The Thin Mint Sprint 5K race on Saturday was very early (7:15 AM start) on a beautiful day and lots of fun. I've never participated in a race before, much less one dominated by little girls. It was also the first race for my youngest daughter, Laura (age 18). The location was Carowinds, a local theme park, and the course snaked around and under roller coasters and water park features, making it entertaining and and distracting from the fact that you are dodging walkers and children who suddenly stop to tie a shoelace. The scent of funnel cakes is not as enticing early in the morning while gasping as it can be later in the day while strolling through the park. The course then popped out onto the parking lot for the last couple of miles and we were thankful that it was still early and not yet the heat of the day.
The event attracted hundreds for the 5K and the one-mile fun run and the energy was great. Of course the kids kept running around even after they had passed the finish line. Looking at the hundreds of photos posted, those young girls are stunning, every one of them. They are grinning and proud, not yet doubting themselves or worried about how they look. How can we help them to skip that part? Unlimited potential right there...How to capture it?
The event attracted hundreds for the 5K and the one-mile fun run and the energy was great. Of course the kids kept running around even after they had passed the finish line. Looking at the hundreds of photos posted, those young girls are stunning, every one of them. They are grinning and proud, not yet doubting themselves or worried about how they look. How can we help them to skip that part? Unlimited potential right there...How to capture it?
And guess what? Laura won for her age group, and apparently I was the first 50-and-above to finish (well, okay, there weren't very many of us anyway...). An energizing start to a beautiful May day.
Onward to the next event - my HFD group's last training day before our Big Trip. Five of us took two cars to Crowder's Mountain, left one car at the main visitor's center and parked the other at the other end. We walked up the Tower Trail, scoffing at first at the "strenuous" rating, until we hit the steep parts, which properly shut us up. Once at the top, it's a short walk along part of the Rocktop Trail to the rock outcropping and cliff face where climbers climb and lookers look and photographers photograph and lunchers lunch. We could just barely make out the Charlotte skyline in the distance. It reminds me of Dorothy's first glimpse of the Emerald City.
After lunching and posing for photos, two set off back down the Tower Trail and three of us headed onto the Rocktop Trail, which is an extremely fun 1.5-mile walk along the ridge line with lots of boulders and views. Then we hit the Crowders Trail and turned back towards the visitor's center. Once all hikers were back together, we stopped for sustenance at Subway and headed for home.
Tomorrow morning we are flying out early to Phoenix and then on Friday we hop on our bus for the Grand Canyon! Am I excited or what??
Onward to the next event - my HFD group's last training day before our Big Trip. Five of us took two cars to Crowder's Mountain, left one car at the main visitor's center and parked the other at the other end. We walked up the Tower Trail, scoffing at first at the "strenuous" rating, until we hit the steep parts, which properly shut us up. Once at the top, it's a short walk along part of the Rocktop Trail to the rock outcropping and cliff face where climbers climb and lookers look and photographers photograph and lunchers lunch. We could just barely make out the Charlotte skyline in the distance. It reminds me of Dorothy's first glimpse of the Emerald City.
After lunching and posing for photos, two set off back down the Tower Trail and three of us headed onto the Rocktop Trail, which is an extremely fun 1.5-mile walk along the ridge line with lots of boulders and views. Then we hit the Crowders Trail and turned back towards the visitor's center. Once all hikers were back together, we stopped for sustenance at Subway and headed for home.
Tomorrow morning we are flying out early to Phoenix and then on Friday we hop on our bus for the Grand Canyon! Am I excited or what??
2 comments:
Hi Sharon:
Have a great time at the Grand Canyon. You've certainly earned it - hiking and sheperding your group for several months.
But don't forget to come back to those Smokies miles. Danny
Go Sharon!!!
Enjoy the Grand Canyon. I look forward to reading about your trip!
Eileen
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