Alamance County - Mebane on the Move 10k - September 12, 2009

Chad had already beaten me to Alamance County with the Run at the Rock last December (and a triathlon earlier than that), and I finally made it there for the Mebane on the Move 10k. The Mebane on the Move races -- they have a 5k and a mile in addition to the 10k -- are part of a family fun festival sponsored by the Mebane Women's Club, and the Mebane Running Club has a hand in it, too. It was a nice surprise when I pulled in to see Raleigh friends Lesley, George, Kimberlie and David also in town for the race.

The Mebane on the Move 10k isn't a big race -- 129 finished the 10k with another 144 finishing the 5k -- but the volunteers really put themselves into it. Everyone on race morning was very upbeat and helpful, and some very excited folks got all the runners lined up behind the big arch and pumped up for the race. The start was a little bit uphill, but downtown Mebane was all dressed up with lots of American flags and spectators to welcome all the runners and cheer them on.

It was just about a perfect morning for running; the temps were almost cool to me, with a clear, sunny sky and a light breeze in the area. We got out of the downtown area fast, and soon we were out and about through some of the older Mebane neighborhoods with big shady trees overhanging the roads and some early-rising residents out watching the runners go by. There was a big change about the 2.5-mile mark, when we got out on a bigger road with little shade, dead into the early-morning sun. After that hot stretch, it was nice to get back into the shade again as we neared the start/finish area and the 5k turnoff.

Surprisingly, it was an area with a good amount of rolling hills. Normally you'd think of the Piedmont area as being flatter, but they did sneak some hills in there. Fortunately, none of them were too steep or severe, and the downhill stretches were much, much appreciated. The second half of the 10k course included more residential areas with shade and lots more volunteers. The volunteers and course monitors all around the route were very encouraging and very helpful to the runners, whether they were handing out cups of water, directing traffic or guiding runners. They kept us fired up all the way along the route!

Finally we came back by the start/finish area for the 10k finish, and I was very, very happy to see the finish line arch. More of those volunteers got our chips and gave us bottles of water, and they had a nice post-race spread of fruit, snacks and granola for the runners as well. The mile fun run started soon after, and lots of speedy kids and families took part together. Everybody seemed to enjoy the race; Kimberlie was the women's overall winner, and David, George, Lesley and I all were glad to get the mileage in. Even though I would have liked to have performed better, I appreciated all the Mebane volunteers and organizers getting us all on the Move this morning!

Hertford County - North Carolina Watermelon Festival 5k - August 1, 2009

"Hi, welcome to the race! Here's your t-shirt! Help yourself to a watermelon!"

If you have a watermelon-styled purse, or shoes painted green and red with little seeds, or watermelons embroidered on your shirt, the place to be the first Saturday in August is the North Carolina Watermelon Festival in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. You'll have a great time with many other folks with the same decoration.

For runners, they have the North Carolina Watermelon Festival 5k. And if you pre-register, you get to take a watermelon home! They were all a little bigger than a rugby ball, and when I cut into mine later tonight, I hope it tastes as good as the watermelon slices they had for us at the end of the race!

The highlight of Saturday at the NC Watermelon Festival is the Watermelon Festival Parade, and the start of the 5k race leads off the parade. So well before the start of the race, folks were showing up to reserve a good seat along Main Street (see: Americana) for the start of the race and then the parade. Registration for the race and staging for the parade were all taking place at Murfreesboro Baptist Church, so after checking in for the race and collecting my free watermelon, I got to check out all the highlights of the parade setup.

Pre-race, I got to meet the mayor of Murfreesboro, Lynn Johnson, and also the reigning North Carolina Watermelon Festival Queen, Kensley Leonard. ("The queen meets the joker," I quipped.) The mayor was riding in a nice 1969 cherry-red Cadillac convertible while the watermelon queen had to ride on the watermelon float -- which was cute, but not as sweet a ride as the Caddy. Also present were the princesses of the watermelon court, Miss Teen Melon, the North Carolina Strawberry Queen, and the North Carolina Spot Queen. (The spot is a type of fish. Make up your own "fish queen" joke here.) There were high school bands warming up, clowns getting their makeup and costumes set for the kids, young drivers polishing up their rides for the spinning-rim club, firemen loading the fire engines with candy, and Shriners rehearsing their formations. (Why, oh why, isn't every parade in the land required to have six to eight Shriners in those little go-carts doing figure eights and formations all the way along the route?) Even without the race, it was going to be a festive morning.

Although the race didn't start until 10:00 a.m. in August, we were blessed with a very overcast sky that kept race-time temperatures in the high 70s when it could have been much, much warmer. With a bit of a breeze, even the humidity wasn't as bad as it could have been. The race organizers announced that 105 runners had registered, and that was the largest Watermelon Festival 5k field they ever had. Just before race time, Main Street was shut down, and the runners were called to the street -- then we were off!

Having the 5k lead off the parade guarantees that the runners get wall-to-wall spectators for the first half-mile or so before we turn off the parade route. Lots of folks were out to see the race start and the parade, so there was lots of yelling and encouragement for all the runners. For a small town, they managed to pull together a big crowd to see everything! Shortly we turned off the parade route and began working our way back to the west a block off Main Street. There was a very pleasant loop around the main quad of Chowan University, and another big loop to a small lake and back, which brought a surprising hill into play -- isn't this area supposed to be mostly flat? There were very enthusiastic volunteers directing the runners and managing the traffic all along the way -- not all of the roads could be shut down, and there were lots of cars still trying to get to the parade -- and a couple of water stations were set up at strategic points so that the runners could hit them twice. I really enjoyed the folks sitting on their porches waving at the runners, and there were some very cute "Go Runners" signs that some kids had made to decorate their front yard as the racers passed by.

The Watermelon Festival Parade is big enough that, even at my pace, units were still rolling out onto the parade route as I finished. The finish line was just a block back from the starting line, so we could watch the final parade units while we enjoyed our post-race treats (did I mention the wonderful watermelon slices they had for us at the finish?). Even without chips, they compiled the race results very quickly and got the awards distributed. The overall men's and women's winners had won the race three years in a row, and the men's winner, who lived in Murfreesboro just off the race course, set a new course record! I was very happy with a better-than-average performance myself and savored more than one slice of the sweet watermelons they had provided.

I had a great time in Murfreesboro for the North Carolina Watermelon Festival 5k, and I wouldn't mind coming back to this tiny corner of Hertford County to do this race again. It's a lot of fun at a very nice family festival, and the race organizers put on a very, very fun race. Now where's that watermelon I brought home?

Carteret County - Historic Beaufort 10k Road Race - July 18, 2009

The folks down in Carteret County have been running the Historic Beaufort Road Race 10k/5k for thirty years now, so it was a natural choice to include in the countdown. We were guaranteed a nice, flat course and we would only have to worry about the mid-July heat and humidity. Fire up the tour bus -- it's time for a summer trip to the coast!

The tour bus was actually pretty full this trip; after Chad and I made plans to make the trip to Beaufort, some other friends from the area also decided to do this mid-summer run. Chad's wife Koren, Chris, Laurel, Jim, Brandon, Jennifer, Romaine, Aaron, Rebecca, Esther and Mark all decided to come run, and it was a lot of fun to have that many folks from the Raleigh area all down at the coast for the weekend to run the race, eat some seafood, and enjoy the lovely view of the waterfront. (Chad's parents also came along to provide spectator support.)

We were unexpectedly blessed with lower-than-usual humidity, although the temps were very summer-like: right around 80 degrees at 7:00 a.m. in the morning. Fortunately, the constant breeze off the water helped out a good bit and kept the air from being too muggy. We arrived well in advance of the mile run, the first race of the day, and enjoyed checking in, meeting all the other Triangle runners, checking out the waterfront, and admiring the better-than-usual race t-shirts.

Chad and Koren jogged the mile run as a warmup, and then all of us took off for the 5k/10k run. The breeze was at our backs as we took off down the waterfront, and it seemed like no time had passed before we were already at the 5k turnaround. It really did feel like the majority of the runners were doing the 5k, because the crowd thinned out significantly as we got further out on the 10k course. (167 runners finished the 10k, and 371 runners finished the 5k; they said the total participation over all three races was 810, a new high for the event.)

After a couple of miles, the 10k runners moved a block inland and returned towards town, making a few turns in and out around blocks and beautiful old homes so that we got to see plenty of Beaufort, including the Ocean View cemetery. Fortunately for the runners, there were lots of enthusiastic volunteers directing us through all the turns, including lots of spirited Boy Scouts manning several water stations. One set of turns in the neighborhood allowed us to see runners ahead of us headed back towards the finish. Finally, we got to make those last few turns ourselves and turned back along the waterfront -- now into a strong headwind -- for the last three-quarters of a mile or so to the finish line.

Lots of spectators crowded around the finish to cheer all the 5k and 10k runners back, and some very nice volunteers handed each finisher a much-appreciated ice-cold towel to cool off. There was an ample supply of post-run food and drink for the runners as well. All of the Triangle contingent ran very well: Jim was the overall 10k winner, Brandon and Laurel won age-group awards in the 10k, and Esther was an age-group winner in the 5k. There were other winners announced from the Raleigh area, too, so we weren't the only out-of-towners who made the trip!

Everyone really enjoyed the Historic Beaufort Road Races, from fresh seafood the night before to the wonderfully flat race to more seafood for lunch afterwards, as well as extra time on the beach after the race! We may need a bigger bus to bring runners to Beaufort next year!

Pender County - NC Blueberry Festival 5k Run - June 20, 2009

It's a weekend double-header! The flyer for the North Carolina Blueberry Festival 5k makes the point that it's the only 5k run/walk in Pender County, so it's like they were advertising to us to make sure we got there for the countdown!

North Carolina festivals are a great place to find out-of-the-way races -- Brad found that out at last year's Edenton Peanut Run -- and the NC Blueberry Festival followed that pattern! The cartoon mascot for the 5k was a big, round, runnin', sweatin' blueberry, and that's probably what I looked like in my blue NCRC race shirt.

The Blueberry Festival takes over the entire grounds of the Pender County Courthouse; they set up a big stage on one of the streets (the Marine band from a local base was setting up after the run, and some beach music groups were booked for later in the day) and arts/crafts vendors set up booths all over the place, with some spots reserved for local blueberry growers and your basic hot-dog-and-Coke vendors, too. Walking around the grounds before and after the race, I spotted blueberry tea, blueberry preserves, blueberry muffins, blueberry poundcake, blueberry jam, blueberry bread and blueberry candy.

The race itself was not a small affair; there were more than 350 finishers, including the racing team from The Athletes Foot here in Raleigh. (They took home at least a couple of overall awards and a handful of age-group awards.) The 5k course was an out-and-back with several branches through the Burgaw neighborhoods, which were very nice and filled with friendly residents. The Burgaw Fire Department also set up a water spray near the aid station; we passed them both twice as the course wound around.

As you might expect in extreme southeast North Carolina, the course was very, very flat, and as you might expect for June, it was very humid, although the 7:30 a.m. start time helped us avoid the biggest part of the heat. Unfortunately, I didn't learn anything from my previous run and went out too fast in the first mile again and faded in the second mile again. The runners were having a good time, though, so it was a fun crowd in which to just jog along. The volunteers at the aid station were very encouraging, and a squad from a local ROTC unit ran in the race and sang cadence the whole way around. One older woman walked the whole course pushing a walker with wheels. Just a great atmosphere for a race on a really pretty morning down near the coast.

I finally shuffled my way in and got to enjoy the post-race party. The volunteers gave out lots of cold bottled water and cups of fruit, including plenty of blueberries. The organizers were very organized and got the awards given out quickly after the course cutoff of sixty minutes. The overall winners received gift cards to a sporting goods store and the age group winners got Blueberry Festival bags; all of us got the cherished North Carolina Blueberry Festival 5k Run t-shirt with my lookalike mascot on the front. I had a great time a the Blueberry Festival 5k, both in the run and at the festival afterwards -- I even brought home a box of blueberries to do some cooking with! The only 5k in Pender County is a good one!

Davidson County - Tour de Kale 5k Night Run - June 19, 2009

Friday night runs are a big help when trying to work in new counties, so when Chad told me about his 2007 trip to the Tour de Kale 5k Night Run in the city of Denton in Davidson County, I knew it would help my tally, too. The Tour de Kale is mainly a cycling event that promotes fitness and benefits worthy causes, but they also hold a 5k run on Friday night to kick the whole weekend off. Instead of a large charity, the Tour de Kale annually benefits local citizens that are experiencing difficulty, and this year two Denton residents who are facing large medical expenses will benefit from the Tour.

I arrived at Harrison Park in Denton about an hour before the race and got to enjoy how they had set up the park with tents on the green for registration, pre- and post-race food, chip pickup and prizes. The park's bandstand was occupied by a local rock band that was entertaining the runners, walkers and spectators. Everybody was very friendly, and you could tell that the Tour is a big event in Denton and that everyone wanted to make sure all were welcome. The race organizer announced that, with an expected crowd of 190 entrants, the 2009 TDK would be the biggest field to date! An elementary school student sang the national anthem, a local preacher gave an invocation, and then we were off on the 5k!

The course itself was a very basic out-and-back route, with long gradual rises and downhills, but nothing severe either way. By the time we reached the half-mile mark, we were already out "past where the sidewalks end" and into farm country. Friendly volunteers staffed the mile markers and a very busy water station, but other than that the runners were on their own. It was a really hot, humid evening, even with the 8:00 p.m. race start, so we were all drenched before too long and looking for replacement fluids. The few residents we did see on the route seemed pleased to have the race coming right by their property, and they cheered us as we passed.

I went out way too fast on my first mile (9:20) and faded quickly in the second mile as the heat and humidity took their toll. By the time we passed the water station and the two-mile mark, I was just shuffling along enjoying the evening and the company of my fellow back-of-the-packers. Fortunately, the last half-mile was a gradual down-slope to the finish area, so that helped me pick up the pace a bit towards the end. The Denton fire department and EMS staff were out to cheer the finishing runners, and the spectators formed a loud, cheering chute for the runners to pass through to the ultimate finish line. More volunteers greeted us at the finish with very much appreciated cold bottles of water, and we all got a new pair of socks for finishing as well!

And where else would you be but central North Carolina to have Cheerwine at the finish? In addition to the Cheerwine, the post-race spread included slices of watermelon, fruit and bagels, and the very creative 5k cookies! (Delicious!) The TDK goodie bag included some Biofreeze samples, a sewing kit, a breast cancer ribbon pin, band-aids, a water bottle and cup, and, maybe specifically for Chad and me, the North Carolina highway map! The race t-shirt was also a lavender color that will be unique on my shelf. The band kept the crowd entertained through the last finishers and the compilation of the results, and then they gave out door prizes -- TDK shirts, towels and notebooks -- until they were ready to do the 5k awards, which were run medals for the age group winners and plaques for the overall winners.

They really put on a great 5k in Denton in the Tour de Kale, and I'm sure the weekend's bicycle race also benefited from their friendliness, attention to detail and spirited volunteers. Thanks for treating Chad and me so well at the TDK, and hopefully we'll be in Davidson County to run it again soon!

Cumberland County - Fort Bragg Army Birthday 10-Miler - June 11, 2009

How many races start with the firing of a cannon and end with birthday cake? Not many, but one of them is down at Fort Bragg in Cumberland County, namely the 13th annual Army Birthday 10-Miler, which not only commemorates the birthday of the US Army but also selects the top 10 men and women who become part of the Fort Bragg team that trains for and races at the Army Ten Miler in October in Washington, DC.

This race takes some extra preparation with the 6:30 a.m. starting time and the need to wait in line to have your car inspected to get on the base, but it's well worth it to see 1,600+ servicemen and servicewomen (plus civilians) out to do 10 miles around Fort Bragg. (And at $10 to register, the race is a bargain!) There's lots of support from all kinds of Army units and volunteers to make sure that plenty of water and Gatorade are available -- plus misters on fire hydrants -- and to monitor intersections. Still, there are other units out doing their regular morning PT in packs and boots, not to mention one unit that was training in full uniform, packs, and arms. (The runners were happy to yield right-of-way to the guys with machine guns.) You also couldn't miss the cadence recordings and the Army men's chorus songs being played on loudspeakers around the race course.

Sure enough, they fired a cannon to get the whole race started, and we were off on a very quick pace. Not surprisingly, the soldiers are in better shape than your average road race field, so I was solidly in the back of the pack. Lots of family members and friends were out to support the runners, and they were happy to cheer for any of us, which was very much appreciated. The course turned out to have some challenging sections, with some significant hills, but fortunately we had the cool of the morning to enjoy, before the sun got too high or too hot. My favorite aid station was in an assembly area where soldiers getting organized for morning PT were volunteering before their own workouts; they were very encouraging and supportive of all the runners as we came through, but they were having lots of fun with the runners, too. (Army sense of humor: turning the 9-mile mark sign upside down so it looked like you had only gone 6 miles.)

The last stretch coming home was on a mile-long straightaway (with hills) where you could see the finish line arch way ahead. Lots of folks were at the finish line to cheer in all the finishers, and then there was a very nice post-race party at Sports USA (sort of an officers' club). There were lots of food and drink, and some very good over-strong Gatorade. The awards for the run were excellent. The winning teams (active-duty) received huge silver cups and trophies, plus all team members received gold, silver or bronze medals. And the age-group winners received very nice plaques with bas-relief sculptures of soldiers and helicopters. Really nice awards -- wish I could have earned one! And yes, they had a huge birthday cake with the Fort Bragg logo and the race logo that was sliced up with a sword by the base commander and some of the race winners. Happy 234th birthday, Army! Hooah!

I had a great time on Fort Bragg that Thursday morning doing the Army Birthday 10-Miler. 1,622 runners finished after 1,858 registered. If the team competition was open to civilians, we’d have to take the NCRC racing team down to compete! Before the race, I was Tired; when I was done, I was Army Tired!

And you thought we were obsessive...

You thought it was strange for us to try to run a race in every North Carolina county? Here's a guy with a county-collecting blog dedicated to his efforts to visit every county of every state in the country! This post documents his visit in February to Stokes County, the last of North Carolina's 100 counties he visited. Stokes County was the 2,898th county he had visited, out of 3,141 counties (or county equivalents) nationwide.

I don't think we'll be trying to run in all the counties in the country, though.