Tomorrow is the annual Vulcan Run here in Birmingham, Alabama. It is a very popular 10K race in the downtown area that has been going on since 1975. Since I am tapering for a marathon next weekend and I haven't been doing any speed work lately, I am probably not going to race. As always it did cross my mind. I use to do it every year back in the day and even won some hardware.
As you can see it has been a long time since I've done this race! Where did the years go?
My favorite awards are the little, miniature Vulcan statue ones. Cute! I wonder if they still give them out to the age group winners?
Here's the real 56 foot tall Vulcan statue that sits atop Red Mountain and looks over downtown Birmingham. It is the largest cast iron statue in the world and a favorite place to go on field trips when I was in first grade. He is a the Roman God of iron and forge and a symbol of Birmingham.
Even our local triathlon club is called Vulcan Triathletes, named after you know who.
A few years ago I bought this Christmas ornament from the gift shop at Vulcan park. It hasn't been on a Christmas tree yet because I hung it on the window and forget about it every year. Maybe this year it will make it to the Christmas tree.
One race I have always wanted to do, but haven't been able to get into is the New York marathon. I hear they canceled it this year due to Hurricane Sandy. I think that was the right thing to do especially since the start of the race is in hard hit Staten Island. I just couldn't imagine running a marathon while there is still all that devastation in the area. So sad!
I think I heard the mayor was taking criticism for wanting the race to go on. There's no way they should do it when you consider all the families that were devastated by Sandy.
ReplyDeleteYes he was. It should have been canceled Monday or at least as soon as they realized all the loss and devastation on Staten Island where the race start is. Horrific!
DeleteLove the Xmas ornament! Maybe next year you'll be up for the race again!
ReplyDeleteAwww, the Vulcan... <3!!
ReplyDeleteVulcan was fun! I ran my first Vulcan 10k in 98. I volunteered for the marathon the next day. Was so inspired by what I saw on the course, I decided I could do one, so the very next year, ('99) I ran my first marathon! I think there were only about 200 participants that year... for us slower folks, near the end it didn't even seem like we were in a race. If it wasn't for the cones, I wouldn't have even known where to run. Glad I finished. Finishing your first marathon makes you feel invincible. "If I can do that, I can do anything"...
ReplyDelete5 months after that race, I was diagnosed with cancer. I held on to that invincibility!
Glad you were able to run Vulcan this year! I am planning on getting back into doing some 10k's soon. Didn't feel like I was there yet though. I remember the Vulcan marathon. I was training to do Vulcan marathon for my first marathon in 2001 (which was also the last Vulcan marathon), but got injured so I ended up doing the Mercedes marathon the next year. (which was the very first mercedes). So glad you are cancer free now! All those years and I never even knew you had had cancer! You are awesome!
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