Komen Race for the Cure 5K

June 13, 2009. The 4 a.m. alarm time was almost the worst part of this race. The dog ate, we went out for a brief walk and I left by 5 a.m. I got the first bus out of the RBC parking lot for the short ride to Meredith College, the site of the event.

We took a team photo at 6:15. Some of us were doing the competitive 5K, some the non-competitive open 5K. I lined up for the 7 a.m. start with one competitor in my age group and maybe 4 or 5 rows behind the one who usually wins the age group. We were up near the front. I am not really keen on being that far forward, especially in a big race. They said several times that if you run slower than an 8 minute mile, line up towards the back. I don't run 8 minute miles! But a competitor who always beats me lined up rows in front of me.

Fearing trampling, I almost moved to the back (as I have done in the past in some races.) But, I didn't and the race started. I stayed close to the right so that fast runners could pass. However, there were so many runners and masses were passing that not too far from the start of the race, a young lady wearing a pink top (or was it blue?) and white shorts pushed me to the side as she passed and weaved through those in front of me. She was moving quite fast. Within a minute, a lady behind me and to the right began falling forward. I glanced back hearing the noises and saw her, arms outstretched, heading for a nasty fall. I worried about the possibility she might get trampled and slowed for a fraction, thinking of stopping. I saw people on the curb and a few nearby runners lean down to her. Meanwhile I kept going to avoid being run over myself. I expect she either tripped or someone stepped on her heel.

It was about 70 degrees and humid.

The race proceeded up Hillsborough St which had a slight incline, left on Gardner and then left onto Clark St. Clark was partially down and uphill. There was still a sizable pack of people running with me, so I imagine there were a lot of runners in this race. We turned right onto Brooks and I began to feel the strain. Brooks has a gradual uphill incline. Somewhere along here, we passed the half way mark and began going uphill again. I dropped to my first walk about 3/4 of the way up that hill.

Between Barmettier, Dixie Trail and the return towards Meredith on Clark, I dropped to a walk three more times! I am wondering if my almost 5 mile trot on the hills of Johnston Lake the preceding Thursday night was too much for this old crone. (The east path around the lake has numerous short but challenging inclines towards the latter half of the path.)

By the time I finally saw the Finish and the horde awaiting the 7:45 start of the Open 5K, I was wiped. I barely managed to speed up for the finish. In fact, I did not speed up.

I don't know that I shall do this race again. Too many people. Too much jockeying for front position. If I do do it, I won’t consider any kind of age group placement and rather, start in the back of the pack and just track my chip time. Sometimes, it isn’t worth it to try to be competitive within your age group when you can't really run as fast as the front of the pack.

And there is very little chance that I will ever run fast enough (over a distance) to make up for another's possible gun time start advantage. It really is myself I am running against, any way. The satisfaction comes with a better chip time and more than that, how it felt to run the race. Was I exhausted? Was it a real strain? Or, was I able to run it feeling a bit uncomfortable at times, but without dropping to a walk at any time? That is really the objective.

This is not track, after all.

Chip time 29.39.61 Gun time 29.50.28 1348 of 2623. Lots of people equals lots of folks crossed start minutes after front runners. Chip times would be far better for those folks than gun time.

Run for the Haw! 5K

Graham is where my softball team is based. It is a neat little town. Cooke field has three well tended softball fields as well as tennis courts and picnic areas and a walking path. Graham theatre is renown for miles for its entertaining movie announcements. Today, June 6, 2009, Graham held the first Run for the Haw! to benefit the development of the Haw River Trail.


Up at 5 a.m. so I could get the dog taken care of and get to Graham by 7:30. I made it by 7:20. The race started on Goley Street at 8 a.m. near the corner by the Graham Middle School softball field. It was overcast, but warm. The sun came out almost right away. After the slight incline along Pine street adjacent to the cemetery, and out to Main, the course is mostly flat. It traverses downtown Graham on Main St into a residential area, with a turnaround at Parker and then back on N Maple before cutting back through the residential area back to the school around the track to the Finish.

Due to the excessive rain yesterday, there were a few mats out covering the worst of the mud spots around the field and the finish line was denoted by a large SWIM FINISH banner.

I started slowly and jogged the entire way, huffing away. Nearing the school on the return, I came upon another runner who heard me huffing and told me to come on along. I said not to worry, I wouldn't be passing. We jogged to the street adjacent to the ball fields and track. Not realizing I still had the track to go around, I sped up and passed the runner and came onto the field only to be directed to the track.

Poof. The air went out of me and I dropped to a walk. The lady runner passed and encouraged me again, but I continued walking around the first curve before forcing a jog. There was that lady, who passed another in front of us, and three ahead, a lady in a red singlet. In the final stretch, the lady in red and the encouraging lady crossed the finish. I sped up and passed one lady, came into the finish area and slowed, figuring they were going to rip off the number tag (i.e. order of finish tally). But no, there was a guy clocking us in on a device who told me to keep going. So I lost a few seconds there. Nonetheless, this was a PR for me. I expect that is because Graham is a heck of a lot flatter than Raleigh. At least downtown. Still, I should have pushed harder at the end instead of flopping like that. Especially after having watched MARATHON CHALLENGE last night.

The 84 runners consisted of a mix of avid (pro) runners (Missy Foy, the Women's winner) and casual, such as myself. One man said he had not run a race in 15 years, the last being a marathon. He and his pal set off ahead of me and were well along with the main pack. However, I came upon him on Main street, beyond RT 49 (Harden St) intersection, and he had to drop to a walk. He may have resumed running later, but didn't pass me. I do know he was happy to be out there. Me too.

Missy Foy won the women's (38) in 19.45, and Graham Crawford the men's (46) in 17.41. The median time was 27.20. I was 15 of 38 women with a time of 28.37. (50/84 overall)