Krispy Kreme Challenge

Yes, it Can be done!! When I saw that Raleigh's Krispy Kreme Challenge course had been changed from 4 to 5 miles, I questioned whether I could complete the Challenge in under an hour. Our family team met 7500 other challengers and casual runners at the NC State Bell Tower to begin the 2.5 mile dash down to the local KK store. My plan was to handle that first portion of the Challenge like a race. I grabbed my not "HOT NOW" dozen glazed doughnuts at 19:19. The last time I ate a dozen doughnuts, in one sitting, I think I was 10 or 11 years old. Even though that was a few years ago, I thought "surely I could down a dozen in about 10 minutes". Not so. I sat down on the curb with my box, a couple cups of water and an empty stomach, ready to go to work on phase two of the Challenge. At the 10 minute mark, I was only through with 6 and a half of those glazed beauties. This is tougher than you think, even when you are hurrying. I felt it would be easier to eat 4 big dense doughnuts than 12 airy ones. So, I squashed my dozen into 4 triple deckers. 18:18 had elapsed before I turned in my empty box to the volunteers and exited the pit. After a few icing fragranced belches and a couple hundred yards, I began to tell myself "it's not a race, it's an experience, slow it down before you lose it." The Challenge was to make it back to the Bell Tower with 2400 calories in your gut in less than one hour. My sugar high told me "this doughboy was running 12 or 13 minute miles". Well I wasn't, I was just glazed, I mean dazed. When I passed the YMCA and saw the bell tower in the distance I picked up the pace enough to break the one hour barrier. The 20:21 return trip time was a "hole" lot faster than it felt. Another part of the Challenge was to make it back to the finish at the Bell Tower without "loosing" the dozen doughnuts. There were a few folks who had the will power to get to the finish, but not enough will to exit the finishing chute before they "lost it". Kevin downed the whole dozen, Hunter followed with 6, Mary Beth had 3, and Jackie, Christi, Owen, Emma, and Maizeigh each had at least one. All in all this was one sweeeet experience.