State #19: Virginia-Hokie Homecoming
State #19: Virginia
Hokie Half Marathon and 5k
October 9, 2016 7:30am
Overall 374 out of 1263; Time: 1:58:11
Female Overall 40-44 9th out of 46
Highlights: The 9th day and the 19th state. This was a “homecoming” for me since I have not been to my Alma Mater in 11 years. I picked the Hokie Half as my “Virginia” race.
1. It’s been a while since I had a connecting flight to get to a race. Boston-JFK-Charlotte and then rent a car for a 3 hour drive to Blacksburg.
2. Nice surprise- I was in first class from JFK to Charlotte- whoo whoo. Then when I landed Hurricane Matthew let all the rain come on down in North Carolina and in Blacksburg from Friday to late Saturday night.
3. Boss Lady, still has to work. While driving in the rain on I-77 I was on a conference call with my non-profit board for an hour. It was Friday when I flew down. It made the time go fast but - rain and trucks, oh my.
4. Felt like a tourist visiting Virginia Tech’s campus. First stop on my tour was McBryde Hall, Department of Sociology where all my magic happened. I got my Masters and PhD here. I spent 6 years of my life here, and met some of my favorite people here. This place has a piece of my heart.
5. Nothing says Blacksburg like going to the ABC (liquor) store on a Friday at 5pm and being in a long line as you shop for Moonshine, Virginia Wines, and Bourbon.
6. Finally, I was able to visit the memorial for the April 17, 2007 victims, it was so beautiful and I paid my respects.
7. I visited Lane Stadium, the house that Beamer built and the Hokies beat #17 North Carolina while I was there, it was so meant to be.
8. While at a popular coffee shop, I took out an article to read “ Black Skiing, Everyday Racism, and the Racial Spatiality of Whiteness” by Anthony Kwame Harrison; and as I sat down to read and looked up, there he was on a random Saturday in Blacksburg at Bollo’s ( coffee shop). You can’t make that up. He looked at me, I looked at him and we reconnected and caught up. The coolest thing, ever. Kwame was a new tenured track professor in our department before I left. We had some great conversations.
9. Meet another one of my favorites at my favorite place, The Cellar to catch up, have a Pita Pizza and a couple of double bourbons.
10. Sunday- Race day, still cold and windy from Hurricane Matthew. Happy that the rain at least had stopped.
11. Perhaps because this is the 4th year and its local, the race just started. There wasn’t the pledge of allegiance or some announcement. It was more of….and start and go.
12. I knew I would be one of a few racial minorities running this race. Besides myself I saw 4 other African-American Black women. Two were older and two were younger. I saw more men of color than the women.
13. I like to “ tag/mark” people for motivation to catch up and pass them. There was this guy, I’m going to call him juicy booty. When he ran his booty was just so juicy. He motivated me for a good 8 miles. I would catch up to him, then pass him. Then he would catch up to me, then pass me. The way he ran, it was as if he was dancing and moving that booty. I was in awe.
14. Hey no judgement and it was my motivation. It’s not as if I was Trump and trying to grab and take his ass.
15. Around mile 11.2 I felt heavy. I literally felt as if I got weighed down by more weight. It wasn’t hitting a wall. That happened to me at state #11. My body pretty much said, screw you, were done running. This time I was still going and feeling good. My body just got heavy. I wondered if it was my double double bourbons. Then I realized it might be the elevation. I was over 2,000 feet above sea level. This race was filled with high attitude inclines.
16. Mile 12, straight uphill. Who does that? On top of feeling heavy then there was an uphill, hill. I saw so many people start to walk up it. I told myself, even if I have a slow jog, DO NOT STOP. Pump the arms, look up. My head space went to writing and defending my dissertation. Total uphill battle and I had to fight for it. If I overcome the hill 11 years ago, I was going to overcome this bad boy today.. and did.
17. In my struggle and focus on getting up mile 12 hill, I saw juicy booty man pass me, my motivation, right. I just could not catch up to him after all of that. I tried, I tried so hard but it didn’t happen.
18. Out of nowhere the sun came up and it was intense. What the hell? As the sun was shining I had highway 460 on the right of me and the Virginia black cows on the left on me, just chilling. I loved it.
19. We ran on the Huckleberry Trail. It was pretty for the first three miles but then I was so ready to get off of it. It just went on and on. With Hurricane Matthew, there was mud, water, and leaves in some spots. I had to be mindful and careful because I didn’t want to fall. There were parts that were straight gravel. Most up the gravel was up hill for a couple of miles.
20. Another one of my favorites Anna, was running the 5k, I had a chance to see her before the race. Technically I was racing with my friend.
21. Since I was finishing the teens and this was my homecoming, I got my medal engraved with my time, first time ever doing that. Then I had the wrong time engraved on it. I thought my time was 1:58: 58 and that was the gun time. My finish (crossing the line time) was 1:58:11. Oh well.
22. Loved that my Southern old and young white men kept calling me Maam. That doesn’t happened up North.
23. I always wear my Black Girls Run (BRG) headband. One of the older black women asked me where I got the headband. I told them about BGR and how it’s a movement and what they do, which I loved doing. Then I had an older white man say to me “Black Girls Run Fast”. I had no comment for him. Then he went about Jackie Joyner Kersee and how fast she was. Again, what does that have to do with me?
24. First time ever, I chilled and relaxed after a race. I wasn’t in a hurry to get back to Boston. I wasn’t leaving until Monday. I was able to enjoy and explore more of the campus. Since Hurricane Matthew had blown away, Sunday was such a gorgeous clear and dry day. Then I met my friend Anna for some post race wine.
25. Monday, up at 3am for drive back to North Carolina. My flight was suppose to leave at 9:15am. There was a 7am flight and I was able to get on it and get back to Boston earlier than expected.
Next up #20 Detroit, Michigan
Click on the photo below to check out all that " I saw" on #19
