Big South 5k Race Recap 10.8.2011

While quite a few people were driving north of Charlotte to Lake Norman for the LungStrong races, I was actually headed in the opposite direction. Yes, I would be attempting fate and further injury to my badly abused hamstring by running the Big South 5k.

Over the last year, many people have sung the praises of this race from the organization to the food from the awards to the fast course. Also with TrySports being a major sponsor, this race was certainly must do for me.

With an 8 am start time I was whipping into the parking lot by side TrySports just before 7am. Julie, one of our fellow TrySports Ambassadors, and I had agreed to run a few warm up miles together. Being more focus on Tri events, Julie rarely does a 5k and wasn't sure how well she would do. Earlier in the week, she ran the course in 23 minutes. Thinking back now, I probably had more confidence in her than she did. I just knew she would go faster. After all, there was no swim or bike legs before the run and she would have a huge group of people to help tow her long. When I saw her after the race, she was all smiles after having run just over 21 minutes. I knew she could do it.

After finishing my warm up, I was headed back to the car to change into my racing flats. As I was passing by the TrySports store, this lean looking runner caught my eye. I had seen him before. As I got closer, I recognized him – Ryan Woods from Boone. He had made the trip down to Charlotte – by passing a lot of races just to do the Big South 5k. This speaks to the word getting out about this race.

Got the starting line where I saw Glen, Jeremy, Kaitlyn, Karin, and Chris. To side bar for a second, after the Salem Lake 30k my brain was in a funk or at least that is the reason that I am giving for putting Karin in my post race recap but calling her Kathy. So I extended my apologies for the mistake and had corrected my post – Karin - it will be going forward.

We are all getting on the starting line when here comes Mike Kahn – fresh off his fast time the week before and sporting his TrySports jersey. I didn't even realize that he was running 5k. Fortunately, when Mike registered, he got his name added to our TrySports team. This may have been the luckiest move of the day for us.

The Big South commissioner gave us few words. As he is doing so, Dennis is walking down the front of the starting line. There is more than one young kids standing on the starting line. He asked one if he is going to run 5 minute miles. Honestly, I think the kid said yes. This kind of funny if I don't think about it too long.

Finally, we get the countdown and we are off.

Maybe I should say blast off. People were sprinting by me like we were running the mile. Jeremy goes by saying something about "are you coming".

Maybe he should try running on one leg for a while. This is the first time that I have really engaged my hamstring and it wasn't happy. The middle of the hamstring knotted up and was yanking against the attachment under the glut. Let's just say for the rest of the race, I wasn't enjoying ideal racing conditions.

At the start, I had picked out one other Master's runner – Myron Lowery. He pulled out in front of me during the first mile, but I caught up to him just before the downhill section. I tried opening a little distance but wasn't having much luck. Lucky for me, James Gregory was barely 10 yards in front of me. I kept trying to close the distance on him but I think I was just pulling Myron along as well.

We cut the Target parking lot and at one of the corners, I took a quick peek. He was maybe 5 yards behind.

The thoughts of keeping him at bay looked pretty good. That was until the course gave me one of the cruelest turns possible. Instead of continuing straight and then left and being right at the finish, they made us turn right and go around the block. This left me with a good 100 yard to go on a downhill finish. I tried but my hamstring just was not cooperating. I couldn't get my legs or at least the right leg to turn over any faster. Myron caught me right at the line. We actually had the same times posted in the results.

With my best effort to not look dejected, I have him a congratulatory acknowledgment for his fast close. I had to respect his ability to dig deep and make up those yards. He earned it.

After the race, I caught up with Mike Kahn for cool down run. Well, I was running a "cool down run", Mike on the hand was practically floating along after his 16:23 PR. He now has a time faster than Billy Shue. I can see lot battles between those two in the coming years.

Lots of people told me the Big South course was fast. I am not sure about fast but the design of it is pretty good. The course starts out climbing then flattens out before climbing just a little more. Around 1.5 miles it crest over the top then goes downhill or flat the rest of the way. The downhills do seem to occur in the right places where I needed them Saturday.

Definitely, this will be a race that the Cool Down Runner puts back on his schedule for next year. I suspect lots of others will as well.

 

 

Thoughts from the Cool Down Runner