Craig's OTHER List: March 2020

Who would have thought that a worldwide viral outbreak would be what put Arnold Schwarzenegger - the actor, filmmaker, businessman, author, and former professional bodybuilder and politician - in his place. This month - due escalating fears over the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - the 2020 Arnold Sports Festival here in Central Ohio (named in honor of the aforementioned icon) would cancel it's ever popular expo and go without spectators (except for parents and guardians of the youth competitors).

This was a major blow to an event that attracts 200,000 athletes and visitors from 80 countries annually. There has been some major debate as to whether these steps were necessary for the 31 year-old event and it may have been a bit of an overreaction, but my opinion means jack squat. I can't imagine being one of the thousands of athletes diverted upon arriving at John Glenn International Airport and forced to go through mandatory Coronavirus testing.

It does make it weird to be around Columbus in mid-March and not see an overwhelming hoard of folks conglomerating at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The area businesses which typically make a good portion of their yearly income on the event will also suffer a bit, but I digress - it is better to be safe than sorry - I guess. Jokingly, I thought the helter-skelter weather would kill whatever bug that may be going around as it will be nearly 60 one day - then 30 and snow the next as spring struggles to fully awaken from months of hibernation.

Anyway, the Arnold 5k is part of the festival week and it - luckily - made it through the outbreak checklist unscathed and would continue on Sunday. It would, though, follow a different route than in previous years. Still gunning for that sub 18:00 5k, maybe a change of scenery would be of assistance. And L, training for her first half marathon (the Athens Ohio Half Marathon) in April, would take part in the Der Wolfsrudel Lauf Trail Series taking place in nearby Delaware State Park on Saturday, then again in April at nearby Alum Creek State Park.

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The Arnold 5k starts and begins at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and in the past it followed a course that when north into some residential areas before returning. This year would be just the opposite as we would head south through downtown and the return would follow the Scioto River and into the Arena District before making it back to where we started - a nearly identical route as the 5th Line 5k back in January. I took 15th in this event last year, finishing in 18:13.

With full sun and a slight breeze, the 36 degree temperature was comfortable. Loitering around the starting area, this dude walks over, "You are Craig, right?". "I am", I reply. He, Brian, goes on to say he was the one I narrowly beat in January as I found the last of the energy I had remaining to kick it up a notch in the last 100 meters. An injury last May had put him out for a while and he had just started running again in December. With that I figured he would make sure to finish ahead of me on this day.

At the gun a group took off like they were shot out of a cannon and I was in no mood to attempt to keep even a portion of that pace. I stayed within myself and hung behind a couple of others who looked like they may know what they were doing. The going was relatively easy, but we did have a nice head wind as we traveled down the long southbound straight stretch on Front Street.

Nearing mile one the couple of guys just ahead are falling back a bit, but then suddenly Brian drifts by and I'm at 5:44. I pass the two guys directly in front who apparently went out a bit too fast and attempt to have Brian pull me along, but he seems to get a little further ahead every so often. We turn to go back north and I notice Brian is asking race security for confirmation on the race route as we make a couple of turns - this, for the time being, is keeping him from getting further way. He is soon out of reach and the wind is at our backs.

At mile two (5:50) all is silent until I pass under a pedestrian bridge and glance to see L throwing out
some encouragement as the incline battle begins. Turning right onto Spring Street and I hear distance footsteps. Moments later I'm passed by a dude who is reeling in the distant Brian at the same spot where I was holding Brian off about six weeks ago.

Mile two, all alone

As if my legs are made of concrete, I'm at a good pace but cannot find an extra gear. Drifting by Nationwide Arena, I push as much as I can up the hill along the boulevard. With a quarter mile to go, the dude is in Brian's shadow and the two begin the race to the finish. I'm too far back see them finish and stride as best I can in hopes of a satisfying finishing time. I stop my watch as it all comes to an end and see 17:22, but a course length of 2.9. I have finished 6th and Brian held off that dude by less than a second to finish fourth at about 25 seconds ahead of me.

Conversing with other finishers, we find Brian's watch indicates a full 3.1 mile course. Though, the rest of us are seeing length of three miles or less. Whether it was short or not, I did at least keep a more consistent pace than I have in the past. Before heading home L & I swung by Katalina's for breakfast. The rest of the day was spent preparing the garden for near future planting followed by lighting the fire pit for the the first time in 2020.

Oh, and as for L in the Der Wolfsrudel Lauf Trail Series 12k the day before she placed twelfth overall on the river of mud course in 1:14:09. It may not have been the most ideal race, but was a great way to prepare for her first half marathon coming up next month. Her shoes sat on the patio to bake in the rest of the weekend sun in order to more easily remove them from their mud cocoon.

The one portion of the course not totally mud.

The race was run relatively well, though the water stop near the start/finish could have used a human or two. As L made her way through for the first loop she grabbed one of the cups set up next to the giant orange jug of liquid refreshment. Attempting to take a swig, she was instead pelted in the face by a handful of trail mix. Disgusted that the displayed cups held no liquid at all, she simply tossed it behind her and mumble a curse word or two as she continued for lap number two.

I, too, was confused as to why one would set out cups next to a refreshment jug only to fill them with a snack? This isn't preschool, get the competitors some damn water! She did survive, but many folks were disappointed to find they had to stop and fill up their own cup for liquid refreshment while race officials danced around yelling encouragement through a megaphone while dressed in hippo costumes and blaring horribly recorded tunes by a random cover band. Overall, though, it was a good event, but could have been much better and L didn't let it phase her - she did extremely well.

With that said, we have started scheduling races around vacations and vice versa for the better part of the year. Some of those have her being the spectator as I run, others have me playing the part as observer while she grinds it out and some have the both of us running ourselves silly. There are those folk who find this to be weird, but for us...it is simply a daily routine...

Disq - Daily Routine

this is my daily routine

spend my hours on computer screen

I lay around for a while

get feeling like I’m supposed to be

I love the daily routine

take care of my basic needs

I have a daily routine

I thought it looked better inside a dream

come on and hit me in the head real hard

I haven’t hurt myself quite enough so far

save me I don’t wanna think