"Maryland Run:Running & racing in each MD County!"

Monday, August 13, 2007

Another Montgomery County, Maryland Race!

Well I made it to the Comus Cross Country 5K Run in the Comus/Dickerson area of Maryland in plenty of time (there were no traffic problems at all comin' from Rock Hall). In fact, I think I was the first participant there (if not one of the first). I think I arrived a little after 4 P.M. 'cause I wasn't sure if the race started at 5 or 6 (on the internet I saw it said that it started at two different times, so I assumed 5 to be safe).
I got in a short little warmup, since I ran yesterday and earlier in the day in Kent County when I went to visit Rock Hall, Maryland.
I did not intend to run this too fast. I wanted to tempo it and hopefully get it a little ways under twenty minutes. I was hopin' to go through the first mile maybe around around 6:40, do the second in around 6:20, then do the third in about 6:00 or a little ways under, and then finish up the last .1 miles or so of the 5K race strongly. However, I did not see any mile markers so I just sorta went by feel and felt like I picked it up steadily throughout. Since there were quite a few trails with rocks and roots, I had to be careful and of course, my apprehension about running hard through that kind of terrain slowed me down a little bit, but perhaps it served me well to keep my pace in check.
The first female finisher was really fast and she was running around me most of the time. She unfortunately fell a time or two around the trails, but was really hardcore about it and got right back up. I think the only reason I did not do the same was because I slowed up a good deal when I got into the trails. After the last narrow trail, I looked at my watch and it read about 16:38 and I had a feeling it was pretty much all fields and roling hills from here, so I picked up the pace and since I had slowed up in some parts, I had a kick that lasted almost four minutes it seemed. I finished tenth overall and fortunately first in my age group division with a time of about 20:29. It was my slowest 5K time of the year where I felt like I was actually putting effort into it, but it seemed like a lotta runners there ran slower times than usual just because of the course. I still enjoyed the experience, I was glad I got to run in three cross country races this weekend.
One really nice thing was that they had a Good Humor truck pull up at the beginning of the race and they gave out free ice creams and snow cones to the participants after the race! YUMMY!

Later on that evening, I met up with my friend, Aaron, in the Olney area of Montgomery County and chilled at Starbucks (and it was chilly in there, being in my sweaty running clothes and all)! Afterwards, we met up with a couple of his friends and went to a local theater to watch "Rush Hour 3" (what a trend this weekend, a race, then a movie, haha)! I thought this moive was the most funny of the three and I liked the intensity of it. Although I don't remember much about the previous two, I'll venture to say that this one hangs with 'em pretty well. After the movie I drove back home to Columbia (I felt like I drove a significant loop aaround a good portion of Maryland today) and crashed after a nice shower...

...But my goodness, I certainly crashed with satisfaction of a full-weekend of good, pretty much injury-free running and fun times :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Monday, August 13, 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 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

- 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

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

- Comus Cross Country 5K – Sunday, August 12, 2007 – Comus/Dickerson – 10th overall (1st in age group division) – 20:29

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

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

- 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)

My visit to the Rock Hall Tricentennial Celebration, Sunday, August 12, 2007

Sunday morning I was really pleasantly surprised that I had off work on Sunday, so I was able to make it to an early mornin' church service that mornin' and then take a ride onto the Maryland Eastern Shore in Kent County to go to Rock Hall for it's 300th birthday weekend celebration. I like that relatively small well-shaded bayside town and I thought it would be cool to make a special trip to check it out during an historical time since I had the extra time. I tried to get a coupla my friends to road trip over there with me, but they had other things goin' on andso I ended up goin' by myself, which was fine, because it was still enjoyable and I got some nice photos.
I got there, checked out a few little touristy shops that were really nice (especially the Durding's shop, they sell nice ice cream)! I also went for a little jog/run for the better part of a half hour with my camera, wallet, and a little map of the town. I felt good, it served as a relaxing cooldown from yesterday's cross country races at Oakland Mills High School in Columbia (Howard County), Maryland and a steady warmup for the relatively low-key Comus Cross Country 5K I hoped to do in Montgomery County, Maryland later that evening.
I pretty much went along the Bayside Avenue (I think that's what the street is called), and took some nice photos of the bay, boats, and the bulkhead where the crabfest was supposed to take place later that afternoon. I bought a tricentennial hat and t-shirt too! I ran all the way down to where Highway 20 ends at the Gratitude Marina (it's the photo in the far upper right, and the one in the upper left is a picutre of some of Rock Hall from the Marina with Highway 20 headin' outta Rock Hall). Afterwards I got an ice cream cup from Durding's and then went to Java Rock across the street for a breakfast sandwich and some water (I hadn't had much to eat earlier on and I knew that if I wanted to run decently this evening it would be wise to be well-fed). I had wanted to stop in the Harbor Shack for a sandwich, a nice bayside bar and restaurant near the Gratitude Marina, but I did not want to wait a while so that I would have enough time to get to Comus/Dickerson, Maryland in time for the race in case there was a lotta traffic on the Bay Bridge and Beltway near Washington D.C.

I am really glad I got fit this in. To my recollection, I've only been to Rock Hall once before, and that was earlier this year a few days before my birthday, on Sunday, April 22, comin' back from stayin' with a friend in Salisbury (Wicomico County), Maryland. When I went the first time I had gone for a run through the residential streets and took a few photos too. It's a great, speedy way to get through the relatively smaller town and see a lotta different things, but next time I hope to spend more time there and maybe just chill instead of run through town, we'll see. I do like running around that area, my second experience being a little better than the first, but maybe next time I'll behave more like a "normal tourist", hahaha!

Oakland Mills High School PRE-Season Cross Country Races (5k & 3K)

Saturday morning, August 11, 2007 saw one of my better cross country 5K races this year so far. I wanted to run at least under 19:30 at the Oakland Mills High School Cross Country course for the PRE-Season Cross Country Races, because my best time on that course from 2005 was 19:36, and I ended up taking that down my over forty seconds! I felt really strong and pretty much ran the way I wanted too. I really wanted to go out conservatively, because I knew the hilly switchbacks near the beginning that really hurt me last time would be near the end as well, and that if I was to go hard and gain ground throughout the race, it would probably be a good idea to focus on the middle of the race. I think I wanted to go out at about 6:20 the first mile or something like that, but I went through the first mile in about 6:31, and I was huffin' a little bit, but I knew if I wanted to break 19:30, I would have to pick it up and I knew I had the energy and strength to do so. Since the course was pretty much flat aside from the switchbacks and a few other minor hills, I was able to build into the second mile and go trhough two miles in 12:29 (now at 6:14-per-mile pace, something that would get me in the low 19:20's or maybe just under 19:20 if I kept it up). With that sorta math in mind, I continued to try and push it through the last mile and really surprised myself that I was able to keep up with the people in front of me and catch up to new packs of runners.
When I reached the switchbacks near the end of the course, I did not hurt that much, in fact my legs did not lose feeling like they would by this point of a 5K race. I think I'm finally getting over that stuff. I think it helped that there was a small pack of runners in front of me and that motivated me to keep pushin', and some motivation that was, because my third mile ended up being the fastest and I ended up breaking nineteen minutes with a time of 18:53, by far my best time on the course! I was definitely pleased and I finished eleventh overall.

Soon after, I ran the 3-kilometer race which hardly had any hills and they cut out all those switchbacks on the hill behind the Oakland Mills High School campus. I ran that one more easily, sort of like a cooldown and ran a 15:12 (I didn't catch my splits). I finished fifth overall in this one and like all the other participants, received a free bag of gummy bears as a prize for participating (one of the reasons I decided to run this race as well :)-

I was grateful that I felt strong on both of these races, even though I was chillin' on the 3K. After the cross country races, I met up with a coupla friends at the Mall in Columbia and saw the new Adam Sandler movie, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry", a pretty funny movie and I thought it was one of Sandler's more humorous flicks. Afterwards we ate a nice lunch at the Uno Chicago Grill by the mall.

Later that evening I went into Baltimore City, Maryland and over to the Lodge Bar in the Power Plant Live area by the Baltimore Inner Harbor for my five year high school reunion (the photo of the city at night in the upper left is a view of Baltimore City from like the fourth level of the parking garage). It was just a really great time. I had not seen some of those folks at least since graduating Hammond High School on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 and we had a lot to catch up on. My only issue was that later on in the night, the place got so crowded and noisy, but on top of that, they had to blare the music, so everytime I tried to talk to someone, I had to strain my already fairly sore vocal chords and practically yell into someone's ear. Needless to say, those crowded lodges and bars typically ain't my scene, but it was definitely worth it to see people I had not seen in a while, and I mentioned my state-wide running endeavor to several of them and they seemed happy for me and supportive of it, so that was really cool. I'm glad I went and hopefully I can make it to future ones!

I was certainly pleased to have gotten so much into last Saturday!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

What a Fun Weekend :)

Hey guys, I'm up late 'cause I've done a lotta fun things. I ran that PRE-Season cross country races (or races I should say) at Oakland Mills High School in Columbia (Howard County), Maryland, and I ran the 5K really well and did the 3K as a cooldown. In addition, I found out I had Sunday off of work, so I ended up running another cross country 5K race in in the Comus/Dickerson area of Montgomery County, Maryland, the Comus Cross Country 5K. I did all right in that one I guess.
I had a nice time at my five-year high school reunion in Baltimore City, Maryland and I even made it to Rock Hall (Kent County), Maryland on Sunday for the Tricentennial celebration this weekend to celebrate Rock Hall's founding back in 1707. Plus, I still got to go to church on Sunday mornin' and see my friends in addition to a coupla flicks over the course of the weekend. I'll just put it this way, I did everythign I hoped to do this weekend and more, and I hope to tell you all more details (hopefully with some photos) in the near future.
For now, have a good niht and I hope that everyone had a great weekend and has an equally pleasant week :)

Note: Pictured above is the start of the PRE-Season 5K race behind Oakland Mills High School, a photo courtesy of the Howard County Striders (http://www.striders.net/photos/v/2007/prexc/mf_DSC_0639.JPG.html)

Friday, August 10, 2007

Upcoming Five-Year Reunion/Happy 300th Rock Hall, Maryland!

Hey you all, just a head's up. I am probably going to be really busy this weekend so I will not have much time to update this blog. I'm still hoping to run that cross country 5K (and possibly the 3K as well) tomorrow morning at Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, MD. After that I'm probably going to try and meet some friends for a movie and then lunch. Then after that, I have my five-year high school reunion in Baltimore City for Hammond High School (GO BEARS)!!!! I would not be surprised to be up until the wee hours of the mornin' on Sunday. Fortunately there are a coupla Sunday races in Maryland in the evening if I was feelin' ambitious to get another race in this comin' weekend and if I did not have to work on Sunday evening (I usually tend to work weekend afternooons and evenings, which works out 'cause a lotta the races and events take place in the morning).
On top of all that, I may try to hit up the Howard County Fair in West Friendship for a bit this evening after I get off work. And then, from today through Sunday, Rock Hall (Kent County), Maryland is celebrating it's tricentennial anniversary. It was founded in 1707 and they are doing various things to celebrate for it, like havin' a parade or a crab feast on Sunday afternoon into the evening. I may try to make that if I end up with a lot of extra time this weekend on one of the days. I've been there once, went for a little run through the shaded bayside town (plus the Rock Hall Flat Five foot race has been goin' on there for a while around the Fourth of July) and I really liked it. It has a nice little beach there too right across the street from cozy houses. I may just check it out and if any one is interested in any of the festivities, check out: http://www.rockhallmd.com/300/index.htm
It should have all of the info on the 300th celebration.

It's one of those places on the Maryland Eastern Shore where I can find a good deal of seclusion, and at the very least, distance from all the busy things going on on the home front. It's nice to know that places like that exist where I go and I feel like I'm on vacation, if only for an hour or two, haha. I dunno if I can make it there, I don't wanna go that bad, but it's something I'll definitely consider if I have a lot of extra time and I'll probably try to follow through on it if people end up wanting to go with me too.

Who knows, I may just do a nice run there again if I happen to amke it and have the extra time.

Anyway, thank you for reading. I apologize I probably won't have much time to post that much about this weekend, but I'm hopin' by the beginning of next week I can probably get most of it on here. I hope that all of you have a great weekend and enjoy whatever you end up doing!

Happy 300th Birthday Rock Hall, Maryland and happy early Five-Year Reunion Hammond High School graduating class of 2002 :)

Running Events I have done this year as of Friday, August 10, 2007