Thank you for all the incredible out pouring of information and support about my “run-in” with the Color Me Rad 5k. I am slowly responding to each of your comments and tweets. I know many of you have asked how it turned out so…. I will NOT be running this race on Saturday my reasons. I’ve spent many a day teaching my children to treat people with respect. I will not be insulted and then support the people who allowed it to happen in the first place.
I will instead be supporting a local race that wasn’t even on my radar until a reader who saw my blog pointed it out to me. The Bread Run it is…thanks Kristen for the great information!
I’m still trying to process a lot of what went on yesterday. I don’t know about you, but for me a long run is great way to clear my brain. I took a long run and really tried to think about what it is I love about running.
Over the years running small runs….Below the Halloween run SUPER Pregnant with my January 4th baby.
The running community is like one large extended family. I’ve seen runners pick up others runners to cross the finish line together. I’ve seen race officials wait for hours for one final finisher to cross the line before packing up and calling it a day. The conversations I’ve heard during races of runners supporting each other in the most amazing ways would bring a tear to your eye. I won’t lie there have been times I’ve been running so close to calling it quits when another runner has pushed me to dig a little deeper. Running is mental and it’s emotional. Your brain sometimes is so easy to sell you out when all you need is your heart to dig. When I tell you my heart broke a little yesterday, I’m not in the least bit exaggerating.
The Chilly Chili above and Watertown 5miler below.
I’ve decided to make a better effort to support the small local races in my area. This year I have gotten away from that as I’ve been looking at the BIG trendy races to run. Maybe the running community I have come to know and love is what’s missing for me and this was just the butt kick I needed to see the mistake I was making chasing big races rather than supporting local.
In the spirit of supporting the running community I know and love I’m going to share with you some of my local and most favorite runs and running gear spots. And I hope you will share yours with me as well. And next week I will do a LARGE I hope link up of all the races I receive. If you are a race organizer and have something special coming up let me know about it!
1. Fleet Feet Sports- Without a DOUBT is hands down the leader in Syracuse for running gear, fittings and race organization. They have a full race calendar and an amazing staff. I’ve never had a bad experience! If you are just getting into running they have some great training programs for beginners as well as advanced runners.
2. NorthernRunner.org- It should come as no surprise to my regular readers that I am originally from UP-upstate NY and Northern Runner does a great job listing out upcoming races from my “hometown” area. The races are all usually smaller and still just as fantastic as the bigger runs.
3. The Ardison/Farney Run 12.5k/ 5k: This race is a memorial run for two amazing runners who were both taken to soon from us. It was one of the first 5k’s I ever ran, the course has changed over the years and just celebrated its 10th year. If you are ever in Lewis County in March I would suggest checking it out.
4. The Cazenovia Chilly Chili: Dubbed the hottest winter road race in the Northeast this race is always a challenge. Snow, sleet or blizzard the race in JANUARY goes on. There is also a kick ass Chili cookoff at the end which warms the runners hearts.
5. Shamrock Run 5 miler put on by the Watertown YMCA: It’s a great out and back course filled with Green Spirit! And of course the after party has spirits of another kind 
6. The Wounded Warrior Race: Camillus, NY in November. This race actually in a way replaced my favorite fall run the Grunt Run 10k which had a similar course. When the Grunt Run ended the Wounded Warrior jumped on the race scene. It’s a beautiful course for a great cause. Money raised supports the VA Medical Centers Iraq & Afghanistan Fund. The race is in early November and you can still sign up locals!
7. It’s a Wonderful Life Run: Still one of the coolest local races I’ve ever run! If you’ve seen the movie you are familiar with the bridge scene and the bridge that is believed to have inspired that scene is in Seneca Falls on the race route! The race is held at dusk and you run along a lit up course. It’s so Christmasy and Small town you feel like part of a movie!
8.The Breathe Deep CNY 5k You can read all about it here.
9. The Syracuse Track Club Halloween 5k: People dressed up like all sorts of things, the fall crisp air. This run is all about FUN!
10. July 4th Foot Races: It’s a beautiful run through Cazenovia in the summer on the 4th of July. The entire community comes out to support all dressed in red white and blue. It’s a very pretty and patriotic run.
Now I want to hear from you! What are your favorite SMALL LOCAL RUNS and RACES? I will put together a blog post of all the links I get!
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Local races are the best. They have an added sense of community. Beyond just being a group of runner, you are runners who train in the same neighbor or similar routes. The local runs by me usually have an after party and events for the kids as well.
{ 1 trackback }