CRIM FESTIVAL OF RACES (Flint - 2019 - 10 Mile)

By -

CRIM Festival of Races 2019 Photos

65 Mile Drive



Crim was a run I never intended to do.  I had other plans for the City of Flint.  My good friend Kristin broke her toe a week before the race and asked me if I would run it for her.  Ten miles scared me with the Saugatuck Mount Baldhead 12 mile run just two weeks following.  I couldn't say, "No" when Kristin asked.  I was truly honored and felt awful for her.  I made shirts with her name and picture of her Corgi Chewie.  I made sure the customized bib had her last name.  I was surprised at how much fun I had.  The Detroit Turkey Trot is the only other run I've done with thousands of participants.  

I almost didn't make it to the start due to bathroom lines.  Registration was in a huge building downtown.  The corral line up was huge.  I tried to stand in the middle to back.  They started runners in waves about every 15 seconds just like Detroit.  There were a lot of people with signs on the other side of the corral gates.  We immediately went over a bridge and then turned and went over it again at a different location.  I loved running over the bridge the second time and looking back to see the next wave of hundreds crossing the Flint River in the distance.  I loved the amazing course support.  The course support was one of the best of all time in Flint.  People brought microphones and amplifiers out to the ends of their driveways and sang to us!  There were alcohol stations along the course.  I couldn’t believe it.  I did not drink alcohol while running.  I wouldn't have finished.  I texted Jason around mile seven to tell him I was drawing a shark with the course route. I looked at Map My Fitness and saw half a shark shape with a completed fin.  There was a hill Suzy told me about.  It was an iconic hill in the Crim course.  I kept waiting for it.  When I got to it, it was steep but short lived.  There were balloons lining it. I think all the hype about it before the race made it not as bad in person.  

I felt awful for the burned kids play area near the finish. The plastic had melted down like wax and it was all taped off.  The finish line was the longest I have ever run. The photobooth, massage tent, pizza tent and face painting rocked!  We had a really fun time as a family.  I got a really throughout massage that thought me some new stretching techniques.  I love the tech shirt that has “10 Mile” in big letters on the back and the heavy duty medal.  I am so thankful and humbled by my friend. I ran my heart out and surprised myself.


Flint Page
Location: 452 Saginaw St #1, Flint, MI 48502, USA

Comments

Post a Comment


Popular posts from this blog

BURTON VETERAN'S DAY RUN (Burton - 2019 - 5K)

By -
Image
   Burton Veteran's Day Run 2019 Photos 72 Mile Drive The 2019 Burton Veteran’s Day Run was nothing short of amazing.  The Burton Race Series is a series I will keep coming back to every year.  There are so many wonderful people involved in the Burton Race Series. Every year they their events get better and better.  The kindness of their staff is simply unmatched.  I always sign up for the series early.  I remember registering for the Veteran’s Run run back in the Spring but for some reason I was not in the system at packet pick-up.  This was a first for me.  I had already completed three of the four series races this year.  I could have walked away with a series medal and gone home.  The wonderful race director came to the rescue.  She acted like she knew me.  She knew we had driven a distance to come up and that I had done the Burton Series before.  She registered me immediately and waived the fee.  I was at a loss for words and gratitude.  It was so nice of her to do that for me
Read more

NEW YEARS EVE FAMILY FUN RUN (Belle Isle - 2019 - 5K)

By -
Image
   New Years Eve Family Fun Run 2019 Photos 30 Mile Drive For the past three years running at the Belle Isle New Year’s Family Fun Run has always been really cold and icy no matter what the days leading up to it are like. The 2019 event was no different. Even though winter has been mild in Southeastern Michigan so far, New Year’s Eve on the island surrounded by two countries was freezing.  The start and finish areas were extremely icy for about 500 feet.  I saw runners lose their footing and thought it was amazing that so many were able to run at full speed.  I had to hop-run around black ice patches.  I love winter running, but I still play it safe every time even if it means running slower.   I love the Belle Isle New Year’s Family Fun Run for so many reasons.  It goes unmatched being the longest race in the state of Michigan.  A few other runs come close, but it holds the title. I was sad when the race director announced her departure as race director.  She is handing over her race
Read more

Run for the Arts (Interlochen - 2022 - 5K)

By -
Image
        Run for the Arts Photos 221.6 Mile Drive Registration:   Run for the Arts had very artistic wording describing a course participants would “traverse” on with live music playing and art to view.   I was given an option for “non-binary” for the first time ever while registering online.   I was curious how non-binary was going to be handled with awards, if a separate age group category would be added etc.   Packet pick-up was in the Fine Arts Building on Center for the Arts grounds very close to the entrance.   There was a drum set and a bunch of music stands in the large room.   There were great bathrooms in the Fine Arts Building.   The volunteers did pose and smile for a picture but three of the five wore masks and unfortunately their smiles couldn’t be seen.     I found Run for the Arts after registering for the Mushroom Glow Run in Mesick the same night of May 7th.   I like to make longer northern Michigan trips worth the drive even more by booking two close run
Read more