I still consider it a newer race, but the Sweat it Out 5k has somehow been around since 2015 and is now in its 9th year. It has been a regular on the Blue Shoes and Tour de Columbia calendar, initially directed by fellow Sunday run slog jogger Shannon Godby and then taken over by Erin and GRIT endurance a few years later. True to form for an Erin Roof race, this event has featured some of the best swag, including the iconic Ernest Lee painting awards, which currently decorate my office and act as my Zoom/Teams background. I know my coworkers are impressed. The race proceeds go to benefit the National Foundation of Ectodermal Dysplasia, a group of disorders that includes hypohydrosis, or the inability to sweat. Nick, the son of race director Jamie Duke, has the condition, and it’s been cool to see the toddler at the first race now grow to a preteen.

 

Tragically, the year of the wonky Achilles wrecked my Sweat it Out streak in 2023, but given that I’m back at least at 85-90 percent, I wasn’t going to miss this year. At our first meeting of the year, the CRC board decided to bump up this event to cherished double points status, so it was sure to be a stud fest. I usually don’t look to have a fast time at this race with the heat, so I did a quick check of the forecast on Monday to see how miserable it would be. But wait… hold the phone, what is this?? 55 degrees?  That’s incredible for June in this famously hot town.

 

Sure enough, I show up at 6 am for the 7 am start and it is actually COLD. People had jackets on and everything. 54 degrees by my car thermometer. At packet pickup, fellow GRIT spokesmodel Sarah suggested this year’s event be called “Shiver it Out”. She wasn’t wrong. The early start always throws a wrench into my pre-race colonic song and dance. It’s often a three act play but you can never rule out an encore performance. We would see. I did a couple miles with H, McElderry and Yerg to warm up, and by the time I get back there are beasts everywhere. Somehow, I managed 2nd overall in 2019 with a 20:20 something time. I might not be in the top 20 with that time this year. Jarvis and David Williams were sure to podium on the men’s side, but there were also masters studs OJ and Dimery.  Joy Miller and Ivanka were picks to win among the women, but JLy, Ashley, Shannon, Sellers and Lindsey were also there to throw down some good times. Also, there were a whole slew of singlet wearing fast looking old dudes that were giving me the jitters. Damn you rando superfit dads.

Ten minutes before the start, I realize someone has indeed been cheering for the colon to come back on stage. DAMMIT. The line was a little long at the portapotties but it was moving. Thankfully Erin gave us an extra 5 minutes to poop. The start line is just ridiculous. I love to be grandiose and toe the line at most local 5ks but my fat ass was going to get run over if I did that for this race. I backed up probably 5 rows just to be sure. Reportedly there were 50ish CRC members on hand, and I don’t debate that number based on who I could see. Based on my start line selfie, I can see Mike Shrum, Eric and Sarah Allers, Jonathan McFall, Dimery, David Williams, Silent H, Brett Martin, Sellers, Rob THE YERG Yerger, Lindsey, Kirkwood , Patrick McElderry, Clay Ham, Sophie Homeyer, Dr. Ghering, Patrick Hall and Levi Beck. 

 

The start was as predicted, a total blast out of the gates with all the fast people. I got passed by a ton of people given my usual negative split plan. There’s nothing I hate more than going too hard early and dying a thousand deaths in the last mile. But with the cool weather and feeling like I’m getting left in the dust, I probably amped it up more than usual. This course is virtually flat, with the only real hill coming an agonizing 2.5 miles in. I focused on keeping a steady pace and hanging on to Jly and Sellers, both known for going out blazing fast.  Jordan makes sure Jen knows I’m right there and mocks the decidedly minimal amount of blue in my shoes. “WHITE SHOES!” I hit mile in 6:10 and there are still a ton of people ahead of me. Damn this is a competitive race this year. We are almost done with the second out and back loop before I finally catch Jly. The YERG is crushing it up ahead, so I try and stay in striking distance. I can tell that maybe, just maybe, the blue shoe mojo is coming back because I don’t feel abjectly awful at this point. It also probably helps that it feels like October. The third loop is the last and it’s a direct out and back trip on Saye Cut Rd. I was glad just to make it to Saye Cut before Hunter left it, but it isn’t long before he and a whole host of SC’s finest road racers come into view headed back.

Saye cut ends at a cone and I turn around like a runaway bus, also trying not to tweak anything in the process. Right on my tail I see Bobby Bartley , Ashley Holman and JLy. I’m starting to hurt a bit now, but I have YERG in my sights. I think I’ve got him but damned if he isn’t slowing down. We turn back on the Galway to head straight back to the start, and I can see the infamous hill looming ahead. Garmin chirps back at 6:13 so staying pretty even. I almost draw even with Rob at the hill, but he is even better at hill climbing than I am, having done a ton of mountain ultras. In front of Meadowfield, I know there is less than a half mile to go. I have Yerg just ahead, but there’s also a red singlet wearing guy (later ID’d as Bruno Alcalde) with some gray in his hair just ahead of him. Damn masters is brutal in this town. Yerg starts to ramp it up and he draws even with Bruno and then slowly edges ahead. I feel like death, but if there’s a finish line to be seen I know I can always find another gear. The trick is knowing not to push in all the chips too early. As we clear Meadowfield, I can see the finishing arch in the distance. HERE WE GO. Time for the Blue, or perhaps white, shoe kick. Full throttleup commences and I weave through Bruno and Yerg and out into the open. And oh man, it hurts. Full karate chop hands, giant head bobbing all over the place, and form going all to hell. Mile 3 alert pops up but I am in full tunnel vision by this point. For some reason I feel compelled to lunge at the line like it’s an Olympic sprint and I have to full on HYC style collapse in the finish area. That is the sacrifice to make all of 16th place. 19:19 by chip and consolation 2nd in age group since OJ got on the masters podium. While my chicken man award may be smaller this year, I’m pretty psyched for my fastest time since spring of last year. Plus, I got a GRIT gift at the award ceremony. I wasn’t sure who she was describing until she mentioned “giant ego” and then I knew it was me. Yep, just like the Carly Simon song.

 

In the overall, Hunter Jarvis correctly navigated the course this week en route to a win in 16:14. From the way he looked on Saye Cut, it was like a jog in the park for him. David Williams was second in 16:35 and new Columbian Shawn Wiler was 3rd in 16:39. 

Joy Miller took home a big win in the women’s race, clocking 17:57 before hopping in the car to Sumter to double dip another win an hour or so later. Ivanka Tolan kicked my tail en route to second place in 19:08, with Ashley Holman claiming third in 19:52.

 

Masters on both sides was nuts: Dimery, Orinthal Striggles and Aaron Schaffner claimed the male podium, with Jason and OJ going sub 17. On the women’s side, Shannon Godby was the champion with Marian Nanney 2nd and Sarah Allers 3rd. Sarah, OJ and Ivanka were the top age graded athletes, all hovering right at 85 percent. Incredible. Shannon, Joy, Dimery and Robert McBee also crossed the 80 percent age grade, representing national class level competition. Not too shabby for a local 5k!

 

Age group honor roll (female): Lilly Holman was 2nd in the 11-14. Hannah Williams won the 15-19. Sellers was 3rd in an insanely competitive 25-29. Lindsey Hendren won the 30-34. Jennifer Lybrand, Kara Stevens and Sara McFall took top 3 in the 35-39. Shenequa Coles, Stephanie Dukes and Angie Thames swept the 50-54.  Lynda Leonardi won the 55-59. Colleen Towery was champ of the 60-64. Diane Freeman and Margie Shelburg won the 65-69.

 

Age group honor roll (male): Graham McLaughlin was 2nd in the 20-24. Josh Odell was tops in the 25-29 with Regan Freeman 2nd. Levi Beck won the 30-34. Mike Shrum, Johnathan McFall and Wesley Sawyer claimed the podium in the 35-39. Bruno Alcalde, Bobby Bartley and Brett Martin (new PR!) took top 3 in the 40-44. Brad Batchelder won the 45-49 over the epic Blue Shoes/YERG battle. Patrick McElderry, Johnathan Kirkwood and Eric Allers swept the 50-54. Robert McBee, Roy Shelley and Silent H won the 55-59, while Clay Ham, Eliere Tolan and Phil Smith did the same in the 60-64. Pete O’Boyle won the 65-69 while Jerry Rich and Leeds Barroll went 1-3 in the 70-74. Richard Wright and Ken Lowden claimed the 75+.

 

Other notable finishers: Kerry Stubbs, Maria Pray, Clara Beaudet, Harry Strick, Pete Poore, Hou Yin Chang, Nicole Charlton, Gretchen Lambert, Traci Smith, Deanna Rennick, Melinda Waldrop, Wendy Homeyer, Teresa Shelton, Missy Caughman, Sophia Homeyer, Tug Quarles, Leighton McLendon, Son Nguyen, John Richards, Michael Beaudet, Michaela Willoughby, Drew Dickerson, Patrick Hall and Julia Ghering.