Craven County - Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Half-Marathon - March 27, 2010

North Carolina is one of the most military-friendly states, and military bases are a great source of local events and new county races, as we've found out with the Army Birthday Ten-Miler at Fort Bragg in Cumberland County (and also the Hoke All-American Trail 5k in Hoke County). So, when we heard about the half-marathon at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Cherry Point, North Carolina, it was a natural to include in the countdown.

Fortunately for this trip, our friends Gary and Rachel were along. We all got snowed out of the Myrtle Beach half-marathon back in February, so this was a chance to catch up with another flat spring half-marathon. And boy, was MCAS Cherry Point flat! I tried mapping the route so that I could see the elevation, but when I clicked the button, it said, "what elevation?" Of course, being that flat and that close to the ocean, there was a lot of wind pretty much non-stop all around the course.
But race morning was clear and cool, so at least the showers that sprinkled their way through the previous day would not be an issue. We had been pre-cleared through the base checkpoint, so after only a few wrong turns we found the race staging area and were able to check in and then ride the bus about a half-mile down the road to the actual starting area. Paul Kelly, noted handbike athlete from Beaufort who I've seen at other races around the state, was also there as part of the field.

One of the many Marines that was taking part in the half-marathon (it's part of a bigger Grand Prix series) sang a great rendition of the national anthem, and then we were ushered onto the road for the start. The first mile or so was just to get warmed up a little bit and get my muscles moving again. Although it was a beautiful morning, the second mile was straight into the rising sun, and without my sunglasses, I was pretty much watching just the road a little ahead of me rather than enjoying all the folks around me, including the firemen who were spectating at the fire station we passed.

An early treat was an out-and-back loop around a beautiful marina that enabled us to see where all the runners were lined up -- Gary was running just behind the leaders, in about sixth, and Rachel was further back, having gone back for a dropped glove in the first mile. The break from looking into the sun was much appreciated, as we got to check out the water and the boats and the lakefront cabin that greeted us. Then we made a turn onto a dirt road called Rifle Range Road, and there was no temptation to wander off the road once we saw the warning signs about how it was a live range and an impact area!

A couple of turns and we passed back by the parking and finish areas, but we were only halfway done with the race, so we wouldn't be seeing the finish line again for a while. The second half of the race was through the developed part of the base, although there wasn't much to see among the warehouses and supply buildings we passed. (Unfortunately, even though we were running next to live runways, we didn't get to see or hear many of the Marine jets while we were on base.) Conditions, though, had warmed up a bit and I tucked my gloves inside my waistband since I didn't think I would need them again. There were some very enthusiastic volunteers out there as well, cheering us along and providing plenty of water, Sport Beans, and gels to the runners.

There was one more out-and-back section, about three miles in all, where we went just outside the base and looped around a Havelock city park. Gary was already through it all, but I got to encourage Rachel as she was on her way back in. The park had a few spectators cheering on the racers, but the majority of folks appeared to be there for an Easter egg hunt later in the day (the "Welcome to Havelock" sign was full of colored plastic eggs). There was also some music playing in the park, which was very nice to hear after running in quiet for so long.

Making the turn back to base was good because it was the last three miles of the race but bad because 1) now we were running into a strong headwind the rest of the way and 2) the last two aid stations had run out of water. I knew I would be OK since I had hydrated well on race morning, but it would have been great to have a little something to drink the last three miles. The headwind also encouraged me to get my gloves back out and put them on to keep my hands somewhat warmer. I did get to encourage the last few runners as they entered the out-and-back. Very helpful course monitors guided me across the last intersection, and then we were onto side streets and a greenway to the finish line. Seemed like the headwind never let up, but finally I made the last turn and could see the finish line about half a mile ahead -- on one of the few uphills of the base! Still, I kept plodding along and finally reached the finish line, having ripped off a 10:16 for the last full mile -- proof that I can get a second wind when I can see the finish!

My finish time was a respectable 2:27:17, good enough for 9th in my age group (out of 10). (There were 167 finishers overall.) Rachel also ran very well, and Gary won his age group with a new PR of 1:29 and change! (Now that Gary's in my age group, he pushes me down out of the prize places.) The post-race party had plenty of fruit and snacks and fluids, and the various trophies and cups they had for the age group and overall winners were very impressive! Each runner got a nice long-sleeved cotton t-shirt, and the finishers all received half-marathon medals with a back sticker identifying the race. It was great to see Gary get his trophy and cheer some of the other winners, but we were very glad to get back in the cars out of the wind when that was done. After we had cleaned up and gotten some warmer clothes on, we did go back for pictures in front of the jet set up at the base entrance to commemorate the trip. It was a lot of fun doing the MCAS Cherry Point Half-Marathon, and we thank the Marines and the race staff for letting us run with them! Oorah!

Rowan County - Winter Flight 8k - February 21, 2010

Wow, what a difference a month makes! The 27th annual Winter Flight 8k, a long-running event organized by the Salisbury Rowan Runners club, was originally scheduled for last month, but one of the January snowstorms postponed it to today. (Also appropriate for a race with a director named David Freeze.) And today turned out to be one of those wonderful, 60-degree days in a North Carolina February, so the postponement caused by the snowstorm turned out to yield probably a 40-degree increase in race-day temperature!

The wonderful weather at Catawba College (home of the Indians) in historic Salisbury brought out a great big race crowd. The race was also the RRCA North Carolina 8k championship, so that helped bring out the runners. Goodman Gymnasium provided a great location for check-in while the little kids did the half-mile Kids' Run on the track in Shuford Stadium. Finally we were called into the street for a playing of the national anthem and an invocation -- then we were off!

The Winter Flight 8k is a challenging race. There are a lot of significant uphills, and it seems like there are some downhills missing to make it all even. The start was moderately uphill, and after a brief downhill, there was a long, climbing mile along Statesville Boulevard before we got a short respite. After a quick gulp of water just after the 2-mile mark, there was another climbing mile; this one had a soundtrack provided by a bog just off the road that must have been filled with some waking bullfrogs checking their voices.

While we were out ascending every hill in Rowan County, they had a Fun Run mile back at the finish area. I don't know what the mile route was, but the mile winners got trophies just as nice as the 8k winner trophies later on.

Fortunately for the 8k runners, the fourth mile was majority downhill, and we got to see some of the fauna of the Salisbury backroads when we passed a group of chickens hanging out on the side of the road as we passed by. However, there was one big hill left to go once we came back into historic Salisbury, but when we made the right-hand turn at the top of the hill, we were back on the Catawba campus and it was mostly downhill to the finish. So of course our paces picked up a little bit as we skirted some parking areas and made the turn onto the Shuford Stadium track for almost a full lap to the finish line. A stadium announcer recognized most of the runners as they hurried down the last straightaway, and some very efficient race volunteers pulled our bib tags to prepare the results for this chip-less race. (I also got a finishing index card showing my official finish place of 197.)

Although the post-race refreshments were set up back in Goodman Gymnasium, the weather was so nice back at the stadium that no one was really leaving, and finally they had to make some announcements over the PA system to let folks know about the food. When we finally moseyed from the stadium over to the gym, we found excellent Biscuitville biscuits, bananas, bagels and Cheerwine waiting for us. The hand-compiled results were ready before too long and a whole tableful of Winter Flight trophies were handed out to the winners, including the winner of the men's 70+ age group, who ran a very impressive under-39:00 time on a very challenging course! All in all, 250 runners were listed in the final results.

I had a great time at the Winter Flight 8k, and I am glad for the warmer weather! Congrats to all the runners and to the organizers for a great event!

Another county collector

Our friend Lesley, who is also a runner, is working on her own collection of all 100 North Carolina counties by traveling and visiting all of them -- and blogging about it -- in her North Carolina Odyssey Project.

2009 Year in Review

Well, we've pretty much exhausted all of our planned opportunities to collect counties in 2009, so let's take a look to see how we progressed this year:

Marriages: 1
Chad's new (or extended) counties in 2009 (4): Swain, Carteret, Harnett, Randolph
Brad's new (or extended) counties in 2009 (14): Swain, Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, Davidson, Pender, Carteret, Hertford, Alamance, Jackson, Avery, Dare, Harnett, Randolph

Chad's total counties: 28
Brad's total counties: 29
Combined total counties: 39

So what did we enjoy this year? Getting to run several races together was a lot of fun, as we did at Swain County's Tsali Frosty Foot Fest, Carteret County's Historic Beaufort 10k Road Race and Harnett County's Raven Rock Rumble 10-Mile Trail Run. Randolph County's Run to Victory half-marathon was fun, but cold! Hopefully we can hit more counties together in 2010.

Chad got to run with his new wife at the Historic Beaufort 10k Road Race in Carteret County, with his parents spectating and lots of Raleigh friends around to keep him company. Brad had a surprising age-group win at the Hoke 5k All-American Trail Run in Hoke County. Brad also had a blast at the early-morning Fort Bragg Army Birthday 10-Miler in Cumberland County and enjoyed the small-town atmosphere at the North Carolina Watermelon Festival 5k in Hertford County.

We literally crossed the whole state in the tour bus this year, from Swain County in the mountains to Dare County on the ocean. Thanks to all our running friends for joining us on this quixotic quest this year, and we hope y'all will come run with us around the state in 2010! With some favorable scheduling, good weather and healthy knees, we will look forward to seeing some more of this beautiful state in the year ahead! Happy New Year, and Happy Running!

Randolph County - Run to Victory Half-Marathon - December 13, 2009

"These are the worst weather conditions we've had," shouted Run To Victory sponsor and NASCAR driver Kyle Petty before the race, "but the largest turnout!" Naturally, that brought a big cheer from the cold, wet runners waiting for the green flag to wave.

449 half-marathoners and 312 5-milers completed Sunday's Run to Victory race, which benefits the Victory Junction Camp in Randleman, NC in Randolph County. Randolph County, which is the home of the Petty family, is just south of Greensboro. The Pettys organized and founded the Victory Junction Camp, which helps kids with various chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses, in memory of their son Adam, who was killed in a racing accident years ago. The Run to Victory is a big fundraiser and benefit for the camp.

Chad beat me to the Run to Victory a couple of years ago, but it worked out we could run it together this year in addition to our friends William, Jennifer, Ann, Karin and my cousin Ginny. Unfortunately we got saddled with some really ugly running weather, with temperatures in the 30s at race time, spitting rain with potential for showers, and enough wind to be annoying. We were all in a good mood for the pre-race worship service in the gym at Randleman Middle School, but once we started moving outside for the start, the outside overhang was the popular place to be until right before the start when we finally moved to the finish line. Kyle Petty and running personality John Bingham -- who had spoken to the North Carolina Roadrunners Club meeting the Thursday before -- welcomed all the runners and then one of the Victory Junction campers waved the green flag to start us all.

The first couple of miles were actually kind of pleasant as we wound our way through the city part of Randleman. It didn't hurt that the first mile was mostly downhill, either. Eventually the 5-milers and the half-marathoners parted ways, and we were out in the rural part of the countryside, with only the other runners, aid station volunteers and deputies, and the occasional house full of barking dogs to keep us company. One out-and-back section in a neighborhood gave all the half-marathoners a chance to see most of the other runners and offer some encouragement. And it turns out Randolph County has a good set of hills, too!

The first four miles went by very quickly, and then we got into some of the more severe hills were the runners got more strung out along the distance and it seemed to get longer and longer between the aid stations, which were about two miles apart. Some of the folks I was running with were very encouraging, and I also tried to keep up folks' spirits wherever I could. There was very good support from the county's sheriff's department, and News 14 had a crew out on the course getting runner footage wherever they could. The weather continued to be a downer as it never really warmed up much. William had provided us with garbage bags for our outside layer and they were a big help in keeping the rain off us and blocking the wind a little bit. I wanted to shed my garbage bag after a while, but I was convinced that if I did the rain would come down heavy for sure, so I ended up wearing it most of the race. Fortunately I had my Garmin on and was able to keep track of our progress, which would have been hard otherwise since the miles weren't marked in a big way.

Finally, after what seemed like a very long tour of every part of Randolph County, we could see the water tower for Victory Junction Camp (painted like a hot-air balloon) above the treeline. (We had been able to hear the loud finish-line music at various points along the course, too.) We made a big turn into the camp and got to see the colorful, welcoming decorations that must be a welcome sight for the campers and their families whenever they visit. We made various turns through the welcome center and then went down through a tunnel and back up a hill, and then we could see the main camp area ahead of us with all of the finish line decorations and celebrations. It was a great brief downhill, and then we had to go back up again for the "victory circle" around the main camp area to the finish line, where Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie high-fived a lot of the finishers and where we got our hefty Run to Victory medals with a bas-relief John Bingham penguin on the back. (Kyle Petty autographed some of the finishers' medal ribbons but unfortunately I didn't get to see him.)

Fortunately, immediately after the finish chute we were able to turn right into the camp cafeteria, where it was wonderfully warm and they had beef, turkey or 3-bean chili and cornbread for all the runners, along with hot chocolate and various drinks to get us re-heated and re-hydrated. We also got to pick up our checked gear bags and change into the warm, dry clothes we had packed for the post-race. The food and drink were wonderful, and before too long we were feeling just about back to normal temperature and ready for the shuttle bus ride back to the starting area.

Everything about the Run to Victory was first-class, from the support of the Pettys and John Bingham, to the pre-race worship service, to the great medals and race shirts, to the finish in Victory Junction Camp and the care they took of us afterwards. This race has a great reputation in its short life, and with an experience like this it's easy to see why. Hopefully the weather will be a little warmer next time we get to run in Randolph County!

Unfortunately, my marathon cap was a casualty of the race. It has been with me through many, many miles and it had a good life. Time to find another hat that I can destroy next time out.

Digital Triad has some video from the race.

Harnett County - Raven Rock Rumble 10-Mile Trail Race - November 21, 2009

"It's not a trail race unless your feet get wet," proclaimed Andrew Benbow, the race director for the Raven Rock Rumble 10-mile trail race at Raven Rock State Park in Harnett County outside Lillington. Benbow had been talking about the condition of the course, which had seen significant rain in the previous week and had to be repaired somewhat by the Raven Rock staff in the last few days before the race.

Fortunately, the course was in excellent condition after all. Unfortunately, it was still just as tough, with all kinds of uphills and downhills and rocks and roots covered up with freshly-fallen leaves. The Rumble, though, has an excellent reputation among all kinds of runners as a well-organized and fun race to do in its three-year history, so when we were looking for an opportunity to do a race in Harnett County, just a few minutes to our south, it was a "natural" choice. This event, which includes a 5-mile option and a 10-mile option, is limited to 300 runners because of the size of the trails -- it's sold out each year -- and benefits both Special Olympics and the Friends of Raven Rock State Park.

It's great fun when Chad and I get to collect a new county together, and we certainly had more than our share of fun on this one. At first I thought the tour bus had rolled in too early, but with construction of a new Raven Rock State Park visitors' center, we had to park remotely and walk in and out to pick up our packets and drop them off back at the bus. So the early arrival worked to our advantage as we weren't rushed to get all the pre-race details taken care of. There was a good crowd of excited volunteers checking in runners and assembling a big supply of food and drink for us all. The long-sleeved t-shirts were great and included a big Rumble logo on the front. Worries about temperature were unfounded as well because it was a nice, clear morning and the temperatures rose pretty quickly as the sun got higher in the sky. So the runners wouldn't have to wear too many layers to keep warm before the race start.

Eventually all the 10-milers were assembled in the street and sent off by a very weak air horn down a quarter-mile or so of road so that we could spread out before entering the trails. (The 5-milers had a separate start and went a different way; the 5-mile route was the second half of the 10-mile route.) There was a brief traffic jam entering the trails, but it only took a few seconds before we were all lined up behind each other headed out down the single-track.

Mercifully, the first couple of miles were majority downhill, but there were a couple of sudden twists and rises as we navigated around trees, stumps and water. The trails were very well-marked and -maintained with nice bridges over some of the wetter spots. In the third mile I got to run with Chad for awhile along the top of a bluff where, if you were brave enough to take your eyes off the trail, there was a very pretty view of the Little River down and off to your right. Not long after that we were on the Fish Trap trail, which was basically straight down to the river's edge -- and right back up the way we came. As steep and tricky as that section of the trail was, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of rapids on the Little River right at the turnaround spot. The down-and-up turnaround was also a good chance to encourage the other runners in our speed group.

The rest of the race's first half was back up to the trails entrance and back down the road, past the starting area and a very welcome aid station (thanks for the strong Gatorade) and then out onto a different section of trails, the 5-mile loop that the other runners were covering. Again, this section started with a long downhill stretch, which was very welcome after struggling up from the Fish Traps. It was also a good chance to see some of the leading 10-mile runners and trailing 5-milers on their way to the finish line. "Enjoy this downhill," one of them offered, "because it's tough coming back up."

The second half of the race included more of the rocky, rooty, leaf-covered trails that we had enjoyed in the first half, along with some more sudden ups and downs. We had a couple more of the wet-foot stream crossings that Benbow had promised up front, but fortunately they weren't as bad as he had said. I nearly took a couple of spills in the second half, and Chad mentioned later that he had also been nearly caught by a couple of roots. This section of the race also included a really nice, peaceful stretch along one of the creeks that fed into Little River and also provided what felt at the time like a level stretch, although looking at the elevation data later, it was hard to find any real level spots in the race.

Sure enough, we were eventually headed back up the hill towards the finish area, and that big Finish arch was a very welcome sight. (I had been running on fumes since about the 8.5-mile mark.) Even though I was one of the last finishers, there was still a good crowd in the finish area cheering us all in. 110 runners had finished the 5-miler, and 155 finished the 10-miler. There was lots of food left for the finishers, but fluids were running low, so we didn't stick around long to check out the awards and prizes for the winners in each distance. That last walk back to the bus was tough for a couple of tired runners, but the drinks waiting for us there were great to see. We got to socialize with some of the other runners in the parking area, and then it was back on the road to head back home. Although the difficulty of the course was the main topic of the discussion on the way back, we both thought the Rumble was a very good, if challenging, trail race and we agreed with the reputation it has as a well-put-together race. Harnett County is fortunate to have the Raven Rock Rumble, and hopefully we can return again, too.

Dare County - OBX Half-Marathon - November 8, 2009

Chad beat me to Dare County a couple of years ago when he did the 2nd annual OBX Marathon, but I finally made it to the easternmost of North Carolina's 100 counties this year for the 4th annual half-marathon. The last couple of years, the OBX Marathon has embraced the "pirate" theme, with treasure-map medals, pirate-themed aid stations and finisher pictures, and this year the "pirate pack" -- eyepatch, bandana and cowbell -- being sold at the expo. Arrgh, indeed!

You never know what kind of weather you'll get the second Sunday of November on North Carolina's Outer Banks (OBX), but fortunately this year we were blessed with warm temperatures (getting hot as the day wore on), sunny skies and just enough wind to keep you cooled down. More than 6,500 runners were involved in the weekend's activities -- the marathon, the half, an 8k, and a kid's fun run. Great turnout -- they said it was their largest ever!

The marathon and half were point-to-point races, with the half starting around the midway point of the marathon, so that both races finished in the same spot. 3,390 finished the half-marathon and 1,815 finished the full. For those of us in the half, the starting area was nice and cool, clear but not bad with the sun still low, and just a bit breezy. We were organized into waves by expected pace times and then set off with separate starts about 3-5 minutes apart. I was really looking forward to having a very enjoyable run with no pressure on pace or finish times, so I was very glad to finally be moving and out on the OBX main drag.

Flat, flat, flat. Flat as a board. Flat as a pancake. There was very little elevation change, as you can imagine if you've ever been to OBX. We did a mile or two on the main road, passing the big Jockey's Ridge sand dunes, and then turned right into a subdivision with some very pretty homes and ran alongside the sound for a while before coming back out to the main road. I ran a great 5k, but it was too fast and I knew I'd be in trouble later on. After another couple of miles we made another turn into one of the subdivisions around Nags Head Golf Links for another tour of nice homes and surprised golfers. When we returned to the main drag, it was just after the halfway mark and, although I had turned a good 10k time, I was way off a reasonable pace and I knew I'd have to reckon with that mistake later on.

There were lots of spectators out early in the morning to cheer on the runners, from groups that had set up shop in parking lots to cyclists following the course to families sitting out at the end of the driveway having their morning coffee. One house in particular was all decorated and hosting a "marathon party". Lots of cute signs, lots of noisemakers and music. Someone had set out some Burmashave-style signs telling us about the OBX and giving some bad jokes. Great volunteers everywhere we ran, and very well-organized aid stations and water stops.

A couple more flat miles down the main drag and we were ready for The Bridge. The Washington-Baum Bridge, which extends from Nags Head to Roanoke Island, is more than a mile long and goes up from 82 feet above the water to 650 feet above the water at a 4% grade. The ten-mile mark is just before the crest of the bridge, and that was about my limit as far as what I could run comfortably. After getting past the downhill side of the bridge, I was satisfied to extend my walk breaks and coast the last three miles into Manteo for the finish.

The finish in "downtown" Manteo was really nice. A lot of the town, plus many, many spectators, came out to cheer the runners down the last mile or so to the finish line near what looked to be a local school or park area. After coasting in, I received a very nice half-marathon finish medal, a much-appreciated ice towel -- it had gotten steadily warmer as the sun climbed higher in the clear skies -- and a nice OBX visor. Lots of food, mylar blankets and drink were available to the finishers, and a group of pirates and wenches were available for having finisher pictures made. Once you left the runners' finish corral, it was much like a street fair setting, with food vendors, restaurants having sidewalk specials, craft sales, and the like. After enjoying the atmosphere with some other runners from Raleigh, it was on to the shuttle buses and a return trip to the half-marathon starting area -- and then on for some well-earned seafood!

I really enjoyed finally making it to Dare County for the OBX half-marathon (even if I had originally been shooting for the full marathon). It was great to see other Raleigh runners there in both races, including Rachel, Gary, Lena, Mike, Joey, Lee, Erin, Daniel, Karla and Frank -- and congratulations to Sheila for finishing her first half! Hopefully I'll be back to run OBX many, many more times.