Mitchell County - Rhododendron Run 10k - June 21, 2014

As mentioned in some prior posts, local festivals and events have been a big boon to the countdown, as races have become a popular addition of festivities everywhere.  A long-standing example is the Rhododendron Festival in Bakersville, NC and it's accompanying 10k race.  This year was the 68th year of the festival and the 37th running of the 10k, one of many festival events including a pageant (one of my friends has been the Rhododendron Queen), a golf tournament, and a crafts fair.  And it was the best opportunity we had to get a race in Mitchell County up in the mountains!

Bakersville is a lovely little town in the mountains, but it does take some driving to get there.  We actually had to stay a little ways out of town because the few hotels in Bakersville were tied up with other festival attendees.  But once we arrived on race morning, it was no trouble checking in and getting set for the event.  The race shirts were a lovely faded purple with a big rhododendron logo, and the race had also been designated as the 2014 North Carolina RRCA 10k State Championship!  So it was a big deal all around, but I was especially delighted with the race shirts.  Packet pickup was in the gym of an elementary school were the post-race festivities would be held, but once we had checked in, we had a bit of a walk down a couple of streets to the main section of town, where the starting line was set up.

Crimson Laurel Way, the main road through town, was where the starters lined up just over 130 of us runners for the 10k.  Unlike some of the flat, fast races we had been doing in the eastern part of the state, this mountain race promised some elevation changes.  The first part of the race was a big loop through the main part of Bakersville; we kept making left turns over Cane Creek and Honeycutt Branch until, just under a mile into the race, we swept by the starting line again, giving the spectators another chance to see their runners go by.  We made a few more turns and then turned the opposite way to follow Cane Creek out of town.

The last four miles of the race were an out-and-back following Cane Creek down -- naturally -- Cane Creek Road.  In addition to get some hill workouts, we also got some spitting rain just to remind us that it was getting more cloudy as we ran along.  But with the out-and-back we did get to see all the other runners both in front and behind us.  The highest elevation point on the course was, of course, right at the turnaround, and as we made the turn to head back towards town, the skies opened and a deluge began.  We were soaked pretty quickly, which even tickled the law enforcement that was monitoring the roads to keep the runners safe.  The wet clothes kept us cool, but it was a bit of a slog even when the rain tapered back to a sprinkle in the last mile.

Instead of going all the way back into town, we made a couple of turns that brought us back to Gouge Primary School for the finish line approach.  They did a great job setting up the finish line so that you could see it during your whole approach and hopefully use it for some inspiration.  We sloshed across the finish line and then made a bee-line for the school cafeteria, where we would finally be out of the precipitation and get to enjoy the festive post-race pancake breakfast.  The pancakes were still warm and tasted really good in our cold wet bellies.  We socialized with a few of the other soaking-wet runners, had seconds on pancakes, and then headed home to dry out.  It really was a lot of fun at the Rhododendron Run 10k, and hopefully we'll be back to run this one again in some drier weather -- and maybe play in that golf tournament, too!

Ninebity!

Wow, we've made it to 90 counties!  We've really covered a lot of ground now, from the coast to the mountains, from the north border to the south border, and everywhere in between -- multiple times!  Between the two of us, we've run in 90% of North Carolina's counties!

The last ten counties we've visited took just over a year to collect.  Now we're down to the last 10, and we're pretty much at the mercy of the race schedules for those counties.  Hopefully when we can find a race in one of them, we will be able to work our calendar around it -- otherwise we'll keep dragging the finish of the countdown further into the future.  Given some good knees and budgets, hopefully we'll make it to our finish line in about a year!  Keep those cards and letters coming in, and watch out for us coming through your town real soon!

Complete: Alamance, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Carteret, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Chowan, Clay, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Graham, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Macon, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Lincoln, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Watauga, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson, Yadkin, Yancey

Still to go: Alexander, Alleghany, Camden, Caswell, Cleveland, Currituck, Henderson, Madison,  Mitchell, Transylvania

Pamlico County - The Don Lee Creature Crawl 5k - May 18, 2014

Not only is Pamlico County home to some of North Carolina's best sailing spots, it's also home to Don Lee Camp and Retreat Center, affiliated with the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, which is home each May to a camp-wide open house and the Creature Crawl 5k.  Brad grew up going to Methodist camps in the mountains, so it was nice to see what the ocean version of camp would be!  With the open house going on, there were all kinds of exhibits, demonstrations and exploring going on, so we got a nice view of all the camp activities and possibilities while waiting for the race to start.

Although this was only the 2nd annual running of the Creature Crawl 5k, the staff had the check-in process down.  We received some nice red Camp Don Lee shirts (with a different date) in our goodie bag, along with more camp info.  The race itself was going to start out in front of one of the cabins close to the river, so we eventually all made our way over there, where a friendly guy with a bullhorn thanked everyone for coming out, encouraged us all to enjoy the camp and have fun while we were there, and then sent us off on the run!

The route led quickly out of the camp along the main entrance road, and there were plenty of cheers and honks from folks who were taking part in the open house festivities and drivers still coming in and out.  We passed the dining hall and the medical center and several other cabins and meeting areas, then we went by the front Don Lee Camp sign and out.  A brief run along the entrance road took us to a water station about the 1-mile mark, where we turned towards the Neuse River and ran along River Road, where there were both some run-down houses that showed their age and some newer structures that were more polished.  It was also not clear exactly whether a storm was rolling in; we definitely had some sprinkles of rain, but what we originally thought was thunder actually turned out later to be booms from the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point across the river.  (I ran the MCAS Cherry Point half-marathon to get Craven County years earlier.)

It was a bit of a surprise when we turned off River Road and onto a grass path around the perimeter of a large, grassy field.  It's always nice to get off the road for races when possible, so the break from asphalt was very welcome.  It remained nice and flat, but the rain picked up a little bit, so I was ready to make the turn back towards camp and start the return trip.  We returned the way we came, back down River Road, making the turn back towards camp at the water station, and then back into camp by the main sign and the camp buildings.  The rain had pretty much ended by the time we got back to the start/finish area, so everyone was in a very good mood and happy to dig into the post-race refreshments.  We waited a while to see if the evening open house dinner was going to be ready soon, but with that meal still a couple of hours away, we decided to get back on the road home.  But we enjoyed our time in Pamlico County and we look forward to our next flat run there!

Bladen County - White Lake Water Festival 10k - May 18, 2014

Bladen County's beautiful White Lake is home to many triathlons during the year -- my wife Kathy loves the White Lake as a triathlon setting because the spring water is so clear that you can see all the way to the sandy bottom, even at its deepest points -- but we were only able to find two pure running events there, the 10k and 1-mile that are held each May as part of the White Lake Water Festival (2014 was the 36th annual festival).  This had been a bigger race in previous years, but we hear attendance has been down the last couple of years.  The Sunday morning start time could be a hindrance, but Saturday is chock full with other festival events.  At any rate, it's usually a date that conflicts with the NCRC's Classic Half-Marathon and 10k back home, so I had to take a year away from volunteering for that event in order to finally get down to Bladen County.

It couldn't have been a prettier May morning to be driving past the lakes and blueberry fields of Bladen County on our way down to the race.  Unfortunately, we arrived very close to race time, had to jump through registration in a hurry, and then hustle the quarter-mile or so from the main staging area (parking lot for the amusement park) to the starting line.  Although it wasn't an overwhelming crowd, there were several groups of serious runners that had showed up to take advantage of the great morning and the flat, fast course.  The 10k route can best be described as almost a full counterclockwise lap around White Lake.  (The 1-mile is an out-and-back.)  It's amazingly flat -- later my Garmin would show only 15 feet of elevation gain over the six miles.  I wasn't nearly in good running form yet after some time off for injury recovery, wedding, and honeymoon, but it could be a nice, easy flat run.

We didn't have much of a chance to size up the crowd before we got started, and then we were focused on circling the lake.  The first mile-plus was along White Lake Drive, so we were running past residential areas and businesses that are part of the White Lake neighborhood.  Shortly into the second mile, we moved out onto NC highway 701, which was much more open to the sun, had more traffic, and was more industrial.  There was very good support from local law enforcement to manage the traffic and keep the runners safe, plus some excellent volunteers manned the much-needed water stations to help keep us cool.  Unfortunately, as we neared the halfway point of the race, I was suffering some digestive stress and had to make a short trip into a gas station just off the road to take care of the problem.  (You can see a sudden change of direction in my Garmin map.)

The second half of the race was much better on my stomach, even if we never really got any speed going.  The "back side" of the lake on highway 53 had much more shade, and we were back into residential and camping areas.  Kathy pointed out the North Carolina Future Farmers of America White Lake Center, which had been the home base for some of the triathlons she had done at White Lake (we visited there later to check out the lake vistas).  The last couple of miles, we encountered the Great White White Lake Wall, a looooong white picket fence that separates one of the White Lake neighborhoods from highway 53.  The fence was about six feet tall and over a mile long -- probably one of the walls visible from space -- and that was our view of the lake the last mile or so.  But finally we did round the last corner back onto White Lake Drive, and soon the finish line came into view.  It couldn't have been flatter.

Post-race, there was a small selection of food and drink to refresh the runners, and then the awards ceremony -- with very, very nice trophies and awards -- took place in the parking lot of one of the municipal buildings.  We thought one of us might be in the running for an age group award, but it was unfortunately not to be.  But even though we only took home memories and not hardware from White Lake, we will always appreciate the lake vistas and this wonderfully flat run!

2013 Year in Review

2013 was a year full of ups and downs on the running front.  Unfortunately, it was a year where Chad had to deal with some injuries and some recuperation, but it was a year where Brad got to knock some smaller counties off the list.  We passed the 80-county mark in April, and we have a good shot at getting to 90 early in 2014.  Given a few more races in small counties, a good budget, and some extra knees, we just might make it to 100 in a year or two!

Brad's new counties in 2013 (10):  Anson, Wayne, Jones, Gates, Northampton, Watauga, Caldwell, McDowell, Washington, Wilson

Chad's total counties:  42
Brad's total counties:  78
Combined total counties:  88

A great run is a great run, no matter what county or counties you're in, and Brad's best run of the year may have been the Grandfather Mountain Marathon through Watauga, Caldwell and Avery Counties.  The Greater Goldsboro 10k in Wayne County was one of the best 10Ks Brad has had in many years, and he also had a great 5k in Washington County at the 5k Family Fun Walk/Run.  The tour bus got to visit some nice small towns in small counties, and we met some really nice folks and ran with some excellent runners.  The Old North State is a great place to be running.

The best part of the year, though, was Brad getting Kathy as a lifetime running partner after their engagement late in the year.  Brad and Kathy pulled in some age-group awards together in a couple of races, and we're looking forward to seeing how they do in the future as a married couple!  Congrats, and all the best for a lifetime of running fitness to come!

Keep an eye out for us in 2014 as we have lots of ground left to cover.  Keep those cards and letters coming in!  Come out and run with us as we knock out those last few counties!

Wilson County - Wilson Triathlon Club Jingle Bell 5k Run - December 14, 2013

Wilson County is only a short drive from our home base in the Triangle, so it's a little surprising that we haven't been there until this late in the countdown.  However, there are not a lot of races in Wilson County, so it's really been up to the calendar to work out.  The Wilson Triathlon Club, though, is very active and organizes a few events each year, including the 1st annual Jingle Bell 5k run.  It was a last chance to pick up another county before the end of 2013, so my now-fiance Kathy and I joined the crowd to run through Wilson!

We had not pre-registered for the race, but they had the registration activities set up very well in Cavalier Park -- once we figured out a place to park on the streets around the area.  It was definitely cool enough to know it was December, but not biting, windy cold like we sometimes get the end of the year.  The runners got nice long-sleeved cotton shirts with the big race logo on the front.  Many participants, in sync with the race theme, wore jingle bells on their shoes or gloves.  Overall, there was a pretty good turnout for the race given the December date and the cool morning temps. 

Once we got running, the race was a very nice, flat run through many of the area's pretty subdivisions.  Many of the houses and neighborhoods had been decorated for the holidays, and more than a few residents came out to watch the runners go by.  (There are always a few who are totally surprised to see a horde of runners coming down the street.)  The first mile was surprisingly twisty and had lots of turns, but that's pretty much what the subdivision route required.  Just before the second mile mark, we reached the farthest point from Cavalier Park, and once we made a turn past the 2-mile mark, we had mostly a straight shot down Branch Street almost back to the start/finish area.  There were a few turns in the last quarter-mile or so as we approached the park, and as we finally came around the corner and could see the finish line, it was easy to catch your second wind and push it in to the line.  I was very pleased with my splits averaging about 8.5 minutes a mile and my finishing time of 26:43, and Kathy was only about a minute behind.  Much easier to run on a cool morning, of course!

Post-race, there was a great supply of fruits and drinks for the runners to get some nourishment and hydration.  It was a great surprise to run into fellow NCRC runner and master of all things Down East, Val Price at the race!  Val is a very competitive runner and knows about the running scene towards the coast; it was the second time I had run into him this year while getting new counties!

Sorry it took us so long to make the short drive over to Wilson, but we really thought the Wilson Triathlon Club did a great job with the 1st annual Jingle Bell 5k Run.  Worth coming back to see how it grows in the years ahead!

Washington County - Washington County Walks! 5k and Family Fun Walk/Run - November 2, 2013

Yep, it's another small, rural county where I was wondering if we were going to find a race.  Fortunately, Washington County, as other counties have done, has put some emphasis on getting its residents to exercise, and their 5k and Family Fun Walk/Run was a great effort to get folks to come outside and move, plus it was a chance to get Washington County into the countdown!

My girlfriend Kathy and I arrived in Plymouth, North Carolina, right on the Roanoke River, early on race morning so that we could register and collect our race goodies.  (We love to dress alike, so we had our matching North Carolina Roadrunners Club shirts on.)  We got very nice bright green Washington County Walks! t-shirts and they even had some food and drink for us pre-race so that we could be all fueled and hydrated for the 5k. 

It really was a festive morning, with lots of families and mothers with children out to take part in a very delightful, cool-but-sunny morning.  And the topography around Plymouth is very, very flat, so you could tell it was going to be a great run.  There were several high-school-age kids taking part, and you knew with their young, springy knees they were going to push the pace.  But most of the other participants were adults intent on walking, so as runners I had a thought that Kathy and I had a pretty good chance to figure in the top places.  And Kathy was good enough to give me the green light to see how fast I could run.

With the start of the race, as expected, about five youngsters took off like a shot, with Kathy and I and a few other runners in the next pack, and then a mass of walkers behind us.  The race started right along the river on Water Street and then took a couple of turns that made a small loop just off the river.  Next we passed through the main part of Plymouth -- which, like every other town, is on Main Street -- turning past some county buildings (Plymouth is the county seat) and a quick water stop.  One by one I had picked off the young-uns who had sprinted from the start, and I was able to keep a nice, smooth pace of about 8:20 through the first couple of miles.  The last mile took us back towards the waterfront, with a loop around a park where they were getting set for post-race festivities including a cookout and live music as part of the overall Washington Walks! morning.  There was one high-schooler I just wasn't able to catch up to, though, and him and his young, springy knees got first place in the run, with me coming in second with a very nice 25:52 time, my first 5k under 26 minutes in many years and definitely my fastest run of the year.  Kathy had been running an excellent race as well, picking off the hot shots, and finished as the third overall and first woman finisher! 

Fortunately, there were more post-race refreshments for the runners, because we needed some more fuel after having run so hard.  Since we had something to stay for at the awards presentation, we hung out through some of the entertainment and BBQ!  Kathy and I each got beautiful ribbons to commemorate our performances that we can show off!  The organizers of Washington Walks! did a great job putting on their 5k and Family Fun Walk/Run; it's a beautiful, scenic, and very fast area to be running, and hopefully more runners will get the word about what a great location it is to go after a PR run.  Thanks for having us in Plymouth!