Celtic Solstice 5 Miler

Since I have been running there is a race that repeatedly has caught my eye.  The Celtic Solstice 5 Miler, which is known locally for a spectacular race premium.  With the cancellation of the Zoo Zoom 5 Miler this year I decided I need a replacement.  There has always been something that stood in my way from being able to run the Celtic Solstice, but this year I registered along with a small group from DisneyRunning.com. 

It was cool the morning of the race, but it seemed as we got closer to the race start it got colder and colder.  Dad actually bought a hat at the small expo they had there to try to keep warm.  They had a large tent up that helped to keep everyone semi-warm, but I was afraid that I would need see my friends arrive because of the crowd that was huddling inside.  I decided to make a trip to the port-a-potty before the lines started to form and it turned out to be a great idea.  Not only did I exit the port-a-potty to find my friends in Orange making their way towards me but I also made it out just as the lines started to form. 

I wanted to wear my orange hat for the race, but also needed something warmer for the race, so I wore my skull cap underneath my baseball hat.  At the start I was able to meet up with Erica, Mustapha, Jen, Sean and Margaret.  We all made our way to the start together.  The crowd split as men in kilts played bag pipes and made their way toward the start line.  This was a chip timed race, so it didn’t really matter where we stood in the crowd. 

As we started off Erica, Jen, Margaret and myself stayed together.  Eventually Jen and Erica started to work some walk breaks into their routine, so Margaret and I broke off and pushed our way forward.  the race went back and forth several times so you could always see where you were headed next.  I think it made for a fun race but at times also made it feel long.   Eventually we made our way around Druid Hill Lake, which made for some nice scenery.  After we rounded the last bend we made a sharp right and then the last .25 mile of the race was downhill with a good decline.  I could see the clock in front of me and saw that if I sprinted I could finish the race in under an hour.  This would be my first sub 1-hr 5 Miler in several months so I put the pedal to the metal and pulled through the finish. 

This race was a good motivator for me.  It reminded me that I am still a strong runner and I can push myself when I have someone or something there to really challenge me.  It reminded me how much I love to run and how good it feels to push yourself and have a great race.  I will definitely be returning to this race next year.

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