Warm and relaxing run in December!
The Frostbite 5K is the final run in the 3-race Cannon YMCA 5K Race Series for 2016, and starts and finishes at the granddaddy of the Cannon YMCA system, the Kannapolis YMCA. The course runs through a few communities, and spends a lot of time on the Bakers Creek & 8th Street greenways, part of the Carolina Thread Trail.
I arrived about ten minutes prior to race start, and was thankful to find a spot nice and close to the Y and the start/finish line for this loop course. I jogged inside, grabbed my bib and goodie bag, then back to drop the non-essentials at the Jeep. As I fastened my bib and walked towards the start line, I heard beautiful bagpipe music starting the ceremonies.
With a 10:00 am start, there wasn't the usual shivering that accompanies a late December run. I wasn't sure if it was really jacket weather, but brought mine along just in case. It's been an unseasonably warm start to winter - even Christmas Day is forecast to be around 75°F. The crowd was in good spirits, and I lined up near the back after the debacle that was my last race.
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| The race shirts are blue long-sleeve. |
The course picks up a couple of hills on and near the YMCA property, and then it's down to the greenway and into the communities of Kannapolis. The weather was absolutely amazing, and I had dressed for about 15 degrees colder today. There was an ever-so-slight breeze, and bright sunshine.
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| Running along the greenway just before the turnaround. That's the second-place female coming this way, I believe. |
I was determined not to overdo it, but still have a good time out there. The runners spread out pretty quickly, and there was plenty of room on the course. Well before the turnaround the race leader, Brandon Hernandez, came bounding by like a gazelle and was sporting the race t-shirt. Right behind him was Guillermo Razo, less bounding and more pounding but still blazing fast. These two were the only ones to finish with a sub-6:00/mile pace.
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| Lovely day. |
I started the race bundled a bit more than needed, with two shirt layers, a jacket, ear warmers, and gloves. By the first half mile the ear warmers came off, and by the end of the first mile it was time to shed the jacket and gloves. I tried the ever-fashionable tie-the-jacket-around-the-waist but the thing kept sliding off. I finished the race with my jacket in my hand and the other stuff shoved in my pockets.
The middle of the course fairly flat and on the paved trails of the greenway. Near the end of the course, runners have to pay the piper and hit a final hill before reaching the finish line. I passed one person on the hill, but as the course flattened for the last hundred yards or so I noticed the person next to me picking up the pace. It was a fun sprint to the finish line and a nice way to end the run. So to Rebecca Stevenson if you're out there - nice run and a nice finish!
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| At the finish line. Photos by RomanDA Photography. Go check them out! |
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| Relaxed finish line. |
The finish had a nice, relaxed, community feel. People were milling about, chatting, enjoying the day. I saw a few folks I knew and said hello, and was getting ready to leave when I spotted one more person I wanted to meet.
Two years ago at this race, the final hill took my energy and another runner, Donald Council, kept on moving - finishing a good 10-15 seconds ahead of me. At the Pumpkin Roll 5K back in September, I saw him again during the awards ceremony. I saw him after the race this time, and took a moment to say hello. Turns out he is one of a family of accomplished runners and track & field athletes. He runs every Cannon YMCA race, and is working on building up his speed after a recent injury. Next year he'll be blazing fast, and taking home a lot of hardware along the way.
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| Donald Council. Watch out, 2016! |
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| Bonus time! |
The Cannon Memorial YMCA system was originally chartered as a division of Cannon Mills, a large textile manufacturer that dominated the geographic and cultural landscape of Kannapolis for decades. Cannon Mills created jobs, offered housing and health services, and established the YMCA in Kannapolis as a service its employees and the community.
Before churches were built, they would meet at the YMCA. The YMCA literally defined the city limits of Kannapolis in the North Carolina General Assembly Act in 1909:
“The boundary of Kannapolis shall be a circle, every point of which shall be one mile distant from the center of the ground covered by the David Franklin Cannon Memorial Hall erected at Kannapolis as a YMCA building.”
If you live in the area, check out the YMCA and its rich history. Better yet, join and benefit from the programs, community connections, and your own well-being. Or come out on for a race or two in the 2016 YMCA 5K Race Series.
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| Certificate of Completion. |
Did I mention you get a virtual race certificate? Mine's right here. I hope to never take a race for granted, and am always thankful to finish.
Merry Christmas!
=== RACE DAY ===
Race: Frostbite 5K
Location: Kannapolis, NC
Shoe: Asics GT-2000 3
Date: 9/26/2015
Distance: 5K
Time: 26:47
Pace: 8:38/mile
Overall: 51/393 (13.0%)
Gender: 39/178 (21.9%)
Group: 14/33 (42.4%)
=== STRAVA SAYS ===
Distance: 3.1 miles
Moving Time: 27:08
Avg Pace: 8:30/mile
=== LINKS ===
Website: Cannon Memorial YMCA
Registration: Cannon Memorial YMCA
Results: Racemine.com
Organizer Pics: RomanDA Photography
Was a great time, glad you enjoyed the photos!
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