.

NRC’s Male Runner of the Month is Daryl Middleton.  Daryl can be seen running with NRC on most Wednesdays and Saturdays with other “speedy” NRCers.  Although Daryl is never one to talk about his running accomplishments, he is part of an elite group of runners who can say that they ran the Boston Marathon.  NRC is lucky to have Daryl as part of the club and we are glad that we get to let others know more about one of the nicest guys in Nolensville.

Most people who see Daryl take off with the fast group every week would think that he had running for most of his life.  Actually, Daryl started running eight years ago.  One of his co-workers was training for the Tulsa Run (a 15k) and would always talk about his long runs during lunch.  Although Daryl had never been a runner, he thought that he could be good at distance running.  And with all of the kids in college, he decided to give it a shot.  The rest, as they say, is history!!

Daryl and his wife Catherine arrived in Nashville after the plant that Daryl was working for in Tulsa shut down.  After a position in Nashville was offered and accepted, the next step was to find the best place to live.  What was one of the most important criteria for the Middletons?  To find an area that offered some running clubs!!  A true NRCer!!

So how did Daryl find out about NRC?  From the website as well as from our favorite running store, Fleet Feet.  On a personal note, I can remember the first time that I met Daryl.  He showed up on a Saturday morning in his maroon Mazda Miata.  One of the first things that I noticed about him was a jacket that he was wearing.  It was a Boston Marathon jacket and boy was I jealous….and impressed.   Daryl let us know during our first run together that it took him six marathons before he eventually qualified for Boston.  In fact, the day he qualified was also the same day that his first grandchild, Cooper, was born.  A memorable day to say the least!!

I asked Daryl about his top three memorable races.  Obviously, Boston was at the top of the list.  The next two were the Pikes Peak Marathon and the Spirit of Survival Relay.  Will a race in 2013 make its way into this list?  Who knows.  What we do know is that Daryl plans on running the Key West Half, Little Rock Half, the Carmel Marathon and the Rutherford Relay this year.  He also mentioned that a 50k is not out of the question one day.  A pretty full schedule but there will be other races in the fall as well.  All of this means that Daryl will definitely be training with NRC quite often on Wednesdays and Saturdays in 2013!!

In closing, I asked Daryl to give me a piece of advice that he would give some of NRC’s new runners.  His advice was the same advice that has been given to me several times by experienced runners.  Daryl said to make each run of the week different.   In other words, change up between speed work, tempo runs,  long runs, trail runs, and easy runs.  This will make running more beneficial and exciting!!

What’s John Travolta without Olivia Newton John?  Stranded at the drive-in, of course – and in the spirit of leaving no runner left behind, NRC is once again doubling your pleasure and doubling your fun with not one, but TWO runners from here on out.  NRC website aficionados will note that this was the original format and since NRC has been growing so fast, this will be a great way to learn about your fellow runners from Wed, nights and Sat. mornings in half the time.  Consider it our 2 for 1 special at the NRC malt shop of running love.  So, enjoy your last days of “summer lovin” and these two awesome NRCers!

Our female NRCer of the Month has no need for interrogation.  In fact, she is, dare I say, an open book and a hilarious one at that!  Born and raised in Huntington, West Virginia, Rachel Eller went to a very small high school, with only 1000 kids in the whole district. A self-proclaimed “band geek”, she never really liked sports or exercising, but did join the Flag Corp senior year.  Her unmistakable beauty, inside and out, led her to be voted Homecoming Queen and I can imagine that there wasn’t a classmate she didn’t know by name.

From high school, she started at Marshall University, but being used to a smaller campus, she decided to finish up at Morehead State University.  After graduation, she moved to Louisville for work.  Life led her to Nashville, but through another turn of events just as she had resigned to move back to Louisville she found a whole new reason to stay.  Thankfully, she accepted an invitation from friends to hang out at a local watering hole.  There, she met a great guy who just happened to be her future husband, Alfred, and they hit it off immediately.  In fact, it’s a funny story (there are lots of those with Rachel).  After their introduction and a bit of getting to know each other, Rachel went to the restroom.  Once alone with his friends, Alfred told them, “Now that’s a girl I could marry.”  Without knowing the impression she had already made on Alfred, Rachel returned and jokingly opened up to say, “I want you to know I’m jobless, homeless, and could possibly have a warrant out for my arrest!”  Well, obviously, Alfred wasn’t fazed and the two are now happily married and parents of two young boys, Kingston and Beckett.

Now working in Human Resources for an engineering firm, Rachel loves the company she works for and the wide variety of tasks she takes on with her position.  She also enjoys the diversity of her office and has learned a great deal from the head of her company, who is from India.  They have two offices in India, as well.

During life before running, Rachel (and Alfred) spent most of their nights going out with friends playing bar trivia.  Even through her pregnancy, Rachel would be out with the gang stunning everyone with her trivia knowledge.  Once they had a newborn in tow, they found the late nights and noisy nightspots were not conducive to parenting.  Plus, you know, most people frowned upon bringing a baby into a bar.  So when a friend at work suggested they do a Muddy Buddy race, they took on the challenge as a new, baby-friendly hobby.

Okay, so here’s another funny story… Rachel remembers how it all started.  They had just finished their first training run.  It was really hard, she was exhausted and she was convinced that she had run 5 miles upon completing her route.  But, this being prior to her Garmin-wearing days, she got in her car and drove the route and couldn’t believe it only came up as 1.1 miles!  Seriously, she was tempted to opt for the couch only version of the Couch to 5K, but she didn’t give up, although she’ll tell you she didn’t really train for that first, 2-person, tag-team relay.

Not only a race, but an incredibly messy obstacle course, Rachel was even brought to tears during the run.  She had pretty much decided she was never going to run again, but while they were there someone told them about the Bourbon Chase Relay which is held in Kentucky.  Rachel had never run more than 4 miles in her life, but something about this race intrigued her.  She couldn’t get anyone to get on board with it at that point, but she kept it on her list.  She found a running group and kept running, though.

When she was pregnant with Beckett, she got an email from a friend about Ragnar TN, which they explained was like the Bourbon Chase race she had wanted them to do.  Totally inspired, Rachel printed out her first ever, training plan from the Ragnar site and dove head first into the running deep end.  Leading up to Ragnar in 2010, she prepared for her longest leg of 6.4 miles by building her base and speed gradually up to a 6-mile long run.  It paid off, and she finished all 3 legs feeling great and it was an awesome experience that she wanted to definitely do again.  She has completed 4 Ragnars to date – 1 in Tennessee, 2 in Chicago, IL and one in the Florida Keys.  Their Chicago trips are probably her favorite since they have a friend and teammate in Chicago who doesn’t just have a place to crash, but offers a bluegrass family jamboree, Chicago trifecta – Chicago-style pizza, hot dogs, and Portillo’s!

Her sister, Amanda, has run 3 Ragnars with her and is set to run Ragnar TN 2012 with her, too.  She and her husband, who also runs, live 6 hours away, so they have a good time bonding on those 24 hour van rides.  She still has not gotten the stars to align for the Bourbon Chase, but she’ll keep trying.

Her most recent self-induced gauntlet is Ultra Dirtbag 50K Trail Race Training with Fleet Feet.  Before this, she has run a 9.3 mile trail race and has been on trails about 6 or 7 times.  She decided after running her first full in Birmingham that she just wasn’t done yet. She’ll be taking this on with her good friend, Jill and they plan to finish side by side.  We’ll just have to wait and see if her race in Chattanooga will get her to that “done” breaking point, but luckily she’ll have a week in Savannah with family to relax and reward herself after that one.

In addition to being a relay master and runner, Rachel is all about her family.  She’s always on the go, planning trips to the big city as well as the local campsite.  She is also a frequent traveler of the “Blogosphere” and just happens to be a Facebook ninja (my term for those who effortlessly navigate this demanding site).

This brings me to yet another funny story… Rachel is NRC’s original stalker!  That’s right, before Rachel began running with NRC, she scoped us out to make sure that we weren’t crazy (well, you know what I mean).  Thankfully we passed the test!  Having gone from stalker to NRC Social Director, Rachel has put together great events for the club, including the 4^th of July Picnic and Family Bowling Night.  (Watch for the latest on NRC get-togethers from Rachel on our website and Facebook.)  You may be surprised to hear their family also enjoys Geocaching.  Geo-what, you might say? Geocaching (pronounced Geo-cashing), which is like a scavenger hunt, but with GPS coordinates.  They have found lots of hidden gems, some even right in Nolensville.  Well, we’re glad that when she was hunting for a running club, she found us.  Be sure to say congrats to Rachel at our next run!

“Why am I nervous?” laughs Steve Kraft one of our NRC Members of the Month.  We’ve just finished an early Saturday morning long run and despite the early start the sun is already warming us as we sit outside Nolensville’s favorite coffee shop.  Little did he know that I’d been brushing up on my interrogation techniques, so be afraid, Steve, be very afraid!  J

Steve was born in Pennsylvania, but I’m not exactly sure where to say he was raised.  Seriously, though, take a look at Steve’s travel itinerary over the years and your head will spin.  He has lived at 23 different addresses in his life, and he is only 38 years old!  His Dad being in the Navy, his family moved a lot – first Virginia to North Carolina to Minnesota then back to North Carolina and then to Charleston, South Carolina, the town Steve considers his childhood home.

After college, he started working at RGIS, an inventory company which is part of the Blackstone group (how’d ya like to count all the items in a Wal-mart?!  Yikes!).  Feeling the need to make his next move, he took a position in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he met his wife, Andrea.  Then together they moved to London, England for two years (where their daughter, Anna, was born) to Montreal, Canada (Eh?) to Toronto (hoser) to Cary, NC to Roanoke, then back to Toronto (parkade), then back to Roanoke, then to Tallahassee and finally to Smyrna, TN in June of 2011 and he hopes to stay put for a long while.

Working in inventory, Steve has learned to perfect the art of moving. They have collected multiples of their favorite things, since oftentimes boxes get left unpacked.  So if you need a spatula or toaster, he’s your man.  At one point he figured out they had 19,000 lbs. of household goods.  After consulting Google, he learned that if he was a 4 Star General in the Army, they would only pay for moving 17,000 lbs., so he has those General’s beat!

As you can imagine, their house stays very busy with their youngest, Seth, who is 6 years old and Anna, who is 9.  You can see them at NRC on Wednesday nights and if you’re lucky Andrea may even bring a homemade cake!

Not only is Steve relatively new to Tennessee, but he has only been running for about 18 months. His first motivation came when his then, 5 year-old daughter needed him to run with her in a 5K, but in October of 2010 it was officially on.  Steve, who had never enjoyed running in his sporting years before, did 4 halves and a full in his first 14 months of running and he hasn’t slowed down.  He has done two more halves in 2012, one of which was with NRC in Carmel, Indiana!

In his training for the full, he found his stride and running became automatic for him.  It was around this time that he crossed paths with David Dye, a now fellow NRC runner, on a 15 miler and they struck up a conversation that lasted about 5 miles.  David told him about NRC, but Steve admits that he (like our other NRCer of the Month) did a little Facebook stalking before deciding to finally come out for a run!  Afraid that we might be one of those running groups that takes itself too seriously, he quickly realized that NRC likes to laugh as much as we like to talk lactic acid, and has now become a regular.

When he wants to have some fun, Steve likes to travel with his family.  In fact, he’s only 3 states away from being part of the 50 state club.  His family recently took a 17-day road trip out West and visited 9 National Parks seeing Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Grand Teton and more on what sounds like a truly epic journey.  He has a passion for photography and the other thing you may not realize about Steve is that he is a lacto-ovo vegetarian.  (Oh, so that’s why we see him eating a salad at Uncle Bud’s!)

He continues to train even when traveling and when his demanding schedule allows.  He admits that this year has brought fewer miles per week than last year, but that’s all right by him.  He’s running for fun and is glad to have found kindred spirits through NRC.  Steve will be representing our crew on one of the teams heading to Chattanooga in November for the TN Ragnar.  Plus, his wife Andrea, who has also started running, will join him for the Space Coast Half in Cocoa, FL over Thanksgiving weekend.  Congrats, Steve and happy running!

We hope you think these two Runner’s of the Month articles “go together like rama lama lama
ke ding a de dinga a dong, remembered for ever like shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom de boom, Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop” because “that’s the way it should be.

Wha oooh yeah!”  ‘Til next time… 

– Amy Owsley

Imagine your standing feet from the finish line, cheering at the top of your lungs as this month’s featured NRCer comes bounding down the narrowing lane with literally seconds counting down to his Boston qualifying time and just when you think he’ll blow by you, he slows slightly throwing his water bottle to the pavement in a triumphal spray with overwhelming emotion on his face as he high fives you and your friends just before making his final strides to victory!  Now rewind to seven years ago, this same guy who has never run a mile, much less a marathon, is relaxing in the break room at work with his buddies and one of them poses a challenge.  “Let’s all train and run the Nashville Country Music Half.  What d’ya say?”  If the answer had been “Man, I can’t do that!” or “Are you crazy?!” things for runners in Nolensville and surrounding would be a lot different today, but little did Scott Alexanderknow just how much his decision that day would change not only his life, but so many others, as well.

That’s right!  Our fearless leader and the friendliest guy in Nolensville is the latest NRCer of the Month.  Born and raised in Nashville, TN, Scott was blessed to have met the love of his life, Kelli, early in life and the two have been inseparable since high school.  With their two sons, Ryne and Matthew who are both studying at MTSU, they are an extremely close knit family who appreciate their time together attending sporting events, concerts or just taking it easy at home.

Surprisingly, traveling down the road of life did not entail running for Scott until that fateful day he agreed to train for the Country Music Half.  He remembers going home that night, throwing on some shorts and t-shirt and heading out of his neighborhood towards Nolensville road.  About a mile down the road, not far from the NRC breakfast hang – Mama’s Java, he had to stop.  Not quite ready to give up, he ran some and walked some as he made his way home, but by the time he hit the door he saw Kelli and told her “I’m out!”  Luckily, at work the next day he and the other guys all told their running stories and found they were all in the same boat and encouraged each other to keep going.  So Scott kept training and got up to 2 miles, then 3 and so on.  A few months into their training he decided to do his first 5K at the Tom King and came in with a time of about 27 or 28 minutes.  He was beat, but when he crossed the finish line and got the medal – he was hooked!  Scott says that race will always be sentimental to him and he continues to run it when he can.  Soon, the Country Music Half day came and he ran it in 1:57 (under his goal of 2:00), and his co-workers all finished too.

Since then, he’s kept on running.  He did his first full marathon in 2008 at the CMM and came in just over his goal at 4:09.  This was the start of the marathon buzz for Scott and his goal became chipping away at his marathon time.  He ran the CMM again and came in under 4:00 and then he traveled to Chicago and came in under 3:45.  Now, that’s some determination!  He also did the Vegas Half, but his favorite marathon was Carmel.  While there may be some sentimental reasons, Scott really said it is due to the flat course, it being a small race and the fact that he had 30 of his best friends with him!

A big sports fan, another big hobby of his softball.  In fact, he started the Nolensville co-ed adult Softball league about 6 years ago and watched it grow from 4 teams to 12-13 teams.  He has now passed on his mitt to others to lead this group, as his passion and most of his time is with NRC.  He and his son Matthew are HUGE Dave Matthews Band fans.  Scott is not ashamed to say he will have seen them 28 times after the four shows that he will see this summer!  In fact, one of the concerts will take him back to the Carmel area, where he plans to run the Carmel half course for fun. Often joked with about being the “Prince of Nolensville” (his father is mayor of Nolensville) he and his brothers are definitely big on humor.  His older brother, Jimmy, while not a runner, supported Scott and his team as a driver during Ragnar keeping them laughing, and then there is his younger brother, Jason.  An original founding member of NRC, Jason left the crew due to a hectic schedule, but not to be outdone, he started up NRC2 – a vigilante outfit that has pitted themselves against NRC.

Okay, this is controversial, but with no other running clubs nearby, Scott was running with East Nasty running club.  However, seeing more and more runners on the streets of Nolensville, he started talking to Kelli about how there had to be enough runners to start a club here.  In March of 2010, he put the word out through an ad in the Nolensville paper to meet at Martin’s.  As it often is, the very first night was a slow start with only 4 people showing, including Scott and Kelli.  Still they kept meeting regularly and as they say in the movies, “If you build it, they will come.”  Thanks to word of mouth and other sources like Chuck Hargrove’s weekly running resource and Fleet Feet Nashville, NRC has grown to a regular crew of 40-50 members.  Without Scott’s vision and dedicated leadership, this could not have been possible and while he does not do it for the recognition, it deserves to be said.

What’s next on the list?  Boston, April 2013 of course!  His plans are to do a few more half marathons between now and then and to start training in December-January for Boston.  He has recently gotten the bug to take on a 50K trail run with the Fleet Feet Ultra Dirtbags (which will be good since anyone who knows him, knows he’s already got everything in Fleet Feet but the trail running gear!)  Looking ahead though, ultimately Scott sees himself continuing to work to take down his marathon time.  He is excited for Boston and has already decided with his fellow NRC qualifiers that they will not “race” this one and really enjoy the experience of it all.

Scott still sees his old friend, Mike Betts, who threw down the initial gauntlet and Scott always tells him, “If it wasn’t for you I would not be running.”  Knowing our NRCers, I can confidently say that we are very grateful to have benefited from the “marathon-of-a-course” that has brought Scott from mile 1 to fearless leader of NRC.  Scott will admit that when he started running he could only dream of running a marathon in the time it would take to qualify for Boston.  Still, ever the encourager, Mike told him early on that if he ever made it to Boston, he would be there.  Who would have guessed that 7 years later Scott would be taking him up on it (true to his word, Mike will be making the trip) and seeing his dream come true?  Yeah, me too.  J

I cannot think of a better ambassador for running than Scott Alexander.  He has never met a stranger, is determined in his training and is always thinking of new ways to make NRC better.  When you see Scott be sure to tell him congratulations on being NRC member of the month and take a minute to thank him for all his work to make NRC such a great running crew!

Not only can this month’s NRCer make your head spin with her long, blonde hair and brilliant smile, she can make you surge in a low hover with her mad spin-bike skills! Yep, it is my pleasure to announce our February NRC member of the month, Kelly Dever! NRC’s resident spin instructor has been teaching spinning for over 4 years at the Maryland Farms YMCA which she admits is her “happy place” to workout, socialize and just take a break from the stresses of daily life.  As you can imagine, quiet moments are rare in the Dever home with their three boys (Jack, Lane, and Dylan-all under the age of 5) running around.

Kelly has attempted to make the transition to running before, but lucky for us – third time’s a charm.  Kelly ran track and cross-country in high
school.  In fact, she currently holds the 8^th all-time girls 100 meter record and her 4×100 meter relay team also still holds a top ten all-time record for Lassiter High!  The social scene drew Kelly’s attention away and she put her running flats on a shelf until just recently.

Fast forward to 2010, when Kelly’s friends talked her into doing a sprint triathlon (400m swim/12 miles bike/5K run) just 5 months after her second child was born! She started getting back into running then, but her third child had other ideas.  Another 9 or so months later, she began
treading the mill again.  This time it was a Couch to 5K training for the Best Buddies race to benefit a cause very dear to her heart, but the course’s hills were a wake up call to hit the road.

So, Kelly made up her mind to come out to NRC this past August.  She remembers her first NRC run as challenging and admits she had to stop and walk at times to complete the 3 mile route, but this time the running fever had taken hold…5K fever that is.  Kelly went on to complete 9 5K races in 4 months!  She made the mistake of saying she’d NEVER run more than a 5K – famous last words!  You guessed it; she’s planning to do the Country Music Half in April.

When she’s not running, Kelly helps her hubby (Craig) with their restaurant, Uncle Bud’s Catfish Shack in Nolensville, which incidentally catered the NRC Holiday Extravaganza!  She also just started her own company, Rasbury Realty (her maiden name – just rolls off the
tongue, right?!) and is prepared to answer her phone 24 hours a day!

A native of Dallas, TX, Kelly spent time in Atlanta, Louisville, and West Palm Beach before settling down in Nashville, where she’s lived for the past 10 years.  But Nolensville has been her home for 4 years and they’re staying put. It was a tragedy that showed Kelly the incredible heart of her town.  When Lane was just 8 days old, their house burned to the ground due to a faulty wood stove.  A snowy winter morning made it difficult for the fire trucks to get near the home to fight the blaze.  Kelly quickly grabbed newborn Lane, evacuating in just the nick of time with just slippers on her feet.  She will never forget how amazing the community of Nolensville was to their family, giving them clothes, toys, and
funds.  It meant so much to her and Craig, and they truly feel that – There’s no place like Nolensville!!