Runner in the Spotlight: Matt Jaskot

Matt Jaskot is one of the Charlotte Running Club's first official club members. He has been an integral part to keeping things fun on runs. An engineer at a startup solar panel company, in his spare time he pimps out his big white van. He will be leaving Charlotte to embark on a trip across the country until he runs out of money (~two years). Matt provided me with a great picture of himself running!

What’s your favorite restaurant in Charlotte?
I like to eat tacos at Miguel's. You have to build up an immunity there though; I took my brother and he threw up immediately after. It's such authentic Mexican you shouldn't drink the water.

What’s your favorite bar in Charlotte?
I like the Thirsty Beaver because it has character, no windows, and a drunken squirrel painted on it.

How did you get involved with the Charlotte Running Club?
I'm one of the slacker founding members who didn't become a board member... Basically just by being friends with Caitlin and Aaron.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you on a run?
One time I somehow kicked a stick into the back of my left calf with my right foot while trail running. It went in about an inch and I had to dig it out with a knife and some rubbing alcohol after I hopped back off the trails.

What’s your favorite distance? And PR?
Lately I've been taking a break from marathons because I tend to over train for them. Maybe half marathons when I'm in decent shape for them because. My PR there is a 1:16:30-something. I did my first 50k this year with Aaron, Thomas, and Michelle, and really enjoyed that, I tend to like the longer stuff and want to do some more ultras soon.

What’s your favorite marathon course to do?
I was a big fan of the Philly course because it was a nice visit to a lot of places I used to go when I lived there. Boston is pretty unmatchable for the energy you get from the crowd, though.

We heard you are taking a road trip across the US of A starting May 1. Will you run on that trip? How will you clean yourself?
Yes, I'm pulling up my roots in Charlotte (will miss everyone) to go drifting across the country soon. I'll definitely run, tho it'll be sporadic and probably not leave me in good shape for races, which is fine since I have none planned right now. Probably be mostly very long trail runs where I can explore new places, so I've been trying to get in less of racing shape and more shape to just go out and run for several hours at no particular speed. Maybe I'll jump in a few races last minute, who knows. And I will probably not be very clean most of the time, but I did just install a kitchen sink in my van so I can kind of wash up without having to rent a hotel room. Also rivers, lakes, and rain will help.

What’s the coolest age group award you’ve ever won?
I always liked winning the 15-19 marathon age group awards, not much competition in that age bracket for a marathon, but sometimes they gave me more than one if I was the only one in the age group running.

What's something cool we need to know about you?

I'm on a 2-year streak of only wearing shorts to run, it's only been tough a couple of days in the winter. That, and listening to surfing music is how I pretend that it's summer to get me through the winter.

Jay Holder: 100 Miles...Nuff Said

As marathon season gets underway in earnest, one thing I have heard a lot of people reminding runners is, "you have to respect the distance." But, I don’t think that is a mantra that applies only to marathoners. Any marathoner who’s ever gotten ready to run a 10k has heard: "oh that should be easy for you!" It makes you cringe. You know every distance demands different respects. The shorter the race, the faster your body has to go. The longer the race, the more it needs to maintain. It all hurts if you’re giving it your all.

This weekend, I witnessed a new kind of hurt. I gained respect for a new kind of distance. Let me make it very clear. I did not run the Umstead 100 Mile Run in Cary, North Carolina this weekend. I was there simply as a support crew member with CRC members Aaron Linz, Matt Jaskot and Michelle Hazelton. We were there to carry water, change shoes and preoccupy the mind of Thomas Eggar, competing in his first 100 mile race.

If you don’t know Thomas, get the picture of the lanky distance runner out of your head. Replace it with the picture of a guy you might see in an under-wear advertisement (Sorry, man), complete with the six-pack, but with more tattoos. On the 12-and-a-half mile dirt path in Umstead Park, traversed Saturday into Sunday by skinny guys with long stringy hair and lean women with leathery skin, Thomas stood out. He knows this. Over the course of eight laps, he saw his 287 fellow competitors over and over again, cheering for some of them by name by the time we were allowed to join him 50 miles into the race. At that mile, the halfway point, Thomas was already starting to cramp, his calf doing some sort of freestyle dance as Aaron assisted in removing a rock from his shoe. He had already run more mileage than he had ever run in one outing, and was headed into the unknown. We kept with him for two laps, being careful not to mention if we were tired or if there were any parts of our bodies protesting the pace or the distance. Along the way, I learned that ultrarunning is its own sport. I saw a woman running while eating a hotdog. I doubt you see runners doing that on Heartbreak Hill. Thomas never once complained. He stayed strong and positive as we came into the checkpoint just after dark to complete mile 75.

That is when Aaron and I split off to find food and beer. We’d wait for Thomas at the turnaround and hop back in as he made his final trip up unforgiving hills, past aid stations where you could pour M&M’s out of a jug. Three hours passed. That’s how long it should have taken him to get to us. Empty Miller Lite cans were indicative of our wait. At four hours, we started to get worried and decided to head toward the camp.

That’s where we found Thomas with the blisters you see in the picture to the left. It looked more like a flesh wound. One lap to go, and Thomas had barely made it through the last one. But this is not a man who quits. After the Red Cross patched him up and a volunteer handed him some potato soup, he literally began dragging his injured foot in the direction of the course. This was a man on a mission. I watched, unable to fathom the pain and the willpower. More than 12 miles with each foot-fall sending searing pain through an already aching body. But he did it. Thomas crossed through the start/finish line for the final time just be-fore five o’clock Sunday morning — 23 hours after the journey began. A very proud set of parents — straight from California — were there to congratulate him, and make sure the next distance he had to travel, was done with some assistance.

When I last left Thomas, just after two o’clock Sunday morning, he looked like he’d lost about 10 pounds. When I next see him, he’ll have a shiny belt buckle to hold up his pants.

Shamrock 4 Miler...Not So Much Good Luck

Ok, blaming luck would be unfair. Actually, when you look at it by the numbers, this was not a terrible race. I ran a 21:10. That's one minute faster than I ran the course last year, and 20 seconds faster than my second place finish at the RFYL 4 Miler back in July. I finished 6th overall, behind some of the most talented dedicated runners who run in this city. But, I am disappointed with myself for not ever competing. I don't know if I could have run a faster race, or mixed it up with the guys up front. Maybe not. The problem is, I didn't put the heart and effort into it to find out.
Lauren will tell you, I ruled myself out of this one long before the gun went off. I didn't want to run it. I was coming off a 22 mile run in the mountains last Sunday and a tough workout at McAlpine Tuesday. I felt like there wasn't much speed in my legs. Still, as part of my deal for RFYL, I had to be there. I knew what I had committed to.
I picked up my packet at the Dilworth store Friday night. I had been fearing they'd stick me with bib number "1", and they did. It's not that I am not honored to have won the Grand Prix Series last year. It's just that I don't want to have to meet the expectations that come with that number. As expected, it drew a lot of comments before, during and after the race on Saturday. My favorite came near the three mile mark as the crowd passed by on the other side, "hey number 1, you'd better finish number 1." Sigh.
Lauren and I got to Stonecrest at 7am on the dot. I picked up my chip and headed out for a warmup with Caitlin, Aaron, Danielle, Billy, Chad and Boriana. My legs actually felt ok. In the past 48 hours, I had gotten a massage and taken an ice bath, but at the end of Friday morning's run, I could barely do a stride out. Mentally, I just couldn't focus. I was overly anxious.

The starting line was packed. I did some strides, then got right behind the mat. We were packed in like sardines. Just before the gun went off, two women in sweatpants got directly in front of me. They were actually standing there joking about how they didn't belong there and were going to bunch up the start. "Tripping Up to Boston", one of my favorite running songs, played and then the gun went off. I realized then that I should have politely said something to the women because guess what. They were right in my way. It took me roughly three seconds to get around them, but felt like an eternity. By the time I did, I was off the lead pack and had mentally ruled myself out. This was just weakness on my part.

First mile: 5:08.

Compton, Hovis and Linz had gone through that mile about two seconds faster, and I was hoping it may have been too quick and I was -- for the first time ever -- being the conservative one. As we headed toward mile two, I wasn't gaining on them, but I wasn't losing ground to them either.

Second mile: 5:03.

Shortly after the second mile marker, Ben pulled off the course for a second. I asked to make sure he was OK, but I guess the answer was obvious. At this point, Compton was opening up a gap on Aaron and I was hoping Aaron was fading, despite looking very strong. The third mile is totally up hill, and I would have to surge to catch up. I didn't.

Third mile: 5:39 (yuck)

As we entered the last mile, Aaron looked back at me a few times. I knew he wanted to know where I was, and I knew he didn't want me to catch him. He later affirmed this in a post-race email exchange. I really wanted to be in the top five and gave it a push before we turned off Ballantyne Commons Parkway, but every time I gained one or two steps, he quickly erased them. By the time we climbed the final hill before Stonecrest Shopping Center, I knew there wasn't enough time. 6th place, 1st 25-29 age group.

Fourth mile: 5:20

The times aren't totally lopsided because the first two miles of the race are downhill and the second two are uphill. But, the first thing Aaron said to me was "You gotta compete." He's right. I never mixed it up in this race. But, on the bright side, I learned a thing or two and I am happy it's my head that didn't want to race and not my legs. Unless I can find a good 5 or 10k in the next couple of weeks, the next starting line will be in Boston.

Caitlin Chrisman: Shamrock Four Miler

I don’t run many of the GPx series races, but this Shamrock 4 Miler definitely would serve as an incentive for me to run more! The atmosphere was great! The participant numbers were massive (almost 1000!), the course allowed the runners to cheer for each other, and there was great competition for both males and females!

Going into the race, I had a great 1200m workout on Tuesday, so I was hoping that I could maintain a faster pace than I did at the Winter Flight 8k (5:47). Unsure of what the course was like, I was going on the conservative side for my race goal pace of 5:45 – 5:50 because all that I had heard about the course was bad: all downhill the first two miles, hairpin turn around and then straight back up the hill you just ran down. I would find out later that the course was not nearly as bad as I had prepared myself for (perhaps that was why??).

Unsure if there would be any women for me to run against, I was expecting to run with whichever random guy I could attach myself too. Fortunately enough for me, Friday night I received an email from Meagan Nedlo, a Queens University runner, and she asked if I would mind if she ran the race with me as a tempo for one of her 10k prep workouts. I was thrilled! Instead of emailing her back, I called her and we worked out logistics over the phone.

That morning, I warmed up with mostly Charlotte Running Club people, and learned from Meagan that Paul Mainwairing was planning to pace the two of us during the race, since he was coming back off a calf injury. I got to the starting line with four minutes to spare and I’ll make a mental note to do this more often with local races. Really, there is no need to get to the starting line 10 minutes before hand because you just end up standing around, without much room to stretch or do drills. Instead, I did all of this in a much calmer area, so I did not have to dodge runners during my strides or other pre-race drills.

At the starting line, Meagan was rocking some awesome flame tights that she informed me were really volleyball shorts. I think that all CRC women should buy the same! We jumped off the start line to some Irish jig which was very festive. In the first mile, I situated myself a safe distance from Chad Crockford, whom I know has made ample gains in his fitness. Paul, Meagan, and I settled into a nice rhythm and even enjoyed some small talk. Meagan asked me about my workout on Tuesday, and if my answer seemed short and curt to her, it was probably because I was starting to feel the effects of racing in my breathing. Paul also asked about what kind of shape I thought John was in, and I mumbled something incoherent about John’s sore calf.

I split 5:42 on the first mile – and felt bad because I had told Meagan I was hoping to run 5:45 pace in the race. At that point, I was worrying whether or not I was going to mess up her workout…We continued to press, using the next downhill to our advantage, coming through the second mile in 5:35. Right before the two mile marker, we ran a hair pin turn, so that we could see all the runners who were behind us. Surprisingly enough, there were several cheers for Meagan and me as we climbed the hill in the third mile (5:49). It was actually very motivating, so I thank all of those who did cheer for us, many of whom I probably do not know. Meagan was so surprised that she even asked me “Do you know these people?” Nope – but girl, you’re going to be a Charlotte running celebrity once you start running these races more often! ;o)

The last mile Paul pulled away from me, and I, in turn, pulled away a bit from Meagan. I knew I probably hadn’t put that much distance on her though because I could hear people cheering for both of us. Regardless, she was tempoing, and I was racing…So when she graduates and actually races, it should be really fun. Admittedly, I was almost expecting her to come blazing by me in the last 150 meters because I was definitely feeling the lactic acid buildup in my quad and glutes from all of the hills and did not feel like I move my legs as quickly as I would have liked. I crossed the finish in 22:48 – a 5:42 average for the entire race and with a 5:42 last mile.

After the finish, I congratulated Meagan, thanked Paul, and found my men to cool down with. I enjoyed a long warm down with Jordan, Bert, Thomas, Aaron, and Meagan for a bit. Since the cool down was so long, not much time was wasted between the finish and the awards ceremony, in which I got a free one hour massage!

I would like to note that this is probably one of the fastest races for women in the Charlotte area in a while. I checked the results and compared them to previous years. This year we had two women under 23, and two women under 24. Last year, there was only one woman under 24! The reason why I bring this up is because I am excited for the race where all of Charlotte’s fastest women come out to compete against use other and use this as incentive to break some personal records.

If we got Megan Hovis, Alana Hadley, Meagan Nedlo, Danielle Walther, Kelly Fillnow, Jocelyn Sikora, Alice Rogers, Val Matena, Rebecca Thomason and me in one race, I think we would all be very impressed with the fast times that would come and with the overall camaraderie of the group. We are all teammates, ambassadors of the Charlotte running community and I would be inspired to race with such a fine group of ladies.

Overall, this race has enabled me to go into the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler with confidence. I believe that running sub -60 minutes in three weeks is something that is within my fitness range!

Runner in the Spotlight: John Fillette

John Fillette is a Charlotte native who shares his enthusiasm for running with his Run for You athletes at Run for Your Life Dilworth. Although I won't hold it against him that he's a Tar Heel (Go Deacons!), he probably knows Charlotte's running trails better than any of us!

Where do you work?

I work at the Council for Children’s Rights in Charlotte, NC. More specifically I work on the Children’s Defense Team. Our agency and team specializes in protecting the rights of children and ensuring that all kids are healthy, safe, and educated. Additionally, I am a coach with the Run For You program at Run for Your Life-Dilworth Store.

What's your favorite restaurant in Charlotte?

My favorite restaurant in Charlotte is Mama Ricotta’s on King’s Drive. The tomato basil penne is the best thing ever.

How long have you lived in Charlotte?

My whole life! It’s rare, I know. Except for 4 years of college up the road at UNC-Chapel Hill, at least, I have always lived in Charlotte, NC. I must say that I love many things about Charlotte and that has kept me here.

When and why did you start running?

I started running seriously the summer before 9^th grade at Myers Park High School. Before then, I was solely a soccer player, but that summer, I was encouraged to run by Julia Lucas, a rising senior at Myers Park, and Mason Hurley, another rising senior. Julia and Mason drove me to summer practices and helped me become a consistent runner. A big part of why I ran was that I looked up to people like Mason and Julia, and wanted to be like them. After that, I ran every season through high school and college!

What do you love about running?

I love how running brings people together to work on a common goal. With any running team, you need cooperation, communication, and trust between teammates and coaches. It is an awesome feeling to perform well as a team after running together all season. Laughing with my teammates are my best memories of previous teams I was on. Also, running just makes you tougher as a person.

Favorite place you've traveled and loved for running?

I loved traveling and running in Charleston, SC for the Cooper River Bridge Run in 2007 and 2009. The race was tough, but walking around Charleston and getting seafood after the race was great. I went with the UNC Club Cross Country and Track Team, which was an awesome group of runners for all four years at Carolina. Both years that I ran, the weather was awesome too.

Where is your favorite place to run in Charlotte?

My favorite place to run in Charlotte is Queens Road in the Myers Park neighborhood in the spring. There are usually other runners out there who smile or wave at you, and it’s just really pretty surroundings. Plus there are several water fountains on the sidewalk in case you need water. It’s basically the perfect place to run.

What’s the funniest or strangest thing that has ever happened to you on a run?

I think that the random people you see on certain runs can be really funny and strange. In high school, we always did long runs at McAlpine and Boyce Park on Saturday mornings. One morning, we passed a large burly-looking guy in a red speedo riding his bike. We all just held our breath until we passed him and then just laughed for like 10 minutes straight. It was so bizarre to see that at 8:30 in the morning. And from then on, we were always afraid we’d see him again.

Do you lead any Charlotte Running Club group runs? What time?

I actually do not lead any Charlotte Running Club runs during the week. But, every Monday and Wednesday I lead a run from the Run for Your Life-Dilworth Store at 6pm. If you would like to join us, you can sign up at the store…You should join us sometime!

What's your most memorable race and why?

My most memorable race was the Taco Bell Relays Invitational Mile my senior year of high school. In that race, I took the lead with 1000m to go and they announced my name on the loud speaker. Even though I ended up getting 6^th place, my coach told me it was gutsy to take the lead like that and to push the pace. All of my teammates went crazy from the stands, too. It was great!

Favorite distance?

The mile…it’s cliché, but it requires a great balance of speed and endurance.

PR for that distance?

4:40.2…that was my senior year of high school at Clemson University’s Indoor Track. I was very happy after that race!

What’s next on your race calendar?

My next race will hopefully be the 10K at Charlotte Race Fest on April 10^th, 2010. I am hoping to run 38:30 or faster. We’ll see! After that I am hoping to run the CPCC Skyline 5k on April 24^th, 2010. My goal at Skyline is between 17:20 and 17:35.

Fun Fact

My favorite U.S.-born runner is Dathan Ritzenhein who runs for Oregon Track Club. Ritz is seriously tough and talented. My favorite non-U.S. runner is Haile Gebrselassie, because he has broken 27 world records and won two Olympic Gold medals. Haile can also run 2:03:59 for the marathon!

Runner in the Spotlight: Shenna Kevorkian

Shenna Kevorkian is an energetic addition to the Charlotte Running Club! Not related to the infamous Dr. Kevorkian, she loves running and keeps the early runs fun and exciting from the Dowd YMCA!







Where do you work?
I work at the Shaw Group in Uptown. I start work pretty early (7:30) which is why I run with the extra-early crowd!

What's your favorite restaurant in Charlotte?
I like all kinds of restaurants but one of my favorites is Copper. I love Indian food, and it's especially good there. I also tend to go to Nolen's Kitchen a lot.

Favorite place you've traveled and loved for running?
I enjoy running on the beach - any beach. Also, (and this is the opposite of a beach) Todd and I went for a really scenic run in Prescott, AZ a few months ago. The views were beautiful, and the altitude kicked my butt.

When and why did you start running?
I started running in high school. I played soccer, and was really pretty bad at it, but found that I could outrun most of the girls on my team, so I switched to straight running, leading to fewer embarrassing moments for me (tripping over the ball, etc)

What do you love about running?
I love that I can do it anywhere and it's something I always look forward to. Even at 5AM. Sounds like a cliche, but I'm really able to put everything else out of my head while I'm running.

What’s the funniest or strangest thing that has ever happened to you on a run?
I was doing a dark early AM run by myself in an especially dark area, and something swooped down and clawed my head. I couldn't see what it was; in my mind it was a large bird of prey, so of course I screamed and sprinted all the way home. Someone later pointed out that it was probably a bat - gross, but harmless.

Are you a morning or an evening runner?
I'm more of a morning runner, but I enjoy a chance to get out for an evening run now and then. I do prefer to do speed work in the evenings.

Do you lead any Charlotte Running Club group runs? What time?
I've been trying to recruit people to come to the AG Middle School track on Wednesdays at 6PM. So far, it's not a very big group that goes. I can't make it every week myself anyway, so for anyone who does want to come, make sure and email me first to see if anyone will be there!

What's your most memorable race and why?
I had a good race at Thunder Road this past December. I was just going out to do it for fun, not really competitively, and ended up having a really good day and got a PR without ever feeling like it was a monumental effort. Todd paced me for that race, and did a good job of feeding me motivational lines the whole time.

Is it convenient to have a boyfriend (fellow club member Todd Patterson) who runs too?
It's very convenient... in fact, the most convenient thing about it was that we met through running! It's great to have a love for running in common; Todd and I can train together, travel to races together, and he doesn't think I'm neurotic with my running routines.

Where is your favorite place to run in Charlotte?
I like meeting at the Dowd and running through neighborhoods around that part of town. I also like running on the many trails that Charlotte has to offer.

Favorite distance?
My favorite distance is an odd one: 30k. The 18.6 miles is a good endurance race, but it's over before that point in a marathon where I'm likely to really start to feel pain and/or hit a wall.

PR for that distance?
2:19

What’s next on your race calendar?
The first ever Tobacco Road Marathon, 3/21!

Best of luck to Shenna and Todd at Tobacco Road!!!

Caitlin Chrisman: A True Appreciation for Charlotte's Race Organization

My parents first visited Charlotte in September of 2008 for a short weekend trip. Since my parents are just as passionate about running as I am, I figured they would love to participate in a road race uptown. Admittedly, I also was using this race as a way for me to make friends in Charlotte since I was having a hard time meeting people. The race we chose, the inaugural Hog Jog 5k, is in conjunction with the Blues, Brews and Barbecue Festival that occurs annually in the fall, in which the main drag uptown, Tryon Street, is closed off for the entire weekend so that people can drink beer, eat pork, and watch pigs race each other from Brevard to MLK street. An ironic race for my family to participate in, considering both my mom and dad are vegans and also raised their kids (from birth) to be vegetarians as well, the three of us still woke up, exuberant about the running tour of Charlotte we were about to embark on.

The three of us warmed up the mile to the start of the race and picked up our numbers and chips. Eventually, it was time to start, and despite having a hellashish cloud of barbecue smoke hovering over the start line, everything was perfectly organized. The gun went off at the punctual time of 730am, right on time, and we were off.

At every turn, I was directed which way to go. At every mile marker, someone screamed out my splits. At various points in the race, a professional photographer snapped an action photo. At two points, they had water stops to relieve us all of the sticky summer heat.Horribly out of shape, I finished the race and didn't really think too much about how great of a job the race director had done to ensure that the inaugural Hog Jog would be a pleasant experience for all runners. It was my mom, after she crossed the line, who made me aware of such a feat. She immediately asserted, "WOW! I don't think I've ever run a local 5k race where they closed a lane of traffic! There were police officers everywhere directing runners! There was plenty of water! That was great!"

Keep in mind that my mom has been running for as many years (if not more) as I have been alive. Despite that, Charlotte was the first town she had seen to successfully put on a race, even though it wasn't necessarily very large. Coming to Charlotte allowed her to see that local, small-sized races could still be well-organized, flawlessly engineered to cater to every runners' needs.While I noticed the same organization at Hog Jog that my mom raved about, I did not think much more about.

Subsequently, I continued to be impressed with the organization at other local races I've participated in Charlotte (Greek Fest 5k, Hit the Brixx 10k, South Park Half Marathon, Corporate Cup 5k), but I never truly appreciated the organization that takes much time, effort, and money for a race director and volunteers to make a race successful.

After having ventured to some other small towns for races, I have seen that what Run for Your Life and other race organizers in Charlotte have done is not a small feat to go by unnoticed. Races in Charlotte tend to be, for the most part:
1) High in numbers of volunteers
2) Extremely well directed (aka - people don't get directed off course often)
3) Fairly quick in the compiling of results for the awards ceremony
4) Safe - plenty of police to block traffic or close lanes
5) Accurate with their timing systems

Just two weeks ago, several of my fellow Charlotte Running Club teammates were directed off course and could not even finish a half marathon that they had paid over $50 to run. This past weekend, several runners in a 10k race were misdirected and missed out on potential prize money and a top three spot.

People put a lot of time and effort into their training and racing. It is refreshing to know that Charlotte's race directors realize this and, in return, put a lot of time and effort into their race organizing.

Jay Holder's Race Recap: Corporate Cup Half Marathon

I am not going to play it cool. I was pretty pumped to win the Corporate Cup Half Marathon Saturday morning. I am not one of those runners who acts like winning is old hat. For me, it's not. Granted, I have had more than my fair share of running accomplishments in Charlotte and am thankful for and feel blessed to have each one of them. But, the last time I was the first guy to cross the finish line was June 1, 2003. I entered some tiny 5K with my dad in Lyons, NY. So to be the winner of a fairly large race in Charlotte is a pretty big deal for me.

Going in to the race, my goal was sub 1:15. Spoiler alert. It didn't happen. But, the race was a great experience/lesson physically and mentally. When the gun went off, four guys took off in front of me heading up College. It was Compton, Beigay and then two other dudes I didn't know. I knew Compton and Beigay were running relays, so I had decided before the race to keep a safe distance from them. The other two's plans were unknown. Were they running relays too? Were they running the 5k OR were they running the half too and unaware of Compton and Beigay's plans? Planning for the latter, just in case, I kept them in sight so they didn't open up too big of a lead on me. I figured, if they are going out that fast for a half, they are either really good, or setting themselves up for a disaster. It was good planning on my part. I went through the first mile in 5:20. OK, that's a little fast. When we hit the 5k point, Compton and Beigay were done, and the other two guys were the top two finishers in the 5k. Drats. Now, I was alone. Megan said she could tell I had an "oh shit" look on my face when I came through and realized what had happened.

I am hoping I am getting all my lonliness in now. Salisbury was five miles of me talking to myself, and this was setting up to be 13.1 of the same. I know my next two races, I'll have plenty of company (4 miler and Boston).

Heading up 3rd, I stole a few glances behind me. Open road. Hovis and Linz were a ways in front, on the second leg of their relay. I was half expecting Megan, on the second leg of her relay, to come flying past me. Spectators kept cheering, "you're in third" which I knew meant I was in first. We climbed up Providence to the intersection of Providence and Providence, Queens and Queens (for all you non-Charlotteans, yes this is a real intesection of four roads with two names. It's like that Seinfeld episode where Kramer is at the corner of First and First. "I'm at the nexus of the universe"). At this point, I was curious as to whether we would cross onto Queens and jughandle around or turn left right onto Providence. On the preview run last week, I had rather insistently told Spada there was no jughandle. I ate my words as I ran into the jughandle. Jocelyn and Dana blew by on their bikes with some supportive cheers.

Thomas Eggar was the first familiar face as I climbed toward Wendover. ('Climbing' will be a word I use a lot in this recap, since the race features some of South Charlotte's/Uptown's nastiest and longest hills). He had Gatorade and Gu, but I wasn't ready yet. I turned on to Wendover with a plan to ditch my gloves at mile 7. The only problem was, I didn't see mile 7 marker. So, a cheap pair of gloves landed in the middle of the road at the intersection of Wendover and Sharon.

The whole 7-10 mile portion of the race was nice because of all the club support. I think I touched on this in my Winter Flight recap, but the support from the Charlotte Running Club is INCREDIBLE. Our members come out in the cold just to stand on the street and cheer. Granted, I haven't been a part of many other running communities, but the one we have here has got to be as good as it gets.

At mile 8, I ate a mint chocolate Gu and nearly vomited. It was too thick, but then I turned toward the second relay point to a big crowd of Cheers. That's where Lauren was with Paul, Breland, Ben, Mo, etc. However, I knew what was coming next. The dreaded Colony hill. Thankfully, as I got to the base, Aaron came running out the woods to escort me up the hill. That was good because i needed someone to keep me positive on that trek.

After that, it was just me and Michael Greene. He was riding the pace bike in front of me, after Jocelyn apparently sent him back to keep me company. The only thing was, I could only see the back of his head, so I had no idea who I was talking to. That was until he held out his water bottle for me to take a sip of, I and sped up to grab it. Then, I felt dumb! Running down Queens, Matt stopped by on the bike too. I asked him where the next runner was, and he said he wasn't sure who it was, but the gap was enough for me to relax. I took advantage of the opportunity and let off the throttle a little bit. I knew the Moorehead climb was coming.

Turning on to Moorehead meant the end was near. I run up this street several times a week. No big deal. At this point, I knew unless something terrible happened, I was going to win, so excitement was carrying me in. I got a big cheer from Amy Ayrault near Euclid. Crossing over the bridge toward College, I could see the end. In the final stretch, there was a big crowd of supporters. Larry and Kathy were yelling loudly, Tonya and Kate had signs. Ben was running next to me with a bag. One more little uphill and then it was across the finish line. There was no tape to break, but I did get a high-five from Tim and Ashleigh. 1:15:28. I didn't hit my goal, but was truly proud and thankful for another solo effort on a hilly course. Wait, solo effort sounds wrong. I may have run by myself most of the race, but I run every day with some of the most supportive people I know, and had support on the course every mile. As soon as I got my chip off my shoe, I turned around to run back toward Lauren who was running the relay. My plan was to run her in. My favorite part of this experience is that she was as excited as I was. Her CRC relay team of complete strangers finished 3rd! At the awards ceremony, we were both pretty happy to get our trophies. She did a jump in the air, even!

I have to take some time to rave about the organization of this event. The course was very clearly marked. The water stops were plentiful. The police were friendly. The Childress-Klein YMCA and Event Marketing Services did an AWERSOME job putting it all together. It will definitely be on my calendar next year. Gotta defend the title, right?

PRs

My father always says PB (personal best) but the more widely used term in Personal Record. I thought I would take a few minutes to congratulate so many folks who had PRs this weekend at the Corporate cup 5k, half marathon and half marathon relay. By design, I requested to run the 2nd leg of the relay. It afforded me the opportunity to see the start of the race, compete myself, and then see as many folks as I could the last 5 miles of the course as I needed to get back to the start/finish after my leg.

What was so much fun was to find out how folks were doing mid race and then be able to share in their happiness after the race. I tried to run a bit with Jay Holder after my leg but he was turning 5.35 miles so I knew he was in route for a PR! Chad Crockford was cranking up the hill next to Myers park and I just knew by where he was in the race and how strong he looked that he was on time for a big PR. Michelle Hazelton came by in 3rd overall and was assisted by club member Thomas Eggar. They were working as a team to get Michelle thru the finish line in a 2 min and 30 second PR. Danielle Walther and Alice Rodger were neck and neck when I saw them with whole entourage of dudes (most were CRC members) pacing them along. Danielle had a 5 minute PR! I know I just scratched the surface of success out there. As an example, after the race I learned that Emily Barrett PRed thru 10k and half (1.50.31).

We send out a lot of praise to the folks up front who routinely place in the top overall spots. Those accomplishments are excellent but to some extent they are expected as the individuals obtaining them are very serious runners who are blessed with a boat load of talent. What I find really inspiring and satisfying is how many of you set a goal and crushed it this weekend! That means you worked hard in training and then delivered during the race to run a time faster than you have every run before! Pat yourself on the back for that as getting a PR is ALWAYS a great accomplishment.

Obviously we can’t PR every race, but I think the general trend in 2010 will be more and more club members achieving their goals and finding new levels of fitness they never thought they could achieve. Speaking from experience, I was so inspired by the Winter Flight crew 2 weeks ago that when it came time for me to race a week later, I had the confidence that I was going to do well because I run every week with that group. I also wanted to impress every one of them with a better performance of my own J I knew there were lots of you who were supporting me and curious/anxious to see how I would do. That gets me pumped up along with my own personal ambition and drive to improve.

To be totally honest I had folks today cheering for me and yelling my name that I do not even know and probably should! I sincerely appreciate their support and look forward to meeting them as they are a big reason I ran so well and was able to PR myself on my 5 mile relay leg (fastest I have run 5 miles in 17 years…XC back in sophomore year of college…that was a different chapter in my life so I am counting today as a PR J ). Throughout the race, I saw club members helping each other out by pacing each other, cheering at the end, and or our fabulous bike support crew that zig zagged up and down the course while shouting support.
It is hard for me not to gush about all of you each time I pump out a blog but so far, it has been totally deserved. Thank you all and congratulations! I look forward to sharing in your athletic progression all year.

Runner in the Spotlight: Deb Rubinich

Deb Rubinich is a coach at Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School. In her spare time, she still finds the time to raise two kids, run plenty of miles, organize races, and lead a new Charlotte Running Club group run! Read more below to learn more about Deb.

Deb competed for the CRC on a Corporate Cup Half Marathon Relay team - placing second in the team co-ed competition with Justin Breland and Glenn Carroll.

Where do you work?

I’ve had a software consulting business for a few years now, but I put it on the back burner to focus on coaching and some road race organizing. I currently coach cross country at Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School. If I can only figure out how to turn coaching/training into a full-time paying job, that would be my ideal work.

I’m also a race organizer for the upcoming 2nd Annual Bulldog 5k, which is coming up on April 24th in the Ballantyne area. Unfortunately, it does conflict with the Grand Prix series Skyline run, but for those CRC members not in the points race, this will be a fun alternative. It’s a super fast course too, if you’re looking for a PR. (Editor’s note: for more information, please click here)

What's your favorite restaurant in Charlotte?

That’s a tough one…. Primo’s, Greek Isles, Toscana, Five Guys(can’t beat the fries).

How long have you lived in Charlotte?

My husband, John and I moved to Charlotte in 1995. I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York.

Do you have any kids?

I have two girls, Brianna, 13, and Daniella, 11.

Do you think they will run?

Brianna’s on the school track team and has run cross country. She’s not into the longer distances, but prefers the 200 and 400 events. Daniella does all sports and plans to run cross country at Holy Trinity next season. Both are running in the Bulldog 5K in April. Daniella medaled in her age division in the Bulldog 5k last year, so she’s looking for back to back medals.

Favorite place you've traveled and loved for running?

We went to visit my husband’s family, along the beautiful Adriatic coastline in Croatia. It was an awesome place to run.

When and why did you start running?

I was always athletic as a kid. I started running competitively in 1975 in high school. I was the first female on the high school cross country team. There was no girls team, so they had to let me run on the boys team. There were definitely a few jealous guys on the team, especially since I was faster than many of them! I also was captain of the high school track team. I ran the mile and 2 mile run, but then would do any event that needed an extra body, such as 880’s, shotput(all 95 pounds of me at the time) and long jump.

I ran cross country, indoor and outdoor track at StonyBrook University for three 1/2 years also. I took a long break from running to focus on martial arts training. I tend to be a little obsessive-compulsive and like to do things to the best of my ability and put all I’ve got into it. I knew I couldn’t do karate and run my best, plus go to college full-time and work 32 hours/week and be successful at all of it. So I waited until I graduated college to focus on karate. I dropped the running for almost 15 years. The karate was hard core, not like a lot of the commercial schools you see now-a-days. It needed my full attention.

I’m very happy to be running again and am now contemplating what cool race to do for my 50th birthday run next January. A 50K run at Salem Lake for the 50th birthday? Or maybe visit Mickey and friends at the Disney Marathon?

What do you love about running?

Running is a time just for me and all about taking care of me. It’s my time to be with myself, “in the zone”. I can choose what to do with that time…. It can be a time for relaxation or a time to bring out the competitive juices. It’s whatever I want it to be that day.

What’s the funniest or strangest thing that has ever happened to you on a run?

You know you’ve had a bad running day when you go out for a long training run of 25 miles, get lost and end up running 30 miles, and on top of that drop your car key into a port-a-potty! That happened to me training for the 2007 Thunder Road marathon.

Do you lead any Charlotte Running Club group runs? What time?

I’m starting up a CRC group going in the Ballantyne area on Wednesdays around 7:00am-7:30am for 6 miles at 8:30-8:40 pace.

I also coach cross country at Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School. We had an excellent season this year with the girls winning conference and the boys taking second. I love coaching and find myself volunteering to coach all the time. In the last year, I’ve coached 5th grade girls basketball and 5th-7th grade girls volleyball and 5th grade soccer, in addition to cross country. I’d love to coach at a running camp during the summer or perhaps start one up in the Charlotte area.

What's your most memorable race and why?

My most memorable race is actually one I coached. Last season, I took some of my team to a meet at Weddington Middle School and it poured so hard that two of my racers lost their shoes in the mud. What made it most memorable was that they continued running the race and finished it. One picked up the running shoe and ran with it to the finish and the other left the shoe in the mud and finished the race. I couldn’t have been more proud of my runners. We called that race the Weddington Mud-fest!

Where is your favorite place to run in Charlotte?

I like running at McAlpine. It’s a nice soft surface. I also have a nice hilly route near Marvin Rd and Six Mile Creek Greenway that I’ve recently come to find myself doing more often. What’s nice about it, is that you get your hills in for 3-4 miles, then get a nice flat fast 2 in the greenway to break up the road running and then back to the hills again.

Favorite distance? 5K – PR is 23:15

What’s next on your race calendar?

Bulldog 5K in April. Last year I was the starter. This year, I’m running it. :o)