22nd Annual Elizabeth 8k: Big Success

Tim Long with the Final race instructions for the Elizabeth 8k (check out the bed head!)

22nd Annual Elizabeth 8k: Big Success
Tim Long

The 22nd edition of the Elizabeth 8k took place this past Saturday, March 29th, and by all accounts was a tremendous success. Even the prediction of rain held off until after the awards ceremony.

Registration continues its upward spurt that began last year with the terrific management of the Elizabeth Community Association along with the partnership of Racescapes Events. This year over 600 people registered for the 8k and 3k (in 2005 there were 162 and 2006 had 225).

With the increase in numbers, the speed of the competitors came out with Paul Manwaring winning in a very fast 27:12 (5:29 pace). The hottest thing on the Charlotte race scene has to be Megan Hepp. She continued her dominance of the Charlotte races with a new course record of 27:58 (5:38 pace). She's easily the fastest woman I've seen in the five years I've lived here.

Congratulations to the Elizabeth Community Association and all the participants. Thank you to the volunteers, who made everything go so smoothly, and a special thanks to the great sponsors (all listed on the event website along with results, www.elizabeth8k.com).

Let's break 1,000 registrants next year!

22nd Annual Elizabeth 8k

22nd Annual Elizabeth 8k
Road race for runners and a 3k for walkers.

22nd Annual Elizabeth 8k

Presented by:

Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital and Grubb Properties
March 29th at 8:00AM

Join us for the 22^nd running of the historic Elizabeth 8K Road Race presented by Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital and Grubb Properties and organized by the Elizabeth Community Association. This is the 22^nd annual edition making it the second oldest road race in Charlotte. Featured are a great USATF certified course, event T-shirt, food, beverages, music, overall and age group awards. Proceeds benefit the beautification of the Historic Elizabeth Neighborhood.

Proceeds benefit the beautification of the Historic Elizabeth Neighborhood

Independence Park
300 Hawthorne Lane
Charlotte, NC 28204

Join us for Charlotte’s historic Elizabeth 8k
organized by the Elizabeth Community
Association.

This is the 22nd annual edition making it the
second oldest road race in Charlotte.
Featured are a great USATF certified course,
event t-shirt, food music, overall and age
group awards.

www.elizabeth8k.com

New Thursday Night Timed Fun Run

Weekly Group Runs and New Thursday Night Timed Fun Run

Trail Running

For the Native Trail Gods trail running group click HERE (www.nativetrailgods.com)

You'll have to join Facebook (you can join and keep your profile private)

This week join us for a mini trail run/hike adventure at Kings Mountain

New 4.44 Mile Thursday Night FREE Timed Run Beginning April 3rd

Great White Grand Prix New 16 week points series FOR ALL ABILITIES beginning April 3rd! New course HERE Timed fun run every Thursday night. Receive points just for participating, get more points for performance, get even more points for "special events" like team relay events, urban assault runs into downtown and back, themed runs, and the Mako Mile Run on a local track. Bring a change of clothes and a few bucks for beer and food and, of course, socializing after the run. Sharksbite is the first and only club to offer this Boston-style timed weekly fun run in Charlotte. We've had weekly crowds averaging 50 people before with one of our runs topping 100 people (St. Pats Day). There's a water stop at the halfway point, which happens to be Charlotte running and real estate icon, Brenny Thompson's house.

Series T-shirts to everyone who completes at least 12 of the 16 series events, so don't miss the first one on April 3rd at 6:30PM.

Meet at the Dilworth Gardens parking lot (where Charlotte Running Co. and Talley's Grocery reside).

Awards, giveaways, and more fun than a greased pigglet!

Regular Weekly Group Run Schedule

Mondays: 6:30pm: The Monday night run is back full force! The Wolfman Pizza Monday Night Run. This is the only regularly scheduled run through the beautiful Museum neighborhood in Myers Park. A challenging and invigorating 5.5 mile course through wide, tree-lined boulevards. The ringing of the half hour on the church bells across the street signify the start. Here is the course map. And Here are directions on the location.

Tuesdays (Yes, Every Tuesday) 6:30pm: Trail Run Group - 3 to 6 miles. Renaissance Park, 1536 W. Tyvola Rd, Charlotte, NC (2nd entrance on right heading west from Tryon St.)
**Drive to the back of the parking lot where the softball fields are on your left. Trailhead is located is located back off the right side of the parking lot...

Wednesday 6:00pm: Group run 6@6 group. Starts at Charlotte Running Co. Click here for course map.

Thursdays : Great White Grand Prix New weekly points series beginning April 3rd! New course. Timed fun run every Thursday night. Receive points just for participating, get more points for performance, get even more points for "special events" like team relay events, urban assault runs, themed runs, and the Mako Mile Run on a local track. Want more info? Then come to the first run on April 3rd.

Saturdays : Various locations and distances. Your best bet is to post on the message board Here with info on where you'd like to run and description, i.e. "McAlpine Creek Park for 4-8 miles", so you'll have some company. After the run we typically head out for some breakfast/brunch. Often we'll be doing some very long runs of 20+ miles... Check out Native Trail Gods for trail run/hike adventures

Sundays at 9am. : Various locations and distances. Your best bet is to post on the message board Here with info on where you'd like to run and description, i.e. "McAlpine Creek Park for 4-8 miles", so you'll have some company. After the run we typically head out for some breakfast/brunch.

Check out Native Trail Gods for trail run/hike adventures

Trail Running & Hiking

For the Native Trail Gods trail running group click HERE (www.nativetrailgods.com)

You'll have to join Facebook (you can join and keep your profile private)

This week join us for a mini trail run/hike adventure at Kings Mountain

Get a Lid - Counter Point

I received this lucid comment on the helmet issue from Darren Young from Nevada and felt it warranted its own article posting here.

Greetings Tim!

I'll bite on this topic. I starting racing road bikes about the same time you did (late '85, early '86) when helmet use was in it's infancy. First helmet I owned was a Bell V-1 Pro and, while it served as great protection, it was damed uncomfortable! It came out of the closet for races (required) and when my parents caught me leaving the house without it! Once I was 'on my own' helmet use was very sporadic, pretty much racing only. Stupid if I really think about it, safety aside; like training in racing flats and then toeing the line for a race in training shoes...I should have been trying to duplicate race conditions in training!

Sorry, I moved off topic a little, the issue you brought up wasn't safety or best practices but one of personal choice. I was often annoyed, like yourself and the cyclist in your post, when some 'fred' (a term I no longer like but would have used in the past) would 'tell' me MY business. It was a choice that affected ME and not them. While I agree with the previous statement in it's purist sense I've come to the personal conclusion that the 'ME' in that statement was exceedingly hard to define as just the singularity it so desperatly tried to be. Basically, most of the decisions I make have (or could have) effects on more than just me. My cranium gets hurt to the degree I'm a vegetable, someone has to take care of me. I pay the ultimate bill, death, and my daughter doesn't get to really know me and my wife would miss me (at least some of the time ;-). My choice, their consequence.

I'll take a shot at some of the other examples you gave on personal choice: Smoking, weight problems, chronic poor diet. These can have effects on the rest of us, at least the way our current health/insurance system operates, we all share the costs regardless if we've made the 'personal' choice.

This whole thing is hard for me to write because I still feel personal choice is sacred and seldom, if ever, tell someone else how to live their life. But, you asked so there you have it: MY OPINION.

Get a Lid

Get a Lid
Tim Long

I will likely catch some heat for this article from the publisher, since he's an avid cyclist and triathlete, but it's a holiday for many folks, so maybe he's not in the office today. Still, this is my personal opinion, not the magazine's.

Just after we started our Thursday night group run last night a cyclist not wearing a helmet came up the road toward us. One of the guys I was running with said, "Wear a helmet." The cyclist snapped back, "Go .... yourself!" My runner friend was a bit startled, but his concern about another person not wearing his helmet was falling on deaf ears where I'm concerned. This verbal cyclist crossing our paths was obviously an experienced veteran on the bike. Indications were his fitness, bike, cloths, and general comfort and control of the bike.

I know this article post will set some tempers on fire, but I'm tired of having people tell me what's best for me. What's next, will we be wearing helmets on our group runs too? I mean, some of us can run 10mph, which is almost as fast as recreational cyclists. People can trip, fall, hit their heads. So, what's the difference? I started seriously cycling in 1986. I wear a helmet when I ride in a group and/or know I'll be going down some long, steep descents. When I ride alone, I typically go hatless. It's my noggin, my ride, my decision, so mind your own business.

Regardless of what I think about people and how they put themselves into dangerous or unhealthy situations, I'm not going to tell them how they should live. "Stop smoking you black lung leper!" "Lose some of that fat, heart-stressing belly!" "Don't eat that preservatively chemical-rich Twinkie!" "Try reading a book, or exercise your mind, play-do brain!"

Tell me to wear a helmet and you'll get an ear full of how I think you should live too, and one of the suggestions will be to mind your own damn business.

Please feel free to comment... I can't wait to read them!

Give Moutain Biking a Try This Year

Give Moutain Biking a Try This Year
Tim Long

It looks intimidating, the cool clothes, the fancy bikes, trails, jumps, but that's just the face of a great sport for all abilities.

The best place to start to get information on everything from how to choose your first bike to which trail is perfect for beginners is the Tarheel Trailblazers Mountain Bike Club. They have trail reviews, links to bike-related information, photos, riding clinics, and, best of all, a message forum where information is shared by riders of all abilities ranging from first timers to the staunch veteran.

The Tarheel Trailblazers were founded in 1990 by a handful of local mountain bike enthusiasts. Over the years the club has grown to over 300, resourceful, energetic and active men and women of all ages. Our volunteers work directly with local land managers, building and assisting in the maintenance of what will soon approach 75 miles of carefully constructed, sustainable mountain bike trails, in the Metro - Charlotte region. We are the voice of advocacy for mountain bikers and our goal is to build and maintain trails for all mountain bikers to enjoy for generations to come. For more information visit them Tarheel Trailblazers

Charlotte MS Walk

Charlotte MS Walk

March 29, 2008

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Mid-Atlantic Chapter, has set the dates for its spring 2008 MS Walks, and is seeking walkers and volunteers who are willing to take another step forward in the movement against multiple sclerosis.
The Mid-Atlantic Chapter will host MS Walks in 19 communities across North and South Carolina in the spring of 2008, including seven in the Charlotte metro area.

Those include the Charlotte and Gaston County MS Walks on March 29, the Cabarrus County, Union County, and Shelby MS Walks on April 5, and the Salisbury and Tri-County (York, Lancaster, & Chester) MS Walks on April 12.

The Charlotte MS Walk will take place on March 29 at Symphony Park near SouthPark Mall at 9:00am, and walkers can opt for a 2.5 or 5 mile route.

Corporate sponsorships are available for all walks, and the chapter is seeking volunteers to help with festivities, food, route marking, and medic stations. There is no cost to walk, but participants are encouraged to raise money prior to the event. All monies raised go to support programs for local clients living with MS, and MS research.

For details on registration, walking, or volunteering, contact Janet Coggins at mailto:janet.coggins@nmss.org or (704) 525-5906. Dogs are allowed at the walk. For more information, visit http://walkncp.nationalmssociety.org.

When
Saturday, March 29, 2008
9:00 AM

Where
Symphony Park
South Park Mall Behind Dick's Sporting Goods