Fort Benning Georgia – Bald Runner

When I had my military schooling in the US Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia, taking up the Infantry Officer Advance Course during the Winter-Spring Course (November 1983 to May 1984), it was my first time to buy and taste this Ice Cream. And every time I would visit and buy grocery at the Post Commissary Store, I would buy one pack which would last me for my next visit to the store every two weeks.

Since then, every time I visit the United States for a vacation or run a marathon race or any running event, I always make the effort to buy one or two packs of this Ice Cream. It brings good memories during those 6-7 months stay in Fort Benning, Georgia.

I have yet to see this Ice Cream in our grocery stores in the Philippines. I hope I am wrong. If anybody knows where to buy this Ice Cream outside the United States, it would be a good news or information to share.

Thanks for reading!

Finally, after going through my my old notes and files dumped in the garage trying to clean all the trashes, I was able to get hold on to a very simple running magazine published in Georgia, USA which I bought in one of the weekend races I attented to during my military schooling in Fort Benning, Georgia. The magazine is entitled “RUNNING IN GEORGIA”, published in May 1984 with a price of One Dollar.

In the said magazine are articles about running in the State of Georgia and the Results of all Running Races for the past months. I bought then the said magazine because my name was listed as one of the finishers of the road races while I was in Georgia.

On March 10, 1984, barely two months after I finished the 1st Infantry Marathon in Fort Benning, Georgia, I joined the Arby’s 5K Race in Columbus, Georgia. As a result of the race, I finished the race in 19:42 minutes with an average pace of 3:56 minutes per kilometer. Out of the 89 Finishers, I was ranked #39 with the Champion runner finishing in 16:09 minutes. I was then about to reach the age of 32 years old and I believe this was the time when I was breaking the 40-minute barrier finish time for the 10K run. Well, those were the days when I was still young!

By the way, Arby’s is a chain of restaurants featuring roast beef sandwiches. Arby’s was very active in sponsoring 5K & 10K races for the whole State of Georgia during those times.