2009 Race for the Cure Race Report

Results (based on Guntime)
29:00 mins (9:20 min per mile average)
Overall 293/620
Age Group 27/70
Overall Female 129/367


I know, this is a mighty long post for a 5K race report... If you want to read something more epic than a 5K race report, why don't you go back an re-read the report for the Blue Ridge Relay! :-)


Terry got up at 5AM for his long run. He is currently in marathon training and wanted to meet up with the 6AM group at Fleet Feet. Him getting ready woke me up, even though I could at least sleep until 6.30AM. At one point, I actually got back to sleep and when the alarm went off it was really time for me to get cracking. I prepared all my stuff the night before, so I just had to get dressed, throw the final items in the bag and head out of the door. I wanted to be at the venue early, so that I was able to park in the parking garage and I knew they are going to shut down the roads at 7.30AM. Well, either I was a couple of minutes too late or they never allowed parking directly at the ICAR building this time, so I ended up half a mile up the road on the Carolina First parking lot. Now I was WAY early (the race started at 9:20AM). I didn't have my BIB yet and was waiting for my team captain to get there for.... Breakfast time then... Had some sips from my water bottle and two small Luna bars... Checked Facebook and then started reading the magazine that I had the sense to bring along. When my team captain called me, I walked down to the Hubbell parking lot to meet up with him and get my BIB... By then the rain subsided to a drizzle... No complaints from me here... Made the final clothing decision and made my way to the start/ finish area.

The start/ finish was a sea of all shades of pink. There were tons and tons of sponsor booths that handed out goodies like capes, t-shirts, ribbons, cabs, bags and so on and so forth. I walked through the area looking around... Passed the information center and the area where they lined up the survivors separately by how long their cancer has been in remission. It was great to see that there were so many survivors out there, smiling, laughing, hugging their kids and husbands. Some of them later walking the 5K, some of them running it. Wearing their survivor t-shirts with pride. This was their day... They show us, that this disease can be beat. But even more important, that we have to find a cure, that people don't get sick in the first place. I would have liked to collect some of the goodies, but since the car was half a mile away and I didn't have a support crew with me to keep the stuff while I was running, I had to pass...


Of course I visited our good friend porta-john before jogging up and down the millenium ave a little to warm up. When the start was just a couple of minutes away, I walked to the start line and tried to position myself. As usual, I did a pretty crappy job with it and so I spend the first mile slaloming around people... On the other hand, I go out too fast on my races anyways and my first mile has been my fasted of the three this time again, so maybe it was better for me to start in the back.


The race course was a total of six rolling hills and the finish line is on a downhill, which is always nice. Throughout the race, people cheered each other on, the volunteers on the drink station did a great job too. Since the route is out and back, you were passing the people in front/ behind you on the other side of the road. Those races are always a little distracting for me, because I tend to scan the crowd for familiar faces instead of concentrating on my running. Just at the beginning of mile three, my left hamstring started to act up. It has been bothering me all week and all of a sudden it got really bad. Needle in cotton, needle in cotton (-> ChiRunning method) was my mantra over the next couple of minutes and things seem to improve. When I climbed the final hill, I looked at my watch at decided to go all out in order to make it under 29:00 mins. Shortly after I passed my chiropractor, that was walking the course, and she cheered me on, which really gave me another motivation boost. It is nice to hear your name in the crowd! :-) I crossed the finish line and was really pleased with the time that I had on the Garmin (28:21 mins, I said I lined up way in the back once again!)... Right after the finish line the hamstring got even worse, so I just grabbed a cup of water and then walked/ jogged back to the car and then stretched there.

Picture is from GreenvilleOnline.com


This was a good race for me personally and it was amazing to see, how many people do have the fight against cancer close to their hearts. This is good news for all of us, because it drastically increases the chances that there will be a cure soon.