Charlotte, NC area runners

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Week of 04-10 MAR 2013 (Read 14 times)

    Running:

    SForrester 61.8 mi
    Strick 48.8 mi
    Happyfeet 42.6 mi
    CliveF
    41.3 mi
    amlinz 41.0 mi
    Tar Heel Mom 39.1 mi
    CarolinaBlue 35.0 mi
    old-runner
    32.0 mi
    Pete.Hu 31.1 mi
    atomno2 29.9 mi
    nanxin 26.0 mi
    CS_2013Tobacco 17.0 mi
    fraggle 13.4 mi
    TWHgal 13.0 mi
    Lpadg 12.5 mi
    theyapper66  9.8 mi
    Joe in Raleigh 6.5 mi
    alholley 6.0 mi
    aponi 4.3 mi
    ChakaKahn 2.5 mi

     

    Racing, last week:

    RUNNER

    DATE

    EVENT

    DIST

    LOCATION

    GOAL

    RESULT

    NNutr 02-03MAR2013

    DoubleTop 100

    100km Chatsworth, GA   ???

     

    Racing, this week:

    RUNNER

    DATE

    EVENT

    DIST

    LOCATION

    GOAL

    RESULT

    theyapper66 09MAR2013 Columbia SC 26.2mi Columbia, SC    
    CliveF 09MAR2013 A+B Corporate Cup 5km Charlotte NC 19:10  19:32, 6OA, 1Master
    Happyfeet 09MAR2013 A+B Corporate Cup 5km Charlotte NC sub-23  23:43
    old-runner 09MAR2013 Gate River 15km Jacksonville FL Top 10AG  1:06:39, 8AG

    "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

    -- Dick LeBeau

      Running the Corporate Cup 5k as well, any time starting with a 22 will be quite acceptable. Not a big fan of uphill finishes, but I don't remember how big that hill is, just that it is up.

        Nice mileage last week, HF!

         

        I don't know anything about the Corporate Cup course or field.  Not too may people under 20 last year (11 of 1463, if I'm reading the results correctly) -- is that more a reflection of the field strength or the course difficulty?

        "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

        -- Dick LeBeau

          While the course is a bit Roly-poly with a hill of about 100 ft gain (by my Garmin from 2 years ago) in the last half mile, and a 50 ft net uphill it's not too bad.  It may be most of the faster runners either ran the anchor legs of the HM relay or did the Half instead of the 5k.

            OK, so now I"m vacillating between these 5k's this weekend:

             

            • Corporate Cup (Charlotte NC)
            • Salisbury St. Patrick's Day/VFD (Salisbury NC)
            • Get Your Rear In Gear (Independence Park, Charlotte NC)
            • Cougar Challenge (Tanglewood Park, Clemmons NC)

            Anyone?  Richard?

            "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

            -- Dick LeBeau

            old-runner


              OK, so now I"m vacillating between these 5k's this weekend:

               

              • Corporate Cup (Charlotte NC)
              • Salisbury St. Patrick's Day/VFD (Salisbury NC)
              • Get Your Rear In Gear (Independence Park, Charlotte NC)
              • Cougar Challenge (Tanglewood Park, Clemmons NC)

              Anyone?  Richard?

               

              I ran the Corporate Cup Half about 3 years ago and it seemed about like all of those races in Charlotte. Other than that I don't remember anything about it. I'd say if the 5k is weak it's probably because most of the fast guys and serious runners are running the half marathon.

               

              The Salisbury race is probably a good one. I've liked all the races I've ever run up there... always a good job by David Freeze and the Salisbury-Rowan Runners.

               

              I ran Get Your Rear in Gear a couple years ago. It's a good one although I don't remember the course at all. I'd think it might be a good cherry-picker possibility, especially since it's the same day as the Corporate Cup.

               

              I don't know anything about the Cougar Challenge but I hated the only race I've ever run at Tanglewood Park. It was that New Years Eve thing they do. The course was measured wrong, the Christmas lights were crappy, and they did the awards in a big muddy field where I messed up a new pair of running shoes.

               

              Put me down this week for the Gate River Run 15k National Championship in Jacksonville, Florida. It's huge (about 20,000 runners) and I don't have a chance to place but a Top 10 in my age group would be nice. Oh, and my secondary goal is to beat Bill Rodgers, who runs it every year.

                OK, so now I"m vacillating between these 5k's this weekend:

                • Corporate Cup (Charlotte NC)
                • Salisbury St. Patrick's Day/VFD (Salisbury NC)
                • Get Your Rear In Gear (Independence Park, Charlotte NC)
                • Cougar Challenge (Tanglewood Park, Clemmons NC)

                The Corp Cup & Get Your Rear in Gear are hillier courses. Also, after looking at the course map of Get Your Rear in Gear, you better not have your usually dizzy/faint attack between 1.75 and about 2 miles as I would not recommend loitering in that area. Aren't you too old for the Cougar Challenge (isn't the age cut-off for males 21?)? If the race in Salisbury is run on the greenway then it will be relatively flat and an out and back where you usually start and finish on a track (they usually don't chip time those and the crowd is very manageable vs. the 1,000+ throng at Corp Cup). There is also an inaugural race in Fort Mill since that race will probably be lower on the totem pole compared to the two Charlotte races from a cherry-picking standpoint. There is also a 5k trail run across the way in Belmont (again, even better for cherry-picking since there is a 5k/8k trail race at Whitewater also).

                Rob

                  I recommend the corporate cup just so that we can run a few cool down miles afterwards.  Also looking at the RA course map and not my Garmin (which as that other thread says is highly unreliable), the two hills at mile 1.5-2.0 and 2.8-3.1 are about 50 ft and 40 ft gain respectively  or about 2-3 percent grade, which is not too bad.  If I had known about the Belmont race I would have picked that, but Corporate Cup is free of cost plus a networking opportunity (gasp) for me.

                    Well, cherry-picking isn't on my priority list.  I'd actually rather have people around/ahead of me, to pull me along and give me targets to run down.

                    Cool

                     

                    It's sizing up thus, in order of current leaning:

                     

                    Salisbury Fire Dept. St. Patrick’s Day 5k (Salisbury) – NOT certified (so far as I can tell)!

                    CLIVE: Flat-looking loop course: [start at YMCA, go Brenner/Wilkesboro/Partee/Monroe/Fulton/Lincolnton/back into the Y/finish on track].

                    RICHARD: (Always a good job by David Freeze and the Salisbury-Rowan Runners.) [But this one's done by Terry Smith of the Fire Dept.]

                    ROB: (If greenway route, then relatively flat with track finish.  Smaller, manageable crowd.)

                     

                    Alston+Bird Corporate Cup (Charlotte NC) – NOT certified!

                    CLIVE: probably my best chance of finding folks in the 18:30-19:30 range.

                    RICHARD: (Meh).

                    ROB: (It's hilly.)

                    SHASHI: (Come run with me!)

                     

                    Get Your Rear In Gear (Independence Park, Charlotte) – certified.

                    RICHARD: (good one)

                    ROB: (It's hilly.  And it runs through a bad part of town.)

                     

                    Final Quest (Fort Mill SC) – certified.

                    CLIVE: Seems flattish; may not be many there in the 18:30-19:30 range.

                    ROB: (Probably a cherry-picker's dream!)

                     

                    Cougar Challenge (Clemmons NC) – NOT certified!

                    CLIVE: Packet pickup ONLY on FRI evening, and I can't make that.

                    RICHARD: (Mistake-prone, muddy.)

                    ROB: (Clive is old.)

                    "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

                    -- Dick LeBeau

                      Well, cherry-picking is my priority.

                      Cool

                      It's sizing up thus, in order of current leaning:

                       

                      Salisbury Fire Dept. St. Patrick’s Day 5k (Salisbury) – NOT certified (so far as I can tell)!

                      Alston+Bird Corporate Cup (Charlotte NC) – NOT certified!

                      Get Your Rear In Gear (Independence Park, Charlotte) – certified.

                      Final Quest (Fort Mill SC) – certified.

                      I would guess that the Salisbury course will not be incorrectly measured and likely not something to run if the S-R runners are not involved. I think you mis-read Shashi's post, he initially talked about running a few miles of cool-down post-race (assuming you can find him given the throng & you may have to wait around there until well after the 1/2 marathon concludes if you secure an award), but then he goes on to say how this is a "networking" opportunity for him so what he is really saying is that if he finds someone else around who presents a better networking opportunity versus yourself, he could drop you like a bad debt! The Fort Mill race will likely draw faster runners (it starts at a school) and could also draw fr Rock Hill. Good luck w/cherry picking....

                      Rob

                      theyapper


                      On the road again...

                        Hey all!

                         

                        I used to have a time goal for the marathon this week, but honestly my goal now is to finish smiling and injury-free.  My calf feels fantastic and I even ran a quick mile (7:17) today just to open it up and knock off any cobwebs.  It's just a question of endurance now, and I'm planning to take walk break as needed or even to do a 8/1 run to walk throughout.  Pace will be slower on purpose and I'll just see how it goes.

                         

                        Looks like a lot of race planning.  I guess it is 5k season, huh? I missed the China Grove race last year, but plan on running and PR'ing at that one this year for sure.

                        I write. I read. I run. One time, I ran a lot on my 50th birthday.

                        Paul

                          Great to see you're running trouble-free, Paul!

                          "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

                          -- Dick LeBeau

                            Well, I decided.

                             

                             

                            Get Your Rear In Gear (Independence Park, Charlotte) – certified.

                             

                            Despite the course allegedly running through a less savory part of Charlotte ...

                            • it's certified;
                            • it's relatively flat;
                            • it's relatively close;
                            • it's relatively new to me (I don't race downtown much at all); and
                            • there's a reasonable chance it'll have people in the 18:30-19:30 time range.

                             

                             

                            The runners-up:

                            1. Salisbury FD St. Patrick’s Day 5k (Salisbury) -- not certified; small field, unlikely to have runners in my time range; longer drive.
                            2. Alston+Bird Corporate Cup (Charlotte) -- not certified; hilly; crowds/parking headaches; Shashi would be there.
                            3. Final Quest (Fort Mill SC) -- certified; distant; probably a small field w/few runners in the 18:30-19:30 range.

                            "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

                            -- Dick LeBeau

                              Well, I decided.

                              Get Your Rear In Gear (Independence Park, Charlotte) – certified.

                              Despite the course allegedly running through a less savory part of Charlotte ...

                              • it's certified;
                              • it's relatively flat;
                              • it's relatively close;
                              • it's relatively new to me (I don't race downtown much at all); and
                              • there's a reasonable chance it'll have people in the 18:30-19:30 time range (although I hope not as I'm cherry picking here)

                              For all of us here, make sure you either adopt the "buddy system" with another runner to make sure they see you at the finish or wear a RFID badge as we are very concerned given your prior history of fainting/collapsing/getting sick during a race (especially where this course goes). Also make sure not to run the tangents if you see vehicles engaged in a high-speed chase/pursuit in the area similar to what happened earlier today, or if you see someone fleeing the scene of a shooting similar to what happened earlier today.  Ask your wife to DVR WCNC (NBC) since if they have their helicopter up we may catch a glimpse of you either evading a carjacked vehicle or as part of a foot pursuit. And good luck!

                              Rob

                                Clive, Mapping that "Get you Rear in Gear" course on RA gives me more elevation change than Corporate cup and a long sustained 100 ft gain in mile 1 - 1.75, that said maybe Rob has scared you enough to run this one fast and get that 19:10.

                                I need another 6 miles or so after the race so was hoping to run it with someone, but I am sure there will be folks running the HM after I get some water in me that I can go with and take a short cut somewhere (at mile 6 on sherwood or radcliffe) and get back on the course to run a total of 10 miles for the day.  Would any of you consider that banditing?

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