That is me finishing the Mighty Medford Freeway 5K in Carroll County, Maryland on Sunday, January 10, 2010 (this photo is courtesy of Karsten Brown)!
Greetings everyone, I hope this new year has found everyone well. If you are a running enthusiast like myself, I hope this winter weather has not kept you from it. I am grateful to say I have been able to find time to run a little more consistently. Right now I am working the two jobs as a teachers' aide and starting next week, I begin my two spring classes through Howard Community College of Concepts in Mathematics I and Reading Assessment (which go towards certification in elementary education). Being that I do not have an obligation to be in class at a certain time at the moment, I have been able to have more time to run. I can not say with the utmost confidence that my running has much improved since last fall, even though I have only run a coupla 5K's since 2010 started.
On New Year's Day (Friday, 1/1/10), I did run that Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution 5K Run in Prince Frederick (Calvert County), Maryland. As you may recall from my last post I was hoping to break 20 minutes in that 5K, the first time breaking 20 in a 5K since late August of 2009, but as a result of not getting a lot of sleep the night before and my running not being the strongest, I did not think that that was the most realistic goal. I was content to run it for fun and see what would happen, and I certainly had no expectations to run it faster than 18:47, which was the time I had run on this course the other time I ran it at the beginning of 2008. The relatively hilly road race started off all right, with me going through the first mile in about 6:19. Not long after I began huffing-and-puffing, but surprisingly I must have picked up the pace as I went through the second mile in about 12:17ish. I was pleased to see this and I thought that I would not only be on pace to break 20 minutes (which is about 6:26-per-mile-pace), but that this 6:08ish-per-mile-pace would put me really close to running under 19 minutes for this 3.1-mile distance. This kinda mathematical inspiration got my hopes up and encouraged me through the next few steady hills, but as it neared about 19 minutes in the race, and I still had at least another downhill and stretch of road to go, I realized that that second mile was probably measured a bit short and that I had probably slowed down throughout the race instead of sped-up the second mile like my "second-mile split" had led me to believe. Still, God gave me the grace to finish this race pretty well. I went through 3 miles in some time I think between 20:10 and 20:20, and then I ran towards the Southern Maryland Community Network to the finish line at the base of this short but steep hill that was the Network's parking lot. I crossed the finish line in 20:34 (for some reason their timing clocked me at 20:38, but that did not bother me). I was pretty grateful for that time, and I figured that since I had run that last ".1 mile (pretty much an eighth-of-a-mile) in under 20 seconds, I figured that it was a pretty accurate 5K, but that the 3-mile mark was a little ways further than it should have been, because usually that last .1 of a 5K, I do anywhere between 32-40 seconds, and that was when I was in better shape than I was then. Typically, a 20:34 would be slower for me for a 5K compared to what I have been running these past 6 or 7 years. Considering I am getting back into shape from some inconsistent running from the past late fall and this current winter season, I am happy to have run that time on a pretty challenging course on few hours of sleep. After that race, I got to visit Kay and her family, and had plenty of fun. All-in-all, it was an awesomely wonderful New Year's holiday.
A little over a week later (Sunday, January 10), I ran the frigid and somewhat windy Mighty Medford Freeway 5K Run; a low-key race put on by the Westminster Road Runners Club in the Medford/Westminster area of Carroll County, Maryland. This out-and-back course was not has hilly as the Southern Maryland Community Network 5K Resolution Run was in Prince Frederick. Though, the cold and steady inclines and declines made it challenging enough for me. Not to mention, the turn-around point was on a relatively long and steep hill. I had been wanting to do this race for the past several years, but due to either having to work or doing other races on the same, I had not taken the time to do this one until earlier this month! I had realized towards the last minute that this race was going on on this particular weekend when I was available, and decided it may be good for me to do another 5K, especially since I did not have to travel too incredibly far from where I live in Baltimore County to get there. When I got there, I found out from the race director that they were going to call the race off due to weather, but then towards the last minute decided to have it, but as a result they did not have any tangible awards (though they did give honorable mentions to the top male, female, as well as folks who placed in like the top-two, maybe even the top-three in their age-group).
I thought this race was pretty cool for the most part (and I am not talking about the uncomfortably cold temperatures on race morning. I think I was a bit too excited to be in the race, and I think I took off too fast for the kind of shape I was in, trying to keep the lead gentleman in sight. Within the first several minutes, I felt like I was beginning to huff-and-puff and I did not feel any more energetic to say the least as other runners seem to easily go by me. I kept trying to remind myself that I was not in the shape I used to be in not so very long ago, and that I should not be starting out so assertively like that.
By the time I got to the base of the steep-hill (the top of which was the half-way point turn-around on this out-and-back course) I felt like I was losing more energy, but I knew from hearing previous descriptions of this course, that this would be the only significant uphill, and at least I was going to be getting it over with. Fortunately, there were a couple of runners not too far ahead of me as well as someone just behind me, so I had competition to focus on, and that helped.
I was pleasantly surprised to be at about 10:04 at the half-way point, and I knew that if I kept up that pace, I could probably get 20:08 or 20:09, which would just top 20:12 (my fastest 5K time run in late November at the Burke Memorial 5K, also in Westminster, MD, since I took my little break from running last October). Perhaps if God blessed me with a second wind, I may even be able to run the second half faster and break 20 minutes altogether.
Actually, that is what happened next as I ran down the steep hill: I felt a little more energetically renewed. I am glad I felt a little better because I thought on the way back, there were more steady uphills than downhills. During the last stretch of the race, I remember it being a bit windy and that made it tougher to try and finish strong. Fortunately, the finish line was on a steady downhill, which made it easy for me to dash through the finish line in 20:25, about 9 seconds faster than what I had run at the Southern Maryland Community Network's Resolution Run 5K in Prince Frederick earlier in January (which I was happy about)!
That Mighty Medford Freeway 5K was the last race I ran, and it has almost been a month ago. My running has been going all right, but I think if I were to run another 5K about now, I do not think I could do much better than I did back then. I am sure in the future God will help me to run under 20 minutes again for the 5-kilometer distance, as well as under 12 minutes again for 2 miles, and just be able to run like I was doing last year and many years before. I think this time back from break has been taking me a while to get back in shape, and I gotta be patient. I know that this winter weather has been relatively aggressive compared to winters around here these past several years, and by golly we are about to hit another potential two-foot snowfall around this area of central Maryland, and I have to remember that it has been harder to run and train more consistently in ways that have been effective for me before (such as speedwork, at least one longer one a week, and fairly consistent tempo runs). At this particular point of me working a full-time and a part-time job, as well as a mathematics class I recently enrolled in through Howard Community College (and not to mention working on becoming a certified elementary school teacher), there have been a lot of different things lately that occur on an almost daily basis that keep me occupied, and by the time I have enough time to run, it is dark out. I just hope that as the days grow longer with the coming spring, I can find more time to run outside. I also want to be mindful of making sure I have eaten enough, so that I can avoid health-related challenges I had with losing weight and running last year.
I think I mentioned in my last post that I think I could be reaching a point in my life (a point that I thought I would not reach until I was years and years older) where I may not be able to improve upon the running times and performances God helped me to achieve earlier on, and I can not allow my coming short of those performances take away my morale or the passion and joy or running that is a gift to me. Had this happened while I was running competitively on the high school and college teams, I would have been quite discouraged to say the least. I am glad that God is helping me have peace about this and recognizing that at this point in my life, my heart and mind should be focused on improving/changing other things in my life for the future. I am grateful that my aspirations to become a teacher, my relationship with Kay, and my relationship with my family and friends are not strongly affected by my struggles and triumphs with running, and I hope not to falter with those if my running is not so hot.
I am grateful I can still run. I have to remember that if I focus too much on making running all about my own self-improvement, and not about God and glorifying Him (the one who gave me the ability and joy of running), then really I am making it something that it never was meant too. That is why I make a deliberate attempt in these posts to mention how God has earned all this success for me in running races in different counties, and so on. I am confident that there are still some good things in the future where my running is involved, but those events, bad and good, and the memories of them, exist for God's purposes and glory alone.
For what it is worth, I already feel that God has helped me to have some nice work outs in the past couple of months. For one thing, there was that approximately 5.6-mile+ - distance run starting and ending at the East Columbia Branch Library in Columbia (Howard County), MD that I did in just under 39 minutes last December. I have also had some really nice runs on outdoor tracks, such as a strong 2.5-mile run in 16:29, with an increase of pace throughout the run. Then, I ran about 3.25 miles in 21:43 (which is about an average pace of 6:41-per-mile, and my first mile had been about 6:42, so I had picked it up those next coupla miles). What was cool about the 3.25-mile run was that earlier that month, I had run 3 miles in about 21:31 on a track, and then a little later that month, I had run a quarter-mile longer and I had run almost as fast as I had run the three-mile distance. I could have over-lapped myself going 3 miles at 21:31 had I been doing 3.25 miles at 21:31 or faster, haha. Anyway, I do not want to become boastful about it. Thinking about this definitely did boost my attitude towards my current running, though I know it is ultimately in God's hands. The running is not something to make me look good, it is for God's glory. I am just really blessed that God has helped me to find joy in doing something that can bring Him glory and at the same time keep me healthy (after all, our bodies are temples for God). I have to keep this in mind, first and foremost, and it goes beyond more than running.
So, I am grateful that my current running condition has left me feeling humble before and open to be used by God. I have some running goals I have thought of recently (not so much about me running in different counties as it is just improving upon times I have run on a couple of different courses) that I hope to discuss in later posts. I am glad that over a year ago I resolved to try and make running less of a priority, and I think that was that it would be so easy for me to surrender it to Him like this so that He can use it for His glory. Before running was about me reaching my full potential as a runner, now I really want to focus on bringing Him joy and glory with it and with my joy of running, whether it be competitive or recreational!!!!
Races I have done so far in 2010!
Friday, January 1, 2010 - 3rd Annual Southern Maryland Community Network Resolution Run 5K - Prince Frederick (Calvert County), MD - 9th overall (2nd in 20-29 male age group division) - 20:38 (clock), 20:34 (watch)
Sunday, January 10, 2010 - Mighty Medford Freeway 5K - Medford/Westminster (Carroll County), MD - 8th overall (20-29 male age group division winner) - 20:25
Please check out the events I did in 2009:
http://ranineverymdcounty.blogspot.com/2009/12/reflection-on-2009.html
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
