Race #227 - Sunrise Run on the Greenway 10k - Morganton, NC - 09/07/13

There were a lot of races to choose from this past weekend, but because a bunch of the Gaston County Runners were going to this one Linda and I joined in. The greenway in Morganton is really nice and it's pretty flat too, with nothing more than a few slight inclines along the way. According to the results I finished 5th overall in the 10k, but in reality I was actually 6th. There was a guy in front of me who stayed about 50 yards or so ahead of me for the entire race. He finished about 15 or 20 seconds ahead of me and I talked to him for a minute at the finish line but I didn't catch his name. When the results came out he wasn't listed. He did have a race number (431) so he wasn't a bandit. My guess is that he probably forgot to put his timing chip on his shoe, or it's possible the computer just didn't catch him at the end.

Once again I wore my video glasses, and they tell the story of the race much better than I'm able to, so here's the video, followed by a few photos...



The race started in the parking lot and, as you can see, there were a ton of people ahead of me from the git-go.

Only a quarter mile or so into the race the 10k branched off to the left and the 5k runners went to the right.

It was a little crowded in the first mile.

A couple miles into the race the runners thinned out.

As we ran past the businesses on the greenway I got a chance to check out my running form in the windows.
I was mostly reminded of how goofy my video glasses look. Wish I would have gone for a different style,
but them's the breaks, I guess. They were expensive so I'll hold on to them until they break. My previous video glasses
looked much better but only held up through about a half dozen races before they fell apart. The way these look,
they'll most likely hold up for years so I'll be stuck with them forever.

I stayed about this distance from this same guy for the last 4 miles of the race. I'm not sure why, but his results
didn't show up in the listings. I can vouch for him that he ran the race though. 

At 2.68 miles into the race my heart rate was 172 and I was kicking myself about running the 10k instead of the 5k.
Just think... I'd almost be finished with the 5k. As always though, after the race I was glad I picked the 10k instead.
As we circled around to head back up and over the bridge, I caught a good glimpse of the half dozen guys
who were right in back of me. I kept thinking at least some of them would catch me but they never did.

This is where we split off from the 5k runners near the beginning of the race (we were coming from the right side).
The 5k runners were returning in the opposite direction and turning left to get to the finish line.
The 10k runners kept going straight and had to complete the 5k route then return to the finish line.

Once we were on the 5k course we met runners who were still finishing that race. Since it was out-and-back we also
met up with the runners ahead until the turnaround, and then we met the runners who were behind.
This is Robert Murray, the overall winner of the 10k as he was heading back to the finish line.

This is the guy who was ahead of me throughout the race. In the background you can see the cone that
marked the turnaround spot.

This is my good buddy Ray (yellow shirt) and some of the others who were on my tail just
before they reached the turnaround point. They seemed to be smiling much more than I was at the time.

Just about to hit the finish line. My official time was 44:07.

I finally caught up with #431 after chasing him for several miles. He told me his name but I didn't catch it.
I thought he'd be in the results but for some reason he wasn't. I suspect he forgot to wear his timing chip on his shoe.

This is my wife Linda (647), who at 61 is running better than ever. She started running the week after I did
almost exactly five years ago. She doesn't keep up with the numbers nearly as much as I do but she has run
more than 150 races. I'm really proud of her and her running accomplishments, and I'm grateful that she has
put up with me for the past 34 years. That must be quite a feat in itself.

Click Here for 10k Race Results
Click Here for 5k Race Results

 My Stats:

Time:  44:07
Pace:  7:06
Age Group:  1 of  4
Overall:  6 of  91  (6.6%)
Average Heart Rate:  169
Maximum Heart Race:  175
Age Graded Equivalent Time:  35:10 (76.34%)

***************
* RACE RATING *
***************

RACE COURSE
3 - Chip Timing: (3 points if yes)
0 - Starting Mat: (2 points if yes)
2 - Water Stops: (0)none  (2)normal  (5)extras [Gu, sports drink, etc.]
1 - Course Marking:  (0)bad  (1)good
2 - Course Scenery:  (0)bad  (2)pleasant  (5)extraordinary
0 - Mile Markers: (0)poor or none  (1)normal  (2)with clocks or time called out
2 - Volunteers:  (0)too few  (2)good
2 - Finish line: (0)mediocre  (2)not bad  (5)very good  (7)spectacular!
2 - Certified Course: (0)no  (2) yes
2 - Correct Distance: (0)no  (2)yes
1 - Partly or fully on unpaved roads:  (0)yes  (1)no

REGISTRATION
2 - Cost:  (0)expensive  (2)reasonable  (5)cheap!
3 - Race Day Registration:  (0)no  (3)yes

RESULTS
2 - Posted promptly online:  (0)no  (2)yes
1 - Clear link on website:  (0)no  (1)yes

AGE GROUPS
2 - 3 deep awards: (2)yes (0 for anything less)
5 - 5-year age groups (5 points) (0 for anything less)
1 - 14 and under group (1)
1 - 65+ group (1)
1 - 70+ group (1)
2 - Top Overall M/F:  (0)none or first only  (2)top 3 or better
2 - Masters Category(40+): (0)no  (2)yes
0 - Grand Masters Category (50+):  (0)no  (3)yes
0 - Senior Grand Masters Category: (0)no  (5)yes

AWARDS
5 - Overall Winner Awards: (0)none  (2)yes  (5)excellent
2 - Age Group Awards: (0)none  (2)yes  (5)excellent
0 - Door Prizes or Drawing: (0)no  (2)yes   (5-9)fabulous door prizes!
0 - Finisher Medals for All Finishers: (0)no  (3)yes  (5)really cool medals

POST RACE
4 - Food for Race Participants: (0-10 with 5 being average)
0 - Entertainment:  (0)no  (1-9)yes
2 - Finisher times posted after race:  (0)no  (2)yes

REST ROOMS
0 - Porta Potties:  (0)no  (1)limited, long lines  (2)plentiful
1 - Indoor Restrooms: (0)no  (1)limited, long lines  (2)plentiful

T-SHIRTS
2 - T-Shirts: (0)no  (2)yes
1 - Design: (0)not good  (1)not bad  (2)nice  (5)beautiful!
2 - Material: (0)cotton  (2)technical fabric
0 - Discount for no-shirt option:  (0)no (2)yes

PHOTOGRAPHY
0 - Professional Photography: (0)no  (5)yes
x - Prices: (0)expensive  (2)reasonable  (5)cheap!
0 - Free Photographs (newspaper, etc.):  (0)no  (2)yes  (5)lots of free pics!

PARKING
2 - Close to Start:  (2)yes  (0)no
2 - Close to Finish:  (2)yes  (0)no
2 - Plenty of spaces:  (2)yes  (0)no
2 - Free Parking:  (2)yes  (0)no

WEBSITE
2 - Dedicated race website (0)no  (2)yes
2 - Results or link to results posted on website:  (0)no  (2)yes

OTHER
2 - Shelter from Inclement Weather (needed or not): (0)no  (2)yes
0 - Swag (free socks, water bottles, etc.): (0)no  (2)yes, some  (5)excellent
0 - Part of race series or Grand Prix:  (0)no  (2)yes


TOTAL:  72

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