(Photos taken from the 15th Annual Race Against Time 5K on Sunday, December 28, 2008, and they were taken from Races2Run.Com. In the right photo of us coming near the one-mile mark, I'm the fourth runner back).
This weekend was a fine weekend of racing. It started off at the Mountain Express Holiday Open Indoor Track & Field meet at Hagerstown Community College in Washington County, Maryland. This is probably going to be my last even for at least several months out in the western Maryland area, 'cause that area tends to get quite a bit of snow around winter time, making it harder to get out there for races and such. I had run at this meet last year and I enjoyed it for the most part, and I wanted to go back and do it again.
I was feeling a bit sick-to-my stomach (probably from something I ate or maybe a lack of eating), but I decided to run there anyway since the events that I would run at this meet would be among the last of the races I had planned to run this year. I wanted to run the 1,600 meter race (which is just less than a mile and just less than 8 full laps on this unique indoor track), the 800 meter race (which is pretty much a half-a-mile and about four laps on the track), and then whatever I had left, hopefully I would be able to hang on all right in the 3,200 meter race (which is just a bit less than two miles and is just less than 16 laps).
The 1,600 meter was the first event that I ran and towards the end of it my stomach started to bother me and I felt that slow me down. I didn't feel ike I had that much energy for this race either. Here are the splits that I remember hitting:
Lap 4: 2:38ish (this is half-way through the race)
Lap 7: 4:47ish
Lap 8/Finish: 5:24
I've definitely run a lot faster than that before, on both indoor and outdoor tracks. Then again, the last time I had run a mile race was at the hilly and windy Turkey Trot One-Mile Race at the Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville Campus in Baltimore County, Maryland back in mid-November, and I had run about 5:42 there, so I didn't exactly have that much reason to expect a stronger time for me in this event (and a stronger time for me right now would probably look like the low end of the 5-minute range/maybe upper 4:50's. Hopefully with more consistent speed training I can improve from there, God-willing.
The next event which wasn't htat long after was the 80 meter race and after the 1,600 and with my stomach still feeling a bit sick, I wasn't expecting that much. I told one of the other people getting ready to run the race that I would be happy to be under 2:30 based on how I made out in the 1,600. A lot of people at this meet were either high school-age or in their lower twenties and in college, so I had some pretty solid competition at this meet from the younger high school and college runners, and I think I was the oldest person in the 800 meter race. Now, this race had a nice surprise for me as my stomach discomfort seemed to go away by the second lap of this four-lap race and my confidence improved.
Here are the splits that I remember from the 800 meter.
Lap 2 - 1:10
Lap 3 - 1:45 (I knew from here that I was evenly hitting 35 seconds the last couple of laps/200 meters, and I felt like I had enough energy and that I could probably at least hold this pace to run 2:20 if not a bit faster)
Lap 4/Finish - 2:20.69 - I was very happy with this race; being run at a very even pace and much faster than I expected. How strange that my stomach felt better afterwards.
Now I felt more confident and enthusiastic about the longer 3,200 meter race that came not long after. Here are the splits that I remember from that race:
Lap 1 - 35ish (whoa, pretty fast but I was feelin' pretty good)
Lap 3 - Around 2 minutes (still a pretty fast start for me)
Lap 6 - Around 4 minutes
Lap 7 - 4:42/4:43ish
Lap 8/1,600 meters/half-way through the race - 5:25 (only a mere second slower than what I ran at the 1,600 meter race earlier and now I was doing a split pretty much around the same time, but I was already feeling better than I did in that race and that motivated me to keep pushing)
Lap 15/3,000 meters - 10:33ish - I knew that as long as I ran strong that last lap, this was going to be a very nice race.
Lap 15/Finish - 11:10 - My fastest time for the 3,200 meters indoor and my fastest time for that distance all year :))) I am so happy about that unexpected indoor track personal best time for the 3,200 meter. Coming to the meet and not feling that great and not running as strongly as I would have liked in the first race, I certainly was not expecting to come away with that time in the 3, 200 meter. I know I must have slowed from a 5:25 to a 5:45 thereabouts for the second half of the race, but I still beat 11:24, my previous personal best indoor track time for the 3,200 from earlier this past January at an indoor meet in Prince George's County, Maryland at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex. However, I think the results got a bit skewed and if you were to look at them later on Tristaterunnur.com, you may see that I ran 11:57, but I know I actually ran 11:10 and I was keeping track of my laps too!
The way I did at this indoor track meet, even with feeling a bit sick and de-energized earlier was similar to how I ran at the indoor track meets I did earlier this year in late January and earlier February. Plus, it seems very simlar to that five-day period around Thanksgiving last month when I ran in about eight running events in five days, and how just about every race (at least with the 5-kilometer road races) saw a better quality of performance from me than the previous. I know it does not seem very orthodox of me to be running all of these races in such a short time period, but it seems to be doing wonders for my pacing and quite possibly my endurance. Though, of course as I may have told a good handful of you, I am really meaning business about cutting back on the number of races I do next year and that's pretty much my New Year's resolution for 2009. In fact, I'm so serious about it tthat I do not intend to run in races or runnin gevents on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, or the first weekend in January. I think a majority of my races that I do during the winter will be all-comers indoor track meets.
I came into this meet feeling a little under the weather and I came out of it feeling better and looking forward to future indoor track meets (especially after that 3,200 meter race which could help me out with 5K's in the near future).
After the meet I drove back to my place in Baltimore County, grabbed a quick shower and then headed over to my friend Amy's house for a Christmas party. That was fun, because we played games and hung out. They had some delicious finger foods there, but I think maybe I had slightly too many because it reaggravated my stomach and towards the end of the party I felt sick to my stomach. I came back to my place and my roommates and some of their friends were over hangin' out and I was chillin' with them and I felt a little better. I decided to go through with "Plan A" and do the Race Against Time 5K in Wilmington (New Castle County), Delaware, which is the race I planned would be my last race this year (and probably for a little while). Unless I got really sick over night, I was hoping to go there and just see what I could do, even if it meant backing off the pace a bit. I had invited my friend Joe (who lives closer to Wilmington) to come with me, so he was on board as well.
I got up on Sunday morning (December 28, 2008), still feeling sick to my stomach, but still willing to do the race. I didn't eat much (and I stayed up later than I intended hanging out and on the computer), so I didn't get the most sleep I could. Though, soemthing told me it woudl be worthwhile to do this race, so I drove north a bit, picked up Joe, and then continued north to Wilmington.
Wilmington's a beautiful city with a lot of water around it in some parts. I had only run one race here before, and that was in July of 2007 at the Wilmington Games 5k (I had run a projected 19:35 there after accidentally going the wrong way and cutting the course a little short). Unfortunately, this time around Joe and I got a little confused in the city streets and we couldnt' figure out exactly where the YMCA was. it didn't seem like the MapQuest.Com directions I had were that accurate about the later directions on how to get there and it seemed like Joe's portable navigation device wasn't working at some parts of Wilmington (probably because I had driven so far out of the way). I was definitely thankful when we made a u-turn and retraced our steps a bit and found the YMCA,a dn then spetn another 5-10 minutes finding parking. We were able to get there about a half-hour or so before the race with enough time to register, stretch, warm-up a bit, and mingle with some people, so that was fine. At this point, my stomach had calmed down a little and I was glad to be there, because it was like in the upper 50's, low 60's... Unusually warm for these parts this time of year and great outdoor running weather for me.
After the race started, I was surprised to find myself kind of near the front (like within the top-ten), because I know that these races through Races2Run.Com in New Castle County can be quite competitive and crowded. The roads were a bit slippery from recent rain, and there were several downhills and turns through the city in the first mile, and it kind of worried me a bit, because my new racing flats I bought earlier the previous week seemed more apt to slide.
I didn't fall over, twist my ankle, or anything like that, and I was certainly grateful for that. I think the comgination of downhill and flatter terrains on these roads, plus the competition, helped me get through the first mile in about 5:29. I was thinking something like, "whoa, that's almost as fast as I ran the 1,600 meters the previous day at the indoor track meet at Hagerstown Community College". I thought i had gone out too fast, but at the same time that motivated me, because I felt stronger for having run almost as fast as I had run at a track race, for a split in a longer, more hilly race.
And the hills were there.
Just after the one-mile, there were some heavy uphills along this river and around this shaded park. I had heard from the course description that towards the middle of the race there was a steady uphill, but that afterwards you go down it towards the end of the race. I wanted to pace myself well for it, but I knew that after going through the first mile in about 5:29, I had gone out too fast and that I should just make the best of it and keep the runners in front of me in sight, and see what kind of time I could get. I was hoping that at best I could probably get low 19's/maybe high 18's, though now after going out so fast, perhaps I would have a chance of running under a 6-minute-per-mile pace, which would put me under the upper 18:30's.
However, soon after the first mile, my mouth started to feel dry and I remembered that because of my recent stomach ache, I don't think I had drank as much water as I should have on this warmer day. I was worried I was going to get heat exhaustion or something, and I kept my eye out for a water stop, because I was going to make it a point to slow up and snag a cup of water. I knew that with my stomach hurting recently and me not even eating that much, I would probably be more vulneralbe to heat exhaustion in some way, and that would probably just compound the problem.
After getting to the top of the hill, I figured it was aorund the middle of the race, and I didn't see any water stop, but I kept on going. At this point we were around some kind of tower (I didn't get a good look at it, as I was too occupied with running), and then we made a right through this neighborhood, and after a short and steep downhill I went through two miles in 11:47. I had definitely slowed that second mile with the uphill, but I still felt like I had enough energy to work well on that last mile (a lot of which was down hill and flat), so my confidence was not too drained by the slower second mile. Besides, this was the last race I planned to do for a while, so I think I was just hapy and willing to finish strongly. And it was nice, because worries about heat exhaustion and my stomach were out of my mind at this point.
After hanging a left out of the neighborhood and running down the hill, I passed by my friend Rob who was running up the hill and he yelled encouragement to me and said that I was in about eighth place, and that was nice to hear because I did not think I would be running this well, much less within the top ten. I managed to pass another gentleman on the downhills, and then the course flattened out a bit. I figured that at this point I was probably in about seventh place if Rob's observations were correct. For a moment or so, I could feel a bit of tension in my right foot where my plantar fascitis had been bothering me for a fairly large portion of the year, but I felt like I had picked up such great momentum, I really didn't want to pay it any mind and I think I forgot about it towards the end of the third mile. And oh that yellow sign-post with a black "3" marking the three-mile mark looked so beautiful as I ran up a slight incline towards it and ran through it in about 17:28, and from there I only had about .1 miles left to finish out this 3.1-mile race, and i figured so long as I kept up the pace I was going, I would be done witht his race in the next 40 seconds. With that in mind, I dashed through the brief remaineder of the race up a brief and hardly noticeable incline and finished in the race in about 18:03; one of my fastest 5K races of the year, second only to the 17:59 I ran back in February at the Valentine's Day 5K in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, which I thought was a bit of an easier course than this one was.
I was pleasantly surprised about this race; having picked up the pace from the 5:53 pace I was running around the two-mile mark to finish in a time that involves hitting 5:49/5:50 miles on average (and I'm sure those downhills helped there in that last mile as did the competition). Several years ago I ran around the the low 17:40's (like 17:42/17:43 for my 5K split in an 8K cross country race in Salisbury (wicomico County), MD when I ran cross country for Salisbury University, so this was actually one of my better 5K times I have run in my lifetime to date. I couldn't believe how God helped me run this so strongly in light of all of the recent races I had done (not to mention the three track races I had run the previous day), my stomach hurting, feeling a bit thirsty, the hills, but God helped me finish my 112th race this year as strongly as if I had hardly run any races this year. Joe ran pretty well for himself as well; running faster than he has in a while! Robert seemed to do nicely and he's lookin' good with his running after doing 99 races to-date (he's also in the Fifty-Plus Races Per-Year Club like I am).
It was a great race, and I would not mind coming back to it again in the future. Joe and I had fun. Shortly after the race, my stomach hurt, which was to be expected since I had pushed myself hard, and then it felt better as we left. By the time I had gotten back to Joe's place and was chillin' there for a while, I started to feel pretty hungry, so I ate a bagle, some cheese, some cookies, and maybe some other things. After driving back from his place, I felt pretty queasy and it was beginning to drive me crazy how my stomach would hurt, then I'd feel hungry, I'd eat (nothing too heavy), then I'd feel sick again, then hungry, and then sick, and then hungry. I decided that the next day I'd call my doctor and see what was up. Fortunately by that evening I was feeling allr ight and I ended up seeing this new World War II movie with one of my friends and her friends called "Valkyrie". I thought it was riveting and a bit frustrating to watch; it seemed to be mainly about an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. I thought they did a great job with the movie. Tom Cruise was in it as well. I think I was just happy to kick back and go to the movies, because I haven't been to the movie theater in over two months (the last movie I saw was "Fireproof", which was really awesome, back in mid-October). Perhaps that's just another sign that I should back off the number of races I do and maybe even look to spending more time with friends.
This weekend was excellent, especially with running and hanging out with friends, and I'm glad the queasiness didn't interfere. This morning I called my doctor's office and found out she's out this week, and fortunately the secretary was able to help me. I told him how I was getting a little frustrated with my stomach problems, feeling hungry, and then sick, and then hungry again, and all that and he said there is some kind of gastro-intestinal stomach virus thing going around that came from the west. I heard that it was coming. I told him I wasn't actually throwing up or having diarrhea (at least not yet), and he said I may not have the full-blown virus, but maybe just some of it to where I'm experiencing some of the symptoms of it. He told me to go easy on the eating and exercise, and with that said, I'm grateful I don't have any races planned for a while. I'm not complaining, but I was concerned about my stomach. I'm glad I seem to be doing better today so far and I had some dry cereal, bread and jam, and even a banana for breakfast and that didn't bother my stomach too much. I'm thinking of taking today off of running (even though I was looking forward to going for a nice recovery run). Tomorrow I was planning on running a long run with a couple of buddies of mine from the Howard County Striders, but I may have to put that on hold, since they could very well be going 13-14 miles and at a lower 7-minute pace which could prove really rough and I could hurt myself. That person on the phone could very well be right; I woke up on Christmas morning with my stomach feeling a bit full and I didn't have much of an appetite, and sicne then, it's been bothering me, so I may have a bit of a stomach bug. Or it could just be my eating habits (not eating enough to keep up with the running I've been doing). Either way, I'm glad to be done with the races for a little while and that it's winter break. I think if anything, I'l try and go for a walk to today and do some stretches, and we'll see how I feel tomrrow. I might just do a shorter run tomorrow on my own, God-willing I feel better and don't end up barfing or having bad diarrhea.
So yea, enough about me on that front. In all, I'm grateful that God has helped me have a great weekkend of racing with a bit of adversity here-and-there. I'm looking forward to feeling healthier and keeping up with the training and running.
Thank you all for reading this entry and all its details. I hope you all are having a terrific holiday season and having fun too. I hope this New Year brings much joy :)
Running Events I have done this year as of Monday, December 29, 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)
- Anne Arundel Community College 20th Annual Turkey Trot 5K – Wednesday, November 26, 2008 – Arnold – 5th overall – 19:17
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
- Inaugural Battle for Baybrook Park 3-Mile Cross Country Race – Saturday, November 29, 2008 – Brooklyn/Anne Arundel County/Baltimore City/Baltimore County – 5th overall – 19:02 (my best time on the course to-date and it was my second race that morning J)
- Celtic Solstice Five-Miler – Saturday, December 20, 2008 – Druid Hill Park, Baltimore City – 70th overall – 32:30.20 (clock time), 32:18.55 (chip time - Nice pace increase considering I ran the first mile in about 6:33 J)
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 division 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
- 23rd Annual Turkey Trot Two-Mile Fun Run – Saturday, November 22, 2008 – Denton Elementary School, Denton – Winner (also awarded for winning 20-29 male age group division) – 11:29
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 and One-Mile Fun Run – Monday, September 1, 2008 – Liberty High School, Eldersburg:
- 5K – 5th overall (20-29 age-group division winner) – 18:28 (my personal best time on this course and at this event to-date J)
- One-Mile Fun Run – Finished between 9 and 10 minutes; I wanna say maybe 9:18. I sorta hopped in this one for fun!
- Dasher Dance 10K – Sunday, December 14, 2008 – F&M Manufacturing Plant, Westminster – 6th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) – 42:07 (I ran great negative splits: 21:06 the first half and about 21:01 the second half 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 (as of this race, I have either won my age-group division or a race overall in every county in Maryland not including Baltimore City J) – 30:10 (new course record J)
- Holiday 5K – Sunday, December 21, 2008 – Heavenly Waters Park/Ma & Pa Trail, Bel Air – 6th overall – 22:16 (not too bad considering icy conditions, falling on the ice at the trail entrance, and almost going the wrong way once on the trail 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
- Symphony of Lights Dazzle Dash (I ran five laps/around 7 miles) – Saturday, November 22, 2008 – Columbia – First finisher of five laps – 44:55 (my two lap split of 16:57ish was faster than last year’s two laps J)
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #9: Swansfield Elementary School 5K – Sunday, November 23, 2008 – 10th overall – 19:05 (I think I accidentally cut the course a bit short)
- Turkey Trot 10K Prediction Run – Thursday, November 27, 2008 – Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center, Columbia – 128th finisher – Prediction: 47 minutes, actual time: 46:09.49. Departure: 10:13, Arrival: 10:59:10.51
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #10: Longfellow Elementary School 15K (first time running this course J) – Sunday, November 30, 2008 – 5th overall – 1:07:25 (my 10K split may have been close to or surpassed 41:55, my best time to-date on the 10K course at this venue J)
- H.C.S. “Legends of the Fall” #11/Fall Weekly Series Awards: Elkhorn Two-miler – Sunday, December 14, 2008 – Columbia – 4th overall – 12:32
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)
- 4th Annual Casey’s Crab Co. Laurel 5K Turkey Trot – Thursday, November 27, 2008 – Laurel – 9th overall – 19:19 (not bad considering I accidentally missed a turn and probably went a bit longer).
- Tom’s 7th Annual 5K Reindeer Run – Saturday, November 29, 2008 – Laurel – 3rd overall – 18:39 (great pacing and this course was changed up a bit but pretty much the same as before J)
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! :)
- Festival of Trees 7th Annual Run for Hospice 10K Run – Friday, November 28, 2008 – Easton – 3rd overall – 40:13
Washington County
- 27th Annual Gary Brown Memorial C&O Canal Five-Mile Run – Saturday, August 23, 2008 – Williamsport - 21st overall – 31:31
- Mountain Express Open Holiday Indoor Track & Field Invitational, Saturday, December 27, 2008 – Hagerstown Community College, Hagerstown:
- 1,600 meter – 4th overall (25-34 age group division winner) – 5:28
- 800 meter – 4th overall (25-34 age group division winner) – 2:20.69 (great, evenly-paced race, because I ran 400 meters in 1:10, and then 600 meters in 1:45 :)
- 3,200 meter - overall (4th in 20-29 age group division) – 11:57 (posted time – this obviously got a bit skewed), 11:10 (clock time – my personal best time for this event on an indoor track to date J)
Wicomico County
- Mid-Shore Family YMCA Funny Bunny 5K Run – Saturday, March 8, 2008 – Salisbury – 2nd overall (20-29 male 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
- Lower Shore Delmarva Family YMCA Inaugural “Jingle all the Way” 5K Run/Walk (it was actually measured out to be around 3.2 miles; a little bit more than a 5-kilometer distance) – Saturday, December 13, 2008 – Pocomoke City – Winner – 20:29
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 J) – 18:38 (clock), 18:36 (watch)
- 15th Annual Race Against Time – Sunday, December 28, 2008 – Wilmington – 7th overall – 18:03
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 :)
- Sea Colony Turkey Trot 5K – Sunday, November 30, 2008 – Sea Colony, Ocean View/Bethany Beach – Winner (first time I’ve earned a vacation package from a race J) – 18:37 (nice, well-paced race in my opinion J)
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
- 27th Annual Seaside Half-Marathon – Saturday, December 6, 2008 – Wachapreague and Melfa – 6th overall (25-29 male age-group division winner – My first time winning my age-group division for a race that long :) – 1:35:40 (clock), 1:35:35 (watch – this was a very evenly-paced race for me, having aveaged a pace-per-mile with my finishing time that was faster than the 7:21 I ran the first mile in :)
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
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