Steve Ulery on the November 4, 2006
2006 Food World, Senior Bowl, Charity Run
 
Hattiesburg was well represented at this annual 10K run in Mobile on Nov. 4, and we all ran some good times.  We were also challenged by the traveling group from the Gulf Coast - Dwight, Nancy, Bob and Leonard.  I warmed up with Keith Barrett, and for once, did not let him exhaust me before the actual event.  Then while trying to keep warm (about 40F) in the final ten minutes before the start, I watched the Brooks-Hanson Running Team do strides to keep warm.  Their strides were so fast they generated a breeze, and this team did win all the top finishing places in both men's and women's divisions.  The starter said he misplaced his flag, but we sang the National Anthem with everyone facing different directions looking for a flag.  I saw a guy wearing American Flag shorts and sang to them.  What else are you going to do?  I had my picture taken with Becky "Broccoli" Ryder, then went and lined up near the front.
 
I ran steady for the first four miles then slowed slightly.  Before the gun, John Oliveri introduced me to a new friend named Cody.  At the half way point, Cody moved up beside me and we kept it steady until about mile 4.5, then I urged him to pick it up.  He was trying to drag me along with him, but he is way too young for this old guy to hang with.  Cody took off and finished in 43:15 for his first race- NOT first 10K, first race!!!  When I got to the finish line, I was greeted by a relaxed, fully recovered Nestor.  I never saw him pass me and couldn't believe he ran that fast after the first mile.  Well, he gave me some BS story about trailing me all the way to the one mile mark, and feeling sorry for such an old runner with a hitch in his gate, so he gave me a break and cut his race to the 5K distance.  Not only did he think I should be thankful, he gloated that he ran a PR for his 5K!  Merry missed us for pictures at the finish line, so action shots are limited.  Thus, finding no respect at the finish line, I went for a quick cool down run, and found Deborah Barrett about a half mile from the finish.  She allowed me to run back in with her as long as I did not aggravate her.  My wife telIs me I am a saint, and have only aggravated her once in my life.  Why does Deborah think of me as an agitator?  Well later the women compared notes and Merry confirmed that I have only agitated her once... and it's still going on!
 
Like I stated earlier, the PBP team and friends ran well.  Leonard Vergunst was the big winner in our group and got a trophy that was much fancier and more ostentatious then the neck candy many of us received.  Leonard was the Masters winner (36:23) even though he is now a Grand Master.  He just still runs faster than anyone ten years younger!  Some of the age group awards (5 deep for the 10K) and finishing places are:
John Oliveri         39:48    PR    #4 in age
Keith Barrett       41:07            #6 in age
Cody                  43:15    First Race    #6 in age
Audrey Jackson  48:21    First 10K    #2 in age
Becky Ryder       52:43           #2 in age
Steve Ulery        43:52    PR    #5 in age
Nancy Phillips    56:49            #6 in age
Deborah Barrett  1:07:00        #1 in Barrett household (she told me so)
Hollie Ryder       1:17:41   10K walk
Dwight Hollingsworth    51:17    #28 in age  
Bob Clark          48:08            #9 in age
If I forgot anyone I saw at the race, just excuse it as old timers memory.
 
Some people are clueless.  At the food fair, I overheard a couple of burley motorcyclists, dressed in the typical black leathers, laughing at runners because, "they run all those miles, then undo it by stuffing themselves with all this food."  Well, they were stuffing themselves with our food (and beer), but it was obvious they had not run for decades!  To show you how clueless some of the sponsors were, Budweiser provided the beer - a low carb beer.  Since when have runners been against carbs?  Keith and I had to drink a couple six packs just to get the energy to stagger back to our cars!  They ran out of the high carb jambalaya early.  However, most refreshments were great and plentiful.  The award ceremony took forever.  Since they added the 5K this year, there were twice as many awards to pass out.  Also, the young people's age groups were in two year increments making the presentations even longer.  The stage barely supported the weight of the hardware.
 
A beautiful day and a great event.  Wish you were there.  Nestor was.       
@ Steve Ulery   See Results
 
Picture legend:
1- Steve "Big Sugar" Ulery gets some pre-run encouragement.
2- The lineup includes the Brooks-Hanson Team.
3- We are off!!
4- John, Cody and Steve after the run.
5- Pushing for the finish... 2nd time staging.
6- Deb brings it home!  (in real time)
7- Keith, Deb, Cody and John
8- A medal winning group.
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8

Just a couple of additional words to tell you about the other Pacers running the Charity Run in Mobile.  First, congratulations to all those guys who ran or walked the 10K.  Everybody did great!  I was really impressed.  In addition to the smoking PRs set by John the Cheetah Oliveri (39:48), Steve The Flash Ulery (43:52), and Audrey the Gazelle Jackson (48:21), I also witnessed the great performance and personal records set by Pacers Andrew the Fastest Columbian in Columbia Maxwell (54:25), Donna Superspeedy Mom Sumrall (58:51), and Dwayne the Wildebeest Higgason (1:01:49).  Keith and Deborah Barrett and Becky and Hollie Ryder were also flying!  I was the only lazy Pine Belt Pacer (chicken!) who ran the 5K.

What happened? well... I was ready to run the 10K.  I arrived early to the race and lined close to the front of the pack.  When the gun went off, I started fast and strong, but I could still see Steve The Flash Ulery running 20-30 yards in front of me.  I thought I would say hello and run beside him a mile or two, so I tried to pick up my pace a little bit.  What a huge mistake!!!  According to Mrs Merry, Steve always has for breakfast 10 Nature's Path Organic Optimum peanut butter energy bars and 4 Red Bull drinks before every race, so he can jump like a race-horse at the beggining of the run.  During the first mile and half I ran like a bat out of hell but could never catch Mr Ulery!  I got exhausted and gave up.  I wouldn't say hello to him during the race! Then, I saw the turning point for the 5K run and after quickly thinking about the exhaustation so early in the race and the 1.2-fun run I would join later with my wife and kids, I switched from the 10K to the 5K race.  I got to the turning point and came back strong.  I finished 16th overall and third in my age group.  I also got a new PR for the distance, 22:09 (just one second faster than my time in Philadelphia, MS in August, but anyway, a new PR!!).  At the beginning it seemed I would be disqualified for switching races, but at the end the organizers were nice, and I got an official finishing time.   Later in the day, my wife, two kids, and I ran a PR for the 1.2-mile distance.  How fast was it? Who cares! Running and walking all together was what counted.  After that, we talked with other pacers at the post-party meeting and then went down to Gulf Shores to get some tan in the beach with temperatures in the 60s and a 30-mile/h wind!  

The cool thing about running the 5K was that I could cool down, get some fluids, and then watch and enjoy the finish of the 10K race, and of course, the strong run of my fellows Pine Belt Pacers and the friends from the MS Gulf Coast.  My camera ran out of batteries so I could not take pictures of anybody.  Anyway, everyone looked fresh and pleased with his/her time.  I was especially impressed with the performance by Donna Sumrall.  She started running seriously just a couple of months ago, and now is running and running and running and never stops!  She is getting a new PR in every race she runs, and her hubbie and kids are now joining the activity.  Congratulations to Donna and her coach, Mrs Becky Broccoli Ryder for a great work. © Pijume Diwesi