Hi there, believe it or not I did my third race in a row on this Labor Day weekend today (Monday, September 3). I made it to and through the 4th Annual Eldersburg Labor Day Rogue Race in Carroll County, Maryland. The race was fairly hilly, but it probably could have been tougher. It started and ended at Liberty High School, and the course went through some neighborhoods throughout Eldersburg. I went through the first mile in about 6:12, I think I hit two miles in about 12:50 (I am not totally sure, as I thought that I saw at least two number "2" markings along the street shortly after goin' by a course marshal sayin' that the two-mile mark was comin' up). I picked it up fairly strongly, considering I had to go up that steep hill on Caren Drive (I think that was what the street's name was called) towrads the end, but when I got near the top of that hill, I was pleasantly surprised to feel that I still had a lot in me and I took off, and I had a really strong finish and ran 19:35 to finish seventh overall and first in my age-group division :)
I ran faster than the 19:59 I ran last year (they had me at around like 20:02 on the clock, but on my watch I hit about 19:59, since I had started a good ways back in the pack and it had taken me a few seconds I'm sure to actually reach the starting line before I started my watch). I ran on this course on Monday, May 27, 2006 for the Carroll County Parkinson's Run 5K (I'm pretty sure it's the exact same course), and I hit about 19:12 (19:13 on their clock), so I do not think I ran my best time on the course, but for the EVENT I did. I am really happy that I did not cramp up or hurt as much as I did a coupla days ago on Saturday during the Mike Sterling 10K in Somerset County, Maryland (it was part of the 60th Annual National Hard Crab Derby held in Crisfield). I'm feeling a little bit more encouraged about my running now. Even though just a couple of weeks ago, I would not have thought a 19:35 in a 5K anything to get excited about, but after my expereinces these past couple of weeks I will take it and go from there.
I hope to get up really early tomorrow and run for maybe about three-to-three-and-a-half miles really easy, then take a couple of days off and then do some more running on Thursday and Friday, take Saturday off, and then run the Police Pace 5K at Centennial Park in Howard County, Maryland on Sunday, September 9. I ran that race last year for the first time and got an 18:23. I do not think that where I am at now I can match that time, but God may have other plans and we'll see. I hope to have a good race, the Howard County Striders do a great job when they help put it on.
I'm gonna clean up and relax a bit more. This Labor Day Weekend has been a bit more laborious in the three events I have done, but I'm hoping it made me stronger and I have had some fun times. As a result of running the Larry Noel Greenbelt 15K last night in Prince George's County, Calvert County remains the only Maryland county I have left to run a running event in this year. I am so close and getting really excited.
Thank you al once again for your continued support and I wish you all an enjoyable Labor Day :)
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