Jersey Shore: RTB Style

Look out J-Wow. Beware Vinny. There's a new Guerrilla Juice Head in town and he's not on steroids. New Balance Reach the Beach Relay is running their asses from the half pipe at Mountain Creek to the sandy, Hawaiin Tropic stained Beach State Park in Berkeley.

Are you running RTB:NJ? Don't forget to stop at the Shore Store and pick up some Snookie Slippers to keep those tootsies warm in the van.

An Affair to Remember: The TMIRCE IN4MAL

Last Saturday night, droves of informal runners put on their best duds, suits, tuxedos, dresses and ball gowns to get down and boogie on the dance floor. The Most Informal Running Club Ever, as founded by Dave Johnson (pictured below,) has been in existence for 4 years. Originally meant to be a group of a few friends who ran every now and then turned into a mob of sorts.

Left to Right: Andy, Justin, Dave

The night was full of raffle prizes, giveaways, music and dance-offs. The crew from Lululemon represented strongly at the party. Dance-off winner, Jonathan Hall, pulled off an insane backflip; what seemed like slow motion and 9 feet in the air, Jon pulled a move rarely seen at TMIRCE events. Of special note, Hudson Doyle won the NB Reach the Beach Relay full team entry for this years Massachusetts race, May 18th and 19th. Hudson is suffering from good karma after volunteering with TMIRCE this past September at RTB Relay's NH version of the historic race.

Earlier in the day, TMIRCE Saturday's at City Sports saw a near record number of runners, 60+, all donning birthday hats for the group run. There was a lot of excitement in the air as runners were talking about their anticipation of the event later that night.

Left to Right: The gang

With Basket Case blaring over the sound system, and hands flailing in the air, one of the workers of the Marriott pulled the plug. We partied so hard that the staff was told to shut us down. And so they might be able to quiet us at the end of the evening, but TMIRCE will reign strong, at least until next year, when the big 5 beckons and the lights dim once more.

People of New Balance Reach the Beach Relay: Volunteers do it right

Every year, like ants preparing for the cold winter months, New Balance Reach the Beach Relay - RTB - volunteers begin hustling, bustling, and storing up sleep hours before setting off on this yearly adventure. With title sponsor New Balance in the mix, New Balance RTB has been able to explode onto the 200 mile relay running scene with some serious firepower to the 13 year old annual New Hampshire tradition.

But then there are the not so unsung hero's who are recognized as the back bone of this race by nearly all who participate and are held aloft within their own ranks. I'm of course referring to the aforementioned volunteers. Why are they not unsung? The volunteers that sacrifice their time and energy to ensure a smoothly operating event are at the forefront of every turn, literally, are praised by New Balance RTB staff and runners from the moment they begin to the last second they're on the clock. Starting at the top, Race directors Rich Mazzola and Mike Dionne forge lasting relationships that imbue volunteer organizations with a sense of pride in their massive accomplishments over the course of 4 days. That's right...some people start volunteering on the Wednesday before race day. Some volunteers show up to cook meals for race staff, some to unpack the merch tent, some pack race packets with hundreds of timing chips, while others staple banners to the walls of Cannon Mountains facade.

Spread across 200 miles of rural New Hampshire, hundreds of people turn out, some in costumes; selling cookies, hot breakfasts, showers all in support of their fire departments, local education facilities, girl scout troops, City Year programs, and even local running clubs! Organization, safety, and fun are the names of the game here. New Balance RTB commits itself to these core values by over-communicating them during several volunteer training sessions leading up to the big day. Volunteer coordinator, Carol Rainville, works especially hard at making sure every volunteer feels as if they're personally making a difference. They respond by working hard at every turn, getting their hands filthy with garbage, standing on the shoulder of the road for hours directing traffic while wearing a Mario costume, and getting personal with some of the teams in an effort to make lasting connections while teams wait for their runners to arrive. This year, like years past, New Balance RTB exceeded expectations; as volunteers, runners, and the communities of New England, came out in support of the annual celebration of endurance and ability to sleep in a smelly van.