Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Gettin' busy with the turkey trots...
On that note, last weekend's races went pretty well. My first one last weekend was on Saturday morning (November 22, 2008) at Denton Elementary School in Caroline County, MD. It was my fourth year-in-a-row running in the Turkey Trot Two Mile Fun Run in Denton. It was pretty cold and windy (in my opinion), and the course started at the elementary school, went out into the Martinak State Park around this boat ramp by the water, and then back to the front of the elementary school where the finish line was. I was pleased to have run it in 11:29, my fastest two-mile time since this past February. I think I might have been able to go a bit faster than that had it not been windy. A couple of years ago in 2006, I ran this race in 11:06 and to this day that is my best time on that course. It's certainly conducive to fast times and if I'm fortunate enough to run it more in the future, I hope to see faster times. It was great to also see some people that I recognized and knew from other races. I handed out copies of a recent Star Democrat (a Maryland Eastern Shore newspaper that covers a large portion of the Maryland Eastern Shore) article that they had of me and my recently successful endeavors of running in a running event in every Maryland county in a half-a-year to people I knew/people who were supportive and enthusiastic about it and they liked it. I am glad I was able to share it with some of the people I've seen year after year at this race; it was almost like family and not to" toot my own horn" or anything like that, but it was neat to see how happy they were for me. Plus, back when I first ran this race in 2005 (I ran it in 11:54 at the time), it was one of the road races that got me interested in the Maryland Eastern Shore running scene and "researching" more races and running events that occur around that area, which went on to help me in my Maryland-wide running and racing endeavors :)
So I left that race feeling pretty happy, even though I knew I had a longer and more hilly, but fun and friendly event later that night: The Symphony of Lights Dazzle Dash in Columbia (Howard County), MD. This is where runners run through the Symphony of Lights loop in the Symphony Woods/Merriweather Post Pavilion area of Columbia. You can run the approximately 1.4-mile loop as many times as you'd like between when it opens at 5:30 P.M. and closes at 8 P.M. Last year I had run it twice (as most people seem to do since it's closer to 5-kilometers, a very common distance for running events and races) and I did it in about 17 minutes and 38 seconds. I thought that was pretty swell for me at the time because I was just getting back into running from taking a little time off. This year I wanted to try for three or four miles and keep up a consistent pace throughout (preferably four laps in under forty minutes if I ran four laps, meaning each lap would be a little faster than ten minutes). I knew that the loop was hilly, so I wanted to pace myself well, especially since I had run a hard two-miler earlier that morning.
I started off faster than I expected, having some younger runners taking off fairly quickly ahead of me. Yet, I still felt all right and in control. It was pretty cold, but I guess there was something about running through the night with the lights all around that sort of riled my adrenaline. I went by the finish area in about 8:03, figuring I was holding on pretty well for the first lap. Then, much to my surprise I ran by the finish area for the second time in about 16:57, running about twenty seconds or so faster than I had run last year, while I still had a ways to go before I finished. WOW! It seemed like a lofty hope to run faster than I had run last year on this course as a split for a longer distance, but God helped bless me with the strength to persevere, and knowing that I was running faster than last year for a longer distance than last year (plus being happy with the race earlier that morning), I felt pretty strong and confident.
I went by the finish area a third time in about 26:19, and then at the beginning of the fourth lap I began to think that I was still feeling strong and that I could probably handle a fifth lap (which would end up being about 7 miles-worth if not close to it). I quickly prayed about it as I ran, hoping that if I felt all right through the fourth lap it would be all right to go for a fifth. Plus, if I ran four laps it would be about 5.6 and I felt like with the pace I was going, I could probably get 10-kilometers (approximately 6.2 miles-worth) in under forty minutes, something I haven't done in over a year I don't think. That encouraged me to stay strong and as I went by the finish line area for the fourth time in about 35:25, I felt confident I could handle another lap.
Throughout this run I prayed that God would help bless me with strength (or something like that) and I was grateful for how smooth I felt. During the second and third laps I passed by quite a few walkers and joggers, so I had to do some dodging, but other than that I felt smooth. Now, coming up the steady curving hill near the front of the amphitheater stage (where my high school graduation was in 2002) of the Merriweather Post Pavilion, I began to feel my legs stiffen with fatigue, but I knew I was almost done and as the course went down hill and then on an uphill with holiday lights on both sides, I began to feel strong again. Up ahead I could see the cars driving by on the road ahead, and I knew I would be making my last turn, a left, towards the finish area. Shortly after making this left turn I looked at my watch which read 44:01, and I felt myself pick up the pace, because I thought I might have a chance of breaking 45 minutes. I ran through the finish area and up a hill by this stadium light (this is around where I finished last year since they do not seem to have much of a clear-cut finish area) and stopped by the front of the stadium light in 44:55. Whoohoo!!! If this wasn't 7 miles, it was certainly close and I hadn't run this long of a distance that well in probably over a year and I'm sure that if I did not break forty minutes for my 10K split, I certainly came close and it was probably my fastest 10K for over a year as well. Who knew I would do so well at this fun run, especially after a two-mile race that left me feeling pretty wiped earlier that morning. God is great in providing strength and I felt Him helping me to maintain nice and steady all the way through.
After the Symphony of Lights run, I went over to my friend Amy's place for a game night to celebrate her recent birthday. That was fun and it was great to eat food there after the two running events. I was surprised that I had no troubles staying awake and alert there after running pretty hard, yet pretty well both times.
The final race I ran of last week was the "Legends of the Fall"weekly series race put on by the Howard County Striders at Swansfield Elementary School on Sunday afternoon (November 23, 2008). They had a one-mile and 5K option, both of which were pretty hilly, and I opted to do the 5K and do it no harder than a moderate-to-brisk pace. I thought it would be nice to run it in under 20 minutes, but if that didn't happen, it wouldn't have hurt my feelings, because I thought that my body should recover at least a little bit from yesterday's runs.
However, the race had some pretty significant downhills within that first mile (and you had to come back up them throughout the race too), so it was hard not to go out faster than expected. We started off on the roads in the Swansfield neighborhood of Columbia, MD and then went into the bike paths. However, due to no course markings or nearby course marshals, some of us accidentally cut the course a bit short (nothing too dramatic in my opinion), and I should have caught the mistake because I have run this course several times over the years, but I guess I was kinda out of it and fixated on trying to keep up with the people in front of me. So it surprised me a bit to see myself come through the finish in about 19:05, which is only 2 seconds shy of my best time on that course of 19:03 that I ran a few years ago in June of 2005. I thought I was coming on fairly strong towards the end, but I wasn't expecting to be close to my best time on the course. Later on while talking to other runners and one of the race coordinators, I realized that we had turned back to o early in the woods on the bike path and that I should probably add at least 20-30 seconds to my finishing time, if not a bit more. I'm still fairly confident that I was on pace to run a full 5K in under 20 minutes. At least when I ran that 19:03ish back in 2005, I had run the course fully so I had actually run a bit further back then than I ran there this past Sunday afternoon. But I'm still pleased with how I ran on that hilly course after Saturday's runs.
Thank you all for reading about my races this past weekend. I'm grateful to have your attention and enthusiasm. This Thanksgiving weekend, aside from running in quite a few races ranging between 3 miles and 15 kilometers (approximately 3.1 miles), I hope to spend some time with my family on Thanksgiving and see some of my friends. A couple of races I'm thinking about doing in the near future is the 20th Annual Anne Arundel Community College Turkey Trot 5K in Arnold (Anne Arundel County), MD tomorrow at noon (Wednesday, November 26, 2008 - please check out http://www.aacc.edu/physed/turkeytrot.cfm if you are interested) and then on Thanksgiving morning (Thursday, November 27, 2008), run in the Howard County Striders' 10K Prediction Run at the Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center in Columbia (http://www.striders.net for more details on that event if you are interested).
I'm gonna go ahead to a local library and try and get some work done. If I don't get back on this blog before Thanksgiving, I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving and holiday season :)
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Another Great Personal Accomplishment/Here Comes "Turkey Trot" Season!
First, on Sunday morning, November 16, 2008, I made it over to the 2nd Annual Cedar Lane Stroll 4-to-5-Mile Run (which ended up being about 4.57 miles according to a recent G.P.S. reading). There was a small turnout for that race on that cool and windy morning, but that was fine because I thought I was pushed along throughout the race pretty well.
The course was quite hilly in my opinion pretty much from the first mile all the way to the end (which was on an uphill). There were at least two or three significantly longer uphills, and some of the hills were pretty steep too. When I heard them talking about the course and how one of the gentlemen who did it last year was talking about it, I knew to expect a slower time. Even though it was just a bit over four-and-a-half miles, I had my doubts that I'd break 30 minutes (which is about a 6:40-per-mile pace which is pretty nice and I often run 4.5 miles under a half-hour in my workouts, but that's usually on easier courses than this one. From the way people were talking, I guessed that this was probably one of the harder race courses in Harford County, Maryland, or at least one of the harder ones that the Renaissance All Sports Athletic Club (R.A.S.A.C. - http:///www.rasac.com) puts on.
All this said, I thought it best to start out conservative. After the race started I slowly moved up on the leaders and hung in there with them pretty much through the first mile (which was through a nice suburban neighborhood. There was only a slight uphill here towards the end of the first mile (which I coverd in about 6:17, a little faster than what I expected since I was trying to gout conservatively on this course, but I actually felt strong. Soon after this first mile mark, the course made a short but sharp uphill out of the neighborhood (and this hill and neighborhoood reminded me of the neighborhood that my relatives in the Scripps Ranch area of San Diego, California live in and I think that was what I was thinking around this point).
After topping this hill, I began to breathe a little heavier from the effort of running up the hill, but after making a left turn out of the neighborhoood, there was a nice steady downhil for a while. At the bottom of this hill, there was a turnaround point which I hit in about 8:47ish maybe. I don't know what the distnce was in the race, but I was pretty sure I was not even a mile-and-a-half into it yet, because theat would have meant that I was actually now running at an pace under six-minutes-a-mile (and I had just run through the first mile in 6:17). All that aside, we had to retrace our steps back up most of the hill and this was (in my opinion) the longest hill on the coure and one of the harder ones in the race. Fortunately, it seemd to be broken up by a left-hand turn onto a more flat area, and then the course continued uphill more. At this point I was breathing a lot more heavily, feeling like I was running faster than I was actually going because of trying to get up that hill.
At the top of this series of uphills was the two-mile mark which I passed through in about 12:55 and I thought that was definitely a great pace for me to be going at on a harder course and with the windy conditions too. I was now out fo the suburban neighborhoods and in a more rural area. To the right of me were a bunch of trees and to the left appeared to be farm lands, fields, and some fences. I didn't really slow up to take in the scenery , however, because right after the two-mile mark the course went downhill steadily for a good portion of a mile. Now, typically this kind of constant downhill can really put a strain on my knees, but I actually felt pretty strong and it seemed to be a welcome relief compared to the uphillls I had just run up. I ran by the finish area in about 14:20 which was to my right and they offered a cup of water, but I passed on the water because I did not want to slow-up and mess-up my momentum. I continued running down the road into the woods, where I would be for probably around two more miles in the race or so before coming by the finish line area again to actually finish.
As I got into the woods, I tried to focus on letting gravity do more of the work, because I knew I needed to save some energy for some hills that I heard were up ahead on this point of the course, and I knew I would be turning around within a mile and I would have to run up a good portion of this hill I was running down. I ran down a couple of fairly short, but steeper hills and I thought "wow, I'm gonna have to run back up those towards the end of the race." As I got closer to the bottom of this hill, the road turned into dirt and mud and I slowed a bit because I was apprehensive about slipping or rolling/twisting an ankle (as I typically do on such terrain). However, I still felt like I was moving at a pretty strong pace considering the terrain.
Once I reached the bottom of the hill I crossed this wooden bridge and followed the trail/road to the right up a hill. After topping this hill the course took us into a clearing/country road and I ran by what looked to be an industrial park or maybe it was a recreational park (I was not slowin' up to try and tell what it was), but it was right around here where I passed through the three-mile mark in about 19:39. That was great, because it seemed like I did not slow up very much from the second mile.
Shortly after going through the three-mile mark I saw a road a little ways up ahead with two large traffic pylons before it. I had ahunch it was the next turn-around point on the course, and as I neared the pylons I saw something like 3.83 miles written in chalk on the road with arrows around it indicating it to be the turnaround. As I turned around here, I saw writing in chalk just a bit further up that read something like "too far", and I then just after I turned around I saw writing on the road I had just run down in chalk that said something like, "almost there" (and I bleieve they were meaning almost to the turn-around point). I thought that R.A.S.A.C. had a pretty interesting sense of humor here, but I needed it, because once I turned around I was running against the wind and it made this slight, but steady uphill I had run down from the three-mile point seem much harder to run on than it was. At this point, I really started to feel tired and I was sort of wishing it had just been a 5K (approximiately 3.1-miles) like the race I had run the previous day in Howard County, MD. Yet, I still pressed on, thinking that since I passed through this turn-around area in about 21:48, it had taken me about seven minutes and twenty-some seconds to get from the finish line area to that turnoaround point. Since now all I had to do was retrace my steps back tot he finish line, I figured that maybe within the next ten minutes I would be done (and I expected to be a lot slower coming back because of all the uphills I would have to run up towards the end of the race).
Shortly after thinking this, I had gotten used to the wind resistance and made it to the top of the hill, and ran down the hill back into the woods towrads where the bridge was at the bottom. I was running down the hill fairly fast, knowing that it would hopefully compensate for the uphills that would probably slow me down. I crossed the bridge and started up on the uphills. I was could feel my stride shorten and my pace start to slow as I seemed to almost lumber up the steep and somewhat lengthy hills. THere were a couple of real brief points where I was tempted to stop, especially when my right foot cramped up (like it did when I was struggling with plantar fascitis earlier this year, but not as badly nor for as long). I recall praying that God would help me through this, and I felt that there were some more hills to go. I hoped I could just continue to press on and finish strong. Then, the road curved to the right and I ran up a couple of short, but steep hills that I remembered running down going out to that second turn-around with the chalk messages, and anI thought I probably still had a few minutes to go in the race before raeaching the finish at the pace I was going. However, after the second short, but steep hill, the road straightened out to a steady up hill and on my left up ahead was a distinctive thick bush.
"Yes!" I thought, this was the bush I remembered seeing right near the finish line. Then, I saw one of the race workers walk out a little ways beyond the bush, and that confirmed it that I was in the final stetch of the race. Realizing I was there sooner than I esxpected, I could feel myself lift my knees as I earnestly pushed the pace, made a left onto another short uphill and dashed through the finish line in thirty minutes and ten seconds.
WHOOHOO!!!!! I was happy to be done with that race; one of the more challenging ones I've run in a while. After I had heard about the conditions of the course as well as the cooler and more windy weather, I did not expect to cover that 4.57-mile course in 30:10 (which is probably a little ways under a 6:40-per-mile pace :), especially after runing a 5-kilometer race the previous day (which was a little longer than 5K because I had run the wrong way by accident and ran extra). It was a bonus that I had won the race and broke last year's course record :) This is significant because I had never won my age-group division nor won a race in Harford County before, and now I can say that in my lifetime I have either won my age-group division in a race or won a race in every county of Maryland (except for Baltimore City, but that's more of an independent city than a county). So I'm quite pleased about that, and dto have done it on a hilly course and to have a new course record with it. God really spoiled me with that and it was really awesome that this year's turnout from the race increaded by probably about fourtur times as much as last years' three finishers at this Cedar Lane Stroll race (and some of those hills made me feel like I had slowed almost to a "stroll", haha :) What a neat, scenic race that was. Even though it was hill, cool, and windy, I still appreciated it for its variety of suburban neighborhoods, rural/farm areas, roads, dirt roads, and shaded woods. I can't say it was ever dull, that's for sure!
Afterwards, I went to church in Howard County, MD and then eventually made my way to Oakland Mills Middle School in Columbia, MD for the Howard County Striders' weekly fall series race that they were having there that afternoon. They had a two-mile loop and a six-mile course (which was running the two-mile loop three times). I chose the six-mile race, because I wanted to get another race in, support the running club I am a part of, and sort of use the longer run as more of an easy-paced recovery run from the two harder-paced races I had run earlier in the weekend. I definitely felt like I took it easy in this race here, and towards the end I felt like I slowed down signifcantly because I don't think I had eaten much between this morning's race in Bel Air and this one, and I could feel some of my energy fading becasue of that. Here were the splits that I ran at this race that I recall running:
1-mile: 7:26ish
2 miles: 15:18
3 miles: 22:17ish (looks like the pace was consistent here with that of the first mile :)
4 miles: 31:04ish
5 miles: 39:07ish
Finish (6 miles): 46:56
I was happy with that and another reason why I wanted to back off of the pace with that was because I wanted to do well on the next race I had planned: The Community College of Baltimore County (C.C.B.C.) Catonsville, Maryland campus Turkey Trot (1-mile) on Tuesday afternoon, November 18, 2008.
So Tuesday, November 18 comes around and I take off work early and go over to this one-mile turkey trot at C.C.B.C. in Catonsville near where I live. The weather was biting cold and windy. If any of you are familiar with this community college campus, there is a road that loops around a majority of the campus and there are at least a couple of noticeable uphills and downhills on it. The one-mile course was pretty much on this loop and then some.
When I got to the race just outside of the gym, there were probably about as many staff working the event as there were runners and walkers (and I couldn't blame them, because it was cold, windy, and it was a race in the middle of a week day when a lot of others had work or class. Even though it was probably not the most comfortable running weather for me, I was fortunate enoough to have been available for this smaller race :) and the one-mile distance is one of my favorite racing distances.
The race started in the parking lot just in front of the gym, going downhill, so needless to say we all got off ot a fast start as we ran downhill and then continued at a fast pace as the road quickly flattened out. To my left was a parking lot with some campus buildings on top of a hill, and to my right was another parking lot with the track, some tennis courts, and soccer fields, further beyond that you could see a great view of Baltimore City, because this campus is high on a hill. Of course, I felt like i was pushing hard at this point to really take in the view, and I think I paid for it once I starte up these two hills that came within the first half-mile of the race or so. After I reached the top of these hills, the course once again flattened out, but I was breathing hard and I knew I had gone out too fast. But I still pressedo n and tried to make the best of it. I knew fromt his point on that I was almost done with the loop and that from here on out it was either flat or slightly down hill. As I neared the end, I dodged around some students with backpacks walking in the pedrestian cross-walk. They slowed to watch the other runners and myself go by. It has been a few syears since I've run a race on a college campus while classes were actually occurring, so there were people actually "going to school" around us as the race was going on. It was interesting and nice to have a bit of an audience.
After passing by the cross-walk, I was going by the parking lot towards the back of the campus that I usually park in for the history class that I take there, and I knew that I was nearing the end. The course began to slope downwards and I could see the circular gymnasium building up on a rise to the left. Up ahead, I saw a young course marshall come otu of the parkign lot, and motion me to the left back intot he parking lot to finish up the race. However, after making this turn, I was unclear about whether to go straight or make a sharp right and then a sharp left towards the finish area. Since I had picked up so much moemtnum from the turn, the course marshal said it didn't matter which way I went once I was in the parking lot, so I decided to keep going straight and then make a right towards the finsh line (and I think this was a slightly bit longer than going the way the course marshal was pointing, but that was okay). Once I made the right turn at the end of the row of parking spots, I plunged myself down that last short hill into the finish line, crossing it aboin about five minutes and forty-two seconds and probably a high amount of milliseconds.
Now, I've run mile times faster than 5:42 as one-mile splits for like 8-kilometer and five-mile runs, so I was expecting something faster. Yet, given how hard I was breathing towards the end and after the race, I knew I should be happy with the 5:43. It was a hilly, chilly, and windy race and I was grateful to have finished. I met some nice people at that race (some around my age) and ate some nice food. I think they may want me to use my blogs to display results for that event too (I had told them about my Maryland-wide running/racing endeavors and about how I use my blogs to give coverage to races and running events that typically don't get internet-based coverage). Fortunately, they seemed pretty cool with itI'm hoping to set up a Baltimore County, MD blog for Baltimore County running events, and hopefully this turkey trot can be one of them.
Wow, these races I've run this past weekend and earlier this week have been successful. God has blessed me with strong health and energy to get through them and recover well. I'm looking forward to doing more races in the near future. The next one I plan to do is this coming Saturday, November 22, 2008 in Denton (Caroline County), MD. This will be the fourth year-in-a-row that I do the Turkey Trot Two-Mile Fun Run at Denton Elementary School in Denton. It's a flat out-and-back two-mile course that I enjoy that goes well into the shaded waterside Martinak State Park in Denton on the Maryland Eastern Shore. Then, that night I hope to do the Symphony of Lights Dazzle Dash in Columbia. This Dazzle Dash is probably not what people would call a race, but I think they do have a time clock there and you run through the Symphony of Lights in the evening and you can do as many laps as you'd like on the hilly 1.4-mile loop. Last year I ran two laps in 17:38 just as I was getting back into running from a bit of time off, so that was probably about 2.8 miles roughly. This year I'm hoping to do maybe three or four laps (which would be about 4.2 or 5.6, however many I decide to do). I'll see how I'm feeling after the two-miler in Denton. Then, Sunday afternoon is another Howard County Striders weekly fall series race at Swansfield Elementary School in Columbia. They are scheduled to have a one-mile and a 5K. I hope to run the 5K. I've run both races before and they are both hily. I'm just gonna try and ubild into the 5K a bit, since I'm sure I'll be tired from the previous two other events this coming weekend (God-willing, I make it too all three of these events). In case you are wondering, I am tyring to do a lot of races before 2008 is over because right aroudn the time I finished out my goal to run in running events in every county of Maryland within half-a-year, I realized I was a bit close to getting in a hundred races a year, and so I'm trying to run at least a hundred races in 2008. Right now I've hit close to ninety races so far. I'm hoping to cut back on the number of races I do next year quite a bit, and since I figured I am near this triple-digit mark, I might as well go for it, because if I cut back on the number of races I do next year, chances are I probably won't come close to one hundred races next year.
All right, thank you for reading all about my four recent races in these last couple of blog posts. So much to be thankful for, that's for sure. I hope you all are staying warm, and running well for those of you who are fellow runners! In case you don't stop by here before then, have an excellent Thanksgiving :)
Running Events I have done this year as of Thursday, November 20, 2008
(Italicized ones are the ones within my attempt to run a running event in all of Maryland’s counties within a half-a-year period from Saturday, May 3, 2008 – Monday, November 3, 2008)
Maryland
Allegany County
- First Annual Spring is Here! 10K – Sunday, April 6, 2008 – Cumberland, MD – 7th overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 41:40
- Queen City Junior Striders Meet #2: Paris N. Glendening Park – Tuesday, June 17, 2008 – Frostburg:
- 1-mile cross country race: Winner – 5:52.11
- 2-mile cross country race: 8th overall - 13:13.08
- Andrea’s 5K Memorial Run – Saturday, August 16, 2008 – Barton – 8th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 18:49
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)
- John Wall Mile – Sunday, July 6, 2008 – Severna Park High School Track, Severna Park – 8th overall (fastest heat – 2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 5:07
- Annapolis Striders Women’s Distance Festival “Run After the Women” 5K (Men’s race) – Annapolis – 7th overall (25-29 age-group division winner) – 18:50.60 (clock), 18:49 (watch)
- Dog Days 8K Cross Country Run – Sunday, August 3, 2008 – Anne Arundel Community College/Earl Scott Trail, Arnold – 22nd overall – 32:33.04 (clock), 32:30 (watch)
- 22nd Annual BWI 4-Mile Run – Sunday, September 28, 2008 – Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Linthicum – 16th overall – 25:34.6, (clock) 25:33 (watch)
- Down’s Park 5 Mile Run/The Hog Neck Scamper – Saturday, November 1, 2008 – Down’s Park, Pasadena – 14th overall (2nd in 25-29 male age group division) – 31:18.21 (not bad considering I was dressed in a “nerd” costume J)
Baltimore City
- Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K – Sunday, March 16, 2008 – Baltimore City – 61st overall (guntime-based) – 18:33 (guntime), 18:28 (chiptime)
- Dreaded Druid Hills 10K – Saturday, June 28, 2008 – Baltimore City – 22nd overall – 43:12.65
Baltimore County
- Baltimore Road Runners Club (BRRC) Grand Prix Series Eight-Mile Run – Sunday, January 13, 2008 – Loch Raven Reservoir – 11th overall – 53:34
- Patapsco State Park Trail Run (5-6 miles) – Sunday, May 11, 2008 – Patapsco State Park Avalon Area, Arbutus/Catonsville area – 41st overall- 1:05:59
- Inaugural TEVA Genessee Valley Trail Run 5K – Saturday, June 21, 2008 – Genessee Valley, Parkton – 5th overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 20:07
- Inaugural Maryland Running Cross Country Trials (5K) – Tuesday, August 26, 2008 – Oregon Ridge Park, Cockeysville – 12th overall (finished 11th overall, but the gentleman behind me accidentally started late and ran a faster time than I did, so really I ran the 12th fastest time in that race instead of the 11th – I was 9th in age group, awarded for 8th place)) - 19:20.1
- Community College of Baltimore County (C.C.B.C. – Catonsville Campus) Turkey Trot (1-mile run) – Tuesday, November 18, 2008 – Catonsville – Winner – 5:42ish (my best time to-date on this loop of a course J)
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
- 13th Annual North Beach 5K – Saturday, September 27, 2008 – North Beach – 2nd overall – 19:01
Caroline County
- First Annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K – Saturday, March 15, 2008 – Denton – 2nd overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 18:58 (clock), 18:55 (watch)
- Caroline Hospice Remembrances Run 5K (first year running a 5K course here instead of a 5-miler) – Saturday, September 20, 2008 – Federalsburg Marina Park, Federalsburg – 3rd overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 19:15
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)
- Kowomu Trail 5K Road Race – Sunday, August 17, 2008 – Westminster – 2nd overall – 20:21
- 5th Annual Labor Day 5K Rogue Race – Monday, September 1, 2008 – Liberty High School, Eldersburg – 5th overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 18:28 (my personal best time on this course and at this event to-date J)
Cecil County
- Inaugural Run for Reading 4K – Saturday, May 10, 2008 – Bayview Elementary School, North East – Winner – 13:13 (accidentally cut the course a bit short) As of this race, Daniel Williams ran a race in every Maryland County along the Mason-Dixon Line J
- Inaugural Paws for Life/Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue May Day 5K – Sunday, May 18, 2008 – Chesapeake City – 20th overall – 29:18
- St. Roch’s Trail Run 7K – Saturday, July 19, 2008 – Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area (N.R.M.A.), Fair Hill/Elkton – Winner – 51:36 (this was after running a little past the actual finish area J)
- Inaugural Charlestown Riverfest River Run 5K – Sunday, September 14, 2008 – Charlestown – 4th overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 20:13
Charles County
- General Smallwood Sprint Triathlon – Sunday, June 29, 2008 – General Smallwood Park, Indian Head/Ironsides/Silver Hill – 194th overall (112th male finisher) – 1:59:32:
- 750-meter swim – 21:15 (ranked 111th fastest male time at this point)
- 1st transition area – 6:29 (ranked 132nd male time at this point)
- 16-mile bike – 1:10:28 (PR and it was ranked 135th male time at this point :)
- 2nd transition area – 1:18 (ranked 60th fastest male time at this point)
- 5K – 20:03 (ran very evenly or even had negative splits, and it was ranked 4th fastest overall, and 3rd fastest among the males J)
Dorchester County
- North Dorchester High School Eagle Athletics Boosters 5th Annual Eagle 5K Run – Saturday, October 4, 2008 – Hurlock – Winner – 18:49 (as of this race, I ran in a running event in every county of Maryland within 2008; God is Awesome J)
Frederick County
- Inaugural the Great “Deadman’s Hill” Down Hill Mile – Friday, April 4, 2008 – Brunswick, MD – 4th overall – 4:50 (off-track PR for a mile distance J) - They had mistaken me for finishing 8th overall with a time of 4:54
- Frederick Steeplechasers Summer Track Series (Two miles on the track) – Wednesday, June 18, 2008 – Frederick High School, Frederick:
- One mile warmup
- Two miles - 6th overall (13th in age-adjusted time) - 11:47 (I ran negative splits :)
- 3X800-meter relay race – Our team earned 2nd overall – My 800-meter splits were about: 2:53, 2:48ish, and then 2:26 (and I think I ran negative splits on that last one as well as keeping a fairly even pace on the first two J)
Garrett County
- Inaugural TEVA Adventure Games 10K Trail Run – Saturday, July 26, 2008 – A.S.C.I./Wisp Ski Resort, Deep Creek Lake – 6th overall (4th male finisher and 20-29 age group division winner) – 50:24 (I ran negative splits on one of the most hilliest and challenging races I’ve run in so far, and it was great scenery too J)
Harford County
- Leap of Faith Fun Run (7K prediction run – Approximately 4.35 miles) – Sunday, February 17, 2008 – Abington – 3rd/4th overall (8th closest to predicted time) – 27:24 (predicted time: 28:00)
- World No Tobacco Day 5K – Sunday, June 8, 2008 – Liriodrendron Mansion/Ma & Pa Trail, Bel Air -- overall (2nd in 20-29 age-group division) – 19:37
- 2nd annual Cedar Lane Stroll 4-to-5-miler (4.57 miles) – Sunday, November 16, 2008 – Bel Air – Winner – 30:10 (new course record J)
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 :) – Sunday, February 10, 2008 – Columbia – 11th overall – 1:10:11
- Road Runners Club of America Ten-Mile Club Challenge – Sunday, February 24, 2008 – Columbia – 122nd overall – 1:07:58.85 (clock), 1:07:52 (watch)
- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #9: Elkhorn 10K – Sunday, March 30, 2008 – Columbia – 13th overall – 43:42 (clock), 43:39 (watch) – Ran negative splits: 21:53 the first half! J
- Mt. Hebron High School Viking Backers Viking 5K – Sunday, April 13, 2008 – Mt. Hebron High School, Ellicott City – 2nd overall – 18:52
- 30th Annual Clyde’s 10K – Sunday, April 20, 2008 (my five-year anniversary of accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Savior J) – Columbia - - 42:09 (clock), 42:05 (chip)
- H.C.S. “Vernal Velocity” # : Thunder Hill Elementary School 2-miler – Sunday, May 18, 2008 – Columbia – 4th overall – 13:35
- First Annual Friends of the Howard County Library Fun Run/Walk (approximately 2.3 miles) – Saturday, June 7, 2008 – East Columbia Branch Library, Columbia – Winner – 14:25 (I ran a little further past the actual finish area J)
- Damien F. Massella Run for Recovery 5K (new course) – Sunday, June 22, 2008 – Columbia - overall – 18:38
- H.C.S. “Summer Sizzler” #2: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-miler – Wednesday, June 25 – 6th overall – 32:26
- Police Pace 5K – Sunday, September 7, 2008 – Centennial Park, Ellicott City – 11th overall – 18:17.94 (my personal best time on this course to-date J)
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #2: Longfellow Elementary School 10K – Sunday, September 21, 2008 – 2nd overall - 44:32 (great pacing, because I went through the first half in about 22:13 J)
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #3: Atholton High School 5K – Sunday, October 12, 2008 – 11th overall – 20:38 (clock), 20:37 (watch) – I ran with a water bottle J
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #6: Longfellow Elementary School Two-miler – Sunday, October 19, 2008 – Winner – 11:59.53 (my best time-to-date on this course J)
- Maryland Public Schools 2A South and 3A East High School Cross Country Regional Championships (“Scrubs”/all-comers/junior varsity race) – Thursday, October 30, 2008 – Centennial High School 5K Cross Country Course, Ellicott City – 20:16 (my best time to-date on this revised course J
- First Annual Mission: Mississippi Harvest 5K Run/1-Mile Fun Run/Walk – Saturday, November 15, 2008 – Meadowbrook Park, Ellicott City – Winner (I was also awarded winner of the 25-40 year-old male age group division) – 20:16 (great time considering I ran a little extra by accidentally running the wrong way J)
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #8: Oakland Mills Middle School 6-miler – Sunday, November 16, 2008 – 15th overall – 46:56
Kent County
- 32nd Annual Chestertown Tea Party Distance Classic 5K – Saturday, May 24, 2008 – Chestertown – 3rd overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 19:15 (clock), 19:12 (watch – best time at this event J)
- 27th Annual Rock Hall Flat Five – Friday, July 4, 2008 – Rock Hall – 2nd overall (“Open Men” age group division (20-36) winner) – 32:31 (it probably would have been a bit faster had I not accidentally missed a turn towards the beginning).
- 1st Annual Queen of the Roses 5K – Sunday, October 26, 2008 – Chestertown (same course as the Chestertown Tea Party Distance Classic 5K route) – 3rd overall (2nd in 20-29 age-group division) – 19:03 (my best time on the course to date J)
Montgomery County
- 5th Annual Walnut Hill Ribbon Run 5K – Sunday, February 10, 2008 – Gaithersburg – 2nd overall – 19:51
- Riley’s Rumble Half-Marathon – Sunday, July 27, 2008 – Riley’s Lock, Seneca/Poolesville – 132nd overall (117th male finisher) – 1:48:18 (clock), 1:47:27 (watch) – First half-marathon J
- Sandy Spring Friends School Practice Meet #1 (5K cross country race) – Wednesday, August 20, 2008 – Sandy Spring – 3rd overall (ran unattached) – 19:42 (I really picked it up the third mile J)
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
- Poker Run (3 laps around the lake at the Buddy Attick Park which is approximately 3.79 miles) – Friday, July 11, 2008 – First finisher (my poker hand did not win anything) – 24:44ish (and I was trying to break 25 minutes J)
- 10th Annual Run for Kathy 5K – Saturday, October 11, 2008 – Allen Pond Park, Bowie – 8th overall (male 20-29 age group division winner) – 18:28 (clock), 18:27 (watch)
Queen Anne’s County
- A Day at the Races – Saturday, March 29, 2008 – Queen Anne’s County High School, Centreville:
- 5K (on the high school cross country course) – Winner – 18:59 (probably a little shorter than a 5K, somewhere between 3 and 3.1 miles)
- 1,600 meter/1-mile track open fun run – 3rd overall – 6:34
- Kent Island Relay for Life – Saturday, June 7, 2008 – Kent Island High School, Stevensville – I ran about or almost four miles worth and I was one of the few joggers/runners at the event.
- Kennard Alumini Association 5K Walk/Run & Family Day (new course this year) - Saturday, June 14, 2008 – Kennard Elementary School, Centreville – Winner – 19:20
Saint Mary’s County
- 27th Annual Chaptico Classic 5K – Saturday, August 30, 2008 – Chaptico – 4th overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 19:10
Somerset County
- 3rd Annual McCready Health Services Foundation Founder’s Day 8K – Saturday, May 3, 2008 – Crisfield – 2nd overall – 34:51 (clock), 34:27 (watch)
Talbot County
- Talbot Kids Fun Run (advertised as three-miles, but less than that) – Saturday, March 8, 2008 – North Easton Sportsplex (Rails-to-Trails), Easton – Winner – Probably ran low-to-mid 14’s based on the times of other runners (I did not run my watch on this one)
- 7th Annual Fall into St. Michaels 5K Run/Walk – Saturday, October 25, 2008 – St. Michaels Elementary School, St. Michaels – Winner – 18:54 (I accidentally made a wrong turn towards the end of the race, but this is the race where I finished out my half-year endeavor; praise God! J
Washington County
- 27th Annual Gary Brown Memorial C&O Canal Five-Mile Run – Saturday, August 23, 2008 – Williamsport - 21st overall – 31:31
Wicomico County
- Mid-Shore Family YMCA Funny Bunny 5K Run – Saturday, March 8, 2008 – Salisbury – 2nd overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 19:35
- Winter Place Park Summer Cross-Country Series #1 – Saturday, August 2, 2008 – Winter Place Park, Salisbury – 4th overall (won a Chick-Fil-A coupon as a door prize) – 19:01
- Vernon Powell Shoes The Athlete 5K Challenge – Saturday, October 4, 2008 – Salisbury – 5th overall (2nd in 20-29 age-group division; second to Fernando Guerrero, a famous boxer) – 19:08
Worcester County
- Ocean City Factory Outlets 5K – Saturday, April 12, 2008 – Ocean City – 2nd overall – 19:11
- 8th Annual Pink Ribbon Classic 5K – Saturday, October 18, 2008 – Ocean City – Winner – 18:36
Events outside of Maryland
Delaware
(Italicized ones are Delaware counties that I ran in the week of 5-25-to-5-31-2008)
Kent County
- 4th Annual Firefly 5K Run – Wednesday, May 28, 2008 – Smyrna – 6th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 18:53 (clock), 18:52 (watch) - This is where I finished my endeavor to run in a running event in all three counties of Delaware within a week :)
New Castle County
- 7th Annual Friends of Mary Husty 5K – Monday, May 26, 2008 – University of Delaware, Newark – 8th overall (male 19-29 age-group division winner – Now I’ve won my age group in all three counties of Delaware in my lifetime :) – 18:38 (clock), 18:36 (watch)
Sussex County
- 15th Annual Masser Five-Miler – Sunday, May 25, 2008 – Lewes – 12th overall (3rd in male 25-29 age-group division) – 31:47 (clock), 31:45 (watch – My pace got faster later in the race :)
District of Columbia – Washington
- 410th Tidal Basin 3K – Wednesday, March 19, 2008 – Tidal Basin, Washington D.C. – 9th overall – 10:46
- 412th Tidal Basin 3K – Wednesday, June 18, 2008 – Tidal Basin, Washington D.C. - overall – 11:01
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
Fairfax County
- 30th Annual Patriot’s Cup 8K – Sunday, May 4, 2008 – George Mason University, Fairfax – 20th overall – 32:27 (clock), 32:23ish (watch)
Northampton County
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Harvest Run 5K in Howard County, Maryland
Photo taken from the website of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Highland (Howard County), Maryland, the church that helped put on the First Annual Mission: Mississippi Harvest Run 5K. This photo is from: http:www.mtzionhighland.comI made it to the First Annual Mission: Mississippi Harvest Run 5K at Meadowbrook Park in Ellicott City, Maryland this morning. Despite the damp and overcast weather (with little sprinkles of rain), it was fairly warm and great running weather. I was pretty happy about that, because yesterday's forecast was calling for thunder showers around that area this morning. I'm grateful the weather forecasts yesterday morning were apparently not accurate; even now the sun has come out :)
I came there hoping to run maybe in the low 19's/high 18's, because I wanted to budget my energy for other races I have coming up in the near future. I think there were close to around fifty runners that showed up on this cloudy morning for the event, but that was fine because I ended up earning a random door prize award :)
Anyway, the course was pretty much all on bike paths winding through the park, with plenty of hills (noone of which were too long or steep, but it gave me a solid work out). There were plenty of bends, curves, and turns so there wasn't a dull moment. In fact, whent he race started I wasn't sure exactly which direction we would be heading in, but fortunately there were others around me when we started so I didn't get lost there. We went up a small hill, and then a downhill that curved fairly sharply to the left. At the bottom of this hill and after turning left, I made took the lead and extended it over the course of the next six or seven minutes or so. Now this course was pretty much two loops (the first loop being a little longer than the second). During this first loop I ran by a couple of playgrounds and some fields. However, towards the end of this first loop I kept on going straight on this road when I should have hung a right on this path (I heard that there wasn't a course marshall at this point, and I wasn't sure if that was true). I had never run a race in Meadowbrook Park before, so it wasn't exactly obvious to me which way I should go. Needless to say, I ended up back around the finish line area within a minute of passing the path and I knew something was wrong (and I think it was because some of the race workers told me we would not be oming to that area of the park until the very end and I knew I still had a ways to go in the race before finishing). So, I called out "which way?" and as I neared, they were like "I don't know" or something like that, I guess they were only supposed to work the finish line area and not be course marshals, which was understandable as to why they did not know how to help me find my way back to the course.
So in somewhat of an angry sort of panic, I started turning around and around yelling, "hey!" "hey!" "Where do I go?" "Hey!"
Suddenly one of the officials pointed out in the direction I had come from and said something like, "see that person in the red jacket, go to him" And of course I didn't have my glasses on so I could not see very well, and I was like,
"no, not really I can't see!"
Then in frustration I ran back the way I came just a bit and saw someone in a red shirt or jacket, as well as people running up a hill I had run up, but going right onto the paths versus going straight the way I had come. I was ticked that I had blown the lead, over something like going the wrong way, but God helped calm me down and I believe He helped me be resilient and get back on course. So, I ran back the way I had come (I think I had cut a couple of corners briefly to get there) yelling for someone to help me find my way back for a couple of seconds, and then I was able to pick up the pack from where I had made the wrong turn (I made a left here while everyone else who was going th right way was making a right). I ran by the course marshal, feeling tempted to yell at him for not putting some kind of marker or for letting me know I was supposed to turn right, but God helped me focus on the race and realize it was probably an honest mistake. Afterall, this was the first year they were doing it and it has been my experience with inaugural races that there can sometimes be... quirks every now and then, here and there. I prayed that God would give me the strength to continue and to still glorify Him with my race (I think I prayed something like that).
As we ran through the woods and up and down some hills in the fields behind the starting and finish line area, I think I also prayed that God would help me take back the lead if that was His will, and if not, that no matter what I could please Him with this race." I tried to think positively that I was at least seeing some more of the park that I hadn't run in very much in the past, and the word "resilience" (pretty much bouncing back from a disappointment) was in my head (and that's a big quality that we encourage our students with at the Homewood Center where I work). I'm sure at some points here I slowed down, and I'll admit that I was angry, because I was pretty sure I would have been in the lead and much closer to being done had I not slipped up and gone the wrong. Heck, I probably lost about a minute or so doing just that. Though, I think God used that anger to provide me with positive energy and adrenaline to keep on trucking through the hilly course. I tried not to be bitter about it but to just focus on making the best of the situation and remember that I was running to glorifty God and to help benefit a missions trip thing to help with hurricane relief efforts in Mississippi.
Well, when we were going down this steady downhill that switched back a bit, I passed this younger gentleman and was in third place with the first two runners not all that much further in front of me. I thought something like, "well if I maintain this position, at least I might do better than an age-group award and finish in the top three"). Yet, God continued to provide me with enough energy and as we crossed this little wooden bridge to the area with playgrounds again (of course we were now on the second loop of the course), I was closing the gap on the first two runners, and I knew we didn't have much further to go. I caught up with one of them not long after crossing the bridge and the gentleman in first was a little bit further ahead, but I was fortunate enough to be able to have caught him at the top of this small hill as we were going around a bend to the left.
After I passed him and reclaimed the lead, there was a steady downhill and I was able to extend my lead just a bit. I knew this would be trouble some, because running downhills tyipically isn't as much of a strength for me as it is for other runners. Yet I pressed on, figuing that the people behind me would be getting ready to kick and I was feeling quite exhausted after trying to get back in the lead. I kenw there wouuld be a steady uphill just before the finish line too.
Right around the time I came back to cross the wooden bridge I prayed that God would hlep me to maintain the lead, and right aroudn the time I crossed the bridge, I heard one of the marshalls yell, "he's gainin' on you!" I wasn't quite sure if he was talking to me or someone behind me, but at that point I saw the hill ahead of me and I felt confident that if I could just maintain up this hill, the finish line would be easy to get too. And sure enough, God empowered me to reach the top of the hill and still have enough energy to make a couple more turns and run up a small hill, and sharp right turn to finish in about 20:16 :)
YES!!!
I know I had run a 20:16 the last time I ran a race in Howard County (the "Scrubs"/All-Comers Race at the 2A South and 3A North Regional High School Cross Country Championships at Centennial High School in Ellicott City on Thursday, October 30, 2008) and I wasn't that pleased with it, but I was pleased with this 20:16 because I knew I had run at least probably about a minutes's-worth extra and I had still managed to barely pull out a win. I thank God for helping me to not only run strong throughout, but to bless me with an overall win. Even when I thought I had really messed up the race for myself, God still helped me maek the best out of it and run strongly. I think that had I run the course correctly, I probably would have hit low 19's/upper 18's, which was what I was going for anyway. I'd like to think I covered 5 kilometers around that time!
I met a lot of cool people there, one of which actually goes to the church I go to and others knew the same people that I did. It's so funny, I've been doing races in Howard County for over ten years, and I've been a member of hte Howard Coutny Striders, and I did not see anyone I recognized here or who knew me. Pretty much after my first success at running in a running event in eveyr county of Maryland, I don't think I've ever been to a race in Maryland or Delaware where someone doesn't know me or I don't know/recognize someone. Nothing wrong with that, it was terrific to meet some new people and I thought it was just strange because the race occurred near where I grew up in Howard County. My friend David said he was going to do it, but he didn't show up. I know he had run a couple of other 5K's recently at the same venue, so maybe he was Meadowbrooked out, haha :)- I hope he's doin' all right.
That was an excellent race, and if they have it in the future, I think I would look forward to running it again (and hopefully I can run the course properly, haha). Tomorrow morning (Sunday, November 16, 2008), I hope to run the 2nd Annual Cedar Lane Stroll in the Bel Air area of Harford County, MD with my friend Joe (and this race is said to be an uncommon distance somewhere between four-and-five miles). I hear it may be hilly with some adverse terrain, so we'll see what happens. I hope to recover at least a little bit to do well at that one. Then, tomorrow afternooon I might go and do the six-mile run (which will likely be three two-mile laps) at Oakland Mills Middle School in Columbia, MD with the Howard County Striders (it's one of their weekly series races). If I do the six-miler, I hope to run that one fairly easily, sort of as a recovery run.
Then, on Tuesday (November 18), I hope to run a hard mile in this road race near where I live at the Community of College Baltimore County (C.C.B.C.) Catonsville campus in Catonsville (Baltimore County), MD. It's the college's Turkey Trot one-mile run and it's a loop around the campus that includes about one or two uphills and a noticeable downhill. I hope to run well there; 'cause I haven't run a mile race competitively since early July. It's been a while, and God-willing I hope I can run a nice mile time for myself. The hills will throw in some interesting factors for sure and I hear there might be some light snow/freezing rain on Tuesday morning, but I hope they still have the race, because I hope to take a half-day off of work to do it. I actually am taking a history class at this college as well; it'd be great to help support and I like racing the mile as a distance. Of course, the weather forecast seemed off for this morning's weather, and I had seen that forecast for Tuesday yesterday morning, so it could very well have changed.
All right, I hope to get some more up here in the near future. Thank you all for reading and continue to have a nice weekend!
Running Events I have done this year as of Monday, November 3, 2008
(Italicized ones are the ones within my attempt to run a running event in all of Maryland’s counties within a half-a-year period from Saturday, May 3, 2008 – Monday, November 3, 2008)
Maryland
Allegany County
- First Annual Spring is Here! 10K – Sunday, April 6, 2008 – Cumberland, MD – 7th overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 41:40
- Queen City Junior Striders Meet #2: Paris N. Glendening Park – Tuesday, June 17, 2008 – Frostburg:
- 1-mile cross country race: Winner – 5:52.11
- 2-mile cross country race: 8th overall - 13:13.08
- Andrea’s 5K Memorial Run – Saturday, August 16, 2008 – Barton – 8th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 18:49
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)
- John Wall Mile – Sunday, July 6, 2008 – Severna Park High School Track, Severna Park – 8th overall (fastest heat – 2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 5:07
- Annapolis Striders Women’s Distance Festival “Run After the Women” 5K (Men’s race) – Annapolis – 7th overall (25-29 age-group division winner) – 18:50.60 (clock), 18:49 (watch)
- Dog Days 8K Cross Country Run – Sunday, August 3, 2008 – Anne Arundel Community College/Earl Scott Trail, Arnold – 22nd overall – 32:33.04 (clock), 32:30 (watch)
- 22nd Annual BWI 4-Mile Run – Sunday, September 28, 2008 – Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Linthicum – 16th overall – 25:34.6, (clock) 25:33 (watch)
- Down’s Park 5 Mile Run/The Hog Neck Scamper – Saturday, November 1, 2008 – Down’s Park, Pasadena – 14th overall (2nd in 25-29 male age group division) – 31:18.21 (not bad considering I was dressed in a “nerd” costume :)
Baltimore City
- Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K – Sunday, March 16, 2008 – Baltimore City – 61st overall (guntime-based) – 18:33 (guntime), 18:28 (chiptime)
- Dreaded Druid Hills 10K – Saturday, June 28, 2008 – Baltimore City – 22nd overall – 43:12.65
Baltimore County
- Baltimore Road Runners Club (BRRC) Grand Prix Series Eight-Mile Run – Sunday, January 13, 2008 – Loch Raven Reservoir – 11th overall – 53:34
- Patapsco State Park Trail Run (5-6 miles) – Sunday, May 11, 2008 – Patapsco State Park Avalon Area, Arbutus/Catonsville area – 41st overall- 1:05:59
- Inaugural TEVA Genessee Valley Trail Run 5K – Saturday, June 21, 2008 – Genessee Valley, Parkton – 5th overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 20:07
- Inaugural Maryland Running Cross Country Trials (5K) – Tuesday, August 26, 2008 – Oregon Ridge Park, Cockeysville – 12th overall (finished 11th overall, but the gentleman behind me accidentally started late and ran a faster time than I did, so really I ran the 12th fastest time in that race instead of the 11th – I was 9th in age group, awarded for 8th place)) - 19:20.1
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
- 13th Annual North Beach 5K – Saturday, September 27, 2008 – North Beach – 2nd overall – 19:01
Caroline County
- First Annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K – Saturday, March 15, 2008 – Denton – 2nd overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 18:58 (clock), 18:55 (watch)
- Caroline Hospice Remembrances Run 5K (first year running a 5K course here instead of a 5-miler) – Saturday, September 20, 2008 – Federalsburg Marina Park, Federalsburg – 3rd overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 19:15
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)
- Kowomu Trail 5K Road Race – Sunday, August 17, 2008 – Westminster – 2nd overall – 20:21
- 5th Annual Labor Day 5K Rogue Race – Monday, September 1, 2008 – Liberty High School, Eldersburg – 5th overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 18:28 (my personal best time on this course and at this event to-date J)
Cecil County
- Inaugural Run for Reading 4K – Saturday, May 10, 2008 – Bayview Elementary School, North East – Winner – 13:13 (accidentally cut the course a bit short) As of this race, Daniel Williams ran a race in every Maryland County along the Mason-Dixon Line J
- Inaugural Paws for Life/Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue May Day 5K – Sunday, May 18, 2008 – Chesapeake City – 20th overall – 29:18
- St. Roch’s Trail Run 7K – Saturday, July 19, 2008 – Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area (N.R.M.A.), Fair Hill/Elkton – Winner – 51:36 (this was after running a little past the actual finish area J)
- Inaugural Charlestown Riverfest River Run 5K – Sunday, September 14, 2008 – Charlestown – 4th overall (20-29 age group division winner) – 20:13
Charles County
- General Smallwood Sprint Triathlon – Sunday, June 29, 2008 – General Smallwood Park, Indian Head/Ironsides/Silver Hill – 194th overall (112th male finisher) – 1:59:32:
- 750-meter swim – 21:15 (ranked 111th fastest male time at this point)
- 1st transition area – 6:29 (ranked 132nd male time at this point)
- 16-mile bike – 1:10:28 (PR and it was ranked 135th male time at this point :)
- 2nd transition area – 1:18 (ranked 60th fastest male time at this point)
- 5K – 20:03 (ran very evenly or even had negative splits, and it was ranked 4th fastest overall, and 3rd fastest among the males J)
Dorchester County
- North Dorchester High School Eagle Athletics Boosters 5th Annual Eagle 5K Run – Saturday, October 4, 2008 – Hurlock – Winner – 18:49 (as of this race, I ran in a running event in every county of Maryland within 2008; God is Awesome J)
Frederick County
- Inaugural the Great “Deadman’s Hill” Down Hill Mile – Friday, April 4, 2008 – Brunswick, MD – 4th overall – 4:50 (off-track PR for a mile distance J) - They had mistaken me for finishing 8th overall with a time of 4:54
- Frederick Steeplechasers Summer Track Series (Two miles on the track) – Wednesday, June 18, 2008 – Frederick High School, Frederick:
- One mile warmup
- Two miles - 6th overall (13th in age-adjusted time) - 11:47 (I ran negative splits :)
- 3X800-meter relay race – Our team earned 2nd overall – My 800-meter splits were about: 2:53, 2:48ish, and then 2:26 (and I think I ran negative splits on that last one as well as keeping a fairly even pace on the first two J)
Garrett County
- Inaugural TEVA Adventure Games 10K Trail Run – Saturday, July 26, 2008 – A.S.C.I./Wisp Ski Resort, Deep Creek Lake – 6th overall (4th male finisher and 20-29 age group division winner) – 50:24 (I ran negative splits on one of the most hilliest and challenging races I’ve run in so far, and it was great scenery too J)
Harford County
- Leap of Faith Fun Run (7K prediction run – Approximately 4.35 miles) – Sunday, February 17, 2008 – Abington – 3rd/4th overall (8th closest to predicted time) – 27:24 (predicted time: 28:00)
- World No Tobacco Day 5K – Sunday, June 8, 2008 – Liriodrendron Mansion/Ma & Pa Trail, Bel Air -- overall (2nd in 20-29 age-group division) – 19:37
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 :) – Sunday, February 10, 2008 – Columbia – 11th overall – 1:10:11
- Road Runners Club of America Ten-Mile Club Challenge – Sunday, February 24, 2008 – Columbia – 122nd overall – 1:07:58.85 (clock), 1:07:52 (watch)
- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #9: Elkhorn 10K – Sunday, March 30, 2008 – Columbia – 13th overall – 43:42 (clock), 43:39 (watch) – Ran negative splits: 21:53 the first half! J
- Mt. Hebron High School Viking Backers Viking 5K – Sunday, April 13, 2008 – Mt. Hebron High School, Ellicott City – 2nd overall – 18:52
- 30th Annual Clyde’s 10K – Sunday, April 20, 2008 (my five-year anniversary of accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Savior J) – Columbia - - 42:09 (clock), 42:05 (chip)
- H.C.S. “Vernal Velocity” # : Thunder Hill Elementary School 2-miler – Sunday, May 18, 2008 – Columbia – 4th overall – 13:35
- First Annual Friends of the Howard County Library Fun Run/Walk (approximately 2.3 miles) – Saturday, June 7, 2008 – East Columbia Branch Library, Columbia – Winner – 14:25 (I ran a little further past the actual finish area J)
- Damien F. Massella Run for Recovery 5K (new course) – Sunday, June 22, 2008 – Columbia - overall – 18:38
- H.C.S. “Summer Sizzler” #2: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5-miler – Wednesday, June 25 – 6th overall – 32:26
- Police Pace 5K – Sunday, September 7, 2008 – Centennial Park, Ellicott City – 11th overall – 18:17.94 (my personal best time on this course to-date J)
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #2: Longfellow Elementary School 10K – Sunday, September 21, 2008 – 2nd overall - 44:32 (great pacing, because I went through the first half in about 22:13 J)
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #3: Atholton High School 5K – Sunday, October 12, 2008 – 11th overall – 20:38 (clock), 20:37 (watch) – I ran with a water bottle J
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #6: Longfellow Elementary School Two-miler – Sunday, October 19, 2008 – Winner – 11:59.53 (my best time-to-date on this course J)
- Maryland Public Schools 2A South and 3A East High School Cross Country Regional Championships (“Scrubs”/all-comers/junior varsity race) – Thursday, October 30, 2008 – Centennial High School 5K Cross Country Course, Ellicott City – 20:16 (my best time to-date on this revised course J
- First Annual Mission: Mississippi Harvest 5K Run/1-Mile Fun Run/Walk – Saturday, November 15, 2008 – Meadowbrook Park, Ellicott City – Winner (I was also awarded winner of the 25-40 year-old male age group division) – 20:16 (great time considering I ran a little extra by accidentally running the wrong way J)
Kent County
- 32nd Annual Chestertown Tea Party Distance Classic 5K – Saturday, May 24, 2008 – Chestertown – 3rd overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 19:15 (clock), 19:12 (watch – best time at this event J)
- 27th Annual Rock Hall Flat Five – Friday, July 4, 2008 – Rock Hall – 2nd overall (“Open Men” age group division (20-36) winner) – 32:31 (it probably would have been a bit faster had I not accidentally missed a turn towards the beginning).
- 1st Annual Queen of the Roses 5K – Sunday, October 26, 2008 – Chestertown (same course as the Chestertown Tea Party Distance Classic 5K route) – 3rd overall (2nd in 20-29 age-group division) – 19:03 (my best time on the course to date J)
Montgomery County
- 5th Annual Walnut Hill Ribbon Run 5K – Sunday, February 10, 2008 – Gaithersburg – 2nd overall – 19:51
- Riley’s Rumble Half-Marathon – Sunday, July 27, 2008 – Riley’s Lock, Seneca/Poolesville – 132nd overall (117th male finisher) – 1:48:18 (clock), 1:47:27 (watch) – First half-marathon J
- Sandy Spring Friends School Practice Meet #1 (5K cross country race) – Wednesday, August 20, 2008 – Sandy Spring – 3rd overall (ran unattached) – 19:42 (I really picked it up the third mile J)
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
- Poker Run (3 laps around the lake at the Buddy Attick Park which is approximately 3.79 miles) – Friday, July 11, 2008 – First finisher (my poker hand did not win anything) – 24:44ish (and I was trying to break 25 minutes J)
- 10th Annual Run for Kathy 5K – Saturday, October 11, 2008 – Allen Pond Park, Bowie – 8th overall (male 20-29 age group division winner) – 18:28 (clock), 18:27 (watch)
Queen Anne’s County
- A Day at the Races – Saturday, March 29, 2008 – Queen Anne’s County High School, Centreville:
- 5K (on the high school cross country course) – Winner – 18:59 (probably a little shorter than a 5K, somewhere between 3 and 3.1 miles)
- 1,600 meter/1-mile track open fun run – 3rd overall – 6:34
- Kent Island Relay for Life – Saturday, June 7, 2008 – Kent Island High School, Stevensville – I ran about or almost four miles worth and I was one of the few joggers/runners at the event.
- Kennard Alumini Association 5K Walk/Run & Family Day (new course this year) - Saturday, June 14, 2008 – Kennard Elementary School, Centreville – Winner – 19:20
Saint Mary’s County
- 27th Annual Chaptico Classic 5K – Saturday, August 30, 2008 – Chaptico – 4th overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 19:10
Somerset County
- 3rd Annual McCready Health Services Foundation Founder’s Day 8K – Saturday, May 3, 2008 – Crisfield – 2nd overall – 34:51 (clock), 34:27 (watch)
Talbot County
- Talbot Kids Fun Run (advertised as three-miles, but less than that) – Saturday, March 8, 2008 – North Easton Sportsplex (Rails-to-Trails), Easton – Winner – Probably ran low-to-mid 14’s based on the times of other runners (I did not run my watch on this one)
- 7th Annual Fall into St. Michaels 5K Run/Walk – Saturday, October 25, 2008 – St. Michaels Elementary School, St. Michaels – Winner – 18:54 (I accidentally made a wrong turn towards the end of the race, but this is the race where I finished out my half-year endeavor; praise God! J
Washington County
- 27th Annual Gary Brown Memorial C&O Canal Five-Mile Run – Saturday, August 23, 2008 – Williamsport - 21st overall – 31:31
Wicomico County
- Mid-Shore Family YMCA Funny Bunny 5K Run – Saturday, March 8, 2008 – Salisbury – 2nd overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 19:35
- Winter Place Park Summer Cross-Country Series #1 – Saturday, August 2, 2008 – Winter Place Park, Salisbury – 4th overall (won a Chick-Fil-A coupon as a door prize) – 19:01
- Vernon Powell Shoes The Athlete 5K Challenge – Saturday, October 4, 2008 – Salisbury – 5th overall (2nd in 20-29 age-group division; second to Fernando Guerrero, a famous boxer) – 19:08
Worcester County
- Ocean City Factory Outlets 5K – Saturday, April 12, 2008 – Ocean City – 2nd overall – 19:11
- 8th Annual Pink Ribbon Classic 5K – Saturday, October 18, 2008 – Ocean City – Winner – 18:36
Events outside of Maryland
Delaware
(Italicized ones are Delaware counties that I ran in the week of 5-25-to-5-31-2008)
Kent County
- 4th Annual Firefly 5K Run – Wednesday, May 28, 2008 – Smyrna – 6th overall (2nd in male 20-29 age-group division) – 18:53 (clock), 18:52 (watch)
New Castle County
- 7th Annual Friends of Mary Husty 5K – Monday, May 26, 2008 – University of Delaware, Newark – 8th overall (male 19-29 age-group division winner – Now I’ve won my age group in all three counties of Delaware in my lifetime J) – 18:38 (clock), 18:36 (watch)
Sussex County
- 15th Annual Masser Five-Miler – Sunday, May 25, 2008 – Lewes – 12th overall (3rd in male 25-29 age-group division) – 31:47 (clock), 31:45 (watch – My pace got faster later in the race :)
District of Columbia – Washington
- 410th Tidal Basin 3K – Wednesday, March 19, 2008 – Tidal Basin, Washington D.C. – 9th overall – 10:46
- 412th Tidal Basin 3K – Wednesday, June 18, 2008 – Tidal Basin, Washington D.C. - overall – 11:01
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
Fairfax County
- 30th Annual Patriot’s Cup 8K – Sunday, May 4, 2008 – George Mason University, Fairfax – 20th overall – 32:27 (clock), 32:23ish (watch)
Northampton County
