Run for Peace at Home

The Run for Peace at Home 5K was Saturday at McAlpine Park. This was my second year running this nice small race. It was also the second year I placed in my age group at the race. Yay! I ran the race in 26:43. Not bad, but it was more than a minute slower than last year. They split the field for this race and the women start 30 minutes after the men. Weatherwise, I would have preferred to go first. The temperature was somewhere around 70 degrees in the morning, but not a breath of air was moving. The breeze did kick up around 9:30am during the awards ceremony, but it really didn't do much at that point.

This is a great race to run for time. It's flat for about 90% of it. The first mile is completely flat on nice small gravel. There were a few soft spots, but given the amount of rain we've had lately, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was dry. When you get into mile 2 you leave the gravel and move onto dirt. But it's a well worn path with no roots and no ruts to speak of. Just when you get into a good running pace, they add a hill. A big one. It's somewhat steep and long. You even curve around and see that it continues to climb. But then it levels out (ah). Then they add another hill (oh.). Then you get a nice steep decline. At this point I just gallop down it. It may not be the best thing for the joints, but it helps me pass people! At this point you start to emerge from the woods and run around the pond.

This pic was taken by another blogger,

I'm the one in front.

At that point there are people watching and cheering you on. (And as you can see in the pic some people were just watching the geese in the pond.) After circling the pond, you head back out and circle soccer fields. This last mile of the race is again flat with one small, tiny really, hill. But it's only midly insulting and it's a very shady part of the course. You countinue back towards the pond which you circle again. The biggest challenge at this point is not stepping in the geese poop. Nasty little things!

At the end I was able to turn it on a tad for a fast finish and passed a couple of people. It felt great at the end! I knew I had worked really hard and my lungs were screaming at me. I quickly found a friend who had run it and we grabbed water and headed for the massage table. She signed up to get her calves massaged and we met several other ladies in line waiting. When results were posted I saw that I had placed 3rd in my age group and my friend had taken 2nd in hers.

I read some time ago that one of the things that can keep a race from succeeding is if it becomes 'too much about the cause.' This race was to help support victims of domestic violence and it is certainly bordering on becoming 'too much about the cause'! Prior to the awards ceremony a victim was asked to speak about her experience with domestic violence. I'll give you what this woman went through was terrible (the part I heard of it anyway) but it really was uncomfortable to hear about. I'm not saying that we should be sheltered from bad things, but I really don't feel that this was the time for these stories.

Finally, they got to the awards ceremony. My friend and I got really cool little trophies that look like little runner girls with bobbleheads. I call mine 'Bobblehead Aud.' Original, I know. They also gave out 'door prizes' and my bib number was drawn. I won a $50 gift certificate to Dilworth Bar & Grill. That more than makes up for my race entry fee!

After that we walked around and I showed my friend more of the trails in the park. She's new to Charlotte and it was her first time at the greenway. It's such a great park. I wonder why I don't go more often?