Several members of the HRC went to Cades Cove for a wonderful Fall training run.  This used to be an annual event but for one reason or another has not happened since 2008.  Martha and I, Skip Taylor and MaryAnn Sloan, Jim and Mary Jo Askew, Art and Vickie Heller, and Anthony and Sharon Lampros took advantage of a cool, overcast morning and ran, walked, or cycled the 11-mile loop; Anthony, who is training for a marathon, ran the loop twice. 

Along the way, we counted 13 bears, many at close quarters, lots of deer, and of course many turkeys in addition to myself.  This bear ran from under a tree, across a field, and across the road in front of us.  Now I know that I cannot outrun a bear:

OEI Par 5-K

What a great morning for the OEI Par 5-K, held at Highlands Falls Country Club this year.  It was a cool, crisp morning, and although some runners got lost and did not finish, many Club runners not only completed the race but placed.  I took first, but Martha was only one minute behind me (2nd Place).  Vickie Heller (1st Place) was breathing down my neck and 75-year-old Jim Askew (1st Place) was right behind her.

I'm going to have to start training harder . . .

Anderson Midnight Flight

Well, that seemed awfully brutal to me, and Martha thought it was tough, too, although I found out that she was right behind me for the first three miles.  Before I reached the first mile marker, my legs were reminding me loudly and indignantly that I had run an 8-K only six days earlier.  My slowest time ever at Anderson!  But I left nothing on the road, and neither did Martha, who also ended up taking a coveted 3rd place trophy.  So it was a good night!

And that awesome band was there again, playing Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn! - worth the price of the entry form.

Got to bed at 1:30 a.m.  

Maggie Valley

The conditions for the race were the best I have ever seen - cool, lower 70s, clear.  Skip Taylor came over and he and Martha took second place in their respective age groups.  I took only 5th, but felt good - running downhill I found that I was "in the zone," that magical state where everything is clicking along just perfectly.  When I turned and ran the last mile uphill I felt I could have gone a mile farther.  I am proud of Martha, and Skip also ran very well, finishing under 40 minutes.

Maggie Valley Moonlight Race

This great race is back again after a four-year hiatus.  I have so many fond memories of it in its earlier days when it was a much larger and more challenging event.  In fact, I posted this comment on their website today:

I have run this race eleven times since the first time in 1995, and I am glad to see it restored to its original 8-K distance. It is encouraging to see that there are already over 300 participants pre-registered. At the age of 62, my times have slowed a bit over the years, but I love the challenge of that long, long hill back up to the finish line! In the 90s, you started at Ghost Town, ran 4-K downhill, and turned around and headed back up that unrelenting hill . . .
Yes, I well remember coming up that long hill in the dark, looking for that line of flags that marked the parking lot at Ghost Town. 

Katy ran this race with me, too, in the past, and in fact she is one of the few people I know who has a coveted winners plaque.  It's dated 1998 and it's hanging on the wall of her bedroom.  Good times, good races!  This year I'm going over with Martha, and possibly Skip Taylor. 

The Finish Line

We always look pretty nice before a race, don't we?  Smiling and laughing, lounging around casually. We like to talk about it, before and after.  But here's what the finish line looks like - V02 Max! 

Whew! - it was only a mile, but at this point I just had fumes left in the tank . . .

The Main Street Mile

Race registration is so exciting!

Here is me and Charlie Dotson, a fixture at many area races, still going strong at the age of 88!  What an inspiration.  He ran an 8:30 - 8:08 last year!

Sam Edgens came over from Highlands with Turner, William, Sarah, and Natalie.  This was a great family event!  A mile can be both a challenging and an inviting distance to race.

 

Me and Martha, ready to run!

It's only one mile, and that's both an advantage and the disadvantage.  It's over before you know it, but there is no room for mistakes, either.  Last year Martha saw a woman stop and re-tie her shoe!  We both took second place in our age groups, but we both had slower times,too - in my case, 21 seconds, which is hard to believe.  Conclusion:  the course must have been short last year, or long this year.