2021 Palmetto200 Thru the Rearview Mirror

AO: InterRegional

Conditions: Mid 30’s to Low 50’s

It all started about a month and half ago when a couple of PAX got together for some 2^nd F Festivities at the Grumpy Monk. Not long after sitting down, ordering apps, & swigging some suds somebody suggested that we needed a CSAUP!

Immediately, Sunshine sprang into action and informed the group that the 2021 Palmetto 200 was scheduled for March 19^th. Without hesitation, Sunshine, Spork, Rubber, YHC (and we thought Beefsteak) HC’d. Then we put out a text to the 2019 P200 Runners and 5 more Pax immediately jumped into the mix. Bobsled was in; Super Dave was in; Rebar was in; Skidmark was in; Barney was in as a driver. This was easy.

Within a few short days we picked up Sitework from the Republic, Sade’ & Hamburglar from Hulkamania/BombSquad/Village/Warthog/Oyster; and Grill from  The Anvil (Aynor). Oh yeah, Flop signed on as the second drive (although he did have to eventually bow out). It took less than a week and we had a full team. 7 Pax were returning vets and 5 pax were 1^st round draft picks!! There were young guys & old guys, Kotters & Crazies. This was gonna be fun!!

Although we didn’t know it at the time, we had been training for months; running from the Hulk & Hasselhoff on Fridays and Sundays; running in our neighborhoods, and doing pre-runs before beatdowns. We were all had a solid level of  ‘Freedom Fitness’ which gave us the ability to jump into almost any activity without a tremendous amount of time need for training.

As the event neared, some of the Pax were banged up a little and one of the rookies never ran more than a 5k before signing up!

Half of the team were true locals (born & bred in Conway). They would be riding in Van #1, which was a 2021 luxury coach with bucket seats, theater quality surround sound, & enough room behind the 3^rd row of seats for a bed! They had their own chauffeur, F3Barney, & probably an onboard chef and masseuse. #MembershipHasItsPrivleges.

The 2^nd Van dubbed “The Larry Bird” housed the rest of us. This van was old, big, & white. It may not have been as flashy as Van#1, but it worked hard and had moxie to spare. We had oversized tires and a roof rack that served as a bed! By the middle of the race, “The Larry Bird” commanded respect and was the envy of the other teams!!

Sunshine, Super Dave, and Rubber worked their magic behind the scenes leading up to the event: They secured the 2 Vans; created and procured custom Racing Gear; gathered food/snacks/drinks & brought ice filled coolers.

Sunshine was the team leader who meticulously divided up each leg of the race multiple times as the racecourse changed seemingly from week to week. The calculated team pace was set at 8.27 minutes/mile. Each Pax would be running between 14.92 miles and 19.9 miles (average total distance/runner  = 16.92 miles).

The plan was to all meet at the Conway Police Station on Friday morning at 7am with a departure time of 7:30. We would then caravan for the next 2 hours straight out Rt 378 then head south on I-95 to Santee State Park on the shores of beautiful Lake Marion. The weather was brisk, patchy clouds, wind gusts, and somewhat damp. The highs would be in the low 50’s and the lows were in the mid 30’s.

Apparently, this was ideal running temps for the folks who knew better. For the rest of us it was a bit on the cold side and gave us something to grumble about as we rode in the warmth of our vans! The conditions kept you guessing as to how much or how little gear you would need on any particular leg of the race.

The general consensus was less layers were better because after a mile of running anything more than 1 maybe 2 light sports shirts would make you overheat and reduce your optimal performance. Shorts were encouraged but most runners opted for running tights, too! Midday attire included tanktops when the mercury topped out at 56 degrees!

Because of our estimated pace, our start time was at 10:30 Friday Morning (3/19/2021). Grill our youngest member (only Pax under age 40) had the honor of getting us started!

When the starter pistol rang out, everyone put on their game face . . . Van #1 loaded up to tackle the 1^st six legs of the race, while Van #2 headed back up I-95 to grab breakfast/lunch for the next few hours. As the day progressed, two primary rules of the P200 emerged: (1) Run hard, run long and (2) kick your diet to the curb.

We ran like Olympians & ate like Beasts!! There’s nothing tastier than Country Fried Steak with extra gravy, mushed potatoes, butter beans, & apple crisp served up hot at a roadside Diner before 11 am. And this was just the start of the running and feeding frenzy!! Even Sade’ and BobSled (probably our 2 most health conscious Pax) had no hesitation eat anything & everything during the race! Bottomline we need the calories!

The THANG:

Leg #1 – Grill – 8.26 miles being chased by a dog – Great way to start the race!

Leg #2 – Rebar – 7.27 miles

Leg #3 – Sunshine – 5.36 miles

Leg #4 – SuperDave -2.25 miles

Leg #5 – Rubber – 2.5 miles

Leg #6 – Sitework – 8.07 miles

Leg #7 – Hamburglar – 3.20 miles

Leg #8 – Spork – 3.96 miles

Leg #9 – Sade’ – 6.75 miles

Leg #10 – Skidmark – 3.53 miles

Leg #11 – Quaker – 5.34 miles

Leg #12 – BobSled – 8.85 miles

Leg #13 – Sunshine – 7.42 miles

Leg #14 – Sitework – 2.45 miles

Leg #15 – Rebar – 9.68 miles

Leg #16 – Grill – 3.77 miles

Leg #17 – SuperDave – 9.73 miles

Leg #18 – Rubber – 9.28 miles

Leg #19 – BobSled – 3.86 miles

Leg #20 – Skidmark – 7.72 miles

Leg #21 – Hamburglar – 5.30 miles

Leg #22 – Spork – 8.75 miles

Leg #23 – Quaker – 6.63 miles

Leg #24 – Sade’ – 5.94 miles

Leg #25 – Rebar – 2.24 miles

Leg #26 – Grill – 6.02 miles

Leg #27 – Rubber – 3.94 miles

Leg #28 – Sitework – 5.37 miles

Leg #29 – Sunshine – 3.13 miles

Leg #30 – SuperDave – 2.94 miles

Leg #31 – Skidmark – 6.53 miles

Leg #32 – Hamburglar – 8.61 miles

Leg #33 – Sade’ – 3.57 miles

Leg #34 – Quaker – 4.56 miles

Leg #35 – BobSled – 7.09 miles

Leg #36 – Spork – 3.19 miles

Everyone helped Spork finish his final (and Fastest) leg and we crossed the finish line as a team! Then it was time to cash in our bib coupons for 2 beers & a taco!

The NUMBERS: 15^th  place; Pace 8:17 minute/mile; 204 total miles; 28 total hours;

NOTE: Although BobSled is a great runner, his driving skills are questionable; he got us lost every time he took the wheel. For example, on exchange #10/11 Skidmark beat the van to the rendezvous point which was only 3.54 miles away!! (P.S it was also daytime)

NOTE: We were 1 man short of the Masters Division –  Grill apparently is too young and too fast to be on our team!! HaHa

NOTE: Nothing draws a crowd better than a sweaty Pax ‘rolling his muscles’ while lying in the grass at a state park and listening to AC/DC ( just ask Spork)!!

NOTE: Running 4-5 miles on the shoulder (2 feet wide) of Rt 17 with or against traffic is nerve racking!

NOTE: BBQ from the Lone Star BBQ & Mercantile near the entrance of Santee State Park is a tasty treat no matter the time of day and is well worth running 16 miles for.

NOTE: Running the P200 is fantastic, but nothing feels better than completing your last leg!!

NOTE: Bulgarian & Slovak languages are apparently quite similar as Van #2 was treated to a dialog between BobSled & Hamburglar (who knew)! BobSled was raised in Slovakia & Hamburglar did 2 years of missionary work in Bulgaria.

NOTE: One team we completed against had a 6 person college crew (it was suppose to be a 12 person team) and one of their runners ran over 56 miles!! I don’t know what kinda crazy things y’all did in college, but running 56 miles would never have happened for YHC

NOTE: the P200 is an excellent CAUP and anyone can do it!! So, put on your running shoes and meet the Pax on Fridays at Hulkamania and/or Hasselhoff. The training never ends!!

NOTE: There is a ton of Hijinks & Highlights YHC has missed, so if you really want to experience all the fun & fellowship you’ll have to sign up for the event next year!

NOTE: 2022 Palmetto 200 is less then 350 training days away!!

Moleskin: TClaps to Malak Series for taking the chance to organize this event in the midst of Covid. Tclaps to Sunshine who spearheaded this event. TClaps to SuperDave for donating Van#1; Tclaps to Imagination Athletics for donating Van #2. Tclaps to Rubber for donating the Merch; Tclaps to each Pax who stepped up to this Challenge. Tclaps to Barney for driving. Tclaps to everyone who trained with us even though they couldn’t join the team; Tclaps to all the ill or injured Pax who persevered & pushed through the pain; Tclaps to all the fast Pax picking up the six for us slower Pax. Tclaps to Spork for running faster and further than he ever ran before! Tclaps to everyone who supported us throughout the GrandStrand & the Republic.

Aye!

Quaker