A really good friend of mine Gregory Clanton who I call "tall drink" and his lady friend(we are not boys and girls, we are men and ladies) Donna Avery have signed up to do the race with me. I'm sitting in the car enjoying the heat. I see tall drink and Donna and he is motioning for me to get out the car. Pre-race jitters are kicking in and ALMOST don't want to get out the car. I get out. As I walk out to meet them, tall drink tells me I'm moving a little slow. I tell him it's pre-race jitters. He tells me there's nothing to be nervous about. I tell him whether it's race # 1 or #100 I will always get nervous before a race. It's part of the process.
We head into the gym, race headquarters. tall drink and Donna have to sign a race waiver since they just signed up yesterday. Tall drink is determined to get a race shirt. He confirms with NCRC Prez Rebecca Sitton on the shirt process. She tells him AGAIN they will pass them out at 3pm. I already know i will not be done in 60 minutes. I know someone who will because he wants a shirt. We hang out inside the gym and enjoy the warmth. Donna mentions to me "Jo there isn't alot of brown faces here" I tell her yeah we come to races but we are always in small numbers. It is cold outside and you know how black folks feel about cold weather. I see a line starting to build at the ladies restroom and i head on over and knock out this pre-race ritual.
Tall drink notices more folks are showing up. He says he's starting to get nervous. I tell him oh yeah you are ready for the race because that's a true sign. Rhonda Hampton makes an announcement that the race is starting in 10 minutes and all participants need to head to the start line. We head outside. As soon as I walk out the door, I am hit with a blast of cold air. I start to wonder about my life choices at this point. I'm already here so in the words of Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas "Let's get i started up in here" We head to the start line. I tell Donna i tend to hang in the back and let the fast folks line up in the front. I get the Garmin and RunKeeper set up. Race MC Brad Broyles announces the start of the race. We are off. Tall drink tells me he's going to walk with me through the race. I know he isn't because he has about a 12 minute pace. He sees folks running an d he wants to take off with them. I tell him go ahead i know you want to run with them. I will see you all at the finish line. I don't move that fast. I'm not about to try today in this cold as ice weather. Off we go. We make the first right turn and I see Esther Dill on the corner volunteering as a course monitor. We head downhill and make another right turn and I see Louise Gardino. She tells me "Jo I'll see one more time" As we head down the street, the lead cyclist is heading toward us with the front runners. Tall drink ask me "Are they already heading back" I'm like oh yeah, that's the front of the race. There's a brother in the front pack. What can I say I'm always checking for the other black folks when I'm at races. It's a reflex. We turn left and I see Paula O'Neal. Paula and I go way back to 2012 when she would always be my personal escort as the sweeper during races. She has since retired from Raleigh PD. we head uphill and this isn't even the HILL. It's waiting for us after mile 2. I going uphill and i make a right and see another NCRC peep Jennifer Ennis. Right turn and around the back of the building and you get a nice view of the soccer field. Soccer folks are out today having a good time. I may need to find an interest in soccer because Beckham plays soccer and he's very easy on the eyes. I'm just saying. I will probably need to go across the pond and watch soccer. The big soccer tournament is coming up this year isn't it. No idea. Have to ask google. Back to the race report. I hear Lisa Howell behind me and that means she is sweeping the race. We pass Jenn again. Then i see mile 1 marker. Woo hoo. I don't even check my Garmin to see what my time is. I'm just going to wait until the end to see what it is. Did I mention that my legs feel frozen? i thought they were just sluggish from yesterdays swim but oh no them jokes are cold. I keep pressing on. I see Paula again. 1 mile down, 2.1 to go. I can do this. Of course I can. I'm self-analyzing what additional training i need to get in to get ready for tobacco road and shamrock. That's pretty much what i do during every race, i start to think about what i need to do better to improve my pace. crazy right?? I take those thoughts out my head and i think about what Sharon Johnson says "enjoy the journey". Since I've done this race before i know what i have left to do on the course. I turn left and head uphill. I come up on the water stop. I tell them no thanks to the water. I carry my own primarily because my experience is the water stops are out or have left the building. TRUE STORY. Pass the water stop. Lisa catches up with me. The couple she was sweeping has picked up their pace and passed me. They better do it. It's a husband and wife and they are getting it in. That's what I'm talking about. Tall drink calls and checks on me. He's the best. He tells me once he finishes and gets his shirt, he's going to come back and walk with me to the finish line. That's friendship right there. We pass mile 2. Hallelujah. We are near the Boylan entrance and you can see a nice view of the downtown Raleigh. As we pass the entrance, we turn left onto Tate. Tate should be called the DEVIL because it a straight 90 degree hill from HELL. I take it with short and steady steps. Slow and steady up the hill works well for me. I don't stop for any breaks. That's called progress. we turn right and hit flat road. YEAH!! We go around and then cross over Tate and I see Frank Hagg on the corner. He tells me i have about 1000 meters left to go. I tell him i really believe you. I truly know that there isn't much left to the finish line. We pass Carolyn Quarterman for a 2nd time. She walks with us since we are the end of the race. We talk about being at Richmond together back in November. All cool people hang out at the same races. Oh yeah!! I see an angel heading towards us, his name is Tall Drink. He comes to walk with me to the finish line. He told me he got his shirt and Donna is in the car warming up. He asks me how I'm doing. I tell him besides being cold I'm OK. We make a right. We head down the street, pass the water stop. He tells me the finish line is around the corner. I tell him this part of the race is the best because you know you are almost done. We make the last turn. I see Esther, Louise and Rhonda. Tall drink tells me "do you know everyone on the course?" I tell him well the race is being done by North Carolina Roadrunners Club which I'm a member of. I know a few folks. Lisa tells him yeah Jo is a veteran of these races. This is true. I see the finish line arch. I also see the clock. I see 1 hour and 7 minutes. I can't remember what last year's time was. I'm telling myself that i want to cross before it hits 1 hour and 10 minutes. I pick up my pace. Tall drink tells me "i see you picking up the pace" Lisa says "it's the race for the finish energy coming out" I cross the finish line in 1 hour and 8 minutes according to RunKeeper. Lisa tells me "don't forget to get your rose" I pick up my rose. Another 5K is done!!!
