Amy Aylmer’s first foray in the Crim Festival of Races came six years ago after the birth of her third child.
This year, Aylmer, a Goodrich resident, will bring that child along to the Crim, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 26 in downtown Flint. She will be joined in the 10-mile race by husband Jim, who participated in his first Crim race five years ago.
Last year, Amy finished in fifth place among women age 30-34 with a time of 1:12.11, which placed her 522nd among all participants in the 10-mile run. Meanwhile, Jim finished 399th with a time of 1:09.29.
Both said last year’s times were the best they have achieved in the Crim.
This year, they are bringing their children along for the fun. Daughters Megan, 9, and Caitlin, 8, will take part in the one mile race, while son Ryan, 6, will participate in the ‘teddy bear trot,? a 1/4 mile run designed for children ages 12 and under.
At the time Amy was inspired to start training for her first Crim race, she had already given birth to Megan and Caitlin, and the couple was expecting their third child.
‘I was pregnant with our son,? she said. ‘My aunt lives on the Crim course, so we went there that year. I watched all the runners run by, and I decided I wanted to race the next year. I got a hole of the Crim training program, which was given to me by someone who had used it before. Just because of my schedule, I had to train by myself.?
Once she finished her first race, Amy couldn’t wait for the next one to start. ‘My goal (the first year) was to finish it ? after that, I was hooked,? she said.
As far as Jim’s involvement with the Crim is concerned, he said a little friendly peer pressure from his spouse convinced him to get involved.
‘I was kind of goaded into it,? he said. ‘She said ‘it wouldn’t hurt you to run a little bit.??
Once he started running and training for the Crim, he said he was glad he did so. ‘It’s nice to have something to do together,? he said.
Amy added the Crim is a fun event because she knows so many people that participate in the event.
‘The whole day’s fun,? she said. ‘Usually, Flint’s so depressed, but when you go down there for the Crim, it’s really neat. It’s a family day ? everyone gets involved.?
Amy estimates she knows about 50 people locally that take part in the Crim, and she sees some of those people at other races. ‘There’s a group of people from Flint that went to the Boston Marathon,? she said.
Jim said the couple’s most memorable Crim race, ironically, came on a day when they were in less than optimum physical condition.
‘The one we did two years ago was fun,? he said. ‘She had broken her leg in the spring, and I got hurt during the summer. We were not in top shape, but we didn’t want to miss the race. We did the whole thing side by side. We weren’t racing, we just wanted to keep the streak along.?
In addition to the Crim races, both have run in several marathons, including ones in Detroit, Chicago, Boston, New York, and Grandma’s (Duluth, Minn.). ‘We like traveling as part of our running program,? he said.
Amy said as the couple’s three children get older, she and Jim would like to take part in more marathons. She said it’s easier to train for marathons during the fall and spring, when the kids are in school.
‘The summer is difficult to get mileage in because of the kids,? she said.
In order to keep in shape for competing in different races, Amy trains six days per week, while Jim trains about five or six days per week. They usually run about 30-40 miles per week, but if they’re training for a marathon, they will increase their training to 50-60 hours per week.
As far as nutrition during the morning of the Crim race, Amy said she usually has a bowl of cereal, while Jim has a bagel and a full bottle of Gatorade.
‘It’s usually hot and humid that day,? he said. ‘If I don’t drink Gatorade before the race, I’m in trouble. It’s not a great time of year to be running really fast, but it’s a fun event.?