Photos from the Loch Raven Reservoir, the race venue.
Last Sunday (January 13, 2008) I made it to the Baltimore Road Runners Club by the Loch Raven Reservoir in Baltimore County, Maryland for their Grand Prix Series 8-Mile Run. I ran surprisingly faster than the expected struggle to break a seven-minute-per-mile pace (which meant getting under 56 minutes in an 8-mile race). For a good portion of the race, my pace was fairly even.
The course had some moderately rolling and windy hills with a few long uphills around the scenic and mostly-shaded Loch Raven reservoir area. Since it was out-and-back, I got to run downhills on the hills I ran up on the way back (although in my opinion I thought there were more uphills than downhills coming back).
I went through the first mile in about 6:33, a little faster than expected but I felt all right and tried to keep at it and move up. I ran up this longer hill towards the water stop and right after my watch said I was at seventeen minutes and some seconds, so I knew I probably still had a ways to go until I got to three miles, and even a bit longer until I got to the fourth mile where I could turn around and retrace my steps. At this point, there were a lot of rather windy downhills, which I felt pretty strong on knowing that the runners behind me weren't that far behind and those ahead were quite a ways ahead (I could barely see the runner probably 100-200 yards ahead of me, and the others ahead of him seemed to have a significant lead on him).
The course flattened out and I ran to and around the four-mile turnaround mark in about 26:08 (which was about a 6:32-per-mile pace, a second faster than what I ran out in my first mile. Talk about an even pace! However, I knew it would not last, because there were going to be more uphills coming back from the halfway point of the race, and some areas of my right leg that sometimes cramp up were beginning to feel a bit tender.
The Good Lord kept me strong and I'd like to think that I maintained a solid running form, especially going up the steady uphills. I could feel my right foot/knee cramp up a bit, but it was nothing too bothersome. I slowed down in acoupel areas because of the cramping, but it was not long until I picked the pace back up again.
A couple of runners passed me around or shortly after the four-mile turnaround point and they put a good lead on me. With a little over one mile to go, one gentleman (whom I had the plesaure of meeting after the race and finding out he has seen my blogs) had gained on me and passed me around the seven-mile mark (Which I passed in 47:12, just under a 6:45-per-mile pace I think). This gentleman and I worked together by pushing one-another towads the end, which insprired me to have a fairly strong kick and bolt down the last slight hill and straight through the flat finish line area in 53:34, blowing away the time I expected to run. While this is not a PR (I think my PR for eight miles is a ways under 52 minutes), it surpassed my expectations, especially on a fairly challenging course and being tired from work and staying up late doing work for my human development class.
My training has been going pretty well this week, and I am pleased that I am not feeling as sore form that rather long race right now (and in my mind, eight miles is a pretty long race).
Well it's snowing right now over here in Howard County, Maryland and I'm hoping that this weekend I can get out and make some races. Kevin, one of my running buddies, and I were talking about doing the Snowflake Chase Five-Mile Run in the Deep Creek Lake Park area of Swanton, Maryland this Saturday (January 19, 2008). I have never been to Deep Creek Lake (at least not that I remember), but it seems to be a good ways into Garrett County in western Maryland. It looks like fun, with a nice after-party/awards cermony at the local UNO's. It's put on by the Queen City Striders (http://www.qcstriders.org) and last year I ran a couple of their events in Allegany and Garrett Counties, and I thought they did a nice job with them. Though, since that area of Maryland is really mountainous and a lot colder and probably more snowy than it is over here in Howard County, it's not as likely that I'll opt to drive out there in the rough weather if it's still going to be like it is today come the weekend. we'll see. If I don't get to run this race, it's not that big of a deal, as they do plenty towards late spring and well into the summer and autumn out in western Maryland.
If it's cleared up enough that Saturday around here, but it still does not seem safe enough to go out to western Maryland, I may do the Shooting Starr Five-Mile Run around the Hillandale/Takoma Park area of Montgomery County, Maryland. I've never run this one, but it seems cool because it's low-key and does not cost anymore than five bucks to enter (And for Montgomery County Road Runners Club members, I think it's free). The Montgomery County Road Runners (http://www.mcrrc.org) are putting this one on. We'll see!
On Sunday, January 20, 2008, I may run the Howard County Striders' Weekly Series ("Operation Iceberg")#3, a 5-Kilometer run at Athoolton High School in Columbia (check out http://www.striders.net if you are interested). This one is low-key and no more than a buck or two to enter. I think that race is one of the more easy and flat ones in Howard County, and depending on how I'm feeling, I may try and run a sub-six-minute-per-mile pace on that 5K course. I think I'm getting back into a level of fitness where if I push it, I can hit that kind of pace.
All right, thank you all for reading. I'm gonna try and take care of some things. Take it easy, and be safe and have fun out in the snow!
The Good Lord kept me strong and I'd like to think that I maintained a solid running form, especially going up the steady uphills. I could feel my right foot/knee cramp up a bit, but it was nothing too bothersome. I slowed down in acoupel areas because of the cramping, but it was not long until I picked the pace back up again.
A couple of runners passed me around or shortly after the four-mile turnaround point and they put a good lead on me. With a little over one mile to go, one gentleman (whom I had the plesaure of meeting after the race and finding out he has seen my blogs) had gained on me and passed me around the seven-mile mark (Which I passed in 47:12, just under a 6:45-per-mile pace I think). This gentleman and I worked together by pushing one-another towads the end, which insprired me to have a fairly strong kick and bolt down the last slight hill and straight through the flat finish line area in 53:34, blowing away the time I expected to run. While this is not a PR (I think my PR for eight miles is a ways under 52 minutes), it surpassed my expectations, especially on a fairly challenging course and being tired from work and staying up late doing work for my human development class.
My training has been going pretty well this week, and I am pleased that I am not feeling as sore form that rather long race right now (and in my mind, eight miles is a pretty long race).
Well it's snowing right now over here in Howard County, Maryland and I'm hoping that this weekend I can get out and make some races. Kevin, one of my running buddies, and I were talking about doing the Snowflake Chase Five-Mile Run in the Deep Creek Lake Park area of Swanton, Maryland this Saturday (January 19, 2008). I have never been to Deep Creek Lake (at least not that I remember), but it seems to be a good ways into Garrett County in western Maryland. It looks like fun, with a nice after-party/awards cermony at the local UNO's. It's put on by the Queen City Striders (http://www.qcstriders.org) and last year I ran a couple of their events in Allegany and Garrett Counties, and I thought they did a nice job with them. Though, since that area of Maryland is really mountainous and a lot colder and probably more snowy than it is over here in Howard County, it's not as likely that I'll opt to drive out there in the rough weather if it's still going to be like it is today come the weekend. we'll see. If I don't get to run this race, it's not that big of a deal, as they do plenty towards late spring and well into the summer and autumn out in western Maryland.
If it's cleared up enough that Saturday around here, but it still does not seem safe enough to go out to western Maryland, I may do the Shooting Starr Five-Mile Run around the Hillandale/Takoma Park area of Montgomery County, Maryland. I've never run this one, but it seems cool because it's low-key and does not cost anymore than five bucks to enter (And for Montgomery County Road Runners Club members, I think it's free). The Montgomery County Road Runners (http://www.mcrrc.org) are putting this one on. We'll see!
On Sunday, January 20, 2008, I may run the Howard County Striders' Weekly Series ("Operation Iceberg")#3, a 5-Kilometer run at Athoolton High School in Columbia (check out http://www.striders.net if you are interested). This one is low-key and no more than a buck or two to enter. I think that race is one of the more easy and flat ones in Howard County, and depending on how I'm feeling, I may try and run a sub-six-minute-per-mile pace on that 5K course. I think I'm getting back into a level of fitness where if I push it, I can hit that kind of pace.
All right, thank you all for reading. I'm gonna try and take care of some things. Take it easy, and be safe and have fun out in the snow!
Running Events I have done this year as of Thursday, January 17, 2008
Maryland
Allegany County
Anne Arundel County
Baltimore City
Baltimore County
- Baltimore Road Runners Club (BRRC) Grand Prix Series Eight-Mile Run – Sunday, January 13, 2008 – Loch Raven Reservoir – 11th overall – 53:34
Calvert County
- First Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run/Walk – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – Prince Frederick – 4th overall (1st in 20-29 age group) – 18:47
Caroline County
Carroll County
- Winfield Mile – Tuesday, January 1, 2008 – South Carroll High School, Winfield – 6th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 5:11 (clock), 5:10 (watch)
Cecil County
Charles County
Dorchester County
Frederick County
Garrett County
Harford County
Howard County
- Howard County Striders (H.C.S.) Weekly Series (“Operation Iceberg”) #1: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-mile run – Sunday, January 6, 2008 – Columbia/Ellicott City area – 7th overall – 32:18
Kent County
Montgomery County
Prince George’s (P.G.) County
Queen Anne’s County
Saint Mary’s County
Somerset County
Talbot County
Washington County
Wicomico County
Worcester County
Events outside of Maryland
2 comments:
Hi Noah, I enjoyed racing with you on Sunday. Hope to see you at the club challenge 10 miler on February 24. Stay well, Marc Sengebusch
Thanks Marc, it was definitely great meeting you at that eight-mile race last weekend. I hope you and your girlfriend do well at that half-marathon coming up that you said was going to be around Williamsburg, VA (at least I think that's where you said it was going to occur).
I'm posting on this blog as a response to you because apparently I took down your e-mail address wrong because my e-mailed response to you apparently did not go through. Feel free to send me an e-mail at noahwood@juno.com. Hope to see you at the RRCA Club Challenge 10-Mile Run in a little over a month, among other races. Stay warm this weekend and take it easy!
Post a Comment