R.R.C.A. 10-Mile Club Challenge was definitely a challenge!

Hi there everyone, I apologize for taking so long to update my blog. I was fairly busy this week with work and the two teaching certificate courses that I'm taking. Oddly enough, I have not been running this week (I'll get to why soon), yet I still did not take the time to blog. I had set aside some time to update this earlier in the week, but apparently something was up with the internet on this site and I could not really get anything done then. Now that the school week is over, though, I can finally get some time to update!

Anyway, I was fortunate enough to make it to and through the Road Runners Club of America Ten-Mile Club Challenge last Sunday (February 24, 2008) in Columbia (Howard County), MD. The race started and ended around the Howard Community College campus and it was pretty hilly, going through the Allview neighborhood just to name a few of the areas we ran in. In fact, we passed Atholton Elementary School (where I went to elementary school) as well as Clemen's Crossing Elementary School and Atholton High School!

I was pretty happy with my finishing time of 1:07:52 (that's what it said on my watch, my clock time was 1:07:58.85, and that's probably because I started towards the middle/back of the pack and it took me about six seconds to reach the starting line where I started my watch after the race started). I think I could have run at least two-to-three minutes faster, and maybe even topped my personal best time in the ten-mile distance of about 1:04:42, had my right foot not cramped up and hurt me from mile three through about miles six-to-seven. This was a bother to me towards the end of last summer into last fall. After some time off, I hadn't experienced much trouble with it until now. I think it could have been the hills and the longer distance, and this could have been a sobering reminder as to why I typically do not run in such longer distance races (and I'm thinking I should try and keep my distance from them for a while). I talked to my dad about it and said it could be plantar fascitis (which was an overuse injury that I had with my achilles/plantar fascia back in college, and not one that I'd like to have again). My dad and I decided it would be best to at least take this week off, so that's why I have not been running since I cooled down after the ten-mile race on Sunday. If it still bothers me next week, I'll take some more time off (although I hope that's not the case, because next weekend there are a couple of races scheduled on the Maryland Eastern Shore that I would like to run in if I can).
It could have been worse, and at least I ran some nice splits (even though I thought I went out too fast for a ten-miler at my level of fitness, but at least they made for nice splits). Plus, coming up to mile five while I was hurting and losing hope, I prayed that Jesus Christ would help heal me and about a mile-and-a-half later, the pain in my right foot began to recede. In my mind, experiencing God's response to my prayer and His healing in that race was the best part of it! And through prayer this week as well as taking some aspirin and icing, I've been feeling better. We'll see how it goes; most of my running next week if any I plan on taking it easy! And I've still been able to go wade/swim a bit in the swimming pool and lift at the gym at Howard Community College. My legs could probably use this rest anyway!
Anyway, here are the splits that I was able to catch on my watch as I went by mile markers throughout the race:

Mile#3 - 18:28
Mile#4 - 25:24
Mile#5 - 32:05ish
Mile#6 - 39:14
Mile#7 - 46:15
Mile#8 - 53:35ish
Mile#9 - 1:02:17ish
Mile#10 - 1:07:52


Again, I'm pretty well-pleased with those splits; they help make me more confident about the shorter distance races from like 5K-to-5-miles. Praise the Lord!
I did think that the ninth mile was a lot longer, because I don't think that coming up to it I had slowed to a pace that was well over an eight-minute mile as my splits above would imply, nor was I going hard enough at the end (except for maybe the last one-hundred meters or so) to hit about a 5:35-mile as the splits above would imply. No complaints about it though, it happens.

All right, thank you all for reading (and waiting on this post if you were). I hope you all continue to enjoy this "leap day" today, and that you all have a good night and weekend as well. God bless you all :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Sunday, February 29, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

-Valentine’s Day 5K Run – Saturday, February 9, 2008 – Kinder Mill Farm Park, Millersville/Severna Park – 10th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age group division) – 17:59.15 (my best time on course J)

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

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

Calvert County

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

Caroline County

Carroll County

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

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

- Leap of Faith Fun Run (7K prediction run – Approximately 4.35 miles) – Sunday, February 17, 2008 – Abington (Harford County, MD) – 3rd/4th overall (8th closest to predicted time) – 27:24 (predicted time: 28:00)

Howard County

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

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

- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #5: Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center 15K (first 15K I’ve done as part of the H.C.S. weekly series :) – Columbia – 11th overall – 1:10:11

- Road Runners Club of America Ten-Mile Club Challenge – Sunday, February 24, 2008 – Columbia (Howard County), MD – 122nd overall – 1:07:58.85 (clock), 1:07:52 (watch)

Kent County

Montgomery County

- 5th Annual Walnut Hill Ribbon Run 5K – Sunday, February 10, 2008 – Gaithersburg – 2nd overall – 19:51

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

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

- 1,500 meter race – 15th overall - 5:04.9

- 800 meter race – 2nd overall –2:17.5

- 3,200 meter race – winner – 11:24 (best indoor track time for that distance by one second, and the 10:43 3,000 meter split I believe was right around an indoor track best time for me as well J)

- Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex Track Showcase (indoor track) – Sunday, February 3, 2008 – Landover:

- 800 meter run – 3rd overall – 2:15

- 3,200 meter run – 2nd overall – Have not gotten time yet, but I’m sure it was close to the 11:24 I hit there last weekend J

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

Delaware

Kent County

New Castle County

Sussex County

Virginia

Accomack County

Arlington County

- Potomac Valley Track Club All-Comers’ Indoor Track & Field Meet – Sunday, February 3, 2008 - Thomas Jefferson Community Center, Arlington:

- 1 mile run – 6th overall – 5:17.0

- 800 meter run – 6th overall – 2:22.5

- 3,000 meter run – 7th overall – 10:59.8

Northampton County

"Maryland Mobile" Took a Hit/ Recent Lunar Eclipse/Happy George Washington's Birthday :)

Hey there everyone, happy George Washington's Birthday to all of you :) I hope everyone's doing well! Today it snowed and the roads are apparently icy so public schools here in Howard County, Maryland have been cancelled ( a day off, yay)! Monday was a day off for President''s Day, so I've been blessed with a three-day work week. And it has certainly been eventful!

First, on Tuesday evening (February 19, 2008), I went to the Stained Glass Pub in Glenmont/Silver Spring (Montgomery County), MD for the Fifty-Plus Races-Per-Year Club's 11th Annual Awards Banquet. It was great, discounted pizza night so we had a lotta pizza as well as some cake to celerate a club member's birthday. I really enjoyed it. Nice company and conversation (mainly about running, no surprise there). I met some nice people from Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Virginia there as well. The top two photos are of the banquet. Awards for various reasons and accomplishments were given out, and I was grateful to have earned one (probably because I ran over fifty races last year). It was awesome to hear recognition about running a race in every county of Maryland last year, such a blessing :) It's a great group, a lot of supportive people of different backgrounds and characteristics, and it's neat how we all share a common joy of running.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon (February 20, 2008) I was driving home from work and I stopped at an intersection to turn into the Harper's Choice Shopping Center to shop at the Safeway there where I used to work, when I was rear-ended!
I heard a loud BUMP and before I new it I was drifting into the intersection. Forutnately God helped em gain control of the car and my faculties within a second or two (although I spilled my mini back of chips that I was munchin' on after I had cleaned out the car the weekend before, but it could have been a lot worse).
Yes it could have been a lot worse. The other driver was not injured (or so he said) and my head/neck felt a bit sore in the back and I felt pretty drowsy afterwards, but now I'm doing all right. The left rear on my bumper was pretty much all that got whacked (as pictured above). No police got involved. Fortunately the gentleman was cooperative and offered a lotta necessary information to get things squared away for insurance. I was even able to go shopping afterwards at Safeway (hey I was that close anyway, might as well finish what I started since I was healthy enough to move around). I was hobbling about for a few minutes after getting out of the car, but it could very well have been from the shock of it. Afterwards, I made it to my Introduction to Reading course at Howard Community College and got through the class all right, and then did a nice jog on the treadmill at the on-campus gym as well as some lifting on the incline bench and the dumbbells. I felt better as I worked out (and I didn't push it much either). I ran into a buddy of mine from the Howard County Striders at the gym (he had just come back from a fairly long training run) and we lifted together, so that was cool.

Afterwards, I had heard about the lunar eclipse taking place that night, and they were going to have a free public viewing of it from atop the Howard Community College parking garage. I decided to go check it out. I drove to a fairly high spot in the garage, parked the car, and then ran/jogged up the rest of the way. There was hardly anyone at the top of the garage, and I could understand because it was around 8:45-8:50ish, and I don't think it was going to be quite a big thing until around 10ish. But I wanted to head back home, get showed, have dinner and try to get some decent sleep! I managed to get a couple of photos of the moon (pictured above on the bottom. The moon is on the left, and a garage light is on the right). I know it's probably not that good of a photo, but I decided to post it anyway, as there probably won't be another lunar eclipse until around the December of 2010 (so I've heard)!

Well I'm doing all right. Been runing a couple of days since the accident and been feeling all right. I'm glad that the "Maryland Mobile" (as my friend David called my car after I told him about my endeavors last year to run in a running event in every county in Maryland in 2007) did not get hit like that last year, or I would have been ticked because I would have most likely needed it to get around Maryland to do races and such in every Maryland county. I know I'm doing that again this year (in addition to trying to run races in every county of Delaware within a week and the two on Virginia's Eastern Shore in the Delmarva Peninsula). At least last year I was blessed to have been able to run in all of the Maryland and Delaware Counties in a year, so if this incident prevents me from doing it, I hopefully won't be too upset and I hope to still try for it anyway and make the best of it. As I said, it could have been worse.

I still plan on running in the Road Runners Club of America Club Challenge Ten-Mile Run this coming Sunday in Howard County. Fortunately the venue is within running distance of my house, so if my car is still in the shop or if I can't get a ride, I could do a longer warm up and cool down by running to and from the race. While that is not the most preferable for me, as I don't want to warm up too long before the race or cool down too long after an already relatively lengthy race for me, I'll gladly take it over not going at all. My running goal for that event is still the same and I hope to run strongly and recover all right! As for races in the near future after that ten-miler (which are probably going to be on the Maryland Eastern Shore for me), I hope that the car will be repaired around that time. If not though, I am confident that God has a plan for me in getting those counties in and there's still a good portion of 2008 ahead. Gotta keep an eye on some of those Maryland Eastern Shore counties, they don't have very many year-around running events, and my chances of making one in those counties are not as high as in some others.

Well anyway, thank you all for reading and the encouragements as well!! Glad to be doing all right and in good condition to justify running a ten-miler this weekend (which I hope won't be canceled as a result of the weather or something like that). Enjoy George Washington's Birthday and the upcoming weekend :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Friday, February 22, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

-Valentine’s Day 5K Run – Saturday, February 9, 2008 – Kinder Mill Farm Park, Millersville/Severna Park – 10th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age group division) – 17:59.15 (my best time on course :)

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

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

Calvert County

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

Caroline County

Carroll County

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

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

- Leap of Faith Fun Run (7K prediction run – Approximately 4.35 miles) – Sunday, February 17, 2008 – Abington (Harford County, MD) – 3rd/4th overall (8th closest to predicted time) – 27:24 (predicted time: 28:00)

Howard County

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

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

- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #5: Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center 15K (first 15K I’ve done as part of the H.C.S. weekly series :) – Columbia – 11th overall – 1:10:11

Kent County

Montgomery County

- 5th Annual Walnut Hill Ribbon Run 5K – Sunday, February 10, 2008 – Gaithersburg – 2nd overall – 19:51

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

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

- 1,500 meter race – 15th overall - 5:04.9

- 800 meter race – 2nd overall –2:17.5

- 3,200 meter race – winner – 11:24 (best indoor track time for that distance by one second, and the 10:43 3,000 meter split I believe was right around an indoor track best time for me as well :)

- Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex Track Showcase (indoor track) – Sunday, February 3, 2008 – Landover:

- 800 meter run – 3rd overall – 2:15

- 3,200 meter run – 2nd overall – Have not gotten time yet, but I’m sure it was close to the 11:24 I hit there last weekend :)

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

Delaware

Kent County

New Castle County

Sussex County

Virginia

Accomack County

Arlington County

- Potomac Valley Track Club All-Comers’ Indoor Track & Field Meet – Sunday, February 3, 2008 - Thomas Jefferson Community Center, Arlington:

- 1 mile run – 6th overall – 5:17.0

- 800 meter run – 6th overall – 2:22.5

- 3,000 meter run – 7th overall – 10:59.8

Northampton County

Leap of Faith Fun Run went pretty well up in Harford County this morning :)

'Ello everyone. Just got back from Abington (Harford County), Maryland for the Leap of Faith Fun Run (a prediction run). It went pretty well. I was within a minute of my predicted time and in fact I ran a little faster than I predicted and a little faster than I expected to go. That was great because I got less than six ours of sleep last night (I was over at a friend's house for a game night thing and I was having a great time there and ended up staying there later than I intended, and then I got up early to make the 8 A.M. race). I did not expect to hang in there so strongly, but the Good Lord helped keep me together and renewing my energy on the hilly course when I felt like I was spent quite a few times. I felt like I had a couple of solid surges at least!

The event distance ended up being about 7 kilometers (that's about 4.35 miles), an uncommon race distance, but I guess that's what made it fun. I thought that maybe if I was really feelin' well I could handle about a 6:20-per-mile pace which would probably put me at around 28 minutes for a finishing time over a 4.35-mile course. So that was the predicted tim ethat I put down. After the race started I felt a little tired going through the initial hills but then I think my body got used to it.
The whole course went through a series of suburban neighborhoods with rolling hills (some of which I thought were pretty challenging). Some of these neighborhoods reminded me of hte Emerson Community around North Laurel (Howard County), Maryland where I ran those one-mile fun runs last summer. I thought these neighborhoods were a bit more hilly.
I felt like I was pretty strong through to the end (and it was nice because there was a downhill finish. My right ankle felt like it was cramping up a bit, but God was good and did not let it bother me too much. I hope to get some ice on it soon. I was pleasantly surprised to run through the line as one of the event staff called out my time of 27:24, 36 seconds faster than my predictoin and probably a little slower than a 6:15-per-mile pace. Not too bad, considering the fairly challenging course :)

I was in fourth place almost the whole race and htat's where I finished. However, apparently the gentleman who was far ahead of me and leading for most of the race had gotten lost and was still out on the course while I finished, and that put me in third place. I told the race officials and some of the other runners that I was in fourth and that's when I found out that the gentleman who was leading the race had apparently gotten lost and was still out on the course. I'm not sure if they'll put me in third or fourth in the results, so when I post my results here, that's while I'll post it as "3rd/4th overall" until I see the results. I'm not sure how I placed as far as my finish time's finish time to my predicted time (because that's what really gets awarded). I was realy happy for the woman who got the closest to her predicted time (about five seconds off), because she's nice and I've seen her at the races. Shedrove a long way for hte event and she does a lot of them. I think the gentleman who go thte closest to his predicted tim was about seven seconds off. that's pretty close!

This run boosted my confidence, especially for approaching 8K's/5-Milers and 6-milers/10K's (approximately 6.2 miles). My next planned racei s the Road Runners Club of America Ten Mile Club Challenge in Howard County, Maryland near where I live, so I hope to run well there. I'm sure hese hills on this course were good preparation for it, as they seemed similar if not harder than some of hte ones I've experienced on the Club Challenge course.


I hope to have photos of the event and the surrounding area. Last summer when I ran in the eden Mill Five-Mile Run in Pylesville (Harford County), MD, I encountered a very similar problem getting my photos on the computer. I guess my camera and computer don't connect well as far as transferring photos of Harford County, MD are concerned, haha. Eventually I was able to get the photos on to the computer. We'll see how it goes.

Thank you all for reading. God bless you all, and enjoy the weekend and President's Day tomorrow :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Sunday, February 17, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

-Valentine’s Day 5K Run – Saturday, February 9, 2008 – Kinder Mill Farm Park, Millersville/Severna Park – 10th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age group division) – 17:59.15 (my best time on course :)

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

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

Calvert County

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

Caroline County

Carroll County

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

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

- Leap of Faith Fun Run (7K prediction run – Approximately 4.35 miles) – Sunday, February 17, 2008 – Abington (Harford County, MD) – 3rd/4th overall – 27:24 (predicted time: 28:00)

Howard County

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

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

- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #5: Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center 15K (first 15K I’ve done as part of the H.C.S. weekly series :) – Columbia – 11th overall – 1:10:11

Kent County

Montgomery County

- 5th Annual Walnut Hill Ribbon Run 5K – Sunday, February 10, 2008 – Gaithersburg – 2nd overall – 19:51

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

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

- 1,500 meter race – 15th overall - 5:04.9

- 800 meter race – 2nd overall –2:17.5

- 3,200 meter race – winner – 11:24 (best indoor track time for that distance by one second, and the 10:43 3,000 meter split I believe was right around an indoor track best time for me as well :))

- Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex Track Showcase (indoor track) – Sunday, February 3, 2008 – Landover:

- 800 meter run – 3rd overall – 2:15

- 3,200 meter run – 2nd overall – Have not gotten time yet, but I’m sure it was close to the 11:24 I hit there last weekend :)

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

Delaware

Kent County

New Castle County

Sussex County

Virginia

Accomack County

Arlington County

- Potomac Valley Track Club All-Comers’ Indoor Track & Field Meet – Sunday, February 3, 2008 - Thomas Jefferson Community Center, Arlington:

- 1 mile run – 6th overall – 5:17.0

- 800 meter run – 6th overall – 2:22.5

- 3,000 meter run – 7th overall – 10:59.8

Northampton County

Northern Illinois University shooting - ugggh!

This morning on my way to work I was listening to the radio and heard about hte awful shooting on the Northern Illinois University campus yesterday evening that involved deaths and injuries. It's so horrible that these school shootings seem to be occuring more frequently over the years. Less than a year ago that terrible shooting at Virginia Tech happened.
I am grateful to God for allowing for so many survivors and healings to those who have lost loved ones as a result of these shootings, and healing of those who have been injured. I know that God knew this was going to happen, and I know that since He loves us even though some of the people He created abuse their freedoms and commit crimes like shooting innocent people, He will take care of us and blesss us through His grace. Of this I'm faithful!
It seems like such a turbulent time. With the primaries going on in the United States of America, and then this shooting occurs, on Valentine's Day no less (a holiday commonly associated with love, romance, friendship, and family to name a few). I hope everyone's doing all right out there.

As far as running is concerned, my stomach seems to be feeling a lot better from last weekend and am running more regularly now. I did my first temp run in months through the Allview Estates neighborhood/Simpsonville area of Howard County, Maryland. This is a fairly hilly neighborhood and I ran it because I know a good portion of the Road Runners Club of America Ten-Mile Club Challenge that's scheduled to occur on Sunday, February 24 this, goes through that area. Like I mentioned in an earlier blog I hope to run in it and run well and healthy. I warmed up for about a mile, then did a nice easy mile, and then for about 3.2 miles, I picked up the pace a bit and covered the 3.2 miles in about 21:38. I was pretty happy with it. I tried to run over a certain part of the course, but I messed up on some of it, and I think I even ran in a part of a neighborhood that was not on the course. Oh well, Iat least I got a solid run out of it and I was still able to measure the distance in my car. Right after the harder portion I ran a more decelerated mile, stopped and stretched, and then ran for about eight minutes and thirty five seconds back to my car as a cooldown. It was a prety nice run, going probably around the lower-to-mid 6:40's-per-mile pace, which will probably be a bit faster than what I hope to turn out at the Club Challenge in a little over a week.

This Sunday (February 17) I hope to go to Abington (Harford County), Maryland for a prediction run. The Renaissance All-Sports Athletic Club (R.A.S.A.C.) is putting on a prediction run that's somewhere between 3-6 miles. The event meets at the Abington Library. I hope to run fairly well there, probably not at a race pace, but at a decent and strong pace. We'll see what God does with that. Anyone who is intersted in this low-key race called the "Leap of Faith Club Race", check out: http://www.rasac.com/docs_schedule/2008_schedule.html. This is the schedule page from R.A.S.A.C.'s website. I think for non-club members (like myself) it's about four bucks and it's free for all members. I hope to make it there and God-willing have a nice run and time there. When I did races around the Baltimore/northern Maryland area a bit last year during my Maryland-wide running quest, I met some cool folks through R.A.S.A.C. and such, so hopefully I may see some of them.

All right, thank you all for reading. Keep the faith and have a good night and weekend :)

Primaries today!

Hey there everyone, I hope you are all enjoying "Super Tuesday" (or the "Chesapeake Challenge"/"Chesapeake Caucus" as they're callin' it in Maryland). All the best with voting if you are fixin' to do that!

I'm grateful that the public schools in Howard County, Maryland were closed today because of voting, because I think my body could use that extra time to recover (and I got some work done for my evening teaching certificate classes at Howard Community College). In my last entry you may recall me gripin' about my stomach achin' (most likely from my attempt to eat a one-pounder cheeseburger from Cheeburger Cheeburger). Well, as I was finishing up that last entry, I started to feel queasy again, but fortunately I did not get much more sick than that, and even though I was feeling tired and a bit yucky in my stomach, I still decided to go to work (as I was pretty sure I did not have anything contagious, but that it was something I brought on myself from attempting to eat so much). I was pleasantly surprised to feel my appetite come back and to feel a little bit better towards the last couple of periods during the school day while I was working. I am still eating light, but I think I'm doing better and I'm feeling a little less drowsy too. I didn't run yestreday because I did not think that running out in the cold and wind would be a very effective way to recover.

Today, I did manage to get a little run in (probably a little more than 5.5 miles). I started out joggin' nice and easily for about five minutes and eighteen seconds until I got to the front entrance of the building where I was supposed to vote, stopped my watch, quickly voted, then started my watch and got back into my run. I think I picked it up a little bit from this point on. My legs still felt pretty tired from all of my running the previous weekend (and also probably from not eating a lot recently). I went through the turnaround point in about 21:40 and finished my run in about 43:23. I was really happy to have run so evenly, the second half of my run about three seconds slower thereabouts than the first. I may have felt tired, but at least I kept it even without even making much of a deliberate effort to do so. Tomorrow and Thursday evening I have class at Howard Community College, but afterwards I hope to go to the gym there and maybe get some miles in on the treadmill so I don't have to run in the dark and the cold.

I'm grateful to be feeling a lot better than I was a couple of days ago. I did not realize that even attempting to eat such a large cheeseburger would make me feel that ill (and I'd hate to imagine how much worse I probably would have felt had I eaten the whole thing). I thought that maybe running beforehand would boost my appetite, I guess not. Maybe it was because I ran a lot faster than I expected, or maybe I came down with some sorta stomach bug hardly related to my attempt to eat the cheeseburger. Either way, it is not as much fun as I thought it was, and certainly not as much fun as trying to run races in different counties of Maryland and Delaware, so I've been praying about this and I feel like I'm gonna walk away from the challenge to eat at least one one-pounder cheeseburger at every Cheeburger Cheeburger location in Maryland. Unless God wants me to take it up again, these past couple of days have made me lose inspiration to do it. That burger made me so full and ill enough to throw off my eating schedule, and that could negatively affect my running and overall health, and if I was eating a fairly large quantity of those burgers this year, I could really do some damage to my running, body and who knows what else. So I'd figure it'd be best to turn away from it, at least for now, while I have not really made much progress on it. I felt like by attempting a challenge like that with my own stomach challenges, I was trying to slay a dragon by jumping in its fiery mouth. So there!

All right, I'm off to eat a little dinner (and I'm grateful to be feeling a little hungry :) Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all have a good evening! God bless you all :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Maryland

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

-Valentine’s Day 5K Run – Saturday, February 9, 2008 – Kinder Mill Farm Park, Millersville/Severna Park – 10th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age group division) – 17:59.15 (my best time on course :)

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

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

Calvert County

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

Caroline County

Carroll County

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

Cecil County

Charles County

Dorchester County

Frederick County

Garrett County

Harford County

Howard County

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

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

- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #5: Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center 15K (first 15K I’ve done as part of the H.C.S. weekly series :) – Columbia – 11th overall – 1:10:11

Kent County

Montgomery County

- 5th Annual Walnut Hill Ribbon Run 5K – Sunday, February 10, 2008 – Gaithersburg – 2nd overall – 19:51

Prince George’s (P.G.) County

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

- 1,500 meter race – 15th overall - 5:04.9

- 800 meter race – 2nd overall –2:17.5

- 3,200 meter race – winner – 11:24 (best indoor track time for that distance by one second, and the 10:43 3,000 meter split I believe was right around an indoor track best time for me as well :)

- Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex Track Showcase (indoor track) – Sunday, February 3, 2008 – Landover:

- 800 meter run – 3rd overall – 2:15

- 3,200 meter run – 2nd overall – Have not gotten time yet, but I’m sure it was close to the 11:24 I hit there last weekend :)

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

Wicomico County

Worcester County

Events outside of Maryland

Delaware

Kent County

New Castle County

Sussex County

Virginia

Accomack County

Arlington County

- Potomac Valley Track Club All-Comers’ Indoor Track & Field Meet – Sunday, February 3, 2008 - Thomas Jefferson Community Center, Arlington:

- 1 mile run – 6th overall – 5:17.0

- 800 meter run – 6th overall – 2:22.5

- 3,000 meter run – 7th overall – 10:59.8

Northampton County