Virtual Race Beneficiary
Conquer COVID-19 virtual run participants could choose a local race store to benefit from registration. I chose Front Running Sports in Lake Mary, Florida.

Virtual Race Goal
I hadn't been feeling myself for a few days, with some mild stomach issues and general feeling of lethargy and malaise. This race needed to be completed by May 15th so I decided to walk it without a particular time goal. I figured it would take me two hours at most. If I was feeling better my goal wouldn't have been too ambitious anyway, since I haven't run so far in a while. Maybe 82 or 85 minutes. There was a time that I had hoped for a sub hour 10K! My 10K PR is 1:03:29 set way back in 2016 at Suck It Up Buttercup.

Race Day: May 12, 2020
We had some gorgeous weather at the beginning of May. It was about 66°F at the start of my walk, with clear skies and 73% humidity.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 16:04, 14:55, 15:06
I walked most of the first mile with a couple of really short runs thrown in. I started feeling better and jogged a bit more in the next two miles, but without set intervals. I mostly jogged the gimmes -- the downhills.

Mile 4, 5, 6+: 13:55, 13:38, 12:41, 1:29
I kept looking at my watch. I felt better as the miles went on and added more short, slow run spurts. After mile 4 (where I got just a little bit lost for a minute) I thought I'd try to hit sub-90 minutes. Why not? I felt good enough for that little push. I finished just under 90 minutes at 1:28:33.

Swag
For this race I got a nice cotton blend t-shirt (optional) and a funny coronavirus-themed spinner medal. The packet also came with a car decal and a temporary tattoo.

Recommendation
This was my first virtual race from Runtastic Events and communication was pretty good. The medal and shirt are both nice. If I was interested in the theme or charity, I would purchase another virtual race from this company.

Garmin GPS elapsed time: 1:28:33
Cost: $38 (the t-shirt was a $10 upcharge)

Report written May 12, 2020

Even though I wasn't a fan of virtual races, running a Star Wars Day race on May the 4th was always interesting to me. What better time to take advantage than now, when virtuals are all there is? I chose the May the 4th Be With You 4K put on by Epic Races. The American Association for Cancer Research was the charity beneficiary of this virtual race.

Virtual Race Goal
Time goal: sub-30 minutes.

Race Day: May 4, 2020
I got a late start. It was 75°F with 65% humidity and bright sunny skies when I started my run. I dressed up in Star Wars fashion with a Cara Dune t-shirt.

4 kilometers is about 2.49 miles.

Mile 1, 2+: 12:01, 12:34, 5:34
I felt okay during the first mile, but I really struggled for the second mile. I looked at my watch during the last stretch and tried to get in under my goal time, but even with a pace of 11:23 for the final half mile, I missed my goal time by 10 seconds. Bummed.

Social Media
Posting results was not a requirement, but it was encouraged. I posted my photo to the May the 4th Be With You 4K Event Page on Facebook and submitted my time on the May the 4th Be With You 4K Race Page. Participants recevied their swag regardless.

Swag
The virtual race packet came with a soft cotton blend shirt, a spinner medal, and a vinyl sticker.

Garmin GPS elapsed time: 30:10

Cost: $39

Report written May the 4th, 2020

I had signed up for this race back in December 2019. This was my first race that converted all participants to virtual runners due to the pandemic.

The Riverside Dash is a popular local race. The main event is the 15K that runs along the shores of Lake Monroe. I had signed up for the 5K. This would have been my fourth year participating in the event, following the 2017 Riverside Dash 5K, the 2018 Riverside Dash 15K, and the 2019 Riverside Dash 5K.

Virtual Race Goal
I hoped to run a sub-37 minute 5K, which would beat my most recent best time of 37:03 (Fountain of Youth Virtual 5K).

Race Day: May 2, 2020
The physical race should have taken place in Sanford, Florida, on April 13, 2020. On my race day, it was 57°F with 83% humidity and clear skies. Really nice running weather.

Mile 1, 2, 3: 11:45, 11:54, 11:56
I felt okay. My Achilles and knees are creaky and achy, but once I get going they don't bother me too much. I was super happy to make my time goal.

Swag
The virtual race packet included a really comfortable cotton shirt, race bib (which I forgot to wear, oops), and finisher medal.

Garmin GPS elapsed time: 36:43

Cost: $33

Report written May 2, 2020

Since the novel coronavirus pandemic turned the world upside-down earlier this year and forced many of us to stay mostly at home, I've tried to continue running. Instead of running on the awesome and popular multi-use trail system close to my home, I've been hitting residential streets in my neighborhood to avoid crowds on the trails. 

There is a short trail segment very close to my house that I run or walk if the coast is clear (LOL).

Usually I keep to running against traffic on the adjacent road, but earlier last month I ventured onto the trail and had the absolute joy of seeing these beautiful and inspirational sentiments written with sidewalk chalk. 

I had to stop to photograph each one.

This text is inspired by the quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. quote from his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech:

But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.

This one is inspired by the poem "Dreams" by the American poet Langston Hughes: 

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird 
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

This one is inspired by the quote from French fashion designer Coco Chanel

Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.

This one is from a quote by the Chinese American author Maxine Hong Kingston

In a time of destruction, create something: a poem, a parade, a community, a school, a vow, a moral principle; one peaceful moment.

Along with the chalk art, I noticed signs put up by our community in order to encourage safe shared use of the trail system. I was glad to see these signs but as of now I am still uncomfortable passing people on the trail. I sweat so much and breathe so heavily I imagine that I am a walking cloud of droplets. I'm keeping myself to myself for the time being.

"Space Coast Runners and Power of Pizza Charities were heartbroken when the 34th Space Coast Classic 15K & 2 Mile was canceled. ... The physical race did not take place but a virtual one did in it's place. We designed a special 2020 Covid-19 Virus Edition race shirt for our virtual runners and walkers. ... We sold out on what would have been the actual race day, Sunday, April 19th."

I signed up for this race after it was converted to a virtual. I liked the shirt (my first Covid-19 race shirt) and medal. I was also happy to support the central Florida race club that put on the event and their charity partner.

Runners were encouraged to post their results on the Space Coast Classic Facebook page. Space Coast Runners compiled the photos and times on a special 2020 Virtual Results page.

Virtual Race Goal
Time goal: sub-25 minutes.

Race Day: April 27, 2020
The physical race would have taken place on April 19th. On my race day, it was 63°F with just 55% humidity and bright sunny skies. Perfect running weather.

Mile 1, 2: 12:23, 11:48
I felt pretty good starting out. The weather was great and I had a familiar route in my neighborhood. But almost from the start I was dodging unusual traffic. I had to walk through weedy grass a few times to avoid cars and I had to cross the street to avoid runners and walkers. It wasn't a big deal but I got frustrated. At the end there was a new construction project blocking the sidewalk and I had to run by idling construction trucks and equipment. I was glad I made my time goal, at least!

Swag
The virtual race packet included a tech shirt with a Covid-19 related design and a finisher medal. We also got a reusable bag, Space Coast Runners sticker, and pen.

Garmin GPS elapsed time: 24:13

Cost: $28

Report written April 27, 2020

Central Florida Legends is a new race event put on by my running club, West Volusia Runners. Races include the Skunk Ape Marathon, Mermaid Half Marathon, and Fountain of Youth 5K. Arthur and I volunteered for this inaugural event back on November 24, 2019. I was in a walking boot at the time. I signed up for the virtual 5K, mainly because virtual runners would be considered "legacy" participants going forward. I didn't realized that I already had that status from volunteering. I kept forgetting about needing to do this run, but since virtuals are all over my radar right now, I finally put the Fountain of Youth Virtual 5K on my schedule.

Virtual Race Goal
I was shooting for a sub-40 minute 5K with the plan to keep up my run:walk of 90:45.

Race Day: April 21, 2020
The physical race took place way back on November 24, 2019. On my race day in April, it was 66°F with 94% humidity and bright, clear skies.

Mile 1, 2, 3+: 12:00, 12:09, 11:55, 1:00
During the Covid-19 "safer at home" order, I continue to run the streets of my neighborhood out my front door. I used the RunGo app to plan my 3.1 mile route. Coming in at just over 37 minutes, I smashed my goal of running sub-40!

Swag
The virtual race packet included a really nice soft and comfortable cotton blend t-shirt and a medal with custom ribbon.

Recommendation
The physical race inaugural event was well attended and Arthur and I had fun volunteering. There was high praise from all the runners I encountered that day. The swag is nice and the host club is the best. If I'm not volunteering, I'll run this.

Garmin GPS elapsed time: 37:03
Cost: $29.00

Report written April 22, 2020

I recently purchased some slightly used Sparkle Athletic Headsweats visors from Poshmark. Poshmark is an online marketplace where users can buy and sell new and used goods, mostly clothing. 

I received the visors and they were as advertised, with a few sparkles missing and lightly soiled. So far, so good, but I had to clean them. 

I washed them in our dishwasher using some cap washing frames. I was very concerned about losing some of the sparkle bits.

I was only slightly worried about bleeding colors so I washed them separately but with similar colored items. 

Turns out, I shouldn't have been worried about the sparkles. The color, however, faded a lot -- on both hats!

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of not taking a "before" photo of the hats. I am pretty sure the pink one was already missing the few sparkles that you can see on the "after" photo above. The green hat doesn't seem to have lost any sparkles at all. But the color!

The color on both hats faded pretty badly. The green hat seems to have uniformly faded. The pink hat faded more in some spots than others. You can also see the pink hat bled onto the white sweat material on the inside of the hat.

The hats are otherwise in really good shape. The elastic is fine, and the structure of both hats is nearly perfect. They are in better shape than some of my older, more worn Headsweats visors.

The color issue might not be noticable when I wear them. I purchased these used running visors at a discounted price for future races, to add some bling and fun to my outfit. Sparkle Athletic Headsweats visors are especially popular at Disney races. Despite the loss of color, they still sparkle just fine!