The North Carolina Road Runner's Club, NCRC, holds an annual race the NCRC Classic half marathon and 10K in William B. Umstead State Park in the next to last weekend of May.  This year was the nineteenth annual race and my first time doing it.  This was my fifth race of the year, second in five days, and my fourth 10K of the year.  I wanted to do this race because I haven't raced in Umstead before and it's my favorite place in the Triangle to run.  There are only four races in Umstead counting the NCRC Classic.  They have the Umstead 100 Miles race that my friend Jason won last year, the Umstead Trail Marathon, and the Walk/Run/Bike for Umstead which has a 4 miles race option.  

This race is competitive and the course is not easy.  Both courses are an out and back with the same start and finish line.  You start with a downhill first half mile.  Once you pass Lake Crabtree on your left and go into Umstead State Park you transition from the paved road to crushed gravel to hard packed dirt of a bridal trail.  It is not a technical surface.  It's a gradual uphill until into Umstead until you get to about 2.3 miles.  It's a little rolling after that to the 10K turn around sign.  The half keeps going all the way to the end of the Reedy Creek Trail, the main bridal trail that cuts through the park, and turns onto Turkey Creek for a little bit before coming back the same way.  The half is way tougher than the 10K because you have to climb from Reedy Creek Lake till you reach Turkey Creek, climb the corkscrew hills coming back, go up Cemetery Hill, and have the same tough half mile uphill finish.  

Race morning arrived and the weather was great for late May.  It was in the low 60s with a light mist of rain in the air.  The breeze was actually chilly enough to need a light jacket while waiting for the start.  I arrived at the start around 6:15am.  The 10K didn't start till 7:20 but I wanted to get there early because the half started at 7am and wanted to get a parking spot close to the start finish.  I was able to park right across the street from the start/finish.  About an hour before the start I ate a Honey Stinger waffle and then just chilled in my car listening to music.  About 35 minutes before the start I did my dynamic warm-up routine and drank a scoop and a half of Generation UCAN before heading out for an easy 1.5 miles.  

I made my way over to the start and talked with some friends while we waited.  I felt good and was ready to go when we lined up for the start.  The race started and I went out with the leaders.  Knowing the first half mile was downhill I let myself go a little faster than I typically would at the start.  I was going to settle in once we hit Lake Crabtree and began the gradual climb into Umstead.  I was in third place when we passed Lake Crabtree but the two leaders were gradually pulling away from me.  I ran the first mile in 5:53.  

I felt alright but felt like that first mile took more effort than it should have especially with the first half being downhill.  I focused on settling in and grinding the gradual hill into Umstead.  We started passing some of the half marathon pacers and runners after the first 1.5 miles.  As we neared two miles a runner caught me from behind and was now pulling beside and passing me.  He must have started slower and was now picking up the pace.  I ran mile two in 6:12.  I was now in fourth watching third place run down first and second place.  I just wanted to maintain effort and pick the pace back up after the halfway point.  I knew we wouldn't have to go down Cemetery Hill which I was thankful for because I didn't feel like climbing back up that in a race today.  

Near three miles the third place runner caught first and second place.  I ran mile three in 6:05 and made the 180 degree turn at the 10K sign and started my way back out of Umstead.  There were still a few uphills left but I knew I had to grind until I passed the water fountain and followed the curve to the left because it was all downhill after that.  My effort was still high for the pace and I wasn't feeling that strong or fast.  Even though it was cooler and the misting rain felt nice it was humid.  I ran mile four in 6:13; slower than I wanted.  I was still in fourth place.

I wasn't sure how far fifth place was behind me and I wasn't looking to find out.  I just knew I had to work the downhill coming out before the half mile uphill finish.  My goal was to hold onto fourth place and still run as fast as I could even if my legs were feeling heavy and tired.  The downhill coming out of Umstead towards Lake Crabtree always feels nice.  You get to lengthen your stride and stretch the legs out and increase turnover.  I typically run from Lake Crabtree because of the fast downhill finish coming out on long runs.  I also run from Harrison Ave and that's a good test with a steep half mile uphill finish too, steeper than the finish of this race.  Taking advantage of the downhill I ran mile five in 5:58.  

About 0.7 miles of mile six was downhill.  The uphill finish started at the the bridge on Old Reedy Creek Road.  I ran mile six in 6:03.  I was ready to be done but had to climb back up to the finish.  I dug deep as best I could back up to finish in 4th place overall and first place in my age goup in 38:01.  The winner was Omar Wiggan in 35:38.  He won at the line with a lean over second place Preston Jones, the runner who flew by me after 2 miles.  Third place overall went to Gregory Maves in 37:01.  

I was ok with my time considering I was tired after racing and winning a Beach Run just five days before.  This race was very organized thanks to the NCRC President Rebecca Sitton.  The awards were very nice.  Along with a gift card I got a decorative tile for my age group win.  This is an event worth doing because of the location.  Umstead is such a great place to run even if it is tough with the hills.  

Race Gear

Socks:  Smartwool PhD Run Ultra Light low cut
Shoes:  New Balance 1400v4 road flats ​
Shorts:  The North Face Better Than Naked Split Shorts 3"
​Singlet:  The Running Syndicate Adidas singlet 
​Road ID Wrist ID Slim
​Watch:  Garmin 920XT
Sunglasses:  Rudy Project Rydon

The annual Carteret County Beach Run Series kicked off another year on May 16th.  I love this series and have been doing it since my high school years.  The races are in the evening about every two weeks either on a Tuesday or Thursday in the sand at a low or falling tide so the sand is usually packed in pretty well for running.  They have a mile, 5K, and 10K races in the first six events and the seventh race is just a one mile fun run and the awards ceremony.  The courses are out and back and start at The Circle at Atlantic Beach and run South.  The series used to do overall awards based on a points system.  You had to do four of the first six races to qualify for awards.  I won the overall 10K Championship in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.  They still do awards but they are just age groups, no overall awards.  

This was my fourth race of the year and third 10K.  I decided I was going to run the first race of the year with my friends Jason and Emily's German Shorthaired Pointer Lucy.  I've been running with Lucy several times a week for over a year now and we both love it.  She's an awesome dog to run with.  I also wanted to get her picture in the Carteret County News-Times so her family and I would have a great memory to keep.  

I've ran with dogs in races in the past.  When I lived in Greenville I was part of the 5Ks 4 K9s volunteer program at the Pitt County Animal Shelter.  We would take shelter dogs to races and run them in the one mile or 5K.  We also took dogs to races just to hang out and watch.  It got the dogs seen outside the shelter setting and increased adoptions.  That program is awesome and I had a lot of fun running the shelter dogs.  I also raced the Jingle Bell Run 5K in Raleigh with an ex girlfriend and mine's dog Bud.  Bud did awesome in that race and we passed a lot of runners after starting in the very back.  

​I always let Lucy control the pace when I run her as I have with any dog I've ran or raced in the past.  Lucy is fast though and can handle much longer distances and paces than any dog I've ran with before.  Her Dad Jason has ran her 20 miles on trials in Umstead State Park and the longest I've ran her is 16 miles with a sub 7:00 min/mile pace average.

Lucy and I arrived at the race at 5pm for the 6:30pm start.  The temperature was in the low 80s under a full sun sky.  We registered and went on a little walk before meeting my Dad.  After relaxing a bit and talking with friends Lucy and I headed down to the sand for an easy two mile warmup.  She was happy and excited already.  She was pulling me all over the beach on the warm-up run.  After getting Lucy some water we lined up for the race start.  All three races start at the same time.  

The race started and Lucy and I took off.  There was one guy way ahead already so I assumed he was running the 5K as I doubted he would be able to hold that pace for the 10K.  I knew Lucy and I were in third in the 10K behind two West Carteret High School runners.  The sand was packed in pretty good and the wind coming off the ocean so we wouldn't have to battle a headwind going out or coming back.    

Lucy and I ran the first mile in 6:15.  She usually is in front of me, pulling me along but she was staying beside me so far.  I felt good and just settled in to stay within striking distance of first and second in the 10K.  We moved into second place shortly after the first mile.  As expected, the guy who went out really fast made the turn at the 5K turn around sign and headed back to the finish.  Lucy and I stayed straight past the 5K sign as we headed towards the pier at the Double Tree Hotel.  

We closed the gap on the leader and took the lead around two miles.  We ran mile two in 6:35.  Lucy likes being out front so once we got closer to the leader she started pulling to get us the lead.  Once we got the lead Lucy settled back beside me as we kept running towards the 10K turn around.  The sand got a little rough and soft once we passed the pier and it was causing us to slow down.  I kept looking for a better line to run with more packed in sand but it was tough to find.  We kept the effort up as we ran mile three in 6:56.  

We rounded the 10K turn around and Lucy did a surge.  She does that all the time on out and back runs we do.  I think it's because she knows we are halfway and she likes to do a surge to pick up the pace and get back.  We were still leading as I saw second place still headed to the turn around sign.  My friend Heidi was running third overall and closing in on second place.  Lucy and I got a lot of cheers on our return route.  

We were able to pick the pace back up a little bit and I was looking forward to getting back in better sand for the final 1.5 miles.  We ran miles four and five in 6:48 and 6:57.  The sand that was the best earlier in the race was now getting soft too partly due to the tide starting to rise and partly due to it being chewed up from all the runners already running through it.  

Lucy was still cruising beside me as we ran mile six in 7:01.  I wasn't sure how big our lead was but I was feeling confident we were going to win the race.  We finished the race in First Place Overall in 42:04!  Second place was Cameron Eure in 42:59 and Heidi was third place overall, first woman in 43:45.  Zack Nally of the Carteret County News-Times was there and got pictures of me and Lucy and printed one in the newspaper.  I thanked him for that and always appreciate the support of the local newspaper.

My friend Eric took the overall mile win in 7:13.  My friend Katherine ran the 1 mile with her son Brock for fun.  The overall 5K winner was Holden Dixon in 17:58.  

Lucy and I got both some water after the race and then she got a lot of loving and petting from kids and adults.  A lot of people were so impressed with her.  She had more in her than I did.  I think I was still a little tired from my progression 16 miles long run with Catherine just three days before.  Lucy slept in the car ride back to my parents but once we got there she was ready to go again.  We ate El's for dinner and Lucy got some bites of their famous super cheeseburger as I ate their even more famous super shrimp burger.  

I had a lot of fun winning a race with Lucy and I know she had a great time too.  I'm hoping I can make most of the Beach Runs this year and hopefully get to do more with Lucy.  I'm also hoping her Dad, ultra runner extraordinaire Jason can run some too.  

Race Gear

Socks:  Smartwool PhD Run Ultra Light Micro 
Shoes:  New Balance Zante v1
Shorts:  Neon Green (in memory of Sonny Hyman) Adidas shorts
Dog Harness:  Ruffwear Front Range Harness 
Dog Leash:  Ruffwear Roamer Leash 
Watch:  Garmin 920xt
Sunglasses:  Rudy Project Rydon