Terrific indoor track & field meet in Prince George's County, Maryland

Hey guys, great news! I got to make it to the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover (Prince George's County), Maryland for the indoor track & field showcase all-comers meet last Sunday, January 27. The facility has one of the top-ranked indoor tracks in the United States of America, and each lap is two-hundred meters. It's pretty neat, I ran there for indoor track & field meets during my junior and senior years of High School when I ran for Hammond High School in Howard County, Maryland.


I ran the 1,600 and 3,200 meter races, and I'm glad I decided on running in the 800 meter race as well (and I thought that one was probably my strongest race of the meet, a pleasant surprise considering I was still feelin' a bit beat from the 1,600 and I feel like my leg speed is not as strong as it was back in high school and college yet). I spent a good portion of the day at this meet, but it was well worth it and I still got to make it to part of an evening church service as well! I saw some of my buddies I've seen at various races and track & field meets throughout Maryland, and it was great to run and talk with them.

In the 1,600 meter I wanted to break 5:10, the 800 I wanted low 2:20's, and in the 3,200 I wanted to get on the lower end of 11 minutes (or under 11). I met two of the three of those goals, and I am very happy that God blessed me with the strength, endurance, energy and whatever else was needed for me to run strong, and that there was an adequate rest period in between the events since there were many people running it.

Here are the splits that I recall from each event that I ran:

1,600 meter run

Lap 1 - :36
Lap 2 - 1:12
Lap3 - 1:49
Lap 4 -2:28
Lap 5 - 3:06
Lap 6 - 3:45
Lap 7 - 4:26
Lap 8 - 5:04

800 meter run

Lap 1 - :33ish
Lap 2- 1:08
Lap 4 - 2:15ish

3,200 meter run

Lap 1 - :41
Lap 2 - 1:22ish
(left shoe came untied around here and remained so through the rest of the race, but fortunately I don't think it slowed me much)!

Lap 3 - 2:02
Lap 4 - 2:45
Lap 7 - 4:55ish
Lap 8 - 5:37
Lap 12 - 8:29
Lap 15 (3,000 meters) - 10:43
Lap 16 - 11:24 - Indoor track PR for that distance (my old one was 11:25 back in 2001 when I ran the 3,200 at the same venue, the P.G. Complex :)

I was pretty happy with how these races turned out. For the 3,200, that's an indoor track personal best time by one second. My best two-mile time is about 10:36 from a flat cross-country timed-trial for Salisbury University's cross country team in Wicomico County, Maryland back in 2003, so I'm grateful that I'm within a minute of that time. Considering I ran with an untied shoe, I was pretty happy with how I held up in that race. The heat was crowded. There were runners ahead of me who were running the 3,000 meter (15 laps), and I chose to run 16 laps for the 3,200 meter race because it is closer to two miles and I figured I'd might as well run a bit longer. It was cool. There were some younger kids in the race, and I overlapped some of them, and unfortunately towards the end when I started to try and pick it up I brushed/bumped into them by accident and I hoped they heard me mutter I'm sorry as I worked hard in that last portion of the race. I didn't hurt them or knock them over, but I felt kinda bad about it. I'm glad everyone finished and seemed to have a nice race.

Tonight, I started out on my Wednesday evening Introduction to Reading course at Howard Community College in Howard County, Maryland, and it seems all right so far. I met some nice people there and it seems a lot more spread out than the rather accelerated four-week Human Development winter course I recently completed. Tomorrow I start in on the Introduction to Special Education class at Howard Community College, which will be on Thursday evenings. We'll see how that goes.

Well thank you all for reading about the meet and my new classes! Take it easy :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

- Baltimore Road Runners Club (BRRC) Grand Prix Series Eight-Mile Run – Sunday, January 13, 2008 – Loch Raven Reservoir – 11th overall – 53:34

Calvert County

- First Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – Prince Frederick – 4th overall (20-29 age group winner) – 18:47

Caroline County

Carroll County

- Winfield Mile – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – South Carroll High School, Winfield – 6th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 5:11 (clock), 5:10 (watch)

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

Howard County

- Howard County Striders (H.C.S.) Weekly Series (“Operation Iceberg”) #1: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-mile run – Sunday, January 6, 2008 – Columbia/Ellicott City area – 7th overall – 32:18

- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #3: Atholton High School 5K Run – Sunday, January 20, 2008 – Columbia – 6th overall – 18:38

Kent County

Montgomery County

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

- Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex Track Showcase (indoor track) – Sunday, January 27, 2008 – Landover:

- 1,500 meter race - - 5:04

- 800 meter race – 2nd overall – 2:15/2:16ish

- 3,200 meter race – winner – 11:24 (best indoor track time for that distance by one second :)

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

Winter-semester human development course is finished :)

YAYAYAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Earlier this evening I handed in my final research paper to the professor of this human development course that I've been taking as first in a series of courses for a teaching certificate. I feel so relieved to have that class over with. It's a blessing to have gotten through, because it was about fourteen weeks worth of material packed into a mini semester of about four weeks! Last night was the final exam and I felt like it went all right, and God blessed me with great grades on many of the other assignments in that class, so I am confident that I passed. I hope everyone else in that class at least passes, I think we all worked hard and did well hangin' in there until the end of the "mini-mester".
The spring semester courses that I have start on Wednesday (January 30, 2008). I have one on Wednesday afternoons-into-evenings and one on Thursday afternoons that let out in the evenings. With the days shorter because of the winter season, it may be challenging to fit in running around the class times, but God-willing it can happen.
This week I've gotten in about 32-33 miles worth of running, and I'm thoroughly pleased with it!

My next race I plan on doing is this Sunday, January 27, 2008 in Prince George's County. There is an open indoor track & field meet at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in the Landover area of Maryland, right near Fed Ex Field where the Washington Redskins play. The P.G. Complex (at least when I was in high school and college) was voted one of the nation's top indoor track & field facilities, and I can see why. The surface is great and it's a little more breathable in there (in a lot of indoor track facilities I've run in, it can get a bit stuffy and dusty). I am hoping to run in the 1,600 meter race (hopefully I can break 5:10) and the 3,200 meter race (hopefully I can get in the low 11-minute range, or maybe even under 11 minutes). I've heard these meets take a while, so perhaps I'll have sufficient rest between the two events. Depending on how I feel, I may do the 800 meter race and possibly even the 400-meter race. I don't feel like my speed is quite up to where it's been when I've run PR's in these distances, but I think I'm doin' all right for right now!

I hope to make it to the all-comers meet on Sunday. God-willing the snow showers that are fore casted won't for Sunday morning won't stop me and others from making it to the meet and from the meet occurring in the first place. If I make it, I hope to get details (and possibly some photos) from the event on this blog in the near future.

God bless you all and have a wonderful night and weekend :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Saturday, January 26, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

- Baltimore Road Runners Club (BRRC) Grand Prix Series Eight-Mile Run – Sunday, January 13, 2008 – Loch Raven Reservoir – 11th overall – 53:34

Calvert County

- First Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – Prince Frederick – 4th overall (1st in 20-29 age group) – 18:47

Caroline County

Carroll County

- Winfield Mile – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – South Carroll High School, Winfield – 6th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 5:11 (clock), 5:10 (watch)

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

Howard County

- Howard County Striders (H.C.S.) Weekly Series (“Operation Iceberg”) #1: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-mile run – Sunday, January 6, 2008 – Columbia/Ellicott City area – 7th overall – 32:18

- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #3: Atholton High School 5K Run – Sunday, January 20, 2008 – Columbia – 6th overall – 18:38

Kent County

Montgomery County

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

Great 5K Run for me considering the cold weather!

Atholton High School's mascot is the raider!


This afternoon I made it out to the really cold and fairly windy Howard County Striders weekly series race (aptly named the "Operation Iceberg" winter series). This was the third race in Operation Iceberg, and it was a 5K that started and ended out in front of Atholton High School in Columbia, Maryland. I am grateful that the snow seemed to hold off yesterday, because the temperatures that were barely over 20 degrees would probably not have helped melt the snow and then the race might have been cancelled due to the weather.

I mentioned that I wanted to try and get my 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) time at this race under a six-minute-per-mile pace (which would result in at least about 18:38 or faster). I hoped to also maybe get my one-mile split around the lower-to-upper 5:40's. I've run this course quite a few times (my best time on it being 17:47 from about two years ago), so I knew it prety well and I knew that the first mile was either all flat or downhill, and then thre were a few steady inclines throughout the remainder of the course.

I started out around the middle-to-back of the pack and moved up. I was pleasantly surprised that I moved up to one of the lead packs and went through the first mile in 5:41. I felt all right, but I knew that since there were some uphils coming up, that I was probably not going to be able to hold the pace. Yet, I still persisted and hoped that I was going well enough to hit my goal for this course today. I was glad that the seven mile run I did yesterday with some of my Maryland Eastern Shore pals did not seem to adversely affect me, but I have a feeling it may have helped. There were a few instances where the cold was making it a bit difficult to breathe which slowed me down a bit, but it was nothing too problematic. If anything, I think this run will help prepare me for some more winter training and racing. Even though I was passed by several runners throughout the course of the race, I was blessed with a strong kick, a sixth place overall finish, and a time of about 18:38!!! Right around where Iwanted and my best 5K in months :) The last time I recall breaking 18:40 was at the Howard County Police Pace 5K back on Sunday, September 9, 2007, where i ran 18:37. However, this time I did not really feel like I was crampin' up like I did when I ran the Police Pace run, and even though that course was probably a little more hilly than the Atholton High School 5K, I stll feel confident and great about this race. I came away from it with enough energy to cool down and not feel that run-down afterwards. In addition I feel good about this race because I was still able to run well for my current level of fitness in one of the coldest days of the year so far, and I don't consider myself much of a "cold weather person". At one poitn today, the windchill factor was below 10 degrees, YIKES!!!!! That's plenty cold for me, even though I think by the time the race occurred, the windchill factor was not that cold!


All right thank you all for reading and supporting. Back to work on some homework. You all take it easy and have a good night and weekend out there :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Sunday, January 20, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

- Baltimore Road Runners Club (BRRC) Grand Prix Series Eight-Mile Run – Sunday, January 13, 2008 – Loch Raven Reservoir – 11th overall – 53:34

Calvert County

- First Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – Prince Frederick – 4th overall (1st in 20-29 age group) – 18:47

Caroline County

Carroll County

- Winfield Mile – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – South Carroll High School, Winfield – 6th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 5:11 (clock), 5:10 (watch)

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

Howard County

- Howard County Striders (H.C.S.) Weekly Series (“Operation Iceberg”) #1: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-mile run – Sunday, January 6, 2008 – Columbia/Ellicott City area – 7th overall – 32:18

- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #3: Atholton High School 5K Run – Sunday, January 20, 2008 – Columbia – 6th overall – 18:38

Kent County

Montgomery County

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

Did not end up quite as I expected, but that's definitely okay....

Look at that cake, YUM!!!!

Well, for all of you who have been reading up on my blogs, you probably thought I was either going to run the Snowflake Chase Five-Mile Run in Garrett County, Maryland or the Shooting Starr Five-Mile Run in Montgomery County, Maryland this morning. Well, I actually decided not to do either.
Instead I sorta went the opposite direction to the Maryland Eastern Shore to run with my friend Allison and her friends on the Cross-Island Trail in Queen Anne's County, Maryland (the drive from Howard County to that part of Maryland does not seem that long to me anymore considering all the times in this past year-and-half I've been on the Maryland Eastern Shore for races and visits to Salisbury University, my alma mater). I'm so glad I decided to do this because I got to spend time with one of my friends and strong supporters of last year's Maryland-wide running quest, and I got to meet some of her friends as well. She had been encouraging me to attend some of her group training runs on the Cross-Island Trail, and I figured that since this weekend was her birthday, it would be cool to join her and her friends on their run. We ended up running seven miles in over an hour and six minutes, which is fine by me, since I have not been getting that great of sleep this week between work and my evening class.
We had a fun time. A lotta laughter, warmth, and comfortable running. Afterwards we ate at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kent Narrows, Maryland by the Chesapeake Bay in Queen Anne's County, and had a terrific breakfast. We had two delicious cakes (one of which is pictured above with chocolate and strawberries, and was baked by Trudy, one of Allison's friends). I got to meet other people there who had heard of my Maryland-wide running endeavors towards the end of last year and spend time with them. It was a great time, one worth passing up a race for.

And right now, in Howard County I don't think it has started to snow yet as I thought it would. I'm glad that the weather held out and that I got to have a chill day!


Thank you all for reading, and Allison I hope you have a wonderful birthday :)

Have a good night and weekend everyone :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Saturday, January 19, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

- Baltimore Road Runners Club (BRRC) Grand Prix Series Eight-Mile Run – Sunday, January 13, 2008 – Loch Raven Reservoir – 11th overall – 53:34

Calvert County

- First Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – Prince Frederick – 4th overall (1st in 20-29 age group) – 18:47

Caroline County

Carroll County

- Winfield Mile – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – South Carroll High School, Winfield – 6th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 5:11 (clock), 5:10 (watch)

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

Howard County

- Howard County Striders (H.C.S.) Weekly Series (“Operation Iceberg”) #1: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-mile run – Sunday, January 6, 2008 – Columbia/Ellicott City area – 7th overall – 32:18

Kent County

Montgomery County

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

"Crazy 8" in Baltimore County, Maryland

Photos from the Loch Raven Reservoir, the race venue.



Last Sunday (January 13, 2008) I made it to the Baltimore Road Runners Club by the Loch Raven Reservoir in Baltimore County, Maryland for their Grand Prix Series 8-Mile Run. I ran surprisingly faster than the expected struggle to break a seven-minute-per-mile pace (which meant getting under 56 minutes in an 8-mile race). For a good portion of the race, my pace was fairly even.

The course had some moderately rolling and windy hills with a few long uphills around the scenic and mostly-shaded Loch Raven reservoir area. Since it was out-and-back, I got to run downhills on the hills I ran up on the way back (although in my opinion I thought there were more uphills than downhills coming back).

I went through the first mile in about 6:33, a little faster than expected but I felt all right and tried to keep at it and move up. I ran up this longer hill towards the water stop and right after my watch said I was at seventeen minutes and some seconds, so I knew I probably still had a ways to go until I got to three miles, and even a bit longer until I got to the fourth mile where I could turn around and retrace my steps. At this point, there were a lot of rather windy downhills, which I felt pretty strong on knowing that the runners behind me weren't that far behind and those ahead were quite a ways ahead (I could barely see the runner probably 100-200 yards ahead of me, and the others ahead of him seemed to have a significant lead on him).

The course flattened out and I ran to and around the four-mile turnaround mark in about 26:08 (which was about a 6:32-per-mile pace, a second faster than what I ran out in my first mile. Talk about an even pace! However, I knew it would not last, because there were going to be more uphills coming back from the halfway point of the race, and some areas of my right leg that sometimes cramp up were beginning to feel a bit tender.

The Good Lord kept me strong and I'd like to think that I maintained a solid running form, especially going up the steady uphills. I could feel my right foot/knee cramp up a bit, but it was nothing too bothersome. I slowed down in acoupel areas because of the cramping, but it was not long until I picked the pace back up again.

A couple of runners passed me around or shortly after the four-mile turnaround point and they put a good lead on me. With a little over one mile to go, one gentleman (whom I had the plesaure of meeting after the race and finding out he has seen my blogs) had gained on me and passed me around the seven-mile mark (Which I passed in 47:12, just under a 6:45-per-mile pace I think). This gentleman and I worked together by pushing one-another towads the end, which insprired me to have a fairly strong kick and bolt down the last slight hill and straight through the flat finish line area in 53:34, blowing away the time I expected to run. While this is not a PR (I think my PR for eight miles is a ways under 52 minutes), it surpassed my expectations, especially on a fairly challenging course and being tired from work and staying up late doing work for my human development class.

My training has been going pretty well this week, and I am pleased that I am not feeling as sore form that rather long race right now (and in my mind, eight miles is a pretty long race).


Well it's snowing right now over here in Howard County, Maryland and I'm hoping that this weekend I can get out and make some races. Kevin, one of my running buddies, and I were talking about doing the Snowflake Chase Five-Mile Run in the Deep Creek Lake Park area of Swanton, Maryland this Saturday (January 19, 2008). I have never been to Deep Creek Lake (at least not that I remember), but it seems to be a good ways into Garrett County in western Maryland. It looks like fun, with a nice after-party/awards cermony at the local UNO's. It's put on by the Queen City Striders (http://www.qcstriders.org) and last year I ran a couple of their events in Allegany and Garrett Counties, and I thought they did a nice job with them. Though, since that area of Maryland is really mountainous and a lot colder and probably more snowy than it is over here in Howard County, it's not as likely that I'll opt to drive out there in the rough weather if it's still going to be like it is today come the weekend. we'll see. If I don't get to run this race, it's not that big of a deal, as they do plenty towards late spring and well into the summer and autumn out in western Maryland.

If it's cleared up enough that Saturday around here, but it still does not seem safe enough to go out to western Maryland, I may do the Shooting Starr Five-Mile Run around the Hillandale/Takoma Park area of Montgomery County, Maryland. I've never run this one, but it seems cool because it's low-key and does not cost anymore than five bucks to enter (And for Montgomery County Road Runners Club members, I think it's free). The Montgomery County Road Runners (http://www.mcrrc.org) are putting this one on. We'll see!

On Sunday, January 20, 2008, I may run the Howard County Striders' Weekly Series ("Operation Iceberg")#3, a 5-Kilometer run at Athoolton High School in Columbia (check out http://www.striders.net if you are interested). This one is low-key and no more than a buck or two to enter. I think that race is one of the more easy and flat ones in Howard County, and depending on how I'm feeling, I may try and run a sub-six-minute-per-mile pace on that 5K course. I think I'm getting back into a level of fitness where if I push it, I can hit that kind of pace.

All right, thank you all for reading. I'm gonna try and take care of some things. Take it easy, and be safe and have fun out in the snow!

Running Events I have done this year as of Thursday, January 17, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

- Baltimore Road Runners Club (BRRC) Grand Prix Series Eight-Mile Run – Sunday, January 13, 2008 – Loch Raven Reservoir – 11th overall – 53:34

Calvert County

- First Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – Prince Frederick – 4th overall (1st in 20-29 age group) – 18:47

Caroline County

Carroll County

- Winfield Mile – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – South Carroll High School, Winfield – 6th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 5:11 (clock), 5:10 (watch)

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

Howard County

- Howard County Striders (H.C.S.) Weekly Series (“Operation Iceberg”) #1: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-mile run – Sunday, January 6, 2008 – Columbia/Ellicott City area – 7th overall – 32:18

Kent County

Montgomery County

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

Busy week, first 8-mile race on deck!

Hey there, I know I have not written this week. I've been really busy between my job at the Homewood Center and the human development course I'm taking for a teaching certificate at Howard Community College on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights! It's a lotta work, since it's about 14 weeks worth of material packed into less than four weeks. Fortunately, the Good Lord is helping with time management and I feel like I'm doin' all right so far int he class. I have not gotten much work handed back yet, but I feel like I'm doin' all right. My classmates and the professor seem pretty cool!

On the running front, I've been blessed with some solid running this week. I did some nice 1/4 mile intervals yesterday after work, and in toal, I've porbably hit the upper 20's for weekly mileage. Not too bad! Earlier this week I ran a five-mile race that started and ended at Burleigh Manor Middle School in Howard County, Maryland. It was put on by the Howard County Striders (http://www.striders.net) and it was the first of their "Operation Iceberg" Winter Series races. I ran faster than I expected on the hilly course, a nice 32:18! Very good considering my sleep every night since the start of 2008 has not been much to write home about, but it's all right. I went through the first mile (which was expected to be fast since a lot of it is downhill) in about 5:44, the 2.5-mile turnaround on the out-and-back course in 15:54ish, and four miles in 25:54ish. The photo above is me approaching the water stop area of the turnaround. I finished seventh overall and I felt pretty solid during the race.

My next run I plan to do is an eight mile race in Baltimore County, Maryland. It's the GPS Eight Mile Run over by the Loch Raven Reservoir (I think the event meets at 9 A.M. at Peerce's Plantation) I've never run an eight mile race before, so it should be interesting. I have no idea what the course is like or how challenging it is, but I hope to maybe run under a seven-minute-per-mile pace for the distance (which should be under 56 minutes). We'll see how it goes. I hope to have fun either way! Check out the Baltimore Road Runner's Club (http://www.brrc.com) if you are interested in finding out more about this event.


Thank you all for stopping by and reading. Please have a good night and weekend :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Saturday, January 12, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

Calvert County

- First Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – Prince Frederick – 4th overall (1st in 20-29 age group) – 18:47

Caroline County

Carroll County

- Winfield Mile – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – South Carroll High School, Winfield – 6th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 5:11 (clock), 5:10 (watch)

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

Howard County

- Howard County Striders (H.C.S.) Weekly Series (“Operation Iceberg”) #1: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-mile run – Sunday, January 6, 2008 – Columbia/Ellicott City area – 7th overall – 32:18

Kent County

Montgomery County

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

No "Coach O" for me last night...

So yesterday evening right after I got off work, I drove over to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's indoor track & field facility in Princess Anne (Somerset County), Maryland to run unattached in the 5,000 meter (5 kilometers, about 3.1 miles) race at this intercollegiate indoor track & field meet called the Coach O Invitational. I was hoping that maybe I could run under a six-minute-per-mile pace. However, when I got there about an hour before the intended race time (6:20 P.M.), I found out that the meet had been so far ahead that they ran the event well before its intended start, and therefore I missed it and got there as the 4X400 meter relay races were going on (and those relays were the last event of the meet). For the first few minutes I felt pretty bummed about driving a long ways through Maryland to run this race. I guess I should have assumed that as more of a risk, since the meet was on a rolling schedule, but I did not think it would get that far ahead of schedule.
Well fortunately I was there anyway with my running gear with me, so I stretched and had myself my first mile-repeat workout of this running season, and it went pretty well (and that indoor track and facility is pretty good in my opinion). I warmed up and cooled down for about half a mile, and ran it in my training shoes (I didn't bother to put on my spikes because I was worried that since the meet was ending, the facility would be closing soon afterwards and i would not have time to get in a workout I had planned for next week and was now having the opportunity to get in this week). I ran two one-mile repeats (that's a little over eight laps on this indoor track) with a little over four minutes in between. I was blessed to have the second one a little faster than the first and to increase my pace throughout both of them.
Here's how I did:

Mile repeat #1:
1/4 mile (2 laps): 1:37
1/2 mile (4 laps): 3:04
3/4 mile (6 laps): 4:30
7 laps: 5:11ish
1 mile: 5:53

Mile repeat #2:
1/4 mile (2 laps): 1:37
1/2 mile (4 laps): 3:01
3/4 mile (6 laps): 4:27
7 laps: 5:09
1 mile: 5:50 and some change

I was pretty pleased with that workout and I felt I held onto a solid form throughout.

Afterwards I got to see some friends from my college I went to on the Maryland Eastern Shore, Salisbury University, and my good friend JD (whose done some races with me and who I ran on SU's cross country team with freshman year) let me stay at his place, so that was a blessing. I had a great time catchin' up with a lot of people and having encouraging talks about life, running, work, school... It was just a wonderful time.


On my way back to Howard County, Maryland this afternoon I went for an intended easier run (although I thought I ended up running a little harder than intended but I felt great). I ran on the Cross-Island Trail in the Kent Island area of Queen Anne's County, Maryland (a flat running venue that I like that I don't run on that much since it's the better part of an hour's drive from my house). I felt pretty good considering I did not sleep much from staying up late and talking with my friend and then getting up early to study for my human development course (which is startin' out all right, but seems to promise a demanding workload) and head home. On this run, I pretty much ran the Race to Impact 10K route on the Cross Island Trail (adding on a little extra), starting from the Club One parking lot and following the trail out to the Old Love Pointe Park area and then turning around to retrace my steps. At about halfway through (probably a little more than 5 kilometers), I was 20:51ish and then I finished at 42:11, so I did not slow down all that much and I definitely ran under seven-minutes per-mile for about 6.3 miles (give or take). So that was a nice run, but then I felt a lot more sleepy afterwards. Fortunately, I was still able to drive safely home.

All right, I'm gonna get ready and go to meet up with some friends tonight. Thank you for reading. I hope to do another running event in Somerset County, Maryland this year, like maybe the McCready Health Services Foundation Founder's Day 8K in Crisfield or the Mike Sterling 10K in Crisfield (and if I try to make those, hopefully I actually make them on time)!

You all have a good night and God bless you :)

Ringin' in 2008 in a hurry!

Top two photos are from the Winfield Mile in Carroll County, Maryland (the one on the upper right is of South Carroll High School), and the bottom two are from the First Annual Southern Maryland Communication Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk in Calvert County, Maryland. I ran both of these on New Year's Day (Tuesday, January 1, 2008).




New Year's Day was really interesting. I got to run a couple of great races despite the fact that I was running on a good ways under four hours of sleep (much like the morning of when I ran the Nutcracker 5K recently in Calvert County, Maryland recently on Sunday, December 23, 2007). Well once again I returned to Calvert County, Maryland (the last county I had left to run a running event in before I could say I ran in a running event in every Maryland county within the year of 2007) to run in the First Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk in Prince Frederick.
That race went surprisingly well for me.

The race had rolling hills and I found it somewhat challenging. It was out and back, so coming back there were a fair amount of downhills which was nice. I started out fairly conservatively not knowing what I would be able to do since I was pretty tired. Fortunately I made it safely to and through the race and I was able to keep up with a high school-aged runner who finished a few seconds ahead of me. I was grateful he was in the race, because without him there for me to try and keep up with, I may have not even broken nineteen minutes.

I went through three miles in 17:45ish, and I knew that had to be off because I was pretty sure I was not running as fast as under six minutes-a-mile. I then crossed the 5K finish line in 18:47, my best 5K time since I started back with consistent running in November. I was really happy about that and finishing fourth overall. On the virtually all flat Nutcracker 5K course, I ran about 18:59 on less than four hours of sleep and now I ran a little faster than that on less than four hours of sleep. It seems that despite being sleep deprived, the Good Lord has blessed me with strong racing times for my current level of fitness :)

That is also barely my fastest 5K I've run in Calvert County, Maryland so far. My second fastest in that county was from Saturday, September 15, 2007 at the 12th Annual North Beach 5K where I ran 18:48 and finished running a running event in all of Maryland's counties in 2007.


Later on that afternoon, I went to Carroll COunty and made it just in time for the Winfield Mile in Winfield Maryland. I was cuttin' it close, kinda like I just barely made the OXford Day 10K Run in Talbot County, Maryland back on Saturday, April 28, 2007. Shortly after I parked at South Carroll High School (where the race finished) and prepared to run at least a mile mainly uphill against wind towards the starting line, I was fortunate that one of the event coordinators was driving to the race start, and let me ride with him along with a few other participants.

I was blessed to have made it on time coming from Calvert County and getting a little lost in the Upper Marlboro area of Prince George's (P.G.) County, Maryland. I surprisingly managed to run a good mile for myself considering I thought I had pretty much expended most of my energy in the 5K earlier in the morning. I thought the course made it easy to run a nice time, as a good portion of it was downhill with very little and slight uphill and a straight finish. I moved up through the runners and managed to finish sixth (although I almost got fourth but the two runners ahead of me really put on a strong kick when I caught up to them near the end). I ran about 5:10 according tot he clock as I crossed the finish line, and some change (which is probably why it is 5:11 in the results with rounding the high amount of milliseconds).

I was well-pleased with both of these races. The Winfield Mile was great for me, because I beat the 5:19 1,600 meter race I ran at Hagerstown Community College last Saturday (December 29, 2007) in Washington County, Maryland. I'm hoping th next time I race in a mile distance that I break 5:10. The next track and field meet is an indoor one that I hope to make tomorrow after work in Princess Anne (Somerset County), Maryland. This is the Coach O Invitational at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where I hope to run in the 5,000 meter race. Maybe I can run a six-minute-per-mile pace for the 3.1-mile distance, God-willing (which would at least be mid-to-upper 18:30's). We'll see, I hope to make it. I know how hard it is to find running events in Somerset County, and even though it is an intercollegiate meet, I can still run unattached on a nice indoor track against some strong competition.

All right, thank you all for reading through my seemingly obsessive amount of detail about all the recent races I have run in. I hope you enjoy it and I wish you a good night! Happy New Year :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Thursday, January 3, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

Calvert County

- First Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – Prince Frederick – 4th overall (1st in 20-29 age group) – 18:47

Caroline County

Carroll County

- Winfield Mile – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – South Carroll High School, Winfield – 6th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 5:11 (clock), 5:10 (watch)

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

Howard County

Kent County

Montgomery County

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland