Taylor County Race for Literacy 5K

Taylor County Race for Literacy 5K
April 24, 2010
Reynolds, GA
Time: 22:27
Age Group: 1/3
Overall: 13/108

Award: Trophy

Comments: I had been looking forward to the Taylor County Race for Literacy for quite awhile. The race was quite a bit of fun last year: a simple, rural course with decent amenities and lots of running friends. I remembered the course being rather flat and fast too. A fast and friendly race sounded like just what I needed.

What I actually got, to start race morning, was an awful lot of rain. Now, I like rain. I love running in rain. What I don't love so much is lightning. As I drove the 35 miles or so to Reynolds I could see lightning illuminating the sky all over the place. It is probably a revealing look into my running character (and generally loss of mind) that I never once thought about not going to the race. In fact, I never even thought about the possibility of the race being cancelled until I turned into the soggy baseball field complex that would serve as the start/finish area for the race.

To my relief, there were already 20 people or so hiding under the small pavilion. Race director Caryl Deems was pondering the storm - and remembering that her last race (Sweetheart Run for Sight 12K) had to be postponed due to snow. We teased her about her bad luck with weather and asked if her next race would feature a plague of locusts. We discussed alternate times to hold the race but still held out hope that we could actually get the race in.

It was way after time for me to head out for my warm-up. I ultimately decided to try and get at least a short warm-up in - just in case we managed to get the race started. I began to run the course but was quickly encouraged to change my plans by more bursts of lightning. Suddenly the nice walking track at the back of the field complex seemed like a much better idea. I could warm up there and still be within a quick dash of the shelter in case things got scary. A few other runners had the same idea. As I ran the track the rain really began to pelt down. I managed a little more than a mile and then joined the other under the shelter. Caryl made the final decision that we would give the race a try.

As we headed out to the road, the weather understood our plans and miraculously calmed down. The lightning faded away, the rain mostly stopped, and (wonder of wonders) the sun blinked through the clouds. Caryl got us started and we sped past a few houses. The houses gave way to fields. There was quite a view of the sun breaking through the storm clouds visible over the big fields. Beautiful. I would have liked to enjoy the surprising scenery, but the pace of the race was leaving very little time for anything but trying to breathe.

I had broken away with the lead pack, watching the seriously fast folks head off into the horizon. I was trying to run three consistent miles right around 7 minutes even. The first mile went well - 6:57 - and then my wheels seemed to fall off. I was definitely feeling the shortness of my warm-up (and how few miles I managed to run in the last week.) I struggled to maintain a decent pace. The effort it took was incredible. I realized quickly that I had no chance to PR today despite the favorable course. I ran the best I could and tried to just hold onto my position.

I was quite happy to see the finish line come up in the distance. I crossed the line at 22:27. Not a great time for me, but certainly respectable for a day when I just didn't feel like I had it. I was amazed a few minutes later to find that I had won my age group. At first I thought there must have been a mistake made since I new Marcus Parker had finished before me. A quick check with Caryl explained everything: Marcus had won overall! I am so incredibly proud of him. He ran this race about 9 minutes faster than he did last year. That is nothing short of amazing. He has obviously been very dedicated to his training. I hope I can have as much success in the future with speed work as he has!

I enjoyed eating a small Subway sandwich while I waited for results as well as some incredible strawberries. This race is associated with the Georgia Strawberry Festival in Reynolds. Those strawberries were worth having a festival over!

A nice contingent of Macon Tracks were on hand to cheer Marcus as he picked up his first ever overall winner trophy. What an amazing achievement. He congratulated me for winning the age group, I congratulated him for removing himself from the age group with his fine run. The trophies were quite nice. We enjoyed posing with the trophies - and strawberries - as the awards ceremony finished.

I enjoyed this race as much as I had hoped. It was quite different than last year, but the camaraderie of the runners braving the elements was something special. I do enjoy spending time with runners! I'll enjoy remembering this race with the excellent t-shirt too.

Cheerios Challenge 10K
April 17, 2010
Covington, GA
Time: 47:37
Age Group: 3/11
Overall: 23

Award: Trophy

Comments:Today was a hard day to choose a race. There were so many great races - even three different locations with the possibility of running both a 5K and 10K. I decided to head up to Covington to try out the Cheerios Challenge races. I had heard some nice things about the race in the past and wanted to give a new place a try.

The race was headquartered in a YMCA building, a nice facility. Only problem; very limited bathrooms. I knew the race was expected to be quite large and was mystified on what they would use for bathrooms. I never did figure this out.

I picked up my packet and shirt. This race was quite affordable and gave a discounted price to crazy people that wanted to run both races. They also gave the option to pay $5 more and get a technical shirt. I decided to save my money, but almost wished I had ordered the tech shirt. The shirts looked quite nice in both fabrics - especially the nicely designed back logo.

I had heard at the starting line that the course had some hills. I was happy to hear that information. I love hills and almost always need hills to get a PR. I almost never get a chance to run a 10K first in a double race. These days so many of the 10Ks are becoming 10.5Ks that even running a 10K seems like an exciting event. I wanted to destroy my 10K PR in these great circumstances. Surely I could dominate this course and break the record I had set on Thanksgiving up and down the brutal hills of Birmingham.

Well, not really.

I went out fast, but not far under my goal pace. I quickly found out that the hills were not a joke. They just kept coming, one after another. I could never seem to get comfortable and into the flow of the hills like I can in some races. I also had underestimated the constancy of the elevation changes. I was passed quite a number of times over the last few miles, something I really hate. It always means I have not paced well.

Despite my poor pacing, I really liked the course. It had tons of turns. I really had no idea where I was most of the race. The finish line always seemed to be one more turn away. There was one section of the course that we looped twice that I could have done without, but for the most part it was interesting, varied, and fairly scenic.

I kept a decent enough pace up across the line, encouraged by the slim chance I still had of PRing. I came across the line all of 3 seconds faster than my old PR. So I did PR, but hardly the strong showing I had dreamed about. I was amazed to find myself holding down 3rd place in my age group. I told Terry Patterson that it was one of the least-deserved 3rd places ever...but that I would happily take it. The trophy was interesting: a winged running shoe with watch on a small reddish base. I liked it.

The race really seemed to do many things well. The course had tons of volunteers and lots of water. Volunteers at the finish handed runners bottles of water as they crossed. Decent refreshments were available, many provided by the sponsors of the race. General Mills had an acre of Cheerios available for everyone - as well as the Honey Nut Cheerios bee. All of the races had a nice friendly, hometown feel. That's hard to get with as many people were running the combined races (over 1000 according to the MC.)

Cheerios Challenge 10K
April 17, 2010
Covington, GA
Time: 23:48
Age Group: 7
Overall: 30

Comments: The Cheerios Challenge 5K was really just an extension of the 10K to me. I decided not to kill myself on this race, having given all I had to the 10K earlier. I ran the race as hard as possible with no thought of obtaining a PR. I mainly just wanted to finish in under 24 minutes.

The course followed much the same path as the beginning and end of the 10K I had a decent run and finished 30th overall - not bad for a race with more than 500 entrants.

Peach Pace Races

Peach Pace 5K
April 10, 2010
Fort Valley, GA
Time: 23:51
Age Group: 5?
Overall: ?

Comments: For my second (and third) race of the day, I headed to Fort Valley, Georgia, after a short stop at home. The Peach Pace races were to be run through the peach and pecan groves of Lane Southern, a fruit packing company. I was looking forward to seeing my points hound friends, many of whom I knew had driven to Alabama this morning to run several of the Beulah races.

The weather had turned surprisingly warm. The air had a cool tinge to it, but the sun was brutally hot. After running part of the course as a warm-up, I decided that putting on sunscreen was a very smart idea. You saw plenty of trees on the course but no shade. The course did seem rather flat, but the majority of it was run on rocky dirt roads. Fun.

I made the tactical decision to not run the 5K too hard. I knew I would have no chance to place in the 10-year age groups anyway, especially having raced hard in the morning. I figured I would save up what I had left for the 10.5K later and hope that I saved more than everyone else. The 10-year age groups caused some humor at the starting line as different people were suddenly rivals. Bo Ryles tried to lead Roger Keel astray with directions as the race starter gave final instructions. I took some playful kidding about my outfit - intensely bright green with a bright orange hat. I told everyone I was an upside-down peach. Suddenly, we were off.

The race itself was fairly uneventful. I actually took water at the halfway point - unusual for me, but the heat of the day was surprising. The course wound through the groves, through a small building complex (housing for migrant farm labor, perhaps), and back to the finish line back behind the large Lane building. I had a decent sprint to the finish, managing to pass the same gentleman I had sprinted to the finish against at the Good Friday 5K. He wasn't interested in a race today, telling me he had nothing left. I understood - the surprising heat was tearing us all down.

As expected, I didn't place in my age group. My time was not too bad for taking it easy. I did my best not to wilt in the sun, hiding in the shadows of a semi-trailer parked near the finish as I waited for the next race.

Peach Pace 10.5K
April 10, 2010
Fort Valley, GA
Time: 53:34
Age Group: 2
Overall: 7

Award: Medal

Comments: The Peach Pace 10.5K was to follow the same basic course as the 5K. We were starting a little further along the road then would run the 5K loop twice, then run part of the loop again, cutting across on a small road between the groves. It looked like a boring, dusty time was in my future. I elected to do something I rarely do in races these days: I dug out my MP3 player and set up music to use during the race.

At the starting line I saw that many of my usual 35-39 friends from the Tracks were there, as well as some early-30s runners I did not usually have to worry about thanks to our ages. Suddenly my strategy for medaling in this race was looking silly. Oh well, I thought. I'll run as good a race as possible.

When the race started, I quickly put myself out near the front. I was in front of Tommy Union and Ben Wilton, an unusual occurrence for anytime during a race. I figured I would be seeing them later. I was right. I was nearing the 1.5 mile water station when Ben Wilton came effortless past me. I figured leading that fast man wouldn't last for long. Now, however, I would have to stay in my current position to have a chance of placing. I knew that at least one of the leaders was in his early 30s. If he didn't win overall, he was in my age group. Fun.

I settled back into my pace, which felt fairly decent considering all of the miles I had put in earlier. I tried to ignore the heat and dusty conditions and focused my eyes ahead. I figured I would be passed by Tommy at any minute.

I was surprised that there were no additional water stations on the course. I didn't really worry about it, knowing that I would pass by the original water station around the 4 mile mark or so. When I came up on the station, they were out of water. None of the volunteers said a word to me, just seemed to pretend not to see me looking for water. At this point in the race I was running in the top 10. Many runners would be coming up behind me, needing a drink in this hot sun. I hoped that more supplies were coming as I continued on.

Instead something strange started to happen. I could actually see Ben in the distance again. Wow, I thought, maybe I can actually stay fairly close to him. As we headed into the end of the second loop I realized that Ben was walking. As I turned the corner to head out for the shorter 3rd loop, I realized that I was going to pass him. I patted him on the back as I came by and exchanged a few words. Apparently the lack of water had really gotten to him. I understand. If I had pushed it in the first race, I would have been walking at this point too. I still expected Ben to appear behind me and pass right by. As I headed down the final stretch to the finish line I glanced over my shoulder. Sure enough, he was still there. I decided I would continue at my current pace and turn back when I reached a fire hydrant a hundred yards ahead. When I glanced back Ben was much closer. Apparently he had gotten his wind back and was putting in quite an effort to beat me. I sprinted with everything I had left to the line. I managed to hold him off, finding out later that he had stopped sprinting when he saw that I had saved up a final burst. I really enjoyed the final little duel with him. He is a much better runner than I am - it took bad conditions, 3 races in one day, and a dry water station to allow me to barely finish ahead of him. Still, I'll take what I can get.

I finished 2nd in my age group. I waited forever for an award ceremony to start, finally deciding that I would just ask for my medal so I could get some peach ice cream from the main building and head home. Amenities were fairly bare-boned at this race, but the t-shirt was exceptional: great graphics and bright colors. I did leave very disappointed by the dry water station. More upsetting was that no effort seemed to be made to get water on the course for people. The race organizers were fortunate that no runner was seriously hurt.

Dogwood Festival 5K

Dogwood Festival 5K
April 10, 2010
Perry, GA
Time: 21:59
Age Group: 5/13
Overall: 32/388

Comments: Pleasant race at the Dogwood Festival. Lots of Macon Tracks present. I like the course - it is largely a residential tour of Perry, Georgia, with plenty of dogwoods to back up the theme. The course is fairly rolling, but nothing too difficult. I had a solid run, one of my faster times, but could have done better. I did manage to out sprint another gentleman to the line after a 100-yard battle. That was lots of fun, but I sure felt the effort as I tried to fill out my finisher's card. The amenities were okay, not amazing. The t-shirt was a disappointment - nearly identical to the one from 2 years ago.

Share the Path 5K Trail Run

Share the Path 5K Trail Run
April 3, 2010
Dublin, GA
Time: 24:41
Age Group: 1
Overall: 10
Award: Plaque

Comments: I was originally reluctant to run the Share the Path 5K trail run in Dublin. I was turning down a chance to run a 10.5K in Cordele, a distance and place I both enjoy. However, the allure of keeping up with the Macon Tracks race series - and the chance to run some trail - led me to Dublin.

However I wound up at Share the Path, I'm very glad I came. The race had a smaller turn out than I expected, probably under 100 runners for the 5K. Pre-race was well-organized: helpful volunteers, indoor bathrooms, even a course map. I was glad to see the map too. The path drawn on it looked like we were starting in a whirlpool. I quickly figured out that we would be making nearly 3 laps of a field before entering the woods for two loops of those trails finishing back on the field where we started. Sound confusing? It did to me too, but it made a lot more sense while running.

The weather was slightly overcast with comfortable temperatures. Spring has apparently arrived for good. The only drawback was a strange green cloud that seemed to hang in the air. With spring had come the pine pollen. Fun, fun, fun.

We started out the race on the edge of the starting field. After a few announcements and clarifications on the course, we shared a prayer in recognition of Easter. An airhorn started us on our way - a one-point start that took several people by surprise.

I was starting on the front line again. Yes, it still feels weird. I realized that I was in the middle of the front row and that I needed to get to the inside as quickly as possible to minimize the distance of the three starting loops. I decided to go out a little faster than usual to make sure I got inside position. To my amusement, I found myself leading the race for nearly a lap. I was relieved when young John Harvey, the eventual winner, passed me. My preparations in studying the course came in handy - I managed to keep several people on course. I understand the need to spread people out before hitting the trails, but I'm sure the 2 3/4 laps confused many people. Some, I'm sure, missed a lap out of the confusion. Perhaps a bigger circle run fewer times next year might help?

I really liked the course. Many runners fear trail. There was nothing here for a road runner to fear. The trails were wide, more like a dirt road than trail. The course led across the track and soccer field at Trinity Christian School, curved through the edge of campus, and launched back into the woods. Roots and holes were clearly marked with orange paint. Really the only difficulty in the trails came with the loosely packed dirt. There were some hills, and the soft dirt made those more challenging.

I ran fairly well but paid the price both for my silliness in leading the race early and for my double race the day before. Andi and Jerome passed me on the trails, looking strong. Jerome teased me about making him fall. Apparently he was stepping where I stepped and was slipping in places where I was running hard in banked turns. I told him that was one of many reasons why I never should be in front of anyone in a race!

I enjoyed the woods and small lake on the second lap. It was pleasant hearing the praise and worship band playing at the finish line throughout the race, quite different from the quiet trail runs often provided. I came across the finish line in the same time (roughly) as yesterday's trail run. Well, at least I'm consistent!

The only negative of this delightful little race was the long wait for awards. It was creeping up on 2 hourse after the race start before awards were handed out. Many of the runners had already headed home. The small crowd that remained warmly applauded all of the prize winners. I liked how the organizers went down to 5th place with awards in 2 particularly crowded age groups. That was a nice idea to have a few 4th and 5th place awards and then determine which age group needed deeper recognition. I was pleased to take 1st place in my age group and receive an attractive plaque afeaturing a Bible verse and the three crosses.

I hope this race is run again next year. With a little fine tuning and more word-of-mouth this coud be a hidden gem of a race.

Good Friday Races

Good Friday Races
April 2, 2010
Eatonton, GA


Good Friday Races 5K
Time: 24:41
Age Group: 2/5
Overall: 11/57

Comments: Yet another one of the nutty Ryles and Keel holiday races. I remembered the course from last year visiting many hilly roads through the middle of the enormous Rock Eagle 4-H Center. I wisely prepared better for the course this year. As usual, I found out that Bo had changed things up. The surprise for this year: now it was a trail course.

I hadn't brought my trail shoes, but the Rock Eagle trails looked pretty well manicured. No problem for road shoes, I hoped. The pre-race instructions were the usual Bo entertainment. He tried to describe the turns of the course ultimately convincing us that we would be lost until 4-H staff members could track us down on Monday. I wasn't worried - I'm good at getting lost and found on trail courses.

We started off in grand fashion, sent on our way by Will Chamberlin. It was great to see him back after his recent stroke. I told the people around me that I was going to lead a race for once in my life and sprinted into first position. I happily ran there for about three steps before dropping back to my rightful place. There was much laughter and camaraderie from the runners - the usual great support from fellow points hounds. We ran on roads until we reached an untidy pile of candy Easter eggs - our signal to turn onto trail. A concrete path led to an endless series of wooden steps and boardwalk heading down to a dirt trail. The trail was wide and fairly clear but certainly had its share of roots. Nothing too technical, thankfully. A few of the hills certainly got my attention.

The stairs were even less fun going back up. I managed to survive them without falling and rejoined the pat. On the way out of the woods I stopped and picked up one of the Easter eggs - as per Bo's inctructions at the start. I ran well to the finish, trying to sprint past the man right in front of me. We had a spirited race to the finish line. He won, but I certainly made him work for it. We shook hands after the finish and had a laugh about our race.

The usual bare necessities available: water, bananas, and some amazing cookie bars. Few prizes - easter lillies for the winners, bunnies for the masters - but no more were needed. All the points hounds need are good running friends, a place to run, and (of course) Run & See Georgia points.



Good Friday Races 11K
Time: 54:31
Age Group: 3/3
Overall: 7/57

Comments: This race had most of the same people from the 5K stepping back out on the road to take on 11K more fun. The 11K was to be entirely on roads, but roads that featured an inordinate number of hills. I remembered the hills well from last year.

The race itself was pretty non-descript. I enjoyed the views of the lake and other areas of the park. I wished, just like last year, that the path went right up to the famous effigy. I still have not been able to see the eponymous rock eagle outside of photographs.

Cheryl Vail and I ran most of the second half of the race leap frogging each other. I can always recognize her footsteps coming up behind me - largely because of her very quick turnover. Today I was a little bit quicker (or, more likely, she realized that she was first female overall without anyone else anywhere close to her!) I was amused to take around 12 minutes off of my time from last year. I was 7th overall yet still finished 3rd in my age group. The ol' 35-39 group has been downright competitive this year. It's enough to make turning 40 look good!

As always, a fun morning of running with a great group of people.

Fire Ant Festival 5K

Fire Ant Festival 5K
March 27, 2010
Ashburn, GA
Time: 21:49
Age Group: 1/2
Overall: 9/91
Awards: Medal, backpack, odometer

Comments: I had run the Fire Ant Festival 5K two years ago and enjoyed it. I always like races tied in with wacky local festivals. You don't get much wackier than a festival dedicated to that summer Georgia pest, the dreaded fire ant. Ashburn, Georgia, apparently loves their fire ants. They have giant statues of thems, people dressed as fire ants, you name it. They also have a nice city festival with booths, food vendors, and a carnival. One of the food trailers had fried alligator. I was really wishing it was lunch time!

The race is hosted at an alternative school. I have never seen a school bathroom that clean in my life. The school is older but is very well looked after. I like seeing schools that are treated well.

The race is rather low-key. As usual it had a great shirt. This time it was a parody of a NASCAR shirt with fire ants filling the human roles. Fun! I also enjoyed (as usual) the volunteer shirts that were labelled with "WORKER ANT". As I said, they do enjoy their ants.

I enjoyed visiting with Jerome and Terry before the race and had a quick chat with Brenda Gail. It was a smaller race (maybe 80 or so) so I lined up in the front row. It still feels very strange to be up there, almost like I'm trespassing. I keep reminding myself that if I think I may finish in the top-10, I should be in the front to start.

The start was very informal, almost casual. I headed out at a good clip, around 6:00 pace as usual for the start. I was amazed at some of the people who were sprinting out in front of me. Either they have gotten a lot faster recently or they will be regretting this fast start soon, I thought to myself. It turned out to be the latter. I passed a number of panting people in the first mile.

Two years ago I compared the course to running up and down a lot of fire ant mounds. The description is still apt. None of the hills are particularly big but they do come along very regularly. I focused on really using the downhills and trying to maintain pace on the uphill sections. The first 2 miles were very strong. I wondered if I could hold on for one more and a PR. My legs continued to respond well, and I focused carefully on keeping my breath support strong. I heard someone come up behind me. It was the front-running female. She (I found out later) decided to use me as her pacer to the finish. I responded well to someone running right behind me and picked up the pace slightly. I finished the race at a sub-5:00 mile pace and a new PR: 21:49. The overall women's finisher thanked me for being her pacer - I thanked her for my PR. I love when runners can support each other during a race - however it happens.

I managed to finish 9th overall and first in my age group. Fun prizes: a small (but very attractive) medal, a pedometer, and a Fire Ant Festival backpack for first. Second and third place received a medal and a different prize package. I liked the variety.

I wrapped up a great race morning by strolling down to look at the booths. Sadly, the alligator people weren't serving breakfast. I had to satisfy myself with a banana and water for the ride home.

Sweetheart Run for Sight 12K

Sweetheart Run for Sight 12K

March 20, 2010

Centerville, GA

Time: 53:17

Age Group: 3/6

Overall: 13/118

Award: Trophy

Comments: Snow postponed the usual February running of the Sweetheart Run for Sight 12K. Having a Sweetheart race right after St. Patrick's Day was unusual, but I'm glad they decided to reschedule.

I always seem to run the Centerville Galleria Mall courses well. The Sweetheart 12K specializes in constant turns - including an interesting figure-8 where you expect to see yourself coming back the other way!

The weather was absolutely perfect. I was ready for a great race as were many other runners. I set up right at the front of the group. It feels strange to be starting so near the front, but few people have been passing me when I start there. I guess that's where I'm supposed to be these days.

Caryl Deems, the race director, told us that their timer did not show up. Oops. Just a minor problem - no clock and no timed results. She asked everyone to try to glance at their watches coming across. Luckily Sam Martinez had a timing unit in his car which helped out a lot. The race started quickly, right on time.

I went out at a decent clip but fell immediately into pace. I was chasing the usual folks, was passed by Jacqueline as usual, and was generally having a great time. I really like the course. It's rather flat with just enough elevation change to keep the muscle groups happy. There was plenty of water and powerade on course. The traffic control seemed a little better this year too.

I had a nice run with David Dark for awhile before he zoomed on ahead. I managed to pass some of my rabbits too. I was dreading the final run back along Gunn Road. Gunn is fine when we head out - no traffic. On the return it is crowded, dangerous, and full of carbon monoxide. Fun. Thankfully I did not have to pass any of the 5Kers this year. Still, it's hard to concentrate on your finishing kick when cars are zooming by all of the time.

Jeremy Bullard had walked back along the course to run me in. He had a great run in the 5K - took another minute off of his time. I picked up the pace as we turned into the parking lot. I told him that this was going to be a PR for me, the only question was how big.

Actually, very big. I came across the line at 53:16. This was 3 minutes faster than my GEICO PR from a few weeks back. I will probably count this PR, but the course is really short. 3/10s is a big deal. Still, I would have had a healthy PR even if the course was the proper length. I took 10 minutes off my time on the same course last year. That is the most impressive result to me!

I also managed to sneak into 3rd place for my age groups. Tommy Union III ran the 5K to make this possible. I should send him a thank you card...

This race has okay after-race food but only water to drink. The shirt was a real disappointment this year. It was identical to 2009. Not even the 2010 date. And people wonder why I like the no t-shirt option so much!

I enjoyed the award ceremony held in the edge of the mall. I collected my trophy and cheered on my many friends who picked up hardware of their own.

Forsythia Festival 5K

Forsythia Festival 5K

March 13, 2010
Forsyth, GA
Time: 22:56
Age Group: 7/11
Overall: 26/150

Comments: I think I might have 42nded myself out of this race. I thought this would be a perfect PR course for me - nice and rolling, not many turns. I even had lots of friendly competition. The only thing I didn't have was running ability. Blame the continued congestion in my chest or 42nd Street, but this was not prime running by any means. I managed to stay below a 23 - not bad but slower than I had hoped. I was also 7th in my age group despite finishing 26th overall. My age group is getting really busy lately. From what I hear they only gave out first place awards anyway. That's pretty cheap in my opinion.

I was quite proud of Jeremy Bullard today. He turned in a sub-25. He is taking major time off his PR each race.

GEICO 12K

GEICO 12K
March 6, 2010
Macon, GA
Time: 56:39
Age Group: 3/7
Overall: 18/107
Award: Trophy

Comments: GEICO 12K. A beautiful day for running. I thought I would do better on the hills, but lagged somewhat. The lingering effects of a cold and 42nd Street fatigue were definitely factors. Still, I PRed by nearly 6 minutes and managed to take 3rd in my age group after Alan Black won overall and removed himself from the group. Great trophy - downright huge.

Cantrell Center 5K

Cantrell Center 5K

February 27, 2010

Warner Robins, GA

Time: 22:05

Age Group: 6/50

Overall: 49/1189

Comments: The Cantrell Center 5K irks me. It's overpriced, has too many runners, and benefits nothing but the business that puts it on. I run it only because it's close and a Macon Tracks Series race. That being said, the race had some major improvements this year.

D-Tag timing really helped solve the finish line debacle of last year. Nice long-sleeved black t-shirt featuring Chester the Cheetah. Decent finish line food too.

I ran well - had sub-7:00 miles for the first two. The hilly third mile just about did me in. I thought I was on the way to a massive PR until then. I did manage to match my PR time. I was disappointed about that until I realized that there were timing mats at the beginning of the race. When the chip time was posted, I had a 5-second PR. I'm still not under 22:00, but I'm getting close!

I still think that 1000+ runners is just too much for my liking, but I'll complain less about this race in the future.

Al Toll Memorial 5K

Al Toll Memorial 5K
February 20, 2010
Macon, GA
Time: 22:10
Age Group: 4/8
Overall: 17/141

Comments: After running around like a madman for a couple of hours as the pseudo-race director of Al Toll, I was less than sure of my running abilities for the day. Still, after dealing with the mystery of the missing packets, the race seemed like it would be cathartic if nothing else. Besides, I love this course.

I ran well up the mile-long first hill paced by Jeremy Bullard, one of my students. He fell back halfway up the hill and I pressed on. I kept a good pace up the hill and caught Danny Dorminy on the flat. I managed to recover rather well before coming to the screaming downhill finish - right back from whence we came. I kept a 6:49 pace going on the last mile and enjoyed a nice sprint to the finish with Danny and John Stack. Danny schooled me, but I did manage to finish in front of John.

The result: a PR on one of my favorite courses. It's a bit bittersweet since I will probably be running the 15K from now on.

Heart Hustle 5K

Heart Hustle 5K
February 6, 2010
Griffin, GA
Time: 22:58
Age Group: 1/8
Overall: 10/123

Comments: I made my annual trip back to the Heart Hustle 5K. I always enjoy this race. Elementary teachers are great organizers. The ones at Futral Road Elementary School in Griffin, Georgia, always serve up a great race.

The weather has been perfect for the Heart Hustle the last few years. Not so much this year with cold and eventually wet conditions. Another change was in store as well: a major alteration to the course. A pancake breakfast at the nearby high school kept the race from going along its usual route. Instead the organizers served up an interesting boomerang style out and back and out and back. While a lot of the course was the same as previous years, the hills seemed much more intense.

I felt good at the starting line and decided to push the pace a bit. I have had success recently at going out faster than goal pace at the start to get clear of the pack. Then I slow myself down to pace and hold it until picking speed up again at the end. I'm sure running purists would scream at me for this technique, but it seems to be working. The trick is limiting the intensity of the burst at the beginning.

I had a good start, hindered a bit by the usual young runners who grossly underexunderestimated the 5K distance - by about 4.5K. One boy almost became a hurdle when he took a walk break after about 100 yards. Two other little guys were running quite an interesting race - veering sideways across the road. I was glad to have a little extra starting speed to get by the human obstacle course.

The race itself was fairly uneventful. I managed to pass quite a few people, attacked the hills well, and managed to recover a bit on the descents. I glanced at my watch as I turned into the bus drop-off area that served as the finish line. To my surprise, I was dangerously close to going over 23 minutes. I picked up the pace and came roaring across the line at 22:58. That is now the 3rd race I have run at that time. Weird. I really thought I had run faster. A look at my watch told me I had run faster - just longer too. Instead of being a hint short as in the past, the new course was .07 long. That would equal about 30 extra seconds, so my pacing was actually quite good.

I was pleased to see that my warm-up partner, Tony Edmondson, had managed to win the race. One of my former technical theatre students, Kenneth Reeder, continued his incredible running season with a second place finish.

The Heart Hustle has great after race food - hooray for Chick-Fil-A biscuits and oatmeal cookie sandwiches! I like the fact that the organizers print out a nice certificate for every finisher. A lot of the regular running crowd scoffs a bit at this touch, but I like it. I always pick mine up! The awards are fun too - handmade by the students. This year I did not leave with one of the trademark ceramic hearts that go to the 2nd and 3rd place finishers. For once, I earned one of the plaques adorned with student artwork for 1st place. Very cool.

I enjoyed sitting with a friendly group of Run & See Georgia Point Hounds. I seem to be one of that group now, and nicer people you'll never meet. They were troubled by the lack of a finishing clock. That would be an area of improvement to look into as well as getting the course the proper length. Still, I really enjoyed this race yet again and plan to keep it on my calendar for years to come.

Callaway Gardens Marathon

Callaway Gardens Marathon
January 31, 2010

Pine Mountain, GA

Time: 4:13:03

Age Group: 4/4

Overall: 45/126

Award: Finisher's Medal

Comments: You know, Callaway Gardens Marathon is one of those race that just doesn't quite get it. Yet I keep coming to it hoping that someday they will.

This race has a beautiful course, despite the winter drearies. Plenty of hills to keep you interested (okay, interested is probably not the right word here), but certainly a fair course. I don't know if I would recommend it as a Boston Qualifier, but it's not completely brutal like some races I know (MIBM comes to mind... )

Some things are good - on time start, nice warm area to wait in, good course markings, and adequate marshals. I thought the shirt was good this year too, although some of the adverisements promised a windshirt like last year. That was an amazing jacket - worth the entry fee by itself. I heard several people who were ticked off with getting the nice tech shirt instead of the advertised windshirt.

Some things need some more thought. The aid stations are in the perfect places for a half marathon, but leave some big gaps for marathoners. You don't need a lot of fluids from the beginning to 8 miles. However, hitting those same spots on the second lap, runners really feel the three mile gaps between some water stops. They do pick up in frequency later on the loop.

They improved the medal this year from the worst ever to just average/poor. At least they finally have a different medal for the half and full. I don't worry about medal quality very much - I don't run for the bling - but the sadness of Callaway Gardens' medals when compared to their entry fee annoys me.

This marathon has really poor post-race amenities. The post-race food would be disappointing at a 5K, abysmal at a marathon. Bananas and cookies. Again, acceptable at a small, inexpensive race. Shockingly cheap at this race which features no police on course, no road closures, and seemingly nothing much to spend the race fees on - other than turning a nice profit.

I ran very poorly today, by the way, which I am sure is not helping my opinion of the race. I finished in 4:13 - a whopping 26 minutes slower than Museum of Aviation. I think I'm discovering that I am going to take longer to heal at my new faster speeds. I also discovered the hills at the 18-20 mile stretch were painful indeed. My hips decided to boycott the race at that point. Unfortunately, I kind of need them to run. Interesting problem. The solution was lots of pain and two ticked off hips. They are currently not speaking to the rest of my body. It's probably better that way.

I did enjoy riding up and back with Donna, convoying with Deb, and seeing several Tracks on the course. Thanks to Kerry and Dave for finding me on my second lap to give me some encouragement! Sadly, I'll probably keep doing this race. It is relatively close and it does give a ton of R&SGGP points.

1929 Races

1929 Races

January 18, 2010

Hampton, GA

Flat Tire 5K

Time: 24:49

Age Group: 1/1

Overall: 14/52

Award: 4-H Ribbon

BamaDawg 10.5K

Time: 58:07
Age Group: 2/2

Overall: 17/56

Award: 4-H Ribbon

TTW 5K

Time: 27:25

Age Group: 2/2

Overall: 13/46

Award: 4-H Ribbon

Museum of Aviation Foundation Marathon

Museum of Aviation Foundation Marathon

January 16, 2010
Warner Robins, GA

Time: 3:47:15

Age Group: 10/21

Overall: 52/184

Award: Finisher's Medal

Warrior Romp 5K

Warrior Romp 5K
January 9, 2010
Watkinsville, GA
Time: 22:58
Age Group: 1/3
Overall: 17/127
Award: Medal

Winter in Winterville 5M

Winter in Winterville 5M
January 9, 2010
Winterville, GA
Time: 37:37
Age Group: 1/3
Overall: 13/62
Award: Ceramic Owl Plaque