I’ve never done a “big race” so the 2019 Crim in Flint, MI was new for me. I much prefer smaller, more intimate running events and have steered away from anything with “waves” or “corrals” or thousands of sweaty runners jostling me. However, after the Crim, I may be a changed runner!

Brandon has done 10 Crims so he knew all of the mechanics and the “hacks”, which made it stress-free. On the Friday night before, we carb-loaded on pizza at the Wintergarden Tavern in Livonia before driving up to Flint. We just missed the expo, so we checked into our hotel and got a decent nights’ sleep (I never sleep well in hotels so I tossed and turned but Brandon said it was the best night of sleep he’d ever had before a Crim.) By 530 we were awake, hydrating and noshing on the bananas and PBJ’s that I packed, and by 6 we were checked out of the hotel. We drove downtown, found a great parking spot in a lot a few blocks away from the start, got our packets, and settled in to wait.

The Organization 
I love to run, so I’d be doing it anyway, but it’s even better when an event contributes to or represents a good cause. The Crim Fitness Foundation is just that – a good cause. Flint is a community that has been plagued with obstacles for decades, and the Crim Fitness Foundation gives back to that community and partners with other organizations that do, as well, such as United Way. They provide sports and nutrition programs for kids and adults, support community gardens and teams who walk kids to school, and they also support initiatives such as mindfulness programs for kids and adults. And many more – please see their website for more information on the many ways they help Flint and why it feels good to support this kind of organization through this run.

The Fun
The temps were amazing – low ’50’s, and it felt like fall – the temp wouldn’t break 65 before we finished. Everyone, including Brandon, told me what a blessing this was, as the Crim is usually hot, humid, hot, and more humid, hilly, and the last quarter mile stretch is blazing street and brick without a breath of shade. (And we all know how well I do with humid, hot runs…) The race is exceptionally well-organized and well-attended, with thousands of runners, some of whom came in costume or had a “schtick”. Brandon didn’t see the woman with the tiger tail that he remembered from several Crims, but he’d briefed me on the “dribblers” – at least two runners who do the whole 10 miles dribbling basketballs.

The participation from spectators is one of the best parts! Every part of the route was graced with people holding signs, ringing cowbells, sitting on their porches & curbs, cheering the runners on, giving high fives and calling out our names (which were printed on our bibs). Brandon recognized many of them from years past and had briefed me to expect “Wavy Gravy” decked in full hippie attire handing out ethically sourced cold brew coffee shots, the “Champagne Corner” at mile 2 where they gave mimosas, the frat brothers dispensing beer (“You are running the Crim! You like beer! These are facts!”), the Pet the Greyhound (“It Makes You Faster!”) station, and – my personal favorite – the older gentleman who had a karaoke machine set up at the bottom of his driveway who warbled “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” as we rounded his corner. There were at least three marching bands, which really got my energy up, and a Dixieland jazz band set up in one of the ritzy neighborhoods. Brandon was hoping for at least 1 beer and 1 Krispy Kreme donut along the route but in fact he got 3 smallish beers, a mimosa, a Jello shot, and a donut. This made me absolutely sick to watch (there are aid stations every mile, but I carried my handheld since that’s what I’m used to, so I consumed a lot of water and an energy gel with caffeine in it around mile 7 – that’s the extent of my experimentations with fueling!!). And he still beat me!!! I lost him on the rolling and seemingly never-ending hills between miles 6-8 and although I saw him ahead of me at several points, I just didn’t have it in me to catch him. But I didn’t mind and loved every minute of this special run!

The Technical 
The temps helped a lot, but by mile 8 my body was hurting – my knees, my feet, and my hip flexors. My slowest miles were 1 & 5, at 11:55; generally I was between 11:05 and 11:29, which was my sweet spot for a long hilly run. Trying to catch Brandon, my last two miles were 10:55 and 10:50, and the last downhill tenth when I saw the finish line, I zoomed to 8:44 (which USED to be closer to my target race pace GROAN – I am trying not to think about the fact that I did 10 miles in 1:54 and my half marathon PR from years ago was 13 miles in 1:57!!!!).

Garmin Time: 10.08 miles in 1:54 (11:22 average)

Which is pretty much what I’d expected from my training. I’d like to improve this for our November half in Savannah, but who knows if I’m capable of it. My time for the Ann Arbor Half in March was an average of 11:11 so I’ve only gotten slower, but I would also say that although the A2 Half had a couple of more steep, challenging hills (Hill Street and the Arb), this route had more rollers spread out throughout the course, so there’s that. Brandon finished up with an 11:17 average and is really pleased with that since he’s only been clocking one run a week all summer, which is pretty great – I’m very proud of him.

The Summary 
I loved this race and will definitely do it again! It’s exceptionally well-organized, the vibe is great, the route is challenging but enjoyable and doable, and the spectators and fellow participants are the best I’ve ever experienced. The t-shirts are nice tech shirts and the medals are so hefty they could double as weapons of self-defense in a pinch.
See you in 2020, Flint!