8/10/2019 Steve Zenar St. Marys Summerfest 5K St. Marys, Ohio

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8/10/2019

St. Marys Summerfest 5K

St. Marys, Ohio

Steve Zenar

Finish Time:  23:12

Overall Place:  29th Place

Division Place:  4th Place

Race Recap By Steve Zenar:

I worked to support / sponsor via my Continental manufacturing site in St Marys, OH and the St Marys Summerfest 5K event. We provided funds to help cover a portion of the race cost and also provide finisher medals to the first 100 participants to cross the finish line.

Upon waking up, “I just felt like running” so I laced up my shoes and decided to run the event prior to joining the rest of my Team who had volunteered to pass out the finisher medals as people completed the run.

It was a nice course spanning the greater part of the city and we had quite a fast paced start as many of the local track and cross country team members from the city ran the event. I went out a little too hard at the beginning and payed for it in mile three a bit but ended up completing the race at 23:12.44 placing 4th in my age group and 29th overall.

8/7/2019 Scott Orlando Turtle Trot 5K Hilton Head, SC

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8/7/2019

Turtle Trot 5K

Palmetto Dunes Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Finish Time:  22:50

Overall Place:  19th

Division Place:  2nd

Race recap by Scott Orlando.

While on vacation at Hilton Head Island I happened to find a 5K so I thought what the heck let’s run!  The Turtle Trot 5K is a weekly event held every Wednesday morning at Palmetto Dunes during the summer vacation season.  The race draws local runners and walkers as well as plenty of vacationing visitors of all ability levels with a participation of 300-450 runners per week.   Depending on the tides the race is either on the beach or on the paved trails around Palmetto Dunes Plantation.  All proceeds of the race are donated to local charities including a large portion going towards sea turtle protection.  Tides were low so the race was held on the beach for my race.  Hilton Head Beach might be one of the best beaches in the country to run on during low tide.  The wide, flat, and hard packed sand makes it ideal for running.   The race course itself was pretty simple.  The start was in the middle of the course.  You headed south down the beach, turned around and headed back north past the start continuing to another turnaround to finish heading south again at the point of the start.  The race started at 8:00 am and it was already 85 degrees with a feel like temperature of 107.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  Although the course was fast and flat the heat and humidity zapped the energy and pace out of most of the runners.  One interesting rule of the race was that the water stop midway was mandatory.  I have never seen a mandatory water stop before but it was a smart rule considering the heat.  I had a fast first half of the race but like most people slowed down in the last mile as the heat took its toll on me.  I never stopped running and ending up passing many faster runners who gave into the heat and started walking the last half mile.  My finish time wasn’t my fastest but given the heat and the fact that the race was midweek during my vacation I am not surprised.  Let’s just say I was running at vacation pace.  The race was very well organized.  If the race is offered again next year I will certainly do it again.

7/27/2019 Scott Orlando Ohio State Canoe and Kayak Championships Fairport Harbor, Ohio

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7/27/2019

Ohio State Canoe and Kayak Championships.

Fairport Harbor, Ohio

Scott Orlando

5 Mile Kayak Race

Long Boat Class

Finish Time:  51:55

Overall Place:  4th Solo Kayak

Division Place:  3rd Place

Race Recap By Scott Orlando

For the second weekend in a row I found myself competing in a kayak in Fairport Harbor.  Last week on Lake Erie in the Pirate Triathlon and this weekend on the Grand River competing for a state title.   I was struggling all week trying to decide what size kayak and class I would race in this year.  The Stellar S16 Multisport that I won the state title last year for touring / rec class was now considered a racing boat with a new classification system. This year anything composite was considered a racing boat in the 5 mile race.  I brought the Stellar S16 Multisport and a Stellar S14S Multisport with me to the race leaving my fastest and longest Stellar SR Multisport kayak at home.  I can only carry two on my car.  As race time approached no one was yet entered in the medium boat class that I considered racing the Stellar S14 S in so I went with the long boat class and the Stellar S16.  Ten minutes before the race I realized the two fastest paddlers who I expected to be in the unlimited class had registered for the long boat class.  At this point two people did register for the medium boat class.  I heavily considered changing boats and classes to chase glory of a state championship but seeing that the competition in the medium boat class was not very strong I chose to challenge myself and stay in the long boat class.  The race conditions were very good with deep water and very little current.  Right away I found myself chasing a friend who was in a 19′ Stellar SR.  I knew I couldn’t compete with the two fastest paddlers in 18′ racing kayaks so I set my eyes on challenging my friend in his Stellar SR.  I stayed right on his tail never falling more then 10 yards behind him.  The last two miles I was able to close the gap and position a foot behind his rudder in perfect drafting position.  I stayed there until I could see the finish line about a quarter mile down river.  I made my move and started sprinting.  I got about even with his hip and paddled harder and faster.  In the end my 16′ touring kayak just didn’t have the speed to pass the 19′ surfski and he beat me by 10 seconds.  Even though I knew I wouldn’t win the state title this was still by far my most intense kayak race.  I put everything I had into it and won 3rd place in my class and was the 4th fastest solo kayak in the 5 mile race.  I am very proud that I earned 3rd place competing against Ohio’s best rather then dropping down in class and easily winning that division.  I am not sure I would have the same satisfaction.  I knocked 8 minutes off of last year’s time using the same boat.