The Old Runner

As I ran this race it occurred to me why I hadn't returned since 2011: they managed to design a course that included every hill in the Town of Stanley. I did remember that there were hills but I didn't remember that they were awful... the kind that turn me back into a Gallowalker. So I'd run a little bit and then walk a little bit. I didn't count how many times I walked during the race but it was probably around ten different times. It's mostly an out-and-back course so if you had to run up a hill you got to run down it coming the opposite way, but some of the hills are the kind that you have to put on the brakes as you run down because they're so steep, thereby negating the positive downhill benefits. Despite my woes I still managed to finish 5th overall, but there were only 32 runners in the 10k. Pros: Reasonable $25 race-day registration for either race (5k or 10k). Quick results from RacingToes.com. Nice Halloween themed tech shirt. Cons: Too man...

With two great half marathons that are always on the same day each year within driving distance from me on race morning, it's a juggling act to decide which one I'll run. The Run the Valley Half Marathon is a little bit longer drive but I really like the race, although this year I opted for the Run for Green Half Marathon, which I last ran in 2011. Run the Valley has a monster climb to the top of Morrow Mountain, but Run for Green has its own challenges and seems to include every hill in Davidson. Except for the relatively flat stretches on the greenway it's pretty much a roller coaster for the rest of the race. This time around I was only about a minute slower than in 2011, but that was the year I set all of my PR's so it's encouraging that I seem to be running at just about the same level three years later. It would be nice to keep that up for the next few years. Pros: Beautiful course (although hilly) that runs through upscale neighborhoods in Davidson a...

I registered for this race a few months ago with the intention of running the full marathon. I've only run two full marathons in the past -- New Jersey in 2009 and New York City in 2010 -- and after both I swore I'd never run another one. All runners are different in some ways and not all of us are suited for marathons. This week marks my sixth anniversary as a runner, and this was my 66th half marathon, so I'm averaging 11 per year. I've become comfortable racing for 13 miles and it's now my favorite distance. I've run many more 5k races (140+) but I always prefer the challenge and excitement of the half marathon if I have a choice. Being a little envious of the people running the Boston Marathon, I thought it might be time for me to once again test the waters of the full marathon even though my two previous marathons resulted in disappointment (4:02 in NJ and 4:09 in NYC). As comfortable as I am running 13.1 miles, the wheels start falling off shortly past...

After sitting out the entire season last year of the Running Journal Grand Prix, I was really looking forward to getting back with it this year, and this is the first race of the 9-race series that will end next Memorial Day. For the past month or two I've had some relatively minor running injuries such as a pulled hamstring and a sore calf. My mileage has been lower than normal and I haven't been eating as well as I should have so I was a little concerned that I might fall apart. Fortunately I made it to the finish line without any trouble, winning the 60-64 age group and finishing first among the Senior Grand Masters (60+). The Midnight Flight consists of three races that begin about an hour apart and you can run any or all of them (1-mile at 9 p.m., 5k at 10 p.m., and 10k at 11 p.m.). It's one of South Carolina's premier road race events with a total of about 1,500 runners in the three events (296 finishers in the 1-mile race, 954 finishers in the 5k, and 246 fin...

This is one of my favorite 5k races. It's a little bit farther away from home than some other races on the same day but I've run a couple of the others and always end up coming back here. It's a good size for me (272 finishers this year) but the attendance was down from about 400 last year, most likely due to another popular 5k in Hickory that was on the same day this year. Pros: Well-managed, well-established race. Mostly flat course with few turns. Great trophies both for age groups and overall winners. Reasonably priced race-day registration ($20). Cons: No photos. No porta potties. No race website. Click Here for Race Results My Stats: Time:  21:51 Pace:  7:02 Age Group:  1 of  11 Overall:  15 of  272 (5.5%) Average Heart Rate: 166 Maximum Heart Race: 178 Age Graded Equivalent Time :  17:16 (74.71%) (L-R) Me, Dianne Allen, Susie Kluttz, and Roberta Villneff. Dianne and Roberta are great runners and long-time fr...