Pennsylvania trip was fun!

Crack around Highway 61 in Centralia, Pennsylvania, cause by horrific underground mine fires in the early 1960's. Photo taken from http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/the-story.htm

Hey there everyone; I hope everyone is well and staying healthy. I actually seem to have a bit of a stomach bug today and since I seem to be feeling a little bit better than I was before, I figured I'd use some time to update (afterall, I requested to take a sick day tomorrow at work, 'cause it's been my experience with these stomach viruses that they can take a while to thoroughly recover from). It's funny to think that a little over two years ago (Wednesday, March 14 into the morning of Thursday, March 15, 2007), I was sick where I was throwing up a couple of times (probably from food poisoning). I remember feeling prety sick and demoralzed from thinking I could ever run strong again; however, God had other and better plans, and a couple of days later I was running pretty well and then about a week-and-a-half later, I ran the Inaugural Race to Impact 10K along the Cross-Island Trail in Queen Anne's County, Maryland on Saturday, March 24, 2007, and event that helped set off a series of events that got me to set up this blog on attempts to run in running events in every county of Maryland. And to think just a short while before I thought I would not recover from that illness. That helped keep me motivated as I am sick in a fairly similar way this time around, and I feel God's comfort and Him helping me to recovery. In other words, I feel much more encouraged this time around. I just hope this is actually a stomach flu thing and not that my stomach issues that I've been getting tested are getting worse. We'll see how that goes.

I did make it up to and from Centralia (Columbia County), Pennsylvania this weekend for my first time. I was interested in seeing the town because it has the reputation for being a "ghost town" as a result of mass evacuations from horrible underground mine fires that started accidentally in the early 1960's (this area of the state is apparently big with anthracite mining, or at least it was at one time). There are now about 13 residents in the town according to one of the friendly locals I met there. Still some tourists pass through it as well, even though some of the steam coming up from holes in the ground from the constantly burning fire can be gaseous. I was blessed to have made it to, through, and back just fine (well so far anyway).

I first heard about Centralia several months back through the fictitious horror movie, "Silent Hill", which takes place in a town called Silent Hill, West Virginia. I actually liked the movie to some extent and I thought it would be cool to see where Silent Hill actually was in West Virginia, so that may be I could do a race around there sometime.  Of course I found out that Silent Hill was merely a fictitious town. However, it was based off of Centralia, Pennsylvania with the tragic mine fires (in the "Silent Hill" movie, the mine fires helped make Silent Hill the ghost town that it was :)- Needless to say, I was grateful to have a bit of time to myself this time around and go visit.

Before I headed towards this more central area of Pennsylvania, I stopped off in Lancaster (Lancaster County), Pennsylvania to run in this race called the Run4Luck Four-Mile Run (I figured hey, I might as well try to stay true to one of my favorite hobbies en route Centralia, which I'll admit I was nervous about visiting because of the gases from the fires). Anyway, I was hoping to do under 29 minutes for this fairly hilly course that went through mostly rural neighborhoods. However, I was blessed with a pretty nice race for me coming back into shape. I went through two miles in about 13:35, 3 miles in 20:20, and then finished the four miles in 26:51, faster than the 27:31 and the 27:07 I ran in those two 4 milers in Calvert County, MD and Carroll County, MD, respectively, before I took a bit of a break from running in February. I was pretty happy with that to say the least, especially since it looks like I ran the second half a bit faster than the first (since keeping up the 13:35 for two miles would have put me at about 27:10 for four miles). I was cramping up a bit, and without that and if I had been in better shape, I could have certainly run a much stronger time, but I'm certainly happy with that. I had no idea that I would do 4 miles that well at this point, because when I had my first run back on Centennial High School's track almost two weeks ago in Ellicott City (Howard County), Maryland, I ran the first mile of that approximately 2.5-mile distance in about 6:49, and before this four-mile race, that could have very well been my fastest mile (and for four miles, running that distance in 26:51 means averaging about 6:42/6:43-per-mile. Talk about an improvement over my first run back :) The Lancaster area of Pennsylvania is also apparently noted for its Amish culture, which I have taken a recent interest in, and that's why I thought it was great to run a race in that particular area as I've never done one in Lancaster County before (don't worry, I'm not trying to do a race in every Pennsylvania county... At least not now).

Not long after the race I hung around, mingled, met a few new people, and then headed off to Centralia. When I got there, I parked outside one of the three cemeteries around there, and I saw the occasional tourist checking it out. I met people there from New York, Washington D.C., and other places who came to check it out (probably among other things). I went running through what appeared to be the main drag of the town (Route 61). It was pretty hilly and silent (heh, "Silent Hill" perhaps :)- I ran up this quiet hill towards this Roman Catholic church (or maybe it was just Catholic, and I think it was called St. Marry's, and it was beautiful 'cause you could see the top of that building from the other hill). Like I said, running through here was quiet and hilly, and it definitely reminded me of the Westminster Road Runners' Club's Predicted Time Four-Miler and Dancer Dash 10K in the Westminster area of Carroll County, Maryland. I got to the church, went oup the outter stairs, and took some photos of the great view (one of the many scenic mountainous views). I chatted with a few of the rather amicable locals and visitors, ran by the cemetaries, ran down this old road with a crack in it with steam rising out of said crack), ran by this area of a lot of wreckage with quite a bit of steam rising from it, and then eventually got back into my car and headed back. On the way back, I took a longer way home through Hagerstown (Washington County), Maryland and ate at my first rather unique restaurant there for dinner called Gracie's Place. I had a nice chef salad there and I remember trying to hold a phone conversation with my friend Kay, but for some reason I had trouble hearing her... Perhpas the reception was the best over there.

Afterwards, I went over to my friend, Bing's, St. Patrick's Day party at his place, adn that was fun. They had karaoke and I had not seen Bing since like mid-to-late August. It was a fun time and I'm still recovering from not sleeping that much last weekend (and now with this stomach virus in the mix, I wonder if I'll get any sleep tonight). Ah well, God is good and I am very confident that He will get me through and get me back to proper health to continue running among other things. I am grateful He helped bless me with the opportunities to do what I did last weekend before I got sick today, and that I was available last Saturday (March 14, 2009) to make that trip into Pennsylvania (which is a state north of Maryland in the United States of America for all of you who are not too familar with United States' geography or do not live in the U.S.)


Thank you all for stopping by! I hope to get some photos from Pennsylvania developed in the near future and eventually have 'em posted on here. I recently ordered a new digital camera online through Woot.Com (which one of my roommates helped find), but I have not gotten to play around with it yet, so we'll see how it works. If it works out nicely, I'm sure I can upload photos much quicker on these blogs. All right, have a good night, fair health, and many of God's blessings :)

Running Events I have done as of Wednesday, March 19, 2009

January

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

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

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

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

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

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

5). 1-mile race – 4th overall – 5:03

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

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

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

February

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

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

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

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

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

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

March

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

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

Please check out the events I did in 2008:

http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2008/12/
not-much-longer-until-2009.html

Please check out the events I did in 2007:

http://runineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2007/09/
i-ran-in-running-event-in-all-of.html

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

Allegany County

Anne Arundel County

Baltimore City

Baltimore County

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

Calvert County

Caroline County

Carroll County

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

Cecil County

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

Charles County

Dorchester County

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

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

Frederick County

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

Garrett County

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

Harford County

Howard County

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

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

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

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

Kent County

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

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

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

Montgomery County

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

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

Prince George’s County

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

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

Queen Anne’s County

Saint Mary’s County

Somerset County

Talbot County

Washington County

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

Wicomico County

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

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

Worcester County