Road Races in an Era of Coronavirus March 18, 2020
Posted by Peter Varhol in Uncategorized.Tags: coronavirus, Road race
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I’ve run two races so far this year – the 5K as a part of the Key West Half Marathon in January, and the Gateway to Space on March 1 – the Space Shuttle runway at Cape Canaveral. I’m not sure what races are continuing right now (the Boston Marathon, a staple of the third week of April, has moved to September), although I am hoping that a couple of races this spring and summer will continue in coastal North Carolina, where much of my family lives.
One of my better races, several years ago, was the 10K that was a part of the Bilbao Night Marathon. It shouldn’t have been a good race for me, because I have a moderate case of agoraphobia, or fear of enclosed or crowded places. Prior to the start, the race organizers packed over twenty thousand people in chutes that should have held half of that number at most.
I wasn’t thinking of illness at that time, but rather the prospect that terrorists could have left undetected satchel charges directly outside of the chutes, in several adjacent outdoor restaurants. Today the crowding would be an unacceptable health issue.
Smaller races don’t face quite that prospect of crowding. You never had to put yourself in the crowd at Key West until the race started, and there was so much room on the runway at Gateway to Space that crowding wasn’t necessary. I would still like to have to stand down for a few minutes so that a Space Shuttle can land, but we as a nation are unfortunately not in that position right now.
Many people run as a social activity. Regrettably, right now we need to rethink that. I am more of a loner in this regard, and run because I like the sense of accomplishment. Some old fat guy placed several times in his age group. Smaller races, such as the ones I prefer to participate in, tend to have less crowding, and more community.
And these are the races that need our help right now. I’m going to name a couple of the ones from North Carolina – Oak Island Lighthouse Run, Battle for Independence (on Independence Blvd, no less), Summer Sizzler (which features the alligator). But there are races in your neighborhood too that can use the support. And if you’re not a runner, go ahead and walk them. Let’s stay healthy.
Two Summer Road Races August 15, 2019
Posted by Peter Varhol in Uncategorized.Tags: Road race, running
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While I am trying to get back to the level of running I was at a couple of years ago (before wild animals started interrupting my pre-dawn runs), I have completed two very interesting runs recently. The first was the Cabrillo Sunset 5K, in San Diego in July. This race was in the Cabrillo National Monument, at the very tip of land between the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay.
The race started at the top of the bluff, went 1.55 miles and about 350 vertical feet to near the Pacific Ocean. And then back up again. That, of course, was the hard part. It was probably the most difficult course I have run (well, walked, mostly). Here is the finisher’s medal.
The second race, at the beginning of August, was the Summer Sizzler in Wilmington NC, my sister’s hometown. As the name implies, coastal North Carolina can get very hot and humid first thing in the morning. The first time I ran it, two years ago, I saw something swimming in Greenfield Lake. I looked closer, and sure enough, it was an alligator. I wasn’t the only one who saw it, and since then it has become the official mascot of the race. This year, the 10K finisher’s medal included the alligator:
Unlike many people, I don’t run for a runner’s high or for a sense of peace and quiet. Instead, I appreciate the sense of accomplishment after I finish.
A Milestone of Physical, Well, Something August 17, 2014
Posted by Peter Varhol in Uncategorized.Tags: Fitbit, Road race
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I am a certain kind of physical specimen, but not one that anyone would necessarily want to copy. I am a good example of a bad example. It’s not so much negative as nothing that can be readily be identified as positive. Mumble-mumble years ago, I was a casual and largely clueless runner, but gave it up in my thirties out of a fear that high-impact aerobics that would lead to injuries later in life.
Nevertheless, I am reasonably healthy in my latter middle age. I remain active, in a passive sort of way. But after acquiring a Fitbit, I rediscovered the self-competitive part of my nature. Almost every day for the past three weeks, I’ve gone out to walk, and increasingly run, longer distances. The one day that I missed consisted of monsoon rains.
So this past weekend I ran in my first-ever organized race, the Narragansett Bay 5K in East Providence, Rhode Island. I finished, and I was not last. This is me in the photo.
I’m not sure where this is taking me. But it’s an exploration that I am very willing to engage in at this point in my life. It’s an experience that I would not have had a short time ago. And according to my doctor, it is one that is doing positive things for my life.
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