Two weeks ago I had the distinctly painful pleasure of running in the July 2014 Oklahoma Run 'N Gun. The official website is here: http://www.okrunngun.com/ I signed up for it after competing in the Battleroads USA Zombie Destruction Run 'N Gun back in April, having decided that it was entirely too much fun to not do that sort of thing again. While the option was given of either a 5K or 10K race, the deciding factor came down to the 10K race having a bonus stage that I wanted to try.
I should note, first and foremost, that although a Run 'N Gun is technically a competition, it's primarily going to be a learning experience for 90% of the runners. There's always some guy that has no trouble running a 10K in full kit, and that's the guy that's going to win. I'm not there to be a slacker, but I'm more concerned with learning all that it can teach me, rather than being obsessed with winning.
The Plan:
Run the 10K course, passing all the shooting stages. Here's the COF for those interested: http://www.okrunngun.com/node/6
What Actually happened:
I spent the entire previous day, and the drive down, loading up on protein, carbs, and a mix of V8 fruit juice and off-brand Gatorrade to keep me hydrated. Instead of the tac vest I ran with last time, I used a backpack, so I was able to throw extra bottles of water, ammo, and some granola bars in it. The distance portion of the race went fairly well, although I was not able to maintain the quick-march pace I'd hoped for the entire way.
Shooting-wise, I did not do very well. Similar to my trouble in Texas, I had been unable to find a long-range place to shoot and actually verify my zero (and my ability to hit what I'm shooting at), so I found out fairly early on that my rifle was shooting high by about 6 MOA. This made the long-range shots hard to estimate, as all my dope was wrong, and I ran through ammo too fast on the early stages, running completely dry of rifle ammo at the last stage. That said, my short- and mid-range shooting was fairly solid, and I posted some of the better times on stages 2 and 5.
What Went Wrong:
1. My scope wasn't zeroed. I don't know if it was because it had gotten knocked around, or if because my near-zero point calculations were off, but my scope was way, way off. At Stage 3, I shot 40 rounds, unable to see a single impact point to adjust my fire, and told the RO I was taking a DQ to avoid wasting more ammo. He then told me that I was shooting about a yard high, meaning it was off by about 6 MOA.
2. Having decided to not run in my chest rig, I had four mags for the 1911 on my belt, and one on the holster. At stage 4, being frustrated by poor shooting due to my hands shaking, I completely forgot about that fifth mag, and when I thought I had run out of pistol ammo, I was forced to DQ. About ten yards past the stage, having reloaded my mags from loose ammo, I reloaded the pistol only to remember that I'd had one more mag there. Since I only needed one more pistol hit on that stage, I could have completed it had I not forgotten it.
3. Before the race, I'd decided that six mags (180 rounds) of rifle ammo should be enough, and didn't feel like carrying another two mags (two pounds) for six miles. I then proceeded to run out of rifle ammo on the last targets of the last stage.
4. My level of fitness was insufficient, and I spent the entire race fairly winded.
5. My airsoft-tier drop-leg holster did an excellent job of pulling my ALICE belt down just far enough that it dug into my thigh muscle the whole time. This made my right leg feel like it was on fire and/or cramping for the last several miles.
What Went Right:
1. Despite the scope being off, I still shot fairly well on the mid- and short- range targets. Stage 2 was basically a 41-target mag dump, and I had no trouble using the 3-9x variable scope on my rifle to hit targets at very short ranges.
2. My kit, holster aside, worked flawlessly. The thigh rig I have for my left leg provided very easy reloads, even when prone, and barely moved at all during the run. I'll get the same item for my right leg as well, and attach a holster to it. I think I prefer the tac vest I had last time over the war belt/backpack setup, but it did work. I'll try the chest rig next time, just for comparison. Last time I wore a pair of Mechanix gloves, but they were worn out by this trip, so I used a pair of deerskin leather work gloves. The leather gloves don't breath quite as well, but they fit a lot better, and they're definitely more durable.
3. My focus on hydration and nutrition the day before definitely paid off. While I was winded for most of the race, I was never queasy or light-headed, simply out of breath, sore, and tired. Those are PT issues, and one can never be too fit, but at least I've solved the issue of almost becoming a heat casualty.
4. Despite carrying around 32 pounds of stuff, I wasn't overly tired after the race, and could probably have kept going further. I hadn't quite hit the point of physical exhaustion, and that is a good sign.
5. While I was (am) frustrated by my performance shooting, I did have a good time, and definitely learned more about my shooting abilities, and how I can improve them.
Lessons Learned:
1. Verify my zero. It's not enough to say "well, the near-zero point should be 35 yards, so we'll do that and fill out a dope card." One needs to confirm that the far-zero point is actually 300 yards. As it turned out, my rifle was zeroed for roughly 500 yards. Now, that's not a terrible thing in and of itself, but it sure as hell caused trouble when my dope had been computed for 300 yards.
2. I still need to set up a VTAC board, they are excellent training aids for learning to shoot in unusual positions.
3. My body was way more ready this time than it was in Texas, even if my cardio was not up to where it needs to be. That said, what I need to focus on isn't running 20 miles a week, but learning to shoot accurately immediately after I've been running. Accuracy-wise, I was shooting well below my normal abilities, and the only way to address that is to turn range days into biathlons. Half-mile runs in my kit between drills ought to do it, but I can only imagine the response from anyone else shooting there at the time. I get odd looks doing react-to-contact drills as it is.
4. I was able to use the sling on my rifle to steady my aim, even on the last stage, and that improved my accuracy when the best shooting positing I could get was a crouch. By that time, I was very tired, and had trouble holding my hands steady, but by putting tension on the sling, I didn't have to rely on my muscles to keep the rifle steady.
5. I again ran into trouble using a pistol that comes with 8-round mags. A 1911 is a great carry gun, but a terrible gun if you end up in a 10-kilometer running gunfight, such as the run 'n gun simulates. Capacity is king.
Other Thoughts:
1. Few things taste better than Frito Chili Pie after a race.
2. I saw people running ARs, AKs, an M1 Garand, and some cat was running with a Mosin-Nagant. This makes me happy, because it tells me that the idea of a Run 'N Gun is spreading outside the "rich guys with toy guns" market. Also, you don't need to be a high-budget guy to run fast, shoot straight, and have fun.
3. The weather, surprisingly, was around 75*. When I first signed up for a 19 July run in central OK, I feared it would be well into triple-digit temperatures.
4. Apparently, nationwide there are only three events like this. The Battleroads run, the OK run, and the Pecos run. Which means that when I finally leave KS, I'm going to have to organize one wherever I go. It's just to much fun to keep this a secret, and it's the best gear and skills test a person can ask for.
5. During the race, one of the ROs joked "I didn't know Amish were into this sort of thing!", referencing my very long hair and beard. Being an Orthodox Christian, I replied "No, but Eastern Orthodox men are!", and continued on while I laughed. He meant no harm, and I didn't take it personally.
