The Ray Tanner 5k – Virtual

 

 

  2020 has not been a good running year for me.  I planned to participate in several races that I would run and record with my GoPro, but this pandemic slowly caused races to go virtual, one by one. And that includes races that I haven’t had a chance to run in and put on the calendar, Ray Tanner’s famous Home Run series being one of them.

  I registered for Ray Tanner’s race months ago, though I could not find the email confirmation, maybe this COVID can be a computer virus too, who know. But I was getting updates about the race, and that made me feel better.  When word finally came out that it would be a virtual race, I would be remiss if I didn’t say I was sad that I wouldn’t be running in and around the University of South Carolina baseball stadium.

  Since the race was virtual, participants had from 1 to 17 October to knock out their miles. I was still nursing my hurt knee and waited until the 16^th to do my run for this 5k, and since I work later hours at the university, I went for my own familiar route on the Lake Murray Dam at night.

  The weather was relatively calm with a slight breeze coming in.  I grabbed one of my smaller headlamps, chose my lemon colored On Cloudflow over my somehow lighter Atrey shoes, and snagged a better fitting phone holder strap to wear for this run.  I drove out to the northside parking lot and passed a couple of cars with people still partying in the picnic area.  I slip on my gear and add the Aftershokz I keep in my car for the needed tunes to distract myself on upcoming path.  I walk and stretch to the starting line, which is just the big green sign on the other side of the parking lot.

  I started my Garmin and away I went.  My Forerunner has a tendency to push out a faster start time whenever I begin a race, and this time it was telegraphing a 7:30 mile before settling on an 8:10 mile, but Strava will say otherwise in its analysis; all the while, my right knee is screaming at me that I needed to adjust how I landed on my feet.

  My knee finally stopped chastising me after a quarter of a mile into the run and I felt in a rhythm; it really helped that Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” was playing by that time and put me in a running groove. It was a slow groove with an average 8:48 for the first mile, but the ground was flat and I had a nice, though small wind cooling me off during this easy autumn evening.  I pass the five towers and notice the cars careening by in the dark.  I hit the half-way point which is a little before the ascent to the bridge with all the lover locks on them.  While there are no castles or mountainous peaks, this scenic area with its promises of love will always remind me of parts of Germany.  As I turn around before the bridge, I feel myself slowing down, if only for a second, though again, Strava said otherwise.

  At mile two, I averaged an 8:59 mile and it was a big contrast to what I used to run, and a reminder that I need to work-out more.  I continue on, still feeling good, albeit slower, but as I get past the 2.5 mile I had to slow down due to a family walking along the dam path and not hearing my “runner on your left” comments until I was almost on them.  Once I past them, and exchanged “hellos” and “good evenings,” I chugged along, but had to crawl to a walk because now my right shoulder was locking up.  I’ve had shoulder problems for a couple of years now, but this was getting ridiculous since 1) I was almost done with the 5k and 2) I wasn’t carrying anything in my right hand so my shoulder should not have been acting up.  So, I walked for good 30 seconds while doing shoulder and arm rotation exercises and quietly cussing up a storm so that the family behind me do not hear my misgivings.  To make up for the time, I work on sprinting the last tenth of the 5k distance and my Cloudflow did not disappoint me.

  I finish up with a time of 28:06 and walk a lap around the parking lot before working on cool-down stretches while trying not to disrupt the people fishing at night because that is still a thing here.

  To go back to before the race, Strictly Running did a knock-out job as usual.  Participants had a wide time-frame to pick up their shirt, for me it was a gray Under Armour tech shirt and I currently own very few of those, and it was so easy to come in (with a face covering on, course) and particular shout-out goes to Brady for his super friendly welcome and taking care of my packet pick-up. 

The Veterans Day 5k Recap

  Most non-marathon races happen on a Saturday.  But since it was Veterans Day weekend the Veterans Day 5k was not on the typical Columbia weekend run and I got to enjoy my sleep.  And I forgot to look at the race calendar to see what would be happening on that Saturday, so there’s that, too.

  I ran in the inaugural USC Veterans Day 5k last year, and one of the much faster runners inadvertently changed the course and everyone followed their lead, including me.  It made for an interesting time while crossing Assembly Street with traffic coming at us both ways.  (see last year's race by clicking on the video.)

  This year, the course route significantly changed, and it would start and end in different spots.  The route started by the Long Street Theatre, went around the Horseshoe perimeter, made a couple of turns, and ended at 920 Lady Street. 

  Sunday afternoon, I headed out very relaxed and ready to go.  Packet pick-up started at 11:30 AM, and would go on for the next two and a half hours.  I arrived at one of the UofSC parking lots and dropped my stuff off at the library around 1 PM.  I hung out and talked with some of the college kids working, to which one of them asked me about the race.  It seemed that she got stuck in traffic during the Tunnel to Towers 5k the other month and didn’t want to have that happen again. I assured her that the race wouldn’t linger past her work schedule, and that the end was off campus so she would have no issues.

  After a little bit, I go outside and walk up for my packet pick-up.  I see quite a few Team RWB shirts surfing among the crowd which was amazing because I do not recall anyone talking about it on the local RWB Facebook page.  Of course, my RWB shirt was in the wash because someone spilled a drink on my stuff and my Columbia Running Club jersey was nowhere to be found.  Instead, and thankfully because of the slightly cooler weather, I would wear my cotton Columbia Running Club t-shirt for the race, so at least I would represent one of the two organizations out there.

Me and the Prez

  As I mingle among some of the participants, I spot Bob Caslen, the President of the University of South Carolina and retired Army three star general and he was ready to run.  Cocky was out there, too, and it was hard to figure out which one of the two ended up in more picture taking opportunities for social media.  #uofsc #cocky #gococks #goarmy #toomanyhashtags.

  Eventually, we all make our way to the starting line.  According to raceroster.com, 388 people signed up for the race, but I believe there were over 400 out on the course.  The national anthem is sung and once the buzzer goes, we are off. 

  I follow the crowd before me, and everyone makes a right after passing the Long Street Theatre.  I have my Halo 3 theme music going in my Aftershokz, GoPro in my hand, and I’m weaving around strollers and walkers.  I’m enjoying myself as I get close to the gate blocking vehicle traffic on Greene Street.

  And then several of us hear a woman say we were going the wrong way.

Turn Around, You're Going the Wrong Way!

  I could see a long crowd of runners still going forward, but those of us from the back only had the minimal amount of turnaround distance to do.  I feel this certain energy coursing through my veins and I somehow sprint back onto the correct route, and sprinting at the beginning definitely goes against what I used to tell my Soldiers when I was still in the Army.

  I got back on track and there are very few people in front of me.  Eventually, I pass enough people that for a brief quarter-mile I am one of the top ten runners of the race.  Technicalities and mishaps aside, I took that in stride and ran a little faster.  It wouldn’t last.  Slowly, and one by one, the fast pack of runners catch up and surpass me.

"You better run up that hill!"

  We make it to Bull Street, one of two uphills in the race, and this one is THE dozy.  It’s steep and it has four Marine drill instructors “encouraging” us get up that hill.  They were very animated. And vocal.  I run up the hill past all four, and about 50 feet past the final one, I slow down to a walk.  I can hear the last drill instructor behind me yelling that I should not be walking and that I needed to keep running.  At this point, I’m near the apex the hill, and I spot two volunteers to which I tell them as I start running again, “if I wasn’t retired, I might have been intimidated by them,” meaning the Marines.  They laughed.

  I hit the water stops along the route and one of them was on Assembly Street, the other not-as-steep uphill.  After cresting the hill, I run by what looks like at least three platoons of Army drill sergeant candidates, who were out there actually encouraging us with signs, dancing, and clapping. 

  The route had us running in front of the state capitol grounds, and a squad of UofSC cheerleaders followed suit with the Army by cheering us on.  A couple of turns later, I made it onto Lady Street. 

  Lady Street felt weird.  I am so used to driving on it, that I never really get to take in how downtown Columbia looks like a normal metropolitan area, and I do not mean that in a bad way.  This time, I’m running down it and soaking in the building architecture.

  Eventually, the finish line is within eyesight and the crowd within earshot.  I sprint from the final traffic light and pass Cocky.  That bird is everywhere.  More cheerleaders line the finish line, motivating people as they approach.  I finish with one of my slowest times ever, but it was worth it. 

  I did not stay for the after-party or the awards ceremony because I had some sick kiddos to get back home to, but those who finished (and had the proper ID) got a free beer and sliders from Carolina Western Pub.  The race packet included a performance shirt and an FN America baseball cap.  I’ll take a hat in a race packet any day. 

Cocky and the president crossing the finish line

  Other than the initial hiccup at the beginning of the course, it was good; the crowd and atmosphere were in happy spirits, and any chance to support raising money for the Fisher House is a-okay in my book.

 

The video for the race is below, check it out.

 

The Superhero 5k in Columbia Recap

  Strictly Running is great.  I received a reminder email from them about the Superhero 5k a little while back.  I checked my schedule and saw that while I would work at the library that day, I did not have a race scheduled on the calendar.  I ran the DC Wonder Woman 5k the previous week, so I figured that if I participate in the Superhero race, I could wear that sweet red shirt I got from the previous run.

  And then my youngest, Tori, wanted to run in the race.  Years ago, Tori dressed as “Princess Hulk” when we lived in Texas.  Amanda thought it would be a good idea for Tori to reenact that again, but this time for a run. 

  Friday afternoon, I head to Strictly Running for packet pick-up.  They have everything ready, as usual, and it was quick.  In the bag was my bib, a bright yellow shirt, literature on child abuse awareness, and a voucher for a free game of bowling. 

The dog was ready for the race to start

  Saturday morning rolls around, and it is bitter cold.  I verbally ask Google for driving directions to “Segra Park,” but each time I do, my Android phone insisted on giving me three day directions to Sequoia National Park in California.  Five times.  So much for a traffic update, but at least I know where I’m going. Tori and I drive down I-126 to get to the baseball stadium, and the Broad River had a thick layer of fog slightly rising around it.  It made the Columbia skyline look amazing as we drove closer to town.  I haven’t been to Segra Park since it was renamed, and construction happening around it threw me off for a bit.

  We arrived and parked the car.  Since it was still cold and we had 15 minutes, Tori and I sat inside for a few minutes before we braved the 37 degree weather.  She had her Hulk outfit on, but she put Amanda’s old high school cheerleading sweatshirt on over it, and decided to wear a Stranger Things’ Scoops Ahoy hat instead of a tiara.  I guess season three of that Netflix series needed someone to get angry and go green.

  In the meantime, I watch several people wearing bibs get out of their vehicles and walk around the stadium.  At the ten minute mark, Tori and I get out of the car and start walking to where the others headed.  I make it five feet when a woman stops me and asks if my daughter and I were going to the race, and I reply yes.  As I answer, I turn completely around and both of our bibs are in clear view.  The woman asks us if we are running in the race or if we are here to show support, and I say “yes we are,” thinking the bibs are a dead giveaway.  She then tells us that she thinks we are going the wrong way because someone told her that the race started somewhere “north on Turner Street.”

  At this point, I’m so confused after watching at least 15 people walk around the north side of the stadium heading west and I have never heard of Turner Street.  I tell her that I watched several people walk around the stadium, and she replied that maybe I should ask the people at the stadium to make sure.  Tori and I hurry towards the stadium and we see other people trickle out of their cars and head westward… like slow moving, cold shivering miners looking for gold.

  We make it to the starting line with about five minutes to spare.  I spot Alex McDonald (pulling picture taking duties), Naomi Rabon, Jen Kryzanowski, Rocky Soderberg, Kerri Stubbs, and Clara Nance among the mass of running attire and costumes flowing throughout the start line assembly area.  Tori initially wanted to walk the course, once the race started, she was right behind me running along.

  We head north running around many costumes and capes along the way.  At the half mile area, there’s this hill that looks a little intimidating, especially for a kid who doesn’t like the cold weather.  I keep telling Tori that we need to keep a good pace, especially since other children her age are sprinting and wearing themselves out before the first mile.  We trod up the hill and make it, but eventually Tori needed to walk near the 1 mile mark. 

  We make the corner at 1.5 miles and I notice a bunch of people in blue shirts walking towards us.  I didn’t remember seeing a mass of powder blue shirts at the starting area, but Tori had slowed down quite a bit since the 1 mile mark and I just chalked it up to… fast walkers?

Heart Check participants 

  As we pass the third group of blue shirts, Tori remarks that the shirts all say “Heart Check” and both of us thought it was pretty neat that two events cross paths around the same time.  I bet the police and both event volunteers had an interesting time keeping streams of traffic from both events safe and on the right path.

  As we continue past the sea of blue shirts, Tori and I push up a hill and keep going, and the next mile was so flat that was quite refreshing.  As I run along, I reminisce on the Bunny Hop 5k that Tori and I did around there a few years ago.  We go around a few corners and make it down Calhoun Street, and I mean down because of the decline.  Tori and I turn left towards the stadium, and at this point, I have to remind Tori that we are almost done… because she IS done. It’s cold, she hasn’t run in a few weeks, and she wants to go get a Cherry Icee (Stranger Things reference).

Where is my ICEE?

  I make a deal with Tori that she will get an Icee if we finish strong.  She agrees, and I try to pump her up mentally as we round the corner and head along the walkway to the stadium interior grounds.  Tori didn’t care, but we sprint to the finish line and walk to cool down.  She and I finish around the 36 minute mark, but that didn’t matter; we stayed together the whole time. 

  We had a few minutes before Tori and I had to meet up with Amanda at the Soda City Saturday Market on Main Street, so we checked out the stands, grabbed several bottles of water, a hot dog, and some nachos.  We couldn’t stay for the awards ceremony because I had to get ready for work at the library, and a sick Amanda was probably waiting on Main Street, thus Tori and I took off.  Oh, and out car was so warm after standing around in a slightly higher 40 degrees for 10 minutes or so as we left the stadium and made our way to Main Street.

Leading up into the stadium

 

The finish line is in sight!

Please check out my video showing the course, capes, and costumes for the Superhero 5k.

Guardians of the Night 5k - Running Montage

This is the result of running the Guardians of the Night 5k with a GoPro Karma Grip in my hand and recording with a GoPro Hero 6 Black.











The Guardians of the Night K9 5K Race/Run is a true night event that offers a fun, flat, fast-paced race -- giving runners the opportunity to run alongside Richland County Sheriff's Department K9 Deputies and their own K9 partners. This year the event moves to a new venue - the South Carolina State Fairgrounds. This is a certified race course and chip timing will be used for scoring. Awards will follow along with the opportunity to meet and greet with the K-9's and Deputies. This annual event raises funds to benefit the RCSD K9 team. These funds pay for the dogs' food, medical care, safety equipment, collars, leads and the very costly ballistic vests they need to do their jobs.

Injury Time

  I have a shoulder injury.  It’s from a rather silly incident: throwing a ball for my dog.  And since I’m no longer in the military, getting injuries looked at isn’t the same as being in the Army.  I should say that I’m rather fortunate that even though we run with some movement to our shoulders and we (are supposed to) swing our arms while moving forward, the pain in my shoulder doesn’t manifest itself during a run.

  So, whenever I had an injury in the Army, I usually got treated immediately, or more often, go to “sick call” the next morning.  For those who don’t know, sick call is when servicemembers go to get checked out by medical personnel, usually around 6 in the morning.   And more likely, a supervisor or higher-ranking person will tell an injured but reluctant patient to go to sick call.  Problems and ailments can range from ankle sprains all the way to colds, fevers, and the flu.  And once a physician’s assistant or a doctor sees you, you get something called a profile.  A profile says what the service member can or cannot do and for how long.  These profiles are followed and adhered to very strictly, lest someone gets in trouble.  I used to hate getting a profile that restricted my running, but the doc’s word is final.

  When I injured my shoulder, I didn’t call my civilian doctor, mostly because I’ve been leery about learning how healthcare from off-post medical professionals happened.  But after a couple of weeks, I went to the acute care clinic on base.  Yes, I couldn’t avoid getting seen by the military; it was within my comfort zone and they don’t turn people away unless it’s something they cannot handle or the issue is very, very trivial.  

  So, the doctor on duty checked out my shoulder, asked several questions, and prescribed me to physical therapy.  A few days later, I talked with the physical therapist, and while talking about my shoulder, I told him that it was amazing that I could still run with no issues.  Of course, I also told him that I can run and keep my right arm and shoulder pretty much still since I do run with a GoPro in my hand.  I’ve done two races so far with this shoulder injury and the only time it hurt was when I reached for a tree branch.  That pain was terrible, by the way.  

  Even though the shoulder isn’t currently a problem while running, it is a problem to get me out there to run.  I do wake up with some very bad pain some days, and it’s enough to knock me off my rhythm and routine for something I like to do. 

 

Double time and Dance: Why a Song About an Airplane is More Important Than Audiobooks and Podcasts

  For 25 years of my running life, whenever I ran, there was a song being heard aloud.  Sometimes, that song involved a cargo plane. Other times, a song about where everyone was at during the run could be heard.  These songs were cadences and very familiar to anyone who has been in the military for more than a couple of weeks.  Cadences are rhythmic and set to a beat that is roughly 180 beats per minute. That sounds fast, but it is really just a beat that strikes every time the left foot hit the ground. 

  Cadences keep the military in step because whenever you have a large mass of people moving in the same direction, the most efficient way to do so is to have them in step so as to not have random people trip over each other and create some Looney Tunes falling scenario.  With the double-time march, each person starts by leading with their left foot as they move forward.  When I ran in formation, we usually had three or four columns of troops, depending on how many people were available and how big the overall operation encompassed.

  The cadences themselves would sometimes entertain the runners, but more often than not, everyone would end up with a “C-130 rolling down the strip,” and be one of “Sixty-four paratoopers taking a one-way trip.”  A few times, an adventurous person would sing this cadence with gusto or change up the routine a bit.  

  Cadence calling and cadence singing are a part of life in the military.  If you are running by yourself one day, you might mentally hear a running cadence in the back of your head and your feet adjust to the cadence rhythm.  I know my feet have… on multiple occasions.  I eventually hit a certain rank in the military where I could just do physical training on my own and my preferred choice of exercise is always running.  Weight training by myself? Uh, nooo. Plyometrics? I’ll pass. Run? Heck yeah!  If I wasn’t running with a select group of people, I would venture off and knock out six miles on my own, which probably scared some of my company commanders because in Texas, the temperatures creep up and we’ve heard reports of single runners getting hurt or even having a heart attack and no one was around.  But I would run and sometimes that mental C-130 would visit me.

  Which brings me up to my current running situation.  I usually run to music now. I slap my Zune into my right armband (because it still works and I love that thing), and I set out on workouts or 5k and 10k races with a preset playlist.  My running playlists have a tendency to be dance songs while I’m out there.  As much as I love genres like classic rock, old Motown, and current top 40, dance songs have a range of beats between 110 and 180 a minute.  Those beats help push me to go further and the slower dance songs help with a guy who has slowed down over the years. 

  I’ve had quite a few people tell me that I should listen to podcasts while running, but I just can’t.  For me, podcasts are reserved for non-exercise activities, to include driving.  But the biggest thing that stops me from doing podcasts and even audiobooks during a run is the lack of a beat.  I can’t run to someone conducting prose or explaining how the latest Intel processor will benefit a third world country’s school system.  But having Avicii and Carly Rae Jepsen going? Yea, that helps a lot more.

  Though, I have been known to start a race or two with the theme to Halo 3, or even the opening song to Chariots of Fire. 

  But that C-130 is always going to be with people like me.