Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Meet the Red Dress pace leaders

There are many cool things about the Red Dress Run - it’s one of only two races we produce each year that is exclusively for women. This year, we’ve got another great line-up of swag for runners, including adorable "running chick" t-shirts, unique finisher bracelets and tons of goodies at the post-race party.  

We also are bringing back something we introduced last year, the first time we ever offered pacers at a 5K.  A group of volunteer pacers from Team HMF will help you reach your race goal, whether it’s crossing in a certain time, finishing your first 5K or simply having a blast with supportive and motivating women all around you.

Look for them before the race, and learn a little more about them below.

Pacers - Red Dress Run for Women, presented by UnitedHealthcare


Pacing at 8 minutes per mile (mpm) – Elizabeth Mashiak & Kristina Miner 
Pace strategy, according to Elizabeth: "Keep the pace consistent. A huge problem some people run into is starting off too fast then burning out before they get to the finish"   

Kristina’s running tip "When it starts to hurt, think about your eye lashes...by focusing on my eye lashes (which clearly never hurt), my attention is on something positive and I stop focusing on what hurts"

9 mpm – Ryan Morgan & Stacey Clark          
Stacey’s race motto "Stick with it, be persistent, be insistent."

10 mpm – Diane Perry & Katie Ouellette
Susan & Elanna Rubenstein,
mother-daughter pace team!
Group pace strategy - "We're going to resist the urge to race out at the start and try to settle into a nice groove so we hit a perfect 10:00 pace for our splits. With two pacers, we will have a pacer stop at water breaks and one that continues on pace"

11 mpm – Elanna & Susan Rubenstein
Why Elanna feels Red Dress Run is so unique "Nothing is more empowering than being inspired by other women! I know so many people that make Red Dress Run their first 5K and come back year after year!”

Wise words from Susan "Have a goal but remember to enjoy the experience along the way. Be proud of yourself for just lacing up your sneakers and running"

12 mpm – Steph Gagliardi & Chris Trotta
Tip from Steph "Running with friends has always helped me in achieving my own running goals...Having a support system is really key with staying motivated”

Wise words from Chris (the ONLY male at Red Dress Run) "Enjoy every moment, even the ones that don't seem enjoyable, they are the ones you are going to look back on and realize how awesome you are!" 
 
Helping the back of the pack finish – Kimberly Markey & Amie Comer
Group pace strategy “Lead by walking a slow and steady pace of 16-minutes/mile, adjusting accordingly not to leave anyone behind. We will talk and encourage all to keep moving forward while having fun."