Real David H.

older. wiser. slower.

Racin’ through an orchard

Johnson's Orchard in Bedford County, Va.

Two days after my Mill Mountain run, there was no way I could run today’s Blossom to Bottle 5k as hard as I wanted to.

Animals at Johnson's Orchards

Plus this race was through an orchard and farm — it was through thick grass, very uneven ground, gravel, dirt and big hills at Johnson’s Orchards.

After I hit the first mile in 7:50, I backed off a bit, enjoyed the sights and smells of the many animals, and came away with a 25:05.

My time and effort were about what I expected two days after my tough long run, and it was about the effort I needed to do a week before the Blue Ridge Half.

The highlight of the day, though, was after the race. The door prizes were … uh … interesting.

Many of the items were donated from Tractor Supply and they would be what you would expect — bags of charcoal, hose nozzles, a John Deere chair and mole spikes, just to name a few.

The orchard also gave away some its apple butter and fruit wines. I actually won a ticket to the Horse and Hound Wine Festival that’s later this summer.

Plus I got to get up close and personal with some chickens and roosters:

More animals at Johnson's Orchards

And, there was this pig:

9 responses to “Racin’ through an orchard”

  1. Erica Avatar

    This sounds like a fun run, David! I need to find these kind to keep me motivated and to continue speedwork before my next half! Enjoy the festival later this summer!

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  2. traintotri Avatar

    Looks like a fun run with a lot of character. Did you take your son? Seems like a great event for young spectators.

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    1. David H. Avatar

      They are actually out of town, but we took Conner there last summer. I can see this race becoming much more of an event – it was quite an adventure.Sent from my iPhone

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      1. Danny Johnson Avatar
        Danny Johnson

        We hope that everyone enjoyed the event and that it will grow. we would like to be able to raise all the funding need for the Y's Oncology program from this race. thanks everyone!

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      2. David H. Avatar

        Thanks for dropping by my blog, Danny, and leaving a comment. Yesterday's event was great. The fact you guys put it together relatively quickly with a nice turnout is just awesome! Hope it becomes an annual event, and maybe a bigger festival. By the way, I really liked your idea of a wine-tasting race. Do it!!

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      3. Danny Johnson · Avatar
        Danny Johnson ·

        We might just try a small race doing that. all of the people seemed to like the idea.

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  3. Philip Settle Avatar

    Showing up and having a good time always counts as a win! Glad you had a good time with it. See you next Saturday!

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  4. Steena Avatar

    I just typed "did your son get to go?" and saw Jeremy' already beat me to it. GREAT MINDS I tell ya.Fun 5k, I bet it was cheap too!

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  5. Carrie Avatar

    Ha, what a neat race! I love that it had John Deere prizes! I'm originally from a very small farming community, and I can totally see people there getting all excited about something like this. :)My recent post Keeping calm when your Garmin dies mid-run

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