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

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.

6/29/2020

Team ER Track Attack Challenge

Team ER members were challenged with completing at least one track workout during their weekly training sessions.

The workout could be any style or type of track inspired training sessions based on each member’s own fitness level, training needs, and training goals.

Each member that completed the challenge earned 5 team points and a chance to win a vintage Team ER tech shirt.

Team ER members completing the challenge include:

Christine Churpek
Kevin Christensen
Loretta Harland
Asad Khan
Roy Miller
Scott Orlando
Gretchen Snyder
Amy Stumpf
Steve Zenar

6/21/2020

2020 Team ER 110% Challenge

6/14/2020

Hill Yeah Virtual Half Marathon

Jobadiah Christiansen

Finish Time:  1:17:43

6/14/2020

Team ER Terminator Challenge

Team ER members were challenged to complete the speed workout listed below.

6/3/2020

Team ER Global Running Day Challenge.

Wednesday June 3rd 2020 was Global Running Day.

A chance for all runners to celebrate the love and joy of running.

The Team ER Global Running Day Challenge rules were very simple.

The Rules:
*  Run On Global Running Day!  You choose the distance, intensity, and course.
* Your run can be short or long, fast or slow, inside or outside, on a track, trail, road or treadmill.
*  Wear a Team ER shirt or apparel item on your run.
*  Post a picture on the Team ER Facebook page of you in your Team ER shirt or apparel.
*  Use this title and complete this sentence in your post: On Global Running Day I Celebrate By Running For_________________________
*  Use the #Globalrunningdayteamerchallenge in your post.
*  The run must be completed on Global Running Day.
*  Pictures must be of you in your Team ER shirts or apparel.  Pictures must be posted on Global Running Day.

• All Team ER members completing the challenge will earn 5 team points.
• Every Team ER member that completes the challenge will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win an assortment of Car Boom Energy Gel!

Team ER members completing the challenge:

Christine Churpek
Loretta Harland
Asad Khan
Roy Miller
Scott Orlando
Gretchen Snyder
Amy Stumpf
Mike Williams
Steve Zenar

5/31/2020

Team ER May Goal Challenge

Team ER Members were challenged to choose a fitness goal for the month of May.

To complete the challenge Team ER members were required to meet their May goal and post a picture on the team Facebook page.

10 Team ER points are awarded to the following members that achieved their May goals and completed the challenge.

Team members completing the May goal challenge:

Amy Stumpf
Christine Churpek
Gretchen Snyder
Ken Frankenbery
Mike Miller
Molly Menton
Roy Miller
Scott Orlando

5/24/2020

Tallmadge Memorial 5K Virtual and Hybrid Race

Tallmadge, Ohio

Due to the COVID-19 crisis this year’s Tallmadge Memorial 5K was offered as a virtual 5K where participants could run the race virtually on their own course, treadmill, or a track or choose to run the Hybrid marked course on the Tallmadge Freedom Trail with the start and finish line at Ritchie’s Sporting Goods.

Team ER Member Results:

Roy Miller

Finish Time:  20:10

Overall Place: 3rd Place

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  20:41

Overall Place:  4th Place

Division Place:  1st Place

Asad Khan

Finish Time:  21:59

Overall Place:

Division Place:

Christine Churpek

Finish Time:  22:15

Overall Place: 9th Place Overall   1st Overall Female

Division Place: 1st Place

Amy Stumpf

Finish Time:  22:39

Overall Place:  12th Place

Division Place:  2nd Overall Female

Russ Neubert

Finish Time:  23:52

Overall Place 15th Place

Division Place 1st Place

Mike Williams

Finish Time:  23:55

Overall Place:  16th Place

Division Place:  1st Place

Steve Zenar

Finish Time:  24:58

Overall Place:  19th Place

Division Place:  2nd Place

Loretta Harland

Finish Time:  27:18

Overall Place:

Division Place:

Mike Pastva

Finish Time:  33:46

Overall Place:

Division Place:

Jill Bidwell McCauslin

Finish Time:  38:30

Overall Place:

Division Place:

The virtual race runs through June 7th.  Overall and division results will be posted once available.

Race Review by Scott Orlando:

The Tallmadge Memorial 5K is a long standing tradition that was threatened this year by the COVID-19 crisis.  Thanks to the the fine people at Ritchie’s Sporting Goods and Summit Athletic Runner’s Club they found a unique way to keep the tradition going.  Where most race organizers are choosing to cancel races or are going completely virtual, the Tallmadge Memorial 5K found another way in the format of a hybrid race to keep the tradition of the event alive.  The hybrid format allowed participants to compete virtually on the treadmill, course, or track of their own choosing, or to compete on a designated marked course on the Freedom Trail with a start and finish at Ritchie’s Sporting Goods.   I chose to compete by running the designated marked course.  This gave me the opportunity to run part of the Freedom Trail I typically don’t utilize.   I must say that the hybrid option was an experience that really made it feel like a typical race.  From the minute I parked at Ritchie’s Sporting Goods and picked up my packet I was in race mode.  The start / finish line was decorated with flags and the course was well marked as well.  I ran an easy mile of the course to warm up and get my bearings.  I returned to the start to begin my race.  I felt full of nerves and anticipation just like a real race.  I hit my GPS and off I went on my very own personal race.   The course was very flat and fast.  The only downside was the major streets that you had to cross.  The way out I was fortunate not to be slowed down too much when crossing the streets.  I ran the course about 10:00 am Saturday morning so traffic wasn’t that bad.   My goal was to complete the race averaging just under a 7 minute mile pace.  At the half way turn around point I was surprised to see that I was much faster then my goal pace.   The first major street crossing on the way back I was forced by traffic to stop for a brief moment for a car.  Not wanting to lose pace I remembered my Fartlek and interval training from the Team ER weekly challenges and sprinted to the next street crossing trying to make up time.  This became my strategy for the remaining 3 streets to cross.  Surprisingly this strategy kept me ahead of my goal time even though I had to stop for some cars to pass.  Seeing the finish flags made me push hard for the line.  I was shocked that for the first time in many years I was under a 21 minute finish time for a 5K.  My final time was 20:41 with a 6:45 average mile.  I ran a 21:06 in November of 2019 so I knew with some hard work I could get under 21 minutes.   I think the increased miles I have been putting in, dropping some extra weight, and the speed work from the Team ER weekly challenges all helped me reach my goal of getting back under 21 minutes for a 5K.   The fast flat course also helped!   Participants received custom finisher medals and nice face masks that will come in handy for safety at future events.   I think the hybrid option was an excellent idea and I hope other race organizers take a look at the format for their upcoming events.

5/24/2020

Team ER Virtual 5K Challenge.

The Team ER Virtual 5K Challenge is an age and weight graded virtual 5K.

Team ER members could compete on any course of their choosing or complete the challenge on a treadmill or track.

What is an age and weight graded time you might ask?
It is a statistical calculation of your “adjusted” run time using your actual run time, age, weight, and gender. We will use what is known as the Flyer Handicap to determine your age and weight graded finish time for the final standings of this challenge.

Congratulations to Ken Frankenbery who was the winner of the Team ER Virtual 5K Challenge.

Final results based on the age / weight graded finish time.