Macon County - Moonlight Moonshine 10k - July 7, 2018

OK, so given the problems with mis-locating a race a few years ago, I had to make a return trip to Macon County, and the Moonlight Moonshine 10k in Franklin, North Carolina sounded like an awesome opportunity to do so.  Dave Linn from Bringing it to Life! Productions is usually connected to great races in western North Carolina, and this one was no different, with lots of Dave's personality coming through, like in his use of old-timey photos on the website, very creative awards, and RC Colas and Moon Pies for the runners.  I've done a couple of Dave's races in the countdown, so I was glad to see he was involved again.

The race itself is a 10k double out-and-back on a mostly-paved greenway along the Little Tennessee River, starting and finishing at the Tassee Shelter Greenway Park.  In addition to the 10k event, there was a 1-mile fun run called the "Half-Pint Race" which Kathy completed with the boy in the str
oller.  The park's main shelter was the headquarters of the race, with signup, checkin, packet pickup, food and drink, and post-race awards all taking place there.  Great volunteers met us at the road with parking instructions, and it was no problem getting checked in and collecting our event t-shirts with the great Moonlight Moonshine logo, which was also on the age-group awards, which were laser-etched slices of wood, and the overall winner trophies, which were beautiful glass flasks (love how Dave sticks to a theme).

After the half-pint run was complete (about 8 young-uns took park), the 10k runners were ushered onto the greenway, and then we were off!  The greenway had lots of curves as it followed the river, which made it hard to see what was going on ahead or behind you, but there were a few straightaways where you had a bit of a view.  In addition, the greenway changed periodically from pavement to gravel and back, so you had to watch the traction a little bit and not get tripped up in the changes.  But the route was very picturesque and included some nice views of the river and some brief elevation changes as we went up and down and across some covered or truss bridges across the water.  Part of the course was along a municipal disc golf course, so we had some vantage points of where disc golfers were playing along the river as well.

About two miles in, we made the first turnaround at a very sudden hill where we climbed to the top, went down the left side, circled a clearing, climbed back up the right side, and then returned the way we came.  It was a serious hill and certainly focused us as we ascended and descended a couple of times.  The return trip to race headquarters was a nice break from the hills.  After passing the shelter about four miles in, where the assembled crowd cheered for us, we were off on the second out-and-back, along a waterlogged path and another bridge that crossed over to part of the greenway that went along the back of several businesses and shops, including the back of a lumber mill that must have been one of the biggest employers back in its day.


After the second turnaround in a park alongside the greenway, we were headed for home and could see anyone else behind us on the route.  The last few turns and splashes through the puddles went very quickly, and soon I made the turn for home back to the shelter, where the finish line had been set up.  I sprinted across the line and was very relieved to get some water and my prized RC Cola and Moon Pie for finishing.  Dave had some great music playing to entertain the runners, and before long he was ready with the awards.  I was very delighted to have run better than expected, and wound up taking home 2nd place in my age group!  It was a nice surprise and I'm happy to have that etched wood back home on my trophy shelf.

The Moonlight Moonshine 10k was a great event, and I really hope we get to come back and take part in it again.  It's a very nice, scenic course along the river with just the right amount of challenge and some great awards, directed by a race director who is determined to make sure every runner has a great time!  It was a wonderful visit back to Macon County, and hopefully we'll run this way again soon!

Ashe County - Ashe Dash 5k - May 5, 2018

Chad beat me to Ashe County back in 2011 when he ran the New River Half-Marathon, but with that race now moved to Watauga County, my best shot for checking off Ashe County was the Ashe Dash 5k, which had been held in the fall a few times but had been moved to spring.

Ashe County is the most northwestern of North Carolina's counties, tucked way up in the corner where Tennessee and Virginia come together.  As you might imagine, the mountains are everywhere and it's hard to find a level route, even for a 5k, so we went in knowing there were going to be some hills.  But the Ashe County Middle School Top Dog Clinic (a school-based health center for kids, not a veterinarian clinic) set up a very scenic route, with plenty of views of the mountains and hopefully not too many to run up.  Packet pickup on race morning was at the Ashe County Health Department in Jefferson, which offered great views of the surrounding hills and plenty of room for parking and organizations, and they had plenty of pre-race water and fruit to get the runners set to run.  However, with the start/finish being at the top of a hill, we knew we were going to have to finish uphill one direction or another.
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The race organizers gave a great introduction and invocation, lined us up, and we were off charging down the first hill.  (Kathy gave me permission to run on my own to test my pacing while she followed with the boy in the stroller.)  Unfortunately, at the very first turn a course volunteer directed us the wrong way, with the result that we continued straight and eventually were going to be on a short course.  From my vantage point safe near the back of the pack, you could see the runners following each other like bees -- do we turn?  do we not turn? -- but eventually someone knew the course and got us back where we were supposed to be, albeit a little short.


Other than those issues, though, the course was very pretty and the spring morning in the mountains made for excellent running conditions.  We saw lots of houses with gardens blooming, and then we turned onto Main Street, where the majority of the race was run, except that we missed two other turns that would have diverted us through some other parts of the Jefferson downtown area.  Eventually, we reached a little park between Main Street and Highway 221, where we followed (not kidding) Naked Creek and did a little turnaround before heading back the way we came.  I got to see Kathy with the stroller, and the boy had a wide grin across his face as he enjoyed the motion and hollering to the other runners.  The return trip had some hills of its own, but running through a different part of Jefferson downtown, plus the folks out in the early morning to see the runners, made it a very enjoyable route, even when we made the last turn and had to run back up the hill to the Health Department.  Fortunately, we were rewarded with a great vista of the mountains upon crossing the finish line, and the provided food made for a great post-run breakfast while we cheered for Kathy and the other runners coming up the hill.

Even with the missed turns, everyone had run the same route, so the 5k was official at a distance of only 2.84 miles by my Garmin.  The organizers went ahead with the awards, and the competition was very keen between the 70 recorded finishers.  (Kathy and I each finished sixth in our age groups.)  We enjoyed the trip up to the mountains and our beautiful tour around Jefferson.  With a few more course volunteers and maybe some turn markings on the road, the return of the Ashe Dash 5k has a chance to be a spring highlight of the mountains, and hopefully we'll make it up there to run it again another spring. 

Cleveland County - Gateway Trail 10-Miler - March 10, 2018

Cleveland County, North Carolina, just west of Charlotte, must have a good running community, because it supports a good number of races over the course of the year.  It also helps that they have a great greenway and trail system, including the Gateway Trail, which is planned as an eventual access trail from Kings Mountain, North Carolina to Kings Mountain National Battlefield, Kings Mountain State Park, and Crowders Mountain State Park.  This morning, though, the existing five miles of trail was being used as the home of the 9^th annual Gateway Trail 10-Miler (and also a 5k race). 

The Gateway Trail 10-Miler is an out-and-back race from the main trailhead parking lot just off highway 216 to the opposite trailhead at Foote Drive and back.  The race organizers had done a great job setting up for the race on a very cool morning:  there were a couple of different fire pits blazing away to keep the runners warm, a nice pre-race spread of fruit and bread and drinks were ready, and checking and packet pickup were in full swing inside the trail headquarters building.  The organizers had procured some beautiful handmade awards, pottery and metalwork like leaves that were going to go home with the best runners of the day.  All the organizers and volunteers were in a good mood and excited to have a bigger turnout than previous years for both the 10-miler and the associated 5k, which Kathy ended up walking with our boy in the stroller.  (46 runners finished the 10-miler, and 122 runners finished the 5k.)

After welcomes from the town mayor and the race director, the pledge of allegiance, and an invocation, the 10-milers were escorted down adjacent Quarry Road to the starting line, where the timers lined us up and gave us some last-minute instructions.  Meanwhile, the other organizers moved the 5k runners to the side of the main parking lot to give us room to move through (the 5k started a few minutes after the 10-mile runners passed through the headquarters area).  It was great to have the cheers of the 5k runners to spur us on at the start, and then we were off onto the trail, with only the plodding of our feet to encourage us through the race.

The “mountain” in the name of the city should have clued me in that this race was going to have some significant hills to it, but for some reason that possibility didn’t hit me until I was well into the up-up-up first mile.  In fact, we were about 2.5 miles into the race before we got an extended stretch of level or downhill ground.  The paved path at the start changed quickly into a crushed gravel path, and there were still some larger pieces of rock that you had to keep an eye on for fear of rolling an ankle.  The first 10-miler water stop also served as the turnaround point for the 5k, so those of us running safely in the back of the pack got to see the faster 5k runners twice.  There was a lot of up and down in the middle miles of the race, with very few flat places to catch your breath.  We did a very interesting hilly stretch alongside I-85, followed by a nice boardwalk section and then a pedestrian/bike bridge over the interstate where the second water stop was positioned.  After all the ups and downs of the first 3.5 miles, the 1.5 on the opposite side of the interstate was mostly flat with finer crushed gravel – although the last bit before Foote Drive had been replenished with fresh gravel and was like running in sand.  It truly was a relief to hit the turnaround and know I was on the way home.

The return trip including commiserating with the rest of the slower runners as well as thanking the water stop volunteers who had waited so long for the last of us to come through.  Given the difficulty of the race, it was a blessing to have had nice, cool weather so at least we weren’t suffering too much.  With the uphills at the start of the race, I kept reminding myself they would be downhills on the return trip, but even that wasn’t enough to spur me on to a faster pace.  It was a slow, plodding return trip, but I did enjoy the scenery as we circled lakes, crested hills, and enjoyed a big view of the quarry.  Finally I was back on the paved part of the greenway path, and after only a few more turns I could see the parking lot and the finish line, where it was a relief to be done.  I enjoyed a good rest near one of the fire pits with some wonderful fruit and a cold bottle of water.  The race organizers, who hope to add a half-marathon to the event for next year’s 10^th running, acknowledged it was a difficult race, which they took some pride in.  It’s one of those races I’ll say I survived rather than finished.  

They do have a great trail system in Kings Mountain / Cleveland County, and I can see why the runners are proud of it.  But be aware these are the foothills of the Smokies and you’ll see some serious ups and downs on the course.  But the great organizers, wonderful volunteers on the course, and the beauty of the early spring scenery made this a great stop.  Consider including the Gateway Trail 10-Miler on your race schedule!

Mecklenburg County - Winter Classic 8k - January 28, 2018

Yes, it's hard to believe, but even after a decade of collecting North Carolina counties, I had not made it to Mecklenburg County, the home of Charlotte, the state's biggest city, and plenty of great races, including several marathons and half-marathons.  However, I had heard good things about the Charlotte Running Club and their Winter Classic 8k (and 4k) race, so it was time to get another winter race into the countdown -- although this was another example of a North Carolina winter where we had nice temps in the high 50s and low 60s in the end of January.

The drive down to Charlotte was nice and easy the morning of the race, and I had my support crew of wife and child (and one of my wife's friends) along for the event.  The race itself was at McAlpine Creek Park, a local park where some high-school (and college?) cross-country events are held and which has several connections to the local greenway system.  The park also has some softball fields and a dog park, so there was all kinds of room for parking and setup, and the CRC had plenty of signs and volunteers to make sure you could find what you needed.


The pre- and post-race festivities were set up in the main field around the existing cross-country course start, but we used a separate starting line to allow for the crowds.  The 4k was the preliminary event (you could sign up and run both races if you wanted), which was effectively one lap of the course, followed by the 8k which was made up of two laps of the course.  Plenty of 8k runners took place (262 finishers were listed in the results) with teams and clubs competing from all over the state.  It was no problem picking up my packet -- the long-sleeved t-shirts with hoods were a nice feature -- and getting something to drink before headed en masse over to the starting line.

The first half-mile or so was a straight run down the boundary of the park and you could just see the leaders starting to separate in the distance ahead.  From my vantage point safe in the back of the pack, I could pick out a few familiar runners when they made a turn ahead and headed for a switchback along the base of a hill.  (Fortunately, we only skimmed the bottom of the hill and didn't have to do too much climbing along the part of the trail that ascends it.)  The switchbacks led back to the main field and then we passed close by the starting line and the spectators before making a turn to the right and circling a lake.  I held out pretty well for a while, but it was around the lake where the leaders lapped me, already finishing up their second lap while I was still struggling through the first one.

Although I didn't get to take the turn to the finish line yet, I could see some of the top finishers crossing the line as I headed out for my second lap.  The runners in my pack were much more strung along the distance, but a few of us ran in a small group and there was a little bit of passing here and there.  Now that we knew what the loop was like, it was easy to anticipate where the small rises were and where the switchbacks would allow us to see if anyone was gaining on us.  Once again we passed by the spectators and circled the lake, and the second time I knew I would get to take the finish-line turn.  I was happy to cross the line and see my cheering support group, get some water, and walk out a bit to stretch my legs.  For a very flat race, my legs were tired from the pacing, but overall it was a very enjoyable race and there were a lot of festivities going on to keep the runners entertained until awards time.

Lots of awards in this race:  in addition to the usual overall and age group awards, there were team awards, USATF awards, and Road Runners Club of America awards to give out (multiple groups had sanctioned the race as the North Carolina 8k or cross-country championship).  One of the park shelters made for an excellent awards stand.  In addition, funds had been raised for the "Bring It for Braylon" charity benefiting support for families dealing with pediatric cancer.  Even though I didn't bring home any awards, it was great to finally visit Mecklenburg County to run and experience this great 8k race!  The Winter Classic was a great event, and I hope that it won't take me this long to return and compete on the cross-country trail again!

2017 Year in Review

Well, once again we had to submit to family obligations and the running calendar when making attempts to get new counties, and we did pretty good, considering all the family needs to work around.  We also unfortunately discovered a navigation error a few years back that required us to remove Macon County from our "done" list and return it to the "to be done" list.  However, new counties were added to the countdown, and the finish line is in sight!

Brad's new counties in 2017 (4):  Moore, Yancey, Catawba, Henderson
Chad's total counties: 42
Brad's total counties: 95 (Macon, Greene, Mecklenburg, Cleveland, Ashe remaining)
Combined total counties: 98 (Macon, Cleveland remaining)

Believe it or not, the countdown could finally come to a close in 2018!  The calendar looks to be breaking our way, the family is supporting and excited, and we might finally visit those last few counties to get a run in and be able to say we counted down all 100 counties in the Old North State!  Stay tuned to see what happens!

A Missed County Boundary Causes a Correction

So as part of our Labor Day holiday weekend retreat to the mountains, after completing the Pardee Apple Festival 8k in Henderson County, our family spent the rest of the day chasing waterfalls throughout southwestern North Carolina, including the falls along highway 64 on the west side of Highlands, North Carolina in Macon County.  As we passed through Highlands heading east on highway 64, I told my wife Kathy about running the Old Edwards Inn and Spa PAR 5K as my Macon County race several years earlier, and I promised to show her the private golf course, the Old Edwards Club, where they held that race (and where my dad and I played discounted golf after the run as part of the morning).

Unfortunately, as we left Highlands headed east, we crossed the line into Jackson County before reaching the entrance for the Old Edwards Club.  Was it possible I had missed that landmark on the way to the race back in 2010 and had not done a race in Macon County after all?  My guess was that I had tagged that race entry to Macon County because of its tie to the Old Edwards Inn and Spa and that resort's location in Macon County, totally not cluing in that the race itself was far enough from the Inn to not be in the same county with it.  Sure enough, when returning home after the long vacation weekend, a quick session with Google Maps confirmed that the Old Edwards Club which had hosted the race is over the line in Jackson County, far enough from the Old Edwards Inn and Spa as to not be in Macon County after all.

So, with that information in hand, I'm updating the blog counts to reflect that I have not done a race in Macon County after all, and I still have that county as a destination that must be run before we can call the 100-county countdown real and official.  So the numbers have been corrected, and I'll resume my search for an opportunity to run in Macon County.  Sorry for the oversight!

Henderson County - Pardee Apple Festival 8k - September 2, 2017

Although there is one race results aggregation site that insists I did this race back in the early 2000s, I had no memory of it, so for this county countdown, Henderson County was still unexplored running territory.  That's why I was so glad to get back there over Labor Day weekend and take part (again?) in the Pardee Apple Festival 8k.  As mentioned many times before, food festivals in North Carolina are an excellent way to see the state and run in some very nice races.  Plus, our whole family loves apples, loves the mountains, and loves running, so this was a great way to spend the holiday weekend.

With organization and logistics helped along by Pardee Hospital, parking and packet pickup on race morning were no problem.  There was a good crowd assembling for the 8k race and for the Chamber Challenge 5k.  (228 finishers were listed in the 8k results.)  The low-60s temperatures were going to be great for running, and spirits were high as they gave last minute instructions and organized us out into North Oak Street for the start.  As we took off, there were a quick couple of turns and then we had a long, long straightaway down 5th Avenue out of town.  With the large number of runners, there was actually a good bit of talking initially, but as we got closer to the 1-mile mark, the elevation change kicked in with the first series of good hills, and the runners got quieter.  As the course got more challenging, though, the scenery was very pleasant as we skirted the Rhododendron Lake Nature Park and Laurel Park Lake itself, where there were flowers and trees all over the place.  That part of the run turned out to be very nice.

Fortunately the second and third mile gave back some of the elevation change, and our tired legs got some relief as we headed back into town.  The course was something of a crooked figure-eight, and as we got onto the second loop, we had the unusual experience of running through part of the town cemetery and up and down some of its hills.  After leaving the cemetery, we passed by Hendersonville Middle School (Home of the Bearcats) and then did a very pleasant, quiet loop around Lugana Lake to wrap up the fourth mile.  The last mile was through a very nice residential area where some of the residents cheered on the runners, but others were surprised to see all the competitors jogging down their streets.  All along the course, plenty of helpful volunteers were there to direct runners and traffic and hand out water on what tuned out to be a humid morning.

Post-race, they had some very fun activities and game for the kids, as well as getting the race results assembled quickly.  The hospital and organizers provided plenty of food and drink for the participants, and there was enough music and fun to hang out for a while before going to explore the rest of the Apple Festival activities.  It's a very well-organized, challenging but scenic race in the mountains of western North Carolina, and whether it was my first or second time taking part, I hope we will do it again at some point in the future!  Now let's all have some apples!

Catawba County - Conover School 5k Run & Roll - June 17, 2017

The Conover School is a very special place in Catawba County.  The school serves about 150 local students from 3 to 22, all with some degree of cognitive challenge.  Some students also have physical challenges to deal with.  The school has a wonderful adaptive playground that serves all the students, no matter their abilities, and the main funding to keep adapting and updating the playground comes from their summer fundraiser, the Conover School 5k Run & Roll.

I was happy to bring my running team (Kathy and the boy) along for another stroller-approved county run, and it was a lot of fun for the boy to see so many other children taking part in the race on a humid, moderate Saturday morning.  Just about every age group was represented, with some children in strollers, other children and adults in wheelchairs or other assistance, and a happy group of walkers as well.  The event also included a "Maddie's Mile" competition for racers with special needs.

The morning festivities were well underway when we arrived for packet pickup ahead of the race and got Junior packed into his jogging stroller for the morning.  There were lots of strollers that were going to be in the race; they could have had a division just for them!  The volunteers couldn't have been more friendly or nicer to us visitors, and the overall mood was very upbeat and happy for the race.  Eventually Conover's Finest shut down traffic on 1st Avenue and the runners were moved into position for the start, and then we were off!

For a county in the foothills of the mountains, this was a surprisingly flat and fast course.  There was very little elevation change on the lollipop-shaped course, but the humidity and temperatures still gave us plenty to deal with.  The first mile was very fast, straight south on 1st Avenue and then cutting over to College Avenue, where we followed the train tracks.  Fortunately, there was a police car leading the way so no one got lost, and there were plenty of volunteers directing the way on the turns as well.  We also enjoyed some of the encouraging signs folks had put up to perk up the participants.

In the second mile, we looped around Broyhill Park and the ballfields there, and the volunteers had set up a water stop as well to give us some relief from the temps.  Naturally, I got off to too fast of a start with the jogging stroller, so I had some payback in the second and third miles.  But the cold water was much appreciated as we swapped off stroller duties and headed back.  From the park we retraced our steps back along the train tracks and back to 1st Avenue and back to the school, where music was playing as all the finishers passed under the big inflatable arch.  (181 joggers and walkers finished the 5k.)

Post-race, there was a wonderful spread of food and drink for all the participants.  There was plenty to drink along with lots of snacks and a big spread of fresh fruit.  (I have fond memories of the watermelon chunks.)  We met some of the other participants, met some representatives from the school, and the boy got to play on the wonderful playground for a while before we had to pack up all our supplies and get back on the road.  The Conover School 5k Run & Roll was a fantastic and fun event on a flat, fast course, well worth checking out if you're looking to run in Catawba County!

Yancey County - Burnsville Fit Families 5k - May 13, 2017

If you're going to run Yancey County, you're probably going to run the Burnsville Fit Families 5k.  There is also a very tough trail race held in the mountains here, but if you're not a tough trail runner, this is probably going to be your race.  Chad was here back in 2012, and I finally made it all the way up into the mountains above Asheville near the Tennessee border this year.  (I wouldn't recommend the drive up here be made in the fog at night, though.)

The main town square in Burnsville is a perfect location for a race.  Right in the center of the square is the statue of Otley Burns, the privateer, War of 1812 hero, and North Carolina state senator after whom Burnsville is named.  You can look up from the town square in all directions and see mountains (it was still foggy on race morning, so the very tops of the hills were still cloud-shrouded).  And pretty much everything you need in a small town, from lodging to offices, from eats to courthouses, is right there on the square or a short ways away.  There was a farmers' market setting up just off the square selling all kinds of homemade or home-raised treats.  And of course it's Main Street that runs from east to west, so it's pretty much Americana anywhere you look.

The Burnsville Fit Families 5k has been around eight years, so they do a good job of organizing and putting on this race.  The locals know about it, so there are lots of families that come out to run, jog or walk together.  A group from the local Girls on the Run branch was going to take part, as well as a few competitors that looked like they could be getting ready for the fall high school cross-country season.  No matter where the runners, joggers and walkers came from, it was a good turnout well ahead of the race and the crowd was in good spirits, even with just a hint of a threat of a sprinkle.  Packet pickup was held just off the square in the First Baptist Church, and some of the volunteers were curious that I'd come all the way from Raleigh to run their race.  I really liked the gray shirts with the bold coloring and lettering. 

Race organizers did a great job ushering us over to the starting line on the south side of the town square, welcoming everyone and introducing the local dignitaries, and then we were off and running!  Like many races with lots of kids, the kids sprinted right to the front, so that the rest of us could pick them off one at a time as they burned out.  The elevation also drops off on most sides of the town square, so as we took off towards the west, we dropped down a hill, through a commercial area -- note to self: come back and try the Pig and Grits diner -- and then downhill again.  Of course everyone had a great pace the first mile because it was mostly downhill, but I tried to keep something in reserve since I knew we were going to have to come back up the hill in the second mile.

Near the bottom of the hill we made a right turn and started up some smaller hills as we worked through a residential area in a loop back to Main Street.  A few folks had some out to the street or to their front porches to watch the runners come by, and it was great to hear their encouragement.  When we turned back onto Main Street, we had to retrace our steps back up the big hill we had just run down, which would have been a lot tougher if we didn't have the overcast skies keeping the sun from heating us up.  It was a great race for spectators, as we eventually returned right back to the town square, continued around its perimeter, and then took off again to the north.  And kudos go to the folks who were manning the water stations all along the course for keeping us hydrated.

The second mile finished going up another hill, past a couple of churches and the Burnsville Fire Department, which also was out encouraging the runners.  The next turns took us over a creek and up another hill past the Parkway Playhouse and around School Circle, where an older school building had been converted into the local library.  At that point we had mostly a downhill return trip back past all these landmarks and back to the town square, where the finish line was set up on the northeast corner.  At least with the downhill stretches in the last mile, it was easier to keep a near-respectable pace to the finish.  Post-race, there was plenty more to drink and great snacks for us all.  There were 180 finishers listed in the results, and I hope everyone enjoyed the race at least as much as I did.  Lots of kids got rousing ovations when they crossed the finish line, and all the Girls on the Run participants were recognized for their accomplishment.  A small stage had been set up for the awards, and there was even good country music being played on the speakers to entertain folks as we cooled down and recounted our morning.

The town square at Burnsville is a great place to watch or take part in a race, and I am looking forward to when we can come back again to explore more of the town, the Mount Mitchell area, and this beautiful part of the state.  Come run Yancey County and Burnsville; they do a great job up here!

Moore County - Fairway 5k - May 6, 2017

Yep, we're still here and still getting around to new counties!  Chad beat me to Moore County, nearby home of Pinehurst, several years ago, but if I'm going to see every county, I have to visit it, too.  The great draw was the Fairway 5k, a race run on the cart path of the #1 course at the famed Pinehurst Resort.  The race was the kickoff event of the Pinehurst Concours car show, which brings lots of elegant, rare cars to the resort property.  Each entrant in the Fairway 5k received a ticket to the car show and the evening's concert, so the opportunity to run on one of the well-known courses, get entrance to the car show, and hear some great country music was a deal too good to miss!

Because of all the hoopla, the event had an earlier-than-usual start time of 7:00 a.m., so we had to get all three of us up and on the road very early.  But it was well worth it to be ahead of most of the Saturday traffic and to have some very nice early May cool temperatures to greet us when we got on the resort!  Parking for the race was on the infield of the horse track, and from there it was a very short walk over to the packet pickup set up at the halfway house of the #1 course, between the 4th green and the 5th tee.

A very good crowd was assembling for the race -- the results listed 105 finishers -- and more than one family besides ours was out to take part together.  The packet pickup was very organized, and runners had access to the bathrooms at the halfway house.  The t-shirts were very basic black on white.  The start/finish arch was set up alongside the house on the cart path, and the helpful race director gave us instructions about how the route proceeded.  We would not be following the cart path around the whole 18 holes (that would be closer to a 10k) but instead making some turns where the paths intersected.  Actually, the course was very, very well marked, so it was not hard understanding where the turns were, and it was an easy route to follow.

The race began right on time with the runners spreading out as we followed the cart path back along the 4th hole and continued along past most of the early holes.  I had stroller duty for the first part of the race, and fortunately for me it was the flatter part of the course, and from our spot safe in the back of the pack, we could easily see the lead runners streaming out ahead of us over several holes of the course.  The route itself was not entirely paved; the main traffic areas had concrete, but like many of the courses at Pinehurst, there are significant areas where the cart paths are not paved, allowing for easier maintenance and a back-to-nature effect at a very modern resort.

We made a couple of turns before we got to the main Pinehurst clubhouse (thus we didn't see where the cars were set up from the race course), and were then on the "back nine" of the #1 course.  The elevation changes were much more pronounced in the second half of the race, and more than once we could see runners ahead of us who had completed switchbacks and were at a higher elevation than us.  (It was also the half of the race where the boy got a little fussy in his stroller.)  There were some Pinehurst residents out in the morning, and more than a few were out specifically to watch the runners go by (running isn't normally allowed on the courses).  Of course, the homes along the course were very impressive and nearly all had a pretty back porch or deck overlooking the course.  We also noted that many of them had some variation of the Pinehurst Putterboy statue facing the course.

The last few hills in the final mile were very challenging, with or without a stroller.  We swapped stroller duties back and forth a few times and even took a walk break or two, but we could see the finish line arch ahead of us and finished with a good pace.  Our first mile pace was definitely the fastest, taking advantage of the flatness and even some downhills, with the second two miles the slowest ones.  But we were greeted back at the finish line with water and fruit, and even the boy got his first running medal for finishing the 5k, albeit in a stroller!

Nicole Esplin, a talented runner and Elon graduate who I know from the Raleigh running scene, was the overall winner, beating everyone around the loop with the only sub-20:00 time.  The overall winners got great little Putterboy statues, and the other age group winners received medals.  There was a brief sprinkle after the race, but it did not dampen enthusiasm or chase too many people away.  It was a wonderful early morning in Pinehurst, and it was great to mix the loves of family, running, golf, elegant cars, and music!  We'll definitely be back "fore" another race in Moore County!

2016 Year in Review

Ok, so the past year was mostly notable for the arrival of some new running partners on the Chad and Brad teams!  Great to see both of our families blessed with new babies!  To show how committed he is to the family running business, Brad's new boy took part in three 5Ks in his first year!

With all the extra family activity, it's pretty surprising that Brad was able to get to six new counties in 2016, again almost traversing the state from end to end over the course of the year. 

Brad was finally able to make it to several counties that Chad had visited early in the countdown.

Combining our efforts, we're now only two counties away from visiting all 100!

Brad's new counties in 2016 (6): Camden, Rockingham, Alleghany, Guilford, Montgomery, Gaston

Chad's total counties: 42

Brad's total counties: 92

Combined total counties: 98

2017 has some opportunities to get the last eight counties Brad requires to make the full 100, but

again the calendar has to break just right, as some of the remaining destinations host only one or

two races a year and we have to be able to get that date.  But as the calendar looks now, Brad should be able to take at least four to six remaining counties off the list!  Stay tuned, and keep those cards, letters, and spare knees coming in!

Gaston County - Gastonia Grizzlies 5k - July 22, 2016

In my continuing tour of counties Chad already beat me to, this week's Friday evening run was at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia, North Carolina, for one of Gaston County's best races, the 4th annual Gastonia Grizzlies 5k!  The Gastonia Grizzlies are a summer collegiate baseball team in the Coastal Plain League, and the owners of the team are very good at incorporating interesting events and family fun into each game evening, and having the 5k each summer in conjunction with the local YMCA makes for a great family doubleheader with running and baseball!

We had no trouble finding Sims Legion Field -- it's within sight of interstate 85 as you head north -- and the organizers, both the Grizzlies staff and the YMCA staff, were up and running well before the main throng of runners arrived to check in.  Each runner got a nice race t-shirt along with a ticket to the game in their packet.  Since they've done this race a few years, they had the organization down and runners got all the information they needed, including where to get ready to enter the field for the race start.  Plus, as a YMCA event, they were very welcoming to slow runners, walkers, and strollers.

The race was emceed by Jesse Cole, the owner of the Grizzlies, and obviously quite a showman in his canary-yellow tuxedo for each game.  He directed the runners onto the field, where a pre-race invocation was held, and then we got organized in the foul territory just past third base, were a starting line sign had been placed.  Jesse gave us a few more directions about the race route, and then we were off!  We began by running right down the third base line -- there were 140 runners and walkers listed in the results -- across home plate, and then out the field gate, across the concourse, and out into the parking lot, where we followed the outside fence of the stadium to an adjacent street and then down the hill to the Highland Rail Trail greenway, a rails-to-trails project that converted part of the old Carolina and Northwestern Railway.

The volunteers did an outstanding job controlling traffic around the runners, whether it was sealing off part of the parking lot so that we had no incoming vehicle traffic to dodge, or blocking the streets around the greenway crossings so that we had free run of the street.  (Thanks also to Gastonia's Finest for their traffic control; again, very well organized by the event directors.)  The greenway is just over 1.5 miles in length, and we ran almost all the way down it, turned around, and headed back.  The greenway definitely had an uphill grade all the way out, but it did provide a lot of shade and some relief from the heat, plus we got to see all the runners at both turnarounds and encourage everyone on.  I was very, very relieved to get to the far turnaround and know that it was majority downhill back down the greenway, but I had burned out so much getting to the turnaround that the imagined burst of speed never materialized on the way back down.  But there were a couple of water stations along the way with enthusiastic volunteers that gave us some wonderfully chilled water.

Once we turned back off the greenway, we retraced our steps back up a short hill to the stadium and followed the fenceline once more to the concourse entrance, where we crossed through the arriving crowd plus Grizzlies mascot Chizzle and back onto the field.  For the last quarter-mile or so of the race, we moved through the warming-up Grizzlies players down the first-base line and then all they way around the outfield wall to the third-base line, and back down it just the way we started to the finish line at home plate.  With the arriving baseball fans and sizeable crowd, there was lots of cheering for the finishing runners, and then we had the run of the infield as we enjoyed orange slices and water in front of the visitors' dugout, took pictures, and hung out for the awards, which were nice medals for the overall winners and the top three in each age group.  Sadly, though, we eventually had to clear the field to make way for the baseball game, but there were some great burgers, brats and drinks at the concession stands to provide our dinner! 

The Grizzlies had their third sell-out of the season with the 5k promotion, and the team went on for a 3-2 walkoff victory to boot!  The organization of the race was excellent, and it was a very nice race course, and I especially liked getting to run around the stadium!  I'll need to be in better shape for the grade of the greenway next year, but I'm really hoping we'll get to come back and run with the Grizzlies again in the future.  It was a great trip to Gaston County!

Montgomery County - Peachy Feeet 5k - July 15, 2016

Chad also beat me to Montgomery County way back when, but I got peach ice cream when I went!  North Carolina food festivals have been good to us in the countdown, including the Blueberry Festival 5k, the Strawberry Festival 5k, the Peanut Run 5k, and the Watermelon Festival 5k, to name a few that we attended (plus some others that we missed out on).  The 20th annual North Carolina Peach Festival in Candor, North Carolina in Montgomery County also has the 6th annual Peachy Feet 5k, and that's where Kathy and the baby and I ended up a few Friday evenings ago (it's only a short drive from home).

We had never attended the Peach Festival before, but it's definitely worth returning.  When we arrived (cutting the schedule close), there was music and dancing, vendors with all kinds of food and crafts, and lots of folks out in lawn chairs enjoying the evening and the atmosphere.  We hurried through race check-in as the national anthem was sung, and then the race was off!  We were definitely safe in the back of the pack as we hurried into the starting chute, but the race volunteers didn't seem to mind, as the race is very friendly to slow runners, walkers, and even strollers.

As you might guess from the topography in the area, it was a very flat race and led to some fast times among the 200+ finishers.  The course was roughly figure-eight shaped, with a shared road in the middle but with loops on the ends big enough that the leaders and trailers didn't really share the road at the same time.  There were lots of friendly volunteers on the course, who both encouraged all the participants and did some excellent traffic control, managing to keep things freely moving even for those of us who got onto the course late.  There were also some dark clouds rolling in at the start of the race, and as the first few sprinkles turned into a downpour, the volunteers also made sure we stayed positive and didn't decide to drop out because of the weather.  (Even if we had wanted to drop, there was really nowhere to go but continue along the course.)  The route was through a residential area, and it was very clear the folks living along the route knew the race was coming, and many of them were out in their yards or on their spacious porches to see the runners go by and cheer them on.  Some of the homes were quite impressive and looked like they had a lot of history in them, plus the oversize wraparound porches gave them plenty of shelter as they watched the poor, wet souls running by.  The last stretch of the race was along the main drag of Candor, and then we wrapped around behind the festival, so that we finished going through the same arch in the same direction that we had started.

Of course, just as I finally finished, the skies really opened up, and what had been a regular ol' rain became a frog-choking monsoon.  The spectators had already scattered to the tents and shelters where the food and music were, but a very hardy cheer team and some waterlogged volunteers kept the finish line area active with cheers and water and post-race food and drink, including some wonderful homemade peach ice cream!  Talking with some of the other runners after the race, including Mark Long from the Mangum Track Club, this was a 180-degree turn from last year's conditions, which were painfully hot.  So next year maybe they'll split the difference?

Unfortunately, with our late arrival and being drenched after the finish, we didn't take a lot of pictures, but fortunately the race organizers shared a nice album with us on Facebook.  And the race organizers created some very nice, very colorful race shirts for all the participants.  In spite of everything this year, I really would like to come back and take part in this race again, to experience more of the Friday evening festival activities, enjoy that flat race course again, and get plenty more helpings of the peach ice cream!  Can't wait to come back to Montgomery County!

Guilford County - Moonlight Bootlegger 5k - July 9, 2016

Chad made it to Guilford County, just a quick drive over from home, many years ago, but for some reason it took me a while to work around to visit this nearby county for a race (not for a lack of trying; I did register for one race but that trip fell through).  At any rate, I was glad to finally get to visit Guilford County and get to run an interesting race there.

The Moonlight Bootlegger 5k is a race series themed around the old moonshine legends, of bootleggers high-tailing it down country roads and trails at night to avoid the Revenuers.  To evoke that Prohibition-Era theme, the Bootlegger folks stage evening trail races in country settings with "moonshine" drinks as a post-race treat.  This race in Pleasant Garden at Hagen-Stone Park was one of eight races being organized around the southeast and midwest this year.

It was no problem getting to Hagen-Stone Park early Saturday evening, where the pre-race preparations were in full swing.  My friends Charles and Blanca were part of the volunteer contingent that had checked and cleared the course and put out tealights to help mark the route.  All the runners were required to have a headlamp and/or a flashlight as well.  Check-in was no problem, were we all got nice race shirts and were advised about where the moonshine drinks would be available once we finished.  And there was a good bluegrass band playing on the stage to entertain all the runners who had arrived early and were just hanging out until the race started.  They had also set up the finish line chute and banner just a few steps over from the stage.  Eventually the race directors appeared on stage for some last-minute directions and information, and then all the runners walked en masse about a quarter-mile into the park where the starting line was set up.

There were four waves of runners in all to keep the congestion on the trail down.  (Charles was in wave one, I was in wave three -- safe in the back of the pack.)  It was just starting to get dusky for this 8:55 p.m. start, so they did a good job evoking that "moonlight" theme.  In addition, they had a drone flying over the start area, and they got some good video of all the start waves with it.  After watching both the early waves start, my group was ushered into the starting chute, and once we were ready to go, it was off into the woods!

The first part of the race passed by a lake and then entered one of the park system's trails in the woods.  The first mile had a lot of switchbacks in it, so with everyone wearing or carrying lights, you could sort of gauge where we were going next and hear all the runner conversations.  Even in the dark, the route was very well marked, with tealights along the ground and tape and strobe lights blocking the trail segments we were not supposed to take.  There were a few places where I had to look hard to spot the next tealight in the distance, but for the most part the lights were close enough together that we didn't struggle.  The trail was in good shape as well; I snagged my foot a couple of times on roots or rocks or small animals, but I was in a nice, easy pace and none of them brought me down.

The mile markers were indicated by speakers in the woods playing bluegrass, which was an unusual touch, and there was one water station about halfway through were volunteers were handing out water.  But they were just about the only volunteers we saw on the course, other than one volunteer who indicated the route as we passed another lake in the last mile.  And there weren't any tough elevation changes in the route, so it turned out to be a very nice, easy run through the woods and would probably be a very relaxing training run in the daylight.

Near the end we skirted the border of another lake and did a few more switchbacks, and then we went around the perimeter of the clearing where all the pre-race festivities had been held and where the finish chute was set up.  (We had been able to hear the noise and cheering for a bit.)  Although it had been hot and humid before the race, it was a bit cooler on the trail, and coming back to the clearing gave us a chance to get breezes again.  After some quick hydration, I got in line for my "moonshine" drinks, which were served in a great glass intended to look like a Mason jar.  Since it was a city park, I would have been surprised if it was real moonshine, but whatever they had added to the "cherry coke" and "peach tea" drinks to make them "moonshine" drinks was OK.

They did a great job executing the theme of the race and adding lots of touches throughout the event to build that theme.  More than 200 runners took part!  The night run aspect was very unique, and I very much enjoyed the bluegrass music along with the very nice race shirt and my post-run drinks!  I hope the Moonlight Bootlegger 5k will be coming by my area again next year!

Alleghany County - Freedom 5k - July 2, 2016

The Fourth of July is always a good opportunity to find a race, as many communities and counties that don't have much in the way of running activity during the year find a way to put on a great Independence Day run.  Plus, it's easy to take vacation around a long weekend.  We've had good luck collecting counties around July Fourth, such as the Firecracker 10k in Cherokee County and the Brevard Firecracker 10k in Transylvania County.  This worked out well for us in finding a good race in tiny Alleghany County up in the northwest corner of the state, and with it being a holiday weekend, we spent the majority of the weekend in the mountains.

The Freedom 5k is organized by the Blue Ridge Christian School in Glade Valley, just a little south of the county seat of Sparta.  The school has previously organized a set of fall races, the Mountain Heritage 5k/10k, but this year they opted to organize just the 5k as a July Fourth race.  This was a county we had been trying to collect for a while, and I have to credit president Donny McCall for giving me good information about their schedule so that we could make sure we collected this county. 

We arrived race morning and checked in early to receive our bibs, race numbers, and race packets that included our t-shirts, notes about the sponsors, pens, and a "save the date" reminder for next year.  (Kathy was going to walk the 5k with Junior while I ran.)  All the volunteers handling packet pickup and raceday registration in the school's main level were very helpful, very excited, and glad to see all of the runners that had made the trip to support the school and see some of the county.  There was a very nice spread of water and fruit for the runners both pre- and post-race to enjoy.

Before the race, Kathy and I had the delight of meeting Donna, the very first groupie for Chad and Brad's 100-County Countdown.  In casual conversation about the race, Donna asked where we were from, and when she heard the story about collecting all the North Carolina counties, she paused, thought a moment, and said, "I've heard of you!"  Turns out Donna is collecting all the NC counties as well (she's based in the mountains and most of her 33 counties are in that area), and while looking for a race in Jones County happened to come across our race report from the Knight's Run 5k in this very same blog!  We had a great time talking about running around the Old North State, and hopefully we'll be able to help Donna find races in some far-flung counties and follow her on her excursion as well!

Six very impressive youngsters finished the kids' mile in good form, and then 30 to 40 runners and walkers lined up to start the 5k.  It was a two-loop course.  We got off to a great, fast downhill start, as we ran down past the front of the school and an assembly building and continued into the shade.  It was a clear, sunny morning, but in the shady spots, it was comfortably cool and quite enjoyable for a run.  Most of the first half-mile was in that downhill start, where we made a loop around a local cemetery and then progressed partway back up the hill.  Then we made a sharp turn back onto the school's property and the race became a trail run through a small bit of woods and then into a switchback pattern mowed into the school's backyard.

It was much more sunny on the back property, and we went back and forth many times in the switchbacks, a process Kathy labeled the "conveyor oven" as we baked on each back-and-forth.  It could well have been a great cross-country course if the school ever organizes one, and it was a very pretty, but hot, setting for the race.  Once we finished covering the backyard property, we followed the playground area back to the road at the top of the hill, and then we were off for the second loop!

They had a water stop set up for the runners as we began the second loop, and that water was mighty tasty after finishing the sunny switchbacks, plus the downhill part of the course back to the cemetery and its shade were much appreciated as well.  The volunteers did a great job pointing out the route to the runners and keeping us on course.  The second time back up the hill and the second time through the sunny switchbacks were tough on my old legs, but the switchbacks allowed us to see where we stood in the "field" as we had a good view of runners both behind us and in front of us. 

Finally we were back on the road and coasting to a nice, easy downhill finish.  There were lots of volunteers and spectators welcoming back the runners, and as soon as everyone was back, president McCall got right to the awards, with yours truly collecting an age-group second in the race!  The awards were very nice fired clay medals that the BRCS students had made themselves to thank the runners.  We hung around for a little while after the race to talk more about the area and the running opportunities, and hopefully we'll be able to use that "save the date" note to return for the Freedom 5k in a future year!  Thanks to president McCall, all of his staff and volunteers, and all the runners for making our trip to Alleghany County so much fun!