Friday, July 8, 2011

"Whatever lies ahead remember this: My heart has always been yours alone."

The above title are lyrics from Eric and Leslie Ludy's "Faithfully (Wedding Version)" song that was constantly playing throughout our wedding reception on Saturday, November 20, 2011, the day Kay and I were married!

So this is the last post I plan to have on this blog in relation to me running in a running event in every Maryland County (including Baltimore City) in 2007 and 2008, as well as the few years following that. It is coming up on 8 months since I have last posted, and I think it is time for me to put the blogging aside (as I mentioned in recent posts from last summer and fall). I feel that I have reached a point where I am turning a corner, ending a chapter and beginning a new chapter, and I think it is an appropriate ending for this blog. However, God-willing I hope to continue running and racing for many many years to come.

So much has happened since that day (Saturday, September 23, 2006) when I ran that Run for the Sun/Son Two-Mile Run at the Old Love Point Park in Stevensville on Kent Island (which is in Queen Anne's County, Maryland). That was my first exposure to the Cross-Island Trail (where the race was held on), which would later become a favorite running spot of mine and play a role in God's story that he had for this interesting running adventure I embarked upon. Some months later, I found out over the Internet that there was this new Race to Impact 10-Kilometer Run on the Cross-Island Trail, and because I knew what the Cross-Island Trial was like, it really inspired me to make the 50-60-minute commute across the Bay Bridge from where I lived in Howard County, Maryland, to do the race (and at the time, that seemed like a fairly lengthy commute :) Hours after running the Race to Impact 10K in about 38:51 (which was and still is one of the fastest times I have run for that distance to date) I was hit by the realization that I had run a race in Queen Anne's County, a county in Maryland that I knew did not have that many races in it as did some of the counties near where I was from, and I thought that if someone were trying to run a race in every county of Maryland within a year, I had just run a race in one of the harder counties to find a running race in. The idea of running a race within the year of 2007 stuck with me, and by God's grace I was able to complete that quest having also run races in all three Delaware Counties, Baltimore City, and Washington D.C., on Saturday, September 15, 2007 in North Beach at the 12th Annual North Beach 5K Run, my first race ever in Calvert County, MD (and my efforts in this running endeavor are chronicled in my former blog at: http://www.runineverymdcounty.blogspot.com).
How was I to know what would happen a little over three years later in a church down the road from the very spot in North Beach, MD where God helped me finish running a race in every county of Maryland within a year...

2008 saw me become very interested in running a race in every county of Maryland again. Between Saturday May 3, 2008 and Monday, November 3, 2008, God got me through this same goal, except within half-a-year and doing many different races than I did in the previous year. I was able to run a race in all 23 of Maryland's counties, all 3 of Delaware's counties, Baltimore City, and Washington D.C. within a half-a-year period in 2008. On Saturday, October 25, 2008, I finished this goal in Talbot County at the Annual Fall into St. Michael's Sports Boosters 5K Run in the scenic St. Michael's (it was part of their "Fall into St. Michael's Fall Festival). I finished up 2008 having run about 112 races that year that included my first and only multi-sport event I have done to date (the annual General Smallwood Sprint Triathlon in Charles County, MD) as well as two half marathons. I also did not include my brief participation in Kent Island's Relay for Life in Queen Anne's County, MD in that total either. I have not come close to racing that many races in a year as I had run in 2008, nad I do not feel obligated to try and top that right now!

I am not trying to brag, but to bring some closure to this series of blogs by reviewing a couple of high points/goals mentioned in this blog.

I remember my first post on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 when I was testing to see if I could post correctly, and then later that day I posted again seeing if I could post a picture correctly on these blogs (fortunately it was a success). Aside from the running, these blogs have seen move a few times, go from being a service clerk at Safeway and a substitute teacher to being a full-time elementary school teacher (and I think no less of any of these jobs in comparison to one-another). These blogs have seen me get sick, get injured, take at least five breaks from running/races, make many new friends, meet and befriend my future wife, and then become engaged and married to her within a few years later. I really want to thank you all for checking out, following, supporting, and sharing this blog with others (even if you glanced at it once). It has been a joy to correspond with you and I hope that we can stay in touch. To all of you runners, as well as my friends and family who check up on this blog, I look forward to seeing you at the races and/or just with hanging out, and I appreciate your patience with me and the sometimes lags that go on for months between posts and updates. If you wish to keep in touch, my e-mail address is: noahwood@juno.com I am also on Facebook.Com as well as Myspace.Com (even though I haven't logged onto my account there in well over a year I don't think)

I hope to get actual wedding photos uploaded on this post in the future. While I do not plan to continue blogging, I will still use this page to put up results of races that I do, as well as eventually all the races I have done in past years, some workouts that standout, as well as personal records (PRs) on some of the routes I have run consistently at different places that I have lived. Now, ever since the summer after the Ninth Grade (the summer of 1999) I started a tradition when I would go with my family on their annual vacation to Rehoboth Beach in Sussex County Delaware. I would run a mile hard down the mile-long boardwalk at least once during the vacation. So far I have ranged anywhere from 6:02 when I started it in 1999 to 5:03 in 2006. I hope to post my times on that on this blog as well. Also, a couple of years ago I started to try and break 15 minutes on the old "Jingle Bell Run"
course (which is a bit shorter than a 5K) on the Cross-Island Trail of Kent Island. Since running that race in December of 2007 (where I hit about 16:29), I ran it again in the summer of 2009 and hit 16:11 which is my best time on the course and I hope to improve on it even though they do not seem to do that Jingle Bell Run there anymore, at least not to my knowledge. My point is, I hope to keep tabs of my attempts on breaking 15 minutes there on this blog, as well as attempts of any other such running goal, just without all of this narration and editorializing. In the future I hope to look for a way to have links to the different features of this blog post, so that you and others can click on the link of interest as opposed to scrolling to the bottom of this lengthy post to see how I did in a race or a workout. Also, if I ever am blessed to write any books and/or finish slideshows about my racing goals in every county of Maryland, I will add information about them on this blogpost.

Suffice it all to say, I am not journaling on this blog anymore, but I will just supply this post with results of how I do at races and other such running endeavors.




OUR WEDDING



In much the same way that I blog about the details of some workouts and races that I have done, I will share some details and memories of Kay's and my wedding time for any who are interested in reading :)

Thursday evening (November 18, 2010) into Friday morning (November 19, 2010), I had not gotten more than about 10 minutes of sleep because I almost stayed up all night doing these detailed lesson plans for the substitute teacher, since I planned to be out from teaching for a couple of days surrounding Kay's and my wedding, scheduled for that Saturday, November 20, 2010. Needless to say, after about 10 minutes of sleep, I still felt pretty out of it, though I wanted to believe that it was better than no sleep at all. Fortunately, that Friday (November 19, 2010) was the first personal day that I had asked off for as a teacher, and then the following Monday (November 22, 2011) would be the second prsonal day that I would ask off for as a teacher. All that aside, even though I almost stayed up all night, I still appreciated the days off surrounding Kay's and my wedding!

So the day before my wedding I took off, and I headed up to Columbia (Howard County), MD to see my family. We had some relatives come in from out of town for our wedding, such as my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Charles from New York, as well as my Uncle Michael and his family from California. My Uncle Michael has been running/working out, and the day before my wedding we took a nice run of about 3 miles give or take around the bike paths surrounding Hammond High School, where I had gone to high school and where I ran many times over the past 12 years. Here I was within about a day of getting married, and I was running around the areas where I used to run for running practice for the cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams at Hammond High School, and in the years beyond, and I got to show my uncle around. It was a great time.
That night, we headed south to Calvert County, MD and we had our rehearsal at Grace Brethren Church in Owings (which was within about 10 miles of where I had run the North Beach 5K in 2007 and had finished out my running goal to run in a running event in every Maryland county within a year, and this was a few months before Kay and I met), and then we had our rehearsal dinner at the Mama Lucia's in Dunkirk in Calvert County. It was a great time and we were getting excited about the next day's wedding ceremony and reception.

That night I can not remember how much sleep I got, but it was more than the 10 minutes I had gotten the night before. I woke up on my wedding morning feeling a little tired, but ambitious to get a run in before I did a lot of other things. I went for a brief run around my neighborhood in Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD and ran for about 13 minutes and 57/58 seconds, if not 14 minutes and 57/58 seconds. I felt nice after that run. I showered, got dressed, and hopped in the car, and headed north to Grace Brethren Church to married my sweetheart, Kay.

When I got there, my dad, brother, and I made sure our tuxes were on properly, and then I hung out with my best men, Derek (my brother) and Brian (one of my best friends whom I became friends with my Junior year of high school), and my friend John read Scripture from the Bible during the ceremony. Kay's two sisters (Debbie and Gayle) were her Matrons of Honor, and she had her friend Heather, sing a beautiful song during the ceremony.
I was grateful that the sanctuary at Grace Brethren Church is as large as it is, because we were blessed with a great turn out on both sides of our families and friends. The ceremony seemed to go by in a quick blur, almost like a sprint (okay that was a somewhat weak comparison, but it's the best I could do for now). At first it seemed like I was there almost all morning, waiting at the altar with my best men before my wife-to-be came out with her dad. The pastors did the ceremony, Heather sang the song, John read Scripture, and before we knew it Kay and I were holding hands and looking each other in the eyes, saying our vows. It almost seemed so surreal in those moments of exchanging our vows, in a sense getting ready to give her my life, and her life to me, as one married flesh before God. I think about all of the things that make up Kay's life as well as mine, including but not limited to all of the growing up, schooling, tests, grades, challenges, successes, joys/fun times, races, friendships, hanging out with friends, family, vacations and trips, adjustments, our faith in God through Jesus Christ, and memories in general of our lives that God had blessed us with up until to that point in our lives when He would join us in holy matrimony...
... And then we had our first kiss and embrace as a married couple, and in a quick array of applause and photos, Kay and I found each other walking hand-in-hand out of the sanctuary while almost everyone else in attendance went to the church's multipurpose room for the reception. After that, we had some photos with our families, matrons of honor, and best men.
Soon after, Kay and I got to go into the multi-purpose room for the reception, and we were seated near the front of the room before the room's stage, with a table to ourselves. Everyone else was seated at tables that each were named by a county in Maryland (hmmm, I wonder why, haha :)- Much like the ceremony, the reception seemed to speed by. I remember eating great food, the combinations and arrangements of which I don't think I have had before, dancing with our parents, and of course, Kay and I having our first official dance as a married couple to Steven Curtis Chapman's ("I Will Be Here"). We also had our slideshow playing (which I may eventually release on here if I can, we will see, and if so, I will post some information about it on this blog post). Of course, we had more photos being taken as well friends and family coming up to our table every now and then. That was very terrific, as Kay and I felt like we hardly had much time to mingle with our guests, though we were glad everyone else seemed to enjoy themselves. Kay's friend, Lindsay, even sang a couple of wonderful love songs at our reception, and we were blessed and grateful that she had the opportunity to showcase her singing ability in such a way. Kay looked radiantly beautiful (which I easily expected), the atmosphere was positive and friendly, the food was terrific, and even though I had barely gotten sleep a couple of nights before our wedding day, I felt pretty energized!
However, the awesome ceremony and reception was nowhere near as terrific as Kay! Just getting to marry Kay and knowing that we were indeed one in God's view, and able to live for Him as such, was and still is a terrific thing!


So as Bebo Norman sang in his song "A Page Is Turned" (one of the three songs Kay and I had playing in our wedding slideshow), I felt that a page (if not more) has turned in our lives when Kay and I got married. I feel it is the "happy ending" these blogs of a good few years deserve. I hope that God preserves these blogs for a great while, and that others can not just see this as me bragging, but to see how God can epically take the weak and humble, and do amazingly things that glorify Him. I used to barely be able to complete a lap around the track, I used to dislike running, and racing even more so. I was an elementary school and middle school student who often found himself in the school nurse's office often complaining about a queasy stomach. I got made fun of in school much when I was younger, and my lack of athletic ability/fitness was probably one of the reasons. I never really had a steady girlfriend until I started dating Kay. I used to struggle to pass tests and earn good grades in school. I just feel that these were some areas in my life that caused frustration and personal difficulty, but yet God had helped (or is helping) me to get through that and He despite being single just about all my life, He brought me Kay. Despite having once been so out of shape, He not only helped get me into shape where I would win a footrace every now and then, but He gave me a heart and a passion to go to every county of Maryland and Delaware, and run a race there, and strengthened that passion in the process. My point is, I hope that people can read from these blogs and learn about how Jesus helped a relatively simple and weak man accomplish some things that he once thought himself, or hard-to-visualize-himself-doing anyways. God wants us to know Him and to live for Him, and the only way to Him is through Jesus Christ, who laid down His life for us and took all of our sin so that we could have our Way to God! I just hope these blogs and the testimonies of how God helped me do well in races as well as in other areas of my life, inspire others to seek after Him and put their hope in Him! He has great plans for each and everyone of you, you were not created as a result of a haphazard accident, but for great purposes.

I wish all who come across this God's blessings, and if you yourself like to run, I hope that you can find enjoyment in it before anything else (i.e. racing, setting personal goals with it). I think God blessing me with a passion for and enjoyment of running has really helped get me through some of the rougher seasons and races involved with running.

Whatever happens to Kay and I, just know that we are in good hands with God, and though her's and my life are positively changed in marriage, God is still the same merciful, compassionate, and loving God and He has good for whatever lies ahead :)

RACES I HAVE RUN IN 2006

Sunday, January 1, 2006 - Howard County Striders’ Annual New Year’s Day Prediction Run – Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center, Columbia (Howard County), MD (Results are below, cut and pasted):

28th Wood, Noah Columbia, MD M 22 234 HCS 2:59:30.47
(HCS Resolution Run 8K - Sunday, 1/1/2006) (Time to hit was 3:00 P.M.)


Sunday, January 8, 2006 - HCS Winter Series #1: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-Miler - Ellicott City (Howard County), MD - Winner - 30:50 (clock), 30:49 (watch, my best time on this course to-date, and my first half of the race was run in about 15:13 :)


Sunday, January 22, 2006 HCS Winter Series #3: Atholton High School 5K - Columbia (Howard County), MD - 2nd overall - 17:47 (my best time on that course to-date :)


Saturday, February 11, 2006 – Valentine’s Day 5K – Kinder Mill Farm Park, Millersville (Anne Arundel County), MD – 24th overall - 19:06.04 (not bad considering I ran 400-meter repeats at track practice the afternoon before)


Saturday, March 4, 2006 – Salisbury University Seagull Opener Open Track & Field Meet – Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD:

- 1,500 Meter Run – 4:40
- 800 Meter Run – 2nd place I think – 2:12ish

Saturday, March 11, 2006 – St. Patrick’s Day 5K – Salisbury City Park, Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD – 10th overall (20-29 age group division winner (though they accidentally had me in a 70+ age group division )) – 18:47


Sunday, March 19, 2006 – Howard County Striders’ Winter Series: Longfellow Elementary School 2-Miles – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 2nd overall – 12:06 (my best time on the course at the time, and pretty nice considering I was coming down with a fever )


Saturday, March 25, 2006 – Columbia’s Cure 5K Run – Centennial Park, Ellicott City, MD – 2nd in 20-29 male age group division – 18:48


Saturday, April 1, 2006 – Mid-Shore Delmarva YMCA Funny Bunny 5K Run – Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD – Winner – 18:45 (my best time on the course and I had run “ins and outs” with 200 meters at track practice the previous afternoon )


Saturday, April 1, 2006 – 3rd Annual Jerry Daniel Landsman Safe Run 5K – Salisbury University Campus, Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD – 2nd overall – 19:00 (it was a little shorter than a 5K).


Saturday, April 8, 2006 – Outdoor Track & Field Meet in New Jersey:
- 1,500 Meter Run – Last in heat – 4:35/4:36

Saturday, April 15, 2006 – Outdoor Track & Field Invitational at Widener University, Chester (Delaware County), Pennsylvania:
- 1,500 Meter Run – Last place – 4:35/4:36


Saturday, April 22, 2006 – 6th Anniversary of Oxford Day 10K Classic – Oxford (Talbot County), MD – 10th overall (3rd in 20-29 male age-group division) – 42:07 (Not bad considering I had run “ins and outs” with 200 meters the previous afternoon at track practice )

Saturday, April 29, 2006 – Salisbury University’s Spring Olympics XII 3-Mile Run – Salisbury University Campus, Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD – Winner – 18:22

Saturday, May 6, 2006 – Inaugural McCready Health Services Foundation’s Founder’s Day 8K Run (it came to about 4.3 miles) – Crisfield (Somerset County) – Winner – 27:31

Sunday, May 7, 2006 – Annual Governor’s Bay Bridge Run 10K – Stevensville/Kent Island (Queen Anne’s County) – Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis (Anne Arundel County), MD – 133rd (guntime-based finishing position), 52nd (chip-time-based finishing position) – 45:55.45 (guntime), 41:44.80 (chiptime)


Saturday, May 13, 2006 – Annual Southern Delaware School of the Arts Run for the Arts 5K – Selbyville (Sussex County), DE – Winner – 18:25 (first mile was about 5:50, second mile was about 11:31, and I was coming off of a rolled ankle :)

Saturday, May 20, 2006 – Inaugural Hunter’s Mill 5K Run – About 3-loops around the Hunter’s Mill neighborhood, Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD – Winner – 18:52/18:53 (watch time), 18:52/18:51 (clock time)


• I was blessed to have graduated from Salisbury University on Thursday, May 25, 2006  *

Saturday, May 27, 2006 – 30th Annual Chestertown Tea Party Distance Classic 5K Run – Chestertown (Kent County), MD – 5th overall (male 20-24 age group division winner) – 19:21

Monday, May 29, 2006 – Inaugural Carroll County Parkinsons 5K Run/Walk – Started and ended at Liberty High School, Eldersburg (Carroll County), MD – 10th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) – 19:13 (clock), 19:12 (watch)


Friday, June 2, 2006 – Howard County Junior Striders Open Track Meet #2 – Oakland Mills High School outdoor track, Columbia (Howard County), MD:

- 1-mile – Winner – 4:59.9
- 2-mile – 11:55 (I think I ran negative splits, if not it was pretty even-paced )

Friday, June 2, 2006 – Howard County Relay for Life – Hammond High School’s Outdoor Track, Columbia (Howard County), MD – I think I ran 3+ miles-worth on the track in over 22 minutes


Saturday, June 10, 2006 – Inaugural 4 for Familes 4-Mile Run – Loop through the hilly neighborhoods of Wilde Lake, Columbia (Howard County), MD – 4th overall (2nd in 20-29 male age group division) – 25:02


Wednesday, June 21, 2006 – Howard County Striders Summer Series Race: Swansfield Elementary School 1-Mile – Columbia (Howard County), MD – Winner – 5:10 (clock), 5:09 (watch, this is my best time on the course to-date and my goal was to break 5:10 )

Sunday, June 25, 2006 – Damien F. Massella’s Run for Recovery 5K – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 22nd overall - 18:08.26

Tuesday, June 27, 2006 – Centennial Fun Runs (1-Mile) – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 5:41/5:42

Wednesday, June 28, 2006 – Howard County Striders Summer Series Race: Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center 2-miles – Columbia (Howard County), MD – Winner – 11:21 (my best time on the course to-date and my first mile was 5:40, so I ran a very even-paced race )


Thursday, June 29, 2006 – 3rd Annual Friends of the Georgetown Library 5K Run – Georgetown (Sussex County), Delaware – Winner – 18:15 (my first mile was about 5:56, and I think my two-mile split was about 11:58, and I ran negative splits at this race )

Saturday, July 1, 2006 – Inaugural Tinia Qade Foundation Run for the Family 5K Run – Centennial Park, Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 11th overall – 21:13 (I went the wrong way and I ran a little longer, and this happened more than once I think)


Wednesday, July 5, 2006 – Howard County Striders Oakland Mills 5-Mile Relay (2 people on a team, and each run 2.5 miles-worth/10 laps, on an outdoor track) – Oakland Mills High School Outdoor Track, Columbia (Howard County), MD – Our team was 3rd overall – 24:35 (I averaged about 1:12-per 400 meters)


Wednesday, July 19, 2006 – Howard County Striders Meet of Miles – Oakland Mills High School Outdoor Track, Columbia (Howard County), MD – 6th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age group division) – 4:53


Saturday, August 12, 2006 – Howard County Striders Pre-Season Cross Country Race (3K Run, it was the first time they had the 3K option) – Oakland Mills High School, Columbia (Howard County), MD – Winner – 12:07


Wednesday, August 16, 2006 – Howard County Striders Summer Series: Thunder Hill Elementary School 10K Run – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 12th overall – 45:20 (I was hurting around my knee and I stopped to stretch at least once)


Wednesday, August 23, 2006 – Howard County Striders’ Summer Series: 5th Annual Celestial 5K Run – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 8th overall – 18:46 (clock), 18:44 (watch – my best time-to-date on the course )

Saturday, September 2, 2006 – National Hard Crab Derby 27th Annual Mike Sterling Run (due to flooding caused by rain on some portions of the course, and impromptu 5K run was held starting and ending at the Depot area of the Crisfield city docks and running out and back Highway 413) – Crisfield (Somerset County), MD – Winner – 29:06


Monday, September 4, 2006 – Eldersburg Labor Day Rogue Race 5K – Started and ended at Liberty High School, Eldersburg (Carroll County), MD – 20th overall – 20:02 (clock), 19:59ish (watch, not bad considering I was feeling sick-to-my stomach the day before and that morning, probably as a result of colder working conditions at work).



Saturday, September 9, 2006 – 2nd Annual Gorman Crossing Elementary School Back to School 5K Run – North Laurel (Howard County), MD – Winner – 18:48


Sunday, September 10, 2006 – Howard County Striders’ Fall Series: Burleigh Manor Middle School 2-Mile Run – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – Winner – 11:39


Saturday, September 16, 2006 – 6th Annual Habifest 5K Run – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 5th overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 18:03


Sunday, September 17, 2006 – 15th Annual Police Pace 5K – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 21st overall – 18:23.67


Saturday, September 23, 2006 – Inaugural “Run for the Sun/Son” 2-Mile Run – Old Love Point Park/Cross-Island Trail, Stevensville/Kent Island (Queen Anne’s County), MD – Winner – 13:49 (The first mile was about 8:58, and then my second one was about 4:51. God blessed me with a PR in a mile for me off of the track).


Saturday, September 30, 2006 – Catonville Fall into Fitness 5K Run (Matthew’s 1600 Route) – Catonsville (Baltimore County), MD – 7th overall (male 20-24 age group division winner) – 18:18 (I was blessed with running about 9:10 the first half, and then running about 9:08 the second half).


Sunday, October 8, 2006 - Howard County Striders’ Fall Series Race: Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center 10K Run – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 3rd overall – 38:53 (my first 5K split was about 19:06, by far my fastest 5K split on this course, however, not long after, I made a wrong turn when I was still in 3rd place, and raced a little extra to try and make up for the accidental short cut. The distance I covered was probably a little shorter than a 10K if not shorter).


Saturday, October 21, 2006 – Annual Harvest Harrier 5K Run – Rockburn Branch Park, Elkridge (Howard County), MD – 3rd in male 20-29 age-group division – 19:21/19:22 (I ran negative splits here with I think about a 11:50 at my 3-kilometer split )


Sunday, October 29, 2006 – Marine Corps Marathon: 1st Annual 10K Run – District of Columbia/Northern Virginia – 15th overall (3rd in 20-24 male age group division) – 39:59 (gun time), 39:56 (chip time), my 5K split was about 18:40 as I recall 


Saturday, November 4, 2006 – Annual Down’s Park Hog Neck Scamper 5-Mile Run – Down’s Park, Pasadena (Anne Arundel County), MD – 5th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) – 30:01.0 (best time on that course, and it was slightly longer than before )

Saturday, November 11, 2006 – 2nd Annual Men In Kilts 5K Run – Timonium Fairgrounds and surrounding neighborhoods, Timonium (Baltimore County), MD – 4th overall (and 4th overall male with a kilt, and first cash prize I was blessed to win for placing in the top 7 men running in kilts, plus I was blessed with a gift certificate to Falls Road Running Store for being the “best dressed” runner with a kilt and Renaissance Faire garb ) – 18:23


Sunday, November 12, 2006 – Annual Herring Run Park 5-Mile Cross-Country Run – Baltimore City, MD - 2nd overall – 30:08 (ran at a much faster pace than the 21:56 5K I ran at this same venue at Herring Run Park in the Autumn of 1998 during my freshman year of high school at the Mergenthaler Vocational Tech (Mervo Tech) Mustang Invitational )


Saturday, November 18, 2006 – 21st Annual Turkey Trot Two-Mile Fun Run – Denton Elementary School, Denton (Caroline County), MD – Winner – 11:06 (best time on that course to date 

Sunday, November 19, 2006 - Annual Cold Turkey 10K Run – Edgewater (Anne Arundel County), MD – 6th overall (2nd in male 20-24 age group division) – 38:36 (best time on that course to date 


Thursday, November 23, 2006 – Howard County Striders’ Annual Turkey Trot 10K Prediction Run – Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center, Columbia (Howard County), MD -80th finisher –Finished at 10:58:48.94 (goal time was 11:00 A.M. exactly) – I covered the course in about 40:54ish (my best time on this course to date )

Saturday, November 25, 2006 – Tom’s 5th Annual 5K Reindeer Run – Laurel (Prince George’s County), MD – Winner – 18:06 (this may possibly have been the course record at the time, though I am not 100% sure on that )

Sunday, December 3, 2006 – 30th Annual Columbia Metric Marathon – Columbia/Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 17th overall (2nd in 20-24 age group division) – 1:49:40.68 (clock), 1:49:39ish (watch) PR with negative splits too I think!!!!!
This has been my longest race I have run to-date, and below are the splits that I recall running en route to this time:


1-mile - 6:32/6:33
4 miles – Low 27’s
5 miles – Low 34’s
6 miles – Around 41:04 I think
8 miles – I think a little ways under 55 minutes
10 miles – 1:07:59
11 miles – Under 1 hour and 15 minutes (PR )
12 miles – 1 hour and 21 minutes, and some-odd seconds (PR )
13 miles – 1:27:51 (PR )
14 miles – Low-to-mid 1:34’s (PR )

Sunday, December 17, 2006 – HCS Fall Series Race: Elkhorn-Savage 10K – Columbia/Savage/Jessup (Howard County), MD – 6th overall – 42:04 (best time on that course to date )


Please check out the events I did in 2007:

http://runineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2007/09/
i-ran-in-running-event-in-all-of.html



Please check out the events I did in 2008:

http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2008/12/
not-much-longer-until-2009.html



Please check out the events I did in 2009:

http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2009/12/reflection-on-2009.html



Races I Have Done In 2010

1). Friday, January 1, 2010 – 3rd Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution Run 5K – Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD – 9th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 20:38 (clock time), 20:34 (watch time)

2). Sunday, January 10, 2010 – Mighty Medford Freeway 5K – Medford/Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 8th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) – 20:25

3). Sunday, March 7, 2010 – Howard County Striders “Operation Iceberg” Winter Series #6: Oakland Mills Middle School 6-Mile Race – 17th overall – 43:55 (ran at an even pace, and ran negative splits )too

4). Saturday, March 13, 2010 – 3rd Annual Pi-Mile (3.14-mile) Run – Patuxent High School, Lusby (Calvert County), MD – 7th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) – 23:29.0

5). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (9:00 A.M.) – Inaugural Francie’s Family 5K – Middletown Park, Middletown (Frederick County), MD – 10th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) – 2!:07.25

6). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (11:00 A.M.) – 2nd Annual Matt Boles 5K Fun Run – East Middle School, Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 23:54

7). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (1:00 P.M.) – 28th Annual “Forest of Needwood”/”Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial” 5 Mile Road Race – Knoxville/Petersville/Brunswick (Frederick County), MD – 35th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) - 44:57 (clock time), 44:55 (watch time)

8). Saturday, April 3, 2010 – 2nd Annual Race for Joe 5K – Borough of Franklin Park/McCandless Township (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania – 13th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 21:01 (clock time), 20:57/20:58 (watch time)

9). Saturday, April 10, 2010 – 1st Annual Hills of Milltown 5K Challenge (it was closer to 3.45 miles according to someone’s GPS) – Historic Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 10th overall (3rd in male 19-19 age-group division) – 24:21

10). Saturday, May 15, 2010 – 1st Annual Queen Anne’s Police K-9 Chase 5K (it was around 2.9 miles) – Terrapin Nature Center area, Stevensville/Kent Island – Queen Anne’s County, MD – 10th overall (4th in male 21-30 age-group division) - 21:58.9 (as of completing this race, I can say I have done a race on all general areas of the Cross-Island Trail on Kent Island )

11). Sunday, May 30, 2010 – Patapsco Trail Run – Avalon Area, Patapsco State Park, Catonsville/Ellicott City (Baltimore County-into-Howard County-and-back-to-Baltimore County), MD – Dropped out a little after a mile into the race because I lost my glasses after a river crossing. I am grateful to )God I got back and out of the woods all right

12). Saturday, June 5, 2010 – Katie’s Run 5K - New Germany State Park, Grantsville (Garrett County), MD – 21st overall – 22:55 (clock), 22:53ish (watch)… This was the day Kay and I got engaged!!!!! 

13). Saturday, June 12, 2010 - Running Brook Elementary School 3K Fun Run – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 4th overall – 13:00 (it may have been slightly longer than 3 kilometers)

14). Tuesday, June 22, 2010 – Centennial 1-Mile Fun Run – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 10th overall (I think) – 6:14

15). Saturday, July 3, 2010 – Arbutus Firecracker 10K Run – Arbutus/Relay (Baltimore County), MD – 156th overall – 51:29 (clock), 50:52ish (watch time, I think)

16). Friday, July 9, 2010 – Howard County Striders Cross Country #2: Reservoir High School – Fulton (Howard County), MD – 96th overall – 24:16

17). Saturday, July 17, 2010 – Inaugural Trailfight 5K (a little longer than a 5K I think) – Trolley Trail #9,Oella/Catonsville (Baltimore County), MD – 16th overall – 21:55 (clock), 21:49 (watch)

18). Wednesday, July 21, 2010 – Howard County Striders Meet of Miles – 1-Mile Track Run at Oakland Mills High School’s outdoor track – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 50th overall – 6:18

19). Saturday, August 28, 2010 – 3rd Annual Expect a Miracle 5K – Berlin (Worcester County) – 4th overall (male 21-30 age group division winner) – 22:14 (course was a little longer than a 5K plus I made a wrong turn)

20). Saturday, September 11, 2010 – Inaugural Race to the Creek 5K – Lusby (Calvert County), MD – 13th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age group division) – 20:48 (clock), 20:47 (watch)


21). Saturday, September 25, 2010 – 15th Annual North Beach 5K – North Beach (Calvert County), MD – 7th overall – 21:01

22). Saturday, October 2, 2010 – Inaugural Run and Rumble in the City for Autism 5K/10K Run (I ran the 5K) – Greensboro (Caroline County), MD – Winner – 18:45 (reported time), 18:20 (clock time)(the course was more like 2.91 miles long according to MapMyRun.Com)

23). Saturday, October 2, 2010 – 9th/10th Annual VP Shoes The Athlete 5K – Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD – 24th – 21:24 (3rd in male 20-29 age group division )

24). Saturday, October 16, 2010 – Inaugural End Hunger in Calvert County 5K – Trinity United Methodist Church, Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD – 5th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age group division) – 20:53

25). Sunday, October 24, 2010 – Howard County Striders’ “Legends of the Fall” Series #4: Atholton High School 5K – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 8th overall
- 19:57.05 (first time in over a year running a sub-20-minute 5K )


26). Saturday, November 13, 2010 – 10th Annual St. Anne’s School of Annapolis 5K Run – Annapolis (Anne Arundel County), MD – Winner – 17:55 (clock), 17:52 (watch) – First half was 8:57ish, so I was blessed to have kept an even pace 

27). Thursday, November 25, 2010 – Turkey Trot 10K Prediction Run – Columbia (Howard County), MD --Departed at 10:13:08, Arrived at 10:59:02, Predicted Time: 46:52, Actual Time: 45:54 (this was my 13th year in-a-row doing this event )

28). Saturday, December 4, 2010 - Annual Southern High School Bulldog 5K Run – Southern High School – Harwood (Anne Arundel County), MD – 4th overall – 19:52.10 (ran negative splits, first half was about 9:58, first half mile was 2:59, and last half-mile was about 3:00 :)

29). Saturday, December 18, 2010 – Inaugural Rudolph 5K Cross-Country Run – Belmont Conference Center, Elkridge (Howard County), MD – 14th overall – 20:56.96

Races I Have Run In 2011

1). Saturday, 1-8-11 - Chesapeake Bay Running Club Trail Run #1: 5K at King’s Landing Park (New Course) – Huntingtown (Calvert County), MD – Winner – 23:39.39 (I went the wrong way twice and ran a little longer as a result).

2). Saturday, 1-22-11 – Chesapeake Bay Running Club Trail Run #2: 3K at Myrtle Point Park – California (Saint Mary’s County), MD – 4th overall – 13:53.

3). Saturday, 2-5-11 - Chesapeake Bay Running Club Trail Run #3: 6.5K at Historic Saint Mary’s City Trails – Saint Mary’s City (Saint Mary’s County), MD – 7th overall – 29:25

4). Saturday, 2-19-11 – Chesapeake Bay Running Club Trail Run #4: 4-Miler (just a little shorter than 4 miles) at Calvert Cliffs State Park – Lusby (Calvert County) – 4th overall – 28:45

5). Saturday, 3-5-11 – Chesapeake Running Club Trail Run #5: 3-Miler at Oak Ridge Park – Burntstore/Hughesville (Charles County), MD – 4th overall – 20:43

6). Saturday, 3-26-11 – Chesapeake Running Club Trail Run #6: 4-Miler at Maxwell Hall Park – Hughesville (Charles County), MD – 2nd overall – 27:03

7). Sunday, 4-3-11 – 2nd Annual Swan Point 5K Fun Run – Swan Point Yacht and Country Club, Swan Point (Charles County), MD – 2nd overall (25-34 male age group division winner) – 19:33

8). Saturday, 4-6-11 – 6th Annual Matt’s Place 5K Family Trail Run (2-loop course, slightly longer than a 5K) – Chesapeake Church Property, Bristol (Anne Arundel County), MD – 4th overall (3rd in 19-35 male age group division) – 1st loop 10:56ish, 2nd loop/finish – 22:38

9). Wednesday, 4-20-11 – Tidal Basin Run #447 (New 5K) – Hain’s Point/East Potomac Park, Washington, D.C. – 21:06 (clock), 21:03 (watch)

10). Saturday, 4-23-11 – 2nd Annual 5K Resurrection Run – The Calverton School’s Cross-Country Course, Huntingtown (Calvert County), MD – 3rd overall – 20:17 (finished the last 1/4 –mile give or take without a shoe).

11). Saturday, 5-7-11 - 4th Annual 5K Run for Teach for America – University of Maryland College Park Campus (Prince George’s County), MD – 48th overall - 33:46 (went the wrong way).

12). Sunday, 5-8-11 - Howard County Striders’ “Vernal Velocity” Spring Series #4: Swansfield Elementary School 5K – 9th overall – 20:34 (clock), 20:33 (watch)

13). Saturday, 5-14-11 – First Annual West River Estates 5K Run – West River (Anne Arundel County), MD – Winner – 20:21 (I probably lost close to a minute off of my time due to some confusion towards the finish area).

14). Saturday, 5-21-11 – Special Olympics of Calvert County 8th Annual Inspiration 5K Run – Solomon’s Island/Johnstown (Calvert County), MD – Winner – 19:11

15). Saturday, 6-4-11 – 2nd Annual Full Gospel Assembly of God Main Street 5K Walk/Run – Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD – Winner – 22:11.45

16). Saturday, 6-25-11 – 3rd Annual Chesapeake City Canal Day 5K Run – Chesapeake City (Cecil County), MD – 5th overall (2nd in 19-29 male age group division) – 19:29

17). Tuesday, 6-28-11 – Centennial Fun Run (1-Mile) #2 – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 7th overall – 5:44

18). Wednesday, 7-13-11 – Howard County Striders’ “Summer Sizzler” Series #2: Hammond High School 5K (Inaugural) – 15th overall – 20:53


19-21). Tuesday, 7-19-11 – Chesapeake Bay Running Club’s Track Evening #4 (I ran all 3 events ) – Patuxent High School’s outdoor track, Lusby (Calvert County), MD:

- 3,200 Meter – Winner (the gentleman who was winning dropped out and I ended up winning by default) – 12:16.14 (5:56 was my 1,600-meter split)

- 800 Meter – 7th overall – 3:35.37 (1:52 was my 400-meter split)

- 200 Meter – 3rd overall – 33.16 seconds (my fastest 200 over 2 years I do believe )


22-24). Tuesday, 7-26-11 – Chesapeake Bay Running Club’s Track Evening #5 (I ran all 3 events ) – Patuxent High School’s outdoor track, Lusby (Calvert County), MD:

- 1 Mile – 5th overall – 5:19.56

- 400 Meter Run – Last place (7th place) in faster heat, 8th overall – 1:25.97

- 100 Meter Dash – 2nd place in 2nd-to-faster heat, 7th overall – 16.59


25. 08/02/11 - Queen City Junior Striders Series #5:  Broadford Lake Park 1-Mile - Mountain Lake Park/Oakland (Garrett County), MD - Winner - 5:18 (Praise God! As of this race, I can say I've won a race in every Maryland county by the grace of God :)
 26. 08/02 Queen City Junior Striders Series #5:  Broadford Lake Park 2-Miler - Mountain Lake Park/Oakland (Garrett County), MD - 7th overall - 15:19 (accidentally went wrong way and ran extra).
27. 08/04 HCS Friday Night XC Series #3: Reservoir High School 5K - Fulton (Howard County), MD - 19th overall - 19:42 (my best time on the course to date :)
28. 08/11 Annapolis XC Series #5: Portland Manor Farm, Lothian (Anne Arundel County), MD - 16th overall - 19:50
29. 09/03 2nd Annual Race to Erase MS - Chestertown (Kent County), MD - 3rd overall (2nd 20-29 AG) - 18:48 (Course PR to date :)
  30. 09/24 3rd Annual Donate Life 5K Family Fun Run - Baltimore City (Baltimore County), MD - Winner - 18:26.2 (Praise God! As of this race I can say that I have won a race in every public school district in Maryland by God's grace :)
27. 09/25 2nd Annual Clemens Crossing ES Cougarthon 5K - Columbia (Howard County), MD - Winner - 16:48 (course was shortened due to puddles on the course).
28. 10/01 Inaugural I Conquered The Bridge 5K - Chesapeake City (Cecil County), MD - 24:25 (went the wrong way and ran longer than expected).
29. 10/01 Annual VP Shoes The Athlete 5K - Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD - 6th overall (20-29 age group winner) - 20:41
30. 10/29 Inaugural Shady Side ES Seagull Sprint 5K - Shady Side (Anne Arundel County), MD - Winner - 20:50 (Went wrong way in the beginning, ran longer, probably around 3.3 miles).
31. 11/05 3rd Annual MPizzle 5K - Hammond High School/Columbia (Howard County), MD - 2nd overall - 19:26
32. 11/12 2nd Annual Run For The “Well” Of It 5K – Ridgely (Caroline County), MD – Winner – 18:20 (clock)
33. 11/19 Inaugural Voices in Praise Harvest 5K (slightly shorter at 4.96K)– Bristol/Lothian (Anne Arundel County), MD – Winner – 17:49
34. 11/19 3rd Annual Evergreen ES Turkey Trot 1-Mile – California (Saint Mary’s County), MD – Last Place 5:46
35. 12/24 Nutcracker Races (4-Miler) – Dowell/Solomons (Calvert County), MD - 3rd Place – 28:36 (I accidentally wen the wrong way a couple of times, and ran a little longer at about a little over 4.6 miles :)

Races I Have Run In 2012


 01/07/12 - CBRC Trail Run#1: King's Landing Park 5K (slightly new course), Huntingtown (Calvert County), MD - 5th overall (2nd in 20-29 AG) - 19:52.4 2.

01/21/12 -  CBRC Trail Run#2: Historic Saint Mary's City Trail Run (slightly over 4 miles) - Saint Mary's County, MD - 2nd overall (20-29 age group winner) - 27:49

 02/04/12 - CBRC Trail Race #3: Calvert Cliffs State Park 3.85 miles (slightly new course)- Lusby (Calvert County), MD - 4th overall (2nd 20-29 male AG) - 26:57

 02/18/12 -  CBRC Trail Race #4: Oak Ridge Park 3 Miles - Charlotte Hall/Hughesville (Charles County), MD - 2nd overall (20-29 male AG Winner) - 21:21.42 5 (slightly new and longer course).

02/25/12 - CBRC Trail Race #5: Maxwell Hall Park 4.03 Miles - Benedict/Hughesville (Charles County), MD - 3rd overall (2nd in 20-29 male AG) - 26:16.14 (clock time), 26:14 (watch time - course PR :).

03/24/12 -  CBRC Trail Race #6: Myrtle Point Park 3K - California (Saint Mary's County), MD - 5th overall (20-29 male AG winner) - 14:21.80

 04/01/12 -  33rd Annual Cherry Pit 10-Mile Run - Edgewater/Birdsville (Anne Arundel County), MD - 274th place - 1:27:42.41 (clock time), 1:27:35 (watch time)

04/14/12 - David Maclin Memorial Scholarship Fund First Annual 5K Walk/Run - Upper Marlboro (Prince George's County), MD - 2nd overall - 19:15 9.

05/05/12 - Upper Marlboro Young Marines Drug Demand Reduction 3K (it ended up being a 4K) - Mitchellville/Upper Marlboro (Prince George's County), MD - Winner - 14:37

 05/12/12 - 2nd Annual Dogwood Dash 5K Run - Colchester Farm, Galena (Kent County), MD - Winner - 19:22

05/12/12 - 2nd Annual Stryker's For A Cause 5K Run (New Course) - Sudlersville (Queen Anne's County), MD - Winner - 19:27

05/19/12 - 2nd Annual Piscataway 4-Miler (New Course, approximately 3.8ish miles) - Bryan's Road/Pomonkey (Charles County), MD - Winner - 23:02

06/03/12 - 2nd Annual Atholton Elementary School Panthers Pounding the Pavement 5K Run - Simpsonville/Columbia (Howard County), MD - Winner - 19:22 (I went to Elementary School, Kindergarten - 5th Grade here :)

06/12/12 - Centennial Fun Run #1 (1-Mile) - Ellicott City (Howard County), MD - 2nd overall - 5:46

 06/28/12 - Inaugural Leapin' Lizards 5K - Lexington Park (Saint Mary's County), MD - 5th overall - 19:57

07/04/12 -  31st Annual Rock Hall Flat Five (5 Miles) - Rock Hall (Kent County), MD - 8th overall - 33:33

O7/07/12 - 3rd Annual RunUnited 5K - Snow Hill (Worcester County), MD - Winner - 18:57.4 (as of this race, I have run a race in every Maryland Eastern Shore county seat :)

 07/10/12 - CBRC Track Meet #3: 3,000 Meters Patuxent High School Track, Lusby (Calvert County), MD 3rd overall 10:58.30

07/19/12 - Annapolis Striders XC 5K #2: Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold (Anne Arundel County), MD -  8th overall - 19:39 (may have been slightly longer than a 5K).


 07/24/12 - CBRC Track Meet #5: 400 Meter Run - Patuxent HS Track, Lusby (Calvert County), MD 3rd overall 5:11.17

07/24/12 - CBRC Track Meet #5: 1-Mile Run - Patuxent High School Track, Lusby (Calvert County), MD - 6th overall (2nd in the 1st heat) - 1:09.91


 07/27/12 - Friday Night XC Race Series #6: Hammond High School 5K ~2.92 miles, Columbia (Howard County), MD - 17th overall - 21:04

08/02/12 - Annapolis Striders XC 5K #3: South River High School (several meters short) Edgewater (Anne Arundel County), MD 12th overall 19:56 23.

08/08/12 - Baltimore Road Runners Club Track Meet #3: Goucher College, Towson (Baltimore County), MD: 1,500 Meter Race 4th overall 4:52.3

08/08/12 - Baltimore Road Runners Club Track Meet #3: Goucher College, Towson (Baltimore County), MD: 800 Meter Race - 5th overall (5th in the first heat) - 2:24.5.

08/08 BRRC Track Meet #3: Goucher College, Towson (Baltimore County), MD: 3,000 Meter Race 10th overall 11:45.1 (I had to stop and get off the track to get my water bottle because my mouth was very dry.  I ran the rest of the race with a water bottle.  This is a PR for me running with a water bottle for 3,000 meters, praise God! :)

08/08/12 - Baltimore Road Runners Club Track Meet #3: Goucher College, Towson (Baltimore County), MD: 4X200 Meter Race - Our team won overall and we were the only ones competing - 2:05.0 (Team Time.  We did not seem to get individual splits).

08/16/12 - Buddy Attick Fun Run (3 miles) - Greenbelt (Prince George's County), MD - 2nd overall - 18:34.7 26.

08/23/12 - Buddy Attick Fun Run (1.75 miles) - Greenbelt (Prince George's County), MD - Winner - 9:53.4 27.

09/01/12 - 1st Annual Labor Day 5K Against Hunger - Leonard's Grant neighborhood, Leonardtown (Saint Mary's County), MD - Winner - 17:52 (as of this race, I can say that by the grace of God I have run a race in every county seat of Maryland :))

09/15/12 - 4th Annual Tia's Way 5K - White Plains Rail Trail, White Plains (Charles County), MD - Winner - 17:48

10/07/12 2nd Annual Feel The History Part II: Running Back For More - Point Lookout State Park, Scotland/Point Lookout (Saint Mary's County), MD - 3rd overall - 18:55

 10/13/12 - 3rd Annual 5K Breast Cancer Challenge (reversed course) - Solomons/Johnstown (Calvert County), MD. - Winner - 18:03.8

10/20/12 - 3rd Annual Beat the Teach 5K XC Run - Owings (Calvert County), MD - 21:24 32.

10/20/12 - 4th Annual MPizzle Kegs for Cancer 5K Run - Hammond High School, Columbia (Howard County), MD 36:35ish (clock time), 21:43 (watch time.  I started quite late).

 11/17/12 -  4th Annual Evergreen Elementary School Turkey Trot 1-Mile - Evergreen Elementary School, California (Saint Mary's County), MD - Winner - 6:09 (praise God, it is my mile PR with an air cast :).

12/08/12 - Annual Wright Stuff 5K - College Park/Berwyn Heights (Prince George's County), MD - 6th overall - 20:32.6 (praise God, it is my 5K PR with an air cast :).

12/23/12 - Nutcracker 1-Miler - Dowell/Solomons (Calvert County), MD - Winner - 6:55 (clock time), 6:54 (and change) (watch time).

12/31/12 - Bobby Largent Midnight Mile - Virtual Participant, based out of Capon Bridge (Hampshire County), West Virginia - Winner - 5:56 (tied 1-mile PR in an air cast :)


Races I Have Run In 2013

01/01/13 - Annual New Year's Day Fun Run 2-Miler Fun Run - Braddock Heights (Frederick County), MD - Winner - 12:40 (2-mile PR in an air cast, and I do believe this is my 100th win. Praise God for achieving great things with me :)


01/01/13 Annual New Year's Day Fun Run 4-Miler - Braddock Heights (Frederick County), MD - 28:20


  01/05/13 10th Annual PHUNT 11K Trail Run (first year with the 11K, so it was a new course) - Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, Fair Hill/Elkton (Cecil County), MD - Winner - 1:00:34

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Thoughts from the eve of my wedding!

Yesterday being the day before I marry Kya, there were plenty of thoughts going through my mind... Some of confidence, some of, "wow can I really do this?" It reminded me of times when I would go to a race with a goal in mind, and then I would see what the course was like, and I would be like "uh, this course is kind of on the hard side, I dunno about this goal any more."

However, there ae many many times when I have been aware of God stepping in and helping me rise to meet that challenge, no matter where I was at. Last weekend's 10th Annual St. Anne's School of Annapolis 5K in Annapolis (Anne Arundel County), MD was a fine example of that, because I ran a relly even-paced race and felt strong the whole time despite the fact I had not run much a week-and-a-half leading up to the race and that my sleeping had been thrown off. In short, I am putting (or trying to put my hopes in the Lord that He will empower Kay and I to bring Him glory in our marriage. We are a gift from God to one another; everything that God has done to us and for us at this point, I believe, has helped prepare us for each other (and of course prepared us for other plans that He has I am sure)!


I am eagerly looking forward to getting married to Kay. It seemed like just a short while ago, I had been a content single man just about my whole life up to the point of Sunday, April 19, 2009 when Kay and I started dating. I remember starting these blogs over three years ago in the midst of my terrifically fun endeavors to run a race in every Maryland and Delaware county in Maryland within the year of 2007, and I had not even met Kay back then until the very end of 2007 at our friend Karen's New Year's Eve party :)

I was so surprised how well I was able to focus in on things yesterday. I had less than ten minutes of sleep from the night before of lesson planning, rearranging things in the house, and doing a few other small things here and there. That is the least amount of sleep I have gotten, I think, since my senior year of college thereabouts.

One thought that came to my mind that I think helped me to digest it emotionally was comparing (NOT MINIMIZING) this wonderful experience to a race: Picking up my tuxedo was like picking up my race bib for a big race, the wedding ceremony rehearsal was like the course walk/preview before doing a race, the rehearsal dinner was like a big pasta dinner that we would have the evenings before a big meet in high school and college, and of course this day of our wedding is the start of a race so huge that I hope it lasts us the rest of our lives if that is God's will! I know through God all things are possible, and we are both going to need to keep that honest perspective in all that we experience as a married couple, rough times and pleasant times!


So here I am on my wedding day, getting ready to make one of the largest life-changing moves I have ever made ot a woman who is so much more than I could have asked for in a wife. I do not deserve this with Kay, when I feel like if anything, I deserve so much less. Than again, this is God showing us His love and grace, which I am sure will sustain us throughout our lives together!


Thank you for coming by, as well as for your prayers and encouragements :)

Friday, November 19, 2010

Settling into Calvert County, Maryland

Hello everyone!

I moved to Calvert County almost two weeks ago; living by myself at the moment. I moved here mainly to be closer to Kay, my excellent fiancee, who I plan to marry tomorrow (Saturday, November 20, 2010) at our church.


This is has just got me all... WOW!!!!!

At any rate, I have been tired and relatively sleep deprived pretty much all week, and God has been good. In fact, last Saturday (November 13, 2010), I ran the 10th Annual St. Anne's School of Annapolis 5K in Anne Arundel County, MD, and I finished in 17:52. The course was obviously a bit on the shorter side (and the race coordinators admitted that this year they had accidentaly cut it shorter). The real neat thing was that I got to the half-way turn-around point a little ways into Quiet Waters Park (a really well-shaded and scenic park in Annapolis, MD), I was at around 8:57, so therefore, God must have helped me pick it up to about 8:55 the second half of the race if my finishing time was about 17:52, or at least stay very even with my pace. They said I ran 17:55, but I saw at the clock I was about 17:52. No worries, though. I did so much better at that race than I expected due to not runnign that much due to a relatively stressful and busy work situation with teaching right now, not to mention that my sleep and eating were a bit thrown off. I felt pretty solid the whole race, and that was proof yet once again that despite how weak or even pathetic I feel, God can lift me (and anyone) up to acheive great things for Him.



All right, I wanted to blog on that. I am also letting you know that I plan to stop blogging on this after I marry Kay. It has nothing to do with Kay; I just feel that I have gotten to a point where I should conclude this blog... Or at least have it on a very extended hiatus. I feel that in getting married, I am not just turning another page in my life, I'm reading a whole chapter at least!! Therefore, I feel it is an excellen point in which to bring closure to this blog. After Kay and I get married, I plan to put a blog entry about the wedding, and close it off there.I will still post results/details of races and some neat runs that I do, and even mention any other running goals that may come my way, however, I think I will leave this more narrative material out unless God leads me to do otherwise.

I think running-wise, southern Maryland can be a lot of fun (and fun in other ways too). I am hoping to explore more of Calvert County, Charles County (especially that southwestern area some more, and Saint Mary's County). I can probably get to do that through runs, or even races, God-willing. Either way, I hope to take Kay to a lot of these scenic places (or her take me since she is a native to this region of Maryland :)

All right, I should be going. I wanted to thank all of you who have suppported this blog and myself. You are a blessing from God and an excellent encouragement to me. Thank you very much and have a blessed day :)

Races I Have Done This Year as of Friday, November 19, 2010

1). Friday, January 1, 2010 – 3rd Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution Run 5K – Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD – 9th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 20:38 (clock time), 20:34 (watch time)

2). Sunday, January 10, 2010 – Mighty Medford Freeway 5K – Medford/Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 8th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) – 20:25

3). Sunday, March 7, 2010 – Howard County Striders “Operation Iceberg” Winter Series #6: Oakland Mills Middle School 6-Mile Race – 17th overall – 43:55 (ran at an even pace, and ran negative splits )too

4). Saturday, March 13, 2010 – 3rd Annual Pi-Mile (3.14-mile) Run – Patuxent High School, Lusby (Calvert County), MD – 7th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) – 23:29.0

5). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (9:00 A.M.) – Inaugural Francie’s Family 5K – Middletown Park, Middletown (Frederick County), MD – 10th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) – 2!:07.25

6). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (11:00 A.M.) – 2nd Annual Matt Boles 5K Fun Run – East Middle School, Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 23:54

7). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (1:00 P.M.) – 28th Annual “Forest of Needwood”/”Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial” 5 Mile Road Race – Knoxville/Petersville/Brunswick (Frederick County), MD – 35th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) - 44:57 (clock time), 44:55 (watch time)

8). Saturday, April 3, 2010 – 2nd Annual Race for Joe 5K – Borough of Franklin Park/McCandless Township (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania – 13th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 21:01 (clock time), 20:57/20:58 (watch time)

9). Saturday, April 10, 2010 – 1st Annual Hills of Milltown 5K Challenge (it was closer to 3.45 miles according to someone’s GPS) – Historic Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 10th overall (3rd in male 19-19 age-group division) – 24:21

10). Saturday, May 15, 2010 – 1st Annual Queen Anne’s Police K-9 Chase 5K (it was around 2.9 miles) – Terrapin Nature Center area, Stevensville/Kent Island – Queen Anne’s County, MD – 10th overall (4th in male 21-30 age-group division) - 21:58.9 (as of completing this race, I can say I have done a race on all general areas of the Cross-Island Trail on Kent Island )

11). Sunday, May 30, 2010 – Patapsco Trail Run – Avalon Area, Patapsco State Park, Catonsville (Baltimore County-into-Howard County-and-back-to-Baltimore County), MD – Dropped out a little after a mile into the race because I lost my glasses after a river crossing. I am grateful to )God I got back and out of the woods all right

12). Saturday, June 5, 2010 – Katie’s Run 5K - New Germany State Park, Grantsville (Garrett County), MD – 21st overall – 22:55 (clock), 22:53ish (watch)… This was the day Kay and I got engaged!!!!! 

13). Saturday, June 12, 2010 - Running Brook Elementary School 3K Fun Run – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 4th overall – 13:00 (it may have been slightly longer than 3 kilometers)

14). Tuesday, June 22, 2010 – Centennial 1-Mile Fun Run – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 10th overall (I think) – 6:14

15). Saturday, July 3, 2010 – Arbutus Firecracker 10K Run – Arbutus/Relay (Baltimore County), MD – 156th overall – 51:29 (clock), 50:52ish (watch time, I think)

16). Friday, July 9, 2010 – Howard County Striders Cross Country #2: Reservoir High School – Fulton (Howard County), MD – 96th overall – 24:16

17). Saturday, July 17, 2010 – Inaugural Trailfight 5K (a little longer than a 5K I think) – Trolley Trail #9,Oella/Catonsville (Baltimore County), MD – 16th overall – 21:55 (clock), 21:49 (watch)

18). Wednesday, July 21, 2010 – Howard County Striders Meet of Miles – 1-Mile Track Run at Oakland Mills High School’s outdoor track – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 50th overall – 6:18

19). Saturday, August 28, 2010 – 3rd Annual Expect a Miracle 5K – Berlin (Worcester County) – 4th overall (male 21-30 age group division winner) – 22:14 (course was a little longer than a 5K plus I made a wrong turn)

20). Saturday, September 11, 2010 – Inaugural Race to the Creek 5K – Lusby (Calvert County) – 13th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age group division) – 20:48 (clock), 20:47 (watch)


21). Saturday, September 25, 2010 – 15th Annual North Beach 5K – North Beach (Calvert County), MD – 7th overall – 21:01

22). Saturday, October 2, 2010 – Inaugural Run and Rumble in the City for Autism 5K/10K Run (I ran the 5K) – Greensboro (Caroline County), MD – Winner – 18:45 (reported time), 18:20 (clock time)(the course was more like 2.91 miles long according to MapMyRun.Com)

23). Saturday, October 2, 2010 – 9th/10th Annual VP Shoes The Athlete 5K – Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD – 24th – 21:24 (3rd in male 20-29 age group division )

24). Saturday, October 16, 2010 – Inaugural End Hunger in Calvert County 5K – Trinity United Methodist Church, Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD – 5th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age group division) – 20:53

25). Sunday, October 24, 2010 – Howard County Striders’ “Legends of the Fall” Series #4: Atholton High School 5K – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 8th overall
- 19:57.05 (first time in over a year running a sub-20-minute 5K )


26). Saturday, November 13, 2010 – 10th Annual St. Anne’s School of Annapolis 5K Run – Annapolis (Anne Arundel County), MD – Winner – 17:55 (clock), 17:52 (watch) – First half was 8:57ish, so I was blessed to have kept an even pace 



Please check out the events I did in 2009:

http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2009/12/reflection-on-2009.html



Please check out the events I did in 2008:

http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2008/12/
not-much-longer-until-2009.html



Please check out the events I did in 2007:

http://runineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2007/09/
i-ran-in-running-event-in-all-of.html

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Getting Ready to Get a "Move" on!

Now today, I am getting ready to move to southern Maryland (Calvert County to be exact) near where Kay lives. Kay and I found a place for me to rent by myself until we get married on Saturday, November 20 this year, and then she will move in with me. Today I am planning to move.


Yesterday when I was getting ready to go for a 2+ mile run in Columbia, MD where I grew up in Howard County, I began to feel a little sad about it. I am definitely grateful to be engaged to and marrying Kay, and I think the move to Calvert County will be great for us there. Yet, I am going to miss being able to run on the bike paths in Columbia. They have a terrific bike path system that go for miles. I am sure I will find some great places to run in southern Maryland, though up to this point of my life, some of my best runs, bike rides (and even running races) have taken place in Howard County, especially on the bike path systems. I am grateful that as of now, I am happy with my course PR's on some of my relatively frequent running routes, though I am going to miss them all the same. I hope to be able to take Kay to some of the beautiful and scenic places I have run and seen in Columbia. God-willing that will all come in good time.


When I went to college at Salisbury University in Wicomico County on Maryland's Eastern Shore several years ago, I knew I would be back to Columbia for breaks and such. When I moved to Baltimore County back in April of 2008, I was still able to get to Howard County relatively quickly and easily to go running on some of my routes. Now the day has come that I figured probably would come, though I never knew it would come so soon: The day that I move out of the central area /Baltimore area of Maryland to somewhere far away. I also never thought I'd be getting married this soon in my life (or sometimes even at all), especially to someone so caring, wonderful, loyal, supportive and funny (hi Kay :)!

I realize it is quite possible Kay and I could spend the rest of our lives in the Calvert County/southern Maryland area, and right now, that is fine with me because it is really beautiful there. It is well over an hour from where I live now in Columbia, so it is far, yet not too far to get back to Columbia for some Howard County Striders races, to go run on some of the routes I enjoy, and of course to see family, my friends, and some former co-workers (who I will certainly miss)!

This is one more page to turn towards this next exciting (if not a bit stressful) chapter of my life, of which I am sure God has good plans for, just like He has always had :)

Recent races this past October!






As you can see in the photos above, my running has steadily been improving.

When I went to Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD on Saturday, October 16, 2010 for the inaugural End Hunger in Calvert County 5K Run, I managed run the relatively flat (but windy course) in 20:53. My first mile was about 6:21, and my second-mile split was somewhere around the mid-to-upper 13's. I was certainly happy about that, especially considering I was getting a cold that I had for a bit over a week.


Then, the following weekend, On Sunday, October 24, 2010, I ran the Howard County Striders' "Legends of the Fall" Weekly Series Race #4 at Atholton High School in Columbia (Howard County), MD near where I grew. This course is one of the easiest 5K courses I have run in Howard County. I had only slept for probably no more than 3.5-to-4.5 hours the night before, because I had a bunch of work and I had gotten together with some guy friends the night before for a pre-wedding celebration at the Arundel Mills Mall in Anne Arundel County. That being said, I was not expecting anything much faster than 22 minutes.

Much to my pleasant surprise, I felt quite energized throughout most of the race. The first mile was flat and steadily downhill, and I ran that first mile in 6:02, which has been my fastest mile since last Spring I believe! Whooohoo!

Not long after there was a steady uphill, and then it flattened out for a while. Around mid-way into the race, I believed there was a chance I could run under 20 minutes and I think I said some quick prayers to God about it as I tried to maintain pace.

There were a couple more uphills before we got to the last stretch of the race that I am sure is at least a little over a quarter mile. I saw the finish line a little ways away, and I knew I probably had a little over a minute's worth of running at the pace I was at before I reached it. I was trying to hold onto the pace and pick it up, because I knew I would be close to breaking 20 minutes. I think I prayed real quick that God could help me finish strong.

As I neared the clock, and as the clock itself neared 20 minutes, I felt like I shot up the last little hill, and then surged through the finish line with a chip time (they started using this new interesting chip-timing system) of 19:57.05.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A YEAR, I BROKE 20 MINUTES IN A 5K! And that was on a relative lack of sleep, a relatively stressful new job, and a rather inconsistent running schedule of late. There is a chance that course may be a little short, though all the same, that is the fastest I have run that distance in quite a long time, and it was not even my slowest time on that course (I can remember a time in high school in the tenth grade in January of 2000 when I ran that course in about 20:09). I was very blessed! (the photographs above, courtesy of Karsten Brown, were from that race at Atholton High School).

The day before I had run this course that was about two miles, give or take (probably slightly more than two miles), and last spring I had run about 15:43 and I thought it would be cool if sometime I could break 15 minutes on that. And I had run a 13:45 on it the day before the race. Those were two great runs that God blessed me with, with not having run for almost a week beforehand.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Keeping Busy!

Hello everyone, it is really hard to believe that I am not only a teacher now, but that it looks like I am getting married in a little over a month. Wow! I remember when I started this blog in the spring of 2007, I was single and not really interested in any particular woman, and it was months before I met and befriended Kay, my fiancee and best mortal friend! It is amazing what God has done in a few wonderful years!!

It was not too long ago that I was on the internet looking for races... Now it's like I am looking for rings (and I'm not complaining :)

Teaching special education has been keeping me really busy and I am sure that this year will be one of the most challenging ones I'll endure. I've been through some rough years when I was younger, and fortunately this time I have Jesus Christ in my life as well as Kay. I am really grateful how Kay has pushed for us to do a bulk of our wedding planning and preparations over the summer break, because right when I went to work at my school, I have been having many busy days at work, before and after work hours, and taking work home. It is a pretty consuming profession, so it has been hard for me to contribute to wedding planning as much as I'd like. I am very grateful that Kay and I can still have time together, and since I have started teaching, I have been able to hang out with a few other friends as well. Usually if I make time to do something fun on the weekends, I often have to "pay for it" by losing sleep to catch up with lesson planning, grading, and such. God-willing I can become much more compotent with the work, and who knows, perhaps even more efficient.

I am grateful that since I started teaching, I have run about five races, and I have been really happy with all of them. God has really shown Himself and His graceful goodness to me. My sleeping and eating, I feel, have been thrown off adjusting to this new job and with keeping up with many of the other things I have to do. Yet, if you look at how I've been doing at some of the races lately, God has helped me run stronger at the races now than I was doing last summer, and even last spring for the most part! Wow! I remember back in high school when my running seemed to be in a rut, probably due to a lack of sleep.
Last summer, at a Centennial 1-Mile Fun Run in Howard County, Maryland (this was on Tuesday evening, June 22, 2010), I ran a 6:14 mile on the hilly course. I have not run a mile that fast since June. Then, just last Saturday, I ran two 1-mile repeats with several minutes in between. The first one I ran on the track in 6:05, and then the second I ran on a fairly hilly bike path in 6:20. That first mile repeat of 6:05 has been my fastest mile in at least a good several months, so it seems like God is helping me run really well right now!

The next race I hope to do is this Saturday (October 16, 2010), and it's the End Hunger in Calvert County 5K in Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD. I have been around the venue before,and it does not seem to hilly, though I am sure there will be challenges in that race for sure (my sleep deprivation among them).

All right, I hope you enjoyed these updates. Please keep Kay and I in your prayers as we excitedly get ready for our upcoming wedding! God-willing, we will get adjusted well, especially with my rather busy schedule lately.

I hope you all are well and that you have a blessed day!

Races I Have Done This Year as of Thursday, October 14, 2010

1). Friday, January 1, 2010 – 3rd Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution Run 5K – Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD – 9th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 20:38 (clock time), 20:34 (watch time)

2). Sunday, January 10, 2010 – Mighty Medford Freeway 5K – Medford/Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 8th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) – 20:25

3). Sunday, March 7, 2010 – Howard County Striders “Operation Iceberg” Winter Series #6: Oakland Mills Middle School 6-Mile Race – 17th overall – 43:55 (ran at an even pace, and ran negative splits )too

4). Saturday, March 13, 2010 – 3rd Annual Pi-Mile (3.14-mile) Run – Patuxent High School, Lusby (Calvert County), MD – 7th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) – 23:29.0

5). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (9:00 A.M.) – Inaugural Francie’s Family 5K – Middletown Park, Middletown (Frederick County), MD – 10th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) – 2!:07.25

6). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (11:00 A.M.) – 2nd Annual Matt Boles 5K Fun Run – East Middle School, Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 23:54

7). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (1:00 P.M.) – 28th Annual “Forest of Needwood”/”Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial” 5 Mile Road Race – Knoxville/Petersville/Brunswick (Frederick County), MD – 35th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) - 44:57 (clock time), 44:55 (watch time)

8). Saturday, April 3, 2010 – 2nd Annual Race for Joe 5K – Borough of Franklin Park/McCandless Township (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania – 13th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 21:01 (clock time), 20:57/20:58 (watch time)

9). Saturday, April 10, 2010 – 1st Annual Hills of Milltown 5K Challenge (it was closer to 3.45 miles according to someone’s GPS) – Historic Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 10th overall (3rd in male 19-19 age-group division) – 24:21

10). Saturday, May 15, 2010 – 1st Annual Queen Anne’s Police K-9 Chase 5K (it was around 2.9 miles) – Terrapin Nature Center area, Stevensville/Kent Island – Queen Anne’s County, MD – 10th overall (4th in male 21-30 age-group division) - 21:58.9 (as of completing this race, I can say I have done a race on all general areas of the Cross-Island Trail on Kent Island )

11). Sunday, May 30, 2010 – Patapsco Trail Run – Avalon Area, Patapsco State Park, Catonsville (Baltimore County-into-Howard County-and-back-to-Baltimore County), MD – Dropped out a little after a mile into the race because I lost my glasses after a river crossing. I am grateful to )God I got back and out of the woods all right

12). Saturday, June 5, 2010 – Katie’s Run 5K - New Germany State Park, Grantsville (Garrett County), MD – 21st overall – 22:55 (clock), 22:53ish (watch)… This was the day Kay and I got engaged!!!!! 


13). Saturday, June 12, 2010 - Running Brook Elementary School 3K Fun Run – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 4th overall – 13:00 (it may have been slightly longer than 3 kilometers)

14). Tuesday, June 22, 2010 – Centennial 1-Mile Fun Run – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 10th overall (I think) – 6:14

15). Saturday, July 3, 2010 – Arbutus Firecracker 10K Run – Arbutus/Relay (Baltimore County), MD – 156th overall – 51:29 (clock), 50:52ish (watch time, I think)


16). Friday, July 9, 2010 – Howard County Striders Cross Country #2: Reservoir High School – Fulton (Howard County), MD – 96th overall – 24:16

17). Saturday, July 17, 2010 – Inaugural Trailfight 5K (a little longer than a 5K I think) – Trolley Trail #9,Oella/Catonsville (Baltimore County), MD – 16th overall – 21:55 (clock), 21:49 (watch)

18). Wednesday, July 21, 2010 – Howard County Striders Meet of Miles – 1-Mile Track Run at Oakland Mills High School’s outdoor track – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 50th overall – 6:18

19). Saturday, August 28, 2010 – 3rd Annual Expect a Miracle 5K – Berlin (Worcester County) – 4th overall (male 21-30 age group division winner) – 22:14 (course was a little longer than a 5K plus I made a wrong turn)

20). Saturday, September 11, 2010 – Inaugural Race to the Creek 5K – Lusby (Calvert County) – 13th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age group division) – 20:48 (clock), 20:47 (watch)


21). Saturday, September 25, 2010 – 15th Annual North Beach 5K – North Beach (Calvert County), MD – 7th overall – 21:01

22). Saturday, October 2, 2010 – Inaugural Run and Rumble in the City for Autism 5K/10K Run (I ran the 5K) – Greensboro (Caroline County), MD – Winner – 18:45 (reported time),18:20 (clock) (the course was more like 2.91 miles long according to MapMyRun.Com)

23). Saturday, October 2, 2010 – 9th/10th Annual VP Shoes The Athlete 5K – Salisbury (Wicomico County), MD – 24th – 21:24 (3rd in male 20-29 age group division )


Please check out the events I did in 2009:

http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2009/12/reflection-on-2009.html



Please check out the events I did in 2008:

http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2008/12/
not-much-longer-until-2009.html



Please check out the events I did in 2007:

http://runineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2007/09/
i-ran-in-running-event-in-all-of.html

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Someone took home some hardware... It wasn't me, and it wasn't from a race...

Oh my, summer of 2010 has come and gone without an update on this blog. I have definitely been busy, with what, much of it I will tell in this blog.


When I last wrote on here, I was getting ready to do Katie's Run 5K in New Germany State Park in Grantsville (Garrett County), Maryland on Satuday, June 5th and I would also be with Kay part of the time. I was going to take her up towards southwestern Pennsylvania to meet one of her friends and spend the night with her, and I would spend the night with my friend Phil in western Maryland. That is where I left off.

Before I start talking about running here again, in case I did not mention it before, I was blessed to get into the Prince George's County Resident Teacher Dual Certification Program (which is an alternative route to teacher certification in both elementary education and special education). I got pretty busy with right quick, as the cohort I am with and I took two accelerated graduate-level education courses (and I had not even taken any graduate-level courses until these), interning as student teachers in a couple of different summer school settings in Prince George's County, and then going to other trainings/staff developments before I became a first grade special education teacher (which I currently am). So I am in my first month-and-a-half of teaching and it is pretty busy (and it is tougher on me mentally and emotionally I think because I feel like I have so much to learn about it that I do not know, so it's quite intimidating to say the least). God-willing I will get through all right and I am blessed to still be able to go to church, spend time with Kay, run, and eat. Starting this job my sleeping and eating felt thrown off quite a bit, though I think it may be starting to improve (at least my eating might be).


So back to the Katie's Run 5K that I ran in June. I spent the night before at my friend Phil's and his wife's house in western Maryland. The night before, my stomach was hurting (I think from indigestion of eating too much, and maybe also nerves of the upcoming race and other things). I woke up feeling all right, and as I drove off to the race, it was dreary/overcast, and ironically enough I was flipping through the radio stations, I heard a song I used to hear on the radio a lot in middle school when I was a rather avid listener of alternative/"modern rock" on 99.1 WHFS (which is no longer a radio station on 99.1). The song was Alanis Morrisette's "Ironic" (the song where its chorus goes "it's like rain (or rather "rayayne" on your wedding day"... And it looked like it was going to rain...

And what was even more ironic... I was getting closer to New Germany State Park, and me in my most excellent geographical no-how, somehow took the highway the wrong way and headed in the wrong direction right into southern Pennsylvania. YIKES! Right around the time I realized I was going the wrong way, I was flipping through the radio, when I heard some classical music playing... It was "Canon in D Major", by Johann Pachelbel, and it seemed a more quicker version, which was so funny because it was matching the more hurried mindset and mood that I was in once I realized I was going the wrong way and that I might miss the race as a result. I turned around at a hardware store after asking for directions and I felt like I floored it back down the highway. I hear that "Canon in D Major" at quite a few weddings, though today it seemed like my "rushing to get to the race" theme... Ironically, I think God used it to foreshadow what was to come later that day...


I was blessed to make good time, and I got to the race before it started, so I was able to start on time. The neat thing about this being an early June race up in the mountains of western Maryland was that it was pleasantly a little cooler and I did not have to contend with the heavier heat I had been trying to adjust to with my running during hte spring. The race started and we quickly got off the road onto some fields, around which was the first mile marker, that I managed to run through around the lower 6:30's (which I thought was pretty ambitious for me. I had heard this course was pretty challenging, and a lot of it was on trails. I wanted to make sure I ran safely and that I did not lose my glasses again like I had the previous weekend at the Patapsco State Park Trail Run (I dropped out of the race early on because I lost my glasses while crossing the river). Fortunately there were not any such crossings at this race.

The second mile was relatively flat with some subtle downhills and uphills, and then that party ended around the start of the third mile when there were plenty of uphills and at least one or two switchbacks. It seemed pretty challenging for the shape I was in, and my stomach was starting to hurt again. I am grateful that God kept me going all right, and that I did not trip or roll my ankle like I sometimes tend to do on these trail runs. It probably helped that I was running uphill, as it seems I roll my ankle on downhills since I often go faster downhill.

I'd say with about a half-a-mile to go, the uphills were over and we started on some downhills and it flattened out to a straight shot along a nice trail through the woods. At this point I was starting to pick up momentum, and there was a younger gentleman not too far ahead of me, but I did not really want to kick it in hard to further hurt my stomach and it would probably have slowed me up on recovering from this scenic race. Sure enough the trail opened into a field, and there was the finish line that I crossed in about 22:52. I can not quite remember what my goal was for the race, though I knew that I had hoped to be under 23 minutes and I felt like I worked for it!

I think it had started drizzling during the race, so we all quickly gathered in this building where the post-race celebration was. I did not earn an age-group award at this race, though that was fine because I enjoyed the race and I was feeling pretty tired with much on my mind about picking up Kay in Pennsylvania and then making the long drive back.


Fortunately, they had shower facilities in this building and I was able to take one before getting on the road for a long drive ahead...


I drove from Grantsville to the Bedford area of southern Pennsylvania (which has some really nice quaint small-town sections that I got to check out) to pick up Kay. Once I met her, we took a nice little walk around the parking lot to get stretched out for the drive back.

We had a nice drive back through rural southwestern Pennsylvania, and back into western Maryland. We got to drive through some of Garrett County along Highway 219 South. It was nice stopping at a McDonald's in Deep Creek right by the Deep Creek Lake area. Kay really thought it was beautiful, and it had been many years since she had been there. It had been over a year-and-a-half since I had been there with a church retreat in November of 2008. It was so great to be out there in the mountains with her, and this had been the furthest west in Maryland since we had been dating for over a year and I looked forward to the next as long as she would have me.


After eating at McDonald's the sun was starting to go down and it was getting a little cool and overcast. We headed west further into the mountains of Garrett County.


Now having a thing for running races (not to mention travelling through) all of Maryland's counties, I gained appreciation for something: I learned from my friend Phil about Backbone Mountain, and how that was Maryland's highest elevation point right in Oakland, Garret County, Maryland's county seat. Ever since Phil told me about it almost two years ago, I had wanted to see it, and after doing some research on the internet, I found out that the highest point on Maryland's state roads system was also there on Route 50 on Backbone Mountain. I knew that Kay and I enjoyed spending time in the car together, driving and having picnics, even right from the start of our relationship. I thought it would be excellent to surprise her by taking her up to Maryland's highest point on the state roads system on the way back.

As we drove through rural Oakland around the Redhouse, Maryland area, I had Kay put on her eye covering so that she could not see where I was taking her. It had started raining, and I was a bit disappointed because I wanted her to come out of the car and have a good look at where we would be along the road on Backbone Mountain... After all, it's not like this was in either of our local backyards!

As we drove up the mountain, leaving the fields and farmhouses below, I felt quiet, confident, and grateful that we were almost at the top. I was quiet because I did not want to let on where I was taking her, and confident that she would enjoy being up on the mountain.

Kay already had her raincoat on and I donned my Baltimore Ravens coat my parents gave to me as a present in December of 1998 (my freshman year of high school, and in fact I got that jacket after running an 11:55 at an indoor track and field meet at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore, Maryland; the first time I had broken 12 minutes in the 3200-meter race... Just an interesting side note).

It was already around 7 PM when we got there, and raining. We were tired, though I really wanted her to see the well-shaded area by the highway that was Maryland's highest point on its highway system. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up, and I was not going to let rain get in the way.

I had Kay take off her blindfold and look around. Kay and I both like toys, and attached to a fun kiddie toy I gave her was attached a note, and on that note was how much I liked and cared about her. I thought it was a perfect setting for it.

I had Kay step out of the car, telling her it would only be a couple of minutes. She stepped out of the car slowly, and I was shaking... Though probably not from the cool rain.

Here I was, with my girlfriend that I really liked, treasured, felt safe around... Someone who was so kind, loyal, compassionate, supportive, and beautiful to me. Kay is what God wants me to find in a woman; of that I am convinced. Here I was with Kay, on top of Maryland's highest point on its highway system. Maryland's highest point. I had been to every county of Maryland, having done something I truly enjoyed (running), and now here I was geographically higher up than Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Saint Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties with the woman I hoped I would always be with. Talk about HIGH POINTS, I felt like I was living one... And that's what I told Kay.

I turned to Kay and I told her that we were at Backbone Mountain, Maryland's highest point on its state roads system. I told her that being with her has been one of the highest points of my life so far (and I hoped she agreed).


I remember back in high school, I needed to log service hours for Hammond High School's National Honor Society. One of the things I did was volunteer for Special Olympics in indoor basketball and outdoor track & field. I helped coach and support the athletes. I thought it was neat to help people who could not easily do what I enjoyed doing, be able to do those things (like running). They had a saying, I think it was actually a prayer, asking for God to give them the strength to win, and if not, to help them be bold in the attempt.

This day, I wanted God to bless me with boldness among other things.

Kay seemed to think it was sweet that I told her that being with her had been one of the highest points of my life so far. I guess I could not have asked for a better outcome.

C'mon Noah, don't say something stupid now.

My heart was beating faster under the 2007 National Trails Day Run t-shirt I was wearing. I had run that National Trails Day Run outside of historic Saint Mary's City in Saint Mary's County in southern Maryland on Saturday, June 2, 2007. That was my first race I had ever done in that county, and I ran it because that was during my first attempt at running a race in every Maryland county within the year 2007. That was a little over half-a-year before I met Kay at a New Year's Eve party at my friend Karen's house a right at the very end of 2007. How interesting, Kay grew up not too far from Saint Mary's County.


Even more interesting, this was the t-shirt I had worn the night we met on New Year's Eve!


Now I've had a crush on many a female; of that I will not lie. I've pursued some of them, and fortunately for them it did not work out, and fortunately for me it did not work out because I was very happy with Kay. It did not seem very long ago that just having a girlfriend that I really liked to hang out with, go to movies with, and have come to some of my races, seemed way too above me. I remember all those times going to a high school without a date. I remember all those times it seemed like just about everyone I knew had a girlfriend/boyfriend, except for me. I remembered the times I had asked girls that I liked out (or tried to ask them out), though it just did not work. I was not bitter about that now. Taking into consideration all of the girls I liked since I was a wee little kid (and having a crush on Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz" counts here with me people) all the way up to when I became interested in Kay, what I said hoped would come to really mean something to Kay: I told her that of all the women I liked and had been involved with (and believe me I've been single just about all of my life up until Kay and I started going out on Sunday, April 19, 2009), that she was the woman that I had really been looking for, and that she was the one I wanted to be with.

Things seemed to grow quiet around us in the surrounding woods by the road; I do not even think I heard the rain.

I told her that we had entered this relationship holding hands, and I wanted to go forward in it holding hands. Then, I took her hand accordingly before she could back away or question what I was doing or why I was saying what I was saying.

It seemed to take a while for me to get to the ground, but in reality, it was only a matter of a few seconds around 7:18 P.M. on Saturday, June 5, 2010, when I got down on my right knee, pulled out an emerald-cut ring I bought on Saturday, August 22, 2009, looked Kay in her soft brown eyes... AND ASKED HER TO MARRY ME!!!!

SHE SAID YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Moments after Kay and I got engaged on Backbone Mountain, Maryland's highest elevation point in general and on its state roads system, we walked along the highest point on Maryland's state roads system, hand-in-hand, seeming to forget the soft rain! We were happy, energized, and just plain stoked! That was what we needed for a long drive back. We talked on the drive back, already drafting wedding plans and people we would look forward to telling the news too!


"It's like rayayne on your proposal day!!!!"

Well it was like Alanis Morrisette sang about rain on your wedding day, except it rained on our proposal day, and that was fine because it was all part of the memory. If it actually rains on our wedding day... That will be just fine!

It was nice how I had heard "Canon in D Major" by Pachelbel earlier that morning. In all honesty, I was hoping for wedding bells in our future that morning. That stomachache I had the previous evening was probably also compounded with anxiety of proposing to Kay coupled with weather reports of rain around the time I planned to propose to her. It was a great blessing to be able to even do a race the day Kay and I got engaged.


We plan to be married on Saturday, November 20, 2010 at her church, and we plan to be attending that church as a married couple, God-willing everything works out.


So that is probably another reason I have not gotten to blogging. Mainly it has been work-related stuff, though I have allowed myself to become pleasantly occupied helping Kay and both of our families prepare for our wedding that is now about a month-and-a-half away :) I am also looking to move to Calvert County, which is in southern Maryland within this month to rent a place by myself and then have Kay move in with me once we are married.

Well even though, I did not come away with any "hardware" (that's what us runners seem to often call rewards from races) from that day's race, Kay is now wearing one of the most beautiful pieces of hardware I have ever seen around her finger, and if anyone was going home with that around her finger that day, I am glad it was Kay :)

Races I Have Done This Year as of Saturday, June 5, 2010

1). Friday, January 1, 2010 – 3rd Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution Run 5K – Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD – 9th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 20:38 (clock time), 20:34 (watch time)

2). Sunday, January 10, 2010 – Mighty Medford Freeway 5K – Medford/Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 8th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) – 20:25

3). Sunday, March 7, 2010 – Howard County Striders “Operation Iceberg” Winter Series #6: Oakland Mills Middle School 6-Mile Race – 17th overall – 43:55 (ran at an even pace, and ran negative splits )too

4). Saturday, March 13, 2010 – 3rd Annual Pi-Mile (3.14-mile) Run – Patuxent High School, Lusby (Calvert County), MD – 7th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) – 23:29.0

5). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (9:00 A.M.) – Inaugural Francie’s Family 5K – Middletown Park, Middletown (Frederick County), MD – 10th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) – 2!:07.25

6). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (11:00 A.M.) – 2nd Annual Matt Boles 5K Fun Run – East Middle School, Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 23:54

7). Saturday, March 20, 2010 (1:00 P.M.) – 28th Annual “Forest of Needwood”/”Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial” 5 Mile Road Race – Knoxville/Petersville/Brunswick (Frederick County), MD – 35th overall (20-29 male age-group division winner) - 44:57 (clock time), 44:55 (watch time)

8). Saturday, April 3, 2010 – 2nd Annual Race for Joe 5K – Borough of Franklin Park/McCandless Township (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania – 13th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 21:01 (clock time), 20:57/20:58 (watch time)

9). Saturday, April 10, 2010 – 1st Annual Hills of Milltown 5K Challenge (it was closer to 3.45 miles according to someone’s GPS) – Historic Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 10th overall (3rd in male 19-19 age-group division) – 24:21

10). Saturday, May 15, 2010 – 1st Annual Queen Anne’s Police K-9 Chase 5K (it was around 2.9 miles) – Terrapin Nature Center area, Stevensville/Kent Island – Queen Anne’s County, MD – 10th overall (4th in male 21-30 age-group division) - 21:58.9 (as of completing this race, I can say I have done a race on all general areas of the Cross-Island Trail on Kent Island :)

11). Sunday, May 30, 2010 – Patapsco Trail Run – Avalon Area, Patapsco State Park, Catonsville (Baltimore County-into-Howard County-and-back-to-Baltimore County), MD – Dropped out a little after a mile into the race because I lost my glasses after a river crossing. I am grateful to )God I got back and out of the woods all right

12). Saturday, June 5, 2010 – Katie’s Run 5K - New Germany State Park, Grantsville (Garrett County), MD – 21st overall – 22:55 (clock), 22:53ish (watch)… This was the day Kay and I got engaged!!!!! :)

Please check out the events I did in 2009:

http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2009/12/reflection-on-2009.html



Please check out the events I did in 2008:

http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2008/12/
not-much-longer-until-2009.html



Please check out the events I did in 2007:

http://runineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2007/09/
i-ran-in-running-event-in-all-of.html