5/7/2022 Nancy Wardell Dandelion 10K Dover, Ohio

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5/7/2022

Dandelion 10K

Dover, Ohio

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  57:08

Overall Place:  23rd Place

Division Place:  3rd Place

Race Recap By Nancy Wardell:

Finished the 2022 Dandelion Run 10K today with some rain and tons of elevation that I definitely did not expect, but finished 23rd overall, 3rd female in my age group, and 7th female overall! Took a long nap after this one!! It hurt a little.  Thankful for another fun run though!!

5/7/2022 Scott Orlando Indy Mini Marathon 5K Indianapolis, Indiana

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5/7/2022

Indy Mini Marathon 5K

Indianapolis, Indiana

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  22:35

Overall Place 70th Place / 2,594

Division Place:  5th Place / 93

Race Review By Scott Orlando:

This was my first time racing at the Indy Mini Marathon.  I was originally registered for the half marathon, but my calf tightened up on my very last training run a week before the race.   Heading to Indianapolis I wasn’t sure if I would drop out of the race completely, risk further injury by attempting the half marathon, or drop down to the 5K knowing at the very least I could walk the course.   I spent all week rehabbing my calf and resting it.  The night before the race I made the decision to run the 5K.  My plan was to run as long as my calf would hold and to walk at the first sign of any tightness.   The 5K started at 7:00 am and had a field of almost 3,000 runners.   My first mile I was a little hesitant not knowing what to expect from my calf.  It felt okay but not great.  Each stride I was expecting it to get worse but it never did.  Mile 2 my calf stretched out a little and felt better so I pushed the pace a little faster.  By the third mile I felt like it was stable so I continued at the faster pace.  I finished with a time of 22:35.  I finished 70th overall and 5th in my age division.  Certainly not my best but under the circumstances I was pleased with the result.  The best part of the race experience was watching my niece complete her first half marathon.   The race was very well organized and was probably the largest race I have ever been a part of with over 20,000 runners in the half marathon field and almost 3,000 in the 5K.  I hope to return next year and compete in the half marathon.

4/24/2022 Roy Miller Glass City Marathon Toledo, Ohio

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4/24/2022

Glass City Marathon

Toledo, Ohio

Roy Miller

Finish Time:  4:58:39

Overall Place:  789th Place / 1000

Division Place:  65th Place / 76

Race Review By Roy Miller!

I came into Glass city feeling strong and ready. Unfortunately Mother nature had plans of her own.  The morning temperatures in the low 60s with higher than normal humidity.

I have told everyone it was the tale of two half marathons. The front half felt really good and smooth. I made it to the halfway point at around 1:38:00. I was still on pace for what would have been a PR and a potential BQ. That is about where it all went off the rails.

The water station between mile 13 and 14 I grabbed some water and decided to get a good drink so I walked for just a few seconds. As I was walking my body listed to the left and I almost fell over. From that point on I was dizzy and something just didn’t feel right.  This is when I decided to forget about a PR and just get through to the finish line. The temperature started to rise and as the temperature went up my paces went down. I checked and my heart rate became very erratic. Walk time! I was able to jog in small segments but by the time I got to the 23 mile mark I knew that if I did any more running I would be in serious trouble and probably headed for the med tent.

The last three miles I just walked and talked with people on the course. A lot of athletes at this point were struggling to continue. I saw several athletes with paramedics helping them out and I knew I had made the right decision to listen to my body and be able to safely get across the line.

I did officially finish in 4:58:39.  I got a great motivational push from fellow team member Kristi Gunyala as she walked with me into the stadium.

Overall not my best performance, but maybe my smartest!  On to the next one!

 

4/23/2022 Scott Orlando Grand River Canoe And Kayak Race Madison, Ohio

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4/23/2022

Grand River Canoe And Kayak Race

Madison, Ohio

8.5 Mile Kayak Race 14′ And Under Kayak Race

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  1:11:41

Overall Place:  6th Place / 112

Division Place:  1st Place / 25

Race Recap By Scott Orlando:

This was my first time competing in the Grand River Kayak race since 2018.  The race was cancelled in 2020 and 2019 and I was unable to compete due to injury last year.   This year’s race featured the largest race field I have ever seen there with almost 350 total paddlers.  The race conditions were fast and furious with high water levels and fast flow creating exciting class 1 and class 2 rapids throughout the course.   Previous years when I have competed in this race water levels have been low and slow with rock hazards and hang up risks the entire course forcing paddlers to really focus on the water to find the right line of safe passage.  This year with high water most obstacles were removed so paddlers could choose their line and be very aggressive or sit back and let the strong currents guide the way.   I did my best to choose lines that kept me in the fastest water.   I chose to paddle my Liquid Logic Intuit 13.5 for this race.   The Intuit 13.5 is a great river boat that can take the punishment of rocks and shallow bottoms that this river usually offers.   The river was deep enough that I felt confident using my carbon fiber wing paddle without worrying too much about damaging it from hitting rocks or the bottom.  It proved to be the right choice.   I spent a little extra time at the start zipping into the spray skirt I had already installed on my kayak.  As soon as I hit the first set of rapids I knew that this also ended up being a smart choice.  The water was crashing over the bow of my kayak on every set of rapids and without it I may have had to stop to empty my kayak of the water as I saw many paddlers pulled off onto the banks doing.   I had so much fun in the fast water hitting rapid after rapid.  I think I smiled the entire race!   The scenery of the course was beautiful.  Cliffs filled with cascading waterfalls everywhere and bald eagles soaring above.  I was shocked how quickly the race seemed to fly by.  The fast water knocked about 20 minutes off of my fastest time previously at this race.  I was happy with my result of 6th overall in the 14′ and under race and winning my age division.  All participants received t-shirts and custom finisher medals.  The finisher medals were a new addition to this year’s race swag.  The finisher medals featured a compass style design with a kayak in the middle that spins.  This finisher medal might be the nicest I have every earned at a race.  Winners received trophies with a canoe on the top.  In previous years they used beer glasses as awards.  Lake Metro Parks always does a great job with organizing this race.