Try running Springtime as a team!
Jere Moore
Nothing makes for lasting camaraderie and togetherness like going through a time of trial together, like taking final exams in college, finishing the last week of basic training, or running the last mile of the Springtime Tallahassee 10K run. Most of us are beyond college age and don’t want to go back to basic training. But Springtime Tallahassee coming up on March 31 is an opportunity for you and your fellow workers to get to know each other better. In addition, the Springtime 10K is far less stressful.
I have been a member of Running is Taxing, the Department of Revenue’s annual team entry in the race, since it was organized 10 years ago. Even though I finish far back in the pack, I have continued to participate past retirement. The team has brought me in contact with some outstanding people, like our team coach Ray Hanlon. He works hard helping new runners succeed.
Race day is not really the time for building team spirit. Team members run their individual paces, so the team members are scattered through the hundreds of runners. Team togetherness comes in preparing for the race. My team starts organizing early in the year and goes for a few runs at “The Mountain” in the Apalachicola National Forest. A few weeks before the race, we get together to jog the Springtime course through Myers Park and the Country Club area, either after work or early on Sunday morning. Your speed determines who your running partners are. Afterwards, we enjoy each other’s company and some products of the brewer’s art, and we tell running stories. Some of them are actually true for the most part. It’s great fun! Your workplace can get together a running team. Entry forms will be available at Sports Beat soon, but team members should begin training now.
There are three team categories: open, women’s, and government agency/corporate business. Each team can have unlimited members with the fastest five counting in the scoring. Open and agency/corporate teams can consist of any combination of males and females. Awards will be given to the top three teams in each category. There is a special award for any team with the most finishers, no matter how fast or slow. The Department of Revenue is the perennial winner of that award, but we keep hoping some other agency will give them some competition and enjoy the benefits of a really big team.
See you at Springtime!