The Old Runner

Only in its third year, the Charlotte Running Club's Winter Classic 8k is becoming one of the winter season's most prestigious racing events in the area. This year, once again, it was the North Carolina state RRCA championship 8k cross country race. A state championship race always attracts fast runners, but in addition to that the CRC is challenging other running clubs in the state to compete in a relay (with all runners going at the same time) for the fastest total time of their five fastest runners. The team that wins gets to keep the "trophy" -- a big ol' World Championship Wrestling belt -- until next year's race. Last year the CRC won it, but this year the Asheville Running Collective showed some serious speed with their top five runners finishing in the top 10 overall (1st, 5th, 7th, 8th, and 9th). A bit farther back in the pack there were the people like me who would be content to just compete among the others in our own age groups, or with family ...

For some reason I thought a trail relay race would be a good idea, and I gathered together a team of four runners, all over the age of 50 so we could compete in the Grand Masters category. There are actually three races -- the 50k, a 25k, and the 50k relay where each of the four team members runs 12.5k, which is about 7.5 miles. The relay is a much better option for me since I try to limit my running distances to nothing more than a half marathon (13.1 miles). I'm also not a trail runner, preferring the solid footing of paved surfaces, but as trails go this is an easy one, a solid packed surface that runs around Salem Lake. In addition to me, our team included Roberta (Bobbi) Villneff of Mooresville and two fast members of the Gaston County Runners, Joe Marlowe and Jimmy Glover. It was one of the coldest days of the winter, with the temperature at the start of the race dipping to 17 degrees. I'm no fan of cold weather but I ran the first leg of the race, hoping to get my pa...

What a way to end the year! This race will be one I'll remember after all of the other ones are forgotten. It was a true family affair for me with not only my wife but also two sons (Joe and Dave), daughter-in-law Erica (Dave's wife), and two grandkids (Jonas and Marley) who rode in a double stroller that I pushed. Since I began running five years ago I've only pushed a single stroller maybe three or four times for a few minutes at a time with a couple of different running friends, so it was pretty much a new experience for me. Dave told me the night before the race that Erica was going to run and he was going to push the stroller, but I volunteered to push it instead so he could run the race. It seemed like it would not only be a challenge, but also a lot of fun to push my grandchildren through the streets of Charlotte in a race. Honestly, the grandkids seemed underwhelmed by the whole thing, possibly because it was so cold, but probably also because at ages 2 and 5 th...

This has become one of my favorite winter races, partly because all of the pre-race and post-race activities are held inside the fire department, where it's warm and you're able to mingle with the other runners in relative comfort and escape the cold winter temperatures. There are other great things about the race as well. The course is pretty flat. There are a couple small hills but no huge obstacles to climb, and race times seem to be faster here than in most other 5k races. The food is plentiful and includes coffee, donuts, cookies, sub sandwiches, plenty of fruit, and more. Age groups are 5 years and the winners receive trophies, not huge but pretty nice. In most races by the time they reach my age group most of the people are gone, but for this one they hang around until after the awards hoping to win one of the numerous door prizes that are given away at the end. As they do the drawing, each winner is able to choose whatever they want that's left. One friend of mi...