Thunder Rd / Presby Jingle Jog 5K

30° F

Did ya hear me? 30° F this morning!

Didn't stop over 1460 runners plus nearly 1000 'Girls On The Run' from racing in Charlotte's second most prominent running event. Thunder Road hosts a full marathon, a half marathon and a 5K. The full marathon is certified and a qualifier for the Boston Marathon, so it goes without saying that the turnout is huge and the challenges are race worthy.

The 5K had a start time of 8:20am to allow the other two races room to progress without the advent of less experienced athletes. The gender statistics for these races are intriguing. The marathon was predominantly male runners, the other two races had a higher percentage of female runners. Either us ladies don't like the cold or Charlotte and surrounding areas hold a male majority for the 26.2 miles.

Marathon 26.2 mi - 1409: 975 M 434 F
Half Marathon 13.1 mi - 2992: 1451 M 1541 F
5K 3.1 mi - 1460: 589 M 871 F

This event includes an Expo at the Charlotte Convention Center of which I toured on Friday evening. Lots of fabulous running gear bargains from local vendors as well as t-shirt pick up for each of the races. This was my second year of participation and my two favorite vendors had much in store this year. 4:13 Apparel (named after Philippians 4:13) had an incredible selection of christian running apparel and, as always, Run For Your Life displayed the bestest and mostest for every athlete, no matter the age or ability.

Definitely a race to put on your calendar for 2010 !

CHIP TIME: 43:07

Thin Blue Line 5K

This was a fantastic run! Very friendly, very family oriented, very fun and ONLY $10 !!

We ran at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police/Fire Training academy - asphalt, trails, stairs, gravel, track, weaving/bobbing around barricades on a shooting range with lights and sirens blaring and the "drill" instructor over the vehicle loudspeaker shouting "You call that weaving??", bagpipes present, and Bubba - one big bad hill, and most importantly, lots and lots of police officers shouting out full support for each and every participant.

I must give commendations here - the cops were superb for this event... at the end of Bubba (literally the steepest hill I have ever run) the officers stood up there in full uniform holding out boxes of doughnuts (hilarious parody!) and we still weren't at the finish line!!

This is definitely a repeat event and for a good cause - Charlotte’s Finest Legacy Foundation is providing scholarships to those deserving high school seniors who are seeking a career in law enforcement as well as in honor of Officers Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton who were tragically killed in the line of duty on April 1st, 2007.
Mark your calendars for 2010 - this is a race you don't want to miss!

OFFICIAL TIME: 45:00

 

Runway 5K

Fantastic event and just as the name implies, we ran on the tarmac while planes were landing and taking off! The turnout was far above and beyond the organizers expectations, over 1300 persons posted times for this race! There was a 30+ minute delayed start time because many runners were held up in traffic entering the parking area - overflow parking resulted and attendees had quite a walk to get to the Start Line.

I had the privilege of running with three of my RFYL University classmates and truly enjoyed seeing them again. I was also accompanied by a good friend and quite a few of her coworkers who have chosen running as a means of promoting their own health and wellness. As always, each of them is an inspiration to me!

Charlotte Running Company managed the event and Queen City Timing oversaw the race results. For those of you that follow my blogs, I will insert here "Run For Your Life RULES!!" when it comes to race events.

Charlotte Running Company ran out of t-shirts quite early and works on a first come, first serve basis, thus early registration does not guarantee anything - no replacements or additional shirt printings were offered. The response was quite blunt - first come, first serve, meaning an individual could register the day of and get a tshirt provided they got there as soon as registration opened and yet someone who registered three months in advance would NOT have a shirt reserved for them, irregardless of the fact that they truly were "first". I'm venting but it's legit and it's not for me - I always pick up my shirts prior to the event when possible (I'm not a morning person) but some of my classmates who registered shortly after the online registered opened, were turned away and for their sake, this is being blogged.

Queen City Timing only posts guntime results which poses the question "What's the point?" Their (QC and CRC) one consistent quality is that they each continually make RFYL look world class in comparison! I can state this with ease and without guilt because I have attended 5Ks held by churches or community organizations that were timed much better than this (manually), yet we were given disposable digital timing chips by Queen City Timing, and the chips worked as they should, still QC couldn't provide actual chip time.

For the record, it can be done, and done correctly. Technology does not replace quality workmanship, it only enhances what must already be present.

Because of the location, onsite sponsors/booths were very limited. A huge THANK YOU should go to the groups providing water/Gatorade/bananas/muffins - someone in that group had the foresight to realize around 7am that they were understocked due to the higher turnout and they managed to provide MORE than enough for all participants long before the race ended! Well done, folks, well done!

This event benefits LifeSpan's Community Activity and Employment Transition Program (CAET), a worthy cause; they were present at the finish line to thank each and every runner for his/her support. Best in Show Award belongs to them!

While I may state a "needs to improve" for Queen City Timing and Charlotte Running Company, I have nothing but praise for all other aspects - patrol officers, guards, volunteers, airport employees, Sir Purr, 107.9, US Airways, participants, and sponsors for this event! It's a grand opportuning to race on a runway at an airport the size of Charlotte Douglas International and everyone felt safe while running, and of course, THIS is THE flattest run in the city of Charlotte!! Wooo Doggies!!!

Looking forward to next year's race!!

Guntime Results posted:
TIME: 43:42
PACE: 14:04

Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure 5K

As always, the Race For The Cure is one of the finest events held in Charlotte. It's an outstanding fundraiser for a worthy cause and the turnout is just tremendous. If you have never been - even if you don't walk/run - I would strongly suggest supporting and participating in their annual event. You'll be amazed at the show of support and the enthusiasm felt by one and all. Breast cancer is real - it effects so many of us in today's society, so do yourself a favor and go see what all the hub bub is about, you'll be glad you did.

TIME: 44:00
PACE: 14:11

Hog Jog 5K

I drug myself out of bed at 6:45 am this morning. I was tired from a 17 mile bike ride through VA - a trek that began at 5:30am the day before with over 7 hours on the road, very enjoyable I might add, but nonetheless taking a physical toll. I debated sleeping in, lost the debate to my more committed self and headed out to Tryon & 3rd to see what all was going on...

I was overwhelmed - this was, by far, the best event I have yet attended for a RFYL sponsored and managed 5K ! The new route was excellent - the mascots (at least six) were there to cheer us on, the Marine recruits volunteered to give direction for all route turns and one lively group of Marine volunteers actually cheered for the runners! Hog Jog is part of the Blues, Brews & BBQ event which is what made it so enjoyable. Carnival rides, games, contests, live music, and LOTS of excellent food!

A hearty thank you to the RFYL sponsors that were on the field today - Jim & Nick's BBQ gave out free sandwiches, Bruegger's gave out free fresh bagels in every variety; PowerAde, Dasani and Vitamin Water deserve a round of applause, and most of all - RFYL for hosting such a family friendly event!

I personally chose to run with a birthday girl named Veronica. Today was her 11th birthday and her mom was unable to run with her because of a case of chest congestion, thus me and my buddy ran in sprints for the entire 3.1 miles. Veronica was limited somewhat in distance running because she is new to running, but she's getting her training through Girls On The Run and totally loving the sport!

Results showed 727 posted times and only posted Guntime. My personal time read as "Guntime: 46:56 Pace: 15:07". I started behind the baby joggers so I'm sure my chip time is slightly less than this, but no worries. I very much enjoyed my new friend and am glad she was able to participate ♥

★★ Chiptime posted - TIME: 45:51 PACE: 14:46

I fully expect next year's event to be equal to or better than this years. If you're in the Charlotte area, this is one you don't want to miss!

Yiasou Greek Festival 5K

Saturday's event included almost 1300 runners and several hundred fans. Course was relatively flat with the exception of one gradual incline almost a half mile long which appeared about two thirds the way into the run. Most dedicated runners are able to set new PRs at this race because of its flatness and many did - congrats to those who posted stellar times!

I ran this race as part of my RFYL 5K training class (which began Aug 4). We run as a class on Tuesday and Thursday nights (University area) in intervals. This week's intervals were RUN 2.5 min WALK 3 min. We are required to run three times a week so my third run was the Yiasou 5K. I did intervals two thirds the way through the race until I hit the incline. Completed the race as a walk.

Excellent class by RFYL - $85 covers nine weeks of training and builds up running distances to the point of three miles by end of session. I signed up at the University location. RFYL also teaches this class at Stonecrest and Dilworth, prices may vary as Dilworth also gives students a technical shirt as part of the class materials. Next session begins in October.

TIME: 44:12
PACE: 14:13

Miles of Mooresville 5K

Last minute decision to participate. Event was held in historic district of downtown Mooresville. It was the third installation of a Tri-Series and it was an evening run event - rare in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte area). Three races at event; 1 Mile, 2 Mile and 3 mile. Runners can do all three or choose a distance that works best for them. Walkers chose the 1 mile event. Distance runners ran all three events. Those still in training or concerning about the pending thunderstorm ran the 2 mile. 5K fans ran the 3 mile.

Race Records for each event:
1 Mile: 1st 5:26 101st 16:27
2 Mile: 1st 6:03 80th 27:59
3 Mile: 1st 5:49 68th 42:06

My results for the 2 Mile:
TIME: 27:59
PACE: 14:00

Excellent community event. Races are constructed around a one mile loop of downtown Mooresville, lots of police officers and cheering volunteers. Would highly recommend for any runner or for a family looking for a comfortable outing. Kudos to Mooresville for promoting good health and community spirit!

Panthers Blue Points 5K

This race was remapped at the eleventh hour due to construction in downtown Charlotte. As a result, it was basically two thirds uphill, with the last 1.3 miles being directly non-stop uphill.

Having said that, this was a great race for me!

I began a 5K class this past week and in just two sessions I have learned a lot. I've learned that my breathing challenges are perhaps twofold. One being that I trained my body and didn't train my lungs for this type of event. The other is possibly Exercise Induced Asthma that may be causing the shortness of breath early on. I will be tested for the latter next week, but in the mean time I have done some research and discovered that an inhaler is actually the last resort, there are other treatments to be considered first, one of which is exercise itself.

The 5K class is providing just such exercise. It forces me / my body to workout in a routine manner and on a fixed pace. The first week we ran 1 minute, walked 1.5 mins and repeated for 30 minutes. The running increments will increase while the walking increments decrease. By the end of nine weeks, I should be able to run 5 min, walk 30 sec run again, etc - or more.

As a result of my week's worth of training, I spent the first 15 min of this race running at the class pace and it improved my overall time. I average 48 - 49 min on a 5K so I shaved off nearly five minutes for my results.

The class is a real joy, taught by Run For Your Life at the University store, although it is also offered at the two other Charlotte locations. Cost is $85 (@ University) for the 9 weeks and is well worth the investment.

The Panthers 5K had almost 1300 runners which is a large crowd for a course like this and the Fan Fest event followed after the race. Good summer fun for local fans of the Carolina Panthers football team.

TIME: 43:27
PACE: 13:59

King Tiger 5K

Beautiful morning for a run!

This race started bright and early at 7:30 am. Quite a turnout, I must say. The route was changed from last year and it is a certified course, thus we were challenged with lots of uphill segments. Several of my friends were at this event which always makes my day - Go Linda, Go Fatima, Go Deborah, Go Johnella!! We were suprised to see young men running this race BAREFOOT! I had overheard some older participants pointing them out and we had to ask... yes, they were running barefoot, it was no hoax, thus I am continually amazed at the dedication of true runners!

RFYL once again did an excellent job sponsoring and timing this event. There were moonwalks for the kids, radio station booths, starbucks, LOTS of food, music, powerade and local retail booths AND best of all - King Tiger does the COOLEST t-shirts! The Unversity 5K looks to be a top contender for all future 5Ks in Charlotte!

TIME: 46:35
PACE: 15:02

Twilight 5K

Excellent race! A crowd of 1700 showed up to run in spite of the weather. It did not rain, but the breeze spoke to a pending storm yet made for a very comfortable outing.

Although this race was for kids, the youth turnout was far less this year than last. The weather may have been a factor or the conditions of last year's event. Many parents had been concerned over the constant publicity of alcohol related entertainment after the race. I can say with delight, that did NOT occur this year. Parents need not be anxious over the influence presented during this event and we can only trust these measures will continue in the future. Much improved in that regard.

This was my second year attending this function and I look forward to 2010 and more RFYL sponsored events.

Time: 47:38
Pace: 15:20

Cupid's Cup 5K

This was a fun day! Ran as part of a team and our scores ranged from 31 min to 48 min finish time. I joined a very lively and very encouraging group, and for the first time ever, I actually completed a run in the rain - ugghh - but was glad I did. Of the 1500 plus registrants, 898 showed up in spite of the weather to support CMC's fundraiser. Each group had a minimum fundraising goal of $150. Our group, Cupid's Contenders, raised a total of $178.

Cupid's Contenders Team Page

I was honored to run with such a wonderful group of people and to be a part of an action aimed at supporting cardio health and wellness.

Personal Time: 48:38
Pace: 15:41

Frosty 5K McMullen Creek

This event was a pleasant surprise. The trail was part gravel (more mud), part wooden bridges and part asphalt. It was also fairly level. Excellent family event and no surprises regarding the direction of the route. Timing was manual, and as is normal for manual scoring, the results were slightly higher for all. The top male score was 18:03, top female was 20:40. Appears to be a 2.5 to 3 min time difference, but still a fantastic run.

My personal time was 47:53 (I walked, price of a big dinner the night before) while my nephew shaved two minutes off of his previous score. He completed in 29:15. He is definitely on the road to more competitive timing.

I would recommend this series to anyone, especially 5K beginners. It's family friendly and a rather less complex challenge. A heartfelt thanks to CHF Magazine for sponsoring and managing the events.

Frosty 5K Walk / Run Series