Some more details on yesterday evening's all-comers meet in Anne Arundel County!

In this picture, North County High School in the Glen Burnie area of Anne Arundel County, MD. This was where I ran that Metro-Harriers all-comers meet yesterday. I got this photo off of the internet! I found it at: http://www.aacps.org/AACPS/NCHS/INDEX.htm


Shortly after I got up this morning, I decided to take a little walk over to the local village center. I decided that would be a good cool-down sorta cardio thing to do after all the races and events I've done this week, plus the interval workout a few days back, and it would still give the muscles I utilize in running a rest for tomorrow's race at the John Wall Memorial Track Run (one-mile) in Anne Arundel County (it's going to be at Broadneck High School tomorrow morning around the Annapolis area). If you're interested, check out the Annapolis Striders' website at: http://www.annapolisstriders.org
So anyway I walk to the local village center and I end up stoppin' by the Bagel Bin to get a cheese melt on a bagel and a can of ginger ale.
Yea, walk for your health my rear!
Now I remember why I usually run versus walk, because I go by these shops and stores before they can tempt me, haha!
About last evening, the meet ended up going pretty well for me, considering everything else I've done earlier this week and it certainly helped get more races under the proverbial belt for the "fifty-plus" club as well. I did not know how well I would do, because it was hot and humid most of the meet. They seemed to do a nice job runnin' it, I left after the 3,000 meters and I think there were a coupla shorter events after that, but it seemed like since it seemed a little more low-key and not that crowded, they were able to fit it in in just around two-and-a-half hours. They put on a good meet.

The 1,500 meters ended up being one of my better races. I went into it thinking that if I had decent competition and I felt good, I could probably run low-5's/high 4's. Well, I was blessed to have run a 4:42, which at the pace I was goin' at the end, probably would have just put me right around 4:59/5:00 for a 1,600 meter/mile, which would have been my fastest this year so far. I went through the first 400 meters in 1:16, I did not catch my 800 meter split, but I did for the 1,200 meters and it was a 3:48, which meant my pace of 1:16 per lap was still very even and still happening, and I was therefore on pace for about a 5:04 1,600 meter, but I had started to pick it up the last lap and that helped me get a little negative split and finish in 4:42, my best 1,500 meter this year (I ran a 1,500 on Saturday, March 3, 2007 at Salisbury University's Seagull Home Opener track meet and I ran a 4:48.7 in Wicomico County, and then if I ran a 5:04.88 mile in Montgomery County in April, my 1,500 meter split was probably right in the mid 4:40's). So yes, all that analysis aside, I definitely have a reason to be happy about winning that well-paced 1,500 meter race with a strong finish.

The 800 meter race went pretty well too. I ran just as I expected, in the low 2:20's or upper 2-teens. I went through the first lap in about 1:09 then came back witha second lap in 1:12 to finish in 2:21 and take second overall. Not too bad, hopefully I can improve from there in any future 800 meter races this year!

The 3,000 meter race went surprisingly well for me, I was not sure what I could bring to it after having worked hard at the 1,500 and 800 meter races, but I was pleasantly surprised. I went through the first 400 meters in about 1:25, 800 meters in about 2:51, 1,200 meters in about 4:17, the 1,600 in about 5:47 (a little over halfway through at this point, a pace that would put me about about 11:34 in a 3,200 meter race). However, after that I kinda was not paying as much attention to my splits, 'cause I think that's when I started running negative splits. Maybe I felt a little discomfort in my right knee from the two-mile road race the night before, but it did not slow me, God helped me keep it together and to stay focused. At this point I had moved up to second place and the first place guy who eventually went on to win the event was pretty well ahead of me, so I figured that one of the best things I could hope for was to hold onto my position. When I had about 200 meters to go (at 2,800 meters), I went through in about 10:05 (though I thought I heard the race official callin' out splits yell "9:05", which I think gave me incentive to kick it in, because if that were the case, I was on my way of takin' my 3K PR that is in the upper 9:50's I think from several years back). Well, it turned out that it was 10:05 and I ended up crossing the line in second place at about 10:41, and at the pace I was goin' at, I'm sure it would have put me under 11:20 for a 3,200 meter/two-mile distance (probably no slower than low-11:20's). Yea, that was definitely another negative-split race, having been on pace for an 11:34 time in the 3,200 meter distance at the 1,600 meter mark (which I crossed in about 5:47). I was really impressed and happy to have been able to have paced myself strongly in these races towards the end of a week that had quite a few races!

Thank you for you for reading and following up on my efforts at the all-comer's meet in Anne Arundel County! Have a great day everyone!!!!!

Running Events I have done this year as of Sunday, July 15, 2007

Maryland

Allegany County

- Queen City Striders Junior Striders Cross Country meet (1 mile and 2 mile) – Tuesday evening, June 19, 2007 – Paris N. Glendenning Park/Frostburg

- One mile race – 2nd overall – 5:51

- Two mile race – 7th overall – 12:37

Anne Arundel County

– Governor’s “Non-Bay Bridge” Run (2.93 miles) – Sunday, May 6, 2007 - Sandy Point State Park/Annapolis – 8th overall (1st in 20-24-year-old age group) – 18:09 (clock), 18:07 (my watch)

– Metro Harriers’ fourth summer track and field all-comers meet – Thursday, July 19, 2007 – North County High School, Ferndale/Glen Burnie, MD

– 1,500 meters – 1st overall – 4:42

– 800 meters – 2nd overall – 2:21

– 3,000 meters – 2nd overall – 10:41

Baltimore City

- Survivor Harbor 7-mile/3-mile – Sunday, June 10, 2007 – Baltimore City – 2nd overall (3-mile run) – 17:56 (clock), 17:53 (watch)

Baltimore County

– Patapsco State Park Avalon area trail race (a little over 6 miles) – Sunday, May 13th, 2007 – Near University of Maryland-Baltimore County/Arbutus area – 18th overall – 58:03

– PopPop and Pinhead Trail Scramble (about 5-6 miles) – Saturday, June 9, 2007 - Perry Hall/Gunpowder Falls State Park area – 5th overall - 52:14

Calvert County – Nothing yet

Caroline County

- Adkins Arboretum Arbor Day Fun Run (10K) – Saturday, April 21st, 2007 – Ridgley – 1st overall – 37:59 PR (Personal Record/best time in that distance!!!!! :)

Carroll County

- Westminster Road Runners Club (W.R.R.C.) Predicted Time Four-Miler – Saturday, March 10, 2007 – Westminster/Bachman Valley area – 2nd person in, 14th closest to predicted time – 25:34 (my predicted time was 27:00, I was 1:26 fast, whoops J-)

- Andy Hayes Memorial 5K Run – Saturday, April 7, 2007 – Westminster/near Farm Museum – 2nd overall – 18:47

Cecil County

- Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area (N.M.R.A.) Fools Frolic 22K (I ran the much shorter 5-6 mile route) – Sunday, April 1, 2007 – Fair Hill/Elkton – First person in, but it was not much of a race, just pretty much me and another gentleman chillin’ and chattin’ our way through – 1 hour, 21 minutes, 55 seconds

- Run4Fun 5K Run/Walk – Sunday, June 3, 2007 – Elkton – 5th overall (1st in 20-29 year-old age group) – 19:29

Charles County

- Civista Health Services Run for Wellness 5K – Sunday, May 20, 2007 – LaPlata – 5th overall (1st in male 20-29 age group) – 19:14 (clock), 19:08 (chip)

Dorchester County

- Dorchester Family YMCA Healthy Kid’s Day Fun Run (1.9 miles, mainly flat cross country) – Saturday, April 14, 2007 - Cambridge – 1st overall – 10:54 (ran negative splits too :)

Frederick County

- 11th Annual Frederick Steeplechasers Run for the Pie 10K – Saturday, July 14, 2007 – Frederick 4th overall (1st in the 20-24 age group) – 42:39

Garrett County

- 1st Annual Grantsville Days 5K – Saturday, June 23, 2007 – Grantsville – 8th overall (3rd in male 20-29 age group division) – 18:37 (clock), 18:36 (watch)

Harford County

- 2nd annual Eden Mill 5-Miler (4.8 miles approximately) – Sunday, July 1, 2007 – Eden Mill Park, Pylesville – 2nd overall – 30:37 (clock), 30:35 (watch)

Howard County

- Howard County Striders (H.C.S.) Weekly Winter Series (a.k.a. “Operation Iceberg”) # 3: Atholton High School 5 Kilometer – Sunday, January 21, 2007 – Columbia – 15th overall – 19:43

- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #4: Thunder Hill Elementary School 2miles – Sunday, January 28, 2007 - Columbia - 30th overall - 20:17

- Penguin Pace 5K – Sunday, February 4, 2007 – Columbia – 8th overall (1st in 20-29 age group) – 18:43.86

- H.C.S. “Operation Iceberg” #6: Thunder Hill Elementary School 2 miles – Sunday, February 18, 2007 – Columbia – 2nd overall – 11:52 (my best time on that course :)

- Outback’s 5K for the YMCA – Sunday, March 11, 2007 – Ellicott City – 9th overall – 18:01.05 (clock), 17:59/18:00 (my watch – my best time on that course :)

- H.C.S. Spring Series Race (“Vernal Velocity) #1: Burleigh Manor Middle School 2 miles – Sunday, April 1, 2007 - Ellicott City/Columbia area – 2nd overall – 10:51 (best time on the course :)

- Inaugural Musical Madness 5K – Saturday, May 12, 2007 – Maple Lawn/Fulton/Scaggsville – 7th overall (1st in 20-29 age group category) – 18:48.71

- Damien F. Massella Run for Recovery 5K – Sunday, June 24, 2007 – Columbia – 52nd overall – 19:58.12 (clock), 19:55 (watch)

- Centennial Fun Run (one mile)#3 – Tuesday, July 10, 2007 – Ellicott City area – 1st overall – 5:11 (tied my second-best time on the course :)

- Centennial Fun Run (one mile)#4 – Tuesday, July 17, 2007 – Ellicott City area – 12th overall – 5:44

- H.C.S. Summer Series Race (“Summer Sizzler”) #3: Burleigh Manor Middle School 2 miles – Wednesday, July 18, 2007 – Ellicott City/Columbia area – 1st overall – 11:02

Kent County

- 31st Annual Chestertown Tea Party Distance Classic (10 miler) – Saturday, May 26, 2007 – Chestertown – 31st overall (2nd in 20-24 age group) – 1:15:01 (clock), 1:14:57 (watch)

Montgomery County

- Gaithersburg Firebirds Track one mile race – Thursday, April 12, 2007 – Gaithersburg – 3rd overall – 5:04.88

Prince George’s (P.G.) County – Nothing yet

Queen Anne’s County

- Shore Christian Fellowship Church’s Inaugural Race to Impact (10K) – Saturday, March 24th, 2007 – Chester/Kent Narrows/Kent Island (it was all on the shaded Cross Island Trail) – 1st overall – 38:51

Somerset County

- 2nd Annual McCready Health Services Foundation’ss Founder’s Day 8K Run & 2-mile walk (8K) – Saturday, May 5, 2007 (El Cinco de Mayo) – Crisfield – 1st overall – 31:58 (ran faster there this year than last year :)

Saint Mary’s County

- National Trails Day 5K (it was a little more than that, probably closer to 3.5 miles) – Saturday, June 2, 2007. – Historic St. Mary’s City area – 1st overall – 21:38

Talbot County

- Oxford Day 10K – Saturday, April 28, 2007 – Oxford – 1st overall – 38:35 (big improvement over last year’s 42:04 here, and a well-paced race on a relatively short amount of sleep :)

Washington County

- Tom Ausherman Memorial Series #1 (2-mile/1-mile) – Tuesday, June 5, 2007 – Hagerstown – 6th overall(2-mile race) – 11:36

Wicomico County

- Salisbury University Track & Field’s Seagull Home Opener Meet – Saturday, March 3, 2007 – Salisbury

- 1,500 meter run – 7th overall – 4:48.7

- 800 meter run - 2nd overall – 2:12.5

- 4X400 meter relay (alumni team) – 4th overall (1st alumni team) – 4:01.5

- 4th Annual Tim Kennard 5 mile River Run and 3 mile walk – Sunday, March 4, 2007 – Salisbury – 14th overall (3rd in the 20-24 age group division) – 31:25 (clock), 31:14 (chip – Nice performance for me that surpassed my expectations, especially after running three track races less than twenty-four hours ago :)

Worcester County

- Francis Scott Key Family Resort “Dash and Splash” Run/Walk Series 5K Race#3 at Stephen Decatur High School (on the track) – Saturday, June 30, 2007 – Berlin – 1st overall/only finisher – 18:52 (clock), 18:50 (watch) – Finished out the Maryland Eastern Shore portion of my endeavor with this event :)

Events outside of Maryland

California

San Diego County

- 30th Annual Scripp’s Ranch Old Pros Run and Bike 10K and 2-mile Fun Run (10K) – Wednesday, July 4, 2007 – Scripp’s Ranch neighborhood, San Diego – 73rd overall-39:08 (clock), 39:05/39:06 (chip)

Delaware

Kent County

- March Moonlight Madness 5K – Thursday, March 1, 2007 – Wyoming – 2nd overall (1st in male 20-29 age group division) – 18:28

District of Columbia – Washington

- Hugh Jascourt Memorial Four Miler – Thursday evening, June 21, 2007 – Northwest Washington D.C./C&O Towpath area – 17th overall – 26:04 (clock), 26:01 (watch)