The Third Time Is A Charm !

It took several attempts spanning the past five years but I finally earned my podium finish for the Glass City Half Marathon this past weekend! What follows is the background to this story and the race report of my third try. Thanks in advance for reading my post.

Background

For years I had always heard great things about the Glass City Marathon and Half Marathon hosted by the Toledo Road Runners Club. It’s best known for a relatively flat course that gives the runner few excuses for a poor performance. It’s also known as one of the better organized events. A race’s leadership and organization often go unappreciated by many (but not all) runners. Not by this runner, they know how to do it right in Toledo.

Race swag, sorry, my free beer glass is not in pic.

Back in 2019 I ran my first Glass City Half Marathon. When race day approached in late April of that year, I was a victim of minimal prep required to run any half marathon. Nonetheless I did run, and my results reflected my training that year. I finished in 2:11, well beyond my normal range of 1:45 to 1:55 back then. I also errored on my logistics. Toledo is about an hour’s drive south for me and I made the trip to the expo on Saturday afternoon, returning home after I picked up my race bib. Of course, this meant I needed to get up very early Sunday morning to drive back to Toledo, find a parking space, engage in my usual pre-race routine, and make it to the starting line by 6:30 AM! I somehow managed all of that and I thoroughly enjoyed the race and post-race festivities. I was hooked on Glass City despite my relatively slow performance.

It was a struggle for me to finish in 2019. I since learned from my mistakes.

There was no Glass City in 2020 thanks to Covid of course but the race was one of the very first races to return to real time road racing in 2021! This time I took advantage of my lesson learned in 2019 and booked a hotel stay in Toledo. Many advantages to doing this but frankly, I was still awake very early on race morning and managed to get to the starting line shortly before the 6:30AM start again. My 2020 race time was even a bit faster this time too! There are advantages to knowing the course now. I finished in 2:04 and a few spots off of a podium finish. Not a problem, while I enjoy being competitive. I also understood taking more than 2 hours to finish a half marathon was simply a matter of insufficient training. I have never been a big-time winter runner thus my spring racing results are not my best results. Surely 2021 will be my year to break thru at Glass City!

Well, I had high hopes for 2021 racing year. I was now in a new (older) age group and I knew that my strongest competition of runners were a year younger than me so yes, I was set to win my age group this year in Toledo!

My year started out good too! About a month ahead of Glass City I won my age group in the Rock CF Half Marathon in Grosse Ile (MI). Then a week later it happened! While on an early morning midweek run, I stumbled along the walk, fell and ended up with a broken foot. No running, in fact, no movement of any kind for the next 8 weeks at least! So, no Glass City for me in 2022. The good news here is that I was able to resume running in June and recovered to run well in my fall events.

Glass City Half Marathon 2023

I was looking forward to returning to Toledo and taking on the half marathon again, especially following a strong fall racing season. But then, as usual, winter happens, and my training is just not the same as in the summer and fall. I was able to work up to a couple of decent long runs in the weeks preceding Glass City but, nowhere near the extent of tempo and similar training runs needed to run a strong half marathon. So, I tempered my expectations accordingly and simply looked to be happy if I could run a bit better than my 2:15 finish at the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon seven weeks prior.

Logistics also played a part in my race experience. I paid a nominal extra fee to be able to pick up my bib on race morning thereby not needing to pay for a hotel or make two back to back trips to Toledo. Great! Except I needed to leave home not later than 4:30 AM to make this work. I managed, it worked, but barely.

It’s 4:00 AM and Zeus is saying, let me go back to bed!

The real anxiety for me this year was the weather. Pre-race temps were in the low 30’s and the mild breeze made it feel like the high 20’s. I really prefer to race in shorts and a singlet. Given the temps, I was definitely wearing a long sleeve shirt under my singlet. But my legs? I had raced in similar conditions in tights and regretted every step of that race. So I fell back on an old trick I learned in my high school cross country days, use Vaseline over my exposed skin to keep the air off. This combined with knee high compression socks did the trick. For the wind, I wore a clear garbage bag over my body and kept it on until mile ten. I was glad too as with every turn in the course it seemed as if there was a new head wind there to greet me.

The Early Miles 1-3

There was a slight change in the course route this year. A new starting line location that I thought frankly was much better than previous years. But, the first 3 miles ran along much the same roads as previous years but in the reverse direction. So what? Well, the reverse direction meant we were running a bit more uphill rather than downhill. Still, the inclines were not that terrible and it was early enough so as not to impact performance.

And they are off! Except it’ll be another 5 minutes before I get to the start line.

The first three miles were simply a warm up for me. I purposely ran slow like I would on any normal Saturday long run. Going into the race I thought if I could average a 9:45 pace for 13.1 miles I would be happy. My early miles were at 9:45, so I figured it was simply a matter of holding onto this pace. It felt easy. Maybe a bit too easy as I was constantly passing people, even this early in the race, was this a good omen or would it lead to my downfall in the later miles? Ugh!

The Middle Miles 4-10

Shortly after hitting the 3 mile mark runners were back on the old course and passed by the long starting corrals where this all started nearly a half hour ago. I suddenly felt the beginnings of a cramp in my hamstring. This is not unusual for me, my only concern was whether or not it would cease or cause my early demise in the race. I frankly forgot about it and it never bothered me again. I just kept running. I was looking for the actual 3 mile mark when I suddenly noticed that I had just past the 4 mile mark! Wow, that seemed to pass by quick. Another slight turn ahead and we were into the scenic part of the course. I was remembering previous years here, running through some beautiful neighborhoods, people out on their lawns ring cow bells and cheering us on.

Miles 4 thru 10 include some moderate hills or more accurately, slopes. Still, experience has taught me to run with my head up, look towards the runners ahead so I can run the tangents (a running term meaning to run the shortest distance around a curve). Despite these “hills” I was still slowly passing most people. My pace had slowly but steadily increased from the 9:45 range to 9:10 and still feeling just as easy. No need to push it any harder as I certainly did not have the training to support anything more.

Then as we approached the end of mile 9 there was a dreaded actual hill. Well, at least after 9 miles this certainly felt like a hill. I remember in previous years this “hill” caused me to stop and walk it. Not this year. I did slow a bit but not for long. There was one more turn ahead and then it would be onto the 10 mile mark!

Approaching mile 12 and I still am feeling strong. Continue to pass runners and anxious to get to the finish line!

The Final Miles 11- 13.1

I knew that once I made this final turn to head towards the 10 mile mark that the relatively mild winds would now finally be at my back. Per my race plan, when I did cross the 10 mile mark I yanked off my garbage bag and was ready to push this final 5K to the finish line.

Except for another mild turn and the final leg into the Toledo Rocket Stadium and finish line, most of the final miles are along a straight road. There’s also one more decent hill that challenges runners just before the 12 mile mark too. Despite these challenges that lay ahead, I started to push my pace a bit. I was running in the 8:50’s nearly a full minute per mile faster than I was just 10 miles ago. Yes, I was still passing even more people. Of those that I passed, I gave a critical eye to see if they even might be in my age group too. Nope, not a one, so I thought maybe, just maybe I could do this podium finish thing! I was going to give it everything I had.

When I came to that last challenging uphill just before the 12 mile mark I again remembered walking this hill in previous years but not this time. I held steady and thought only about the final turn and the inviting long downhill to the finish line. It was now only two traffic signals ahead of me. Just take down one traffic signal at a time I told myself then the downhill.

Well before I knew it, I was at the final big turn and that nice inviting downhill. Despite being downhill it still is not easy to keep pushing, but push I did. Now I was really passing runners too! 800 yards to go, 400 yards to go, 13 miles and now only a tenth of a mile! Now is the time to also get in the clear for the photographers at the finish line! I was determined not to let that last runner ahead of me get in my picture so it was an all out spring as I entered the stadium for the final 40 yards or so, and there I was, running alone in space as I crossed the finish line!

Finish

Somewhere along the 11th mile I had passed the 2:05 half marathon pacer and I knew if I ran strong enough there might be a chance to break the magical 2 hour mark. I did run as strong as I could and as I approached the finish I saw the time clock reading about 2:06. Not to be disappointed because it took me at least a few minutes to get to the actual starting line, so it might be close to the 2-hour mark.

YES! Finally! The finish line, time to celebrate!

No, following the post-race goodies line, beer line, and pizza line, I had a chance to see the results. I had finished in 2:01.23.9, my fastest Glass City Half Marathon and a First Place finish in the 70-74 age group! Not to shabby for someone who only has been running about 20-25 miles a week recently, and most of those miles were very slow-paced miles. So, I am quite happy with my results and intend to step up my training for the rest of the spring and into summer racing season.

If it’s on the internet, it must be true! Overall: 862 of 2,187 runners.

Next up, The Bayshore 10K, Traverse City, MI. May 27. Stay tuned.

Thanks again for taking the time and interest in reading my post, I hope that it may inspire you to run and race a bit more. Please post your comments below, I look forward to seeing. Thanks.

Coach Lee, aka, “The Running Architect”

Ready, Set, Go !

Race swag and awards. As a first place finisher a special and very appropriate Rock is a part of each winners prize.

For some, the first sign of spring is seeing a robin, for others, it’s opening day and the start of the baseball season, for runners it’s running the first race of the new year! The first race of the year also represents the end to wearing layers of clothing, no more running through snow or icy conditions, the wind can now be your friend and not your enemy. Here in southeast Michigan that means it’s time to run the Rock CF Half Marathon/5K.

For me this first race of this new year represents a unique opportunity for my competitive spirit. I recently moved into the next 5 year age group of competition and for a short while, most of my toughest competition remains in my previous age group. So until they join me in my new division, I am determined to make the most of this short lived opportunity. My plan for this year is to run many of my usual favorite races, return to several I have not ran for some time, and take on the challenges of a new race, perhaps even travel to a new race destination in 2022. The Rock CF event fits my plan perfectly.

I took advantage of a special entry fee rate they offered late last fall. It was only for that early entry that I ran the race this year. Despite my plans to train better and more often over the winter I frankly wimped out too many times and stayed indoors with my favorite foods and drinks. This is not the way to train for any event! As 2022 arrived I decided to return to two of my previous successful methods. I re-enlisted with a 30 Day Jump Start weight loss program with Triad Performance Training and returned to run indoors with speed once a week at EMU with the Ann Arbor Track Club. Each of these strategies proved to be extremely helpful. However, I was not able to get my mileage up to where it should be to run a half marathon. My long runs where not long and they remained much slower than my usual training pace. By the end of February I was barely averaging 20 miles a week and often even less than that. I did manage a 10 miler or two in March but they were a struggle to complete. So needless to say, my confidence level was not great as race day drew near. I was even hoping a late winter snow storm might come along perhaps cancelling the race!

A couple of recent Friday morning runs helped to turn my training around and build my confidence back to at least close to where it should be. The biggest boost was the Friday morning just two days ahead of the race! I ran what felt like a very easy pace but was actually at least 30 seconds per mile faster than I had been training! So instead of fearing the race I set my sites to running a bit faster than I did about a year ago at the Glass City Half Marathon. I would be happy to run approximately 9:00 minute pace at Rock CF and finish in 2 hours and 5 minutes. So a 2:05 HM time became my target. I also knew that if a few “certain” runners failed to show to race that a 2:05 HM time for my age group may land me on the podium too!

Rock CF race founder Emily. Emily founded this race as a means to help support people battling cystic fibrosis which she battles too.

On race morning I was reasonably optimistic. I was simply planning to run relaxed, no need to run hard, just simply run for fun and see how far I could go until I hit the proverbial wall. And that’s just how I started too! The first few miles were chilly but the sun was out and we could see the skyline of Detroit beyond the view of the Detroit River ahead. I felt like I was running very slow but I looked at my watch and saw I was at 9:05 pace! This was well below my typical training pace of 9:30 to 9:45 or even slower. Yet, I felt good, felt relaxed and thought if I could just hold this pace I would certainly hit my goal of 2 hrs. 5 mins. In fact, during the early miles I was looking forward to a strong finishing kick and maybe have a chance at breaking the 2 hour mark!

Most of the race course is a welcoming flat route. There are a few undulating slopes along the way but nothing approaching what a race director might describe as “gently rolling” hills! The toughest part of the route was the wind. Grosse Ile is an island community set within the Detroit River. Most of the 13.1 mile route is along the edge of the island too, so there is little to no wind block as the winds pick up chills from the near icy temps of the Detroit River. Because of the winds, coming from the west that morning, I elected to run in tights versus regular shorts. This would prove to be a mistake late in the race.

The early miles flowed by and I still was feeling like I was running easy but my watch told be otherwise. My pace had picked up to the 8:35 to 8:45 range! This is a pace that I would typically feel very comfortable running had I logged more miles in training, but likely not sustainable given my training this winter! I continued to run this pace and see how long I could hang on.

The mile markers were very obvious but seemed to me to take forever to see the next one. This was particularly true as the route turned at the north end of the island and we ran along a mostly straight route along the westerly side of the island. I have become very familiar with the various landmarks along the island’s and riverside banks. For a number of years we have had the pleasure of being treated to many wonderful summer days on a friend’s boat. I had also had several architectural projects on the island in my career as an architect. The most notable was saving the local parish church from near structural collapse a few years ago. These landmarks helped me to segment the long route which in turn helped me to keep my unusual faster than recent pace in line.

As I approached the 8 mile marker I saw I had been averaging 8:40 pace! I also related the 8 mile mark to running “a loop” at Kensington Metro Park, my home to my long runs. I really wanted to stop and take a break, after all, I had 5 long more miles to go! But instead I broke the remaining 5 miles into 2 + 3. Another 2 miles would be to me, like running the Crim 10 Miler Race. I thought just get me to the Crim mark then I can run a 5K to the finish!

Well, I did make it to the 10 mile mark but not before making a turn to where the wind was now at my back and I was starting to get a bit too warm in the bright but still cool morning sunshine. I had wished I kept my running shorts on in lieu of changing into my tights just prior to the start of the race. But, nothing I could do about it now, just keep on keeping on as they say.

Thanks to Mami for being on the course offering her encouragement and photo skills. I really appreciated Mami’s support as I made the turn into the airplane hanger and onto the 10 Mile mark.

Where was Mami? Mami Kato is one of the better runners and active cheer leaders w the 5K! to cheer on our club members running the HM. Mami is one of the better runners within our 501 Running Club and she ran the 5K event. In fact she was the overall women finisher in the 5K! Mami had announced that she planned to run the route in reverse after finishing her 5K and I thought I should have seen her somewhere after mile 8 but did not. Well, soon after I wondered there she was, stationed just outside of the Grosse Ile Naval Air Hanger, taking pictures of each of us.

I just ran my best half marathon in recent years, feels good too !

Detroiters appear to have a “thing” about racing in strange places. Apparently the course needed to add a little distance to running around the island and meet the 13;1 mile mark so why not take runners through an airplane hanger, run them out on the runway a bit and let them run back through the hanger again? Detroit area runners love to run a mile under the Detroit River through a tunnel as part of the Detroit Marathon, so yes, make them run through the hanger and on a runway! Well, ok, the hanger part was ok, the runway part not so much. But there was Mami snapping pictures of the 501’rs and cheering us on. I especially needed a boost at this point and she provided the boost I needed. Thanks Mami.

So onto the final 5K, I was going to “kick this in” right? Well, not so fast, literally! My average pace for the race was now at 8:45 while very happy with this pace I was not sure how much longer I could keep it up. It seemed like mile marker 11 was never going to happen. I decided that I would begin my kick at mile 11. Not to bore you any further, let me just say that I decided to begin my “kick” at mile 12 instead! So mile marker 12 eventually came along and I was nowhere near ready to begin any kind of a kick. Instead, I reminded myself I was running much better than anticipated for this race and I just needed to keep on keeping on as they say. I resisted the urge to walk primarily because I thought there may be someone behind me that was my age and I was not going to let that imaginary runner pass me at this late stage of the race!

My “kick” finally came just as we turned off the street and into a long winding chute to the finish. I passed a couple of runners, thought that dang finish line was never going to get here and saw the race clock tick off at 1 hour 55 minutes! I also knew that I probably took nearly a minute to cross the actual start line so my chip time would actually be a little faster! Done!

Finished in 1:55:09, average pace, 8:48, one of my fastest half marathon times in recent years. I also finished two minutes ahead of my nearest competition. Not too shabby for this newbie to the 70-74 age group! Now onto improving my training as Mother Nature promises to be more accommodating in the weeks and months ahead.

Thanks for taking time to read my race report and I look forward to your comments and feedback.

Run Happy !!
Coach Lee

Crim Weekend Part 2 – The National Championship Race

Part two of my Crim weekend involves another Crim tradition. This one is relatively new and is known as The Michigan Mile.  The name is derived from the fact that the 1 mile race route originally was around and through the Flint University of Michigan campus. The route has changed in more recent years but still finishes along the campus’s edge on Kearsley St. 

For the past XX years the race has connected with the national governing body for track and field, the USATF and hosted the Masters (over 40 years of age runners) National Championship 1 Mile Road Race. These are separate races for men and women with championship recognition awarded in each 5 year age group and separate men and women teams in each 10 year age group. Because of the USATF affiliation, the race attracts a very competitive field of amateur runners from around the country! This year runners from California, Florida, New York, Denver, and throughout the Midwest competed.

I join my running buds from the Ann Arbor Track Club (AATC) to compete in the team event. We actually enter two teams in the 60 yr + group.  The entries are posted by USATF on their website and in the last day or two prior to the race I could see that I could count on finishing in the back of the pack in my age group as well as the entire field too!

I didn’t compete in this race last year due to injury and frankly I have not really been running like I am accustomed to doing since late 2017! So my expectations on winning a national championship were not exactly high. I did however find myself fantasizing about 6 or 7 runners collapsing on the course during the race and then maybe I might score a respectable finish!  This year was more about simply having fun at the race.

Even when you run for fun, it’s still important to do the proper warm-ups, run the course, dynamic stretching, and other moves to break a sweat and get my heart rate up.  While my expectations weren’t high, I did have a very strong and fast track workout a few days prior to the race and thus still held out a certain fantasy of finishing well.

The start! Off we go and I am not accustomed to having more runners ahead of me than behind me at the start. So despite my best intentions of starting reasonable, I failed. I started too fast running a 5:40 mile pace for the first 300 yards!!  Yikes!  My burning lungs told my brain to slow down or I would never even finish!  So, that I did all the way to a 6:20 pace at the first quarter mile. 

Better, but despite my will, the body won the battle and I smartly slowed to a 7:40 pace through the next half mile.  To put this in perspective, I have not run this pace in over two years! Several runners had passed me, no surprise there, but I as approached the 3/4 mark and a slight uphill, I was determined not to let anyone else pass me.

The last runner to pass me was a 70 year old runner. Well, good for him.  He pulled away from me a bit as I struggled up the hill, but then as I hit the crown of the hill with less than a 1/4 mile to go, I decided to close the 30 yard gap and then catch him.  Well, he must have sensed me as I did close the gap but I “ran out of real estate” yet finished as strong as I could up that final mound to the finish line.

Crossing the 1 Mile Finish Line and feeling strong!

Unofficially I ran a 6:58 mile. Not exactly a time that is going to win a national championship for this old runner, but a time that I can be very proud of for it has been several years since I have been able to run that pace.  After a year of knee surgery (non-running injury) and other aches and pains, I can confidently feel like I am nearly back to my normal running performance.

My final finish?  I finished 5th in my Age Group!  The best age group finish I have ever had competing in this national championship! And I have my running bud from the AATC, Aaron to thank for it too! That’s another story for another time, until then, yes I can officially claim my 5th place finish!

Thanks for following this short series. I hope you return for the full Crim 10 Mile race report soon!

Coach Lee, The Running Architect

Touring Crim - Entire Version

In response to an overwhelming demand (was there a demand?) I am publishing the entire version of “Touring The Crim Course” in a single post. I hope this will be of some aid to some runners out there.
I look forward to your feedback and thank you in advance.

Pre - Race

Normally the prerace events start for me about a week in advance. I follow the event’s website, enjoy a mild taper, and travel to and from Flint Friday to attend the expo. Race morning begins while most normal people remain in their dream state. I awake hours before the race, enjoy my coffee, toasted bagel with PB and jam, get dressed in my race gear, pack my food and race goods into a bag and head out to meet other runners from our Running Fit 501 group to caravan from Novi to Flint. We arrive in downtown Flint before sunrise and just as the race grounds begin to awake.

If we are lucky, the weather is clear, cool, and dry. However, this is Crim weekend and the weather is rarely ideal for running a 10-mile world class race. Traditionally the weather is hot, sunny, and very humid. Nonetheless, many world and American records have been set for the 10-mile distance on this now prestigious course.

This is perhaps the best place in the racing world to people watch for there are all types of individuals all with one thing on their mind, either finishing the race or to watch their family member or friend finish a race. While this part is fun, it’s also time to get serious. Runners need to continue to hydrate and that of course leads to the inevitable trip to the port-a-john. Get to one soon for it may not be the last time to need to use one! Somewhere about this time you will also be hearing several reports from the PA announcer. They will welcome you to the Crim and remind you who the sponsors are. In the midst of this you will also be aware of the first official start of the Crim 10 Miler. The wheelers will be the first to start a full 30 minutes of your start. This is always an inspiring moment to witness. I highly recommend you find your way to the starting line to experience this event and get your blood flowing a bit before you start your warm-up. 

Next up are the true elite runners, those who will be running their 30th Crim or more! New this year new to Crim will be the first ever class of 40 year runners!  19 inspiring runners have participated in every Crim race since the first back in 1977. This group of special elite runners will be honored with a 15 minute head start ahead of the thousands of other runners. I am very honored and proud to join this group for the first time too! It seems like just yesterday that I was counting down the final few years until I could join this group. Now I can claim being a member of the 30 year club and looking forward to running my 33rd Crim. Think of it, how many other clubs have a 30 year waiting list? 

Perhaps one of the most important things a runner can do prior to a race such as Crim is to warm-up those cold muscles. There are plenty of opportunities to jog along the city streets that parallel Saginaw St. Mix some slow running with a few quicker strides, stretch a bit, get loose, get your heart rate up, and then find your place in your starting corral at the last possible moment (3-5 mins ahead of the start).

The Start

After weeks if not months of training there you stand in a crowd of people on the bricks of Saginaw St. between the Citizens Bank Building and the Flint U-M Student Union.  Several years ago they started the race in waves. This means the elites and faster runners (approximately 7 mins per mile pace or better) are the only ones who now actually start at the official start time. Other runners will be held back a minute or two for each corral or group of corrals. There is very little time and distance between each wave. It will not take long for the entire mass of 10,000 or so runners to blend as one long parade line running through Flint.

The weather is probably sunny with a bit of an over cast, deceptively humid, and warm. Not to bad for the 4th Saturday in a Michigan August. The air is still as the PA announcer finally realizes there is nothing more to say, nobody left to recognize, and turns the mike over to Riley McClincha to sing the nation anthem. There may be a hot air balloon over the near horizon, perhaps a television helicopter, and certainly at least one drone hovering above you!

 Finally the Mayor of Flint will ask the runners and walkers to get ready, pause, then announce the runners and walkers to START. The gun! or more accurately the horn sounds! You begin to move from a being anxiously still for the past 10 - 20 minutes or so to a mild shuffle that quickly turns into a walk, a jog, and a slight run. Before you know it you are stepping over the chip mat, you click your watch, the crowded field begins to disperse, and you are a Crim participant!

Being a participant is nice, but you want to succeed! Success in the Crim is a very individual measurement. Whether it is to simply finish without walking, win a medal, set a PR, or even a national record makes no difference, it’s all about knowing that you achieved your best today! To help you achieve your best the following is a brief outline of what to expect, perhaps suggest a strategy to attain it, and hopefully help you celebrate your Crim success!

Mile 1

Despite the shoulder to shoulder start, you will want to be sure to line up on the right side of the street. Within the first two hundred feet or so there is a traffic island barrier in the road. you will remain on Saginaw St. for the first quarter mile and then the course will take a 90 degree turn to the right. If you take the left side of the traffic island you will be adding unwanted distance to your very first mile. It may not sound like much but the Crim course gently winds in many places and you need to run all of the tangents as efficiently as possible to help ensure your best finish time.

Think of the first turn in the route as a giant hair-pin turn for before you know it you will make another 90 degree right turn and head once again over the beautiful Flint River as you run south along Harrison St. That 9 story tall office building on your right brings back many memories for this writer as I was the project architect for the State Office Building in 1980-81 and oversaw much of the construction activity as well.

Harrison St. parallels Saginaw St. and will offer the opportunity for spectators to line the street and cheer you along the start of your Crim adventure for 2019. The newer route no longer crosses over Saginaw St. where the crowds previously gathered, but like earlier years, you need to be very careful along this part of the route and not to get too excited, avoid any adrenaline rush, and keep running nice and relaxed. It’s very OK, in fact it is even very smart to run slower than your intended pace at this point in the race. Begin to work your way to the left side of Harrison as your next turn is onto Kearsley St.

Kearsley St. also brings back many fond memories for this writer for where the route turns left once stood the old Palace movie theater. I saw many movies here as a kid, the last one being “Woodstock” way too many years ago. Kearsley was also the name of a Flint area school that was the nemesis of my high school track and cross country teams, again too many years ago. Like years fly by, so will you along this portion of the route. It is straight with a very gentle slope that you will likely not perceive but one that will affect your pace. Keep relaxed, the cheering crowds are likely to extend along Kearsley St., the border of Flint U-M’s campus as you begin to approach the 1 mile mark.

Take this mile easy and relaxed.  Remember 10 miles is still a long way and you likely did not have much of an opportunity to warm your muscles, including your heart!  Focus on being relaxed, don’t work too hard by passing too many too soon. The crowd will soon begin to spread out. Keep your head up and look ahead at the mass of runners, look for how the mass will turn, you will want to move to the side of the street where the next turn will move you. Smart racers focus on running the shortest distance possible!  Be aware of the next tangent ahead!

Before you know it you are out on the wide open Chavez Dr. you approach the one mile mark.  Odds are that you will run your first mile faster than you would like too, do not fret too much, this is a race and the beginning of mile 2 will quickly reel you back to reality.

Mile 2

If you were fortunate enough to catch your split and get a drink, you need to continue to run smart and keep your head up! Continue to watch the crowd of runners ahead of you. Note their path and the turns to the left onto Robert T. Longway Blvd. This is a very nostalgic turn for me. The small office building on the corner once was the home of the Flint architectural firm Nelson McKinley Reed.  I visited this office during my high school years and after completing my Master of Architecture degree, ended up working for them, but at a different location two blocks exactly west of the Crim finish line!.

The nostalgia bug continues to bite me as we run along Robert T. Longway, just after running over the Flint River, the runners pass a high rise residential building surrounded by low rise residential buildings. This housing initially was named the Doyle Housing Project, and I worked on many of the low rise buildings, again during my early years as an architect working in downtown Flint.

Next, just before you cross Saginaw St. the race organizers were kind enough to offer you a very brief short cut on the course! You make two gentle left turns and then suddenly you are once again on Saginaw St. and looking ahead at the starting line you left just minutes ago. As a 30 year runner I get a 15 minute head start on the field. So, when I arrive at this point on the course I see the mass of runners lined up and prepared to start.

The view of the starting line is not a long one for next you will make a right turn and will be running on the original Crim route as you pass the 2 mile mark!

Mile 3

This is where you return to the balance of the “old Crim route”. You likely begin mile 3 at least a few seconds faster than your goal pace. No fear another hill is near J  This time it’s of the long and slow rise variety. Between the 2 and 3 mile marker you likely will not realize it but you conquer a 60 foot rise in the course too.  In case you either forgot your breakfast you can likely take advantage of the Krispy Kremes or similar treats being offered to runners at some point along this part of the course! 

During this mile you will likely start to encounter the back of the pack members of the 30 and 40 year clubs. You can’t miss them as they will be wearing the number that represents their years of running Crim. Be sure to offer encouragement and congratulations to each of these runners. I promise you will be rewarded with special runner karma later along the course J

Be careful here as there are several small traffic islands in the street. You will need to stay to the right of these islands and for the entire distance along University. You do NOT want to ever be running along the left side of University!

You will be on this street for nearly a mile. If you are not having a good day, this stretch will do nothing to make it any better. It begins with a hill, flattens in the middle a bit, before another long gentle slope up to the 3 mile mark at the corner of Chevrolet.

Two of my favorite sites along this stretch are the locals who stand along the street curb to cheer and Atwood Stadium.  Odds are you will be much closer to your goal pace at this point, but don’t be surprised if you begin to question your ability to maintain your pace for the next 7 miles. You will really need to maintain a positive mental attitude as you run this long, straight, and gently rising mile stretch. Do not let this stretch of the race beat you mentally.

Mile 4

If you like long essentially straight routes you will love miles 3 and 4. Mile 4 along Chevrolet Ave may have a gentle bend to it. You need to mentally prepare to run straight line and not become focused on your tired legs. There is a reason they are feeling tired now, beyond the obvious, Chevrolet is also a very gentle but seemingly constant rise to the next turn at Cashew Point.  It also is not perfectly straight either!  About mid way, if you are paying attention and know how to run tangents properly, there is an opportunity to save a few strides here too!

Cashew Point, this is perhaps one of the more recently famous turns in all of road racing?  This is where in the past the tradition was that you were offered free (and likely warm) beer to wash down that Krispy Kreme you had!  But following the 2012 Crim it was announced that the homeowner at this famed corner was going into retirement and 2012 was his last year. The thousands of devoted Crim runners missed this thrill. However, Cashew Point returned in 2014! Be prepared to be greeted by a rowdy crowd, enjoy the crowd for after this point (no pun) the race really begins and you need to rely upon your mental strength too!

This is also the point at which you want to begin to regain your stride and pace for as you turn the sharp left corner you also begin a very welcomed downhill!  It is a very subtle downhill so you might otherwise miss it, but trust me, this is an excellent point to gain some time!

Mile 5

You are now moving thru a little better area of Flint, not only for the houses but also for the welcomed shade. Most of mile 5 is downhill and meanders thru several streets. Despite the Bradley’s that lay ahead, this is not any time to slow to rest for them!  Keep the faith and keep running hard. To help you keep that faith, there is a gospel choir as you make your right turn onto Sunset before heading to Bradley!  Somehow this group is very appropriately placed J

Up next, the Bradleys’!  You can’t miss them. First, you will undoubtedly overhear other experienced runners talk about the Bradleys’ as you approach them. Second and impossible to miss is the giant blue entry balloon gate. The Crim tracks runners for 1 mile of the Bradley neighborhood. Next, one quick left turn and before you know it you are facing the first of three rolling hills.

The first is actually the toughest, in part because to the uninitiated you mentally break down thinking they all are this bad!  Not really, stay to the left side of the road and use the people cheering you on as motivation, remember the arm and upper body action, keep your head up, and visualize flattening those hills with each foot strike. Pretend your legs and feet are a steam roller rolling down the size of each hill.

As you reach the peak of the first hill you may think, is that it? For it seems like just as soon as you hit the first hill you are headed down and to the actual 5 mile mark.  Congrats you are halfway home!

Mile 6

Halfway?  Not so fast! 

Crim history has proven that it is a race that is extremely difficult to run a negative split. So odds are you are not half way home in terms of time, but give it a shot and go for that negative split! So far you should at least be running smart if not fast. 

The second and third Bradley hills are not as terrible as the first. However, it is because you just finished the first hill that these two seem so terrible. The Bradley’s are not so much about the ability to run hills as they are about the ability to recover from hills. Of course to recover you must first actually run a hill!

Successfully conquering these three hills may seem like a victory but as you might guess, there is a theme here. As you cross the next major intersection at Corunna Rd. there is (IMHO) the worse hill on the course. There is actually a 4th Bradley!  This is not a hill, hill, but rather a long steady climb that takes you just shy of the 6 mile mark. For many years a group of residents have passed out cups of ice cubes for the runners. I highly recommend you keep the back of your shirt tucked in your shorts. Then take the ice cubes and toss them on your back.  They will rest between your skin and shirt, in the small of your back and provide a very nice albeit short lived cooling effect.  

Make a right turn onto Court Street and in a few hundred feet you will not only be at the 6 mile mark but also on an overall downhill slope to the finish! 

Mile 7

Just kidding!  Yes from mile 6 to 10 the course drops, but along mile 7 on beautiful Hawthorne and Parkside Aves you will see your share of rolling hills, mostly shaded route and the many huge stately homes of Flint!  Stay to the left side of the shady Hawthorne Ave.

The views are nice, many neighbors are out to support you, there will be a band playing as you approach the mile mark,  but do not get too distracted. This is a very critical stretch to pay attention to the tangents!  This is especially true once you make the 90 degree left turn onto Parkside Ave. Here the shade is gone as your view opens up to the site of Swartz Creek Golf Course.

Mile 8

Yes, mile 7 might have felt short as hopefully you have been able to pick up your pace again as the course is flat to downhill. There are two immediate tangents to pay close attention too immediately following this turn. Along scenic Parkside you will receive encouragement from a high school band and cheer team may get your juices jumping a bit but you still need to pay attention to the curves of the tangents, work the hills (they are all short so run hard and get them over with!) and stride down the hills when given the opportunity. 

There are many twists and turns along the last half of this mile that prevent you from seeing too far ahead. The result is you may think you only have one more bend in the road when in fact another bend and another hill await you. Your pace is likely slower than a few miles ago so your brain teases you by making you think the route is longer and harder.  Remember, a mile is a mile.

As you approach the end of mile 8 there is a large house on the right, you are on a shaded part of the route, and there will likely be a hose spraying water for you to run through. There is another very mild hill to get over and again, your mind begins to play tricks on you. Be mentally tough, don’t slow down, plow through this point and turn the corner onto Miller Rd. only two more miles to race!

However, sneaky mile 8 decides to jump up and steal it all back again!  Enjoy this stretch of road for as you turn right onto Court St, you will be likely be greeted by sunshine with the resulting hot pavement. The sun, the heat from the pavement, the vast width of the road, your tired legs, all combine to make this part of the route this writer’s least favorite. The best part of mile 8 is completing it, for now there are only 2 more miles to race!

Mile 9

Mile 9 is really the character builder, for as you turn right onto Miller, you will be likely be greeted by sunshine with the resulting hot pavement. The sun, the heat from the pavement, the vast width of the road, your tired legs, all combine to make this part of the route this writer’s least favorite. Continue to stay to the right for there is a welcomed aid station ahead. After your drink of choice (Gator Aid or water) you will need to move to the left side of the road.

Appropriately placed about the mid-point is a group of young cheerleaders on your left. You will also be greeted by members of the Flint Sunrise Rotary Club, be sure to thank these wonderful volunteers giving their last Saturday of the summer to support you! 

Somewhere along mile 9 on Miller, the Karma Gods may reward you for your diligent effort, support of the 30 and 40 year runners, and greetings to other volunteers by boosting your mental effort or by dismissing those aches you feel in your tired legs.

You will know when you are about to hit the 9-mile mark when you see a large crowd of support to your right. The supporters from Flint Powers High School will be there to cheer you on to Court St as you stride into the final mile!

Mile 10

You crossed the last blue mile mark line for the race and you can begin to sense the finish. This is where it is critical to at least maintain your steady pace!  At least until you hit the White Horse Tavern on your left and at about the 9.5 mile mark.  You can’t miss this place, it’s at a traffic light, has a loud boom box and DJ, and off course a statue of a small white horse in front!  You will want to move to the left side of the street at this point.

Be sure to smile as you reach the roadway over the Swartz Creek, for there are always several camera people there on the right side of the road, nudge ahead of the next runner so you can have an opportunity to score a great race shot of you J

If you have been holding your pace, this is the spot to slowly but surely begin to step it up a bit, not too much too soon but begin now! Yes there is one more seemingly long slow hill, but tough this one out as it is the last one you will notice! 

Court St. meanders a bend onto Fifth St. as you negotiated the tangents in the early miles you must continue to run with your head up and pay careful attention to these final few tangents too for if you do, you will ultimately be rewarded with a faster finish time

Soon you will see the next traffic light ahead, stay to the left as you hit Grand Traverse and continue to concentrate on your effort, relax and be efficient too!  (I know much easier said than done). At this point in the race I literally race from traffic light to the next traffic light, After Grand Traverse is Church St, then the next is Saginaw St! 

As you approach Saginaw Street you can hear the bongos booming from the corner of Fifth St and Saginaw in the distance and you are soon at the curb of Saginaw St. It’s important to cut this corner as tight as possible, stay to the left side of the course and focus!

As you make this turn, begin to turn your legs even a bit faster, it may hurt, but it will pay dividends in just seconds!

Pound the pavement hard now!  Ahead there is the first iron archway, the old Montgomery Ward store on your left, Churches, and BRICKS ! 

Run run run!  You are on the bricks and running downhill in the middle of Saginaw Street as fast as you can, use every last bit of energy to push your arms and legs and hold nothing back!  

Don’t forget to SMILE!  With a few hundred feet to go there will be plenty of folks in the middle of the road taking your picture again! 

Be sure to listen too!  About every 5th -6th runner’s name and where they are from is announced, they just may pick you too!

Finally, be sure to RUN PAST the finish line!  You would be surprised how many do not do this and in a race like this is can mean a new PR or even a spot or two in your age group!

The Finish

DONE!  A Crim success story!  There are many things about the finish that make Crim special. Years ago it was their well organized chute system, then came chips, they were one of the first major races (if not the first?) in the country to use the chip. Their finish line technology continues to innovate each year.

You are greeted by a crew of volunteers offering you your finish medal and the awesome cold wet towel you get to use!  While many like the beer and pizza afterwards, my favorites are the Popsicles (purple are the best) and cold towels!  And it’s not over! You will greet your friends and be greeted by friends. You may even have the opportunity to congratulate another runner whom you battled throughout the race.

Next it’s time to head to the festival area. This is where you can get in the line to receive your choice of beer or soda and pizza in the festival lot. Soon the air will fill with caloric stuffed odors from the festival tent while runners meet family, friends, and reminisce about the race. Shortly thereafter while even more runners join the festivities the band begins to play and the whole place is a celebration.

This year my family will join me and my running friends from our Running Fit 501 training group will continue the celebration at the Team party. This is where you and eat as much as you like and share your celebration with your running buds from 501. This is about the time that I start planning next year’s race too!  Thank you for reading this I hope it helps you through the tough, challenging, and fun Crim course.

Author’s notes:

I was working downtown Flint in 1977, the year of the first Crim but was not aware of the race. It was not until 1984 that I ran my first Crim. For me Crim is a very personal annual event. In some ways it’s a homecoming. This is where my running career began back in the spring of 1965 as a “fast runner” on my junior-hi track team in Grand Blanc. I also ran cross country and track for GBHS in the late 60’s. Our team of distance runners was well recognized as among the best in all of Michigan! In more recent years the tradition of excellent runners from GBHS continues with the likes of USA Olympian in the 800m Geena (Gall) Lara and Grant Fisher who became only the 7th high school runner ever to run a sub 4 minute mile, and two time Footlocker National Cross Country Champion and has since become a NCAA Champion racing for Stanford.

In the early days of Crim, the start of the race was on the Campus of Mott Community College. From that start area in 1984 I remember standing and looking towards the upper floors of St. Joe’s Hospital and the window of the intensive care unit where I was with my father during the last hours of his life just a year prior and asking him to look over me during the race. In more recent years the Crim has become an opportunity for me to connect with many of my old school pals. I have been told that my old school mates look for my results each year too. I now have new motivation.

Thanks again for your interest and time in following this post.

Coach Lee

copyright 2019

Touring The Crim Course - Celebration Time !

The Finish

DONE!  A Crim success story!  There are many things about the finish that make Crim special. Years ago it was their well organized chute system, then came chips, they were one of the first major races (if not the first?) in the country to use the chip. Their finish line technology continues to innovate each year.

You are greeted by a crew of volunteers offering you your finish medal and the awesome cold wet towel you get to use!  While many like the beer and pizza afterwards, my favorites are the Popsicles (purple are the best) and cold towels!  And it’s not over! You will greet your friends and be greeted by friends. You may even have the opportunity to congratulate another runner whom you battled throughout the race.

Next it’s time to head to the festival area. This is where you can get in the line to receive your choice of beer or soda and pizza in the festival lot. Soon the air will fill with caloric stuffed odors from the festival tent while runners meet family, friends, and reminisce about the race. Shortly thereafter while even more runners join the festivities the band begins to play and the whole place is a celebration.

This year my family will join me and my running friends from our Running Fit 501 training group will continue the celebration at the Team party. This is where you and eat as much as you like and share your celebration with your running buds from 501. This is about the time that I start planning next year’s race too!  Thank you for reading this I hope it helps you through the tough, challenging, and fun Crim course.

Author’s notes:

I was working downtown Flint in 1977, the year of the first Crim but was not aware of the race. It was not until 1984 that I ran my first Crim. For me Crim is a very personal annual event. In some ways it’s a homecoming. This is where my running career began back in the spring of 1965 as a “fast runner” on my junior-hi track team in Grand Blanc. I also ran cross country and track for GBHS in the late 60’s. Our team of distance runners was well recognized as among the best in all of Michigan! In more recent years the tradition of excellent runners from GBHS continues with the likes of USA Olympian in the 800m Geena (Gall) Lara and Grant Fisher who became only the 7th high school runner ever to run a sub 4 minute mile, and two time Footlocker National Cross Country Champion and has since become a NCAA Champion racing for Stanford.

In the early days of Crim, the start of the race was on the Campus of Mott Community College. From that start area in 1984 I remember standing and looking towards the upper floors of St. Joe’s Hospital and the window of the intensive care unit where I was with my father during the last hours of his life just a year prior and asking him to look over me during the race. In more recent years the Crim has become an opportunity for me to connect with many of my old school pals. I have been told that my old school mates look for my results each year too. I now have new motivation.

Touring The Crim Course - Mile 9

Welcome back Crim runner! If you love to run in the sun, mile 9 is made for you!

Mile 9

Mile 9 is really the character builder, for as you turn right onto Miller, you will be likely be greeted by sunshine with the resulting hot pavement. The sun, the heat from the pavement, the vast width of the road, your tired legs, all combine to make this part of the route this writer’s least favorite. Continue to stay to the right for there is a welcomed aid station ahead. After your drink of choice (Gator Aid or water) you will need to move to the left side of the road.

Appropriately placed about the mid-point is a group of young cheerleaders on your left. You will also be greeted by members of the Flint Sunrise Rotary Club, be sure to thank these wonderful volunteers giving their last Saturday of the summer to support you! 

Somewhere along mile 9 on Miller, the Karma Gods may reward you for your diligent effort, support of the 30 and 40 year runners, and greetings to other volunteers by boosting your mental effort or by dismissing those aches you feel in your tired legs.

You will know when you are about to hit the 9-mile mark when you see a large crowd of support to your right. The supporters from Flint Powers High School will be there to cheer you on to Court St as you stride into the final mile!

Thank you for following my posts, now get ready for the final mile tomorrow!

Coach Lee

Touring The Crim Course Mile - 8

Welcome back Crim Runners! Glad to see you have survived the first 7 miles! Today I guide you along mile 8, a beautiful stretch of the course that includes many more wonderful homes, wide views, some shade, and oh, those curves with “gently rolling” hills. I hope you enjoy this mile too!

Mile 8

Yes, mile 7 might have felt short as hopefully you have been able to pick up your pace again as the course is flat to downhill. There are two immediate tangents to pay close attention too immediately following this turn. Along scenic Parkside you will receive encouragement from a high school band and cheer team may get your juices jumping a bit but you still need to pay attention to the curves of the tangents, work the hills (they are all short so run hard and get them over with!) and stride down the hills when given the opportunity. 

There are many twists and turns along the last half of this mile that prevent you from seeing too far ahead. The result is you may think you only have one more bend in the road when in fact another bend and another hill await you. Your pace is likely slower than a few miles ago so your brain teases you by making you think the route is longer and harder.  Remember, a mile is a mile.

As you approach the end of mile 8 there is a large house on the right, you are on a shaded part of the route, and there will likely be a hose spraying water for you to run through. There is another very mild hill to get over and again, your mind begins to play tricks on you. Be mentally tough, don’t slow down, plow through this point and turn the corner onto Miller Rd. only two more miles to race!

However, sneaky mile 8 decides to jump up and steal it all back again!  Enjoy this stretch of road for as you turn right onto Court St, you will be likely be greeted by sunshine with the resulting hot pavement. The sun, the heat from the pavement, the vast width of the road, your tired legs, all combine to make this part of the route this writer’s least favorite. The best part of mile 8 is completing it, for now there are only 2 more miles to race!

Thanks for following me along this long. Come back tomorrow as we prepare for the final push to the finish line!

Coach Lee

PS: Please cruise through the other parts of The Running Architect website while here too!

Thanks :)