Tag: Asheville Road Races

Race #135 – Coon Dog Day 5k – Saluda, NC – 07/09/11

Posted on by Richard Hefner

There weren’t a lot of races around the Charlotte area this weekend, so I was excited when I found the Coon Dog Day 5k in Saluda, North Carolina. This sounded like it should be a lot of fun and it definitely met our expectations. This was the 48th annual Coon Dog Day celebration and I think the 5k race has been a part of the festivities for much of that time.

Parking was a little bit of an issue but it was handled nicely by the volunteers. The race started and finished about a half mile from the parking lot so we walked to the starting line, but that’s not too big of a deal of you’re coming out to run a road race anyway.

I liked the course but it was a challenging one. The first mile of the race was almost entirely uphill, followed by rolling hills in the second mile and, mercifully, a nice downhill finish in the last mile.

I’m now in my fourth week of Weight Watchers and I’m not positive what my “official” weight is (my official weekly weigh-in is on Sunday morning) but I’ve stuck with the WW program and feel possibly better than I’ve ever felt in my three years of running. I think I’ve lost about 1 pound this week, and if that’s correct that’s a total weight loss of about 8 pounds since I began back on the WW program four weeks ago. Along with the weight loss I’m noticing a real improvement in the way I feel during the races. My time was around 21:25 (haven’t seen the official results), which was first in the 55+ age group. I’d like to be under 21 minutes right now and I think I will be on a flatter course, but with all of the hills in Saluda it’s probably about right.

We don’t know many people in this area but it was good to see running buddy Drew Walker, who drove his Stickermobile from Greenwood, South Carolina, for the race. Drew runs more races than just about anybody I know — 71 last year alone!

It was great also to meet Fred Reinhard, a 66-year-old runner from Sullivans Island, South Carolina. Fred is not only a nice guy but one of the fastest veteran runners anywhere and a South Carolina state age-group record holder. Just a couple months ago he placed 3rd in the 65-69 age group at the Cooper River Bridge Run (he’s been 1st several times in the past) with a time of 43:23, so he’s still flying high.

The awards ceremony was held downtown on the main stage, which was a couple miles away from the main parking area at the Saluda Mountain Jamboree. Access was easy back and forth though with a free tram ride both ways.

It was a little disappointing that the oldest age group was 55+. With so many older runners competing there really should be 5-year age groups up to age 80, or at the very least 70. I won’t complain a lot since I managed to squeak out a win in the 55+ age group, but I’m sure there were some 70+ guys who weren’t thrilled about competing with us young whippersnappers.

The T-shirts were great for this race — one of the few 5k shirts that I’ll actually wear. They’re high quality tech shirts with a nice design, and I just love the sound of the Coon Dog Day 5k!

Click Here for Race Results (PDF format) (unformatted results below)

Click Here for 138 Professional Photos by Carey Pace on the Coon Dog Day 5k Facebook Page

Click Here for Coon Dog Day Festival Site


Race Rating:

6 – 1-10  Website (Information, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
8 – 1-10  Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10)
5 – 1-10  Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, etc.) (1 to 10)
7 – 1-10  Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
9 – 1-10  T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
4 – 4/6   Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No)
5 – 0/5   Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
4 – 4/6   Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
7 – 3/7   Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
7 – 1-10  Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
3 – 1-10  Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
9 – 1-10  Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
10 – 0-10  Age Groups (10 if 5-year groups; 0 if 10-year groups)
0 – 0/5   Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
4 – 1-10  Bathroom Facilities
0-10  Other

TOTAL – 88

My Stats: 


Time:  21:25
Pace:  6:53
Age Group: 1 of 14 (50-59 age group)
Overall:  12 of 206

Mile Splits:
1 — 7:12  (uphill)
2 — 7:08 (rolling hills)
3 — 6:26 (lots of downhill)

Linda – 2nd Place – 55+ age group
Richard – 1st Place – 55+ age group

Coon Dog Festival 5K
Results
July 9, 2011
PLACE FIRST LAST AGE SEX TIME
1 Zach Boone 14 M 18.34.89
2 David Hefley 34 M 18.40.65
3 Nick Murray 15 M 19.25.79
4 Christopher Czech 28 M 19.32.89
5 William Butler 15 M 20.07.40
6 Tommy McAfee 51 M 20.11.25
7 Phil Feisal 47 M 20.15.27
8 Sam Inman 49 M 20.23.08
9 Jonathan Kirkland 18 M 20.58.50
10 David Martoccia 46 M 21.06.53
11 Kylie Smith 38 F 21.14.08
12 Richard Hefner 59 M 21.25.07
13 Drew Walker 52 M 21.34.03
14 Shawn Pace 32 M 21.36.00
15 Chris Sherman 16 M 21.47.00
16 Ian Schools 19 M 22.08.54
17 Cosby Dudley 51 M 22.14.48
18 Patrick Cole 13 M 22.17.51
19 Rebecca Elliott 17 F 22.20.58
20 Mead Walker 28 M 22.27.60
21 Sean Smith 38 M 22.29.03
22 David Spark 62 M 22.39.35
23 Paul Fitzpatrick 47 M 22.42.36
24 Scott Kohr 49 M 22.46.83
25 Daniel Worley 23 M 22.53.55
26 Bruce Arrington 51 M 22.55.58
27 Jason Suhy 30 M 22.57.77
28 Simon Niebler 19 M 23.11.30
29 Lance Morsell 14 M 23.16.17
30 Fred Reinhard 66 M 23.21.67
31 Nicholas Foil 21 M 23.23.58
32 Nate Inman 13 M 23.26.78
33 Leyden Hane 35 F 23.31.70
34 Anne Smith 41 F 23.35.20
35 Cathy Pryor 48 F 23.51.29
36 Elisabeth Elliott 20 F 23.58.73
37 Seth Knight 14 M 24.01.67
38 Alan Redmon 45 M 24.02.46
39 Vickie Steuben 51 F 24.10.93
40 Zoltan Desi 36 M 24.14.18
41 William Kirkland 22 M 24.17.73
42 David Bendert 44 M 24.21.18
43 Wayne Boynton 66 M 24.22.74
Coon Dog Festival 5K
Results
July 9, 2011
PLACE FIRST LAST AGE SEX TIME
44 Steve O’Brien 56 M 24.47.34
45 Frances Bendert 40 F 24.51.87
46 Brian Asbill 43 M 24.54.79
47 Henry Asbill 9 M 24.56.43
48 Dewayne Elliott 48 M 24.58.44
49 Jay Goree 55 M 24.59.45
50 Anthony Stepp 18 M 25.02.14
51 Margaret Manuel 38 F 25.03.60
52 Greg Coast 52 M 25.06.80
53 Thomas Ingram 41 M 25.23.51
54 Kenan Dudley 16 M 25.41.25
55 Alli Bendert 14 F 25.51.43
56 Gay Reilly 49 F 25.56.51
57 Bruce Douglas 54 M 26.00.16
58 Matthew Reed 22 M 26.01.93
59 Richard Carns 43 M 26.05.31
60 Beth Harris 48 F 26.26.68
61 Bill Hay 50 M 26.28.28
62 Alice Tongue 26 F 26.31.84
63 Brian Pace 41 M 26.40.23
64 Kate Seng 38 F 26.41.22
65 Meredith Harling 30 F 26.44.73
66 Justin Ward 25 M 26.48.13
67 Angela Conner 51 F 26.55.77
68 Chris Moss 39 M 26.57.78
69 Judith Spivey 50 F 27.03.35
70 Linda Ketcham 47 F 27.05.10
71 Anthony Marino 14 M 27.07.15
72 Kelly Harris 22 F 27.11.77
73 Byron Butler 40 M 27.13.05
74 Ben Cates 14 M 27.14.97
75 John Marino 46 M 27.16.88
76 Woodley Nelson 34 F 27.18.08
77 Michael Lewis 42 M 27.23.06
78 Scott Sweet 14 M 27.24.57
79 Peggy Mary Ambler 33 F 27.36.35
80 Tessa Epperson 14 F 27.48.49
81 Dale Epperson 38 M 27.49.60
82 Julie Allen 30 F 27.52.84
83 Sara Lacono 33 F 27.54.27
84 Thomas Tennant 44 M 27.55.05
85 Leigh Paschke 30 F 27.55.94
86 Lucy Somers 14 F 27.01.25
Coon Dog Festival 5K
Results
July 9, 2011
PLACE FIRST LAST AGE SEX TIME
87 Danny Senn 57 M 28.17.34
88 Kyle Edney 31 M 28.18.91
89 Taylor Reeves 18 F 28.22.66
90 Elizabeth McIntosh 20 F 28.23.46
91 Michelle Greene 22 F 28.24.62
92 Srebrenka Robic 36 F 28.39.89
93 Carol Jean Vosburgh 65 F 28.46.40
94 Carrie Evans 14 F 29.07.34
95 Jason Ferguson 36 M 29.09.11
96 Scott Strong M 29.10.88
97 Jerry Smith 40 M 29.14.30
98 Coleman Troop 21 M 29.21.49
99 Jim Winfree 60 M 29.24.33
100 Jim Becker 42 M 29.28.15
101 Jen Mahoney 37 F 29.30.96
102 Jessica Franco 32 F 29.36.89
103 Kinney Gause 65 M 29.38.41
104 Alice Hunter 50 F 29.39.61
105 Randy Hunter 49 M 29.40.52
106 Henry Sparrow 64 M 29.42.14
107 Amy Caughorn 27 F 29.50.54
108 Erika Ashley 33 F 30.19.14
109 Frances Whiteside 29 F 30.21.11
110 Hans Morgan 32 M 30.22.59
111 Hillary Bendert 12 F 30.26.86
112 Andy Ratcliffe 35 M 30.28.49
113 Polly Ketcham 21 F 30.37.41
114 Tamara Faulkner 47 F 30.41.86
115 Lynn Kohr 44 F 30.43.95
116 Carol Kellar 39 F 30.45.86
117 Amy Parrish 38 F 30.49.75
118 Jacob Asbill 5 M 31.29.65
119 Sarah Asbill 43 F 31.30.90
120 Kristen Harvey 45 F 31.37.89
121 Jessica Ward 18 F 31.55.63
122 Ashtan Evans 23 F 31.57.94
123 Bryan Powell 25 M 31.58.77
124 Whitmire Lori 45 F 31.59.95
125 Sarah Johnson 17 F 32.31.15
126 Blake Butler 12 M 32.39.24
127 Amy Cole 40 F 32.48.05
128 Monique Ruiz 29 F 32.59.33
129 Bobbie Williamson 32 F 33.25.64
Coon Dog Festival 5K
Results
July 9, 2011
PLACE FIRST LAST AGE SEX TIME
130 Brandon Moffitt 33 M 33.34.33
131 Sallie Covington 19 F 33.41.33
132 Bill Corder 40 M 33.46.25
133 Kathy Campbell 40 F 33.48.06
134 Claudia Tafurt 46 F 33.48.96
135 Terrie Harris 46 F 33.49.86
136 Elizabeth Beard 18 F 34.00.38
137 Malinda Whitaker 42 F 34.01.93
138 Meghan Horsey 14 F 34.12.22
139 Heather Pittman 15 F 34.13.60
140 Bess Wilson 30 F 34.24.19
141 Abigail Moffitt 34 F 34.28.17
142 Dale Cleaveland 56 M 34.29.70
143 Boots Summers 31 M 34.31.64
144 Veronica Alverson 36 F 35.04.81
145 Reece Alverson 6 M 35.05.56
146 Lauren Hendrix 20 F 35.06.44
147 Tom Nerad 39 M 35.22.28
148 Kenneth Andersson 65 M 35.24.29
149 Susan Webb 53 F 36.05.56
150 Cole Nerad 11 M 36.22.60
151 Charlie McCollough 8 M 36.23.28
152 Cindy Camp 45 F 36.34.47
153 Linda Hefner 58 F 36.49.04
154 Cori Ray 32 F 37.15.36
155 Daniel Callahan 44 M 37.17.34
156 Frank Webb 56 M 37.46.68
157 Anna Johnson 15 F 38.07.36
158 Claire Reeves 15 F 38.08.80
159 Keith Mattison 49 M 38.13.43
160 Meg Hendrix 52 F 38.15.23
161 Karla Ward 49 F 39.04.16
162 Toni Atchley 46 F 39.05.78
163 Julia McCollough 48 F 39.52.63
164 Mike Chivers 41 M 39.55.74
165 Anna Chivers 43 F 39.59.30
166 Russell Harper 41 M 40.15.17
167 Adam Hendrix 16 M 40.57.97
168 Tylar Powell 12 F 41.26.33
169 Lily Pittman 12 F 41.32.28
170 Mollie Belise 12 F 41.34.21
171 Dayna Lewis 40 F 41.42.44
172 Mary Ferguson 34 F 41.51.59
Coon Dog Festival 5K
Results
July 9, 2011
PLACE FIRST LAST AGE SEX TIME
173 Jodee Skoog 35 F 41.52.65
174 Michelle Tennant Nicholson 41 F 41.57.48
175 Kate Spencer 14 F 42.30.98
176 Richard Chivers 71 M 42.34.25
177 Joelle Chivers 33 F 42.35.48
178 Anna Hudson 25 F 42.55.74
179 Katie Wilson 22 F 43.02.54
180 Lance Chambers 16 M 43.15.15
181 Mary Wise Howle 15 F 43.16.83
182 Logan Nerad 8 M 43.31.10
183 Ashley Schultz 15 F 43.33.04
184 Carey Nerad 39 F 43.43.29
185 Nancy Wooten 58 F 44.05.00
186 Valerie Holt 40 F 45.52.55
187 Kaya Parham 15 F 46.26.89
188 Samantha Pennington 17 F 46.52.94
189 Louise Maurisset 17 F 46.54.56
190 Julia Wooten 25 F 46.55.51
191 Lauren Johnson 25 F 47.15.61
192 Julie Johnson 55 F 47.20.13
193 Walker Manuel 7 M 47.42.94
194 Larry Fincher 76 M 47.44.66
195 Steve Manuel 60 M 47.46.63
196 Nick Swafford 66 M 49.00.04
197 Denise Kennedy 41 F 49.01.24
198 Bert Swafford 44 M 49.02.44
199 Cindy Crawford 50 F 53.07.39
200 Amy Dillon 34 F 53.08.80
201 Brittney Smith 15 F 53.49.74
202 Laura Huber 16 F 53.51.53
203 Sara Smith 14 F 53.53.14
204 Jennifer Smith 24 F 54.17.91
205 Emily Burgis 22 F 54.327.52
206 David Cantwell 50 M 59.15.06

Race #105 – Bethel Half Marathon – Waynesville, NC – 10/08/10

Posted on by Richard Hefner

The Bethel community just outside Waynesville provided the setting for the popular 2003 movie, “Cold Mountain,” and it’s hard to imagine a more beautiful area for a race in the autumn. This was the 17th year that the Bethel Half Marathon was held on the second Saturday in October. Unlike road races that are held in larger cities such as Asheville or Charlotte, this race depends on the support of the local non-running community to serve as volunteers, and they do an amazing job. As soon as we arrived at around 7:30, about an hour before the start of the race, just outside the door to the middle school gym there was already a table set up with a variety of homemade sweets such as brownies, hot coffee, and more. The race route was manned by not only the local residents but also by several different volunteer fire departments and EMT services as well as six motorcyclists who traveled back and forth along the course looking for anybody who needed assistance. At the end of the race there was the famous potato soup that I had heard about (very good!) as well as tomato bisque and bean soup as well as some of the regular food and drinks you usually see at races.
The race awards were ceramic pottery-type thingies (I got a napkin holder for 2nd place age group). The awards were fine and fit in with the down-home atmosphere of the race. Holding the awards ceremony in the school gym is great. The weather was beautiful on this particular day but it’s nice to be able to go inside if you need to.
One huge faux pas that really needs to be changed is that the overall male and female race winners were announced AFTER everybody else. By then, as is usual with road races, only a handful of people were there and even those two winners had left. There’s a good reason that in every race I’ve been to (that I can remember) the overall winners are announced FIRST, so they can be recognized for their accomplishment.
I ran the half marathon and Linda ran the 5k. In all there were about 300 finishers, with 227 in the half marathon and the remainder in the 5k.
I was a little disappointed in my time of 1:41:07, but it was exactly 2 minutes faster than my recent Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon time so maybe it wasn’t too bad. Honestly though, there weren’t nearly as many hills in this one and I hoped to be under 1:40. I’m not sure if I mentioned it or not in a previous post, but Linda said to me recently that my time has generally gotten slower since I began heart rate monitor training about six months ago. It’s true I know, and over the next few months I’ll decide if I should abandon the heart training or maybe just change something else in my training.
This was my long run of the week. Next weekend I’ve got one last 20-mile training run scheduled, then another half marathon the following week as I begin my taper leading up the the New York City Marathon on November 7th.
Race Results:
Race Rating:
6 – 1-10 Website (Information, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
6 – 1-10 Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10)
4 – 1-10 Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, etc.) (1 to 10)
9 – 1-10 Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
5 – 1-10 T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 4/6 Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No) (Asheville Grand Prix)
0 – 0/5 Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
6 – 4/6 Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
7 – 3/7 Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
8 – 1-10 Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
7 – 1-10 Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
7 – 1-10 Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
10 – 0-10 Age Groups (10 if 5-year groups; 0 if 10-year groups) (although 5k was 10 years)
5 – 0/5 Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
4 – 1-10 Bathroom Facilities (indoor but no porta potties)
0-10 Other
TOTAL – 90
My Stats:
Time: 1:41:07
Pace: 7:43
Age Group: 2 of 12
Overall: 41 of 227

Race #103 – Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon – Asheville, NC – 09/18/10

Posted on by Richard Hefner

I guess I should have read my review of last year’s race before heading off to Asheville. For some reason I forgot how many hills there were in Asheville and how steep they are.  One thing I did know in advance though was that I’m not running quite as well as I was a year ago. My current knee problems really aren’t all that bad but I’ve been having to change my training so I’m doing less running and it’s been obvious in races over the past few months. Last year I was 2nd in my age group with a time of 1:39:55. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect this year but I felt like I’d be lucky to finish in 1:45.  My assumptions were correct and this year’s time was 1:43:15. I was a little disappointed to finish 4th in my age group but I rationalized that since there were 43 in my age group I was still in the top 10%, so I really don’t feel too bad about it.
The emcee announced at the beginning of the awards that today’s race was the largest race ever held in Asheville, with a total of about 2,000 finishers (1285 in the half marathon and 684 in the 5k). That’s about a 50% increase from last year and there were runners from 21 states. It’s a first class event for sure, and it’s kind of nice to run through all the great places in Asheville. Some of the uphills are so steep that I would take a couple of walk breaks on a single hill before I got to the top. Some of the downhills were the kind you have to ride the brakes all the way to the bottom and it feels like your toes are going to burst right through the front of your shoes. Ironically, my little piggy that stayed home actually didn’t stay home, although he should have since he ended up with a huge bruise/blister from coming down some of those steep hills.
It’s only 7 weeks until the New York City Marathon. I’m registered and everything’s paid for so I’m going, although the thought of running 26.2 miles is not quite as appealing to me as it was when I signed up. I’m hoping to get in at least two or three 18-20 mile training runs between now and then but even that could be too little too late.
Race Results:

Race Rating:
8 – 1-10 Website (Information, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
6 – 1-10 Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10 Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, etc.) (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10 Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10 T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 4/6 Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No)
5 – 0/5 Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
6 – 4/6 Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
7 – 3/7 Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
7 – 1-10 Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
2 – 1-10 Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
8 – 1-10 Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
10 – 0-10 Age Groups (10 if 5-year groups; 0 if 10-year groups)
0 – 0/5 Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
4 – 1-10 Bathroom Facilities
0-10 Other
TOTAL – 93
My Stats:
Time: 1:43:15
Pace: 7:53
Age Group (55-59): 4 of 43 (9.3%)
Overall: 156 of 1285 (12.1%)

Race #94 – Weaverville Kiwanis Firecracker 5k – Weaverville, NC – 07/03/10

Posted on by Richard Hefner

In my quest to run eight races in the current season of the Asheville Track Club Grand Prix series, I pried Granny out of the bed at 4 o’clock this morning and off we headed for Weaverville, just North of Asheville. I told her the race began at 8:30. It actually began at 8:00 but I wanted to add a little emergency padding just in case. We made it with an hour to spare and she got all righteously indignant and promised to start checking the starting times, but she never does, and lucky for me she also doesn’t read my blog.
The natives assured us that there weren’t many hills to contend with, but as we approached the vicinity of North Buncombe High School, where the race would start and finish, we were reminded not to trust the judgment of those who travel day in and day out in an area where every paved surface reminds those of us from the Piedmont of the Thunder Road roller coaster.
It really wasn’t as bad as we thought it might be though. Every uphill had a corresponding downhill (funny how that works) and I managed to run my fastest 5k in several weeks at 20:52.
About a mile into the race I managed to hit the wrong button on my Garmin 305 and in mid-race I went into setup mode on my watch. I messed around with it long enough to realize that it was too late to use it in that state, so as I ran I turned it off, waited a few seconds, and turned it back on so I could check my heart rate over the last part of the race. It worked out fine and I thought about all of the pioneers of running — those old-timers who ran before about 2007 — who weren’t able to track every step they took or every heartbeat, and they did just fine. I bought a Garmin about two weeks after I started running and am probably way too dependent on it, but while it’s there I may as well use it.
Post race was nice. We talked to some of our Asheville running friends and also met Kelly Allen, the president of the Asheville Track Club. Just before the awards they gave out a lot of really nice door prizes that were donated from different sponsors. The age group awards were small but nice medals featuring a runner on the front — male for the men’s winners and female for the women’s age group winners — and nicely inscribed on the back. Linda and I were both 1st in our age groups, and both medals read, “2010 Firecracker 5k — 1st Place 55-59.”
Race Rating:
6 – 1-10 Website (Information, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
7 – 1-10 Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10)
9 – 1-10 Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, etc.) (1 to 10)
6 – 1-10 Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
7 – 1-10 T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 4/6 Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No)
0 – 0/5 Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
6 – 4/6 Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
7 – 3/7 Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
6 – 1-10 Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
8 – 1-10 Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
5 – 1-10 Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
10 – 0-10 Age Groups (10 if 5-year groups; 0 if 10-year groups)
0 – 0/5 Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
7 – 1-10 Bathroom Facilities
5 – 0-10 Other (Extra credit for great door prizes!)
TOTAL – 95
My Stats:
Time: 20:52
Pace: 6:43
Age Group: 1 of 7
Overall: 20 of 216

Race #80 – Black Mountain Greenway Challenge 10k – Black Mountain, NC – 04/03/10

Posted on by Richard Hefner

Wow… Race #80… a milestone of sorts, or at least a number divisible by 10. This was my second time around the hills and valleys of the Black Mountain Greenway Challenge 10k. The hills are brutal pretty much anywhere in the Asheville area, but it kind of makes the hills down in the Piedmont a lot easier to run when we get back home.  In last year’s race (Race #26) my time was 49:47 and I walked a total of 10 times using the Galloway method. I’ve learned a little since then and am in better shape than I was a year ago so I expected to run a little faster this year. The Galloway method has been replaced by heart rate monitoring, so now instead of checking my pace throughout the race I try to run at about 92% of my Maximum Heart Rate. Nothing terribly scientific about the 92%, but after experimenting for a few months that just seems to be where my body feels most comfortable.  Something I’ve noticed in my last couple of races is that I’m gravitating towards a little higher heart rate. In today’s race I averaged a heart rate of 168 throughout the race (about 93% of my max) but for mile 6 I averaged a heart rate of 174, which is 96% of my max. It’s still an experiment in progress.
I’m a little rushed this weekend and I’ve got the feeling that there are some eyes glazing over as I quote my heart rate stats, so I’ll cut it short and spare everybody the grief.
Oh, one more thing:  I did manage to slice off about 4 minutes from last year’s time, finishing the race this year in 45:57, first place in my age group. That’s not really close to a Personal Record for me, but with all the hills I was just happy to finish the race in an upright position.
Race Rating
7 – 1-10  Website (Information, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
5 – 1-10  Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10  Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, etc.) (1 to 10)
4 – 1-10  Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
7 – 1-10  T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 4/6   Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No)
0 – 0/5   Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
6 – 4/6   Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
7 – 3/7   Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
8 – 1-10  Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average) (lots of hills but beautiful!)
5 – 1-10  Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 1-10  Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
10 – 0-10  Age Groups (10 if 5-year groups; 0 if 10-year groups)
5 – 0/5   Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
6 – 1-10  Bathroom Facilities
0-10  Other
TOTAL – 90

Race #74 – Frostbite 5k – Fletcher, NC – 02/21/10

Posted on by Richard Hefner

After so many races being canceled because of cold weather, it was great to be able to run two races this weekend. I was looking forward to returning to this race in Fletcher, hoping to vindicate myself after last year’s dismal 9th place age group finish. Last year’s Frostbite 5k in Fletcher was Race #20 for me, and the last 5k that took me more than 25 minutes to finish. My time last year was 25:29; this year I managed to slice about four and a half minutes off that to finish in 21:02, first place in my age group. I do realize that at my age (I’ll be 58 next week) I might start going the other way before long, but for now I’m enjoying the increasingly better race times.
I had the good fortune to talk to a couple of great senior runners after the race who had both begun running in their fifties. Jim Grodnik is now in the 70-74 age group and ran today’s 5k in 22:02… only a minute behind my young whippersnapper time. Jim said he continued to improve for ten years and ran his fastest 10k about that time. Charles Dotson told me that he also improved for around ten years after he started running. He’s slowed down a bit, but is still finishing in the middle of the pack at the age of 87!
From what I’ve heard, this weather has always been cold for this race. Last year at race time (2:30 p.m.) the windchill was 24 degrees. This year was an amazing turnaround in the temperature department — around 60 degrees at race time, perfect for running.
After yesterday’s race I learned the lesson about eating right and dressing right, so today it was a healthy lunch and one fairly light shirt. Again I wanted to race at about 95% of my Maximum Heart Rate. It takes about a mile to hit that point, and in contrast to yesterday’s first-mile misery, I felt great. Before the race I ran a little with Dennis Duffy, the Carolina Runner, who showed me a big mud hole to avoid. That helped because I was planning on wearing some of my older training shoes, not wanting to ruin my racing flats on the short dirt road I remembered from last year but wasn’t sure how muddy it was after all of the recent snow. I went back to the car and put on my racers just in time to get to the race before it started. The race went well and I felt good throughout. Although my time was only 26 seconds faster than the Valentine 5k yesterday, the difference in the way I felt was huge, so it was a good day.
Race Rating
6 – 1-10  Website (Information, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
6 – 1-10  Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10) (POTTERY)
8 – 1-10  Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, etc.) (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10  Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10  T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 4/6   Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No)
0 – 0/5   Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
6 – 4/6   Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
7 – 3/7   Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
6 – 1-10  Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
5 – 1-10  Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
7 – 1-10  Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
10 – 0-10  Age Groups (10 if 5-year groups; 0 if 10-year groups)
5 – 0/5   Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
5 – 1-10  Bathroom Facilities
0-10  Other
TOTAL – 93

Race #73 – Black Mountain Valentine Run 5k – Black Mountain, NC – 02/20/10

Posted on by Richard Hefner

Last week our half marathon in Myrtle Beach was snowed out, and fortunately for us, so were all the rest of the races in the Carolinas, and many of those races were rescheduled for this week. There were some good races in the Charlotte area that we hated to miss, but there were a couple in Asheville that were part of the Asheville Track Club Grand Prix series. I’m trying to run at least ten of the ATC GP races this year so we headed for the mountains. As you might expect, the weather was a little cooler up in Asheville than Charlotte, but it was still in the mid to upper 50s and both races were in the afternoon during the warmest part of the day. As we approached Asheville everything was still white with the snow that has been falling for the past month in the North Carolina mountains, but by Sunday afternoon the unseasonably mild temperatures had erased most of the evidence that it was still winter.
It was our first time running the Black Mountain Valentine 5k. In an area with so many hills to contend with, this was one of the less hilly races in the area. There was one steep climb in the first mile that took most of the wind out of my sails but after that it was nothing much more than some mildly rolling hills.
I’m still experimenting with heart rate monitoring and in my two most recent races (a 5k and a 10k) I’ve managed to reach a heart rate of about 166 (about 95% of my maximum heart rate of 176) and hold it for the entire race. For some reason in this race I started out with that same goal in mind since it worked great in the two previous races. I was more than a little surprised to see that in my first mile with a heart rate of about 155 I was huffing and puffing and I felt like I was over 170 beats per minute. This was before I hit the steep hill. I’m not sure if it was just a bad day or my training hasn’t been what it should be, or even the outside possibility that it had something to do with what I had eaten before the race and what I was wearing.
Before early morning races I ordinarily eat either a bowl of oatmeal or raisin bran before leaving home, then on the way to the race most of the time I get an Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s. I know that’s not standard racing food but I like it and it always seems to be something that works for me. With this race starting at 2:00 in the afternoon, we ate lunch on the way to Asheville, stopping at McDonald’s again, but this time lunch (about an hour before the race) consisted of a regular hamburger, small fries, an apple pie, an ice cream cone, and a small drink. This also wouldn’t be considered great pre-race food and I’m pretty sure I won’t try it again before a race.
In addition to my less-than-perfect pre-race meal I also, as is my custom, managed to overdress yet again for a race. I did wear shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, but I somehow managed to rationalize the idea that it would be good to wear a long-sleeved Under Armour Heat Gear shirt under the regular short-sleeved shirt. About a hundred yards into the race I was overheated and mentally kicking myself.
So it’s very possible that the food and clothing had somewhat of an effect on my race performance. You live and learn, as they say, but Linda usually tells me that I just live.
At just past the 2-mile mark in the race I picked a spot where I hoped nobody was looking (didn’t want to blind anybody). I stopped running, slowing down to a walk, and I peeled off both shirts then put the short-sleeved shirt back on. I wanted to toss the Under Armour shirt but figured there will be plenty of cold days ahead so I held onto it until the end of the race. With a little bit of breathing room my last mile was my fastest, with a pace about 30 seconds faster than both the 1st and 2nd miles. As fate would have it, while I was changing shirts I was passed by somebody else in my age group, who finished 18 seconds ahead of me, but for all my problems I was still happy (and fortunate) to finish second in the age group with a time of 21:28.
T-shirts were great (black long-sleeved high quality tech material with a nice design), food was adequate but not great, and awards were drinking glasses.
Race Rating
5 – 1-10  Website (Information, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
4 – 1-10  Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10) (GLASSES)
7 – 1-10  Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, etc.) (1 to 10)
5 – 1-10  Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10  T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average) (LONG-SLEEVE TECH!)
6 – 4/6   Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No) (ATC-GP)
5 – 0/5   Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
6 – 4/6   Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
7 – 3/7   Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
7 – 1-10  Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
5 – 1-10  Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
5 – 1-10  Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
10 – 0-10  Age Groups (10 if 5-year groups; 0 if 10-year groups)
0 – 0/5   Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
5 – 1-10  Bathroom Facilities
0-10  Other
TOTAL – 85

Race #71 – Hot Chocolate 10k – Asheville, NC – 01/23/10

Posted on by Richard Hefner

Quickly becoming one of North Carolina’s most popular road races, the Hot Chocolate 10k in Asheville is a tasty mid-winter treat for runners at a time when good races are few and far between. The race is held as a fundraiser for the Isaac Dickson Elementary School, which is one of only two “Foxfire” elementary schools in the nation that specializes in creative teaching and learning methods. This year, only the third year of the race, registration had to be limited to 800 runners to keep things from getting out of hand. No doubt hundreds more would have been there if they hadn’t waited too long to register. I’m not sure if they’ll increase the size of the race in the coming years, but either way, if you’re able to make it next year be sure to register early and head to Asheville for this outstanding running celebration!
About the hot chocolate… Linda and I ran this race last year and the hot chocolate distribution hit a few snags — the lines were long and there probably wasn’t enough to go around. Not so this year — there was more than enough hot chocolate in numerous places both before and after the race and lines were virtually nonexistent. I grabbed a cup on the way out after the awards and there was still plenty then as well. It seems that any small problems with last year’s race were taken care of and elimated this year.
Another problem with last year’s race that was fixed this year was that they had run out of T-shirts (I didn’t get one last year because I registered on the morning of the race and there were more people than they expected). This year race-day registration was eliminated and all registered runners got a shirt, which by the way was a nice one: long-sleeved black T-shirt with the cool Hot Chocolate 10k logo. It would have been better had it been tech material, but cotton will work too.
Possibly the popularity of this race is due to the fantastic website they have. It’s probably the best and most informative site for any race I’ve seen other than the major marathons. Race director Tim Grotenhuis seems to work year-round on this project and sends out informative newsletters months in advance so people can make plans to be there.
The race route itself is outstanding for a 10k race in Asheville. It’s billed as “The Flattest 10k in Asheville” and it really is, at least for five miles or so. The race starts on a huge downhill in front of the school. After the first mile that is mostly downhill, the course levels off as you run along the French Broad River. You then cross over into a park and run a winding trail through the park, then go back the same way you came, although when you get to the last half mile you take a different route to the side of the school, where the race finishes. Thankfully, the uphill at the end is not as long as the downhill at the beginning, but it’s still an excruciating last half mile, possibly the hardest finish I’ve seen in a race, but since the end is near it’s really not so bad.
If there’s any little nitpicky thing I can say bad about this race, it’s that I was a little disappointed that the awards were edible: Sugar Mommas Cookies. Not that there’s anything wrong with the cookies — they’re great! But I hate to eat my awards. It would be much better if they’d give out the cookies in addition to a nice trophy… that would make this the greatest race in the history of the world, or at least an even better race than it already is.
As for my own performance, I sliced 6 minutes and 2 seconds off my time from last year when I finished 7th in the 55-59 age group. This year I was 1st in the age group (yay!) with a time of 43:36.
My Race Stats:
  • Time:  43:36
  • Pace:  7:02 per mile
  • Age Group:  1 of 22
  • Overall:  46 of 674
The slideshow below contains 93 photos that I took. You can download (for free) any that you want by clicking on the slideshow and getting them on Picasa (you don’t need to register). There was also a professional photographer at the race and I’ll post a link to those photos when I find it.
And I also made a video…
Race Rating
10 – 1-10  Website (Information, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
4 – 1-10  Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10  Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, etc.) (1 to 10)
7 – 1-10  Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10  T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 4/6   Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No)
5 – 0/5   Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
6 – 4/6   Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
7 – 3/7   Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
8 – 1-10  Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
3 – 1-10  Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
8 – 1-10  Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
10 – 0-10  Age Groups (10 if 5-year groups; 0 if 10-year groups)
5 – 0/5   Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
5 – 1-10  Bathroom Facilities
0-10  Other
TOTAL – 100

Race #52 – Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon – 09/12/09

Posted on by Richard Hefner

If George and Frank Costanza were to have a discussion about the Asheville hills, it would probably go something like this:
Frank: You know they have different hill sizes?
George: I know about the size of the hills.
Frank: You got the A, B, C, and the D. That’s the biggest.
George: I know the D is the biggest. I’ve based my whole life on knowing that the D is the biggest.

After having spent a good portion of my morning running 13.1 miles through the hills of Asheville, I have to take issue with D being the biggest. The D’s were easily outnumbered by the DD’s and DDD’s, and there were a few times I thought I was going to have to get on my hands and knees and crawl up to keep from tipping over and rolling to the bottom of the hill!

As I’ve done many times in the past and will no doubt do in the future, I reverted back to the Jeff Galloway Run-Walk-Run method, or Gallowalking as some call it, and according to my Garmin I walked no less than 17 times during the race (solidifying my position as a bonified Galloweenie). Over time I’ve adapted it to what works best for me, which is usually a 20-second walk when I feel like it, usually uphill, but it gives me a little bit of recovery time, and I gotta say it seemed to help as I knocked 8 minutes off my previous half marathon PR with a time of 1:39:46, finishing 2nd in my age group and 58th overall out of 896 finishers.

Hills notwithstanding, it was a race with some of the most beautiful scenery in the Blue Ridge Mountains in one of America’s greatest cities. There was plenty of fanfare surrounding the race with good food afterwards and great tech material T-shirts as well (although they looked a little like they were designed by a newspaper person).

This was the second race in the Running Journal Grand Prix race series and was also an Asheville Track Club Grand Prix race.
Race Rating
9 – 1-10 Website (Information, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
8 – 1-10 Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10)
8 – 1-10 Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, etc.) (1 to 10)
7 – 1-10 Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
9 – 1-10 T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 4/6 Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No)
5 – 0/5 Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
6 – 4/6 Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
7 – 3/7 Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
8 – 1-10 Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
3 – 1-10 Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
7 – 1-10 Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
7 – 3/7 Age Groups (7 if 5-year groups; 3 if 10-year groups)
0 – 0/5 Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
8 – 1-10 Bathroom Facilities
0-10 Other
TOTAL – 98

Race #34 – Night of the Ninja 5k – Asheville NC – 05/23/09

Posted on by Richard Hefner

It’s becoming apparent that I have a love/hate relationship with running races in Asheville.
Here are 5 random things I HATE about racing in Asheville:
(1) It’s so far away! It’s a hundred miles one way and nobody in their right mind would drive that far to pay to run a 5k race. There are probably more than a few people wondering if I may have a couple wires touching in my head that shouldn’t be.
(2) Everybody’s old. Virtually everybody who retires moves to either Florida or Asheville. I heard about one guy the other day from Florida who retired and moved to Asheville. All of those retired people are looking for a hobby, and a good portion of them choose running as their hobby.
(3) Everybody’s fast. With nothing to do but run, all of those retired people apparently spend a good portion of their time running and working on lowering their times in 5k races.
(4) There’s nothing but hills. I guess when you build a city up in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains, hills are to be expected. Still, there’s no getting used to all of that up and down running for a flatlander like me.
(5) Everything’s cool. I feel so painfully out of place when everything’s oozing with hipness, and Asheville has a way of reminding me that I’m now out of the loop.
Here are 5 random things I LOVE about racing in Asheville:
(1) It’s so far away. It always gives Linda and I a great excuse to get out of town for a while. The 2-hour drive through the mountains gives us time to talk to each other more than we would at home when we don’t always take the time to slow down and just be together for a while.
(2) Everybody’s old. It’s refreshing to be around so many active people our own age. I’m actually kidding about everybody being old since there are plenty of younger people in Asheville as well. It’s just that the older people seem to do a lot more than just sit around and watch TV up here.
(3) Everybody’s fast. While I’m sure it’s not 100% true, there certainly seems to be an inordinate amount of speed among the Asheville runners. I tend to not do quite as well in the races, but that makes me want to work a little harder to be a better runner.
(4) There’s nothing but hills. I don’t get nearly enough practice running the hills down in Gastonia, such as they are, so a race in Asheville supplies me with all the hill work I need for the week.
(5) Everything’s cool. Being an old hippie myself, at least in a former life, I’m always happy to rub elbows with the Asheville hipsters, even if my LSD now comes in the form of “Long Slow Distance” runs.
Getting back to the race, the Night of the Ninja 5k is sponsored by and held at the Asheville Brewing Company in downtown Asheville. It’s one of the Asheville Track Club’s Grand Prix races and at the beginning of the season I wanted to run all of the Grand Prix races that I possibly could. I have since lowered my sights just a bit since a lot of the races are just too hard for me to get to, but this was the 5th ATC GP race I ran and I think I heard somewhere that you need to complete 8 to be counted at the end of the season, so I’ll try to do at least 3 more before the season ends. Not that I have a chance of winning anything, but the guys at the top of my age group needs somebody to beat or it wouldn’t be a race, so I’ll volunteer as an honorary whippin’ boy.
I was kind of surprised that it was a fairly small group of racers, with only 152 finishers, many of them dressed as ninjas. It was a rollercoaster course with more hills than I care to remember, but every time I run in Asheville it seems when I return to the relatively flat courses in the Piedmont they get a little easier.
Before the race we met up with our friend Heather, who I met through the blog, and we spent much of the time before and after the race with her. I also finally met Ken Miller face-to-face, who I also knew from the blog but it was the first time we’d actually met and talked. Ken blew me away in the race and didn’t miss his elusive 22-minute mark by much despite all the hills.
I actually finished better than I thought I would with a time of 23:17 despite taking 3 or 4 walk breaks up some of the hills. I finished 2nd in my age group after being passed by the 1st place finisher in the last 50 yards or so and finishing 3 seconds after he did. There were three older runners just a few seconds in front of me near the finish but I was pretty much out of gas by then so I just kind of hoped they weren’t all in my age group, but either way there wasn’t a lot I could do about it. A little while after the race one of them came up to me and mentioned that he had passed me while I was walking. We talked for a few minutes and I found out he was Jim Grodnik, last year’s Grand Masters champion, who I had read about but didn’t recognize him. He’ll be 70 years old next year! Imagine running a 22- to 23-minute 5k at the age of 70!
The post-race food was pretty good, with the standard fruit and bagels, but also each runner had 2 tickets good for a slice of pizza and a beer. I took an extra slice of pizza instead of the beer, non-alcoholic prude that I am. It wasn’t quite as good a deal as the unlimited pizza for runners at some races (notably Hit the Brixx) but there probably needs to be a system of checks and balances for those people who don’t know when to quit eating (that would be me).
I kind of hate to mention it, but the age group awards for this race were the absolute worst I’ve ever seen. They actually made the glasses and cups and I have so vilified in past races seem not so bad after all. The awards consisted of printouts that were done on Print Shop or something similar. That’s it. After the girl handing them out handed me mine, I took it and started to walk away, but then turned back around to see if I had left something behind (a medal or a ribbon maybe?) but she just shook my hand. Seems like maybe a little something extra would be in order such as maybe a gift certificate at their restaurant or something.
Finally, as Linda and I were heading out to the car we met up with Charles Dotson and his wife and talked to them for a few minutes. Charles is truly a legend among North Carolina runners and at the age of 86 is still going strong. Looking through his results on Athlinks, the only race I could find where he didn’t finish first in his age group was the Biltmore Estate 15k back in 2001, where he finished second.
Race Rating:
7 – 1-10 Website (Informaton, results, registration, photo links, etc.)
1 – 1-10 Awards (Quality of medals, trophies, etc.) (1 to 10)
7 – 1-10 Awards Presentation (PA system, winning times, shelter, etc.) (1 to 10)
7 – 1-10 Food for Race Participants (1 to 10)
7 – 1-10 T-Shirts (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 4/6 Part of Race Series (Grand Prix, etc.) (6=Yes and 4=No)
0 – 0/5 Professional Photography (5=Yes and 0=No)
6 – 4/6 Chip Timing (6=Yes and 4=No)
3 – 3/7 Certified Course (by USA Track & Field) (7=Yes and 3=No)
4 – 1-10 Course (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
5 – 1-10 Parking (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
6 – 1-10 Entertainment (1 to 10 with 5 being average)
7 – 3/7 Age Groups (7 if 5-year groups; 3 if 10-year groups)
5 – 0/5 Indoor Shelter from Elements (0 if none; 5 if provided)
7 – 1-10 Bathroom Facilities
0 – 0-10 Other
TOTAL – 78