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