Well, I am less than a week away of HOPEFULLY completing my goal of running at least one running event in all of the Maryland counties (including one in Baltimore City too). This Saturday's (the 15th's) 12th Annual North Beach 5K in North Beach (Calvert County), MD may just be the very race that helps me finish out this goal that I set earlier this year.
And wow, even though I thought of this on the evening of Saturday, March 24 and really made a commitment to follow through on this on Sunday evening, April 1 of this year, it seems like these past five months have been so much longer! Going all over Maryland constantly and occasionally even out of the state to do races really seems to have made this year full of incredible experiences as far as running, meeting new people, and getting to explore new areas. In case I end up moving out of Maryland sometime, be it soon in the future or further into the future, I feel good that this has helped me get a lot out of the running and road racing scene(s) throughout Maryland, where I was born and raised. Heck, I'd say it has helped me get a lot out of Maryland in general!
I am just grateful for these blogs and the journal entries I had been working on (which I hope to continue), because they help me to really milk this experience and to share it with others too!
In these last weeks of this endeavor, I definitely find myself thinking back to all the people I have met over the year and the places I have been to do the races and such. I remember my experiences as a substitute teacher in the Howard County Public School System where I subbed in a lot of different middle and high schools, and then spent almost two months at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Maryland as a long-term substitute student assistant. That was a great experience, and it was during that time that I steadily gained a lot of ground by going in different areas of the state to run races in counties I had not yet run in. I worked with an academic life skills (A.L.S.)/special education group during my time at Wilde Lake, and I remember many of the sutdents I worked with. I had some fun times with them and the staff, and I spent a lotta time there daydreaming about making progress on this goal, never realizing I would get to this point so soon a few months later. I had also spent a lot of time worrying about how I would fit in time to make it out to all the different counties (especially the ones on the Maryland Eastern Shore) with working as a substitute student assistant and working at Safeway on some weekday evenings and weekends, not to mention priorities with family and friends too! It was also around then that I started up this blog. Yet, I still look back to those days with fondness. While not many of the people I worked with knew what I was doing (because at the time I was more low-key about it), they were inspring to me. I especially enjoy the memories of all the students I worked with too. I'm sure it helped keep me in humorous spirits when I had a lot on my mind. I hope some of those students may still remember "Mr. Wood".
There was also the times I spent in San Diego, California during the week of the Fourth of July this summer. It was great to see some of my relatives and hang out with my cousins and friends. It was definitely a fun privilege to run in the 30th Annual Scripps Ranch Old Pros 10K Run on the Fourth of July. When I told my relatives out there what I had been doing with my running in different running events throughout the different counties of Maryland, they seemed pretty enthusiastic and supportive of it, and I am grateful for that!
Well being in such a mood as to dwell on the past, I went to visit my first grade teacher today. My family and I still keep in touch with her since she lives fairly close by. It had been over a year I think since I visisted her and I wanted to tell her everything that has been going on, with my new job at the Homewood Center as a paraeducator and of course with this running endeavor. When I told her about everything she seemed pleased. I told her about what I have been trying to do in all of the counties of Maryland this year and she was like "go for it." I told her that Calvert County, Maryland was the only MD county I had not run in yet this year. She told me "not to back down. Even as a little kid, I would not back down from things like that." That definitely meant a lot, because I was not exactly "star student" in elementary school. In fact, back then, I am sure I had quite a few struggles. I remember in first grade goin' to the health room for stomach aches, making fun of others, others makin' fun of me, causing and getting into trouble quite a bit in class with my friend James and probably others... But I am grateful that she still thinks I was a great student and I am glad that the Good Lord blessed me with solid discipline and direction to have gotten this far. I told her hopefully I would finish this endeavor, that things would work out, and she told me something like "you'll get it done. You always got everything done!"
I remember first grade was whre I really learned how to add and she was kinda ticked at my first big addition homework assignment, where I had pretty much gotten them all wrong. Man, I really struggled with adding, and then subtracting, and pretty much math in general. In fact, I majored in English in college and still have my mathematical struggles, haha!
Yet, those were some of my earliest memories of what it meant to work hard, what it meant to struggle, and to appreciate a concept understood and the simplicity of a challenge tackled...
... And now I am on the verge of HOPEFULLY finishing up one of the largest quests and journeys of my life so far with running in a running event in every county of Maryland within the year 2007! Oh yea!
Needless to say, it was definitely a blessing and an inspiration to finally talk with my first grade teacher about this, the one who was there to help me in my struggles to add, read (surprisingly I caught on to that real quickly), and to fit in. First grade was one of my more memorable years of school and life, and she was a big part of it. So I am thankful for her and for her encouragement on this endeavor!!!! I can not believe it is almost over, I am nervous and psyched about it. Some may say see the North Beach 5K as just another 5K race (apparently from what I heard, it's a relatively small one and it seems that perhaps not too many people have heard of it), but it's really gonna help me complete my Maryland state-wide running quest. Gosh, I hope things work out, that I stay healthy and injury-free, and that I run a strong race. God has helped me this far, I know He has good things planned!
Also, I hope everyone has a safe evening, it being September 11th and everything. Please take it easy and God bless you all!
"Don't back down! Even as a little kid, you never backed down!" - My first grade teacher
Running Events I have done this year as of Tuesday, September 11, 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
– John Wall Memorial Track Run (One mile) – Saturday, July 21, 2007 – Broadneck Senior High School track, Annapolis – 6th overall (1st in 20-29 year-old age group) – 4:53
– Dog Days 8K Cross Country Run – Sunday, August 5, 2007 – Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold – 13th overall (3rd in 20-29 year age group) – 32:18 (clock), 32:17 (watch)
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 :)-
- Andy Hayes Memorial 5K Run – Saturday, April 7, 2007 – Westminster/near Farm Museum – 2nd overall – 18:47
- Inaugural River Valley Run 5K – Saturday, August 25, 2007 – River Valley Ranch, Manchester – 5th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 19:15 (clock), 19:13 (watch)
- 4th Annual Eldersburg Labor Day 5K Rogue Race – Monday, September 3, 2007 – Eldersburg – 7th overall (1st in 20-29 age group division) – 19:35.0
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
- PRE – Season Cross Country Races – Saturday, August 11, 2007 – Oakland Mills High School, Columbia
- 5K – 11th overall – 18:53 (best time on the course :)
- 3K – 5th overall – 15:12
- Emerson Community Fun Run (one mile) #6 – Tuesday, August 14, 2007 – North Laurel – 1st overall – 5:27 – Hit the fifty-races-per-year mark with this for the fifty-plus club :
- Emerson Community Fun Run (one mile) # 7 – Tuesday, August 21, 2007 – North Laurel – 1st overall – 5:26 (my best time on the course :)
- H.C.S. Summer Series (“Summer Sizzler”) #7: Burleigh Manor Middle School 5 miles – Wednesday, August 22, 2007 – Ellicott City/Columbia area – 3rd overall – 32:33
- 16th Annual Police Pace 5K – Sunday, September 9, 2007 – Columbia/Ellicott City area – 16th overall – 18:37.69
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
- 49th Annual Larry Noel Greenbelt 15K and 3K (15K) – Sunday, September 2, 2007 – Greenbelt - 13th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group division) – 1:06:50
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’s Founder’s Day 8K Run & 2-mile walk – Saturday, May 5, 2007 (El Cinco de Mayo) – Crisfield – 1st overall(8K) – 31:58 (ran faster there this year than last year :)
- 60th Annual National Hard Crab Derby, 28th Annual Mike Sterling 10K – Saturday, September 1, 2007 – Crisfield – 4th overall (2nd in 20-29 age group) – 41:48
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. – 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 :)
- 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
New Castle County
- 2nd Annual Wilmington Games 5K – Wednesday, July 25, 2007 – Wilmington – 5th overall (2nd in 19-29 age group division) – 19:35 (clock), 18:35 (watch-probably would have been low-to-mid 19’s since I accidentally missed a turn and cut the course a bit short near the end)
Sussex County
- 25th Annual Y.M.C.A. 5-Mile Run/Walk – Sunday, July 29, 2007 – Deauville/Rehoboth Beach area – 13th overall (1st in 20-29 age group division) – 31:59 (clock), 31:57 (watch) – Completing this race, I have run in all three Delaware counties this year!!!!!!!!! :)
- Seven Sisters, Four Brothers 6th Annual Venus on the Half Shell 5K – Saturday, August 4, 2007 – Dewey Beach – 9th overall (2nd in 20-24 age group division) – 18:36 (clock), 18:35 (watch)
District of Columbia – Washington
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