Patriot 5k and 1 Mile Fun Run

Results from yesterday's race can be found at
http://onthemarksports.com/race-chip-timing-results/20130704-patriot-5k/ #/results::1373059075095

I showed up at the patriot 5k, registered, and intended to leave before the race started. After all just showing up was big of me, right? Staying and running was the hard thing and usually the hard stuff is the right stuff. So I pinned on the bib and went to the back of the pack. After we looped back for the first mile I met a gal coming toward me who was powering through even though she looked like she was hurting. No lie, I was hurting too. Just a different kind. My pride had taken a beating with this whole race director thing. I've told my kids repeatedly, "when you're feeling down: give. Find someone to help. You'll feel better."
My new friend, here visiting from Cape Cod, was running her first 5k and wished she hadn't even started. I told her we'd finish together. Her lovely daughter, Julia, joined us. I shared walk break secrets and we chatted until the finish snuck up on us. I stepped aside and mom and daughter crossed the finish strong. They found me later and asked if they could take a picture with "the girl who helped them finish" and then they invited me to their family 4th of July party.
I felt like a schmuck for making any of this about me. Sure they had only 187 finishers this year. Yep, there were hiccups. Would it have been bigger better and more amazing if I had been in charge. Uh... Duh!
BUT... That's not why we run. We run to kick the butts of the naysayers, to show ourselves how we strong we are and to belong to a group of people who do the hard stuff even when it's hard.
I hope you all had a great race today. I did.

Thanks to my new friends from Cape Cod for letting me run with them in their very first 5k! Julia and Leslie, you did GREAT and finished strong!

From sea to shining sea... Happy Independence Day everyone!!

Just found out that someone will be at the Pinecrest auditorium bright and early at 6am for race day registration and packet pickup. Please thank these volunteers for their help with the race! Have a great run everyone.

After receiving several messages from Patriot 5k runners expressing concern about a lack of communication and poor organization I wanted to clarify this years race situation:

I am not responsible for this years 4th of July run.

That's the short answer. If you're interested in the back story keep reading.

Three years ago I approached the Pinecrest coaches about putting on a 5k fundraiser. 9 weeks before last years race we were given permission to put on the event. The coaches approached me and asked me to take the post of race director.

With the help of my family, other Pinecrest parents and members of the community I gathered sponsors, certified the course, designed a logo, ordered shirts, listed the race on active, runners world, running in the USA etc. I made a map of the route, started THIS page, ordered porta potties, personally put up 200 posters, called gyms in Fayetteville and Raleigh and running stores in Cary and Durham to ask them to send teams to run in our race. I volunteered at other local races in exchange for permission to set up registration tables and pass out entry forms at those races. I spoke to everyone I saw about our race and about Operation One Voice, the organization with which we shared the race profits.

When I saw someone in uniform I asked them to put our registration forms on their bulletin boards at work or to email them to everyone on their distro list.

For race day I found a barbershop quartet to sing our national anthem at exactly 7:20 so that we could start our race on time at 7:30 and we did just that. I hoped that with only 9 weeks prep time we would have 200 runners. We had double that. AND because we had so many sponsors we made money for our charities before we even had a single registered runner.

You loved our race. Loved it. The only complaints I received were that we ran out of shirts but no one wanted me to take money away from Operation One Voice by ordering more.

Because of your support we gave OOV $5,100 to support wounded Special Operations vets through hand ranked bicycles and put almost the same amount of money into the Cross Country account to help our athletes compete in events all over North Carolina.

For the last year I've kept this page updated with local race info, inspirational running quotes, and articles about training so that you wouldn't forget us and would be ready to come run again this year. You gave lots of great suggestions about how to make the race better and I fully intended to implement your suggestions.

Imagine my surprise when I heard from another Pinecrest parent that the coaches were putting on this years race without me. They didn't even speak to me about it and have not returned my calls or emails. I was notified by text that the Patriot 5k was no longer mine to direct.

I'm sure any of you who have worked hard to accomplish something know that you become attached to the success of your work product. This is why I am so sad to hear that you are disappointed in this years Patriot 5k and in its current race directors.

I've remained administrator of this page in order to keep an eye on the race and answer your questions. No one has asked me to shut this page down or hand it over.

It is my hope that I'll be able to meet with the coaches and come to an understanding about the future of the Patriot 5k so we can help it to grow and continue to support our young runners and Operation One Voice.

In the meantime, PLEASE support this years race. I may feel an ownership of the organization of the Patriot 5k but the support you give by participating is all about the kids and the soldiers and that is ALL YOU. I am very grateful that you've chosen to continue to support the race. Please let the coaches know what you think of this years event and feel free to post comments and share your race day pictures here.

Sorry for the drama folks! We'll get it worked out and give you another great race next year.

It was my privilege to volunteer my time to the inaugural Patriot 5k last year. With your help we put on an amazingly successful race in just a few short weeks. Ive decided to take it as a compliment that the coaches feel they can do it on their own this year. Apparently we made it look easy! ; )
I did some searching and found a new active.com registration. If you search Patriot 5k Southern Pines it'll come up for you.
Please come out and support the run again this year and let me know how it goes!

ACTIVE.com Whether you choose a foot race in wine-country, a bike ride in Hawaii or a triathlon at the beach, turn your summer vacation into an active getaway.

Thanks to you, the Patriot 5k gave Operation One Voice $5100 last year. Please like their page and share their mission!

By this time last year I was preparing for my 6th recreational race of 2012. I had run in NC, travelled to Arizona and Maine for half marathons, and was ready for the OKC Memorial Half. They call the OKC run "the Race to Remember" as it supports the museum at the site of the A.P.Murrah building terror attack and honors those lost that day in April of 1995.

My family has been quite supportive of what I call my "run-cations": trips around the country to participate in races.
My mom stood cheering me on to the nearby finish in Phoenix last January. My son, having run and won his race in Charlotte last March, joined me for the last mile of that half marathon urging me to "finish strong". My sister met up with me 3 times during the OKC Memorial run last April. She handed me "fuel" and water and then went to stand behind the barricades with my friends to watch me finish the most emotionally charged race I've ever run.

I watched yesterday as barricades were lifted off the injured. The same sort of barricades my family has waited behind, necks craned to see me come around that last corner.... and I felt that emotional charge come back only this time the emotion welling up was anger. Who would do this? Who would take my thing I love to do and make it scary and sad?

As Amby Burfoot, winner of the '68 Boston Marathon, told the Washington Post yesterday, "this was an attack against our use of the streets"
"Our use of the streets."
Our streets.
Our families waiting behind the barricades.
Our finish lines.

I'll likely never run the most celebrated race in America but it doesn't have to be Boston and Boylston Street. It could be Piedmont Park at the Peachtree Race, or Falmouth Heights on Cape Cod, or the school parking lot at our community 4th of July 5k. As runners, they are all our streets.

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with the anger I feel over yesterday's events. I may wear a race shirt every Monday for the rest of the year. I may run a cumulative 26.2 this week. I'm not sure what to do but I know what I won't do. I won't stop supporting causes with my race entries. I won't be bullied out of my "run-cations". My family will most likely continue to support me and help me to finish strong. It may take some time but eventually the school parking lot 5k and Falmouth Heights, and Piedmont Park and even Boyltson Street will feel safe again. We'll take them all back. Once again, they'll be our streets.

Run on. Finish Strong. Race to Remember.

Anybody going for a run to celebrate Presidents' Day?

Pinecrest Indoor Track and Field State qualifiers will participate in the State Championship meet tomorrow (Feb 9th) at JDL FastTrack in Winston Salem. 4A events begin at 4pm and cost for spectators is $6. This is an exciting meet in a great facility.
Congratulations to the following State qualifiers and relay alternates: Matt Carlson, Jay Harris, Hannah Hensley, Janea Williams, Jaleigh Jensen, Will Pearson, Chris Kelly, Jacob Troutman, Kelsey Rea, Jennie Cunningham, Becket Killam, Mulloy Manning, Matt Harmody, Katie Hayes, Sarah Pressley, Rachel Voncannon, Zia Matti, Grace West, Cody Warner, Javier Bustos, and Christina Stone.
http://www.jdlfasttrack.com/index.php/component/content/article/9-uncategorised/78-photos

JDL Fast Track Photo from finish area down the length of the track. Note the projection screen that displays directly from Results TV.

The Feb 9th Krispy Kreme challenge benefitting the NC Childrens Hospital is almost sold out! One of our favorite groups has a team.
When you register at: http://www.krispykremechallenge.com you'll be asked if you'd like to associate with a group and you can type in Aaron Grider Memorial Runners.
For more info on Aaron and AGF go to: http://aarongriderfoundation.org/

Krispy Kreme Challenge The 9th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge is February 9, 2013 at 8:30 AM. All proceeds from the Krispy Kreme Challenge are donated to the North Carolina Children's Hospital so that its staff can continue to provide the best care and facilities for their patients. Read more