7/25/2020 Scott Orlando USCA Canoe And Kayak Ohio State Championships Fairport Harbor, Ohio

7/25/2020

USCA Canoe And Kayak Ohio State Championships

Fairport Harbor, Ohio Grand River Landing.

Scott Orlando

5 Mile Race Unlimited Class

Finish Time:  50:26

Overall Place:  First Overall Single Male Kayak

Division Place:  First Place Unlimited Class.

Race Recap By Scott Orlando.

Conditions were near perfect in the water for this year’s USCA Ohio State Championships at the Grand River Landing in Fairport Harbor, Ohio.  For The 4th year in a row I chose to compete in the 5 mile race.   I wasn’t sure what class I was going to race in but finally decided on the unlimited class which is for kayaks longer then 18′.   I went with my Stellar SR Multisport.   Water conditions were very calm and flat making the upstream portions of the course a lot faster then previous years but then with little to no current the down stream second half of the race was slower so it evened out.   I had a nice clean start quickly finding my place just behind the faster tandem racing canoes and kayaks and 3-4 solo kayaks.   The course begins with a small loop through a marina area.   Exiting the marina area I got cut off by the lead pack of paddle board racers.  They were to the right so I stayed left exiting marina.  Suddenly the pack turned left right at me.  I was forced to slow to a stop to avoid contact with them.  I lost time to several lead kayaks and had to push hard to get back in position.   As the heat of the sun and fatigue set in with other racers I was able to gain position and pass a few kayaks and canoes.   A half mile or so from the finish I caught up to the kayak in 2nd place overall.  about a quarter mile from the finish we both were sprinting hard and fortunately I was able to pull ahead finishing 2nd overall by just 4 seconds.  The overall solo kayak in the 5 mile race was a woman in a K-1 racing boat who trains with the USA Olympic Development Team so I had no problem losing to her.  My finish time was 50:26 which was faster then last year so I am happy with my performance.   It was great to race against and with a lot of my paddler friends that came from all over Ohio, Pennsylvania, and even Florida.  Social distancing was maintained and they even had a contactless awards presentation.

7/27/2020 Team ER Buddy Challenge

7/27/2020

Team ER Buddy Challenge

The Team ER Buddy Challenge!
Part of being a Team ER member is to be a good ambassador of our sports by promoting and encouraging others to be active and make healthy choices. So this week’s challenging was all about helping to motivate and encourage others by inviting a friend to do something active.
The Buddy Challenge was simple, just complete at least one workout with a friend or buddy!

7/20/2020 Team ER Something New Challenge

7/20/2020

Team ER 2020 Try Something New Challenge

We all at one point or another tend to get repetitive with our training routine which can lead to boredom and plateaus so this week we tried something new! The Try Something New Challenge was simple. All you had to do was complete at least one workout session that incorporates a new form of activity, that you have never done or haven’t done this year.
The Rules:
  • Complete at least one workout that includes an activity, skill, technique, drill, or mode of exercise that you have never done or have not done this year.Once you complete the challenge post a picture of yourself to the Team ER Facebook page with the title: I Tried Something New And Liked It! #teamertrysomethingnewchallenge
  • Complete the challenge and earn 2.5 team points for reporting your results and another 2.5 points for submitting a picture of yourself for a total of 5 points.Everyone that completes the challenge will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a Team ER Face Mask!

Team ER Members Completing The Challenge Include:

Kevin Christensen      (5 points earned)
Jobadiah Christensen   (5 points earned)
Scott Orlando          (5 points earned)
Mike Williams          (2.5 points earned)

7/18/2020 Josh Ritchie Jim Klett Hybrid / Virtual 10K Green, Ohio

7/18/2020

Jim Klett  Hybrid / Virtual 10K

Green, Ohio

Finish Time:  45:41

Overall Place:  6th Place

Division Place:  First Place

Race Recap By Josh Ritchie

I ran the SARC 10K hybrid on Saturday. The summit county health department is not allowing any “foot races”, so Summit Athletic Running Club made this event a hybrid. They set up the 3.1 mile, 2 loop course at beautiful Boettler Park in Green, and the runners came out to run anytime during the morning. They had music at the start and finish, dressed up the course with flags and had a podium for a photo op at the end. No gatherings at the start or finish, no awards ceremony, no aid stations, everyone was socially distance and it was a great course. We were still able to compete against other times, all on the same course. Received a nice t-shirt, and they are mailing me my award. Ran 45:41.

Look for more hybrid events coming soon from Summit Athletic Running Club.

7/18/2020 Scott Orlando Tuscazoar Adventure Race Dover, Ohio

7/18/2020

Tuscazoar Adventure Race

Dover, Ohio

5 mile run, 3.5 mile kayak, 1 mile trek, and 3.5 mile mountain bike.

Finish Time:  Did Not Finish (DNF)

This was my first time competing in the Tuscazoar Adventure Race. which is billed as a 5 mile run, 3.5 mile kayak 1 mile trek, and 3 mile mountain bike.  I found the run to be 5.3 miles and the kayak leg to be fairly close to 3.5 miles. I can’t confirm the distances on the trek and mountain bike but I was told the mountain bike was closer to 3.4 – 4 miles.  My race recap below will explain why.   Social distancing was in place and well observed.  I was in the second heat to start the race.

The run leg started with a run up a gravel road hill and then a quick turn into the woods for more then a mile of single track trail running.  This part of the trail was was technical.  Proper foot placement was paramount as the trail made it’s way down the hills to the river.  Once at the river level the trail was mostly primitive but flat.   I picked up speed with every mile and eventually found myself the first from my heat to the kayak transition.  A 400 yard portage was next up.  I chose to use my Stellar 16 Multisport kayak for the race.  It was slower then my Stellar SR but I chose it because I knew I could paddle the Stellar 16 and control the rudder with my running shoes where the SR I was not able to get my running shoes to fit in the pedals which would require a shoe change.  The strategy worked well.   I quickly caught up and passed everyone in the first heat but two very fast racers.

I was in podium potential (top 3-5 overall) after a strong run and kayak leg. Out of the kayak I was directed by race officials to head right down the trail for the 1 mile trek. After running 1.5 miles in that direction I realized I was off course. I turned around and went back and spotted another trail. Another racer and I headed down that trail and soon saw a course marker so we thought we were back on course. Soon we found ourselves miles into the woods and way too far in to turn around. 5 miles in with no one in site my race was over and I was lost. I could then hear the panicked screams of other lost racers. I linked up with 3 boys one already suffering from dehydration. Temperatures were reaching the high 90’s. We kept making our way now walking the trails to find our way out. None of the boys had water. I shared what Gatorade I had left with the boy that was having dehydration issues being light headed, dizzy and now not walking straight. We kept moving mile after mile realizing we were most likely following the ultra race bike course. We knew the course was 8.5 miles and if we followed the course we would get back or see a biker that could get help.

The parents of the boys reported them missing and fellow friend racer Will Hanson reported me missing. Search and rescue was deployed and the sheriff’s department was called in. At one point we heard a helicopter overhead but I cannot verify that was search and rescue. After 5 extra miles of running and another 4 miles or so of hiking up and down the hills we were found about 2 miles from Camp Tuscazoar. We were taken to rescue ATV’s with water, Gatorade and energy bars.

In total I know of 10-15 people that were sent in the wrong direction by race officials. 9 had to be rescued and we were the last group to be found. I am thankful to the search and rescue volunteers and professionals that put themselves in harms way to find us.

To make things worse I was very upset to see all of the scratches and gouges in my kayak as a result of carelessness when the race officials transported it back to the start. It’s clear that kayaks were stacked on top of mine when transported.

I spent most of the day and night dehydrated and processing the experience. The panicked screams for help from kids and other adults lost is something I won’t soon forget. I like to think that the outdoor skills I developed as a Boy Scout along with my overall health and fitness level helped me provide comfort and leadership to those panicked scared boys. I am thankful no one was seriously hurt.

The race officials did a lot of things right that should not be ignored.  Pre race communication was very good.   The swag participants received was excellent and included tech shirts, wood carved finisher medals, local syrup, hand made masks and a lot more.   I think that there will be some changes for the better next year to improve the overall safety and quality of the experience of the race for everyone.

 

2020 Team ER Push Up Challenge

7/12/2020

Team ER Push Up Challenge

Team ER members were challenged with completing 25 push ups every day for 7 consecutive days.

Each Team ER member that completed the challenge earned 5 team points.

Team ER Member Completing The Challenge Include:

Kevin Christensen
Jobadiah Christiansen
Loretta Harland
Asad Khan
Roy Miller
Scott Orlando
Mike Williams
Steve Zenar

7/4/2020 Jobadiah Christiansen, Scott Orlando, Mike Williams, and Steve Zenar Raintree 5K Green, Ohio

7/4/2020

Raintree 5K

Green, Ohio

Jobadiah Christiansen

Finish Time:  16:12

Overall Place:  1st Place

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  21:36

Overall Place:  29th Place

Mike Williams

Finish Time:  24:03

Overall Place:  42nd Place

Steve Zenar

Finish Time:  24:42

Overall Place:  47th Place

Race Review By Scott Orlando

I have to admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect come race day for the Raintree 5K.   I wasn’t sure how social distancing would work being one of the first live races to happen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  I wasn’t sure if runners would be open to the idea of a live race.  I wasn’t sure of the idea of running on fairways.  Finally I wasn’t sure if I was ready physically for a race.  I was pleasantly surprised regarding all of my concerns surrounding this race.  I felt very comfortable and safe with the social distancing measures in place.  Nearly everyone was wearing masks when not running and the staggered heat times avoided mass gatherings at the start line.   Everyone moved quickly through the finish shoot and maintained social distancing staying long enough to take a few pictures.  No awards or post race gatherings were held.   The race hosted about 110 runners last year but this year saw 180 make it across the finish line.  The increase is probably a result of so many other competing races being cancelled along with building on the success of the previous year’s race.  I quickly learned that it was a highly competitive field of runners who had all been waiting months to get back on a race course.  My concern of running on fairways quickly went away as I warmed up.  The fairways were soft but not to the point of significant speed loss and I actually found them to be very comfortable and enjoyable.  A sprinkler on one of the fairways in the first mile was on leaving runners to navigate under it like a giant fountain.  I don’t know if this was done on purpose to help cool off runners in the hot sun or it was just a mistake but either way it created a nice element to the race.  The overall course was a true cross country style design taking runners from fairways to cart paths, onto residential roads and back to fairways for the finish.  Anyone missing their old high school or college cross country days would have felt right at home on this course.  In fact, I believe that their were more than a few current cross country runners out on the course hopefully preparing for the upcoming season.  The race was well organized with a beautiful start on the 15th fairway and finish on the 17th fairway.  The top 25 male and female finishers were set to receive awards with no age groups.  I believe this was done to try to simplify the process and maintain social distancing.  I finished as the 27th overall male just missing the awards tier.  My goal for the race was to finish with an average pace of under 7 minutes per mile.  My GPS had me with an average mile pace of 6:53 per mile so I am happy with my performance.  Team ER member Jobadiah Christiansen made a last minute move to take the overall win with a time of 16:12.  Mike Williams and Steve Zenar also had solid showings.

7/1/2020 Team ER June Goal Challenge

7/1/2020

Team ER June Goal Challenge

Team ER June Goal Challenge!
The Challenge Rules:
  1. Choose a fitness goal that will last the entire month.
  2. At the end of June or as soon as you complete your June Goal post a picture of yourself on the Team ER Facebook page with the title: I Completed The Team ER June Goal Challenge! #teamerjunegoalchallenge.
  3. June Goal must be different than your May Goal.
Every Team ER member achieving their June Goal will receive 10 team points.
Team Er Members Completing The Challenge:
Kevin Christensen
Jobadiah Christiansen
Christine Churpek
Roy Miller
Scott Orlando
Gretchen Snyder
Amy Stumpf
Mike Williams