Glazed and Confused

Well it is now over and I have a chance to reflect on the Krispy Kreme challenge. What a morning! I never dreamed this would be so hard to complete. The run was actually quite easy. Two miles downhill to the original Raleigh Krispy Kreme and then two miles back up the hill. What was not easy was the time in between those runs.

David, Richard and I joined 1,378 runners for the race. We work up early and made the short road trip to Raleigh. David did the Krispy run (casual) and Richard and I did the Extra Krispy (eat a dozen doughnuts). Three words can sum this up. . . "Oh my god!"

Everything I read was true. The first six go down pretty easy, but after that they get harder and harder. I found my self chewing the same piece of doughnut for what felt like 10 minutes. I just could not make myself swallow it. People tried to squish three together and eat it like a hamburger, while others dipped them in water like they were in a hot dog eating contest. My favorite strategy was smacking the doughnuts with your hand to knock the sugar off. What ever you tried, it was still tough to do.

I had three doughnuts left in my box and a half in my hand. I said out loud, "I can't do this." I then turned to look at Richard next to me. Richard still had seven doughnuts in his box. . . I suddenly felt better. After what I think was about 14 minutes I wished Richard luck, and took my empty box to the race officials to prove my task was complete.

The next two miles were actually not bad. They were almost entirely uphill, but the more pain from the run the less I thought about vomiting. Every time I passed a stray doughnut on the side of the road I had to close my eyes. I once made the mistake of licking my lips on the way back. That was when I realized my face was covered with glaze. I only did that once.

The race had everything you could imagine. There were serious competitors and those out just to shake off a hangover. Several "stunt runners" were there dressed up in costume. There was Fat Elvis (who beat me), Slim Good Body (in a full length body suit with organs printed on the fabric), and even a guy doing the entire race on crutches. There were several teams as well. My personal favorite was "Glazed and Confused." You just can't beat a fun road race in a college town. It was truly a blast.

I was speaking with my brother on the phone after the race, and telling him my stories. He asked if I would do it again, to which I replied "Oh, hell no!". He laughed out loud and said, "How funny is that. You run 26.2 miles and are ready to do another. You run four miles, and eat 12 doughnuts, and will never try it again."

If you have a chance to do the race next year, you should make the trip, just for the experience. You may not want to do it again, but you will be glad you did. Be sure to check out the News and Observer for a race summary, and also for some photos. Picture number two has David and Richard running from the start.