Post-2007 Maryland-Wide Running Quest

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

2011-07-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

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 Done So Far as of Wednesday, July 27, 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

Thoughts from the eve of my wedding!

2010-11-20T02:52:00.000-08:00

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 :)

Settling into Calvert County, Maryland

2010-11-19T01:49:00.000-08:00

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

Getting Ready to Get a "Move" on!

2010-10-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-10-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Keeping Busy!

2010-10-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

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

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

2010-10-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

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

Hoping to actually go to Garrett County, Maryland for a 5K this weekend

2010-06-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hi there everyone. It looks like I will be going out to Garrett County, Maryland this weekend to spend some time with my friend Phil who lives around there. While I am in town, I hope to run this Katie's 5K Race that I have never run before. I have heard it is fairly challenging, and that it is on scenic trails as well as park roads (so says the online registration from at Queen City Striders' website (http://www.qcstriders.org). I am thinking I may have a decent chance of breaking 22 minutes on this course, if not hopefully it will not take me much longer than 22 minutes on that race. The race is in the New Germany State Park in Grantsville, Maryland. I heard that park is a pretty neat one too.

It has been over a year since I have run a race in Garrett County, Maryland's westernmost county that seems to have some of Maryland's highest elevation points. It is quite mountainous out there. I am sure this race will not come that easy for me, especially in the shape I have been in lately. If you could say a prayer for me, that would be awesome. Thank you, and I thank you all for stopping by! Have a blessed week :)

Races I Have Done This Year as of Thursday, June 3, 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 )

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

A nice refreshing dunk... Just couldn't see to well after!

2010-06-02T06:37:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day :)

Last Sunday (May 30, 2010) I went to the Patapsco Trail Race in Catonsville (Baltimore County), MD. I have done this low-key running event before in 2007 and 2008, and both times they were slightly different courses. I like it because it is relatively inexpensive and close to where I live. The course is fairly rocky and quite hilly in some areas, so I have taken this slow in the past, and that was what I intended to do with this one.

I had not run anything longer than about 5.5 miles since I got back from my last break from running, so I intended this 6+-mile race to be a "long run of the week" for me.

When I got there, it was pretty hot and fairly humid. They apparently had a record turnout of over 100 participants, and I was waiting in the registration line for the better part of 10 minutes probably. By the time, I registered, I drank more than half of my water bottle and I realized I should probably run with it in this race, and take it real slow. I was grateful to hear that there would be a fairly deep river crossing somewhere along the course. I had also hear that this course was probably gonna be longer than what it was the previous two times I had run it, because I heard it was gonna be somewhere fairly well over 6 miles. Though, I hoped that if I ran with my now-almost-empty water bottle, and if I maybe really soaked in the deep river crossing, I would be able to get through all right. I was definitely feeling a little doubtful about it, since my mouth was kind of feeling dry and I heard there weren't gonna be any water stops. I prayed and I had confidence that God would get me through, as He has always done.

The race started, and I started towards the back. Not more than about 15 seconds after it started, I was slowed to a slow trot as the crowd backed up to a narrow and somewhat steep and fairly rocky descent into the woods towards a creek. In the past this downhill seemed more steep and treacherous with rocks, in fact the first time I ran on it with my friend David several years back, I twisted my ankle on it. Yet, I was fortuante it did not seem that bad this time around.

Once I got more on the water level and splashed as we ran through a couple of puddles/creeks, I felt pretty good, in fact much better than I had before. We got out onto a portion of road not more than a mile into the race, and I saw a water spicket off to the side of the road, and I excitedly angled toward it, and stopped briefly to fill up my water bottle and grab a sip of it. Now I think I was ready to get moving with this run.

A few minutes later, we turned back onto the trails and soon came to a deep river crossing (which I later found out was the Patapsco river dividing Baltimore and Howard Counties). I joyfully got in the water, swam in it a bit, slipped, plodded/waded through it, and then just before I got to the bank on the Howard County side of it, I went under to really cool off, and once I got to Howard County on the riverbank, I realized my glasses were gone! AHHH!

I had probably not gone much more than a mile into the race, and there was probably well over 5 miles of some fairly treacherous trail ahead. Without my glasses that could be dangerous for me; and I would need to really have my wits about me driving home without my glasses. I quickly thought it was best to just retrace my steps the way I came and drop out of the race. I now had bigger worries on my mind (for one thing, I had made Memorial Weekend plans with Kay, and I would have to cancel on her if I could not get replacements and be able to drive safely). Fortunately, I was blessed to be able to find my way out all right. Some bikers helped me find the trail once I got back on the road, and then I found one of the race coordinators, and he was running back towards the start/finish area outside of the woods, so we ran back there together. I think we got out of the woods in a little over 43 minutes, around 10 minutes before the gentleman in first place finished.
Fortunately, I was not too far from where I lived, and once I got back, showered, called my mother for a ride to the eyeglass store, my dad had actually found older glasses of mine from several years ago. That was such an awesome blessing, because even though the prescription was probably a little outdated, they fit well and I could see fine to the point where I almost forgot I was without my current pair.

I am so grateful I got out of those woods safely, and that I still have glasses to drive about safely in. I have been wearing glasses since I was in kindergarten, so I have gotten used to them (and I hope I am not making much of a crutch of them either).
So that was my racing adventure this past weekend. Last time I ran a trail race like that was mid-July last summer when I did the St. Roch's Trail Race (I ran the 7K option), where I fell and my glasses fell off, and after about 15 minutes or so of looking, some other runners helped me find them, and I ran the rest of the way with them in hand.
I think the next time I run a really rugged trail race like that, I should really be careful... And not be so quick to take a dip if I want to cool down... "Cooling down' should maybe be a nice light jog after the race.

Gotta "Jump Back In" On This Running Thing!

2010-05-27T09:02:00.002-07:00

A few years ago when I was a long-term substitute teacher at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia (Howard County), MD in 2007. During that time, we saw this new Disney movie called "Jump In". The movie had popular stars like Keke Palmer and Corbin Bleu, and it was about this teen who was a boxer (played by Corbin Bleu, who was also in the popular "High School Musical" series) who got into competitive double-dutch jump-roping through a team that his sister was on. He finds that he is good at it and can excel at it. I know this may sound a little corny, but I felt inspired by this movie, especially since I was getting into my first endeavor of running in a running event in every Maryland county before 2007 ended. The kids seemed to like it for the most part. There was this one song from Corbin Bleu (I think it was him who was singing it) that seemed to stick out from the movie, the chorus of which went something like this: "Push it, push it to the limit, limit, 'cause you're in it to win it, win it!"
The students seemed to find it upbeat and inspiring. Again, not to sound too corny, I did too!

So I find myself thinking back to movies like that lately, especially since I think I am in my biggest running rut since I began running about 13 years ago in the seventh grade. I feel like I have not put in as much effort as I have been to run three miles under 22 minutes since the summer of 1998 before I started high school! So far, my fastest 5K has been recently, around 22:10 on a flat track as a split on an independent 5.5-mile outdoor track run. Up until that point, I don't think I had run a 5K in under 23 minutes in over a month! It has probably also been about two months now since I have run under a six-minute mile (then again, I haven't really been trying to do that as much as I have been focusing on building an endurance base with steady distance runs). Usually when I come back from breaks from running, I can usually run better times for certain distances, and without it being more of an ordeal (and of course there is also the challenge this time around of me getting adjusted to the heat). One example of this was back in 2006 when I ran the Metric Marathon of 26.2 kilometers (approximately 16.3 miles) in Howard County, Maryland, and that has been the longest race I have run to-date. Not long after that, I took a break from running for about a month or so after running a relatively longer race for me, and running so well at quite a higher quantity of races leading up to the Metric Marathon. When I started back around mid January of 2007, I started off trying to do more of my runs on a smoother and flatter surface: an outdoor track (usually the one at Hammond High School where I was living at the time in Howard County, Maryland). I worked all the way up to about 4.5 miles on the track during that winter of 2007. I remember on one of those runs, I had done four miles in about 26:25 on no more than four hours of sleep from working a long very early morning shift just before I ran that run. Then, not long after, I had a pretty strong 28:05ish thereabouts for 4.5 miles on the track. With that run, I think I remember going through the first mile around 6:06/6:07ish, the second mile in an even 12:13ish, my 5-kilometer split was right around the lower end of 19 minutes, and had my leg not started cramping up around then, I probably would have broken 28 minutes on that solo run. Back then I was reasonably happy with that. Now over three years later, I would probably celebrate ferociously if I ran a time like that for 4.5 miles, even if it were on a flat track.
I am not complaining, I am just making a point about how I seemed to have notably slowed up. This time around I have worked my distance runs up to 5.5 miles on the track and I think that is how far I will run on a track at this particular point. Here is how some of them went that I remember:

3.5 miles - I remember the heat was a pretty challenging factor here, as I worked fairly hard to run this distance in about 25:56

4 miles - Friday afternoon run, I ran this in about 30:04

4.5 miles - Another Friday afternoon run at a pace fairly similar to the recent 4-mile run on the track. Towards the end of the run, I had a feeling that I might be able to run my 4-mile split a little faster than I had done the four-mile run recently, and I wanted to get it under 30 minutes, and I went through four miles in 29:56 thereabouts, and kept up the slightly-under-7:30-mile-pace and finished the 4.5 miles in about 33:38.

5 miles - I started out on this track run relatively slowly, and that's what I wanted. In fact, I ran the first quarter-mile with my cellphone, leaving a voicemail with my girlfriend, Kay, as I was talking through a wired headset. I was going quite slow, and I went through the first quarter-mile in 2:53 (and usually I;m at least a minute faster than that). Then, the next lap I still held onto my cell phone and that slowed me up a bit, though I was still able to pick up the pace considerable. After those first two laps I was able to put my cellphone down with my other stuff, and I was able to maintain a relatively chill pace (though still faster than what I ran my first lap in). My first mile was 9:27, though my second mile must have been about an 8:02 since my 2-mile split was about 17:29. I ended up finishing the five-mile distance in 40:31, averaging about 8:06-per-mile, which is quite an improvement over the 9:27-mile I first went out at.

Then, came the next day (which is now this past Tuesday, May 25, 2010), when I ran 5.5 miles (the last in this series of track distance runs that I hope to do for a while). It was hotter than many of the other days I had been out running lately. Since I noticed a lot of my times were right around or barely under averaging 7:30-per-mile, I wanted to see if I could run this distance in under a 7:30-per-mile-pace (which would mean running it in under 41:15). If I did not run faster than that time, I would probably try that goal with this distance again in the near future.
I think oftentimes when I set goals like that, I go out a little faster than intended to really try and meet that goal.
That's what happened with the first mile, which I went through in 7:03, one of my faster miles I have run since I started back at the beginning of this month. Then, I must have dropped around a 6:57 the next mile, because I was at 14:00 for the second mile. Then, I ran through 2.5 miles in 17:35/17:36. All I knew was at this point, I was running faster on this training run than I had on all of my other ones this month.
To my pleasant surprise, I slowed a bit, yet still went through three miles in 21:14, which was obviously faster than the 21:58 I had run the approximately-2.9-mile distance of the Queen Anne's County 5K Police K-9 Chase I had run on Kent Island on Saturday, May 15, 2010, and this was 3 miles, a little bit longer than 2.9 miles (and up until this point, that race was probably the fastest time I had run for a distance around three miles this month). I went through about 5-kilometers (approximately 3.1 miles) in 22:10, my fastest 5K this month as I mentioned earlier. Okay, all those stats aside, I pressed on feeling a little more encouraged, yet apprehensive that the heat would eventually get to me or that my somewhat stiff right knee/leg would start giving me more noticeable problems. Yet, God helped me keep going. I noticed that my mouth was not nearly as dry as it had been lately with the heat, and I felt a little more like my normal running self.
At about 3.5 miles I was at around 24:49 I think, then I was very delighted to have run my fastest four-mile time in a while as my 4-mile split was 28:45 (a minute-and-eleven seconds faster than the 29:56 I had run recently on a 4.5-mile run). I was feeling quite optimistic about this, and I think my 4.5-mile split was around 32:40ish. With less than a mile to go, I was very confident that God would get me through this in a healthy manner.
Throughout the run, I toyed with the idea of trying to do the whole thing in not only under 41:15, but under 40 minutes as well, though most of the time I thought it would be too much of an exertion. However, after running through five miles in 36:10, I prayed that God would help me finish this five-and-a-half-mile run in under 40 minutes. And He helped me do just that as I picked up the pace a little bit to run those last two laps in about 3:30, and finish the entire run in a time of 39:40, surpassing my goal for the run by well over a minute!

I don't want to jump the gun here and call this a "break-thru run" where I may be "breaking out" of this rut I have been finding myself in with running, but it was so sweetly ironic. The longest training run I have done this month has pretty much been my fastest, surpassing in pace what I ran my 3.5-mile, 4-mile, 4.5-mile, and especially my 5-mile-run times earlier this month. I will honestly admit that this was one of the runs where I really felt stronger than many of the other ones I ran this month. I think that it made a noticeable difference not having the dry mouth bother me as much (if at all, I really do not remember noticing it). Perhaps if it was allergies causing it, they may be subsiding now.

I know I gotta stay focused and not allow the fact that my running has pretty much been in a rut this school year (which also involved taking two breaks from it) cause me to lose hope that things can get better again. I gotta trust that whatever happens with it, that God is in control and that this is happening for a reason; the nobility and goodness of which I may never come to understand. I feel that the devil may want me to get down on myself about it, but I have to remember that he is the enemy that has come to kill and destroy, and in God's name I will not and do not want the enemy to have that kind of foothold in my life! This gift and passion for running, like anything else, is a gift from God that He can give and take away as He pleases and sees fit for His perfect will. I am gonna make the best of where I am at, maybe do more races as the weather gets a little cooler towards the fall, and just try to enjoy my running in its present form. Things could be a lot worse, and as I try to think and say many times, I am blessed to be running.

"Push it, push it, to the limit, limit!" - Corbin Bleu from "Jump In"

Races I Have Done This Year as of Tuesday, May 25, 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 )

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

Hoping to make a few sales in the future!

2010-05-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have heard, I have been spending time lately at my parents' house working to help clean out some of my things I left there in their basement, when I moved to Baltimore County, Maryland over two years ago. It was a pretty interesting experience, going through older stuff, some of which I had almost forgotten about. I went through some clothes, electronic games, Magic the Gathering playing cards, books, toys, etc. They brought back some great memories. One of the things I spent a lot of time sorting out in terms of figuring out what to keep and what to sell/give away, were the computer and videogames (and I feel that I have collected many). As some of you may know (especially if you knew me growing up), I was really into videogames for a fair majority of my childhood all the way up to towards the end of high school/college. Over time, God replaced my sometimes relatively unhealthy attachment to electronic gaming with Himself and running. I have to say for one thing, this whole adventure of setting goals of running races throughout Maryland really is much more fun (and meaningful to me) than playing electronic games (no offense to them). Not to sound too narcissistic, but sometimes when I am working hard on a running goal, I sometimes feel like a hero from a videogame whom I may have wanted to be like when I was younger (I know that sounds pretty corny :)
I thought it would be harder to think of parting with some of those games and toys, yet I think that God has helped me to accept it and really open my eyes to the beauty and variety of the world... The REAL world as God created it!
So, I am getting ready to sell these electronic games (they are mainly older ones for computers and different videogame systems) as well as some books and movies that I am considering parting with. I am going to see if some of my friends may be interested in buying some/taking some off of my hands, and if that does not work, I will probably resort to places like Amazon.Com, E-Bay.Com, some flea markets/thrift shops/pawn shops, and I may even list some here on this blog in case any of you are interested in buying it (and if this interests you already, please let me know and I will do what I can to let you know what I may have). I'd like to take photos of these items if I can (with the help of the new camera my parents bought me for my recent 27th birthday, thank you mom and dad :) and list them, which can prove time-consuming. I will keep you all posted on this all the same, and if I choose to try and advertise sales of these items on here, I will work to develop a blog entry with a list of the items and their prices/conditions.
Thank you all for stopping by, and I wish you a blessed day :)

Working out so far

2010-05-24T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone, I hope you all are doing well. I got some decent runs in, and it has been nice for it with the recent weather around central Maryland that has seemed to fluctuate between autumn-like and spring weather. I've usually tried to get some runs in when its cooler, and when it has been hotter I think I am doing a little better with the heat. Right now I am focusing on getting some distance runs in, and I hope to do more speed work a little later on (and I may try to strategize it to have more of those workouts occur during earlier times of the day when it is not quite as hot).

I tell you, since I started running earlier this month, I have been averaging around 7:30ish-per-mile, and that feels challenging enough, almost as if I am pushing to run under 6:20-per-mile. So yea, a pace that once not so long ago seemed relatively easier for me is now becoming more of an exertion (and that involves me running it around a flat track). I know I have had trouble adjusting to the heat this spring, and earlier this school year I had problems with lower blood-sugar levels, and I suppose they helped "conspire" to really slow me down to where I find it challenging to run 5-kilometer distances (approximately 3.1 miles) around 23 minutes. It's a bit disheartening to think that a year ago I was doing 5K races in under 6-minutes-per-mile pace (not that far under it, usually turning in 5K times well between 18 and 19 minutes), and my training pace was typically under 7 minutes-per-mile for my distance runs. I need to trust the Good Lord that He knows what He is doing with this and that He has His good reasons and plans for it!
One thing worth mentioning that I don't usually mention here is that I have been trying to lift weights about 3-4 times a week, doing relatively smaller workouts each day. There is a weight training class that I help out in at the Homewood Center where I work, and there are several different exercises that I do there to try and boost muscular endurance to help with my running (and my running helps the muscular endurance in turn, or so it seems). I have had a goal for most of the year to do about 3 sets of 15 repetitions on a majority of the different exercises that I do (meaning I try and work out at a lower weight than the maximum that I could lift, so that I could try and do more repetitions with that particular exercise and increase the weight at a hopefully steady pace). Towards the middle of the school year around the start of winter, I had a goal of trying to do 3 sets of 15 repetitions on the lat pull-down and also that same amount on the seated row machine, both exercises at 105 pounds of weight. I remember for the longest time I had started out at 45 pounds on both of those machines, and it was hard for me to get going on it, because at the beginning of the school year was when I was having difficulties with the lower blood-sugar levels when I would work out. As a result, I would feel kinda woozy/dizzy from just picking up the weights, bending down to stretch, and other such relatively simpler physical activities. Once I started getting better about munching on a little bit of food around the times I would work out, I felt like I was able to start moving up closer to the winter break. The winter break, followed by the "second winter break" when we got all that snow throughout Maryland and the surrounding states in early-to-mid February, and of course spring break, were all a bit of a setback in that I did not do those exercises at home, so it took me a little longer to work up to where I am now on those exercise machines. Last Wednesday (May 19, 2010) or last Thursday (May 20, 2010) God helped me get that difficult goal on the rowing machine when I did 15 repetitions of 105 pounds on it for 3 sets. I was happy and ready to focus on the lat pull-down. Then, today (Monday, May 24, 2010) I sat down at the lat pull-down, planning to only do 2 sets of 15 repetitions of 105 pounds. I thought that would have been a challenge since I was hungry and I did not sleep as much last night. Yet, God blessed me with energy on the first set, and I felt confident I could handle two more and try and finish out this goal today instead of waiting until later in the week to attempt it. The third set felt pretty hard within the last five repetitions as I could feel a kind of burning around my stomach and arms. I knew I was almost done and that God would help me through... And He did! As of today, I finished out my goal on the lat pull-down of doing 105 pounds 15 times, and doing 3 sets of those 15 repetitions :)

So that has been going pretty positively. I am thinking I may want to work on my pull-ups goals. The most pull-ups I have ever done was a little over five years ago in the spring of 2005, when I did 27 in the Maggs Gymnasium at Salisbury University in Wicomico County, Maryland. I would like to try and top that; it would be great I think to be able to get into the lower-to-mid 30's on the amount of pull-ups I can do, God-willing. I am not trying to brag, though I would like to be more open about goals on this blog. I think it maybe a doable goal for me to get to 29, quite possible even 31 pull-ups by the end of this year. That would be neat. Two years ago, I was lifting weights fairly often, and I was doing more with the bench press. I had started to bench a little more than my own body weight (which at the time was around 145 pounds, and last week at the doctor's office I weighed in closer to 151, which is great because I feel that I can stand to gain a few pounds :) I would like to eventually get to workouts where I can bench press a little more than my body weight more regularly. God-willing this can happen for me. I want to stay healthy of course, and if I have health/injury problems, it will be hard for me to stay consistent with this kind of training.
Of course, I have running goals. There are a couple of running goals related to a couple of running courses on the Maryland and Delaware Eastern Shores, and I will get into all of that at a later post hopefully. Thank you all for stopping by and reading this! I enjoy sharing this kind of material on this Maryland-Wide Running Quest blog :)

Races I Have Done This Year as of Tuesday, May 24, 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 )

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

Running a race around all the general areas of the Cross-Island Trail on Kent Island, Maryland

2010-05-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 15, 2010 - This was last Saturday and that is when I did the inaugural Queen Anne's County Police K-9 Chase 5K in Stevensville (on the Kent Island area of Queen Anne's County), Maryland. This took place at the Terrapin Nature Center area towards western Kent Island right after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. There is a well-paved and well-shaded trail that runs along Maryland State Route 50 on throughout much of Kent Island called the Cross-Island Trail, and up until this Saturday, I had pretty much done a race on every area of the Cross-Island Trail. However, I had never been to this western section of the trail around the Terrapin Nature Center. That was until God helped me find out about and participate in the inaugural Queen Anne's County Police K-9 Chase 5K.
The race started and ended on the Cross-Island Trail, though just about all of it was on these natural and gravely trails going off the Cross-Island Trail. There was a lot of shade on this course, which was great for me because I feel like this spring I have been more sensitive to the heat and having challenges adjusting to it. Although this race did not really take place ON the Cross-Island Trail as much as I thought it would, I would still say that I had run in the general area of the one area of the trail that I had not run. We had covered quite a bit of ground around it throughout the race.

So when I got there I was one of the first people there (I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to get there in case I hit traffic around the Bay Bridge or got lost on an area of Kent Island I had not been too before). I definitely did not want to miss out on running a race around the only area of the Cross-Island Trail I had not done a race around (not like this has been a goal for me over the years to do, but once I realized that this was the only part of the Cross-Island Trail I had never run on, and then I saw this race, I made it a priority to do so). I left myself plenty of time to stretch and warm-up. However, when I started jogging really short and easy to warm-up, my mouth was feeling dry and I felt pretty tired and that if I got into the race I might get heat exhaustion or something like that. I started praying about it, and I resolved to make this the second race-in-a-row where I would run with a water bottle (a little over a month ago on Saturday, April 10, I had run the inaugural Hills of Milltown Challenge 5K (which I heard was more like 3.45 miles, and I had run with a water bottle about half-way through that hilly course, and that had been my last race before this one in Queen Anne's County). Earlier in the week, I decided to slow my goal at this race from trying to run under 21 minutes to running under 22 minutes, though now I was willing to let that fly out the window and just worry about getting through the race. I really hoped I could finish, preferably without negative incident or feeling really cruddy afterwards. I just kept on drinking and praying. I took like three water bottles from the cooler, one of which I decided to run with and that was about no more than half-full of water by the time I had finished drinking out of it before the race began.
One really notably interesting thing about this race was that since it involved the Queen Anne's County Police K-9, people could run with their behaved dogs on a leash. And believe me, there were a few runners with dogs who got ahead of me by a pretty solid margin.

And on that note, the race started in a pretty tight bottleneck as we ran off of the Cross-Island Trail onto this slighty narrower gravel trail off to the side of the Cross-Island Trail. This worked well for me, because it made for a slower start and I wanted to start slow to pace myself well. The first several minutes I focused on getting into a pace where I could enjoy the energy and not slow up too much to take swigs of water from the water bottle. We took the trail through the woods towards this small beach right by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. About half-way to the beach, this young gentlemen sped past me holding onto his dog's leash, because his dog was bounding ahead of everyone. I was like, "dang, if they keep going that pace, they might win the race!"
As we neared the beach, I hopped over a really small sand dune and I was on the sand. We angled to the left as we entered the beach and we ran on the sand for a really short time before picking up a gravel trail again to run along the outskirts of the small, quiet beach. At this point, I felt like I had slowed because my mouth was feeling fairly dry and I knew I had quite a ways to go, and I felt pretty vulnerable to having the heat really get to me. Since I was going slow, I should have really slowed enough to enjoy the beauty of the placid waters and the feel of the nice sea breeze. Though, there was a larger part of me I think that wanted to press on to make sure I finished. I felt like around this point, the best I could hope to finish this 3.1-mile distance race would probably be somewhere between 23-and-25 minutes thereabouts.
Not long after that point, I was running on this sandy or maybe gravely portion of trail parallel to Route 50, head east. I felt myself huffing and puffing, and knowing that I still had quite a while to go before finishing, I prayed aloud that Jesus would help me through. Within a minute afterwards, the course made a left turn and we ran on this grassy surface down a straight stretch. It was on this stretch heading back towards the woods that a strong breeze came up. Just then, I remembered something that my girlfriend Kay had told me a little over a month ago in regards to my allergies and the pollen in the air, something about trying not to breathe through my mouth (and I am pretty much a mouth breather) too much outside with allergens about, especially in windy weather. Thinking of this, I suddenly felt compelled to close my eyes very briefly as I ran and breathe through my nose. After that, I quickly opened my eyes and before I knew it I was almost to the end of the grassy stretch, and getting closer to the woods. I was catching up to a few other runners (one of which was that gentleman who had running really fast with his dog and blew by me within the first mile of the race). I remember telling that gentlemen that it took real talent to run like he was running with his dog. Somehow, God had blessed me with the ability to tell him that quite coherently when I was running.
And from then on, I felt like God was really helping me power through the rest of the race!
I did not notice much dryness in my mouth after that. In fact, I felt more energized, and I began to pick up the pace.
Sometimes the funny thing about running on trails with a lot of turns and bends is that runners can be less than one-hundred meters behind you or ahead of you (and if you are like me and are used to wearing glasses), yet it may seem like they are miles away from you. Well, once we reached the end of the grassy stretch, I had gained the lead of the pack I was in (not the race, there were probably still many runners ahead of me at this point). There was an ambiguous looking course marker at a junction where the trail either went straight or right, and I had a hunch based on blue ribbons I saw on the right, that we were supposed to angle right, so I ran right and followed the trail through the woods. It did not take long for me to pick up the pace and put some distance between me and the few other runners I had passed back where that fairly heavy breeze hit (and it did feel good as it was getting hotter out). However, after I had made that turn to the right, I did not see any signs of course markings or other people around. At this point, I would not have been surprised if I had been supposed to run straight instead of right, and it would probably only be a matter of time before I saw something or saw someone who would confirm my suspicion that I had taken a wrong turn and that I was probably going to be in this race for longer than I thought I would be.
I think I had started praying about it in probably real jarbled words as I ran, and as the trail wound left, a couple of folks on bikes came from the other way and I asked if they had passed other runners and they said yes. I was so happy to hear this, because this suggested that I had probably been going the right way all along. Not long after going by those folks on their bikes, I saw a course marshal standing by the parking lot where I parked which was also near the entrance of the Cross-Island Trail. They pointed that I run left to make a small loop back through some of the woods to come up the gravely trail towards the finish line area (the one where we had started this race on).
After making this left turn, the grassy trail ahead straightened out long enough for me to see several runners not much further ahead. With renewed energy, I was started to close the gap on them before the course started bending towards the right. After that there were several more turns, and then a course marshal handing out water (I think). Then, very shortly after that, there was a right turn and about 20-30 yards ahead of me was the finish line. Seeing that and seeing that I could actually finish it in under 22 minutes, I bolted towards it and up the slight hill to cross the finish line strongly in 21:48 (well that's what my watch said, yet they got me in around 21:58). I had now run a race in all the areas of Kent Island, Maryland's Cross-Island Trail, and I was very grateful to God to have finished that race, and not only that, but to have finished feeling healthier than when I began.
After catching my breath I looked down, and in my hand I still held my water bottle. This could very well have been the first race I have run carrying a water bottle the whole way through. Another "milestone" race for me :)

I felt pretty well after the race. I drank water and I was able to hang out outside talking to people all the way through the awards ceremony. It was great to meet people and see this one gentleman I had not seen for about a year-and-a-half at least. The heat did not bother me then and I felt quite amped that I ran on the Cross-Island Trail on some parts of it I had not seen by Kent Island High School, and a little beyond to where the Cross-Island Trail goes through Old Love Point Park, and then I turned around. On that walk-jog, I prolly did not put in any more than 3 miles round-trip. It was such a nice morning. Afterwards, I stopped at a deli to pick up lunch, before driving back over the Bay Bridge to meet up with Kay. As I was leaving, the area was growing more crowded in celebration of the Kent Island Day, which happened to be taking place that same weekend!

So I am quite happy about that race! As a result, I finally ran in the one area of the Cross-Island Trail I had never been too. I did find out from a couple of people who ran that race that their odometer on their i-pod-like devices (or whatever they were), said that the course was like 2.9 miles in length instead of the advertised 3.1-mile/5k distance. That did not surprise me or irk me; I thought that running under 22 minutes was a little fast for how relatively chill my pace was towards the beginning. That said, I think my finish time would have been a little over 23 minutes had I kept going at that pace for a 5K, and that would have been more believable of a time for the effort I felt I put into that race. Whether or not they lengthen the course a bit to an actual 5K distance, I think it is a swell race and I hope they have it in the future, because I would probably be quite interested in returning to it. This race helped me feel more confident that God-willing if I keep at running, perhaps later on this spring/summer I can run some 5k distances in under 22 minutes, and hopefully improve from there. I think God treated me much better with this race than I deserved, especially with that burst of energy the last 6-or-7 minutes or so of the race. I was not expecting that, and again, I am was blessed to be a student of God's lesson that He is in charge and in my weakness, He is strong :)

Races I have run on the Cross-Island Trail on Kent Island (Queen Anne's County), Maryland

- Saturday, September 23, 2006 - Inaugural "Run for the Sun/Son" Two-Mile Run - Old Love Point Park, Stevensville - Winner - 13:49 (first mile was about 8:58, and the second was about 4:51)

Saturday, March 21, 2007 - Inaugural Race to Impact 10K Run - Chester - Winner - 38:51 (after finishing this race, I gained some inspiration to try racing in every Maryland county before 2007 was over :)

Saturday, December 8, 2007 - Jingle Bell Run 5K (it was actually a little shorter than a 5K) - Kent Narrows - Winner - 16:29

Saturday, May 15, 2010 - Inaugural Queen Anne's County Police K-9 Chase 5K (around 2.9 miles) - Terrapin Nature Center area - Stevensville - 10th overall - 21:58.9 (as of finishing this race, I have run a race in all the general areas around the Cross Island Trail :)

I may get to run a race, the conclusion of which I can say I have run a race on every area of the Cross-Island Trail in Maryland

2010-05-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

(Image of the Cross-Island Trail going through the Kent Island area of Queen Anne's County, Maryland, and this is from http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/trailNRT/CrossIs-MD.html)

Greetings everyone, I know it has been a while since I have posted. I have just caught up with rehashing my memories of my running on Saturday, March 20, 2010, when the Good Lord got me through three road races on that relatively hot first day of spring! I have been doing all right. I think things at work have been going pretty solid, and Kay and I have been together for a great year now and in fact we are coming up on our 13-month anniversary :) As you may have read in the previous post, a lot of my problem in that third five-mile race in Frederick County, MD came from dry mouth that made me feel dehydrated. This was a problem that continued on as I trained and did a couple of other races in April. I decided not long after April started that I take a break from running and see what was up with that. There's a strong suspicion from the doctor that it could be allergies (the pollen has been pretty strong this year, probably from the heavy snowfall we got last winter). I also think it could be side-effects from my acid reflux medicine. That remains to be seen I suppose.

Anyway, I started back a couple of weeks ago, and it has been pretty slow. I was surprised that I still had it in me to run a pretty flat two-mile loop in Columbia (Howard County), MD in 13:44 (I mean, running anything under a seven-minute-per-mile pace lately has been pretty challenging). I was pretty happy about that. I ran about 3.5 miles on a flat track with a 5K split of about 24:08 and finishing the35. miles in about 26:56. Then, a few days later, I ran four miles on a track in 30:04 (a little faster of a pace than the 3.5 miles). My 5-kilometer split on that I think was around 23:32. Quite slower than what I was turning out earlier this spring, where I was workin' hard to just get under 21 minutes on hilly road races. And even slower than the sub-19-minute 5K's I have become pretty used to running on 5K courses of varying difficulties these past several years. It's amazing what you take for granted with your running times until you start slowin' up. My gosh, I am worried how much slower I would go in a more hilly and hotter 5K race if I am turning out times like that on a flat track and that feeling like a pretty solid workout. Ah well, I gotta start somewhere and be smart about this. The heat still seems to be drying me out a fair amount, though when it's cooler (like low 50's or 40's), it does not really bother me that much (and the wind certainly helps). I am thinking it wise this spring and summer season to not really get much into the races. I just want to train and at least build up a solid mileage base. That way, God-willing I will be in much better shape for the autumn, and then I can see about perhaps doing races with a bit more frequency in weather that would be a little easier for me to adjust too, because it has been pretty hard for me this time around to get used to this heat (and I am sure the pollen has not been the most helpful in that either).

Anyway, I actually hope to do my first race in a little over a month this coming Saturday, May 15, 2010. In fact, I am hoping to get over to the Maryland Eastern Shore for the first time since doing the 30th Annual Mike Sterling 10K at the National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield Maryland on Labor Day weekend for this new 5K at the Terrapin Nature Center area in Stevensville, which is on Kent Island in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. There is this new Queen Anne's County Police K-9 Chase 5K, and it has geographic implications that it will occur (at least some of it will) on the Cross-Island Trail (which runs along Maryland state highway 50 throughout a good portion of Kent Island, from pretty close to the Bay Bridge eastwards to Kent Narrows). I hope that I am right about this. If that is true, then something really special may be accomplished in me finishing this particular race.

Back on Saturday, September 23, 2006, I ran this new Run for the Sun/Son 2-Mile Run on the Cross-Island Trail that started and ended at Old Love Point Park in Stevensville. I really enjoyed that venue. The trail was really flat, and well-shaded (great to do things on in the warmer weather). So when I saw on MarylandRunning.Com that there was this new Race to Impact 10K Run scheduled on Kent Island on Saturday, March 21, 2007, I leapt at the opportunity to hop in this race to benefit Shore Christian Fellowship's mission trip to Peru. This race took place in Chester, MD, starting and ending by the old Club One gym building. The race went out to the Love Point Park area in Stevensville and we actually turned around where the Run for the Sun/Son started and ended. Oh that brought back some nice memories. I really enjoyed running this race, even though its length proved quite challenging. With God's help I ran a 38:51, one of my best 10K times to date. Later on that evening while I was thinking about that race and thinking about its location in Queen Anne's County, God helped use that very race to inspire me to run a race in every county of Maryland in that year of 2007 (since I had run a race in Queen Anne's County, which is relatively challenging to find year-around running events, so if I had wanted to try and run a race in every Maryland county in a year, I had just done one in one of Maryland's more challenging counties to find a race in). And that's how I got going with this blog and into paying attention to such details about the location of the races I do. Therefore, the Cross-Island Trail is a really special place for me, and every time I hear about a race occurring on it, I take considerable interest. In fact, towards the end of that year, I found out about this Jingle Bell Run 5K that started and ended near the Island Athletic Club in the Kent Narrows area of, went out to the Club One area of the trail in Chester near where the Race to Impact 10K started and ended, and then went back to Kent Narrows. That Jingle Bell Run had been going on for about several years, and when I did it in 2007, it was definitely shorter than a 5K, yet I enjoyed the course. I was fixing to do it again in 2008, but then I heard they canceled it and I do not think they have brought it back since then. That was the last time I ran a race on the Cross-Island Trail.
The last time I was there was a joyous occasion. Last July was when Kay and I celebrated our three-month anniversary, and after eating at the Fisherman's Inn around the Kent Narrows area, we hung out on the Cross-Island Trail and had a terrific time.
So many nice memories of it!
There is one area of the trail I have yet to run a race on, and that is the western-most part of it near the Terrapin Nature Center area. I have never even been on that part of the trail. I have kept meaning to check it out, and now with this new 5K this Saturday I will have the chance to do just that. God-willing I make it to and through this race, and if this race goes through the area I think it does on the Cross-Island Trail, I can say that I have run a race on all of the areas of the Cross-Island Trail in my lifetime!!!! You may think it sounds kind of corny, though if you think about how over the past half-decade, or even decade, races along this Cross-Island Trail are somewhat hard to come by (considering advertising for some of them does not seem to make it to the larger running and racing databases all that much), and also considering I have never even lived in Kent Island to pick up on this stuff word-of-mouth all the time, I think that this is something to be proud of, and certainly a blessing to be grateful for! I am looking forward to doing this!
I know I have just started back running, and before I took my brief break in April from it, my running was not that strong. Based on how I have been doing, I think a realistic goal for me would be to get under 22 minutes by a decent margin (granted that this 5K course is accurate, and not too long or too short). Either way, I want to finish. I am sure I may have my troubles out there, and I probably won't look all that great running/huffing-and-puffing, so believe it or not, I am actually planning on coming to the race in a nice suit and tie. Since this is a special occasion for me personally, I can at least try to look good (because I don't think I'll be looking that great at all once I start running, haha). I will change into my running clothes when it comes closer to the race.
I am hoping to have a nice time, take some nice photos, and enjoy being back on the Maryland Eastern Shore. The last time I was there was to visit some friends in Salisbury with Kay, and that was back in September not long after I had run the Mike Sterling 10K. I hope Kay and I can return there for future visits as well.

All right, thank you all for reading this. If you are interested in doing that inaugural Queen Anne's County K-9 Police Chase 5K, please check out: http://www.active.com/running/stevensville-md-md/queen-annes-police-k9-chase-5k-2010

I gotta get going and get up early for work tomorrow. I am going on a field trip with some of the high school students I work with to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. I have not been to this zoo since I was two, and I probably have some very slightly vague memories of it at best. That should be interesting!

If any of you show up there, please say "hi", and I look forward to meeting/seeing you again. Please keep me in prayer as well! Thank you and God bless :)

Recap of my experiences with the three road races I ran on Saturday, March 20, 2010

2010-04-06T16:00:00.001-07:00

(Pictured on the left is me finishing the inaugural Francie's Family 5K at Middletown Park in Middletown (Frederick County), MD (thank you Victor Cretella for sending me that photo. Then the photo to the right is a group photo of the participants before the 2nd Annual Matt Boles 5K Fun Run at East Middle School in Westminster (Carroll County), MD. I am the first person on the left in the third row. I am wearing a white t-shirt and glasses (and this photo is courtesy of http://www.matthewandcaitlinbolesfoundation.com/home.html)).

And what a Saturday it was (not to mention it had gotten warmer than it probably normally would for that time of year on the first day of spring). I definitely am grateful for the experience, though it took me a little while to recover from it.

Let me review. Within a week leading up to Saturday, March 20, 2010, I had carefully been studying some running/racing databases and race calendars, and I was able to see an opportunity for me to try something I had never done before: Attempt to run in three road races in one day between two different counties that were next-door to each other. The three races were the first annual Francie's Family 5K in Middletown (Frederick County), MD at 9 A.M. followed by the 2nd (or maybe 3rd annual) Matt Boles 5K Fun Run at East Middle School in Westminster (Carroll County), MD, at 11 A.M., and then I headed back west into Frederick County, MD for the 28th Annual "Forest of Needwood"/"Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial Run"5 Mile Road Race in the Knoxville/Petersville/Brunswick area near the Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia state lines. They were all pretty hilly (the Matt Boles 5K probably being the least hilly, and the "Forest of Needwood"/"Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial Run" probably being the most hilly, not to mention the longest race).
I was quite excited to have an opportunity to attempt this. Knowing I was not quite in the best racing shape as I have been in recent years, I did not expect to run really strong times, though I hoped to get through these races fairly well. I was able to get in contact with the coordinators of these races and get directions to them. By the end of the week, I was ready to roll... And do my share of huffin' and puffin' too!

Saturday morning, with probably no more than a little over six hours of sleep, I went downstairs to a bowl of cereal and some other foods for breakfast. Not long after breakfast, I got on the road pretty early, leaving plenty of extra time before the 9 A.M. start of the Francie's Family 5K. I was looking forward to this one, because it was at the Middletown Park right by Middletown High School. When I started out with competitive running with the Howard county Junior Striders in 1997 as a middle-school student, we had had a couple of 4-kilometer (a little less than 2.5-mile distance) cross country races at this rather hilly and grassy park. the latter of those two meets was the Regional Championships, where I finished 10th out of 10 runners in that race. Now, the top-12 at Regionals qualify for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Nationals (it may work a little differently now than it did in 1997), so by default I was able to qualify and run at the A.A.U. Nationals for Cross country that fall, even though I was last. I thought that was a great experience, a real true blessing looking back on it.

Then, in high school my senior year in the spring of 2002, we had our 2A West Outdoor Regional Track & Field championships at Middletown's high school track. I remembered running really well there at that two-day meet. Thursday, I was on a 4X800-meter relay team with three other guys (we were all high school seniors I believe), and I remember running the first leg in a 2:05 split, my fastest 800-meter time to date. We got a relay team time of 8:35, and we finished fourth and were able to advance to the Maryland State Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (again, another terrific experience). Then, we came back almost two days later on Saturday, and I ran the 1,600 meter in the junior varsity heat and finished it in about 4:58 (my first half was 2:30 and my second was about 2:28). Later on, God helped me pull myself together to run a really strong and even-paced 2:12 800-meter run in the junior varsity heat.
In short, I have some nice memories of that place and I was glad to be going back there for the first time since 2002 when I was in high school.

I thought I was still a little familiar with the area, however, I think I got a little confused with Mapuest.Com directions and road signs regarding Alternate Route 40 West in Frederick County. I was getting pretty close to the park, leaving myself about an hour or so to spare before the race started, I made a wrong turn, and when i went to turn around in Frederick, I ended up missing a turn and I went all the way out to Myersville in Frederick County. I had to get out and ask people for directions twice, and in short, I was lost/disoriented for about an hour. When I finally got to the suburban area surrounding the Middletown Park in Middletown, I rolled down the window and yelled out to the young course marshals were, asking them where to park. One of them said it may be too late to register at this point (it was about ten minutes before the start), but he pointed anyway. Me in all of my visual brilliance thought he was pointing left when he was really pointing behind him, so I drove off to the left and after a couple of minutes of just seeing more of the neighborhood and not the park (nor the people involved with the race), I realized I made a wrong turn once again, turned around, and went the correct way that the course marshal had originally pointed me. I parked, grabbed my check, and ran harder than I probably should have before a race, up this steady hill (which we would run town at the very beginning of the race). I reached the top where the festivities were, and I asked apeson or tow where the check-in/registration tables were, and eventually I found them (by that time I felt like I had gotten a good ways into the race).
I reached the table and was relieved that it was not too late for me to get in the race. I was thankful to God for that! I did not want to miss a single of the three races I had planned to do that day. After I registered, I stretched out and drank some water.

The first of three races I had planned to do that day started off all right. We started off running down the steady hill I had run up to get to the registration table, and within a couple of minutes or so, we were out of the park. Up ahead, there seemed to be a crowd of younger, high-school-age runners ahead of me. We made a right into this neighborhood, and we ran through the flat roads of this neighborhood where the first-mile marker was. I passed the first mile in about 6:10 and I was astounded as that was faster than I had anticipated going out at. Then again, having a downhill at the beginning of the race and kind of allowing myself to be pulled along by the pace of the faster runners would most likely result in a fast first-mile split. I knew that it would most likely get hilly later in the race, so I tried to run cautiously
Soon after the first mile we ran out of the neighborhood and by some shops. The hills started to lightly roll, and I slowed to a 6:30 the second mile, coming through the two-mile mark in about 12:40 (that included me slowing up a little bit to get some water from the water stop). Still, this was faster than I had anticipated, and I knew if I kept up that 6:20-pace-per-mile, I would run this 5K in under 20 minutes.
However, that was not to be so in this race. Just after the second-mile mark we made a right on this road and it got more hilly. Then, we made another right to go on a road towards Middletown High School where the finish line was, and this was probably by far the largest hill in the race. For at least about two-to-three minutes, I was slowed pretty thoroughly running up this pretty challenging and steady hill. There was a gentleman running a little ways ahead of me at a pretty good clip, and he decided to stop and walk briefly. I was tempted to do the same, though I thought it would just be best to get it over with sooner by running. Once I was blessed enough to reach the top, I was pretty beat, and the gentleman who stopped and walk quickly caught up and passed me, and at that point I was not even concerned about my chances of breaking 20 minutes at this race. I just wanted to finish, yet not finish too aggressively so as to make it harder for me to recover. After all, I had planned on running two more races that day and I knew I was not in the best running shape, so I had to budget my energy so-to-speak.
After that hill, there may have been a few more, but if there were, they were so small in comparison to the large one we had run up, that I can't rightly remember it at this point. I remember running onto the back of the Middletown High School campus and making a lot of turns. Up ahead, I saw the arch of balloons that was the finish line, and that was where I wanted to be.
After making several turns, I made a left and there may have been a slight downhill, but I was nearing the finish line in probably no more than a hundred yards. I think I picked it up and finished strongly around the last left turn into the finish line to finish in 21:07. Wow, that hill must have really slowed me down. I was on pace to run in the 19:40's by the two-mile mark, so probably the hill, heat, and my current level of condition contributed to me slowing fairly significantly in that last mile or so. At the time, though, I was happy to be done with the hilly race and to hopefully recover enough to get it together for the next two that I planned to do (though I was pretty sure at that point that that first race of the day would probably see some of my faster running for the day, and that I would just slow up from there). I was talking to this one gentleman there before I left, and he had some sorta GPS/odometer device there, and he was saying it was slightly longer than a standard 5K, and that it was 3.15 miles. So if that were really true, than I probably covered an actual five-kilometer distance in just under 21 minutes. Either way, I was pretty happy with the race :)

With less than two hours until the 11 A.M. start of the Matt Boles 5K Fun Run in Westminster (in the neighboring Carroll County to the east), I did not stick around much after I finished. I hopped in the car and drove to East Middle School in Westminster where the race was. I really had to make sure I followed directions well, as sometimes I have gotten easily confused trying to navigate my way through Westminster. I think I made a stop or two using the restroom and filling up on water. I think the drive was supposed to take about an hour, give-or-take.
I got to East Middle School I think within 20 minutes of 11 o'clock. I got out and quickly paid the registration fee. While I was warming up, I enjoyed talking to a couple of well-dressed gentlemen who were at the race (I forget the particular reason) who were from a Church of Latter-Day Saints, and they were certainly dressed dapper for it. I enjoyed telling them about how God has helped me with my running and how I was trusting him to help me on my endeavor to run three road races in one day. I just hope I did not come off as bragging.
I found out that the course was pretty interesting: Five laps around the back fields of the middle school, and then after completing the fifth lap, running about a third-of-the-way into another lap, and then angling left onto the track to do about 300-meters-plus on the track to finish (a full lap is 400 meters, so in other words we had to do almost a full lap at the end of the race). I am not much for running laps, even if it is on a cross-country course. Yet, I was not expecting to run very strong, so I resigned to just going out at a chill pace and seeing what would happen. I noticed that we would start on a slight downhill, run along the flat back field, and then coming up towards the school we'd go up a somewhat challenging hill (nothing like what I encountered at the Francie's Family 5K Fun Run in Middletown, MD earlier that morning, though), then it would flatten out for a little bit before going up a very small, but fairly steep hill right near the school's blacktop. I knew I would have to pace myself well. One nice thing was that towards the end of each lap, the water stop would be there (and they would actually hand-out like these tiny water bottles of water with their caps on them, which appears to be a lot more water than water in a plastic cup you'd see at your typical water stop for a 5K).
One thing that made me anxious about this race was that it started a little later than 11 A.M. In fact, they wanted the participants to get in a group photo. I was hoping there would be no technical difficulties. I wanted to get started with the race, as I had the "Forest of Needwood/"Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial Run" Five-Mile Road Race that was just over an hour away back in Frederick County to the west, and that started at 1 P.M. in less than two hours There were at least one or two photos taken (one of which is to the right at the beginning of this lengthy post).
Right after that the race coordinators gave final instructions and we were off. A great host of young high-school and college-aged runners took off in a pack ahead of me and I was trying to start off slow (though I do not know if that worked too well). After going up the hills on the first lap, I knew I definitely needed to try and pace myself better, as that hill felt harder than it looked and having run a 5K less than two hours beforehand probably did not help. I went through the first lap feeling all right, and then in the second lap I was feelin' like it was to grab a bottle of water from the water stop. However, by the time I was done the second lap, I was hoping for the race to end soon.
The next two laps, I seemed to slow up significantly, and even though i deliberately allowed myself to slow down to conserve energy to make it through the rest of this race as well as the next, I don't think it made it easier. I wanted the race to end, but I seemed at a loss of energy (and of fluids) to try and pick up the pace much faster than what I was going.
I think during the fourth lap, I grabbed another water bottle from the water stop and thought to myself I had one more lap and then some to go. Normally, that remaining distance would not have seemed as daunting as it did in this race. As I ran (especially up the hills) I think I was praying to God for strength (if I was not He was giving it to me, because after all, I did get through the race :) As I ran up the hills the last time and ran towards the end of the fifth lap, I was grateful that it looked like it would all be slightly downhill and flat from there.
I turned towards the left after completing the fifth lap, proceeding to enter the loop another time, only this time when I reached the bottom of the hill about a third-of-the-way into the loop, I made a left onto the track. Once I was on the track, I had a little less than a lap of it to run before I reached the finish line on the other side of it. As I ran down the back straight-away of the track, my mind went back to the inaugural "A Day at the Races 5K" at Queen Anne's County High School in Centreville, MD that I had run almost two years ago that day. The "A Day at the Races 5K" was run on the Queen Anne's County High School course, and like this course I was running, there was a full lap on the high school's track before finishing the race. Even though I heard that course was a little shorter than a 5K at the time, I had just managed to tuck under 19 minutes with an 18:59.
I felt relatively stronger than I did finishing this race. With my stopwatch saying I was 23 minutes into the race and on my way to the slowest 5K I have run probably since 2006 when I ran a 29:06 at the impromptu 5K they held in lieu of the annual Mike Sterling 10K as part of the National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield (Somerset County), MD. In fact, at this Matt Boles 5K Fun Run I was running, I was huffing and puffing, and I realized it was going to take significant work to have a strong enough finish to run this 5K under 24 minutes. I believe I prayed that God would give me the strength to finish well here and/or to break 24 minutes on this course.
I rounded the last turn on the track and then ran down most of the straight-away on the track into the finish line in a time of 23 minutes and 54 seconds (even though I thought I heard someone yell 23:50 to me when I crossed the finish line, I think for honesty's sake I will go by the time on my stopwatch and say I ran about 23:54 on this course).
If you have been following me on this blog, you will know that the 23:54 I ran there was the slowest 5K I have run in over three years. I do not think I have ever run a 5K slower than that ever since I began my endeavors to run in running events in every county in Maryland. Though, at the time, I was just happy to have finished. I was quite run-down from having run two 5k's within pretty much two hours of each other, and having a five-miler to do in less than two hours in Frederick County. Not to mention, I felt a little on the dehydrated side despite having drank water on the way to this race and slowing up at the water stops throughout the race.
I would not be surprised if I found out that that course was a little longer. I liked the loop, I felt like I had run about two minutes faster or so for how tired I felt after running the 23:54. Then again, I was not in my best running shape and that was my second race of the day. Perhaps my current level of conditioning was just not up to par enough to run stronger with doing multiple races in the same day.
Like I said, I did like that race. It was fun and family friendly. In the future, I could see myself coming back to it.
I did not stick around much afterwards. I wanted to get to my third and final race of the day (and longest); "The Forest of Needwood"/"Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial Run" Five-Mile Road Race in the Knoxville/Petersville/Brunswick area of Frederick County, Maryland. This race was about an hour-and-two minutes away from East Middle School in Westminster according to MapQuest.Com, and I quickly got in the car, figuring at best I would probably only have about 10 minutes or so tops to get my race bib and stretch out before the race.
On the way there I definitely felt tired, and a bit dehydrated. I ate a little bit, though not too much to cause cramps. Yet I wanted to make sure I got something in my stomach to help maintain good blood-sugar levels before this next run. On the way to this five-miler, I realized that this was one of the few times in the past several years that I really felt like I was not interested in doing the race. I think I had had my fill of racing for the day (and probably for the rest of the weekend). Normally, I would feel excited about doing multiple races within a weekend, and occasionally even within a day like this day. Yet, I knew that I was over half-way done with this goal, having finished two-of-the-three races I had set out to do, and I was confident that God would get me through this race somehow even though I was feeling pretty run down. I felt like I was back in high school or college, and not wanting to go to practice (or hoping that practice was canceled for some reason) because I was not feeling well or I was feeling tired from staying up late and doing homework (yea, believe it or not, I actually cared enough about school back then to stay up late to get work done). I felt like I was getting ready to walk into a dentist appointment with my teeth and gums already aching...
I think you get the idea.
I focused on guzzling water on the drive there (and I think I may have made one stop to use the restroom or something, I can not exactly remember). My mouth was feeling kind of dry, which was not helping me feel more hydrated, and I remember it certainly feeling a lot warmer than it normally would be in March during this first day of spring. As I drove, I continued to pray that God would help me through the race. At this point, I felt fairly worn-down and I decided not to worry about my goal of running the race (which I heard was pretty hilly) in under 35 minutes (which is a seven-minutes-per-mile pace), even though I thought it would be nice to perhaps take home an age-group award. When I got into the parking lot of the church, I was thankful that I made it there with about 10-15 minutes before the race started, and I told God that I knew I was safe in His hands!

I got up to the starting line of the race, not long after I rolled up in the parking lot. I was still feeling pretty dried up and at that point I was hoping just to get through the race without any serious harm to myself. At the starting line, I saw this gentleman that I've known for a long while from the Howard County Striders. I mentioned to him that this was to be my third race of the day. Then, right after that another gentleman who heard me say that to him, told me he overheard me say that and he thought it was cool that I was doing all those races. I felt encouraged and a little bit better about what I was about to do, and I think I thanked him and wished him a good run.
Soon after, the race started, and I started pretty close to the back so that I would not be drawn out at a faster pace with the faster runners who tend to start at the very front of the starting line. I focused on keeping a good steady pace, yet there did not seem much that could distract me from my thirst/dryness in my mouth. I quickly realized it was probably not the best idea for me to have left my water bottle by the finish line like I normally do; I should have run with it since I was feeling thirsty, it was hot, and I was going slow enough as is so having to run carrying a water bottle would not have been much of a hindrance.
Now I had to wait for the water stops (and I hoped there were more than one), and they probably would not start coming up until towards the middle of the race. Would I be able to hang in there all right?
I went through the first mile in just under 7:30. Normally that would be a slower first mile for me to go through in a five-mile race, yet I was already feeling fatigued and run-down, so I did not see myself getting much faster.
Not long after going up and down the hills of the first mile, I made a left and caught up to this woman who must have overheard me talking to the gentlemen at the start of the race, and she said something to the effect that she thought it was cool that I was doing all those races, and she wished me well. I felt encouraged. I felt like with what that woman said as well as what other people had said about my endeavor to do three road races throughout the day, it was as if there was a cheering squad for me the whole way through (and I am not trying to sound narcissistic I just felt that way).
However, I was starting to slow significantly and that woman I had caught up too, easily caught up to me and passed me, and I don't think I caught up with her again for the rest of the race. At that point, I started not to care if I were even the last person to finish. I just wanted to finish.
The dryness in my mouth had begun to give way to feelings of woozines and a bit of queasiness. I felt like I could still walk (or run rather) in a straight line, but I felt like I was beginning have a bit of heat exhaustion, and I felt like I was huffing and puffing just to keep jogging/running. I was praying and going back-and-forth in my mind about whether to stop and walk, or just drop out of the race. I had heard of people "bonking" out of races and I was wondering if I were experiencing something that should lead me to do the same. In my mind I knew that this started out as a fun goal, and I did not anticipate much tragedy that would come of it. Man was I naive. I had not been doing as many longer distance runs as I should have to do this endeavor in a more "reasonable and prepared" fashion. I should have run with water in this particular race. I should see my doctor about my heartburn medicine, the side-effects of which were a likely cause of my mouth becoming dry. I had much to look forward to in the near future, such as meeting up with some friends at the Arundel Mills Mall in Anne Arundel County, MD later that evening, picking one of my best friends (Brian) up from work, and then the following day seeing my girlfriend Kay and attending her nephew's baptism. I did not want to miss out on any of that by making myself ill from getting heat exhaustion out in this race.
The thought of dropping out of the race was crossing my mind, and it would do so quite a few times before crossing the finish line.
God had given me sufficient strength to get through to around the two-mile mark, where the first water stop was. I took at least two cups of water and stopped to walk real briefly before, I started jogging again. I was hoping that little hydrating reprieve would help me feel a little better. Though, after a couple more minutes, I felt about as dehydrated, woozy, and tired as I had before. I was spurred on by inspiration to glorify God in this racing goal, and also thinking of Kay and other things I had endured in this race helped boost my spirits a little bit.
I was beginning to feel quite run-down by the time I had run over more hills on these open country roads, and when the course made a left-turn at the bottom of this hill, I saw a course marshal there. I stopped, and asked him if he had some water I could have, and he said he did not. I asked him where the next water stop was, as my mind was debating whether or not I should ask this guy to just drive me back to the start/finish line area, or press on and see what would happen. This was about half-way into the race, and if the first half was going this rough, the second probably would get much uglier for me.
He told me the water stop was right around the fourth mile, and I thought that would be cool to have another water break and have about a mile to go before finishing the race. With that, I walked left along the course and the total time that I had stopped and walked a bit was probably just a little less than a minute at the most.
I started jogging again, the little puddles and streams of water running in ditches along the road looked so appealing for me to kneel down and drink from them, even though they were probably really filthy. I was tempted to do that, though I don't think I rallied enough mental wherewithal to do that, and that was probably a good thing.
I went through mile three in somewhere probably over 25 or 26 minutes. At this point, I did not care about my time and me even placing in the top two or three in my age group seemed out of the question. I just wanted to finish, and I hoped I would not have to drop out (and it would be nice to not have to stop anymore until the finish either).
The distance between me and the runners ahead and behind me had widened quite a bit on these hilly open roads. If any runners came near me, it was pretty much them passing me relatively easily. I just focused on keeping on. I was praying that God would help me get through, hopefully without getting sick, getting heat exhaustion, without going to the hospital or medical tent (if they had one) after getting through this race, and of course I was concerned with being able to drive an hour-plus home after the race. These thoughts and prayers seemed to race through my sluggish body.
The third-into-the-fourth mile did not seem too hilly (it still was, just not compared to some of the ones I encountered earlier in the race). I caught up to a few runners as we neared the fourth-mile mark and I tried to encourage them without shouting too much (I did not want to expend much more energy than I had too). However, to my dismay, I saw that the fourth mile was a left turn away, yet, it was pretty much atop what was probably by far the longest and most grueling uphill in the whole race.
I knew one way or the other I would have to top that hill, whether I'd be walking, riding back with someone, or running/jogging up. I prayed for God's help on that hill, and I was really pleasantly surprised that I slowly and steadily kept up with the other few runners I was around, and I was able to get up that hill without stopping. I reached the top, and took probably about two or three cups of water. I think I ran through the four-mile mark in about 35-36 minutes. The race director was there, and he cheered me on, wishing me well on my third race of the day (I had told him earlier on that I was endeavoring to run three road races in one day, and that his was my third one of the day). That really encouraged me, and I was grateful that before and between all three of these races today, God had put people in the midst of it all to say supportive words.
The last mile seemed to be a blur of huffing and puffing as I shuffled/jogged a fair stretch of what seemed to be a steady downhill. I saw quite a few runners ahead of me, though I think they had gotten there from behind by passing me. I did not care. I knew I had a realistic chance of finishing this race, and hopefully those two times earlier in the race I had stopped would be the only times I would stop in this race. I wanted to finish soon, and more importantly, I wanted to finish without incident. I had plans after wards, especially the next day with Kay and her nephew's baptism!
I had to be strong, and most importantly, lean on God for that strength. Stopping to walk/stretch-out in a race does not happen for me that often in a race, and that was humbling. Usually, I do care to some degree about what place I come in or what time I run in a race, so this was most unusual that I had reached a point in this particular race where I did not care about it. One thing resonated in my mind pretty clearly even before I started this race: God is strong in my weakness (and the Bible says so)!
We reached a bridge going over a road (possibly Highway 340 going between Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, the ladder two states' borders I was near at this point). Around here, I think I heard someone yell out to us that we had about a quarter-of-a-mile left. Ah yes, pretty much one full lap on a track's distance around. Of course, this was not a flat track.
I think after crossing the bridge, we made a right onto this road, and it was a steady uphill. The finish line ribbons and many people stood around it and I was so happy to see it. As I ran past the church on the left, this gentleman who was cooling down (who I usually do well keeping up with) jogged by in the direction I was coming from and, he asked something to the effect of "hey Noah, are you cooling down?" And I said something like, "believe it or not, I am about to finish!" I think that surprised him because he is used to seeing me running much faster than I was.
And I was too!
I angled to the left and rather clumsily tried to dash through the finish line, that I crossed in about 44 minutes and 55 seconds, just under a nine-minute-per-mile pace (with a couple of stops, not too bad)! I was sooo happy to have that over with (even though it was a well put-on race). I slowly bent over to grab my water bottle next to the finish line chute and I definitely felt some pretty heavy acid reflux for a second or two from bending after the race.
Water bottle in hand, I did not really stop to chat or cheer on others like I normally like to do after I finish a race. I walked quickly into the shade and air conditioning of the church, grabbed a chair in a small backroom, and plopped down in it... And I stayed in that room for probably the better part of an hour drinking water until I felt recovered enough to get back outside into the heat.
While I was chilling there, a few guys and maybe one or two women had walked by to use the bathroom and cool off there. I enjoyed their company (and I really could not remember any of their names, maybe one gentleman's name was Fred, I dunno, I was pretty out-of-it). I was a little concerned that I may have been affected with heat exhaustion, though after thinking about Kay and realizing I should probably text her to let her know I got through the races safely, I felt much better (without much wooziness), and I was able to get outside, go to my car, and get my cell phone to send her text messages.
Not long after I went to my car, they began the awards ceremony. I figured I'd stick around and listen, and cheer on people I knew there who earned awards... And I was blessed to be one of them. In fact, I won the male 25-29 age-group division! What? I could not believe it! God had blessed me with an age-group win with one of the most weakest race performances I had ever run!
In my weakness, God is strong!
It turned out that the only other gentleman in my age group division was the overall winner of the entire race, and by default I won the age group! Whoa! I was so pleasantly shocked in that I was not even expecting to place at all in my age group (I think they only awarded the top-two in each age group). Wow! That medal I won the size of a Cub-Scout/Boy-Scout uniform medal is one of the sweetest prizes God has won for me, and I think it will serve as a tangible reminder to me that all things are possible with God, and that in my humble weakness, He prevailed and was strong for me!
God really saved me out there from my own ambition and recklessness with my health and running. It could have gone over a lot worse. And instead, He not only got me through the races, He helped me do so with age-group awards. I was floored by it! I still think it was an incredible age-group award. I do believe that was the slowest 5-mile time I have run in a 5-mile race to date, and that had come after my slowest 5K I had run in the past few years. The "Forest of Needwood"/"Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial Run" 5-Mile Road Race I think has been the most challenging 5-miler I have run. I say that not because of the condition I came to the race with, nor the warmer weather, but just because of the consistently rolling and challenging hills. I have run some pretty hilly 8K's and 5-milers on cross-country courses, yet I do not think they had the quantity of hills that this one did. I am sure there are even much tougher ones out there, and I think that this one sufficiently made me want to stay away from that distance for a while, haha!

So looking back I really think that this endeavor was not about how strong I could appear for doing those three races in one day: It was about allowing those experiences to wear me down so that it was less of my efforts and more of God's grace and provision, which was more than I needed to get through (I got to take home some hardware)!! I wanted to thank all of you who prayed for me, cheered for me, and supported/encouraged me in some way (and that includes all of you I met that day at the races too). I think that this was a worthwhile experience, at least spiritually. I think it humbled me with my running in a way that I think I needed to be. I do not see myself doing something like this again anytime soon, and if I do, I would really prefer to have done more longer runs as to help "train" specifically towards, than I did with this (I sorta found out I could perhaps do this within a week beforehand). I would also pay more attention to the weather and make sure I maintain good hydration habits. I wanna say that that may help me run faster, though I have to remember that God worked through me when I was weak, and when He is at work, it is GOOD! I am grateful for how God helped these three races to fall on the same day, in the locations that they did, at the times that they did, and under the collaboration and leadership that it did, and that it drew the participation that it did. I think that all helped make this experience what it was...
In my weakness, God is strong. In my fading, God brings power and life :)

Races I ran on Saturday, March 20, 2010

9 A.M. - Inaugural Francie's Family 5K - Middletown Park, Middletown (Frederick County), MD - 10th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) - 21:07.25

11 A.M. - 2nd Annual Matt Boles 5K Fun Run - East Middle School, Westminster (Carroll County), MD - 23:54

1 P.M. - 28th Annual "Forest of Needwood"/"Jennifer Schafer Odom Memorial" 5 Mile Road Race - Knoxville/Petersville/Brunswick (Frederick County), MD - 35th overall (25-29 male age group division winner) - 44:57 (clock time), 44:55 (watch time)

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

May God bless your Easter in a victorious way with joy, peace, and love :)

Survived doing three road races in one day!

2010-03-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I am fine and recovering all right from yesterday's (Saturday, March 20's) effort to run a the inaugural Francie's Family 5K Fun Run, the Matt Boles 5K Fun Run, and the 28th Annual Forest of Needwood/Jennifer Shafer Odom Memorial 5-Mile Race was a success! I will relate the details hopefully in the near future. It was humbling to see that I have quite a ways to go to get back into the running shape I was in like last spring and in the few recent years. I am grateful that God really blessed me by getting me through the races despite some health and logistical challenges (nothing serious), and with great memories. Take it easy everyone!

March Running Off To A Fairly Nice Start For Me!

2010-03-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I hope you all are enjoying this more spring-like weather (well at least around the central Maryland area it is feeling that way). I am grateful that with longer daylight hours, I feel like I have had more consistent time to run, and as a result, I think things are going in a positive direction with it for the first time since we got the almost-three-feet-of-snow a little over a month ago. It feels good to be able to run up and down hills again!

On Sunday, March 7, 2010, I did a fun, low-key race, the first race I had done in almost two months. It was the Howard County Striders' Weekly Winter Series (a.k.a. "Operation Iceberg")#6 at Oakland Mills High School, where they had a 2-mile race and a 6-mile race that involved running the two-mile loop three times. I am not much for running laps though I wanted to go further and run at an easier pace, so I did that. I have run this course several other times over the past 10+ years, my slowest time being about 45:48 on Wednesday, August 18, 1999 (this was when I was the summer just before starting my sophomore year of high school and I had done a long run earlier that day at cross country practice, so no wonder why I felt like I was huffing and puffing a bit). Then, around June of 2004 (during the summer break between my sophomore and junior years of college), I ran my fastest time on that course to date, a relatively even-paced 38:36. So there is over an eight-minute range of times I had run on this course. Yet, I was glad I had run it on this pleasantly warm day.
My first mile was about 7:14, not too bad. The second mile was real consistent, coming through in 14:28, the result of another 7:14 mile. Then, I slowed quite a bit the third mile, which I went through in about 22:04 thereabouts. Mile 4 was about 29:35ish I wanna say. However, at that point I was starting to feel a little better. I had thought that due to my level of fitness, I thought I was gonna run my slowest time on the course to-date (slower than the 45:48 I had run there over 10 years ago), though when I saw that I was on pace to actually run it in under 45 minutes, I think that helped get my hopes up, and I felt myself begin to pick up the pace on the third and final lap. I went through five miles in about 37:01, and then ran about 6:54 that last mile to finish in 43:55. I was huffing and puffing after that, and running the last mile of a six-mile race in just under 7 minutes felt like me running the last mile of a six-mile race in just under 6 minutes (just to show how far I feel like I gotta go to get back into the kind of running shape I have been in the last coupla years). However, I am certainly not complaining, because I am fairly happy with the consistent pacing of this relatively flatter race that I ran, not to mention I had managed to run the second half a little faster than the first. This was my third-slowest/fourth-fastest time I had run on this course, so that was encouraging for me to think about as I consider myself in the "getting back into solid running shape" condition at the moment.

Last Saturday (March 13, 2010), I ran my fourth race this year so far: The "Third Helping" of the Pi Mile (3.14-mile) Trail Run at Patuxent High School in Lusby (Calvert County), MD. This was a pretty hilly (and muddy from recent rain) cross-country course held for its third consecutive year around the date of March 14 (get it, March 14 is 3/14 on the calendar, just like pi (the mathematical number that is 3.14...), and therefore the race is 3.14 miles (just a slight bit longer than a 5-kilometer distance of 3.1 miles). They even gave PIES away as prizes, pretty clever :)
The mud and turns on the course made it difficult to pick up any solid momentum. That did not upset me much, as I expected to run slower (heck, I was expecting to run around 22 minutes to cover a distance I would have expected to have covered at least a minute faster on other kinds of courses). So I went through the first mile at the top of a rather steep hill with these wooden "railroad crosses" (I think that's what they referred to those wooden blocks as) in about 7:28. I felt like I had run a mile in 6:28. Haha!
The second mile had some interesting hills. I almost fell on my behind coming down this steady and wet hill, and then coming up`another hill I slid and fell forward and my glasses came off (but fortunately they did not break like in that St. Roch Trail Run in Cecil County, MD last July). I quickly grabbed them up and crawled up the remaining yard or two of the hill (which I later found out was called "crawler's hill", and I found out first-hand why a little bit. Fortunately I was not hurt and I figured I was already going slow enough. Soon after I went through two miles in about 14:58, having only slowed a couple of seconds off of the 7:28 one-mile I ran. Well so much for hitting 22 minutes (a time that I would have to average 7:20-per-mile to hit), but with as tired as I was feeling I did not really care too much at that point. I just hoped to make it through safely without taking a major face-plant.
Fortunately, within the third mile I think I was finally able to get into a stable rhythm, and I believe that the last 1.14 miles of the race were my fastest (I think the last mile I ran there may have been right around the low-to-mid 7:20's, just slightly faster than what I was averaging. The last mile was much the same as the first two: Narrow, but safe trails and open fields around the Patuxent High School campus. I ran up the last hill coming out of the woods, and then it was pretty much flat from there. I ran by the track and finished close behind a younger gentleman in a time of 23:29. This is definitely slower by comparison to other 5K's I have run this year alone, however, given the muddy, slippery, and hilly conditions, it felt like I had run under 21 minutes thereabouts, and I was happy to have finished the race at that point. It was awesome to have my girlfriend, Kay, there cheering me on from the car (by honking the horn when I came near the parking lot), and then walking across the field in her nice pretty dress shoes to cheer me on at the finish line. She is so wonderfully encouraging :) It was also a bonus I got to come away with a nice blueberry lattice pie from finishing in the top-two in my 20-29 age group, yummy!!!!

So these past couple of racing experiences have been encouraging to me. I know I do not currently have as much speed as have had before, though God-willing that can improve. It seems like I have been blessed with a nice solid pacing ability. My paces throughout both of these races have been pretty even and I have been able to finish the last mile of both of these races relatively strongly. I am happy about these and I think it has given me confidence to attempt something unique tomorrow: I am going to try to run in three road races between Carroll and Frederick Counties in the central-western Maryland region. God-willing if I can make it to and through these races, that will be a personal record for me of running in three ROAD races in one day. I have run two road races in one day, and of course at track meets I have run more than three events in one day, so this should be a bit of a different experience. The first one I hope to do is the inaugural Francie's Family 5K Fun Run at Middletown Park in Middletown (Frederick County), MD starting at 9 A.M. I have run before at Middletown Park in races with the Howard County Junior Striders when I was in the eighth grade, and then in my senior year I ran at Middletown High School for the 2A South Regional Championships for Outdoor Track & Field. It's a nice area, and plenty of nice memories (which I can get into later if anyone is interested). After the Francie's Family 5K Fun Run (http://franciesfamily5k.com/?page=about), I hope to get over to a little eastbound to Carroll County for the second annual Matt Boles 5K Fun Run in Westminster (it should be a cross-country race from what I hear). The Matt Boles 5K Fun Run is scheduled to start around 11 A.M. Then, at 1 A.M. the 28th Annual Forest of Needwood/Jennifer Shafer Odom Memorial Run 5 Mile Road Race is scheduled to take place in Petersville (in Frederick County again). I have not run this five-mile race before. As a matter of fact, all three of these races are ones I have yet to do.

I know I am not in the best running shape compared to what I have been (at least speed-wise), though I am confident that God has equipped me to and will help me through this endeavor, and hopefully I can have fun with it too! I am excited that Kay is enthusiastic about it as well it seems. I know she does not run, though she is very supportive of me in this area of my life :)
As far as specific goals for the races, I hope to run at last one of the 5K's in the lower end of 20 minutes (and that would more likely occur at Francie's Family 5K Fun Run since that is the first one and the other 5K, the Matt Boles 5K Fun Run is cross country which could have all sorts of challenging terrain). I would like to finish the Forest of Needwood/Jennifer Shafer Odom Memorial Run 5 Mile Road Race around 35 minutes (a pace averaging seven minutes-per-mile). It would be cool to place in my age group in at least one of the races to be eligible for an age group award. We will see. I think those time goals should be fairly challenging for the kind of shape that I am in, and God-willing I do all three of these races tomorrow, it should total up to about 11.2 miles worth of races, and I have not done a long run much longer than around 7 miles. I am gonna have to trust God on helping me run and pace these races smart. I hope I am well fed and not feeling ill or injured. IF I do not achieve any of these goals tomorrow, that is fine, I think this will be a neat and fun experience, and with my second part-time job, it probably will not be that very often I will get to do this. I want to enjoy the experience, and I think that is one of my larger goals for this, and that seems quite achievable!

All right, thank you all for stopping by, and I hope that you have a blessed and enjoyable weekend :)

Races I Have Done This Year as of Friday, March 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

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

I guess every county in Maryland got snow...

2010-02-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

... And of course me and this blog would probably be one of the few to mention that. Hahaha. I am sure it is no big secret about all the snow we got the other week (and depending upon where you live in the Mid-Atlantic or New England regional areas of the United States of America, you are still getting the snow). Where I live around the Baltimore area of Maryland, we have reached some record-breaking snowfall accumulations with the snow that began on Friday, February 5 and continued onward to like maybe late Saturday February 6. I got snowed in at my parents' house in Howard County, MD, where we got like 33.8 inches, which I think is more snow than I had seen in my life. Then, just when we were able to begin to shovel ourselves out, more snow came on Tuesday, February 9 through Wednesday, February 10. As a result, I was out of work for over a week since I work a coupla jobs as a teachers' aide in the Howard County Public School System.

It was nice to spend a week with my parents (and we were joined by my younger brother just before the second snow storm hit) and get some nice family time in of watching movies and playing games. I know some people had it much much rougher than we, and I hope that if that is you, that you are feeling better. I appreciated the downtime, I did not even mind too much shoveling the snow, and it was great that my parents had a treadmill that I could run on. I typically find running on them a bit uncomfortable and monotonous at times, yet I was grateful to at least have something to run on.

This "second winter break" from school reminded me of the Blizzard of '96, which occurred in the winter of 1996 when I was a sixth grader. Just like this recent snow, the Blizzard of '96 probably occurred right around the same time all this snow did, and it closed schools in Howard County's Public School System for at least a week, giving us a "second winter break" in that this happened after the typical winter break that includes Christmas and New Year's. I was at the same place as I was during the Blizzard of '96; my parents' house. Except this time, instead of playing videogames, sledding and building snow forts, I occupied myself by doing things on the internet, watching t.v., talking on the phone with friends (especially Kay), doing a little homework, and running on my parents' treadmill. Amazing how much I have grown in fourteen years thereabouts, haha!

One other thing that was great for me personally was to look at closings throughout the state of Maryland, and to see all the different counties mentioned and to think of how awesome God is to have helped me do something I really enjoy in each of those Maryland counties: Run races! it was something great to think about, even if Howard County Public Schools eventually had to open on their regularly scheduled time and I had to go back to work, haha!

The last race I ran was the Mighty Medford Freeway 5K Run in the Westminster area of Carroll County, MD on Sunday, January 10, 2010. I thought by now I would have done a little more than two races so far this year, but I am not at all disappointed. I realize going this long without doing a race can seem like quite a stretch for me, but I guess since I have some different priorities and that I am not quite in as strong of running shape as I was before, maybe I feel a little less inclined to do as many races. I know all this snow has canceled and postponed quite a few races throughout Maryland as well as the surrounding states. God-willing, I hope to do some more races once again around early-to-mid March (more on that later). Jeez, it could very well be over two months for me without doing a race depending on how things go, though I am not complaining.

All right, thank you all for stopping by and I hope you have a blessed evening :)

The Forty-Fourth Super Bowl Championship :)

2010-02-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

I think I just saw the best and most captivating Super Bowl that I have ever seen in Miami, Florida: Super Bowl XXXXIV: The Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. As usual, I was pulling for the underdogs, the New Orleans Saints. This was actually their first Super Bowl competition, and also, several years ago I am sure they were adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Needless to say, it was awesome to see a team who had gone through all that get to the Super Bowl by God's grace!

The Colts were up 10-0 for a little bit during the first part of the game, but then with a coupla field goal kicks, the Saints caught back up to the Colts, and then the lead changed between the two teams twice until at the end of the third quarter, the Colts were narrowly leading, 17-16. During those first few quarters, this player from the Saints made a successful field goal kick of around 50 yards, and set a record as a result for three kicks made that were outside of forty yards. To have seen a Super Bowl record made from someone on the underdog team (when they were trailing the Colts by several points after the Colts had regained the lead), it was truly inspiring to me and personally, I think that was just a little better than what happened in the fourth quarter.

Not long after the fourth quarter began, the Saints made a touch down, then after a challenge with the referees, barely made a two-point conversion. They had a 24-17 lead over the Colts at this point, and like a good portion of the game, myself and other gentlemen I was at a Super Bowl party with, watched in rapt attention for what would happen next in this close Super Bowl championship. Then, unexpectedly, one of the players on the Saints intercepted the ball while the Colts were on offense and made a great run for a clean touchdown, followed by a successful field goal kick that put the game at 31-17 with the underdog Saints making an incredible comeback (well in my opinion it was incredible; I am really not much of a televised sports buff). The New Orleans Saints went on to win, 31-17, even though the Indianapolis Colts had come close to scoring another touchdown towards the end of the fourth quarter. Both teams seemed to play really hard and I am grateful that God blessed the Saints with a win at their first Super Bowl. I think the New Orleans Saints simply making it to the Super Bowl despite the adversity they have faced that I touched on before earlier in this post, is an inspiring testimony of how God can work through and achieve mighty things from the more unlikely. I am not saying the New Orleans Saints are lousy in their abilities at all, I am just saying it seemed that the Colts were more favored in their chances of winning the Super Bowl this year. I even thought that. I am glad I was wrong!

So yes, I wanted to share my brief thoughts on this evening's Super Bowl Championship, and how inspiring it was to see how strong and professional both teams played. I think that was everything I want to see in a Super Bowl game: A nice competitive game where especially the underdogs play a great game (and that kicking record by that gentleman on the New Orleans Saints was a real highlight for me to see and just an awesome bonus :) Thank you all for stopping by, please stay warm and safe :)

Races I have done so far in 2010!

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

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

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

Praxis II

2010-02-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

Image from: http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.fab2360b1645a1de9b3a0779f1751509/?vgnextoid=48c05ee3d74f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&WT.ac=Praxis+Brochure+and+Front+Door

Hey there everyone, I have some excellent news. Those of you who know me and who have been following this blog know that I am trying to become a certified teacher. To be a certified public school teacher in Maryland, you are required to take pass some Praxis Exams. Over two years ago, God helped me pass Praxis I, and on Saturday, January 9, 2010, He helped me pass the Praxis II exam by over ten points! I am so happy, because that is one step closer towards earning teacher certification. I am not the best test-taker, and I have heard it said that the Praxis II is more challenging than the Praxis I (but I thought they were a little similar). I am relieved that God passed that exam for me!

Thank you all for stopping by, and I appreciate your prayers and support for me on my future endeavors. Take care and be well :)

On the apparent cutting of the Carroll County, Maryland Public Schools' Indoor Track & Field Program - My take (with a geographical spin)

2010-02-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

I am sure that if you are an avid runner living around the Baltimore, Maryland area (such as I) or in the surrounding counties, you have probably caught wind of some news that I at least find unsettling: Due to budgetary concerns, Indoor Track & Field (which is a winter sport), could be getting cut from the athletics program(s) in the Carroll County Public School System. Carroll County is more rural and very hilly county moving out towards the western area of Maryland, neighboring Frederick and Howard Counties just to name a couple, and it is one of Maryland's counties that sits along the Maryland-Pennsylvania state line. Carroll County has about eight public high schools to my knowledge who have running programs. When I heard this was happening, pretty close to home, I was pretty startled.
I understand that there are probably sound reasons for doing this, but it is hard to sit and be aware that this is going. I understand that we are in economically difficult times, and as a result, many businesses and organizations (like public school systems) are on tighter budgets, which no doubt would lead them to have to make tough decisions about what to cut and what to keep. It would be nice if they did not do away with the indoor track program, though. I remember when I ran for Hammond High School in Howard County, Maryland, Carroll County was right next store and usually we would have about two meets of the season over in Carroll County, and then we would run against Carroll County teams more often at other meets. Then in indoor and outdoor track, we would see Carroll County's teams at various meets as well. Them taking this program away from Carroll County would be like taking away a part of my high school days, in that their schools were a part of our school's competition on a fairly regular basis in cross-country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field from regular season meets to championship-caliber meets.
I know this seems to just be targeting the Indoor Track & Field programs of Carroll County's Public School System, but my point is is that they have reputably had great running programs, programs that would help make names for their schools and bring those said schools some hardware in the form of trophies and rewards. Though, as you can tell by my previous posts, I know there is much more to running than the extrinsic lure of earning hardware for faring well in competitive running.

Anyway, let me take a break from my editorializing on this. I recently became aware of this when I was invited to the "Save Carroll County Indoor Track & Field" group on the Facebook.Com Part of me could not believe it, but then again, in light of current economic difficulties, it did not surprise me that a public school system would have to make such cuts to fiscally support itself (AND I AM NOT JUSTIFYING THIS, I AM JUST TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF IT THE WAY THE PROPONENTS OF CUTTING INDOOR TRACK SEE IT)! I have read a couple of articles over the internet on this subject, and I want to share links to a couple of them.

For a brief background article on the Carroll County Public School System's ideas about this, I found on this Facebook group, please check out this below statement:

Category: Public School Athletics
Region: United States of America
Target: Carroll County Public Schools Board of Education and Carroll County Maryland Board of Commissioners
Background (Preamble):
On January 13, 2010 the CCPS Superintendent presented his FY2011 budget recommendations to the Board of Education, initiating the budget process. The recommendations included the proposed elimination of freshman sports and indoor track programs, saving an estimated $92k and $31k, respectively.

The elimination of indoor track and freshman sports in Carroll County MD would be detrimental to the students and community. We feel that there are viable, sustainable financial alternatives to cutting these programs that do not require making cuts in instructional services.

So not only due to budgeting reasons are they thinking of cutting the Indoor Track & Field programs, but freshman sports as well. Wow. I suppose these kinds of sports must have subconsciously or consciously been marginalized by the school cultures of this school system (well I am not saying that as a fact, but it would appear so since these seem the first to be cut). It would seem that way in just about any school system. It seems like it is the football, basketball, baseball, and lacrosse games that bring in the large crowds and get a lot more hype than do the running programs. I mean, when was the last time you heard of a 5K foot race or a track meet being held for a high school's homecoming? I am sure such things exist or have occurred before, but they are not too common. I am not trying to victimize high school runners because it seems like their sport has been seen as a minority in terms of the attention and media it gets compared to others, but it just seems like it is getting the "short end of the stick" with this. And freshman sports!!!! Whoa! Hold up! That is not even about track & field anymore. That is a larger thing that I will not perseverate on much more in this post, however, I really feel that from my own experience, that freshman can successfully make transitions from middle/junior high schools to high schools through sports and the work ethic developed from practicing and competing in sports. They can learn lessons and effective work habits that could help them succeed throughout their lives in many different areas.

I can tell you from my own subjective experience that God used running in high school to really help me turn into an academically-driven student from one who could have cared less about school and would have been fine settling for less-than-mediocre performance in life. I know life is not all about achieving, but my gosh, I felt more alive in the more aggressive and stronger approach that I took to life, and that approach I felt was mostly due to what the Lord taught me through years of practicing hard, competing hard, and committing to it steadfastly for the over 10 years I have been running. God used this same kind of work ethic to help me keep my grades up, improve my attitude in school and in life in general (which is a huge plus), and He used it to help me persevere in my endeavors to run races in every county of Maryland. Had I not been running and competing my freshmen year, my high school experience (and probably my experiences on the cross country and track teams in later years of high school) would have been totally different, and quite possibly, it may have been a more negative difference if I knew me back then, haha!

All right, I am gonna stick to more articles in talking about this. My opinion can only do so much. I came across this article written by a gentleman named David Griffin, who is a running coach and who seems like quite an influential voice in the Carroll County running scene. If you would like to read his column in the Carroll County Times, then please check out: http://www.carr.org/~wrrc/column/24January10.htm

After reading this, I felt more touched by this issue about the indoor track programs. It was what he learned from striving for those medals that has lasted, not just the medals he earned. Such important life lessons could be learned from this sport that is being cut from Carroll County. This really made me feel bad about what the school system was going to do with the indoor track & field programs, and at the same time it made me PROUD to have gone through such a program and to have that as a significant part of my high school experience.

I also came across what this woman said in regards to them cutting the program:

It has come to my attention that the board might consider cutting out
the Indoor Track Winter Sport for Carroll Co. Schools next year. This
is a great program that costs very little in comparison to other
sports. The kids buy thir own gear and pay an athletic fee to cover
some of the expenses. This is a sport where students can excel on
their own and stand out. This is an activity that requires time and
good grades and good health as well. What a great way to keeps kids
involved in school, stay healthy and feel confident. Cutting out the
program would be crazy.

In this succinct statement, the woman brings up a few good points. It is definitely an activity that requires time (I remember getting out of school and often going to the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore City or the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover/Prince George's County, MD for indoor track meets, and not leaving until sometimes as late as well after 9 PM in the evening and getting back home closer to 10:30/11ish at night, and still have quite a bit of homework to do for school the next day, which began a little after 7 in the morning. Not only does it require time, but discipline and endurance as well. However, I know that things can get much more challenging than that, and actually I would say any kind of intramural or interscholastic sport would require good grades, and good health, so indoor track & field is no better or worse than any other sport IN REGARDS TO DEMANDING HEALTHIER CHOICES FROM THEIR PARTICIPANTS! Though, she brings up a striking point that indoor track & field does not cost as much as other sports in that it does not require as much of expensive sports gear (i.e. sticks, protective pads and guards, etc) as some of the other interscholastic sports. So it begs the question, why cut something that does not strain the budget too much??

Well, looking at it from another angle, indoor track usually can not have competitions at the high schools (and I have not heard of any high schools that have indoor tracks, but they could very well exist), so they have to TRAVEL BY BUS to indoor track & field facilities where many different schools can compete. Sometimes, for the larger regional or state championships, it is not unusual for schools to travel from different parts of the state to get to the facility where the championship meet is being held. So, the bus fares, gas prices, and other such fees involved with traveling to meets (not to mention admission fees for teams to compete at the meets) can get costly, and from doing a little reading on this, may be another significant reason why Carroll County may want to see this program being cut.
Then again, Carroll County is not that far from the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore City, the Community College of Baltimore County's indoor track at their Catonsville Campus in Baltimore County, the Hagerstown Community College indoor track in Washington County, or the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex. Not to pick on other counties, but some schools pretty well down in the southern Maryland tri-county region would have just as long (if not a longer) commute to even get to the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex, which I think is the southern-most indoor track & field facility used for these track meets ON THIS SIDE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY! I wonder if these school systems are considering doing this to their indoor track & field programs because of the commuting. I am not trying to pick on different areas of Maryland. Let's look over at the western and mid-shore areas of the Maryland Eastern Shore (from Cecil eastward to Dorchester County). They would probably pretty much be going either all the way to Salisbury (Wicomico County) to run at the Youth and Civic Center there, or the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's indoor track in Princess Anne (Somerset County), or across the Bay Bridge to get to one of the facilities on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay. I'd say that is a much more lengthy commute for them than it is for Carroll County teams to get to Hagerstown Community College, or other venues around the Baltimore or Washington D.C. area. And as for the far east side of the Maryland Eastern Shore (i.e. Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties), they would probably have used the aforementioned facility at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and then for the larger championship meets they would have to drive for well over an hour across the Maryland Eastern Shore, and then come across the Chesapeake Bay to the facilities. It is a good thing they opened up this new indoor track & field facility in the Snow Hill area of Worcester County, so perhaps it can help cut down on the commuting a bit for some of these Eastern Shore counties, and therefore help save on funds that would probably have otherwise been used for longer bus trips to meets further away.
And oh boy, I really hope this kind of thing does not happen to those excellent running teams out in the far western Maryland counties (such as Allegany and Garrett Counties). If they do not have any indoor facilties in West Virginia or southwestern Pennsylvania, I think their nearest indoor track & field facility in Maryland is at least a good hour or so away eastward at the Hagerstown Community College. Good gosh, now that is a haul! For example, think about like Southern Garrett High School in the Oakland area of Garrett County (Maryland's western-most county, and I again I am not making fun of any particular school), but that is like over 2 hours and over 100 miles according to MapQuest.Com
If people are thinking it is a longer commute for Carroll County Public Schools to get to indoor track & field meets, look at how some of these southern-most, eastern-most, and western-most counties have to travel from their schools to get to these meets! I understand that indoor track & field may require more commuting on a consistent basis more than other sports because they can not really hold competitions at their schools, but at the same time, it is not like Carroll County schools have all that far to travel for their regular and championship meets COMPARED to some other schools. I AM NOT SAYING, let's go eliminate the indoor track & field programs of these geographically-distant-from-indoor-track-&-field-facilities, schools because of their longer consistent commutes, but it helps to keep in PERSPECTIVE that COMPARED to some other schools, Carroll County schools do not have that far to commute.

I realize that some of these more "geographically distant" schools come from counties that probably have no more than two or three more public high schools, and those schools are smaller 1A or 2A division schools. So perhaps, those schools do not require as much money from their school system as Carroll County may, since Carroll County has it's share of larger 3A and 4A public high schools. Then again, the larger populations of these schools could also be just as well supplying the school system with more money that would make its spending and doling out to different schools proportional to that of the smaller schools and smaller school systems throughout Maryland, through the tax dollars of the residents of the school districts. I am no economist by ANY MEANS, but that is also a possible factor to consider in analyzing and making a decision for this issue. Then again, that point could all be in my mind...

So I believe I have shared all the facts as well as opinions of some others on this issue. If I am wrong or I misquoted/misrepresented any one or any information, I sincerely apologize and will try to correct it. I know I definitely threw in my input as well. This is a blog I mainly use to talk about my running,and everyone now and then I like to hear from what you all think. I am trying to entertain both sides of this decision so as to see it for what it truly is, and also to INVITE your input on it as you would care to share.

Below, I will now include my reaction to it and if you disagree with any of it, I will not be offended and I will not offend you in return:

You may be shocked to see that after I have said all this and interpreted some of these facts and ideas earlier in this post, that I think it is most important to submit to the authorities in this. If you think I perseverated, analyzed, researched, and speculated a great on this, well the authorities on this have no doubt done more and did a more thorough job of it. As much as I see the highly apparent benefits of indoor track & field in high school, I personally believe that God has appointed these authorities in schools and we should be obedient to them (as with any authority). There are reasons why this is happening, and however this all plays out, there are better reasons for it than I can conceive.

I really hope that this program does not get cut, though I know that God has a plan for this situation, even though it can be hard to understand it. I think that indoor track & field can really help student athletes by helping them develop discipline, endurance, prioritization and time-management skills, conditioning for different sports. I know that especially from when I was in high school, some of the greatest student athletes at Hammond High School had done indoor track & field for at least one season, if only to get in shape and conditioned for other sports. Not only runners, but football players, baseball players, tennis players, soccer players, and lacrosse players would come together on the track team, and running really seemed to help them in their game. I think that taking out indoor track & field would be eliminating a valuable opportunity for athletes to grow and develop in various ways.

Like Mr. Griffin wrote in the Carroll County Times, he had come away with memories and experiences from indoor track & field that has helped to see success not just in the form of tangible awards, but as a consistent process, one that can require risks, courage, and perseverance. If you could not tell, that article really resonated with me and my plethora of memories of indoor track in high school (including the practices).

I honestly used to really dislike indoor track & field. It did not take me long to dread going to practice in the cold of the late fall and winter. Not only was I consistently tired at practice from staying up late doing homework some nights, but some evenings when we would have meets on school nights, I would be fortunate to catch a few precious hours of sleep from getting back late, doing homework, getting up early for school, and then going to practice to run some more. The first time I stayed up all night doing homework in high school came after I went to the Maryland State Championships at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore City, to watch and cheer the team on, and then I came home later that night and did make-up work for school. There was also one time in the winter of my junior year of high school that I probably got about 14 minutes of sleep, because I was up late doing chemistry homework after a fairly long meet. God helped me get through that fairly well at the time, though it was even more difficult if I would go to a meet and not run very well compared to others (there were times I came pretty close to finishing last, and I definitely did not enjoy being overlapped by a majority of the runners in the 3,200-meter race, the longest race they would have there). If I would stay up late because of an indoor meet, and then not even do well, I would feel like it was more of a waste of time (even though setbacks are a part of success and not outright failures). You could do homework at the meets, but it was pretty distracting and I probably did not get as much done there as I could. We almost always seemed to run against the same teams in Howard County, so to me it was pointless to keep going as the results would almost always the seem (or so it seemed to me with my negative attitude towards it). During my freshman year, I had considered multiple times not coming back to the team the following year. However, my sophomore year saw many improvements in my running times, and I actually felt more inspired to stick with it. Why, I was even blessed to be on the 4x800 meter relay varsity team, and we even got to compete at the Maryland State Championships in 2000 (this was an event where four people on a team would each run 800 meters/four laps around that track/approximately a half-a-mile). Looking back, I was grateful that I stuck with it, and there were some great memories I have had of my time with indoor track & field:

- In December of 1998, I ran my first sub-12-minute 3,200-meter (virtually 2-miler) in under 12 minutes as a high school freshman(an 11:55, followed by an 11:53 later in February of 1999 at the Regional Championships)

- In February of 2000, I ran 2:21 in the 4X800 Relay at the Maryland State Meet my sophomore year, and we actually placed first in the slower heat (and I think we placed 7th overall). My 2:21 was my best time for that distance so far at the time, and even though I still brought the slowest time out of the four of us on the team, I was glad to have helped us do well in the Maryland State Meet.

- In the winter of 2001 during my junior year, I was on a junior varsity (jv) 4X400-meter relay team, and we won our heat. I was the third leg and I was not the best sprinter. That did not matter. We were so happy!

- On Wednesday, January 15, 2002, I ran my first sub-5-minute 1,600-meter (virtually a mile) in under 5 minutes my senior year of high school (a 4:58.8 according to my dad and coach, and a 4:59.1 according to the official timing). I had been wanting to break five minutes for about two years up to that point, and I remember not feeling so hot that evening. I had just run 2:15 in the 4X800, a personal best time for me in the 800-meter distance by about 3 seconds, and did not expect much of myself in the 1,600. However, I went through the first half in 2:28, three-quarters of it in 3:47, and then finished it in about 4:58.8, so I had a fairly even pace with a pretty quick last quarter. Then, I ran the 3,200 in about 11:44, and I felt like I was kind of coasting through that with happiness of running under 5 minutes for the first time and also having another personal best time in the 4X800-meter relay. That was one of the best indoor track & field meets I have ever had :)

I am not trying to brag here, but those are just awesome experiences and memories that I treasure that God brought to me through indoor track & field. I think indoor track & field is a wonderful way to gain terrific experiences and make valuable memories to say the least. I do think that there are some people that could be messed up academically if they allow for some of the consistent practices and late-nights at indoor track meets, to interfere with their school work and them living a healthy life with eating and sleeping enough. However, it would seem a majority of students would benefit and grow well from such programs (especially freshmen and sophomores). It would be sad to see a county, especially one who seems to have terrific running programs such as Carroll County, have to cut indoor track & field programs.

I have recently caught wind that this same kind of decision may be facing Frederick County Public Schools' Indoor Track & Field programs, which is a county just west of Carroll County. I am not going to get into that, but Frederick County is where I have had some of my very first outdoor track & field and cross country meets in middle school when I ran for the Howard County Junior Striders' running program. This probably sounds corny, but I would probably get a little emotional if something happened to Frederick County's running programs, since that is an area where many of my earliest running races and memories occurred.

In conclusion, I want to tell the young high school ladies and gentlemen involved in Carroll County Public School's Indoor Track & Field programs (or hoping to be in the future). If they get cut despite all the benefits and assets of high school indoor track & field, understand that there are good reasons for it and that. These are economically rough times, and even though programs like indoor track & field can do so much good for high school students, there are even more important things to be considered. The authorities in the Carroll County Public School System are no doubt working very hard and would probably not wish to have to let any athletic program go if they could allow it and still maintain a good budget. I would encourage you athletes (or aspiring athletes) to keep running, training, jumping, throwing, and weight-lifting, even if they cut indoor track & field from your schools. Do not give up on your passions. Your abilities of running and competing in track & field events, as well as your passions for it, were gifts given to you by a loving God whose grace, wisdom, and providing for you can not be stopped by the decisions of a school system. You can still use those gifts (even though I think that having indoor track & field would be a terrific outlet for it in a competitive manner that would also develop camraderie). If nothing else, please stay in shape for outdoor track & field or another sport that you would normally use indoor track & field to get conditioned for. At least they still have road races open to the public year-around in Carroll County. The Eldersburg Rogue Runners (which I was a member of and information on can be found at http://www.errun.org), the Flying Feet Running Program, and the Westminster Road Runners Club (http://www.carr.org/~wrrc) are organizations that coordinate these events in the Carroll County and surrounding areas. The Westminster Road Runners Club and Facebook.Com have done well in making me aware of this situation with the Indoor Track & Field programs in Carroll County. My point is please keep training and do not be discouraged because you may not have high school indoor track & field (which is easier said than done). Just know that your ability to run and your enjoyment of it is a gift, and like other gifts, you do not want to take them for granted or allow negative situations (like no more high school indoor track & field in your school district) to lead you to turn away from your gift. You all deserve to see those gifts come to fruition to the fullest extent that God intended them too! Therefore, please be encouraged and know that even though people can take away programs to showcase and develop your abilities and talents, but they can never take away your heart, aspirations, abilities, talents, and callings! You were made for more than to lose heart and your gifts from your Creator because of surrounding circumstances!

Running so far in 2010

2010-01-25T05:22:00.000-08:00

That is me finishing the Mighty Medford Freeway 5K in Carroll County, Maryland on Sunday, January 10, 2010 (this photo is courtesy of Karsten Brown)!

Greetings everyone, I hope this new year has found everyone well. If you are a running enthusiast like myself, I hope this winter weather has not kept you from it. I am grateful to say I have been able to find time to run a little more consistently. Right now I am working the two jobs as a teachers' aide and starting next week, I begin my two spring classes through Howard Community College of Concepts in Mathematics I and Reading Assessment (which go towards certification in elementary education). Being that I do not have an obligation to be in class at a certain time at the moment, I have been able to have more time to run. I can not say with the utmost confidence that my running has much improved since last fall, even though I have only run a coupla 5K's since 2010 started.

On New Year's Day (Friday, 1/1/10), I did run that Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run in Prince Frederick (Calvert County), Maryland. As you may recall from my last post I was hoping to break 20 minutes in that 5K, the first time breaking 20 in a 5K since late August of 2009, but as a result of not getting a lot of sleep the night before and my running not being the strongest, I did not think that that was the most realistic goal. I was content to run it for fun and see what would happen, and I certainly had no expectations to run it faster than 18:47, which was the time I had run on this course the other time I ran it at the beginning of 2008. The relatively hilly road race started off all right, with me going through the first mile in about 6:19. Not long after I began huffing-and-puffing, but surprisingly I must have picked up the pace as I went through the second mile in about 12:17ish. I was pleased to see this and I thought that I would not only be on pace to break 20 minutes (which is about 6:26-per-mile-pace), but that this 6:08ish-per-mile-pace would put me really close to running under 19 minutes for this 3.1-mile distance. This kinda mathematical inspiration got my hopes up and encouraged me through the next few steady hills, but as it neared about 19 minutes in the race, and I still had at least another downhill and stretch of road to go, I realized that that second mile was probably measured a bit short and that I had probably slowed down throughout the race instead of sped-up the second mile like my "second-mile split" had led me to believe. Still, God gave me the grace to finish this race pretty well. I went through 3 miles in some time I think between 20:10 and 20:20, and then I ran towards the Southern Maryland Community Network to the finish line at the base of this short but steep hill that was the Network's parking lot. I crossed the finish line in 20:34 (for some reason their timing clocked me at 20:38, but that did not bother me). I was pretty grateful for that time, and I figured that since I had run that last ".1 mile (pretty much an eighth-of-a-mile) in under 20 seconds, I figured that it was a pretty accurate 5K, but that the 3-mile mark was a little ways further than it should have been, because usually that last .1 of a 5K, I do anywhere between 32-40 seconds, and that was when I was in better shape than I was then. Typically, a 20:34 would be slower for me for a 5K compared to what I have been running these past 6 or 7 years. Considering I am getting back into shape from some inconsistent running from the past late fall and this current winter season, I am happy to have run that time on a pretty challenging course on few hours of sleep. After that race, I got to visit Kay and her family, and had plenty of fun. All-in-all, it was an awesomely wonderful New Year's holiday.

A little over a week later (Sunday, January 10), I ran the frigid and somewhat windy Mighty Medford Freeway 5K Run; a low-key race put on by the Westminster Road Runners Club in the Medford/Westminster area of Carroll County, Maryland. This out-and-back course was not has hilly as the Southern Maryland Community Network 5K Resolution Run was in Prince Frederick. Though, the cold and steady inclines and declines made it challenging enough for me. Not to mention, the turn-around point was on a relatively long and steep hill. I had been wanting to do this race for the past several years, but due to either having to work or doing other races on the same, I had not taken the time to do this one until earlier this month! I had realized towards the last minute that this race was going on on this particular weekend when I was available, and decided it may be good for me to do another 5K, especially since I did not have to travel too incredibly far from where I live in Baltimore County to get there. When I got there, I found out from the race director that they were going to call the race off due to weather, but then towards the last minute decided to have it, but as a result they did not have any tangible awards (though they did give honorable mentions to the top male, female, as well as folks who placed in like the top-two, maybe even the top-three in their age-group).
I thought this race was pretty cool for the most part (and I am not talking about the uncomfortably cold temperatures on race morning. I think I was a bit too excited to be in the race, and I think I took off too fast for the kind of shape I was in, trying to keep the lead gentleman in sight. Within the first several minutes, I felt like I was beginning to huff-and-puff and I did not feel any more energetic to say the least as other runners seem to easily go by me. I kept trying to remind myself that I was not in the shape I used to be in not so very long ago, and that I should not be starting out so assertively like that.
By the time I got to the base of the steep-hill (the top of which was the half-way point turn-around on this out-and-back course) I felt like I was losing more energy, but I knew from hearing previous descriptions of this course, that this would be the only significant uphill, and at least I was going to be getting it over with. Fortunately, there were a couple of runners not too far ahead of me as well as someone just behind me, so I had competition to focus on, and that helped.
I was pleasantly surprised to be at about 10:04 at the half-way point, and I knew that if I kept up that pace, I could probably get 20:08 or 20:09, which would just top 20:12 (my fastest 5K time run in late November at the Burke Memorial 5K, also in Westminster, MD, since I took my little break from running last October). Perhaps if God blessed me with a second wind, I may even be able to run the second half faster and break 20 minutes altogether.
Actually, that is what happened next as I ran down the steep hill: I felt a little more energetically renewed. I am glad I felt a little better because I thought on the way back, there were more steady uphills than downhills. During the last stretch of the race, I remember it being a bit windy and that made it tougher to try and finish strong. Fortunately, the finish line was on a steady downhill, which made it easy for me to dash through the finish line in 20:25, about 9 seconds faster than what I had run at the Southern Maryland Community Network's Resolution Run 5K in Prince Frederick earlier in January (which I was happy about)!

That Mighty Medford Freeway 5K was the last race I ran, and it has almost been a month ago. My running has been going all right, but I think if I were to run another 5K about now, I do not think I could do much better than I did back then. I am sure in the future God will help me to run under 20 minutes again for the 5-kilometer distance, as well as under 12 minutes again for 2 miles, and just be able to run like I was doing last year and many years before. I think this time back from break has been taking me a while to get back in shape, and I gotta be patient. I know that this winter weather has been relatively aggressive compared to winters around here these past several years, and by golly we are about to hit another potential two-foot snowfall around this area of central Maryland, and I have to remember that it has been harder to run and train more consistently in ways that have been effective for me before (such as speedwork, at least one longer one a week, and fairly consistent tempo runs). At this particular point of me working a full-time and a part-time job, as well as a mathematics class I recently enrolled in through Howard Community College (and not to mention working on becoming a certified elementary school teacher), there have been a lot of different things lately that occur on an almost daily basis that keep me occupied, and by the time I have enough time to run, it is dark out. I just hope that as the days grow longer with the coming spring, I can find more time to run outside. I also want to be mindful of making sure I have eaten enough, so that I can avoid health-related challenges I had with losing weight and running last year.

I think I mentioned in my last post that I think I could be reaching a point in my life (a point that I thought I would not reach until I was years and years older) where I may not be able to improve upon the running times and performances God helped me to achieve earlier on, and I can not allow my coming short of those performances take away my morale or the passion and joy or running that is a gift to me. Had this happened while I was running competitively on the high school and college teams, I would have been quite discouraged to say the least. I am glad that God is helping me have peace about this and recognizing that at this point in my life, my heart and mind should be focused on improving/changing other things in my life for the future. I am grateful that my aspirations to become a teacher, my relationship with Kay, and my relationship with my family and friends are not strongly affected by my struggles and triumphs with running, and I hope not to falter with those if my running is not so hot.
I am grateful I can still run. I have to remember that if I focus too much on making running all about my own self-improvement, and not about God and glorifying Him (the one who gave me the ability and joy of running), then really I am making it something that it never was meant too. That is why I make a deliberate attempt in these posts to mention how God has earned all this success for me in running races in different counties, and so on. I am confident that there are still some good things in the future where my running is involved, but those events, bad and good, and the memories of them, exist for God's purposes and glory alone.

For what it is worth, I already feel that God has helped me to have some nice work outs in the past couple of months. For one thing, there was that approximately 5.6-mile+ - distance run starting and ending at the East Columbia Branch Library in Columbia (Howard County), MD that I did in just under 39 minutes last December. I have also had some really nice runs on outdoor tracks, such as a strong 2.5-mile run in 16:29, with an increase of pace throughout the run. Then, I ran about 3.25 miles in 21:43 (which is about an average pace of 6:41-per-mile, and my first mile had been about 6:42, so I had picked it up those next coupla miles). What was cool about the 3.25-mile run was that earlier that month, I had run 3 miles in about 21:31 on a track, and then a little later that month, I had run a quarter-mile longer and I had run almost as fast as I had run the three-mile distance. I could have over-lapped myself going 3 miles at 21:31 had I been doing 3.25 miles at 21:31 or faster, haha. Anyway, I do not want to become boastful about it. Thinking about this definitely did boost my attitude towards my current running, though I know it is ultimately in God's hands. The running is not something to make me look good, it is for God's glory. I am just really blessed that God has helped me to find joy in doing something that can bring Him glory and at the same time keep me healthy (after all, our bodies are temples for God). I have to keep this in mind, first and foremost, and it goes beyond more than running.

So, I am grateful that my current running condition has left me feeling humble before and open to be used by God. I have some running goals I have thought of recently (not so much about me running in different counties as it is just improving upon times I have run on a couple of different courses) that I hope to discuss in later posts. I am glad that over a year ago I resolved to try and make running less of a priority, and I think that was that it would be so easy for me to surrender it to Him like this so that He can use it for His glory. Before running was about me reaching my full potential as a runner, now I really want to focus on bringing Him joy and glory with it and with my joy of running, whether it be competitive or recreational!!!!

Races I have done so far in 2010!

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

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

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

"It began with a New Year's resolution to cut back on racing this year..." Reflection on 2009 :)

2009-12-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

Greetings everyone,

This is the last post I plan to have on this blog for the rest of the year (aaaahhhh, I know it sounds bad, but do not worry 2010 is a mere few days away)! I figure this would be a good time to sit back and reflect/journal on my thoughts of this year (especially where running is concerned). I feel like for me, there were three big components, events, characteristics (whatever you would characterize it as) that I feel have made this year what it is for me: My health, running adventures/misadventures, and my girlfriend of a little over eight months, Kay :)

I remember this time last year I had pretty much run my last race of the year, I was in pretty strong running shape having done well at an indoor track meet in Washington County, Maryland followed by an 18:03 5K on the fairly challenging 15th Annual Race Against Time in Wilmington (New Castle County), Delaware the following day. I remember around this time, I was in the midst of a week-long stomach ache/bout of queasiness, which was part of a health concern that led me to make certain choices this year. I will just say this before I continue on: The events that occurred in my life last year effects on this year for me were VERY apparent in quite a few ways (which I will get into later on in this post). I remember around this time last year, I was 25 years-old and very happy about all of the running and racing I had done in just 2008 alone (I had run a race in every county of Maryland within a half-a-year's time period between Saturday, May 3, 2008 and Monday, November 3, 2008, as well as a race in all three counties of Delaware within a week's time period at the end of May of 2008, and I totaled 112 races last year in addition to my participation in the Kent Island High School's Relay for Life in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, the most races I have done in a year by far :)
Now I feel that my priorities have shifted quite a bit in light of some things that occurred towards the end of last year, during the course of this year, and probably also because of the economy's current condition.
Last year I made a resolution to cut back on the number of races I do this year, and I did that by almost half! And of course, I did not run a race in every county of Maryland this year, and I did not even go over to Delaware for a race this year. I have to admit, it was easier than I suspected, and if you have been keeping in touch with me, following along with my unfortunately RATHER SPORADIC blog updates, you could probably point to a few occurrences that have helped me cut back on my race quantity this year. However, a lack of quantity in races has not at all resulted in a lack of quality, positive memories, and terrific interactions with great people I have met/gotten to know better via doing races throughout Maryland. I have decided to post five of what I consider the top qualities of my running/racing this year:

1. I made a resolution to heavily cut back on the number of races I do this year, and by God's grace I did just that, cutting back significantly from last year's 112 races (and Relay for Life) to almost half as many races with 60 races this year. Knowing how I have been the past few years with racing, this would be considerably hard for me, but I felt like God was telling me it was time to cut back and not let it consume me so much. I think this is the least amount of races I have run within a year in the last three years or so. For starters, I did not do my first races until later in January this year at an all-comers' indoor track & field meet in Arlington County, VA (it was at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center's indoor track). Within a month, I felt I had to take a break from running, and then another break from running later on in the year in October due to health reasons. In addition, I wanted to save money and focus on other things, versus spending money on races I was probably not in the best condition to run anyway. Those were some of the factors that made it much easier for me to keep up that New Year's resolution, the first one I think that I have remembered and successfully carried out throughout the year.

2. By God's grace within my lifetime, I have won a race in all nine counties on Maryland's Eastern Shore (Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties).

Upon winning the 26th Annual Stillpond-to-Betterton Tree Run (a 3.6-mile rather hilly course that went from Stillpond, MD to Betterton Beach, MD in Kent County, Maryland) in 22:42, I can now say that I have won a race in all of Maryland's Eastern Shore counties in my lifetime as of Saturday, April 4, 2009.

3. By God's grace within my lifetime, I have won a race in all three of the counties that make up southern Maryland's "Tri-County Area" (Calvert, Charles, and Saint Mary's Counties).

Upon winning the 3rd Annual Archbishop Neale School 5K Run in LaPlata (Charles County), MD (which was a little longer than a 3.1-mile 5-kilometer distance) in 19:14, I can say that I have now won a race in all three of those counties in my lifetime as of Sunday, June 7, 2009.

4. By God's grade within my lifetime, I have run a race in all twelve of Howard County, Maryland's (the county I was born and raised in) public high school districts (Atholton, Centennial, Glenelg, Hammond, Howard, Long Reach, Marriotts Ridge, Mount Hebron, Oakland Mills, Reservoir, River Hill, and Wilde Lake High Schools).

As of Sunday, March 29, 2009 after running the 4th Annual Marriotts Ridge High School Mustang Stampede in Marriottsville in 18:24, I can say that I ran my first race in the only Howard County public high school district I had yet to run a race in, and wouldn't you know it, it started and ended right on the very outdoor running track of Marriotts Ridge High School!

5. By God's grace, I ran faster than 15 minutes on this pretty hilly and challenging course around the Community College of Baltimore County campus in Catonsville (which is probably just a little over two miles). I ran it last fall in about 14:58/14:59. I kicked it in pretty hard. In addition, on Friday, December 11, I ran that course I liked to run that starts and ends at the East Columbia Branch Library in Howard County, MD in under forty minutes (38:56 was what I ran). The course is probably a little over 5.5 miles, and I had thought it would have taken me longer to break 40 minutes on that course and I was blessed to have been able to have broken 39 minutes. So yea, there were at least two running courses that I ran on this year, and I broke the time goals on both of them that I wanted too :)

So those are some of the things I am really proud of this year with my running. Writing about it makes me feel happy about how I ran this year, even though there were more demoralizing points (such as this fall when I was easily getting light-headed and tired from doing simpler exercises than running, such as moving weights or stretching). That was one of two health concerns that I felt challenged by this year, and that led me to take a break from running. The first one involved the stomach aches I started to get during the last several months of 2008, which included bouts of queasiness lasting for as long as a week sometimes. Earlier this year it started to really get to me, and in February I decided to investigate it further and see some doctors. After some tests and getting some medicine for how stomach acid was affecting my sensitive stomach, I was not really bothered by it once the spring started. I was able to learn a lot about my stomach (which has always been on the sensitive side). I was grateful to not be bothered by bouts of queasiness; it felt so good to have an appetite that helped me to eat a sufficient amount to compensate for the calories burned when I ran (and earlier this month, I felt my running and health were suffering because I was not eating enough calories compared to what I was burning when I was running, because my stomach aches often discouraged me from eating much... But of course I was not discouraged from WANTING to run). After almost a month off of running from February to March (I remember on Friday, March 6 exactly from when I started running after this break), I started back steadily and at the end of March, I was running 5K's in under 6-minute-per-mile paces.

I had a great spring of running and racing, as well as a fair majority of the summer too. However, towards the end of the summer I was beginning to feel de-energized and sometimes just sick after mere training runs. I was not sure if I was getting burnt-out and needed a break, but as autumn neared, it became evident with my weight loss it was probably more of a nutritional thing. By the time October rolled around, I was gearing up for another break from running and another series of doctors appointments and tests. Among these was a trip to a dietitian who recommended with the way my stomach was, to have about six smaller meals a day (or at least try to eat every couple of hours and not eat for a while before bed), instead of the three larger meals I have grown accustomed too over the years. Apparently, such an approach to eating meals is not altogether uncommon. I have been converting to that. I can not say that I have been great at it at all, but I like to think I am improving :)

When all that was said and done (and I am grateful to have that over with and to have terrific insurance to have covered those tests and doctors visits), the doctor really was sure that I had lower blood-sugar levels at certain levels (i.e. when I exercised), hence the shortness of breath, light-headedness, relative lack-of-energy. I am not diabetic or hypoglycemic, but the doctor recommended I try to eat within about an hour before a run or race to get my blood sugar up. I tried this with weight-lifting and stretching, and I was pleased that I was able to start doing workouts again without much light-headedness. I know it seems so simple, but a lack of this approach was having unusually uncomfortable effects on me, especially when I exercised. I started back with running nice and steadily late this past October. As a result of a busy semester, coupled with recent snowy weather, I cannot promise that my running has been the most consistent (typically no more than three-to-four times a week, and sometimes without a longer run, a harder interval/speed workout, and some of my runs have been relatively shorter, like less than ten-to-fifteen minutes). However, I am grateful to be back to it.

I am definitely not running as strong as I have been in years past since I started back running this October. You can look at the races I have done between this past January and August, and you can see the contrast between the times I have been running then and more recently. I am not ungrateful, but all the same, I am hoping to get back to running the way I was before my fitness was starting to go downhill last summer, and also running as well as I have been for my level of fitness these past several years. I mean, I have often been able to break 19 minutes in 5-kilometer races, even the more challenging variety. However, the last time I broke 20 minutes was when I ran 19:12 at the 1st Annual Zoe Track Club's Lighthouse Christian Academy in Port Deposit (Cecil County), MD on Saturday, August 29, 2009, and even then, I was feeling a bit sluggish than I normally would for running that time on a fairly moderately challenging course. Since then, I feel like running lower 21's, or running under 21 minutes has been quite an endeavor! I guess this goes to help me appreciate what it really takes to run times like 20-21 minutes, and how much it really does take to run faster times than that! It is amazing how easily we take these things for granted until you can not do or have them.

I know that since the end of my time at and graduation from Salisbury University, I worked hard at different races and in training to beat if not compete with how I ran in college on Salisbury University's Cross Country and Track and Field Teams. Even some of the times I considered mediocre or weaker back then in my earlier 20's, would be cause for a celebration if I ran them now in my mid-20's. I do not attribute this loss of strength in my running to getting older, but I think it has been from health challenges, injuries (the combination of which has led me to take breaks from running a good five times or so since I graduated from Salisbury University in May of 2006. I was recently thinking and coming to surprising peace with the reality that I may never really improve upon my running times, or even come close to them again. And if that were to happen, I have resolved to be happy with the gift that God has given to be able to enjoy running, racing, and the ways that both benefit me and can glorify God, and I do not want to let the possibility that I may not again run like I recently used too, stop me from enjoying and experiencing what I feel God would want me too with running. I always thought about ten or even twenty years from now, that I would still be running competitively, and easily surpassing the way I have been running and racing currently (and when I say "currently", I am talking about the way I was running in like 2006-2008, when I would often be running under a 6-minute-per-mile pace for a 5K, breaking 39 and 40 minutes in 10K races, and running 10+-mile training runs in under a seven-minute-per-mile pace, and actually feeling pretty strong throughout much of those training runs. God can easily make that happen, I have seen Him achieve much bolder things like that with others. However, not to sound negative, that could just as well really not be part of God's plan for my life, and I have to be okay with that and love running, no matter how I do with it.

So I am going to keep at it, and God-willing, I will have many more great races, memories, and see many interesting places and meet equally interesting people with running in the years to come, whether I win the race, finish last, run way slower than I have before even though I try hard, or blow my previous best performances away.

That all said and looking back to this time last year, I would not be surprised if God was putting it on my heart to cut back on my racing and not make much of my running this year, to prepare my heart and emotions for some of the more disappointing events of this year in regards to my running, to appreciate the great events involving running this year, and to focus on other things in general (and believe me, there were plenty of others). Had my mind and ambitious been more tailored to running and racing this year as they have been for quite a few years past, I would have probably been quite demoralized with running to say the least. I would have certainly been frustrated with the health challenges, the workload between school and work, and not to mention trying to get some plans for the future in order!
As a result, I have really noticed a priority shift in how I have been doing things and spending my time between the recent ages of 24 and 26 (my current age). A couple of years ago, it seemed that much of my energy and free time was spent hanging out with with larger quantities of friends (or at least acquaintances that were friends of my friends), and going out to restaurants, movies, bowling, and parties/get-togethers. This past year or so, I have found myself missing those days as I have not been doing those things that much anymore. Nothing in particular against those activities, and believe me, I have been keeping in touch with some of my closer friends (thank you cellphone, e-mail, and Facebook :), I just notice I have not been doing that as much lately. In addition, I have been gravitating more towards the local races, and not going out as much to the Maryland Eastern Shore for races as I have done in the past few years. I had meant to get out for some races in far western Maryland (i.e. Allegany and Garrett Counties), but those plans fell through for various reasons and the furthest west I went in MD with my racing was a couple of events I did in Hagerstown (Washington County) which were fun. Get-togethers on Friday nights and weekends, going on the internet for Facebook, blogging, researching races, going to the movies at least once every month or two, has been replaced by maybe going out with a friend or two for a quiet bite to eat, more time in fellowship with people from church/Bible studies, me researching and going to different counties to look for opportunities to advance professionally as I try to finish out certification to become an elementary school teacher in Maryland. I hate to say, but I feel like I am growing out of somethings (and no I am not outgrowing running, if anything God has used that to help me grow). You know what though, in a way, this is probably necessary as I grow a little older. I hope this has not come off as depressing or negative by any means, I have just been picking up in these subtle shifts in my goals, approaches, activity, and time management that became very evident a few months after I started dating my sweetheart Kay back in mid-April this year :)

And that brings me to the third component that I feel has made this year unique to me: My girlfriend Kay! What better to inspire an at-best common man who perhaps overindulges in hobby and leisure, to "grow up" and "get his act together", then the pursuit of a princess-like, kind, caring, and authentically beautiful woman! We had been friends for well over a year (most of that time I had always had a crush on her, but never sure if I wanted more than friendship) before we became a couple, and these past 36 weeks with her have really shown me how much God wants to spoil me. We are happy together, and I feel that God has used some of the challenges I have faced over the past coupla years and then some with my health and injuries to better relate to her, and to also for me come to her vulnerable and humble with my challenges and flaws, and allow her to show me care, empathy, and compassion, qualities that I believe that she has unknowingly allowed God to develop in her that has contributed to her being the woman I am growing to like more and more. I think some of the challenges I have faced last year and this year that I mentioned, have served to strengthen our relationship by God's grace. I think this is one of the largest (if not the only) reasons why God wanted me to take my mind off of running a little bit towards the end of last year, so that I would not be let it distract me too much from the treasure of my girlfriend, who actually has been really supportive and enthusiastic about my running (as well as the friends I have met). She has been to five of my races to cheer me on so far, which I think is amazing considering she had never really been to a race in a very long time until we became a couple!! I know that I want to keep pursuing her now and in the future, and I am willing to take some big steps and risks. I know I do not have much money in the grand scheme of things (especially now since I am making payments on a great new car, paying a new auto insurance, and I even had to pick up a second part-time job after school on some weekdays as well as many Saturday mornings to help me make ends meet and have a little extra "wiggle room"). I think one of the reasons I felt like I was going a little slower in progress towards getting a teaching certificate (and believe me, I am not into teaching because of the money), was because I did not have a wonderful girlfriend that I really like and I did not realize how important it was to really try and make more money via professional advancement. I know this makes me sound like a naive simpleton, but really I was quite complacent until I realized I needed more money to be able to do the things I want to do. Kay and I have a bit of a longer distance relationship, and I want to move closer to her in MD, and to make things more confusing not including a tighter financial budget, I feel like I am in a transitional period enough trying to get between being a teachers' aide to being a teacher. I am not complaining, but it has been a pretty confusing... adventure. I am not going to go into detail about all of the different ideas and avenues I have researched (and am currently exploring) en route to teacher certification, because that would just be plain exhaustive. All I know is, without my relationship with Kay and some of these other more stifling economic circumstances, I might not have had as much motivation to advance professionally, and these confusing "hoops I gotta jump through" to advance professionally may have kicked me in the rear much more severely than they have these past few months had I just been "taking my time" with it instead of trying to "get my ducks in a row" so-to-speak. One example of how I have been spurred to take more action my professional advancement and growth has involved me taking three classes this past semester, and getting ready to take the Praxis II test as well as a class this winter semester (which is all condensed within the month of January), in addition to a couple this coming spring semester. I do not think I would have taken the initiative to have taken this much on had I not been as concerned about my future, and how my future may affect my girlfriend!

That all being said, I am not complaining at all, but I am just proud to say that these are some thoughts, actions, ideas, events, and responses on my part that I have taken in and experienced on my part this year that has helped me grow a lot in different ways. I feel like I have matured and grown in my love for God, my love of running, my appreciation for people, my family, my friends, and of course my girlfriend. I think there have been some things this year that really could have humiliated and demoralized me (at least where running is concerned), but God protected me, kept me encouraged, and allowed me to see how these are helping me to grow up, build better relationships with people, and also to really treasure Kay and what God is giving us together. Kay, if you read this, please know that you have been a very excellent girlfriend, better than anyone I deserve, and I will do my best to always be there for you the way you should have a man be there for you! Thank you sweetheart for being there in so many ways to me, even in our friendship before we became a couple!

I want to thank you all so much for stopping by, and of course for being in my life, even if it is merely following this blog. I thank all of my family and friends. I thank all of you that I see at races and I have met over the years at these races, especially those of you who continue to check on me with this blog and over other electronic mediums, such as Facebook! I have been blessed with very much to be thankful for, and much more than I deserve. This year has certainly been a fine year with my running, and learning more about myself (and how to take better care of myself). It began with a New Year's resolution to cut back on racing this year, and now I see why that had to be a priority so that I could have more room in my life and on my heart and mind to deal with other characteristics that really needed my attention, and upon realizing that some of these things would not allow me to devote as much time to running and racing as before, it did not upset me nearly as much as it would have before, because I did not put as much of my heart in it and therefore it did not have as much of a stake in me and my identity as it had before. I am not saying anything bad about running and racing, but I am so glad I opened myself up to allowing God to bring in other things and events in my life that helped me grow in other areas that I had not really paid much attention too in my life!

I do not have any plans to run a large amount of races in 2010. I will still run, train, and race. I certainly have no ambitions to do running events in every Maryland county this coming year either. Though, I do hope to possibly pop over to the Maryland Eastern Shore for the occasionally race, as well as getting out to far western Maryland for a few races, God-willing! Other than that, I will stay probably stay more local with the races. I have some running-related fitness goals in mind that do not have that much to do with races next year, but just more about running faster than I have before on some of the courses. God-willing, we will see what transpires with that, and I will blog about that in the near future hopefully. I am grateful to still be running and enjoying it as much as I have before (if not more).

I am going to wrap this up. I apologize I have been unable to upload photos or any other illustration; it just seems like this site just messes with it. Hopefully it gets taken care of later. That is why you may have noticed lately I have not included photos with my blog posts. I also hope to include a final list of the races I have done this year below as well as some progress on my "Maryland Munch" endeavor to eat at a "unique" restaurant in every county of Maryland.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading! I hope wish you God's blessing in this New Year, and much happiness, health, and good fortune in 2010 :)

- Noah Wood

Running Events I have done as of Wednesday, December 30, 2009

January

- Sunday, January 18, 2009 - "Inaugural" All-comers Indoor Track & Field Meet - Thomas Jefferson Community Center, Arlington (Arlington County), Virginia:

1). 1-mile race - 14th overall since some mile times run in other heats were faster than mine, (7th overall in the "Elite heat") - 5:26.7 (not bad considering my shoe came untied around half-way into the race :)

2). 800-meter race - 2nd overall - 2:17.78 (my best time in this event at this track venue and very well-paced too :)

3). 3,000 meter race - 15th overall (13th overall in the second heat) - 11:27.8 (I accidentally ran a lap extra and ran about 3,200 meters worth, and my 3,000 meter split was about 10:46, which would have put me at about 8th overall and 8th in this particular heat. This is also my best time-to-date for 3,000 meters at this track venue :)

4). Saturday, January 24, 2009 – Inaugural Chesapeake Bay Running Club Trail Run #1 (5K) – King’s Landing Park, Huntingtown (Calvert County), Maryland – 2nd overall – 19:21

Sunday, January 25, 2009 – Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex All-Comers’ Showcase Indoor Track & Field Meet – Landover (Prince George’s County), MD:

5). 1-mile race – 4th overall – 5:03

6). 400 meter race – 5th or 6th probably (second-to-last in heat) – 1:04ish (I think this was the first time since middle school I ran this race  )

7). 800 meter race – Not sure how I placed – 2:16/2:17ish; I couldn’t see my time on the clock clearly.

8). 200 meter race – 8th in the heat I was in and last place in heat - :41 (my first time since middle school running this race )

February

Sunday, February 1, 2009 – Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex All-Comers’ Showcase Indoor Track & Field Meet – Landover (Prince George’s County), MD:

9). 1-mile race – 4th overall - 5:03.4 (best 1-mile time at this venue )

10). 800 meter race – Open/Masters Heat Winner – 2:12.7 (best time at this venue )

11). 3,200 meter race – 11:16 (and 10:37 for the 3,000 meter split, both 3K and 3,200 meter times are personal best times at this venue )

12). Saturday, February 7, 2009 – Inaugural Chesapeake Bay Running Club Trail Run #2 (Four-Miler) – Calvert Cliffs State Park, Lusby (Calvert County), MD – 3rd overall – 27:31

13). Sunday, February 8, 2009 – Bear Run Four-Miler – Pleasant Valley/Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 11th overall – 27:07

March

14). Sunday, March 8, 2009 – Howard County Striders “Operation Iceberg” (Winter Series) Race #8 : Thunder Hill Elementary School 2-miler – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 6th overall – 14:19

15). Saturday, March 14, 2009 – Run4Luck Four-Mile Run – Lancaster (Lancaster County), Pennsylvania – 40th overall – 26:51.55 (I ran negative splits here )

16). Sunday, March 22, 2009 – Inaugural Break-in the Bypass 5K – Greenmount/Hampstead (Carroll County), MD -10th overall (9th overall if you don’t count the two-person relay team ahead of me) – 19:46 (clock), 19:42ish (watch)

17). Saturday, March 28, 2009 – 4th Annual Keep Your Colon Rollin’ 5K – Jefferson Patterson Park (new course and venue), Saint Leonard (Calvert County), MD – Winner (20-29 age group division winner as well) – 19:35

18). Sunday, March 29, 2009 – 4th Annual Marriotts Ridge High School Mustang Stampede 5K Run – Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville (Howard County), MD – 11th overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 18:24.56 (great pacing and my first time running under a six-minute mile in a long while )

April

19). Saturday, April 4, 2009 – 26th Annual Stillond-to-Betterton Tree Run – Started in Stillpond and ended at Betterton Beach (Kent County), MD – Winner – 22:42 (as of this race, I can say that I have won a race in all nine counties of Maryland’s Eastern Shore within my lifetime; praise God! )

20). Saturday, April 18, 2009 – 4th Annual Adkins Arboretum Arbor Day/”Into the Woods” Fun Run 5K – Ridgely (Caroline County), MD – Winner – 17:51 (my best time on the 5K loop there and very nice for me considering I fell during the second half of the race :).

21). Saturday, April 25, 2009 (my 26th birthday ) – 1st Annual Bollman Bridge Elementary School Tech Trot 5K – Jessup/Savage (Howard County), MD – Winner – 19:20 (course went by Bollman Bridge Elementary and Patuxent Valley Middle Schools, where I went to preschool for one year and 6th and 7th grade )

May

22). Saturday, May 2, 2009 – 12th Annual Journey To Better Pathways/Pathways School 5K Run – Silver Spring (Montgomery County), MD – 2nd overall – 19:38 (clock), 19:31 (watch). I accidentally ran the wrong way and ran extra -

23). Saturday, May 9, 2009 – 4th Annual McCready Health Services Foundation Founder’s Day 8K – Crisfield (Somerset County), MD – 4th overall (20-29 male age group winner) – 31:13 (best time on course to date )

24). Saturday, May 16, 2009 – Inaugural Run for the Future 5K – Frederick (Frederick County), MD – Winner (20-29 male age group division winner too  - 18:08 (great time with 5:29 one-mile split, 11:28 two-mile split, almost running into a pace bike in the first mile, and going a little bit further at the turn-around 

25). Sunday, May 17, 2009 – 2nd Annual Paws for Life/Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue May Day 5K Run – Chesapeake City (Cecil County), MD – Winner (20-29 male age group division winner too) – 18:32 (best time on course to date, and I was kinda sleep-deprived too 

26). Sunday, May 17, 2009 – Howard County Striders “Vernal Velocity” Weekly Series #5: Longfellow Elementary School 10K – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 8th overall – 44:48 (clock), 44:29 (watch)

27). Saturday, May 23, 2009 – 33rd Annual Chestertown Tea Party Distance Classic 10-Miler – Chestertown (Kent County), MD – 31st overall (25-29 male age group winner  - 1:16:16 (clock – my time on my watch was probably several seconds faster since I started further in the back a bit later )

28). Saturday, May 30, 2009 – 1st Annual Tri-County Youth Services Bureau (T.C.Y.S.B.) Youth Power 5K Run – Hughesville (Charles County), MD – 2nd overall (20-29 male age group winner) – 18:27.45 (first race that Kay, my girlfriend, came too to watch )

29). Sunday, May 31, 2009 – Howard County Striders’ All-Fruit Relay – Columbia (Howard County), MD – I was on the Cute Cuc’s (short for ‘cucumber’) and we placed 5th with a time of 56:34 – I ran the last leg in about 12:31, running negative splits with about 6:18 the first lap. Fun time ).

June

30). Tuesday, June 2, 2009 – Tom Ausherman Memorial Cross Country Series #1: Hagerstown Community College – Hagerstown (Washington County), MD – 3rd overall – 12:09

31). Saturday, June 6, 2009 - 1st Annual South County Faith Network Jug Bay 5K ( a little longer, about 5.5K as one person measured it on their GPS) – Lothian (Anne Arundel County), MD – approximately 30:45 on the clock, 21:16 (I actually ran this time, ‘cause I got there late, and this time was actually the fastest one run there at the race, though I’m not sure where my finish place was in the pack, as I’ve yet to see the results )

32). Sunday, June 7, 2009 -3rd Annual Archbishop Neale School 10K and 5K Run (I ran the 5K which was a little longer than a 5K) – LaPlata (Charles County), MD – Winner – 19:15 (clock), 19:14 (watch) – God is good; He has helped me to win a race in all three of Maryland’s southernmost counties within my lifetime 

- Tuesday, June 9, 2009 – Cumberland Valley Athletic Club’s (C.V.A.C.’s) Pete Wright Memorial All-Comer’s Outdoor Track & Field Series #2 – North Hagerstown High School Track, Hagerstown (Washington County), MD:

33). 2-mile race – Winner – 11:10 (ran about 5:42 the first mile, then came back in about 5:28 the second mile to run my best two-mile outdoor track time to date 

34). 800-meter race – 2nd overall – 2:59

35). 200-meter race – last place in last heat – 34.8ish

36). 1-mile race – Winner – 5:15 (ran the first half in about 2:38, and then the second in about 2:37 )

37). Howard County Striders “Vernal Velocity” Spring Series#7 - Burleigh Manor 5K – 5th overall – 18:23 (fastest time on course to-date )

38). Sunday, June 21, 2009 – Dawson’s Father’s Day 10K Run – Severna Park (Anne Arundel County), MD – 43rd overall - 42:26.48 (clock), 42:07ish (watch – I started a bit late - This was my first race I ran on the Baltimore-and-Annapolis (B&A) Trail 

July

39). Friday, July 3rd – Howard County Striders’ Friday Night Cross Country Series #2: Wilde Lake High School 5K – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 11th overall – 19:15 (faster pace than I ran at this venue over the different, shorter course I had run at this high school when I was in 12th grade in the fall of 2001 )

40). Tuesday, July 7, 2009 – Centennial Fun Run 1-Mile – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 5:50

41). Thursday, July 9, 2009 – Westminster Road Runners Club’s Twilight Series #4: Francis Scott Key 6K Run – Francis Scott Key High School, Union Bridge (Carroll County), MD – 21st overall – 24:40 (clock), 24:35 (watch)

42). Saturday, July 18, 2009 – St. Roch’s Trail Run (7K – Ran extra) – Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, Fair Hill/Elkton (Cecil County), MD – Winner – 56:48 (fell, broke glasses, went wrong way a couple of times, one of which involved running downstream and slipping on a really small waterfall )

August

43). Sunday, August 2, 2009 – A Wider Circle’s First Annual Summer Fun Run 5K (it was definitely shorter than 5K)– Meadowbrook Park, Chevy Chase (Montgomery County), MD – Winner – 16:01

44). Tuesday, August 4, 2009 – Centennial Fun Run 1-Mile – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 3/rd/4th – 5:41

45). Thursday, August 6, 2009 – Annapolis Striders Cross Country Series #3: Chesapeake High School (about 2.9 miles) – Pasadena (Anne Arundel County), MD – 5th overall - 17:39

46). Saturday, August 8, 2009 – 1st Annual Bulldog-Eagle Cross Country Race 5K – Derwood (Montgomery County), MD – 7th overall (19-29 age group male division winner) – 18:43

47). Sunday, August 23, 2009 – Kowowmu Trail 4-Mile Road Race – Westminster (Carroll County) – Winner – 25:36 (faster pace than I went at last year when it was a 5K )

48). Saturday, August 29, 2009 - First Annual Zoe Track Club/Christian Lighthouse Academy 5K Run – Port Deposit (Cecil County), MD – 2nd overall – 19:12

49). Sunday, August 30, 2009 – 33rd Annual Annapolis Ten Mile Run – Annapolis (Anne Arundel County), MD - - 1:33:45 (clock), 1:19:58 (chip) – I started almost 14 minutes after the race start, because I got there a little late -
September

50). Saturday, September 5, 2009 – National Hard Crab Derby and Fair 30th Annual Mike Sterling 10K – Crisfield (Somerset County), MD – 5th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) – 43:41

51). Sunday, September 27, 2009 – Howard County Striders Legends of the Fall Weekly Series Race: Elkhorn-Savage Trail 10K – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 50:44 (I had stopped real briefly).

52). Saturday, October 3, 2009 – 14th Annual North Beach 5K – North Beach (Calvert County), MD – 5th overall – 21:12

53). Sunday, October 4, 2009 – Howard County Striders Legends of the Fall Weekly Series Race: Swansfield Elementary School 1-mile – Columbia (Howard County) - - 5:46

54). Saturday, October 24, 2009 – First Annual Harvest for the Hungry 5K Run (may have been just a little shorter than a 5K) – Waldorf (Charles County), MD – Not sure of finishing position – 20:48

55). Saturday, November 14, 2009 – 1st Annual Turkey Trot 1-Mile Fun Run (may have been a bit shorter than a mile) – Glenwood Community Center/Western Regional Park, Cooksville (Howard County), MD – Winner – 5:33

56). Sunday, November 22, 2009 – Cold Turkey 10K Run – Edgewater (Anne Arundel County), MD - - 45:14 (watch)

57). Thursday, November 26, 2009 – Turkey Trot 10K Prediction Run (my 12th consecutive year doing this event  – Columbia (Howard County), MD - - Start time: End time: It took me 49:43 to cover this course.

58). Sunday, November 29, 2009 – Burke Memorial 5K Run – Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 8th overall – 20:14 (clock), 20:12 (watch)

59). Sunday, December 13, 2009 – Howard County Striders Legends of the Fall Weekly Series Race: Burleigh Manor Middle School Two-Miles – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 5th overall – 12:24

60). Saturday, December 26, 2009 – Nutcracker 2-Miler (first time they had this course) – Dowell (Calvert County), MD – Winner – 12:46 (clock), 12:44 (watch)

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

“Maryland Munch” – Unique restaurants I have eaten at within my lifetime throughout Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

Yellowfin – Saturday, April 25, 2009 – Edgewater – Classy seafood restaurant by the water of the South River in Anne Arundel County. It’s right off of Route 2 South before heading over the bridge that crosses the South River. I went here with my brother, girlfriend, and friends on my 26th birthday to celebrate it. I recall having a delicious brie dish with fruit. I enjoyed it, as well as the company and atmosphere. Interestingly enough, there was a wedding/wedding reception in this big room/hall downstairs. Seems like it was a nice place to have one!

Fabulous Brew Café – Wednesday, July 1, 2009 – Friendship – Small quaint restaurant in southern Anne Arundel County. Went here once with my girlfriend, Kay, (on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 I believe it was) and then we went again with our friend Karen. They have some nice food. Prices can get a bit high on the bigger entrees, but nothing too steep. It was a pleasant place and one I would not mind coming back too!

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

Taneytown Deli – Thursday, February 26, 2009 – Catonsville – Nice, quaint little deli and shop tucked away off of Highway 144/Old Frederick Road. One of my co-workers recommended this to me and I went there for my first time with “Maryland Munch” in mind. I had “The Catonsville” sandwich. I think there were slices of turkey breast and ham on it; it tasted pretty nice overall. I probably should have seen what I could have done about getting some cheese on it, but it was fine enough. I also had a black and white muffin and that made for a nice dessert.

Calvert County

Caroline County

Carroll County

- Sunday, May 25, 2008 – Reisterstown/Westminster area – My friends Erica and Josh got married at Life Point Church (which used to be called Carroll Community Church), and then we went to a local country club for a receptoin. The food and appetitzeres were delicious from what I could remember (I apologize, I don’t clearly remember much more). I remember more of the dancing and fun I had catching up with people and friends I had not seen in a while!

Cecil County

- Saturday, May 10, 2008 – North East – After Dr. Daniel Williams and I ran at the Inaugural Run for Reading 4K in Bayview/North East, MD, we went over to a small coffee shop around downtown North East to talk more. Dr. Williams was in town to see family and run that Run for Reading, because after he had run that race in Cecil County, he had completed his goal of running a race in every county along the Mason-Dixon Line. As I recall the coffee and small food (I think I had a cookie, pastry, or something like that) were pretty good. We enjoyed ourselves!

Charles County

Dorchester County

Saturday, April 14, 2007 – Cambridge - After my friend John and I ran at the Healthy Kids Fun Run at the Dorchester YMCA and Sandy Spring Elementary School in Cambridge, we went out to eat at a small seafood restaurant around downtown Cambridge. This was at the very beginning phases of my first endeavor to run in a running event in every Maryland County in 2007, and that was certainly my first Dorchester County race. I recall they had some nice food here (And I can’t quite remember what it is I had; I wanna say it was some seafood, if not pizza). I don’t think I had much of an appetite after that run, but John and I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Friday, May 2, 2008 – Vienna – I stopped by this small waterside deli/restaurant in Vienna (I forget what it is called), and I think I had a sub or some kind of a sandwich, and I think I had a soda too. I was headed to Salisbury (Wicomico County) to see some friends and do a race in Crisfield (Somerset County) that weekend, which was why I was over there in the first place. It seemed like a small, more intimate dining place and I remember enjoying the food!

Frederick County

Sunday, January 15, 2006 – West New Market – My friends, Danny and Brianna, got married this day at this beautiful bed and breakfast place, where we also had the reception. I liked the food there (even though I can’t remember much of what I ate). I remember a very joyful wedding with great dancing, music, and people 
Garrett County

Jubilee Diner – Saturday, July 26, 2008 – Friendsville – After my first time at Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, MD for this inaugural Adventure Games 10K Trail Run at the Wisp Ski Resort in Deep Creek, I decided to head over to Friendsville, MD around where my friend Phil lives. I knew Phil was working that day, so I decicded to settle in for eating some place by myself. I came by this small, rather dimly lit diner called the Jubilee Diner. I remember the service was great and fairly personable. I know I had a milkshake, and I think I had a burger and fries. I enjoyed the meal quite well as I recall 

Harford County

Howard County

Timbuktu – Winter of 1997 – Columbia area – I was in seventh grade when I went here for a friend’s Bar Mitzvah reception. I remember eating here and enjoying the company and hte food quite well. I rpobably would have liked the experience a bit more, but my brother and this other guy named Brett were spinning this circular thing around and the next thing I kenw, all these sauces were every on the talbe, and a lot of the people at the table thought it was me. Fortunately none of us got in serious trouble. Looking back, I think it’s funny that that is my most salient memory of eating there.

Best Hunan – King’s Contrivance Shopping Center, Columbia – Back in my junior year of high school (2000-2001), my friends Brian and Nate would invite me to go with them, and this became our typical hang-out spot. It’s pretty well-lit, comfortable, and intimate. I like the crab rangoons, fried ice-cream on a banana (which I’m not sure if they have), sweet-and-sour soup, beef lo-mein, and some of their platters just to name a few. I still eat here with my friends and it pretty much got me into Chinese food more. I think the last time I ate here was back in 2008, and I probably had beef lo-mein or something like that.

Forest Diner – 2007/2008 (winter time) – Ellicott City – I ate here with my friend from Salisbury University, Mike one evening. It was pretty small and I think it is closing (or has closed down). The food was pretty nice, and if I know myself, I probably got some burgers, frieds, and a soda (and possibly something for desert). Like typical diners, I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere was relatively quiet with images and set-up to resemble times as far back as at least the 1950’s. I may have eaten here with a couple of buddies from high school back around the August of 2003, or it might have been the Double T Diner nearby in Ellicott City.

Bagel Bin (Wilde Lake Village Center location) – Saturday, January 10, 2009 - Bagel Bins are one of Columbia, MD’s “best kept secrets” and I would therefore consider it a more “unique” restaurant as it only seems to be in Columbia. I’ve eaten at various Bagel Bin locations (mainly the one at the King’s Contrivance Shopping Center near where I grew up), and I’m a fan of their bagel melts (with melted cheese) and their smoothies (which may only be out in the summer or warmer weather, I’m not quite sure). My most recent time I ate there was after a Saturday morning Bagel Run with the Howard County Striders where we start and end our running routes by the Wilde Lake Village Center’s Bagel Bin, and it was on Saturday, January 10, 2009. I can’t quite remember what I had there that morning, and I was there catching up with someone I hadn’t seen since middle school who was also doing the run. I’m pretty sure I bought a sports drink (like Gatorade) while I was there. I really like Bagel Bin and I definitely came to appreciate it when I would come home on breaks from college at Salisbury University.

Kent County

Harbor Shack – Sunday, April 22, 2007 – Rock Hall – This was my first visit to Rock Hall, MD and the afternoon I came to visit, I went for a little run around the town and then decided to eat at the Harbor Shack right by the water. It was fairly noisy indoors, but it was not bad and it was to be expected since there was a bar there. It was a fairly nice day out and I think I actually ate outside (I think I bought some nice french fries).

Durding’s – I think I stop in here every time I’ve been to Rock Hall (and I think I’ve been about five times now). This is a very quaint shop right around the downtown area and it’s a gift sohp with little antiques, gifts, and they sell food (they have nice ice cream as I recall from experience )

Java Rock Café – Friday, July 4, 2008 – Rock Hall – I came to Rock Hall on the Fourth of July to run in the 27th Annual Rock Hall Flat Five, and that was a fun race. It ended right by Java Rock Café, and afterwards I went there and got some coffee and possibly a little food too. It’s a pretty small and quaint coffee shop, and I do believe they sell some souvenirs (such as Rock Hall, MD hats and shirts). I had been there before, and that is my most recent memory of being there.

Montgomery County

Vegetable Garden – May/June, 1999 – I was a freshman in high school when I went with my mom to meet up with my grandma, a relative, and my relative’s friend to celebrate my relative’s graduation (I think it was from high school, if not college). I don’t remember where in Montgomery County this is located, but I’m pretty sure it is in Montgomery County and that the menu is pretty much all vegetable stuff. I was not much into that kinda food at the time, and I rememmber being fairly sleepy from not getting much sleep in preparing for 9th grade finals, but I thought the food was pretty decent considering I don’t normally eat a lot of what was on their menu. Looking back, I’m glad I had the experience and that I got to eat and celebrate with family 

2007/2008 – I went with my friends, Aaron and Brian, to this Chinese restaurant in this shopping center in Olney (I think there’s a Cheeburger Cheeburger and a Shopper’s Food Warehouse there now). The Chinese food was pretty good here, and I think we ate here during the winter time. I think I had some beef low-mein. I’ll venture to say that I think when I was in seventh grade, I went to this same place around the winter/early spring of 1997 to get some carry-out from this restaurant. It looks a bit small on the outside, but on the inside it seems a bit more spacious and I’d say it is a more upper class restaurant (then again, I have not had all that much experience with ritzy restaurants).

Prince George’s County

Don Pablo’s – Summer of 1997 – Laurel area – I remember going here when some relatives from out-of-town were visiting, and I think it was a week day evening. I can’t quite remember what I got, but if I know me and if I knew me back then, it was probably a quesadilla, a taco, or something similar (and I probably had a root beer or some kinda soda to go with it). Great food as I recall, and then again, I usually like just about all Mexican food.

Silver Diner – Sunday, August 31, 2008 – Laurel – I went with my friends Amy, Kseniya, and Walton to eat here after a fun afternoon and evening at the Six Flags around the Largo area of Prince George’s County. I did not have much of an appetite after all of those rides, and I wanted to take it easy on my stomach, ‘cause I knew I wanted to do the 5th Annual Labor Day 5K Rogue Race the next day in Eldersburg (Carroll County), MD. I think I just got some nice soup and a soda, and possibly more (maybe a desert too).

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

- Gracie’s Place – Saturday, March 14, 2009 – I went to the Hagerstown, Maryland location on my way back from running the Run4Luck Four-Mile run in Lancaster County, PA and from visiting Centralia, PA. I ordered a chef sald and thought that I got a lot for about four bucks. It was a great deal, as well as a small, yet very friendly and personalble atmosphere with the help of the kind employees that were there. I may have gotten one or two things on the side, I can’t quite remember. I may go back again if I’m in town )

Wicomico County

Hunan Palace – March/April of 2005 – Fruitland – My friend Suzanne and I ate at Hunan Palace; this really nice Chinese restaurant just outside of Salisbury (Wicomico County). Going to school locally at Salisbury University and recently getting a car on campus, I felt like I could “stretch my legs” a bit and check out some of the places around town more. I’m glad we chose this. Even though my stomach was not feeling the best while I was there (which I don’t think had anything to do with the food), I thought it was a great restuarant. If I know me, I probably got some beef lo-mein or something similar.

Lighthouse Diner II – Salisbury – I’ve been here many of times, and their prices are great for the breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods that they have. I like their hot chocolate, pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken soups, and quite a few of their other menu items to name a few. Usually when I go back to visit with friends in Salisbury, a visit here is in order. I wanna say that probably my most recent time here was around Saturday, December 13, 2008 (at least that was the last time I was in town). My friends and I noticed that it was called Lighthouse Diner II, and we sorta have a joke among us to keep our eyes out for the first Lighthouse Diner.

Worcester County

I Ran My Last Race of 2009!

2009-12-29T10:29:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, on Saturday, December 26, 2009, I ran what I planned to have been my last race of this year, the Nutcracker 2-mile in Dowell (Calvert County), which is southern Maryland right by Solomon's Island in southern Calvert County. The morning was on the warmer side for this time of year (in the upper 40's, possibly the lower 50's). This was the first year they had something other than the out-and-back 5K. In addition to the 5-kilometer (3.1-miles), they had a 2-miler, 3-miler, and a 4-miler (yes, they had a 3-miler and a 3.1-miler at the same event). Considering all of these different distances, as well as the free t-shirts, selection of prizes, this small event was considered low-key and definitely friendly with the people who organized it and the participants that showed up.

I decided on the two-miler as I had not run much during the recent snow, and I thought that it was an appropriate distance for the shape that I was in. I ran the flat out-and-back course (the 3-mile, 5K, and 4-mile distances were all flat out-and-back courses, and all four of the races started simultaneously since it was a relatively smaller turnout) in 12:44 (their timing got me at 12:46, but I saw 12:44 on my watch). I know I could have gone much faster, but my stomach was bothering me (I think I had trouble digesting food I had eaten the day before) and I think it was harder since I had not been running that consistently the week leading up to this race. 12:44 for two miles averages out to a 6:22-per-mile pace, which would certainly put me under 20 minutes for a 5-kilometer/3.1-mile distance (which is my next fitness goal in getting back into solid running shape). The next race I am planning to do is the 3rd Annual Southern Maryland Community Network (SMCN) Resolution 5K in Prince Frederick (back in Calvert County), MD on Friday, January 1, 2010. Haha, how funny that is, my last race in 2009 is in Calvert County and my first race in 2010 will be in Calvert County, a county that is special because that is where I finished out my initial endeavor to race in every Maryland and Delaware County in 2007, upon finishing the North Beach 5K on Saturday, September 15, 2007 in North Beach, MD. God-willing, I can run under 20 minutes here. I ran this rather hilly course on New Year's Day in 2008 in the inaugural running of this race in Prince Frederick, and I had finished in about 18:47, and while I usually try to improve my times on many courses that I run, I do not think it likely that I will beat that time on this course this coming year. Still, I think it would be a good way for me to push myself and see where I am 5K-wise as it has been a month since I ran the Burke Memorial 5K in Carroll County, MD, the last 5K I ran on Sunday, November 29, 2009.

So those are my upcoming race plans. Nothing much planned beyond that. If anything, it will be more lower key road races between New Year's Day and the spring before I start doing those more premium ones. I may do an indoor track & field meet later on in the winter, but I am not prioritizing those this year as I have in the past coupla years.

After the Nutcracker Two-Mile Run last Saturday, I got to spend time with my girlfriend Kay and she got to meet my Bubbee (my grandmother) for the first time, and then yesterday (Monday, December 28), I got to meet her older sister for the first time! Kay is wonderful, supportive, and a great deal of fun, and I certainly enjoy having her meet some of my family, and I have been having a great time meeting her's. With her, I feel like I am experiencing another incredible example of how radically God loves us and blesses us when we do not deserve it. My joy and passion of running is also another great example of gifts that He has lavished upon me in my life, and I hope that this Christmas season I glorified Him with it as well as with other gifts and joys He has given me!!!!!

So that has been what I have been up too and thinking about these past several days. I hope that you all are doing well as well get ready to head into 2010!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T07:01:00.001-08:00

Greetings everyone,

Warm wishes this season of celebration of Jesus Christ's Birthday to you all! I hope this post finds you all well and blessed! Thank you for stopping by and enjoy Christmas as well as the other upcoming Holidays :)

- Noah Wood

More snow!!!!

2009-12-21T14:27:00.001-08:00

Wow! I know where I live in Baltimore County, Maryland, we got about nineteen inches (which is well over a foot)! I think this is more snow than I have seen in over ten years. I think the last time that I saw this much snow was when I was a sixth grader during the Blizzard of '96, when I do believe we got over two feet!

I am not going to lie, even though this heavy snow has been hard on others, I think it has been good for me not having to go anywhere or do any races. Being "snowed in" has forced me to take time to sleep a little more and even chill out and watch t.v. with my roommates (and by myself). I really enjoy these more family-based, light-hearted movies that come on around Christmastime and the holidays in general. I also got to go to an Eastern Orthodox church with one of my roommates (my first time I have been to a church service with that particular Christian denomination). I liked how it seemed historically and scripturally rich. The inside of the church had a lot of pretty decorations, and the particular incenses there certainly did much to stimulate the senses. I was grateful for the experience, and even more grateful to have a ride to church with my roommate and his fiancee, when I am sure many others were closed. It was great to come together with other siblings in Christ and worship God!

I have not run since Thursday (and I am glad I did not have any races planned this weekend). I would have liked to have gotten some good running in this weekend, but even if I ran through this thick, powdery snow, I don't think it would make for a good workout (not too mention I would have had to dodge all this ice). God-willing, I hope to get a little bit of a slower run in outside, if not on the local indoor track or even a treadmill (even though I would normally prefer running off of a treadmill than on one). Still, I want to work out. At least the shoveling I have done these past few days has given me a good lifting and cardio workout!

I really enjoy the extra sleep I have been getting. I woke up Saturday morning having slept for over eight hours!! Wow! I do not believe I have slept that much in one night since I had overslept on Saturday, July 4th for the Rock Hall Flat Five in Rock Hall (Kent County), MD. I obviously did not make that flat five-mile race as I was almost two hours away from that Maryland Eastern Shore race, and I had woken up minutes before that. And before I had overslept, I could not remember the last time I had slept close to eight hours. It felt good, and God-wiling it will do my body good!

If I can get about 2-3 miles worth of running in tomorrow (be indoors or outdoors), I would be happy with that (even if it is a little less than that). We shall see what happens with that. Until then, I wish you all a safe and warm season as we enter into winter :)

Another update as we head into winter!

2009-12-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

Hey there everyone, thank you for your patience in awaiting another post these past couple of months or so! I do not know whether or not I should say this sheepishly or with a straight-face, but I have been pretty busy this semester. Yea, semester is a sufficient operative word to describe one of the main sources of me being occupied these past several months (do not worry; it is a good thing for the most part)!

I will start by staying I am still actively running, though probably not as frequently throughout the week as I was over this past summer and beforehand (usually no more than 3-4 times a week, and that can include races). One of my last really good races that I ran (and I say “really good” because I felt like I ran a smart race and felt relatively strong, even though it was a harder course) was the Kowowmu Trail Four-Mile Road Race in Westminster (Carroll County), MD on Sunday, August 23, 2009. I had run that race last year when it was a 5K, and this year they moved it back to a four-mile course after it was a 5K for at least a coupla years. Last year, I had run it in 20:21 when it was a 5-kilometer, and this year it was something a bit… different. I had come to this race feeling a little tired, probably because of the longer drive the day before to go with my girlfriend, Kay, to a rainy picnic with her church (which was a lot of fun)! I was not expecting much out of myself in this race to say the least. The first mile had quite a bit of downhill, but I tried to be conservative about it knowing the tougher hills coming up later in the race, and I went through the first mile in about 6:31. Not long after I was feeling tired and starting to huff-and-puff and after going through the water stop area, I ran up a long steady hill, near the top of which was the two-mile turn-around that I ran through in about 13:05. Not long after coming back down the long steady hill I felt like God had blessed me with a “second wind”, and with renewed energy I took the next somewhat flat, somewhat hilly mile in about 6:14/6:15 to go through the third mile in about 19:19/19:20. I think right after I ran by the three-mile mark and started up a series of hill that made up a majority of the fourth and final mile of this race, I quickly thanked God as I knew that if I kept up the pace I was at for about another .1 miles, my 5-kilometer split would be just under 20 minutes, which would take down my previous personal best time at this venue of 20:21 (and at the time I ran that, I thought that was a pretty hard effort). However, God seemed to bless me with more energy than I expected, and He steadily helped me run over the rolling shaded hills of the Kowowmu Trail (which was pretty much a gravel road, probably looser gravel) to where I was about within a half-a-mile away from the finish line, and then I went down one steady downhill, up another relatively short, but fairly steep hill, and then shot down the rather steep hill through the finish line of the four-mile course with a time of 25:36. To run four miles in 25:36, that works out to about a 6:24-per-mile pace, which would probably put me in the upper 19:40’s/lower 19:50’s for a five-kilometer (3.1-mile distance), which is about a half-a-minute faster than the 20:21 I ran in just the 3.1-mile distance at this venue in 2008. In 2008, I had run a pretty challenging 5K the day before I did the Kowowmu Trail 5K Road Race, but this year I was very happy to have run faster for a longer distance, on a harder course, and run negative splits with the first two miles at about 13:05, and therefore bringing in the last two miles in about 12:31.

That Kowowmu Trail Four-Mile Road Race in Carroll County, Maryland was one of my last really great races I ran before things started going downhill. The next Saturday, August 29, 2009, I ran this new and relatively smaller Zoe Track Club Lighthouse Christian Academy 5K Run in Port Deposit (Cecil County) , MD in about 19:12, and I have not run a 5K in under 20 minutes since. The next day (Sunday, August 30, 2009), for the first time I ran the pretty challenging Annapolis Ten-Miler in Annapolis (Anne Arundel County), MD. This is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) foot races in Maryland (and I am surprised that with all the different places I have run races that I have not done this one), and it is known for its heavy heat and hills. Fortunately, I did not have too much of the former, but of course the latter, especially during the middle parts in the shaded neighborhoods around the Severn River Bridge (and going up and down that bridge twice was no easy hill either). I got to that race late, because I made the naïve mistake of getting there closer to the race time, at which time the local roads and parking were a bit backed up. I managed to start I think around 14 minutes late, and I managed to cover the ten-mile distance in one-hour-nineteen-minutes-and-fifty-eight seconds, just under an eight-minute pace that I was going above and below throughout the race. While this has been by quite a margin my slowest 10-mile race time to date, I had meant to go conservatively and I was happy that God helped me pick up the pace the last couple of miles or so to get under an eight-minute-per-mile pace (a pace I had spent the middle miles running slower than). Even though I had made a point of taking it easier and enjoying it, I still felt quite light-headed and short of breath afterwards, and it took me a while to get myself together (and this had been a problem over the past month with my longer distance runs, which is why I was really less ambitious about doing well at this race). I know this race is relatively expensive, and I had signed up for it before I started having these problems, thinking that I might have a shot of running it in under an hour-and-ten minutes.

Well this problem did not go away, and as the school-year started and I got busy taking a few classes towards my elementary education teacher certification, I felt like it was getting worse. Pretty soon I had trouble sometimes bending over to get things or even just stretching, because it would cause dizziness and shortness of breath (not to mention aggravation to my already sensitive stomach). I quickly passed up on running long, lifting weights, or even doing really any warm-up/cool-down runs before/after races (and I started cutting back on those as well). I saw a few doctors, and they narrowed it down to me having lower-blood sugar levels at certain points in the day, and after consulting with a dietician, I began to try and follow orders to eat six smaller meals a day, which I still think I fall short of at times. No, I am not hypoglycemic, but my primary care physician advised that maybe about an hour or so before running/exercise, I eat something to keep my blood-sugar levels up.
Now a day or two before I saw the doctor and found out about the lower blood-sugar levels thing, I ran this Howard County Striders Weekly Fall Series (the second one in the series)10-kilometer (approximately 6.2-mile race) on the Elkhorn-Savage paved trail in Columbia (Howard County), MD on Sunday, September 27th. I planned to use this as an easy-paced distance run, but what ended up happening was me feeling kinda dizzy/light-headed, a bit short of breath, and I had probably lost feeling in my legs about 2-3 miles away from the finish line of this relatively flat course, which God helped me to cross in a time of 50 minutes and 44 seconds, my slowest time in a 10K race to date! I know I had intended that I take it easy, but that felt like I had run minutes harder and much longer. I felt quite woozy and it took me a bit of time to feel comfortable enough to drive away, and I do not think I felt fully recovered until the next day. I mean, I ran relatively slower for myself, yet it felt like I had run harder and longer. It has not seemed like that long ago about two-and-a-half years back when I was getting into this running races in different Maryland counties thing, where God would usually help me run 10K’s in under 39 minutes at the drop of a hat, and I would feel tired afterwards, but it would not take me the better part of a day to recover from it, and now I struggle to run under 51 minutes for the same distance, and I feel about the same (probably actually worse) as if I had run around that 38-39-minute range for a 10K. I felt like I was falling apart, and had it not been for God blessing me with the grace, health, and energy to get through it, I probably would have either passed out or just had to stop and walk. Needless to say I was discouraged, and I was glad I was seeing the doctor soon.
After that race and doctor’s appointment, I resolved to take at least the better part of a month off of running in the near future. But first, I wanted to at least do the Fourteenth Annual North Beach 5K in North Beach (Calvert County), MD on Saturday, October 3 for the third year-in-a-row. That rather hilly, more low-key race is very special to me in that on Saturday, September 15, 2007, I had run that race for the first time and as a result of doing that, that race had been the accomplishment of my goal to race in every Maryland county within the year 2007 (and in my current profile picture here, I am pictured with my third-place overall award medal after finishing that race). That was a great morning and an equally terrific race. That year I had run it in 18:48, then in 2008 I ran 19:01, and then this year I ran about 21:12, by far my slowest time on the course, but that was okay because I had resolved to just sorta chill and enjoy it, and had put more “umph” into it, I probably would have been able to have run a good ways under 21 minutes. I was grateful to be there, to have finished the race in fair health, and that my girlfriend Kay was there to support me. That was definitely special to have her there at that particular race that means a great deal, cheering me on! She is quite supportive in that way 
Then, the next day (Sunday, October 4, 2009), sort of a last minute decision, I decided to run the third Howard County Striders Fall Weekly Series race which consisted of either a hilly 5K or a fairly hilly one-one mile race at Swansfield Elementary School Columbia, MD. I opted to do the one-mile for fun and surprisingly finished in about 5:46, which was faster than I expected (I was not expecting much faster than six minutes). Although, I do suspect that course may be just a little on the short side, but if so, I doubt it is that much shorter than an actual mile.
After that one-mile race, I took close to three weeks off of running (to me that seems like a long time without running). Then, I slowly started back later in October and I felt ambitious enough to try the new Harvest for the Hungry 5K Run that started and ended at Mary B. Neal Elementary School in Waldorf (Charles County), MD. I surprisingly felt all right (though I think my right knee/leg tensed up a bit as it sometimes does and I sorta let that slow me down, and I was happy to have finished in about 20:48, which was faster than the last time I had run a 5K in 21:12 (the North Beach 5K). However, I later heard that the Harvest for the Hungry 5K course may have been a bit short, which would not have surprised as I felt that perhaps I did not run quite as strong to warrant a time under 21 minutes.

Anyway, enough of the technical stuff, I am happy to be back running and that I have not experienced the problems with shortness of breath, lightheadedness, or anything like that very often since I have been back to exercising, and if I experience those things, it is usually because I had not eaten within closer proximity to working out, hence I am working out with a lower blood-sugar level. I think a large part of it is God working through my obedience to the doctor’s orders and me focusing on eating more frequent smaller meals throughout the day as well as munching on something light within an hour before working out, and also I feel God has worked through my time out to help me recover a little bit. I may not have much going on in the speed department, but I seem to at least be able to cover distances no greater than six or seven miles without too much trouble (and again, those have usually not been the fastest runs either, hahaha). I am just taking it one day at a time, and I do not have any big race or personal record ambitions on the horizon of the near future. I just want to see what God does with my running and fitness where I am now, so that I can glorify Him who gave me the abilities, health, and passion for doing this.

Some nice highlights since I have been back running have included running a mile in about 5:33 on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at the Glenwood Community Center’s Turkey Trot 1-Mile Fun Run that I did with my friend David, that went through Western Regional Park in the Cooksville area of western Howard County, MD (however, I do heavily suspect that that course was just a little short, but I think at the pace I was going I was still a little ways under six minutes). Also, my fastest 5K that I have run since I have been back was the fairly hilly and challenging Burke Memorial 5K Run in Westminster (Carroll County), MD in about 20:12 (and I think had I focused more and gone harder in some spots, I probably would have broken twenty, though God helped me to keep an even pace). Then, this past weekend, on Sunday, December 13, 2009 I ran the ninth Howard County Striders’ Fall Weekly Series 2-miler/5-miler race at Burleigh Manor Middle School in Ellicott City (Howard County), and I was glad I opted to do the two-miler as it was cold and rainy. I ran that out-and-back hilly two-miler in 12:24 with my first mile being around 5:58  So those have been my fastest times in the one-mile, two-mile, and 5-kilometer distances since I have been back to exercising, and God-willing I hope to improve from there 

Another great piece of running news is that recently I have been spending some time at the East Columbia Branch Library in Columbia (Howard County), MD, which is fairly close to my jobs. This library has bike paths right near it that go towards the scenic Lake Elkhorn and many neighborhoods around it. I ran this one almost-loop-like route on the bike paths (with a little sidewalk and parking lots here and there) that started and ended at this library. The course was only moderately hilly at best, and I would venture to say this course is a little over 5.5 miles long (and I would even say that it would roughly be about 9 kilometers long). A couple Fridays ago (Friday, December 4, 2009) I ran this route for the first time that I made up that leaves the library, goes through the nearby Owen Brown Shopping Center, around a fair majority of Lake Elkhorn (the loop around which has been measured to be about 1.84 miles or so), and then took a bike path up through some neighborhoods before picking up the bike paths again to go around the rest of the Lake Elkhorn loop, then back up through the shopping center, and then back up some more hills for a nice short and flat downhill finish near the front of the library. Towards the end of this run, I thought I could finish it in under 40 minutes, but I finished it in 40:02, started walking, and then started running again when I realized that I forgot that I wanted to stop a little further up closer to the front of the East Columbia Branch Library. By the time I reached my originally-intended finish, my watch read 41 minutes exactly (well there were probably some milliseconds). I figured that I could keep running this course in the future, and God-willing I would get into shape enough to break forty minutes on it (and that would include finishing where I wanted to finish (where I finished in 41 minutes), and not where I accidentally stopped earlier).
Well the next Friday (December 11, 2009), it was all cold and windy, and I would not be surprised if it had been a wind-chill of less than thirty degrees. I was still ambitious to try and get under forty minutes, or at least improve a little bit what I had done on that course the previous week. I started out fairly boldly, covering the distance between the starting point and where I had accidentally "finished" the previous week in 29 seconds, and then I got through a majority of the Owen Brown Shopping Center in about 7:17, which was about 18 seconds faster than I was at that point the previous week. As I ran and prayed along the way, I was grateful that I was not feeling fatigued, sick, sore, or light-headed. I felt energized and in shape, and as I came back from the neighborhoods to finish up the portion around Lake Elkhorn, I was confident that God would help me break forty minutes on this run. By the time I made my last left-hand turn to continue down the almost half-mile stretch of Cradlerock Road before I turned into the library parking lot to finish, my watch was just above 36:10 (and it had been about 37:49 at this point last week). I was happy as I felt myself cruise down the steady decline towards the library parking lot, my momentum slowed only by the dimmer light of the setting sun. Oh my gosh, could I quite possibly even break 39 minutes...
I reached the last turn into the parking lot where I had first stopped the previous week (where I had run 40:02 when I reached that point), and my watch was somewhere around the 38:30's (and I could not read my watch that clearly due to less light earlier in the evening, and I remembered running this last stretch at the beginning of my run in 29 seconds, in just under half-a-minute, and if I sped in real strong, I might be able to break 39 minutes...
... And I did not even complete that thought until I was about half-way down that last stretch and with another ten-to-twenty yards or so, I passed one of the library signs that marked my finish in about 38:56 (from what I could roughly read on my watch with the fading daylight)!!
YES!!!! That has been my best run since I started back running, and not because I beat my goal by over a minute, but because I felt pretty strong all the way through (and I was on a little less than six hours of sleep too). God is good and despite adverse conditions, He can help ordinary folks like you and I accomplish great things!

You may be asking what else has been keeping me busy. Well as of, 8:42 on Tuesday evening (December 15, 2009), I submitted my last item to my online reading course, thus concluding the third of the three teacher education courses I was taking this semester between two different community colleges (I was taking an assessments course as well as a methods of teaching in elementary education course at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold/Anne Arundel County, MD, and then taking an online class through the Community College of Baltimore County (C.C.B.C.). This had been the first completely online course I had taken, and despite the technological difficulties that God, my family and friends helped me get through, I was able to complete it (my final project and whole class grade is still pending as far as I know). I signed up for two courses at Anne Arundel Community College (A.A.C.C.) because the local community colleges offered classes I was going to take, but those unfortunately were cancelled towards the last minute and at the last minute I was fortunate enough to pick up those courses so I could still make some relatively larger progress towards my elementary education teacher certificate! In addition, I took a second part-time job that is pretty flexible serving as a teacher's aide in an after school enrichment program a few days a week after my full-time job at Homewood. One of the days it meets is on Saturday mornings, which obviously cuts into racing options, but you know what, it may help me to save money that I could be spending on races that I probably am not in the best shape to do right now, and plus, I made a New Year's Resolution to really cut back significantly on the races I have done this year in comparison to the past few years, and so far God has helped me with that!!

Finally, through all of this going on with health, school, work, and running, my girlfriend Kay has been a real gift in her loyalty, support, companionship, and encouragement for me. I know it may not make much sense with all I have going on to try and keep up a long-distance relationship, but God has used her to help me and support me in a lot of ways, and to be honest, despite how relatively busy this semester has been, these have been some of the better days I have known with her in it. I do not think I would have gotten through this semester as well as I have without God, my family, and what God has done with Kay and her care for me (and the fact that she has steadfastly been praying for me). I am happy to say we are coming up on eight months together as a couple, and I am very happy to be with her!

There have been some other endeavors I have been doing a little bit to try and move along a bit in my educational occupation, but more on that later.

Thank you all for stopping by and reading. Hopefully I will see some of you in the running scene in the near future. I wish you an early merry Christmas and warmth as it is almost the winter :)

Some summer adventures/misadventures with racing!

2009-08-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone, I realized that I have been slacking again in the updates. My apologies for that. Have been having a fun summer working with the Howard County Recreation and Parks Department's summer camps, spending time with Kay and other friends and family, and running/racing. One race I did almost two months ago was the St. Roch's Trail Run (I did the shorter of the three options, the 7-kilometer, which is about 4.3 miles). This was a somewhat challenging and a bit treacherous trail run in the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area in the Elkton area of Cecil County in northeastern Maryland. I actually started off pretty nicely after about 10 minutes or so-worth of more rocky and treacherous terrain (which actually involved going over a dried up stream bed over a log (although I think I just went into the stream bed and tried to scurry up the other side, 'cause my balance is not always the best :)- I was moving along at a fairly nice pace, and then I went to make this right turn down a slight hill on a narrow dirt path towards the creek, and tripped over a root or a log, and I fell forward... and so did my glasses. I quickly recovered and got back, similar to how I did when I fell at the Adkins Arboretum Arbor Day Fun Run 5K in Caroline County earlier this year on Saturday, April 18, when I was able to find and pick up my glasses a mere second or two after I got up from the fall. However, this time I could not find my glasses! AAAHHH!
I quickly dropped to the forest floor on my hands and knees, and crawled around looking for it, knowing I would have a difficult time getting through the rest of this race course and driving home safely without them. I was pretty sure I had taken the lead of this shorter distance race at the time (there were a couple of longer race distance options, and one of the guys was ahead of me and he ended up doing a longer distance) that I split from the runners doing the longer distance. So now I was pretty sure it would be a matter of time before some of the other runners in the 7K caught up and passed me, and therefore I would have blown the lead over this. In my mind I was upset and possibly a bit panicky with all this, and seeing know sign of my glasses. I mean, that had to be close, right???? They could not have fallen that far. C'mon! Where were they?? I prayed repeatedly that God would help me find them and keep me safe, because I know He has helped me through worse with running and non-running-related occurrences.
After a few minutes of this, my arms and legs were getting scratched up by the nearby thorns and branches, and I was probably bitten by some bugs and of course getting real dirty, but that did not concern me nearly as much as the thought of driving home without my glasses.
Fortunately, as an answer to my prayers, after about 10-15 minutes after I fell and misplaced my glasses, some runners in the race came to where I was and I said I was looking for my glasses, and out of kindness they took a minute or two out of their time to help me look for it. And that's about as long as it took for them to find my glasses, or at least a few pieces of them. Both lenses had popped out of the frame, but fortunately whole, and the frame was pretty bent. Knowing I did not have the tools or know-how to fix my glasses, I swiftly took the components of the glasses in hand, thanked the gentlemen for helping me, and charged down the rest of the hill, into the stream (which was up a good ways above my waist), and sloshed/waded through the relatively calm stream to catch up to the women who passed by me while looking for my glasses around the time that the guys stopped to help me look for them. By the time I had crossed the stream, I had caught up to the women (who were kind and friendly, and I think they had sympathy for me with my fall and glasses), and I retook the lead and ran on along the rather narrow trails along the creek. As I ran, I was probably not moving as swiftly as I had earlier in the run because I could not see that clearly without wearing me glasses. This did not bother me too much until I got to another stream crossing and had no idea of where to go. Was I supposed to go across the stream, and if so, which direction after that? Or was I supposed to keep going downstream? I saw no course markers anywhere, and I had a feeling at this point the runners behind me were a good distance back, and I did not want to lose any more time or ground. Not that I'm all about winning races or beating people, but I did want to run well and it can be a bit frustrating losing the lead to others because of a klutzy move on my part. Ah well, I guess it can be God's way of having the race going the way He wants it to go and result.
So anyway, the trail had pretty much seemed to dead-end at the water, so I knew whichever way I was supposed to go, I would have to get wet. So I went in the stream (which was not as deep as the other), and just ran downstream instead of across, kind of yelling for help in finding my way as I went (hey, I'll admit, it was probably not the best decision I made, but being on a relative lack-of-sleep from the night before as well as having my adrenaline rushing after my fall and fairly heavy concern about my glasses and my ability to drive home safe without the good vision they help me to have, I guess I could not think that... rationally). Soon after running through the stream, I saw no additional course markers and stopped briefly at a clump of rather large rocks near the bank. I kept yelling, and thought maybe I heard someone yell back faintly, but it was hard to hear over the sound of the water gently pouring of the rocks. As I ran further downstream, I slipped down a really small waterfall of probably no more than a foot high if even, and fortunately God protected me from getting hurt, and I was able to get back up right after.
Soon after that little slide down the very mini waterfall, I looked back the direction I came and I thought I heard noise. It occurred to me to try and hold one of my glasses lenses up to my eye to see if I could see anyone (or any course markers) better, and sure enough I saw some people crossing the stream to opposite bank, where I had run through the water downstream. I quickly darted towards them, running against the relatively gentle current, and soon got back to the other side of the bank where I should have gone before (and later on I had heard there was a course marker around there, but it was not the most visible. Shortly after I crossed the stream, there was this rather dangerous portion where we had to climb over rocks coming out of the ground and stream, and it was around here where I caught up to the women in the lead. I definitely slowed down here, knowing well that I still had a bit of a ways to go to the finish, and that this was not the place to get ahead. In fact, after I reached more solid ground, I stopped to help some of the people over the rocks for no more than a minute or two before rushing off ahead, feeling pretty confident in my memories from doing this course last year that the stream crossings/precarious terrain traversing, was pretty much over with on this course.
At this point I had regained the lead, and I felt like I was moving along at a steady pace. The course seemed to have some steady uphills, but nothing really grueling or demanding (in my opinion the tougher hills were towards the beginning of this course). I was certainly fine with the uphills, especially since it was a trail run, because I felt like I was more in control of my movements and momentum, whereas I would sort of be fighting gravity not to allow me to roll my ankle or fall on a downhill that would likely have rocks and roots. Yea, I can be a real 'fraidy cat when it comes to running downhill on trails.
I felt encouraged as the trail widened and I saw more of the morning sunshine through the trees. With the wider trails, I certainly find it easier to maneuver around any uneven or unsafe ground. As I got closer to the end of the trail, I ran into Phil, the event director walking/jogging about to make sure some parts of the course were properly marked, and I was very fortunate that I ran into him around where I did, because there was one juncture in the woods where I was not sure where to go, and he directed me (and I believe he said that I was almost done). So not long after that, I came to an open area in the woods that looked like the finish area from last year. However, there was not anyone or anything around (such as granola bars or beverages), so I stopped and sorta ran in place a bit to wait for Phil to catch up to see if I was actually finished or not. After about a minute or two, Phil appeared and I asked him something to the effect of if I was done or not, and he said that the finish line was about a quarter-of-a-mile or so away. With that, I thanked him, and ran out into the clearing, saw a clear trail leading up a grassy hill back into the woods. I ran up that hill, through the woods and came up to another sort of wide area in the woods similar to the one I had just left, and only this time I saw packs of granola bars and sports beverages there, and when I reached there my watch read about 56 minutes and 48 seconds.
After falling a couple of times (one of which was down a small waterfall), messing up my glasses, going the wrong way, and running over more adverse terrain than what I normally do for races and runs, I had finally finished whoohoo!!! I was so grateful I got through with broken glasses in hand without any injury and my lenses were not cracked, just very dirty. At that point, I considered it a bonus that God still helped me to win. Last year I had run that course (well I think it changed a bit this year, or so I had heard) in about 51:06, but I had run past the finish line area thinking it was an aid station for the longer distance routes, and I finished right about at the starting line, so my actual time from last year I think had been just under 50 minutes. I did not run faster than this year obviously, however, I may have run faster considering the 10-15 minutes I spent side-tracked looking for my glasses in addition to spending about a few minutes having gone the wrong way. Without all of that, I think the Good Lord would have helped me trounce what I did at this venue in 2008.
At that point, I was just grateful to be done, though a little preoccupied about what to do next about my glasses. I got back to the car not long after other runners finished, and I called Kay (my girlfriend) to let her and her family know what had happened (we had plans that weekend I believe and not having glasses to drive safely may have had to result in a change of plans). They were worried about me, which was to be expected, and her dad even prayed for me over the phone (which was awesome). Not long after, I was talking to another runner at the race who happened to have a toolbox in his car and he was able to at least put my lenses back in the frames, but was not able to correct my frames. At that point, I was simply grateful to have my lenses in my glasses so I could see with better clarity driving back then I would have otherwise.
Now, the vision was still distorted a bit as the frame was bent, but I could still see all right. To play it safe, I stayed off of Interstate 95 (which is how I usually would travel to and from Cecil County), and took the more slower and smaller Route 1 instead. This took me into Baltimore City, where I got lost for a bit, but after the help of asking for directions from a couple of folks, I was able to get back on track and get back to my townhouse in Baltimore County, where I was able to take a shower, which I think I really needed after that run.

Thankfully, I made it back safely! Though, the eventfulness of the day had not quite ended. Not long after that, I managed to clog up the toilet (and fortunately later on I was able to get a plunger and unclog it), and then I think one or two other mishaps happened that resulted in me running in and out of my house to get/buy different things.

That day, I was also supposed to meet up with some of my friends in Carroll County, MD, which is more north and west of where I live. I was already running late and knew I would be driving slowly with my rather "new eyeglass prescription", haha :) Now this was definitely a God-based move, because one of my friends that I was hanging out with was my friend Tom, who used to work at a glasses shop called Pearle Vision, and he had great experience working with glasses. In less than ten minutes, he was able to easily fix up my glasses frames and lenses, and after cleaning it, it looked like nothing had really happened to it at all. That was so awesome for Tom to do that, and I think God used him to help me not have to go to For Eyes (I know, clever name for the place where I've been getting glasses since I started wearing them in Kindergarten), where I probably would have had to pay a fair amount of money for repairs/new pair, and most likely would have had to have waited longer too. It felt great to have my glasses back on CORRECTLY!
And after the day I had, I was certainly thankful to God that I had gotten through it (not that it was really all bad in any way, it was just very... eventful and definitely funny looking back on it).

Now, the next Saturday (July 25, 2009) was another venture en route to Garrett County, Maryland's western-most county for the Kitzmiller Town River Run 5K in this small town near the Maryland/West Virginia state border right along the Potomac River called Kitzmiller (which I had never been too before, and therefore I had never done this race either). I had been thinking of doing this race last year, but did not really find any mention of it over the internet, and that was okay, because they had this new Adventure Sports Center International Adventure Games 10K Trail Run instead at Deep Creek Lake, a famous resort area in Garrett County (and in my opinion, that has been the hilliest trail run I have run so far). Looking back, I'm glad I did that one last year instead of the Kitzmiller Town River Run 5K (which I later found out had been on the same morning), because I do not think they had that trail run at Deep Creek Lake this year. Anyway, I'm sure driving that probably three-hour drive before daybreak on less than six hours of sleep was an adventure in itself, but what happened on the way there really woke me up!
I was house-sitting for my parents in Howard County, so from there I had to go west mainly along Interstate 70 through Carroll, Frederick, and Washington Counties, and then Interstate 68 through Washington, Allegany Counties before reaching Garrett County. Right around the time I was very well west into Washington County, my car (a gold Saturn for those who are new to this blog) started acting a bit funny, and I was fortunate enough to find a place to pull over not long after crossing into Allegany County after I felt the car beginning to shut down. I was not too far from Cumberland and Frostburg, larger cities in Allegany County. After trying to start the car again, it did not start, and fortunately I still had Triple A's number in my phone from late April of 2007 when I had car troubles (and that had been around the time I was getting into the thick of trying to run in a running event in every Maryland county within a year before 2007 was over). I am so glad I save phone numbers, even though it may not seem I may have the most apparent use for them. In relatively short time, I was able to have the car taken to the nearest Saturn dealership, where it could be examined. The main problem was that the alternator belt had been having issues, and after getting that fixed, they had found some other mechanical issues that would cost pretty heavy to have prepared. I told them I would certainly consider it. I was very fortunate to have gotten out of it safe, and I was able to drive the car home. I was a little bummed that I obviously did not make the race in Kitzmiller, but I feel like if it is God's will that I do that race, that He will make it happen. I was even more disappointed that the plans Kay and I had made for the weekend, and not to mention for our upcoming 100-day anniversary that Tuesday (July 28, 2009), would probably have to be suspended until the car was deemed safe to drive longer distances. I am very fortunate that Kay is the understanding, sweet, and compassionate woman of God that she is, because she was not angry with me (though she shared in the disappointment of probably not getting to see each other anytime soon), and was glad that I was safe and even offered suggestions on what to do next. After talking things over with my parents, we came to an agreement that it would probably be wise to go ahead and buy a newer car (since with the unfortunate current economic recession, prices tend to be lower to stimulate the reluctant buyer's desire to buy), versus spend a lot of money making repairs on a car that was getting on in years.
Soon after, my parents and I started researching heavily and test driving fairly regularly. I liked the different cars I had tried, and after much prayer, and talking with my parents, Kay, and a couple of other friends about it, I was fortunate to come across a new 2010 Toyota Corolla (which I hear is quite fuel efficient, oh boy! :) at a local dealership. My dad and I traded in the Saturn (which did not qualify for Cash-for-Clunkers, a government program which I had not heard of until this car searching thing began). With my dad's urging and my want for clarity on what I should buy, I was blessed to have been able to have found a new car a mere six days after the Saturn's alternator belt had problems. On Friday, July 31, 2009, I came away jointly owning a new Toyota Corolla (I am currently jointly owning it with the bank that I took a loan from) as well as a new auto insurance policy. With car loans to pay off, my budget has gotten tighter, meaning maybe not spending much on races as I used too and other such pleasures (at least for now), but you know what, that's okay, because I feel like God really wants me to hold steadfastly to my New Year's Resolution of not running nearly as many races as I had run last year (which was 112, not counting my participation in the Kent Island Relay for Life in Queen Anne's County, Maryland). Besides, I feel like God is telling me that there are other things I need to be making more of a priority, such as figuring out my next steps towards teacher certification, considering graduate school as a solid possibility in the near future, and being there for Kay as well as my other friends and family! I still feel it is important to run and race, but certainly not prioritize it the way I have been these past several years.
I really like the new Toyota Corolla, and so do my friends and family. However, there is certainly something to be said for the Saturn (or as my friend David, who thoroughly supported me in my support of running races in every county of Maryland, called it, the "Maryland Mobile"). That car will always be special to me, and I hope that God uses it to serve well whomever has the good fortunate of driving it. It was the first car that I drove on my own in 2001 when I had gotten my driver's license, it was the car that I drove after high school through my full-time college student years. It was the first car I drove after I was saved through Jesus Christ on Sunday, April 20, 2003. It was the first car I drove when I was able to bring a car onto the college campus of Salisbury University in the spring of 2005. I had taken that car to and from many different races, places, friends and family get-togethers. After all, it had been through every county of Maryland and Delaware more than once over the years, not to mention through Washington D.C. and parts of Virginia. I remember earlier this year, I had taken it up to Centralia (Columbia County), Pennsylvania, an almost-ghost town that had horrible mine fires back in the 1960's. I think one of the longest trips I had taken with it had been in mid-February of 2007, when I went all the way to Lynchburg, Virginia for a conference during my brief stint as a prosuming independent business owner, a trip that was at least a good four-to-five hours. That car had taken me to and from my only jury duty experiences to date. That car was the one I was driving when I started my current job as a teachers' aide at the Homewood Center. That Saturn was the car I picked Kay up in on our first date to Applebee's on Sunday, April 19, 2009! There are so many important memories, and so much great company sat in those seats over the years. In short, that car will always be special to me, and I am sorry if I am getting kind of emotional and sentimental here, but I just felt like I wanted to acknowledge how much God has done for me with that car, and how much of a gift the Saturn is. And I certainly do think that the Toyota Corolla is a terrific gift as well!!

Thank you for bearing with me on this long post. I know it has been over two months since I posted. I am trying to do better. If you are a fairly frequent follower, or a personal friend/contact of mine, you probably knew about a little if not a fair majority of this. So here are all of the details that I recall. I will have another update to bring all of you up to speed in the near future hopefully (like, probably in another week or so).
I thank you all for stopping by, and I hope that none of you were discouraged from trying out running races. These things just happen, and I am grateful to God to be living, in fair health, and that no one was hurt!!
I hope you all have a blessed evening and weekend, and I truly appreciate all of you! Take it easy!

Running Events I have done as of Saturday, July 18, 2009

January

- Sunday, January 18, 2009 - "Inaugural" All-comers Indoor Track & Field Meet - Thomas Jefferson Community Center, Arlington (Arlington County), Virginia:

1). 1-mile race - 14th overall since some mile times run in other heats were faster than mine, (7th overall in the "Elite heat") - 5:26.7 (not bad considering my shoe came untied around half-way into the race :)

2). 800-meter race - 2nd overall - 2:17.78 (my best time in this event at this track venue and very well-paced too :)

3). 3,000 meter race - 15th overall (13th overall in the second heat) - 11:27.8 (I accidentally ran a lap extra and ran about 3,200 meters worth, and my 3,000 meter split was about 10:46, which would have put me at about 8th overall and 8th in this particular heat. This is also my best time-to-date for 3,000 meters at this track venue :)

4). Saturday, January 24, 2009 – Inaugural Chesapeake Bay Running Club Trail Run #1 (5K) – King’s Landing Park, Huntingtown (Calvert County), Maryland – 2nd overall – 19:21

- Sunday, January 25, 2009 – Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex All-Comers’ Showcase Indoor Track & Field Meet – Landover (Prince George’s County), MD:

5). 1-mile race – 4th overall – 5:03

6). 400 meter race – 5th or 6th probably (second-to-last in heat) – 1:04ish (I think this was the first time since middle school I ran this race  )

7). 800 meter race – Not sure how I placed – 2:16/2:17ish; I couldn’t see my time on the clock clearly.

8). 200 meter race – 8th in the heat I was in and last place in heat - :41 (my first time since middle school running this race )

February

- Sunday, February 1, 2009 – Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex All-Comers’ Showcase Indoor Track & Field Meet – Landover (Prince George’s County), MD:

9). 1-mile race – 4th overall - 5:03.4 (best 1-mile time at this venue )

10). 800 meter race – Open/Masters Heat Winner – 2:12.7 (best time at this venue )

11). 3,200 meter race – 11:16 (and 10:37 for the 3,000 meter split, both 3K and 3,200 meter times are personal best times at this venue )

12). Saturday, February 7, 2009 – Inaugural Chesapeake Bay Running Club Trail Run #2 (Four-Miler) – Calvert Cliffs State Park, Lusby (Calvert County), MD – 3rd overall – 27:31

13). Sunday, February 8, 2009 – Bear Run Four-Miler – Pleasant Valley/Westminster (Carroll County), MD – 11th overall – 27:07

March

14). Sunday, March 8, 2009 – Howard County Striders “Operation Iceberg” (Winter Series) Race #8 : Thunder Hill Elementary School 2-miler – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 6th overall – 14:19

15). Saturday, March 14, 2009 – Run4Luck Four-Mile Run – Lancaster (Lancaster County), Pennsylvania – 40th overall – 26:51.55 (I ran negative splits here )

16). Sunday, March 22, 2009 – Inaugural Break-in the Bypass 5K – Greenmount/Hampstead (Carroll County), MD -10th overall (9th overall if you don’t count the two-person relay team ahead of me) – 19:46 (clock), 19:42ish (watch)

17). Saturday, March 28, 2009 – 4th Annual Keep Your Colon Rollin’ 5K – Jefferson Patterson Park (new course and venue), Saint Leonard (Calvert County), MD – Winner (20-29 age group division winner as well) – 19:35

18). Sunday, March 29, 2009 – 4th Annual Marriotts Ridge High School Mustang Stampede 5K Run – Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville (Howard County), MD – 11th overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 18:24.56 (great pacing and my first time running under a six-minute mile in a long while )

April

19). Saturday, April 4, 2009 – 26th Annual Stillond-to-Betterton Tree Run – Started in Stillpond and ended at Betterton Beach (Kent County), MD – Winner – 22:42 (as of this race, I can say that I have won a race in all nine counties of Maryland’s Eastern Shore within my lifetime; praise God! )

20). Saturday, April 18, 2009 – 4th Annual Adkins Arboretum Arbor Day/”Into the Woods” Fun Run 5K – Ridgely (Caroline County), MD – Winner – 17:51 (my best time on the 5K loop there and very nice for me considering I fell during the second half of the race :).

21). Saturday, April 25, 2009 (my 26th birthday ) – 1st Annual Bollman Bridge Elementary School Tech Trot 5K – Jessup/Savage (Howard County), MD – Winner – 19:20 (course went by Bollman Bridge Elementary and Patuxent Valley Middle Schools, where I went to preschool for one year and 6th and 7th grade )

May

22). Saturday, May 2, 2009 – 12th Annual Journey To Better Pathways/Pathways School 5K Run – Silver Spring (Montgomery County), MD – 2nd overall – 19:38 (clock), 19:31 (watch). I accidentally ran the wrong way and ran extra -

23). Saturday, May 9, 2009 – 4th Annual McCready Health Services Foundation Founder’s Day 8K – Crisfield (Somerset County), MD – 4th overall (20-29 male age group winner) – 31:13 (best time on course to date )

24). Saturday, May 16, 2009 – Inaugural Run for the Future 5K – Frederick (Frederick County), MD – Winner (20-29 male age group division winner too  - 18:08 (great time with 5:29 one-mile split, 11:28 two-mile split, almost running into a pace bike in the first mile, and going a little bit further at the turn-around 

25). Sunday, May 17, 2009 – 2nd Annual Paws for Life/Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue May Day 5K Run – Chesapeake City (Cecil County), MD – Winner (20-29 male age group division winner too) – 18:32 (best time on course to date, and I was kinda sleep-deprived too 

26). Sunday, May 17, 2009 – Howard County Striders “Vernal Velocity” Weekly Series #5: Longfellow Elementary School 10K – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 8th overall – 44:48 (clock), 44:29 (watch)

27). Saturday, May 23, 2009 – 33rd Annual Chestertown Tea Party Distance Classic 10-Miler – Chestertown (Kent County), MD – 31st overall (25-29 male age group winner  - 1:16:16 (clock – my time on my watch was probably several seconds faster since I started further in the back a bit later )

28). Saturday, May 30, 2009 – 1st Annual Tri-County Youth Services Bureau (T.C.Y.S.B.) Youth Power 5K Run – Hughesville (Charles County), MD – 2nd overall (20-29 male age group winner) – 18:27.45 (first race that Kay, my girlfriend, came too to watch )

29). Sunday, May 31, 2009 – Howard County Striders’ All-Fruit Relay – Columbia (Howard County), MD – I was on the Cute Cuc’s (short for ‘cucumber’) and we placed 5th with a time of 56:34 – I ran the last leg in about 12:31, running negative splits with about 6:18 the first lap. Fun time ).

June

30). Tuesday, June 2, 2009 – Tom Ausherman Memorial Cross Country Series #1: Hagerstown Community College – Hagerstown (Washington County), MD – 3rd overall – 12:09

31). Saturday, June 6, 2009 - 1st Annual South County Faith Network Jug Bay 5K ( a little longer, about 5.5K as one person measured it on their GPS) – Lothian (Anne Arundel County), MD – approximately 30:45 on the clock, 21:16 (I actually ran this time, ‘cause I got there late, and this time was actually the fastest one run there at the race, though I’m not sure where my finish place was in the pack, as I’ve yet to see the results )

32). Sunday, June 7, 2009 -3rd Annual Archbishop Neale School 10K and 5K Run (I ran the 5K which was a little longer than a 5K) – LaPlata (Charles County), MD – Winner – 19:15 (clock), 19:14 (watch) – God is good; He has helped me to win a race in all three of Maryland’s southernmost counties within my lifetime 

- Tuesday, June 9, 2009 – Cumberland Valley Athletic Club’s (C.V.A.C.’s) Pete Wright Memorial All-Comer’s Outdoor Track & Field Series #2 – North Hagerstown High School Track, Hagerstown (Washington County), MD:

33). 2-mile race – Winner – 11:10 (ran about 5:42 the first mile, then came back in about 5:28 the second mile to run my best two-mile outdoor track time to date 

34). 800-meter race – 2nd overall – 2:59

35). 200-meter race – last place in last heat – 34.8ish

36). 1-mile race – Winner – 5:15 (ran the first half in about 2:38, and then the second in about 2:37 )

37). Howard County Striders “Vernal Velocity” Spring Series#7 - Burleigh Manor 5K – 5th overall – 18:23 (fastest time on course to-date )

38). Sunday, June 21, 2009 – Dawson’s Father’s Day 10K Run – Severna Park (Anne Arundel County), MD – 43rd overall - 42:26.48 (clock), 42:07ish (watch – I started a bit late - This was my first race I ran on the Baltimore-and-Annapolis (B&A) Trail 

July

39). Friday, July 3rd – Howard County Striders’ Friday Night Cross Country Series #2: Wilde Lake High School 5K – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 11th overall – 19:15 (faster pace than I ran at this venue over the different, shorter course I had run at this high school when I was in 12th grade in the fall of 2001 )

40). Tuesday, July 7, 2009 – Centennial Fun Run 1-Mile – Ellicott City (Howard County), MD – 13th overall – 5:51 (clock), 5:50 (watch)

41). Thursday, July 9, 2009 – Westminster Road Runners Club’s Twilight Series #4: Francis Scott Key 6K Run – Francis Scott Key High School, Union Bridge (Carroll County), MD – 21st overall – 24:40 (clock), 24:35 (watch)

42). Saturday, July 18, 2009 – St. Roch’s Trail Run (7K – Ran extra) – Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, Fair Hill/Elkton (Cecil County), MD – Winner – 56:48 (fell, broke glasses, went wrong way a couple of times, one of which involved running downstream and slipping on a really small waterfall )

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

“Maryland Munch” – Unique restaurants I have eaten at within my lifetime throughout Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

- Yellowfin – Saturday, April 25, 2009 – Edgewater – Classy seafood restaurant by the water of the South River in Anne Arundel County. It’s right off of Route 2 South before heading over the bridge that crosses the South River. I went here with my brother, girlfriend, and friends on my 26th birthday to celebrate it. I recall having a delicious brie dish with fruit. I enjoyed it, as well as the company and atmosphere. Interestingly enough, there was a wedding/wedding reception in this big room/hall downstairs. Seems like it was a nice place to have one!

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

- Taneytown Deli – Thursday, February 26, 2009 – Catonsville – Nice, quaint little deli and shop tucked away off of Highway 144/Old Frederick Road. One of my co-workers recommended this to me and I went there for my first time with “Maryland Munch” in mind. I had “The Catonsville” sandwich. I think there were slices of turkey breast and ham on it; it tasted pretty nice overall. I probably should have seen what I could have done about getting some cheese on it, but it was fine enough. I also had a black and white muffin and that made for a nice dessert.

Calvert County

Caroline County

Carroll County

- Sunday, May 25, 2008 – Reisterstown/Westminster area – My friends Erica and Josh got married at Life Point Church (which used to be called Carroll Community Church), and then we went to a local country club for a receptoin. The food and appetitzeres were delicious from what I could remember (I apologize, I don’t clearly remember much more). I remember more of the dancing and fun I had catching up with people and friends I had not seen in a while!

Cecil County

- Saturday, May 10, 2008 – North East – After Dr. Daniel Williams and I ran at the Inaugural Run for Reading 4K in Bayview/North East, MD, we went over to a small coffee shop around downtown North East to talk more. Dr. Williams was in town to see family and run that Run for Reading, because after he had run that race in Cecil County, he had completed his goal of running a race in every county along the Mason-Dixon Line. As I recall the coffee and small food (I think I had a cookie, pastry, or something like that) were pretty good. We enjoyed ourselves!

Charles County

Dorchester County

- Saturday, April 14, 2007 – Cambridge - After my friend John and I ran at the Healthy Kids Fun Run at the Dorchester YMCA and Sandy Spring Elementary School in Cambridge, we went out to eat at a small seafood restaurant around downtown Cambridge. This was at the very beginning phases of my first endeavor to run in a running event in every Maryland County in 2007, and that was certainly my first Dorchester County race. I recall they had some nice food here (And I can’t quite remember what it is I had; I wanna say it was some seafood, if not pizza). I don’t think I had much of an appetite after that run, but John and I enjoyed it nonetheless.

- Friday, May 2, 2008 – Vienna – I stopped by this small waterside deli/restaurant in Vienna (I forget what it is called), and I think I had a sub or some kind of a sandwich, and I think I had a soda too. I was headed to Salisbury (Wicomico County) to see some friends and do a race in Crisfield (Somerset County) that weekend, which was why I was over there in the first place. It seemed like a small, more intimate dining place and I remember enjoying the food!

Frederick County

- Sunday, January 15, 2006 – West New Market – My friends, Danny and Brianna, got married this day at this beautiful bed and breakfast place, where we also had the reception. I liked the food there (even though I can’t remember much of what I ate). I remember a very joyful wedding with great dancing, music, and people 
Garrett County

- Jubilee Diner – Saturday, July 26, 2008 – Friendsville – After my first time at Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, MD for this inaugural Adventure Games 10K Trail Run at the Wisp Ski Resort in Deep Creek, I decided to head over to Friendsville, MD around where my friend Phil lives. I knew Phil was working that day, so I decicded to settle in for eating some place by myself. I came by this small, rather dimly lit diner called the Jubilee Diner. I remember the service was great and fairly personable. I know I had a milkshake, and I think I had a burger and fries. I enjoyed the meal quite well as I recall 

Harford County

Howard County

- Timbuktu – Winter of 1997 – Columbia area – I was in seventh grade when I went here for a friend’s Bar Mitzvah reception. I remember eating here and enjoying the company and hte food quite well. I rpobably would have liked the experience a bit more, but my brother and this other guy named Brett were spinning this circular thing around and the next thing I kenw, all these sauces were every on the talbe, and a lot of the people at the table thought it was me. Fortunately none of us got in serious trouble. Looking back, I think it’s funny that that is my most salient memory of eating there.

- Best Hunan – King’s Contrivance Shopping Center, Columbia – Back in my junior year of high school (2000-2001), my friends Brian and Nate would invite me to go with them, and this became our typical hang-out spot. It’s pretty well-lit, comfortable, and intimate. I like the crab rangoons, fried ice-cream on a banana (which I’m not sure if they have), sweet-and-sour soup, beef lo-mein, and some of their platters just to name a few. I still eat here with my friends and it pretty much got me into Chinese food more. I think the last time I ate here was back in 2008, and I probably had beef lo-mein or something like that.

- Forest Diner – 2007/2008 (winter time) – Ellicott City – I ate here with my friend from Salisbury University, Mike one evening. It was pretty small and I think it is closing (or has closed down). The food was pretty nice, and if I know myself, I probably got some burgers, frieds, and a soda (and possibly something for desert). Like typical diners, I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere was relatively quiet with images and set-up to resemble times as far back as at least the 1950’s. I may have eaten here with a couple of buddies from high school back around the August of 2003, or it might have been the Double T Diner nearby in Ellicott City.

- Bagel Bin (Wilde Lake Village Center location) – Saturday, January 10, 2009 - Bagel Bins are one of Columbia, MD’s “best kept secrets” and I would therefore consider it a more “unique” restaurant as it only seems to be in Columbia. I’ve eaten at various Bagel Bin locations (mainly the one at the King’s Contrivance Shopping Center near where I grew up), and I’m a fan of their bagel melts (with melted cheese) and their smoothies (which may only be out in the summer or warmer weather, I’m not quite sure). My most recent time I ate there was after a Saturday morning Bagel Run with the Howard County Striders where we start and end our running routes by the Wilde Lake Village Center’s Bagel Bin, and it was on Saturday, January 10, 2009. I can’t quite remember what I had there that morning, and I was there catching up with someone I hadn’t seen since middle school who was also doing the run. I’m pretty sure I bought a sports drink (like Gatorade) while I was there. I really like Bagel Bin and I definitely came to appreciate it when I would come home on breaks from college at Salisbury University.

Kent County

- Harbor Shack – Sunday, April 22, 2007 – Rock Hall – This was my first visit to Rock Hall, MD and the afternoon I came to visit, I went for a little run around the town and then decided to eat at the Harbor Shack right by the water. It was fairly noisy indoors, but it was not bad and it was to be expected since there was a bar there. It was a fairly nice day out and I think I actually ate outside (I think I bought some nice french fries).

- Durding’s – I think I stop in here every time I’ve been to Rock Hall (and I think I’ve been about five times now). This is a very quaint shop right around the downtown area and it’s a gift sohp with little antiques, gifts, and they sell food (they have nice ice cream as I recall from experience )

- Java Rock Café – Friday, July 4, 2008 – Rock Hall – I came to Rock Hall on the Fourth of July to run in the 27th Annual Rock Hall Flat Five, and that was a fun race. It ended right by Java Rock Café, and afterwards I went there and got some coffee and possibly a little food too. It’s a pretty small and quaint coffee shop, and I do believe they sell some souvenirs (such as Rock Hall, MD hats and shirts). I had been there before, and that is my most recent memory of being there.

Montgomery County

- Vegetable Garden – May/June, 1999 – I was a freshman in high school when I went with my mom to meet up with my grandma, a relative, and my relative’s friend to celebrate my relative’s graduation (I think it was from high school, if not college). I don’t remember where in Montgomery County this is located, but I’m pretty sure it is in Montgomery County and that the menu is pretty much all vegetable stuff. I was not much into that kinda food at the time, and I rememmber being fairly sleepy from not getting much sleep in preparing for 9th grade finals, but I thought the food was pretty decent considering I don’t normally eat a lot of what was on their menu. Looking back, I’m glad I had the experience and that I got to eat and celebrate with family 

- 2007/2008 – I went with my friends, Aaron and Brian, to this Chinese restaurant in this shopping center in Olney (I think there’s a Cheeburger Cheeburger and a Shopper’s Food Warehouse there now). The Chinese food was pretty good here, and I think we ate here during the winter time. I think I had some beef low-mein. I’ll venture to say that I think when I was in seventh grade, I went to this same place around the winter/early spring of 1997 to get some carry-out from this restaurant. It looks a bit small on the outside, but on the inside it seems a bit more spacious and I’d say it is a more upper class restaurant (then again, I have not had all that much experience with ritzy restaurants).

Prince George’s County

- Don Pablo’s – Summer of 1997 – Laurel area – I remember going here when some relatives from out-of-town were visiting, and I think it was a week day evening. I can’t quite remember what I got, but if I know me and if I knew me back then, it was probably a quesadilla, a taco, or something similar (and I probably had a root beer or some kinda soda to go with it). Great food as I recall, and then again, I usually like just about all Mexican food.

- Silver Diner – Sunday, August 31, 2008 – Laurel – I went with my friends Amy, Kseniya, and Walton to eat here after a fun afternoon and evening at the Six Flags around the Largo area of Prince George’s County. I did not have much of an appetite after all of those rides, and I wanted to take it easy on my stomach, ‘cause I knew I wanted to do the 5th Annual Labor Day 5K Rogue Race the next day in Eldersburg (Carroll County), MD. I think I just got some nice soup and a soda, and possibly more (maybe a desert too).

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

- Gracie’s Place – Saturday, March 14, 2009 – I went to the Hagerstown, Maryland location on my way back from running the Run4Luck Four-Mile run in Lancaster County, PA and from visiting Centralia, PA. I ordered a chef sald and thought that I got a lot for about four bucks. It was a great deal, as well as a small, yet very friendly and personalble atmosphere with the help of the kind employees that were there. I may have gotten one or two things on the side, I can’t quite remember. I may go back again if I’m in town )

Wicomico County

- Hunan Palace – March/April of 2005 – Fruitland – My friend Suzanne and I ate at Hunan Palace; this really nice Chinese restaurant just outside of Salisbury (Wicomico County). Going to school locally at Salisbury University and recently getting a car on campus, I felt like I could “stretch my legs” a bit and check out some of the places around town more. I’m glad we chose this. Even though my stomach was not feeling the best while I was there (which I don’t think had anything to do with the food), I thought it was a great restuarant. If I know me, I probably got some beef lo-mein or something similar.

- Lighthouse Diner II – Salisbury – I’ve been here many of times, and their prices are great for the breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods that they have. I like their hot chocolate, pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken soups, and quite a few of their other menu items to name a few. Usually when I go back to visit with friends in Salisbury, a visit here is in order. I wanna say that probably my most recent time here was around Saturday, December 13, 2008 (at least that was the last time I was in town). My friends and I noticed that it was called Lighthouse Diner II, and we sorta have a joke among us to keep our eyes out for the first Lighthouse Diner.

Worcester County

Summer of 2009 for me so far...

2009-07-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your patience in waiting for me to update. Don't worry, just because I have not gotten around to blogging on here in the past couple of months does not mean that I've brushed these blogs to the wayside or have not been running. I've just been pretty busy since my two spring teaching certificate classes last semester ended, and whenever I'm on the computer I usually opt to do other things (i.e. look for races/race results, go on Facebook, or do e-mailing). If not on the computer, I have spent time working at summer camps with the Howard County Recreation and Parks Department since the school year ended. Last summer I worked for these summer camps with a camp called Teens on Tour, and I did that for a week, before I voluntarily opted to go to camps with younger kids and shorter workdays when I found out Teens on Tour was kinda overstaffed. While I may get paid for less hours, at least I am having more experience with elementary-school age children, which is an age group that I am interested in teaching. So yea, the summer camp thing has been going well; with Teens on Tour earlier in the summer break and now the more outdoorsy camps with the younger kids. I'm glad that more recently I have gotten more time to get back to these blogs.

My running has been going all right. Been trying to get more distance in, 'cause I signed up for the Annapolis Ten-Miler in Annapolis (Anne Arundel County), Maryland on Sunday, August 30 this year. This will be my first time running what is probably one of Maryland's largest foot races, which also has a reputation for being hot, humid, and hilly. Whooo! I wanna be in good shape for it, so at least I can make it through without hurting myself. Not too long ago, my foot would hurt in longer runs (like anything over three miles). My toes would begin to curl under my right foot, obviously altering the way my foot would land, and causing pain. It's probably no coincidence that this was the foot giving me plantar fascia problems last year. I went to see the physical therapist about it and got it taken care of, and so far it has not been bothering me recently. God willing, maybe now I can get in some longer runs more consistently. The problem seemed to be that my calves would tighten up around my right foot, causing tension in the right foot, leading to my toes curling/my foot landing in different ways, which aggravated my plantar fascia. I felt it bothering me a lot in longer races I have done in the past couple of months like the 33rd Annual Chestertown Tea Party Distance Classic 10-Mile Run in Kent County, MD on Saturday, May 23, in which I was hurting most of the way not even really pushing the pace (I hope that does not happen again at the Annapolis Ten-Miler, 'cause that could very well be more hot than Chestertown, and certainly much more hilly). Also, with the Dawson's Father's Day 10K that I tried for the first time in Anne Arundel County, MD on Father's Day (Sunday, June 21) this year, my right foot was pretty much cramping up and bothering me for most of the race right when I got half-way into it. I struggled to run about 42:07 in that 10-kilometer (approximately 6.2 miles), and then I was huffing and puffing to end up at about 1:16:16 for the 10-miler. I was happy to have finished, and to have earned an age group award in the 10-miler, but there was a time not so long ago when I was able to beat those times in mere training runs without it costing me/paining too much. Well, it could have been worth and I know the Good Lord has plans for it; after all, He had helped me to run so well in the past too in both, races and training, and He can certainly do it again if He so chooses, so I'm not going to worry too much about it. Everything happens for a reason, and I think at the Chestertown Tea Party 10-Miler, I would have probably gotten heat exhaustion pretty bad if the hurting foot had not held me back from going it harder, so maybe that was God's way of protecting me. After that 10-miler in Chestertown, I had made plans with my girlfriend, Kay, and I to visit my parents so that they could meet her for the first time, so I definitely wanted to be "sober" enough for that :)

And that reminds me, along with running, everything else seems to be going pretty well for the most part. I feel like I have a bit up-in-the-air with the next steps in working towards a teaching certificate, but this being the summer, it seems like an opportune time to address those things, and I'm glad I'm taking the time to do it. I have already signed up for two classes at Howard Community College in Howard County, MD, one of them will be my first online class (granted I don't find out I don't need it and drop it like I've done with other online ones in the past). I may quite possibly sign up for a third. I'm hoping to schedule a date to take the Praxis II as well; a test required to become a certified teacher. Other than that, I've been making time for family and friends. Kay and I have been doing pretty well; enjoying the relationship and each other the more we get to know each other! She is definitely a good influence on me; encouraging me in my faith, my professional goals, and supportive of my running. She has already been to three of my races and she wants to go to more in the future. We have a bit of a longer distance relationship, though God has really helped us with our schedules to be able to see each other usually at least once or twice-a-week, and still make time for other important aspects of our lives too! Still been averaging at least one-race-a-week, though not all of them have been really hard efforts on my part. Back in June, there were actually a couple of weekends later in that month that I did not actually do a race. That's so rare for me considering these past couple of years I can count the number of weeks on one hand that I have not done a race in. It's not all 'cause I have a girlfriend now either, some of it is 'cause my New Year's Resolution was to cut back on the number of races I do so that it would not consumer, and I want to save some more money as well. So yea, I've been busy, but mainly in a fun way, and I'm grateful to still have time to run consistently and get out to races. I'm actually hoping to get back into a more steady weight-lifting routine as well!

The next race I hope to do is a low-key trail run this Saturday (July 18, 2009) at the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management area in the Fair Hill/Elkton area of Cecil County, MD (which is in the northeast part of Maryland). It's the St. Roch 25K, and they also have a 14K and a 7K option (since I have plans with friends later that day, I'm gonna go for the 7K option like I did last summer, and hopefully this time not get lost like I did last summer, a time or two). My time last year was 51:36, which included minutes extra of going the wrong way at least a couple of times and running right by the intended finish line which was a bit off from the starting line (and it was at the starting line that I finished since no one happened to be at the finish area when I ran through it and there was no else around me at that point of the race). There seem to be a bunch of trails there, and for all I know, they may have changed the course around a bit. I'm sure they'll probably have that deeper, but brief stream crossing I'll have to wade through again. God-willing, I hope I can get through the course a bit faster than I did last year, and hopefully not get hurt. It's a bit over an hour from where I live, and I have done a couple of low-key trail races at this somewhat hilly venue over the past couple of years with these guys who put it on (the Delaware Trail Dawgs). In fact, the Fool's Frolic Trail Run I did there back on Sunday, April 1, 2007 was one of the first races I did upon being hit with the idea of doing a running event in every county of Maryland before 2007 ended (and I had done the shorter 5-6 mile route they had there as opposed to the longer 22K that they had advertised at the time).

So hopefully I get through this one safe (even though I'm sure I'll be filthy, but it's all part of the package :)- Thank you all for stopping by and catching up with me. I hope you are all having a blessed and fun summer :)

Quick Update!

2009-05-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hey there, I apologize that it's been a few weeks since I've posted. I've been busy with my two teaching certificate courses I've been taking this spring semester, and fortunately by God's grace I've finished my take-home finals in both of those classes. I just gotta turn in my take-home final exam for the Reading Processes and Acquisition course that I take on Wednesday evenings, and then I'm done for this spring semester! The work has been time consuming and the homework certainly seems to have picked up since I got back from the Mission: Mississippi trip over spring break!
Running has been going pretty solid for the most part. I've run a couple of 5K's and an 8K recently, and I had a nice speed workout yesterday at Centennial High School's outdoor track in Ellicott City (Howard County), Maryland, where I ran two 600's (in 1:56 and 1:52 respectively), followed by two 1/4-mile repeats (1:18 and then 1:13), with 2.5 minutes rest approximately between the 600's, and approximately 2 minutes between the 400's. That's been my best speed workout in a long time; at least since I got back to running from my break a coupla months back. I'm hoping to do a 5K or two this weekend.
Kay (my girlfriend) and I seem to be doing well in starting out on our relationship. We are coming up on our one-month anniversary, and we've been having a lot of fun! Looking forward to what God has in store with that as well as other things :)
Thanks for checking up. I hope to post again with more details on recent races I've done. Enjoy :)