I have a real sense of accomplishment after this morning's race. Not because of a spectacular time. Not because of an award or placement. Not because of a random act of kindness or any personal greatness but simply because of perseverance. Today I truly fulfilled the statement..
I am not here to compete, I am here to complete.
It was just one of those days where you follow the sage advice of Yoda " Do or Do Not, there is no try" and today was that day. I woke up exhausted, overloaded with allergy symptoms, gained 10 lbs in the last 30 days, had an iron, Vitaman D & B deficiency, and had major battle fatigue as a result of 'Mother Nature: The Extended Version'. My body literally protested at the very thought. We all know that "line" in our physical health which is the breaking point between tolerable and intolerable. At 220 lbs this morning, I was well over that line.
For any walker / runner out there that faces daily health challenges (big or small) and still presses on, I salute you! Those not in this category or who have never doubled the athlete's challenge with both goals of sports performance and health improvements, your feelings of victory are not comparable to ours and your "mountaintop experiences" are rarely like mine today. Today I persevered. Today I am proud of the road behind me. Today I went above and beyond in my personal journey.
As for the actual race... the ad stated the final half mile was downhill... well... the final one/tenth was not. *groan, whine, moan* The new course is very hilly, while most of the hills are moderate, there are a lot of them. Quite a workout. Proof that the GPX series is designed to be challenging. The 7:30 AM start time kept the temps at bay for the race. With yesterday's rain, we were in the low 60's this morning and that was quite nice.
One other thing I will point out about this course, there were two additional timing mats on the course. The additional mats were part of the "King and Queen of Copperplate Hill" challenge within the course. This half mile stretch had separate timing and allowed for some strong competition during the race. Separate awards were given for those that conquered this particular hill with better results per half mile, regardless of how they placed overall. Creative!
T-shirts for this race were Next Level Apparel and definitely an upgrade from the standard cotton shirts. This shirt had basically the same quality material as the CPCC Skyline shirt (first race of GPX series). While it is not a tech tee, it is a much better quality 60/40 Cotton/Poly blend shirt. The logo has changed from years gone by. Myself, like many others, miss the original college style logo design but am glad to see the improvement in quality material.
Couldn't help but overhear comments today about the crowd size "not as large as I expected" and "is this one part of the GPX?". Have no idea about the fluctuation in attendance although I do know there are several new event marketing groups (race directors) in the Charlotte area thus making for more available races and more choices in pre/post amenities. RFYL does really well with sponsors and this race was no exception although a few things did catch my attention. At 8:30 AM all the water was gone. At the 30-40 min completion mark all the water bottles (8 oz) that were distributed were gone, leaving the balance of runners to utilize the Diamond Springs dispensers until they were emptied out.
The hydration table (during race) was at the 2 mile marker and for new runners, walkers etc, that's a bit further than expected. This race had no Gatorade/Powerade pre or post race and for veteran runners, that can make a difference in which event he/she may choose to sign up for, as well as other amenities like tech shirts, trophies and location. This isn't a detraction for RFYL, it is simply proof that Charlotte is quickly becoming a competitive market for running events.
Saw a new and upcoming running club out for today's race, the Purple Butterfly Running Club. Lots of lovely ladies out on the track promoting better health and offering lots of support and motivation! This is an all women's running club with paces at all levels. Honored to run with them this morning!
King Tiger Tae Kwon Do Academy, the primary sponsor, once again did an excellent job as host and their contributions and efforts are greatly appreciated. They gave out back sacks and water bottles this morning, had two game setups with prizes and several instructors present to offer incentives and answer questions about all the programs they offer. They have expanded their activity list since I was last at a King Tiger 5K and they have added Zumba classes and Tap Team classes for anyone interested. I also believe they have four locations now - Charlotte, Matthews, Mint Hill and Belmont NC.
Also need to give a shout out to Rita's, Great Harvest Bread, Trader Joe's, Hickory Tavern and Farley's Pizzaria! Many enjoyed the wine, the cheese, the ice custards, apples, and bananas, as well as the coupon deals in the virtual goody bags. Another reason the GPX series is well worth entering.
As for my personal GPX standing, I am no longer in the top 5, albeit I am only 13 pts away from 5th place solely because I have ran all of the races thus far (only two of the top 5 have done that). I will fall out of the top ten next race if my timing does not improve...
On to race #4... Summer Breeze 5K... see you there!
CHIP TIME: 50:05
