In the loopy world of blogs, this is the first post you'll see. For us, it's the last.

From the time this blog launched with several contributors, it has always been in a bit of a gerrymandered space between the sports and health worlds, with some transportation and food thrown in.

We've lost some voices in the year since then, so it's with some relief that those of us still active move to Picture of Health this month. We hope you'll come with us so we won't have to miss you.

It's been fun. Thanks for all the comments!

Photo credit: Getty Images

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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I’m not sure I’ll get to run it this year, but either way, I’m incredibly excited about the expansion of the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K, which is coming up a week from today in Washington. (There are also editions of the race in several other cities, including Chicago and San Diego – here’s hoping for a Baltimore event next year.)

In celebration, here’s my favorite cocoa recipe.

My wife swears I showed her how to make this. I swear the opposite. I’m the one with the computer, so I win for now. Either way, it’s really good.

Renee Maynard’s hot cocoa

In medium saucepan, heat 3 Tbspn of water to boiling, then reduce so water is merely steaming.
Stir in 6-7 Tbspn of baking cocoa, forming a pudding-like mix.
Stir in 2-3 Tbspn of sugar.
Stir in 1 tspn cinnamon.
Stir in 1 tspn vanilla.
Keep stirring slowly and constantly. After mix becomes smooth, reduce heat further to avoid burning.
Add 4 cups of milk, with the first two cups being added a quarter-cup at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition to keep consistency even.

If it’s not verboten in your house, I’d recommend serving this with marshmallows: The cocoa is wonderfully bitter – note that I don’t call it “hot chocolate” since it’s almost sugarless – and while I love it that way, I imagine some people would welcome the extra sweetness marshmallows can add. I'm not a fan of crushed candy canes, but if that's your fancy, feel free to add those as well.

What other potential cocoa condiments am I forgetting? I know I’ve tried whipped cream before, with varying results.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Events, Outdoors, Running, Washington, Weekend
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We received some pretty nice shots from readers of the Baltimore Marathon / Baltimore Running Festival, and I'm happy to say that our social media team has another gallery started for this weekend's Komen Race for the Cure.

If you're going to Hunt Valley on Sunday, please consider adding yours via the instructions here. We'd love to see what you're up to, whether that's a shot from this week or a past Komen event.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, City of Baltimore, Outdoors, Running, Walking, Weekend
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While cleaning out my e-mail archives, I just found this link to a video about Harford County's Phil Anderson:

Marathon: The Phil Anderson Story from wherl on Vimeo.

This was sent to me by Anderson's nephew, Matt Downin.

Anderson is one of the people behind the HAT Run and the Survivor Run.

Along with some nice local details, this includes quite a bit of useful information about strokes and their cousins, transient ischemic attacks. One of the takeaways: Just because you run doesn't mean you shouldn't get a carotid artery check once in awhile. Even marathoners can find themselves susceptible to strokes and heart attacks.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running, Walking
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From the running festival on FB (via Liz Kay):

Baltimore Running Festival

Following up on the runner tracking issues: for the people who did not receive tracking messages but signed up, did any of you do it before 4AM on Saturday, Oct. 15th? Apparently 328 registered after 4AM Saturday and their information never got into our vendor's system.

FYI: we posted the tracking registration closed at 7AM on Saturday. Our vendor was supposed to shut down the website at that point, but did not. What the issue was between 4AM-6:59AM is still being investigated.

(Continues ...)

Continue reading "The Baltimore Marathon looks for a runner tracking fix" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Technology
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In case you missed it, Chris Kaltenbach has something interesting in today's print edition:

Picturesque little Darlington is a national historic district, home to an annual Apple Festival that attracts thousands and, come Saturday, a feasting ground for the undead.
"Run for Your Lives," a 5K run, with zombies, is coming to this tiny Harford County town. Oh, the horror.
"That's such a cool thing they're doing," says Heather Wheatley, a three-year resident of Darlington who sells soaps out of a newly opened apothecary shop across the river in Port Deposit. "We're gonna take these zombies just the way they are and accept them wholly."

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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Here are the top times from Maryland finishers in today's marathon:

More results can be found here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Many of the runners from the half and full marathon races have begun to merge near Patterson Park.

This is one aspect of the Baltimore race that I've always appreciated. Of the three round-trip marathon courses I've completed, Baltimore is the only one where the runners start separately and finish together, and the spectator energy this setup generates is amazing. There's no "no we're on our own" moment -- marathoners are surrounded by people through the entire course.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Kenyan Stephen Muange has barely pulled ahead of two competitors to win the 2011 Baltimore Marathon.

Muange battled fellow elites Ambesse Tolosa and Tesfaye Assefaudube until the very end of the race, with all three competitors finishing within seconds of each other -- a relatively unusual situation in a race that spans more than two hours.

Continue reading "Stephen Muange is Baltimore Marathon winner; Shurkhno repeats for women" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Recent winners, Running, Stride by Stride, Weekend
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With the 5K complete and the marathon underway, we were hoping to move to the next segment of our coverage around this time -- live video from the finish line area.

However, connection problems have made that impossible. Meanwhile, please keep checking the Baltimore Sun front page and marathon page for detailed coverage of today's events.

If you need a marathon video, try this instead. For other Baltimore Sun video, go here. Upload your photos here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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The first of five half marathon waves is about to start.

That may seem like quite an ordeal, but it's not as many waves as some races use. Surf City is said to have nine waves of starters, and many triathlons use multiple, small-scale starting groups to avoid water collisions.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Welcome to this morning's live coverage of the Baltimore Running Festival. The Baltimore Marathon is scheduled to start in just over an hour, at 8 a.m., with the wheelchair division starting slightly earlier.

As of Friday night, the MarylandWeather.com forecast for 8 a.m. included mostly clear conditions and a 55° F temperature.

Continue reading "Baltimore Marathon starts in an hour" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 6:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Just in time for this weekend's Baltimore Marathon, here's a story from England. Enjoy!

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

LONDON (AP) -- Rob Sloan boasted he'd completed an "unbelievably tough" marathon near Newcastle after crossing the finish line in third place with a personal-best time.

Apparently, he didn't count the bus ride.

Sloan dropped out 20 miles into the race, hitched a ride on a spectator shuttle bus and emerged from the woods near the finish line to make the podium.

After Sloan initially described as "laughable" claims he cheated in the Kielder Marathon on Sunday, the 31-year-old former army mechanic admitted his transgression following an investigation by organizers.

Continue reading "English club runner disqualified from marathon after taking bus to complete course" >>

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running
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Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Under Armour, Weekend, Weekly roundups
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On Saturday, I mentioned talking to to Wylie Belasik, who's on the national staff for Back on my Feet, a well-known group that provides services -- including running -- to homeless people. (Their Baltimore chapter is here.)

One of upcoming changes Belasik mentioned was an expansion to Atlanta, which is set to take place two months from today, on November 11.

While he said the organization's staff is excited about growth, they want to make sure that the cities where they locate get the most out of their services.

You can see BOMF blog posts about the Atlanta expansion here. One of those posts includes a nice map of some other expansion plans.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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Tribune staff

A 35-year-old Chicago Marathon runner collapsed 500 yards from finish line and died about two hours later, officials said.

The man, a firefighter from Greensboro, North Carolina was identified as William Caviness.

He collapsed near Roosevelt Road and Indiana Avenue where paramedics were able to determine he had a pulse, but he later died, officials said.

"Our hearts go out to his family," said Greensboro Dep. Fire Chief Clarence Hunter.

Authorities suspect Caviness suffered cardiac arrest, but the cause of death was pending autopsy results, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office. He was pronounced dead at 12:03 p.m. at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, officials said.

Continue reading "Man dies running Chicago Marathon" >>

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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Tomorrow, I'll be running the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, and I have to admit that I'm a bit scared of "accidental time banking," a problem that develops when a course is downhill at the start, then flat or uphill near the end.

I have long procrastinated on getting a GPS watch, and a friend kindly loaned me one in order to help me avoid this downhill problem, which is unique to point-to-point marathon courses.

As someone who has run the Baltimore Marathon, my generous loaner donor has plenty of experience with elevation changes: While the Baltimore course for next weekend's race is not in the same category as the old Maryland Marathon route (described as one of the most difficult marathon courses ever devised), one of the first things that usually comes up in discussions of Mobtown's fall race is the challenging topography.

(One counterexample: Last year's winner said he was "used to mountains," so this course suited him just fine.)

Continue reading "What's your grade preference?" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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From the AP: NEW YORK — Michael Phelps says he has started training earlier than at any time since 2007, before his record-setting Beijing Olympics. The 16-time medalist says "there's a lot more drive inside of me" after the motivation hasn't always been there the last three years. Phelps says he has been back in the pool for six weeks. He says he's confident he can get into peak shape to achieve his goals at his last Olympics in London next year. Phelps (above) was in Manhattan on Tuesday to run and swim with eight-time Winter Games medalist Apolo Anton Ohno, who's training for the New York City Marathon for shared sponsor Subway. Reuters photo

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running, Swimming
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Happy Monday. Here's what's been happening over the last couple days:

A new world record

Patrick Makau has taken the world marathon record down by 21 seconds.

Haile Gebrselassie lost the race against time on Sunday when Patrick Makau shattered his marathon world record and ended an era of two decades dominated by arguably the greatest distance runner in history.

His lungs seizing up and struggling for air after more than 27 kilometers (17 miles) of the Berlin Marathon, Gebrselassie finally quit shortly after kilometer 35.

By then, Makau was more than two minutes ahead — on his own and on the way to the German capital's landmark Brandenburg Gate and a new world record.

More >>

Continue reading "What happened over the weekend: Patrick Makau's record; Milwaukee's aspirations; Sinai race" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running, Weekend
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Joe Lawlor, who writes for one of our sister publications, has a nice piece up today on Run for the Dream coordinator Kelly Cannon.

The half marathon, which is held in the Williamsburg area, had 85 Maryland finishers (out of 2254 total) in its inaugural running this year.

Here's some of the interview:

Continue reading "Virginia's Run for the Dream coordinator aims to grow half marathon" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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Read the story here.

See pictures here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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Last year's female Baltimore Marathon champion, Ukrainian Olena Shurkhno, has verbally committed to run in the event this year, according to Dave Gell, a representative for the event.

"We have a verbal from our women's champion," Gell said yesterday. "It looks like she's going to be in the field. We're still in the paperwork process for all of [the elite returners]."

Event organizers are also hoping to bring back several elite men from previous years, though confirmations aren't available yet. Last year's male winner was David Rutoh or Kenya.

Elsewhere:

- Emmanuel Mutai and Martin Lel are now slated to run in the NYC Marathon.

- Haile Gebrselassie and Patrick Makau will be facing off in Berlin.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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To recap, the Annapolis 10-miler was canceled because of Irene, and organizers announced that the race would not be rescheduled this year but that the premiums would be mailed to registrants.

Sounds like the organizers were asked by some why they couldn't reschedule the race and why they weren't offering refunds (some people asked that same question here).

Race organizers have offered their explanation, which is more or less what I guessed -- the race fees have already been spent, so there's nothing to return. 

Here's what they sent out:

We thank the many runners who sent us supporting emails, expressing their disappointment and their understanding. Some of you included your ideas, which was thoughtful. Some of the suggestions were quite unique, like having the premiums re-stitched with “finisher” crossed out and “hurricane cancelled” put in its place.

A very, very small number of emails have not been so understanding. Two questions have been raised in a few of those emails. A few asked why the A-10 could not simply be re-scheduled. The fact is that there are no other weekends available to the Striders to hold the race as the Naval Academy Stadium calendar is booked through the winter and the City of Annapolis will not grant us permission for a different weekend as they have other major events.

We were also asked why a refund would not be given. The bulk of the money collected in advance of the race was used to purchase the premiums, secure permits, place down payments on equipment, and rent the Stadium. Many of these payments are not refundable to the club. In addition, our obligation to the Anne Arundel Medical Center and other charities will be met despite cancellation of the race. These financial commitments are the reason that the race was advertised as a "No Refund" event and we must stick to that policy. Along similar lines, a couple of emails question the receipt of a “t-shirt” in exchange for $65 (actually $60, the other $5 was an Active fee). Remember, the premium is NOT a t-shirt, but a high quality technical shirt with ½ zip opening and a zippered pocket. This item would have a retail price of about $60-70 if sold in a store (not including the cost of the logo stitching).

I am disappointed that the race was canceled (I really was looking forward to it, despite my complaints!) but I am happy that the organizers are mailing the premiums. It will be no easy task, I'm sure. 

 ---

Posted by Anica Butler at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Running
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When I heard this morning that Reese Witherspoon was hit Wednesday while running and USING A CROSSWALK in Santa Monica, I cringed. I am so glad to hear that she'll be OK, but it brought back all the rage I felt earlier this week when I saw a runner in a crosswalk almost get hit by a box truck that should have stopped.

From MSNBC, here's more info about Reese:

Witherspoon was jogging across an unmarked crosswalk on Georgina Avenue at 20th Street about 11 a.m. when she was hit by a vehicle driven by an 84-year-old woman, Sgt. Richard Lewis said in a statement. The vehicle was traveling south on 20th street.

The driver, who was not identified, was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, Lewis said.

I live in South Baltimore, and drive down Key Highway frequently. The crosswalk across Key Highway between the science center and Federal Hill seems to be an accident waiting to happen. Despite the bright crosswalk lines and a few signs, including one IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET that instructs drivers to STOP for pedestrians, I see people forced to dodge cars several days a week.

This crosswalk seems to mainly be used by runners and families with small children and I just really don't understand why cars refuse to stop. On Wednesday, I saw that a runner started to cross from the Harbor side toward Federal Hill when a car on Key Highway stopped to allow her to cross. As she crossed, a box truck came barreling down the second through lane, narrowly avoiding missing the runner, but splashing her with lots of water.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating - even when you have the right of way, always assume that cars don't see you. 

Anyone else have any tips for not getting hit? Or any close calls to share?

Posted by Anica Butler at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Running
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While former Broadneck High School standout Matthew Centrowitz Jr. gets a nod, LetsRun.com lists Silas Kiplagat and Asbel Kiprop as "definitely the favorites" in the world championship 1,500 final, which starts in just over an hour.

Centrowitz won his Thursday heat to make it to the final. Results for the race should be available here later today.

---

Update: Centrowitz placed third in the final with a time of 3:36:08. (Slightly) more coverage here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 6:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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Charles Coughlin, a decorated, retired graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who was initially honored for his bravery during the attacks of September 11, 2001, has been declared guilty of making a false claim and stealing public money, according the Associated Press.

Coughlin was tried three times before a guilty verdict was delivered, with the process starting very soon after the attacks themselves.

Continue reading "Severna Park marathoner guilty in case of false claims, theft" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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In case you haven't seen the Annapolis Striders website today, organizers have announced that they will NOT reschedule the race for a later date (the race was canceled due to Hurricane Irene). They will, however, try to get premiums out to all registered runners.

From their site:

Dear A10 Runner:
We regret that the 2011 Annapolis 10-Mile Run had to be called off due to “Irene”. Here is the latest information:
• After considering a number of possibilities, we have determined that the 2011 race cannot be rescheduled.
• We are currently working on a plan to mail the finishers premium to all registrants using the size and address information provided to us during registration.
We know how much you look forward to running in Annapolis and believe it or not how much our many
volunteers enjoy helping out. We hope to see all of you next year.

You can read my earlier post about the reasons for the race cancellation here. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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UPDATED AT 5:00 P.M.

I just got off the phone with one of the race directors, Charlie Muskin, and he reiterated that it was the city of Annapolis' decision, not the race directors, to cancel the Annapolis 10-miler. I also just heard from a spokeswoman for the City of Annapolis, who said the "difficult" call to cancel the race was "an unfortunate but needed decision."

Muskin said race organizers were prepared to go ahead with the race, and were waiting to make a final decision on Friday night or Saturday morning, until the decision was made for them, Muskin said. 

Rhonda Wardlaw, a spokeswoman for the City of Annapolis, said that as the mayor received more information about Irene's projected path, it became evident that the race, and another event scheduled to take place at City Dock, would have to be called off.

Wardlaw said that typically, a number of police and fire personnel work at the race, but that the city would need them "to be deployed to meet the need of any threat by Hurricane Irene." But the decision wasn't just about personnel, according to Wardlaw. "Most of all, it's public safety," she said.

The race committee is planning to meet Friday to decide whether the race will be -- or even can be -- rescheduled. They'll also be deciding what to do with the premiums in the event the race can't be run at a later date. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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Organizers of the Baltimore Running Festival this morning revealed an exciting change to this year's course - marathon runners will run through the Maryland Zoo.

The announcement, first made on the running festival's Facebook page, was made through a silly video:

The map of the full marathon route can be seen here.

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running
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Getty Images

UPDATE at 3:30 p.m. THE RACE HAS BEEN CANCELED

Annapolis Emergency Management has canceled the race. More details as they become available. 

Even as Hurricane Irene comes barreling toward the East Coast, the organizers of the Annapolis 10-Miler road race say they are planning to hold the race as scheduled.

From the Annapolis Striders website:

"First, the safety of our runners is our paramount concern. Usually this concern revolves around the heat, but this year it might be something different. We stress "might" as NOAA has a zero percent chance of hurricane winds in Annapolis, and only a 20% chance of tropical storm winds.

For the small hand full of people who have emailed us prophesizing "fallen trees & limbs, downed power lines, hard rain & flying debris, etc." our response is simple - where the storm will actually go is anyone's guess. On the outside chance that Irene comes up the Bay, both the Striders and the various Police Departments will cancel
the race. But none of us are going to make that call this early. We continue our planning, and are adding contingencies.

It is also highly unlikely that the race will, or even can, be rescheduled."

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Running
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Just spotted this from the Visit Baltimore website:

Book your Northeast Regional tickets August 23 – 25, 2011 for travel October 12 - 27, 2011 and get the lowest fares around. Travel between Baltimore, MD and New York City, NY for just $29. And go with comfortable seating, electrical outlets for laptops and other devices, and extra storage space for your luggage. 

I haven't clicked through to see how many tickets at this fare are still available, but the site does say tickets are limited and you must book by Thursday. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Where did the summer go? I just looked at the calendar and realized that the Annapolis 10-miler  is on THIS Sunday, Aug. 28th.

This is really bad news for me, because my last run, at 8 miles, was truly miserable. Quite possibly my worst. run. ever.  And I've heard the A-10 is HARD (this will be my first time).

Best of luck to everyone who is running the race this weekend. Hope your training is going better than mine!

Posted by Anica Butler at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Running
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With fall racing season fast approaching, I'm reminded it's time to think about what shoes we'll be racing in. Shoes that you are training in now, for example, likely won't get you across the finish line if you're training for the Baltimore Marathon or Baltimore Half, according to Jim Adams, owner of Falls Road Running Store.

I'd seen this online shoe-finder tool before on the Runner's World website, but it was highlighted on my of my favorite blogs, Lifehacker, today, so thought I'd share their post.

The RW Shoe Finder asks you to answer a series of questions, then recommends shoes based on your answers.

If you know your foot type and what type of shoe you need, it can be helpful to see what else is out there if you're looking for something new. If you're new to buying running shoes, this interactive could help you create a list of shoes you might want to try on once you get to the running store. (If you're a newbie, I highly recommend going to a running store whether or not you have a handy web tool.)

If you test this out, let me know what you think. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Let's talk about self-assurance.

Usain Bolt certainly does.

The famous Jamaican sprinter is not shy about his plans for the IAAF championships, which begin Saturday in Daegu, South Korea. From an interview this week with the Associated Press:

"I am always confident. I am unbeaten this year and aim to defend all my titles in Daegu," Bolt told The Associated Press in an email.

On top of his individual gold medals, he also helped Jamaica win titles in the sprint relays at Beijing and Berlin.

Anything less than nine gold medals from Beijing and two world championships would be a disappointment for him ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.

Continue reading "Does Bolt's bragging-to-success strategy work for you?" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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The USATF Junior Olympics (edit: not to be confused with the AAU version), which have been taking place this week in Wichita, wrap up today.

The most recent local staging of the championships was in 2006, when Morgan State hosted.

Continue reading "Junior Olympics wrap up today" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (here via AP/WSJ), The Families of Flight 93 Runners charity will take part in the New York City Marathon this year. Their run will raise funds for the national memorial commemorating the crash of a hijacked United Airlines plane in Somerset County. From today's article:

Three of the 24 people running for the charity also participated in the 2002 New York marathon. The charity is made up of relatives and close friends of the 40 passengers and crew who fought with terrorists to crash the plane into a field in Somerset County.

Read the whole article here.

Here's a 2008 video by The Baltimore Sun's Chris Assaf, documenting volunteers at the Shanksville crash site:

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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My boss showed me airfarewatchdog.com a few months ago, and I keep an eye on it now and then.

Continue reading "Pan-Atlantic marathon trip, anyone?" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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I haven't pulled together plans for the upcoming 3-day July 4th weekend, but for those of you who mark their calendars way ahead ... there's a Halloween-season 5K with a twist in the works.

Run for Your Lives promises a zombie-infested 5k in Darlington. There will also be 12 obstacles -- races with obstacles are increasingly popular -- as well as choices of routes. That means this race will require a little more than the ability to sprint away from zombies trying to get your flags. There's some strategy and navigation in here too.

Plans call for the other side of the finish line to have an "apocalypse party."

Behind the event are two Marylanders, promoters say. Ryan Hogan, managing member of Reed Street Productions LLC in Bel Air, owns warwear, the performance apparel & accessories company that has been a sponsor of other events. He approached Derrick Smith about creating an event that included obstacles. Smith added the zombies. And there you have it.

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 5:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Outdoors, Running
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Today's NCAA racing recap from the Eugene Register-Guard was wily, antagonistic and sneaky-like, as reporter Custis Anderson teased readers of his article with this lead:

DES MOINES, Iowa — One runner moved effortlessly into the final. Another saw his collegiate career come to a premature end.

That was the story for Oregon’s Matthew Centrowitz and A.J. Acosta on Thursday in the semifinals of the men’s 1,500 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium.

I'll break the suspense: Broadneck native Centrowitz is still in the competition for Saturday's NCAA 1500 championship.

Continue reading "NCAA track update" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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The Rails to Trails Conservancy sent out an e-mail blast to supporters this morning in hopes of giving Sen. Ben Cardin an earful from walkers, runners and cyclists.

Here's a piece of the missive:

Continue reading "Conservancy to Cardin: Don't defund us, bro" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bicycling, Outdoors, Politics, Running, Safety, Traffic, Walking, Washington
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 I am about to go on vacation again, but this time, I am definitely packing my running shoes.

Before a trip to Paris last month, I did a web search to see if I could find some good running routes.

I didn't (I did a bad search) and instead found a blog post ranting about how no one runs in Paris, and when the author tried, people were mean to her. I know, it makes no sense that I'd be swayed by one blog post, yet, I was. I left my running shoes at home.   (photo of Paris Marathon passing my hotel)

Turns out, my hotel was next to the the Jardin des Tuileries, and there were people running all over the city, and especially in the park, while I was there. Now, it was the weekend of the Paris Marathon, but research upon my return confirmed that running is a popular activity in Paris. When we finally checked with the concierge at the hotel we were staying in, I found out that Runners World had actually created a running map of Paris, which he gave us a copy of. I was so sad, I almost bought a pair of running shoes my last day there.

For this vacation, I'm heading to Greece and Istanbul. When I casually mentioned to a friend who's been to Istanbul that I planned to run while there, she looked at me like I was crazy, and told me that no one runs there. 

This time, Google results gave me a different story. According to a running magazine article I found, plenty of people do run, there are some well-established running routes, and Istanbul also has a marathon. I did read though, that I might want to run in pants instead of shorts.

But even before I did a web search, I'd decided to pack my gear no matter what I found. Even though running shoes take up a lot of room in my luggage, I think I'd rather have them with me and never unpack them, than not have them when I want them (the weather in Paris was so beautiful!).

I had such an amazing time running in Argentina last year. I can't imagine not taking the opportunity to run in a foreign land if it's an option. 

Anyone else have a running abroad story? Do you regularly pack your running shoes on vacation?  

Posted by Anica Butler at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Running
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This weekend I did the Warrior Dash in Mechanicsville, MD. I'd say it was both fun and challenging. The course was really hilly. Really hilly. For me, the worst obstacle was the very high rope ladder climb. I'm afraid of heights and so was the guy in front of me. He stopped at the very top, which meant I spent much longer at the top than I wanted to. The worst obstacles physically were the five walls. I had to hoist myself out of the mud and over the slippery walls and then drop into a watery pit. Five times. I highly recommend this for folks who are looking for a unique challenge and have a fun bunch of friends who are crazy enough to agree to do this. Here's a little video I put together:

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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Cars won't be the only thing racing during Baltimore's Grand Prix weekend. 

There will also be a 5k held the night before the car race, on the actual Grand Prix course.

Here's part of the press release about the 5k: 

The Baltimore Grand Prix and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield have
partnered to host the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield 5K Run on Friday, September 2, 2011. The 5K run will encompass the 2.0 mile Baltimore Grand Prix temporary street circuit course traveling through the heart of downtown Baltimore and start right after the race cars have left the track.

Posted by Anica Butler at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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For the past few summers, I've thought it would be fun (yes, fun!) to go to some group track sessions. 

But as a journalist, I keep unusual -- or at least late -- hours. So the speed/track sessions I've found around town don't work for me. I know of sessions at the Hopkins Track at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays, which is before I get off work, and the Pacemakers' 5:30 a.m. session on Wednesdays, which is just waaay too early for me to even consider being out of bed.

To get faster, I know I don't need a group. Or even a track. I've even got a recent Runner's World article that tells me how to do speedwork on my own, on a road or a trail. 

Now, I know this might sound weird, but I have found memories of Coach Scott - my cross country coach from high school - and the barf-inducing track sessions she tortured us with. Just the mention of the word "fartlek" gave me butterflies and made me wish I'd stayed home. But no matter how hard the workout, I was always happy afterward. Not just because it was over, but because I'd gotten through it. And each time, it got a little easier to stomach. I got stronger. And faster.

Now that I've completely over-romanticized my high school track torture, I'm wondering if anyone out there knows of a group with speed workouts that I'm not finding. Something on the weekends? Or later in the mornings on weekdays? Anything? 

I can't be the only only who works long days and would be interested in such a group. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Running
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I saw this interesting story about a marathon in the Gaza Strip last week and thought I'd share.

From the Associated Press: 

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- This territory was made for such a race, some 26 miles from top to bottom.

More than 1,000 runners took part Thursday in the Gaza Strip's first marathon - or, at least covered part of the course - offering a lighter moment in a place often torn by violence and war.

"There is the New York Marathon, the London Marathon, the Tel Aviv Marathon, and now there is also the Gaza Marathon," said Chris Gunness, spokesman for the U.N. body that organized the event.

About 50 runners left the starting line at dawn, setting out on a course that went from the northern border town of Beit Hanoun near Israel, cut to the Mediterranean shore and dashed to Gaza's southernmost tip on the Egyptian border.

Just nine runners - Palestinian athletes training for next year's Olympics and international aid workers - ran the full course.

Posted by Anica Butler at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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Hi. Remember me? Fair-weather runner here. I confess, my running has been about as frequent as my blogging, which is to say, pretty much non-existent.

Sure, there were some nice weekends when I was able to run six miles or so with friends, but as soon as the weather turned blustery, rainy or cool (i.e. spring) I retreated to the indoors.

But as the weather has turned nicer, I've noticed more and more runners outside pounding the pavement in my neighborhood. It's turned my thoughts to -- what else? -- racing.

I was peer-pressured to sign up for the Annapolis 10-miler this week. I've never run it, but I am assured it's a challenge, not to mention hot. I also plan to sign up for the Dreaded Druid Hills soon. I am terrified, yet drawn to the race at the same time!

That's it for now. I'll definitely be adding more races, including at least one half marathon in the fall. My main goal this year is try to run consistently, despite all the planned vacations, warm-weather happy hours and all the other great events that start to happen when the weather gets nice.

How's your spring shaping up?

Posted by Anica Butler at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Running
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Where she walks: I encountered Liz Frantz on a connector for the James F. Hall trail, near the Maryland/Delaware border in Newark.

Age: 20

Continue reading "On foot with Liz Frantz" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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I received an e-mail last night from the Maryland Half Marathon mentioning that they have 200 spots left for their May 15 event, which is going to be on a new course in Howard County. Organizers are calling that a a record pace for registration.

According to athlinks.com, last year's event had over 1100 finishers, so assuming a similar number of slots and considering the course relocation, I'd say that's a pretty healthy ratio for two weeks out.

(As a comparison: Last summer's Frederick Running Fest half, held in the last summer for which a companion full marathon was offered, is listed by athlinks as having 2,626 finishers. That event closed its registration last week.)

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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I'm tweeting about the Penn Relays. Read updates after the jump. (Page refreshes every minute in most browsers.)

Continue reading "Penn Relays tweets" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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A new triathlon is in the offing for May 14 in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. It’s the inaugural TriRock Annapolis Sprint Triathlon.

The event will start with a swim in the Annapolis Harbor, followed by a 12.4-mile bike ride that will end at the foot of City Dock.

A 5K run, the last leg, will loop through city streets. Organizers expect the event to attract about 1,500 to 1,800 participants and as many as 2,000 spectators. Start time is expected to be at 7 a.m. and city officials say the breakdown of portable facilities should be done by around 5 p.m.

For event information and more, click here.

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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The Frederick Running Festival -- no longer a marathon, but still a pretty big event -- is closing out its registration at 10 this morning.

To register, visit the festival's home page: http://www.frederickrunfest.com/.

Continue reading "Reminder: Frederick Running Fest registration closes today" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running
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In case you missed it in our right rail, here's a Runner's World feed on the Boston Marathon. Follow along from your desk.

Posted by Kim Walker at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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As we enter the weekend of the Boston Marathon, we've posted an updating feed of marathon tweets on the right portion of this blog (courtesy of Runner's World via Candus Thomson).

Continue reading "Tidbits: Boston Marathon updates; event questions; Lel in London" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bicycling, Running
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Sun reporter Don Markus has a couple updates on the man shot outside a Ritchie Highway mall. From Markus' article:

Continue reading "Shooting near B&A trail" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bicycling, Outdoors, Running, Safety, Walking, Weekend
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A WTOP article this morning about Metro being a non-option for athletes at tomorrow's National Marathon left me wondering: How frequently does this kind of logjam occur?

(For what it's worth, spectators can still use the system.)

Continue reading "Comparing marathon start times" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Marine Corps Marathon, National Marathon, Philadelphia, Running, Traffic, Washington
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When the Suntrust National Marathon starts at 7 a.m. Saturday, Lisa Reichmann will already have been up for about 3 hours.

For the top Maryland woman at last spring's event, that won't be a huge change. "I wake up every morning at 4:15," says Reichmann, a former attorney who's now a full-time parent for three young children.

She will go to pick up a friend at 4:30, then drive southeast from Gaithersburg to the area near RFK stadium, where she'll join more than 15,000 people in the combined marathon, half-marathon and team relay.

Continue reading "2011 National Marathon preview" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: National Marathon, Running, Washington, Weekend
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According to marylandweather.com, we can expect temperatures just above freezing for the Suntrust National Marathon on Saturday: As of this morning, the predicted high is 45°, with a potential low for the day of 35°.

I've been running in shorts lately, but that temperature range would definitely be tights/hat/gloves weather for me, especially considering the early 7 a.m. start time.

Continue reading "Forecast for Saturday's marathon in Washington: A bit chilly" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: National Marathon, Running, Washington, Weekend
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What I’m doing: I'll be going down to watch the National Marathon on Saturday, then probably doing some makeup mileage on Sunday.

Why: I've never seen this relatively new race -- this will be its sixth year -- and while it's not as big as autumn's Marine Corps Marathon, I respect the ambition that it takes to call yourself the National Anything right out of the gate.

What else I recommend: The Keep Your Colon Rollin 5K gets 10 points just for its name. I know nothing else about this race. I'm also curious about the Great Escape 5K in Cumberland (both links after the jump).

Other options:

Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Events, National Marathon, Running, Triathlon, Walking, Washington, Weekly roundups
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Where he walks: Dave Barone goes out most days on the Heritage trail in York, PA. The trail connects with Maryland's NCR route.

Age: 63

What he does: Retired after 32½ years at the the USDA Forest Service. He and his wife both worked at the headquarters in Washington, DC.

Continue reading "On foot with Dave Barone" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running, Walking, Weekend
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Commenter Linda mentioned yesterday that she's training -- on her own -- for her first ever race, the Baltimore Women's Classic, a 5k in the city in June. (Yay Linda!)

Today, I received an e-mail about the official training program for the race and thought I'd share. The 8-week program only costs $20, and runs will be held at three different sites. Seems to me to be a good way for a newbie to get started.

Here's some info from the e-mail: 

The 2011 Baltimore Women's Training Program presented by Charm City Run will be held all around town and on three different nights of the week... one is sure to fit your schedule and provide you with a great opportunity to start a walking or running program or energize your present routine. Our eight-week session begins the first week of May to prepare you for the Baltimore Women's Classic 5K on June 26.

 For only $20, your 8 weeks include:

- a training program designed for beginning walkers, intermediate walkers, beginning runners and intermediate runners

- health and fitness clinics

- music for your workout provided by a DJ (at most locations)

- a training program t-shirt

- group coaches to help you achieve YOUR fitness goals

For more info, check out the website for the BWC training program. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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The NCAA male and female indoor championships start tomorrow in Texas. Maryland's Kiani Profit (Pentathlon) and Dwight Barbiasz (High jump) will be there, along with several other locally-tied people. (See these links for division I seedings of men and women, respectively.)

I always liked indoor track in high school, especially in old buildings. Unlike newer facilities, old buildings sometimes had poorly placed girders or overhangs near their tracks, making the experience much more exciting than usual: A race feels much faster when there are giant pieces of metal whizzing by.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running, Weekend
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I wish I was one of those people who run outdoors year round. Heck, I wish I just ran anywhere year-round. 

But because it's too cold for me in January and February, and I LOATHE the treadmill, I just took more than two months off running, save for a few weekend 6-mile jaunts with friends when the weather was freakishly warm late last month.

On my way home from work this week, I've been pleased to see more and more runners out on the streets. "That reminds me," I thought to myself yesterday, "I really ought to start training."

I've checked the calendar, and sure enough, I've got exactly 10 weeks until my scheduled half marathon. I'm mildly freaking out, and also still having a hard time getting motivated to get my butt outside. Maybe I need a new outfit? Or maybe I just need a hard shove out the door? Signing up for races this summer and fall is getting me excited, but I'm just not quite there yet.

Anyone else gearing up for a spring race? Or looking for inspiration/motivation to get out the door?

By the way, I really admire everyone I know who's running the National Marathon or half marathon in a few weeks. Kudos for training through the winter! And good luck! :)

Posted by Anica Butler at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: General Fitness, National Marathon, Running
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My wife just took me to Jessup's popular Blob's Park for the first time to celebrate Fasching, and they had some pretty good sauerkraut, served along with tasty Weisswurst and a bunch of other options. I'm looking forward to going back. (It was particularly good recovery food after 21 miles in the morning -- vote for a more sane running schedule here.)

It's with interest, then, that I read an article today about sauerkraut's positive qualities.

Continue reading "Another case where fermentation isn't a bad thing" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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While working a summer job years ago at the New York Burrito shop in Lansing, MI, I often would see a group of shirtless, middle-aged men run by during the lunch hour.

Asking who they were got me a quick reply from our overworked manager: "The Turtles."

I'm hoping to start a similar group, sans the shirtless part. I need your help. Tell me when you would be able to participate in a lunch run like this. Pace would likely start at 8 or 9 minutes per mile, with faster groups potentially forming if we got a big turnout. (I would also be interested in suggestions for walking: Just leave a comment if you're interested in that side of things.)

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: City of Baltimore, Outdoors, Running
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What I’m doing: It's likely that my wife and I will go hiking on our own on one of the weekend days.

What else I recommend: The Kelly race is a big Baltimore tradition. There are also other St. Patrick's Day events around the state, along with the pub run (which is being set up by a group that I run with sometimes -- all links are after the jump).

Other options:

Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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What I’m doing: Not sure yet. Probably tonight's Federal Hill run, at the very least.

Why: I'm tempted to drag myself out of bed and cheer for some friends doing the B&A trail races next weekend. Then again, I'm tentatively scheduled for 24 miles the day before, so I might just phone it in and bring brownies to our next training run. We'll see.

What else I recommend: A lot of people will simply want to recover from last weekends club challenge. For those who don't, there are a couple of pretty distance-heavy options in the RASAC and Seneca Creek runs, along with the first hint of the spring season for shorter races (WRRC prediction run, Get Pumped for Pets, etc -- see links on full list below).

Other options:

Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Just as another cold and icy day this week left me with no inspiration to head for the gym, inspiration arrived. The AARP magazine -- yes, the one from the organization for people age 50 and up -- has a piece about the benefits of exercising as we age.

The article includes a fair share of aging medalists who train and still compete. But beyond that, it points to studies of adults who exercise -- and that can be running, playing tennis, swimming, anything that's physical activity. Those show that some of what we've come to think of as inevitable debilitating effects of aging aren't all wrapped up in growing older.

Studies that compared sedentary adults to those who exercised showed that being a couch potato apparently is a huge risk factor for declines in strength, endurance, aerobic capacity and muscle mass in people approaching middle age and beyond.
The people who were fit -- not surprisingly, their aerobic capacity had declined by half as much as in the sedentary middle agers.

For me, that's inspiration to watch tv while I'm on the elliptical instead of on the couch.

To read the article, click here

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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A couple weekends ago, my wife and I packed up our dog and headed to Philadelphia. I ran a race, but we also spent some time checking out the tunnel system under the city, known as the Philadelphia Concourse. I was reminded of that yesterday evening on my way home, as I wished for a tunnel that would take me under certain still-icy stretches of Baltimore's street grid.

I won't get that wish anytime soon, but I can at least write about what I learned in the concourse.

When walking in the tunnels on our Philly trip, I initially posited that they might form an interesting route for people seeking winter exercise -- sort of like mall walking. Here's a map of some key spots where we stopped on our walk (with direction of travel roughly clockwise, starting in the south -- you might have to zoom in):

Continue reading "Enclosed walkways for working out: Hit and miss" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Registration for the Baltimore 10-miler opens March 1st at 10 a.m, according to an e-mail that I received today. 

The race, which will be held June 18th, starts and ends in Druid Hill Park, near the zoo, and takes runners around Lake Montebello.

I can't say what this race is like, because I ended up deferring my registration last year. Anybody else run it and have any thoughts? My impression is that it's a pretty hilly 10 miles.

The race is put on by Corrigan Sports -- the organizers behind the Baltimore and Frederick running festivals.

The e-mail was a reminder to me that it's time to get in gear and start training! I was much more excited out ramping up my running when we had a few warm-ish weekends. Now that it's cold and snowy again, I'm thinking of staying indoors until April.  

Posted by Anica Butler at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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Registration for the Marine Corps Marathon begins tomorrow, Feb. 23, at noon.

The race site's registration page currently links to sister events. While it doesn't have the prize purse of Boston, New York or Chicago -- nor even Baltimore -- the MCM is one of the largest races in the country, and with that in mind, I would plan to sign up quickly if you want a spot.

Continue reading "MCM registration opens tomorrow" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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What I’m doing: Probably just distance training this week -- no races likely.

What I recommend: If you're able to somehow squeeze yourself into the club challenge in Howard County -- see the link after the jump -- it seems to be the big event for the coming weekend. It's officially full. Good luck.

Continue reading "Walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Maryland head track coach Andrew Valmon has been submitted as the most likely leader of the U.S. men's team in London, according to Reuters. From today's earlier story on Valmon's nomination:

Collegiate coaches Andrew Valmon and Amy Deem have been selected to lead U.S. athletics teams at the 2012 London Olympics, USA Track and Field (USATF) announced Thursday.

Maryland's Valmon will coach the American men and Miami's Deem will direct the women.

Read the full story here>>

The Maryland coach since 2003, Valmon has prior international-level experience as head of the 2010 U.S. men's world indoor championships team. He also worked as an assistant coach in the 2009 outdoor championships and had previously served in a relay coach role for USA Track & Field, according to the University.

The nominations by USA Track & Field, still need approval from U.S. Olympic Committee's CEO Scott Blackmun, Bloomberg reports.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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What I’m doing: The Olney Country Road Race looks viable, if I'm up for a Sunday event.

Why: Last weekend's race started a bit late for my taste, at just after 10 a.m.. While I'm normally a big fan of the HCS afternoon runs, I like the Olney race's 8 a.m. start time.

What else I recommend: The GW marathon is a bit out-of-the-way for me, but it looks exciting: It's in its 50th year, so they must be doing something right.

Other options:

Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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An area along the river-facing side of Philadelphia's Kelly Drive is known as Boathouse Row, and right on cue, a crew of men glided by as I did a belated warmup this morning for the Cupid's Chase 5K.

I was warming up at the last minute because, like the majority of my preregistered race-mates, I stood in line for a good 25 minutes before getting my race number. That's somewhat forgivable, since this was the event's first year, and the turnout was significantly higher than the slightly green organizers had expected.

Continue reading "Participant's perspective: Cupid's Chase 5K, Philadelphia" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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If you're a fan of the symphony and a fan of running (*raising my hand*) this sounds like it could be a neat way to run the Baltimore Marathon -- or any of the other Baltimore Running Festival races -- and raise money to support the BSO:

By joining the Bolt for the BSO team, you will gain inside access to one of Baltimore’s cultural jewels, and your support will help the BSO reach over 350,000 patrons each season. Each runner is asked to raise a minimum of $500 (see website for details), and we will provide a tee shirt, a private tent with gear-check and food on race day, invitations to Bolt for the BSO events, a personal webpage and much more!

I found out about Bolt for the BSO on Facebook.

Posted by Anica Butler at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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What I’m doing: Heading up to Philadephia to run a 5K race up that way.

Why: Held at 10:00, the race is late enough in the day that it won't be too tough to get there on time. (It's also right across the river from the country's oldest zoo.)

What else I recommend: If I were around, I would probably crash one of the breakfast runs on Saturday or maybe head up to Carroll County for the McDaniel group run on Sunday. The Howard County Striders' Sunday race also a appears to be a nice, low-key, non-heart-and-flower event, if past iterations are any indication, and with most of the Striders races charging less than five bucks for registration, it's probably the best deal in the area -- probably cheaper than some training runs, when you factor in gas or food.

Other options:

Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Belgian runner Stefaan Engels has set a Guinness World Record running a marathon a day for a year.

Engels, 49, known as "Marathonman," began the challenge a year ago in Barcelona to promote fitness.  He completed it on Saturday after running the "Carretera de les aigues" (Road of the waters).

AFP photo by Josep Lago

Posted by Jerry Jackson at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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Less than a month after his Wanamaker Mile winning streak came to an end at Madison Square Garden last week, Bernard Lagat will attempt to break the United States indoor two-mile record at another talent-heavy New York race, this one scheduled for Feb 12 at the Armory.

Continue reading "Bernard Lagat hopes to set national indoor record" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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What I’m doing: Probably just running around the B&A trail's BWI loop over and over to get my required mileage. One happy point: If I appear a bit suspicious but still behave in a civil manner, the TSA mall cops are now officially legally unable to arrest me just for being there and looking weird, according to a court decision reported last week. (On second thought, I'm not sure I really want to memorize legal decisions just to feel comfortable running without a passport -- maybe I'll jog in Towson instead.)

What else I recommend: Brian Hand, a professor of exercise physiology at Towson University, will be hosting a fairly inexpensive "Basics for Beginning Runners" workshop at Falls Road Running Store on Saturday morning at 11. If you're interested in information, he's available here.

Other options:

Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Treadmills are the top home exercise machine. Frankly, one that I once had got more use drying clothing than it did anything else. It now lives in someone else's house.

In the February issue, Consumer Reports tested home treadmills and their cousin, ellipticals. The verdict: You don't have to buy the fanciest or priciest to get a decent machine and a decent workout.

The nonprofit consumer organization gave its best-buy rating to seven treadmills, three nonfolding and four folding. Even so, the highly rated nonfolding PaceMAster Platinum Pro VR costs some $2,000. A highly rated folding treadmill, the Horizon T202, costs $800. Three ellipticals got a best-buy rating: the Nautilus E514, the Horizon EX-68 and the Schwinn 420.

Among their tips: Ellipticals elevate you, so make sure you've got enough ceiling clearance. Test out treadmills to make sure they're long enough for your running stride. Spending more $$ on a treadmill usually gets you more horsepower and a sturdier machine. Sturdy design, a good warranty, your comfort and features you really will use are what to look for.

How many shirts it will hold for drying wasn't part of the evaluation.

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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As a bit of a companion to last week's post about trail/road intersections, here's some new information: In Virginia, a test of lines on the road -- some a bit bizarre -- at trail intersections appears to be a success.

Continue reading "Report: Strange lines help at trail crossings" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Less than three weeks after announcing that he would be running in the London Marathon, professional American runner Dathan Ritzenhein has pulled out because of injuries, according to the Associated Press.

Continue reading "Dathan Ritzenhein out of London marathon" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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Falls Road Running Store has posted a video of the 2010 Celtic Solstice race on its Facebook page.

You can tag yourself on the video on FB, or just watch it below!

I haven't watched it yet, but thought I'd share. Warning: It has music.

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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I've had e-mails for a few new events pop up in my e-mail box recently. 

First, Falls Road Running Store will be hosting a 5k at Cylburn Arboretum in April. Spring will be beautiful at the arboretum, and even though I'd sworn off 5ks, the setting might make this one worth it.

Here's what the store's e-mail had to say about it:

We have a new event in Baltimore City -- The Paths of Cylburn 5K on April 10th.   This is one of Baltimore's  best kept secrets, garden paths and wooded trails in Baltimore City.  

Registration is now open at the links above.

Another event that I wish I'd known about before I, in a moment of insanity, signed up for a triathlon is the DUthe2, a duathlon in Howard County. 

The DUthe2 is on August 7, and consists of a two mile run, a 26-mile bike, followed by a four mile run. I believe this is a new event, but can't tell from the website.

Also, in my inbox, was the list of Falls Road-sponsored races for this year. Here it is:

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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There's a fantastic little debate going on right now over at Wash Cycle about whether right-of-way is sometimes a curse for cyclists and pedestrians. To briefly paraphrase the author's point: Signage at certain trail crossings breed ambiguity and danger, so it's worth arguing that planners removing white crosswalk lines from some mid-block crossings might actually be doing cyclists a favor in terms of safety, regardless of whether it's legal or bike-friendly to do so.

To be honest, the conversation has way too many subtleties to re-voice here without simply duplicating most of the source post. I strongly suggest a look at Wash Cycle's version. It's quite interesting.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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While reading about a woman who did three marathons in three days (with better results than you'd probably expect), I was introduced today to the concept of the Marathon Maniac, with uppercase M's.

As indicated on the national group's somewhat morbid hall-of-fame page, their standards are rather high. To be a hall of famer, you can do a number of crazy things, the least dangerous of which, in my opinion, is to run "333 - Lifetime Marathons / Ultras." Just to get into the group at a basic (bronze) level, you have to run two marathons within a 16-day time frame, and as with many groups of insane people, they take the ranking thing way beyond any necessary border, eschewing the usual categories for a whole periodic table of hierarchy: You can be labeled as earning bronze, silver, gold, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, palladium ...

Continue reading "Any marathon maniacs around here?" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Running
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Dathan Ritzenhein will run in the London Marathon, where he will go up against a strong field as practice for the 2012 Olympics. That field will including Sammy Wanjiru, the Chicago and Olympic marathon champion who has reportedly reconciled with his wife after charges of bizarre and dangerous criminal behavior in December.

Continue reading "Ritzenhein to run London" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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I have enjoyed a run through some of the Baltimore sites related to famous mystery author Dashiell Hammett, just in time for the 50th anniversary of his death, which will be Monday. Here's how it goes:

I start my Saturday run at the Baltimore Sun headquarters. While Hammett mentions newspapers frequently in his stories, I have to admit that I'm just beginning here because it's the easiest place to start.

The first stop of any real relevance on my run is a building at the southeast corner of Calvert and Baltimore streets. Currently used for a variety of purposes, including an HR office for the city, it was once the home of Baltimore's Pinkerton bureau. Hammett's years as a Pinkerton detective would be vital when he started writing mysteries. In addition, golden figures of birds that adorn the building -- several smaller ones around the structure and two large ones at the entrance -- are thought to be the basis for what main character Sam Spade calls "the dingus" in The Maltese Falcon.

Continue reading "A Hammett anniversary run" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Some time within the next week, I'm hoping to jog or bike through a bunch of Dashiell Hammett-related places around the city, since the anniversary of the famous mystery writer's death is coming up. I'll write about the results in detail, but for now, I figured it was a good idea to solicit additions. Here's a draft of my list as it stands now:

- Baltimore Polytechnic, where Hammett studied for a semester before dropping out
- Edmondson Avenue/Harlem Park, where a dream sequence began in Red Harvest
- One South Calvert Street, formerly home of Pinkerton's Detective Agency, where Hammett worked
- Former B&O Railroad headquarters on Charles Street. (The railroad was one of Hammett's non-Pinkerton employers in Baltimore)
- Mount Royal Station, through which a missing character's baggage was tracked in The Girl with the Silver Eyes
- Union Station (now Penn Station), where one of the main characters in The Assistant Murderer bought a one-way ticket to Pennsylvania. (The whole story took place in Baltimore, so this is a slightly random sample)

I know this can't possibly be exhaustive -- it would simply be too long -- but I'm interested in any suggested additions. What key sites am I leaving out?

UPDATE: The full Dashiell Hammett map/post is now up.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Wanjiru at the 2010 Chicago Marathon.

The marathoner is accused of threatening a housekeeper, wounding a security guard and making threats against his wife's life, writes James Kariuki in Kenya's Daily Nation. He was allegedly then found with an AK-47 rifle. The athlete's lawyer says the situation was a setup, according to the Kenyan report.

Wanjiru has been a champion in multiple big events, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the London Marathon. Most recently, he won the Chicago Marathon.

As of Thursday afternoon, comments on the Daily Nation site ranged from conspiracy theories to sadness.

Wanjiru lives on an estate in the Rift Valley, which is home to most of Kenya's fastest runners.

Chicago Tribune file photo by Stacey Wescott

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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I have not always been big on new year's resolutions and have usually forgotten the few I have made by the end of January. But, last year, instead of giving up soda, a resolution I managed to keep for only three months, I decided to set a cycling mileage goal for the year.

According to my bike computer I had logged in the neighborhood of 3500 miles a year in past years but had not kept very good records. So, I figured 5000 miles for the year was an achievable goal, especially broken down into bite-sized pieces. I only had to average 416 miles per month or 13.6 miles per day, roughly my round-trip commute to work.

The key to sticking to my goal was to record my daily mileage on a calendar, focusing on staying ahead of weekly and monthly targets. I also found that picking a few long distance events and registering early was a good way to maintain focus.

I ended up hitting the 5000-mile mark in mid September while riding the Civil War Century. I have slacked off a bit since then but will have about 6300 miles for the year - by far, my biggest year ever.

So what's next?

Continue reading "Lofty goals for 2011" »

Posted by Jerry Jackson at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Bicycling, Running, Triathlon
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First of all, sorry for the darkness lately. With holidays and vacations, we've either been not around or extra busy. 

I am definitely planning to do some posts on New Year's resolutions, since fitness goals are usually included on many of our lists. Stay tuned for posts on joining a gym; gym alternatives; making realistic goals, and tips for keeping your resolutions once you've made them. You may have to wait until after Jan. 1 to read all of them, though!

In the meantime, here's some info on a New Year's Resolution Run in Patterson Park on Jan. 1. Don't worry, it's in the afternoon, so you can still stay up late on New Year's Eve!

Saturday, January 1, at 2 PM is the big day for the Resolution Run! Weather.gov is saying it will be partly sunny with a high of 53º, which sounds like fine weather to take in the landscape of Patterson Park!

Registration opens at 12:30 PM at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Hall at 2638 East Baltimore Street. If you've already registered, plan on getting your packets early at one of our Packet Pick-Up events (if you haven't, you can do so at Pick-Up):

Wednesday, December 29, 2010
12 PM - 5 PM at Falls Road Running Store
6247 Falls Road in Baltimore
410-296-5050

Thursday, December 30, 2010
12 PM - 5 PM at Earl's Place
1400 E. Lombard Street
410-522-0225

The race begins at 2:00 PM, and the chili, cornbread and homemade cookies will be ready for you after you've run or walked across the finish line. Even if you're not in the mood for chili, be there for the awarding of the trophies and random prizes. Plus, clients from Earl's Place will share their stories on where they've come from and where they're headed after coming to Earl's Place.

Trophies will be given to the top three male and female finishers, plus the top three male and female finishers in the following categories: 15 and under, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and over. Plus, random prizes will be awarded at the post-race celebration!

Even if you don't need to make a New Year's Resolution to keep yourself in shape in 2011, convince one of your sedentary friends to take up the active lifestyle and join us running the road in 2011.

Bob Olsen
Founder
Baltimore Resolution Run

Posted by Anica Butler at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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What race gives you a Fuzzy warrior helmet AND free beer?

Why, it's the Warrior Dash! 

I'd never heard of this insane sounding event until a co-worker told us she'd signed up. The race, which is just more than 3 miles long, is made up of several obstacles including the "tipsy tight rope," the "petrifying plunge" and the "warrior roast."

Registration is open for next year's event, which will be held May 21 and 22 in Mechanicsville, about an hour and 45 minutes south of Baltimore.

And I thought that running the Celtic Solstice was wild (potentially, had it snowed)! I had no idea. Anybody planning to do this event? Anyone done one previously? 

Continue reading "Warrior Dash: The craziest race with the coolest stuff" »

Posted by Anica Butler at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Events, Outdoors, Running
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This morning was my first time running the Celtic Solstice but definitely not my last!

First of all, the weather was fantastic. Chilly enough to make it interesting but not at all windy and no precipitation.

And I loved the course! Druid Hill Park is one of my favorite places to run, but I was unsure of the course before I arrived. The race gets major points for ending with a downhill, but, the beginning of the race was SO crowded in the narrow points that during the first mile, I was worried I was going to be getting elbowed and kicked the whole way. But eventually, it thinned out, as races do, and all was well.

I'm still a racing newbie, but I can't imagine a better post-race than the Celtic Solstice. I mean, cookies, spiced wine and soup?! Yum!

Last note: It was so much fun to see all the Santas and other festive holiday outfits. There was even a group of caroling reindeer! Next year, I'll run with a camera.

Posted by Anica Butler at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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For the third year in a row, Fort Meade is rolling out Dump Your Plump after the holidays. A free exercise program of about eight weeks, it's got mandatory weigh-ins, is modeled on TV's "Biggest Loser" show, and has a fitness and wellness focus.

It's open to variety of people with a Ft. Meade connection, including contractors. While individuals can sign up, the focus is on the team approach. Nobody wants to be person dragging down the team down.

"You don't need so much internal motivation. You've got external motivation," Scott Myers, chief of community recreation, told me.

In its first year, the program had 112 participants. Last year, it had 260. And Myers said many more are expected to sign on for the January 2011 program.

Last year, the top four-person team, Fat Fire 4, dumped 123 lbs.

Myers said anyone trying to start a fitness program after the holiday binge or just starting up shouldn't jump-start it with weights that are too heavy and with tiring runs.

His tips:

1. Walk. Set a comfortable pace. Outdoors is nice, but don't use winter weather as an excuse to plop down on the couch. Indoors is fine -- gym, mall, wherever you're comfortable. 45 minutes a few times a week is an excellent start.

2. If you go to a gym, try recumbent bikes and cross-trainers. Swim. Low-impact exercises are good.

3. Don't feel pressured because the guy on the next treadmill runs at 6 mph. Go at your own pace.

4. Have a team, or group that you exercise with. It's more fun. And nobody wants to disappoint the team.

Information on Dump Your Plump: ftmeademwr.com

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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It seemed like a good idea at the time ...

Months ago, I signed up for Saturday's Celtic Solstice race in Druid Hill Park. Earlier this week, I picked up my awesome race shirt.

And though I've barely run at all since the Baltimore Half Marathon in October (I've been spending more time on my swimming lately), I was still pretty psyched about the race.

Until I saw the forecast. Yup, snow.

I mean, I can't say I didn't see this coming. The video of last year's race shows exactly what the weather could be like. Still, now that's it here, I'm a little nervous. Most of friends who are also running Saturday are talking about their race times. For me, showing up, when I could easily stay snuggled up in bed, will be the victory.

My co-worker and I are still fretting about what to wear though.

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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A little romance among runners? Kate O'Neill competed in the '04 Olympics in Athens and recently wed another former All-America runner.
Read about the romance and wedding, click here.

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I saw a well-done piece today on why standard VO2max testing procedures leave something to be desired. From Matt Fitzgerald:

The thing people complain about most is that the standard VO2max test protocol does not resemble how people exercise in the real world. In a running race, you cover a fixed, predetermined distance as quickly as possible. This is known as a closed-loop task. By contrast, in a standard VO2max test, you are left to somewhat arbitrarily quit when you feel you’ve had enough. That’s an open-loop task.

View the full story>>

I really like the way Fitzgerald looks at this. As with someone playing a primitive video game, a participant in the currently prevailing test is required to simply go until they get bored and/or exhausted. Conversely, the closed-loop task Fitzgerald suggests is attached to a narrative of sorts, with a beginning, middle and end. Which version of the test would you choose?

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Just got an email about registration for the Baltimore marathon, half marathon and 5K. These races do sell out. I guess this is a good way to get a jump start on any New Year's resolutions.

Continue reading "Baltimore marathon registration starts Dec. 13" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running
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What I’m doing: Not sure yet. I might head down to the Figgy Pudding race if time and budget allow.

Why: It's been months since I took part in a Baltimore race.

What else I recommend: The Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk for Arthritis also looks like a fun city event. A couple friends have also mentioned interest in the Anniversary Run.

Other options:
Daily Glen Burnie walking program, Annapolis walking ghost tour

Frederick Reindeer Rescue Run, 4th Annual Fells Point Figgy Pudding Race, NCR Trail Snails group run, Berlin Reindeer Run 5K & 1 Mile, HCI Santa Shuffle 5k Run/1 Mile Fun Walk

Westminster Sunday group run, Rockville Jingle Bell Jog 8K, Anniversary Run 15K, Baltimore Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk for Arthritis, Glen Echo Bread Run 10K, RASAC "Rocky" 5-miler, Legends of the Fall series (final event)

Monday run in Federal Hill

What did you do last weekend? Upload race photos here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events, Running, Walking, Weekend, Weekly roundups
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Kenenisa Bekele, a world & Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion, has announced that he plans to return to professional racing, according to EthioSports.com.

Bekele's dry spell came thanks to a muscle injury suffered after competition in Berlin, the article states.

Continue reading "Kenenisa Bekele returning to track; Hall returning to Boston" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Where's your go-to place for a long run? What's the area's best-equipped gym, most accessible swimming facility, hottest new exercise class?

We're hoping that over the next 10 weeks, you can help us figure out the answers to those questions and more. 

Next week, we'll launch 10 weeks of fitness Top 10s. We'll list a topic, take your suggestions, add some ideas of our own, and compile them into lists. 

We're tentatively thinking of listing places for running, biking swimming and doing yoga. But we're also considering top recreation sports (and leagues), places to hike, best non-traditional fitness, best classes.

If you're got some ideas for a top 10, or if there's anything you'd like to see, let us know! 

Posted by Anica Butler at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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This was posted on one of my favorite deal sites and seemed worth sharing.

Running Warehouse is offering their gift cards at a 20% discount while supplies last. The site also has free two-day shipping and free return shipping.

Posted by Jerry Jackson at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Deals, Running
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Now that I've been able to put my holiday indulgence in perspective, I'm wishing I'd had the time to check out Baltimore's Turkey Trot last Thursday (I was hosting dinner, which kept me indoors and in the kitchen all day).

So, I'm just wondering, did anyone run the first Gobble Cobble Turkey Trot in Harbor East this year? If so, how was it? 

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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What I’m doing: After a week of on-again-off-again cross training, I'll probably start running a bit on Saturday, most likely joining friends in Anne Arundel County for a short piece of their longer route.

Why: It's generally a good idea to recover slowly from a marathon -- Philadelphia, in this case. Additionally, I have to return some Thanksgiving Tupperware down in that direction.

What else I recommend: There are jingle bell runs throughout the country, but very few of them are in places as well-suited as Ellicott City, which looks like it could easily host Santa's workshop. If you go to their Jingle Bell 5K, be careful: Part of what makes the downtown picturesque is its location in a valley, and that means lots of hills are almost a certainty.

Other options:

Glen Burnie daily walking program, Annapolis ghost walk, PRR all-comers group runs

Family nature walk, Frozen Slopes Cross Country, BYRON 15k Mountain Run, BYRON 15k Mountain Run, Ellicott Jingle Bell 5K, Reindeer Run, Santa Shuffle 5K, http://athlinks.com/CalendarItem.aspx?centryid=147810">Gar Williams Half Marathon, Wright Stuff 5K Fun Run & Walk, RASAC Long Distance Run, Southern High School Bulldog 5K Run and 1 mi Walk, Frozen Foot 50K, Share the Holiday Spirit 5K Run/Walk In Memory of Laura Gondeck, NCR Trail Snails Saturday Group Run, Solomons Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 5K

Master's 6-miler and Holiday Social, Legends of the Fall #6, Sunday Morning Group Runs, Dancer Dash 10K, RASAC Charity 5K, Iron Fitness 140.6 min indoor triathlon

What did you do last weekend? Upload race photos here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Events, Running, Walking, Weekend, Weekly roundups
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Former NCAA champion and 2012 Olypmic marathon hopeful Kara Goucher plans to return from maternity leave at -- fittingly -- a Phoenix event, the Arizona Republic reports.

Goucher has company in the club of elite American women trying to work with pregnancy timelines, and her schedule is ambitious. She may not limit her competition to the Arizona event, according to the Republic:

Goucher, 32, will run in the 1/2 half-marathon on Jan. 16 like fellow U.S. running stars Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor did in 2010. She also could run in the 2011 Boston Marathon in preparing for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Houston on Jan. 14, 2012.

Goucher gave birth to a son on September 25, returning to training earlier this fall.

Read the full article at azcentral.com >>

2008 AP photo by Eric Risberg

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Terre Haute, Ind. hosts the NCAA cross country championships today. In the men's division I race, 2009 winners Oklahoma State are ranked second to Stanford, with Oregon also likely to be in the mix, according to a USTFCCCA poll. On the women's side, Villanova, Florida State and Georgetown each received high expectations.

Both Georgetown teams will be competing after the women and men finished second and third, respectively, in the Mid Atlantic regional, with the men receiving an at-large spot. Other runners representing area schools will include Navy's Andrew Hanko and Maryland's Greg Kelsey.

For updates on the races, follow me on Twitter or view the video here at noon >>

---

Early afternoon update: Villanova has won the women's DI race: The Oklahoma State team won the men's title.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The expo for the Philadelphia Marathon was pretty packed this morning, but I'm happy to say my packet pickup went smoothly.

Ironically, the presence of a not-so-smooth commuting obstacle for Philadelphia drivers may contribute to an equally fluid experience for those of us racing tomorrow, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The paper quotes the race's executive director, who says that construction work has eliminated Lemon Hill from the route. That theoretically should make the race easier for me and the other 11,000 runners expected on the marathon course.

I've never run this race before, so while I can safely say that the route is a bit flatter this year, I don't really know the details of what that means -- and to be frank, I'm not going to dwell on it, since I signed up for the purpose of running this race rather than covering it.

Update: Searchable results for this year's events are available here.

Continue reading "Hoping my Philly Marathon time benefits from construction" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events, Media, Philadelphia, Running, Weekend, Working
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Especially if you're starting out, the gurus say, you're motivation is helped by exercising with others. That's true whether that's a walk-and-talk with a friend or a water-aerobics class. Really, do you want to dance alone?

I spoke with Bernice Giles of Arnold, a nonathlete who took an Annapolis Striders 5k beginner class last spring and liked it. But she knew the only way she'd continue was with others, and she was comfortable with the people she'd started her program with. Here's a boiled- down version of what she said:

Q: Why form a group?

A: "After the class ended, I think in July, there were about 10 of us who wanted to continue on. First, we didn't want to quit. Second, we wanted to keep up what we had learned. ... One beginner instructor volunteered to continue."

Q: You could have run alone, whenever you wanted, depending on the summer heat, and not sticking to a schedule. Why not do that?

A: "I think for all of us, if we didn't meet, we were not going to run. There was accountability... we've all admitted that it wasn't going to happen unless we did it together."

Q: How often and how far?

A: "Two or three miles. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning at 8. Sometimes one of us said it's so hot, how about 7, but we stuck with 8."

Q: And when the summer ended?

A: "We're still doing it. All of us, except one who got hurt -- she hurt her foot two weeks into it -- are still here, we're in the 10K class."

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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What I’m doing: I'll be picking up my Philadelphia Marathon packet on Saturday, then running the race on Sunday.

Why: Thanks to the Philly's proximity -- along with my wife's willingness to drive for a day trip on Sunday and a $3.50 round-trip ticket on megabus for Saturday -- I won't have to get a hotel room. That makes this race a pretty good deal, if you're considering it for next year. (This year's event is sold out.)

What else I recommend: My coworkers have been raving about the JFK 50 for weeks now. The Battle of the Potomac also caught my eye.

Other options:

Tidal Basin 3K & 1500m

2nd Annual Heather L. Hurd 5K Walk/Run, St. Jude's Give Thanks. Walk., Fells Point PubWalk, Run Under the Lights 5K, Lights on the Bay 5k Fun Run, Stone Mill 50-mile, Mount Vernon GhostWalk, Howard County General Hospital Dazzle Dash (run), Bita's Run 5K, Rampace 5K, Bobbi Jo Memorial Turkey Chase 5K, RASAC Gunpowder 50K, One World Run a 5K to benefit Project AIDS Orphan, Toys for Tots Turkey Trot, Battle of the Potomac XC Championship

Legends of the Fall 2M/10K/15K, Cold Turkey 10K, JFK 50 Mile, Flying Feet Burk Memorial 5K, Stone Mill 50 Mile Run, Howard County General Hospital Dazzle Dash (walk), King of the Road 5K, Wounded Warrior 5K Run/Walk,

Daily walking program, Annapolis Ghost Tour

What did you do last weekend? Upload race photos here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Events, Running, Walking, Weekend, Weekly roundups
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After Haile Gebrselassie took a high-profile exit from professional running at this year's NYC Marathon, several prominent running voices wondered whether the Ethiopian star had made a premature decision. It appears the pool of skeptics included Gebrselassie himself. From today's AP article:

"My announcement in New York was my first reaction after a disappointing race," Gebrselassie said on Twitter. "When my knee is better again I will start focusing on my next race."

His manager, Jos Hermens, told The Associated Press last week that Gebrselassie was in an emotional state when he made the surprise announcement in New York.

His coach, Woldemeskel Kostre, said in French sports daily L'Equipe that Gebrselassie could now compete "until he's 45."

Read the full article >>

AP photo by Mary Altaffer

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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On Saturday, Hereford High School won state cross country titles for both genders on its home course. One of the things I love about Maryland is that the championships for cross country -- a true fall sport -- are run while there are still leaves on the trees. (In my home state of Michigan, it's usually pretty bare by the time championships roll around.) Hereford was particularly well-prepared for these victories. From Jeff Seidel's article:

The day capped a nearly perfect post-season for Hereford. The Bulls swept the Baltimore County, Class 3A North and state titles, and [Mason] Rivera won all three. [Erin] Causey won the county and state races and took second in the region to North Harford's Megan Schott. But she beat Schott (third) in the state race.

Read the whole article here >>

See full results here >>

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I suggested a few events for this weekend on Monday, but a couple of non-participation events -- along with a remote road race -- stand out for today:

- Hereford High School hosts the MPSSAA cross country championships.

- The SunTrust Richmond Marathon ("America's Friendliest Marathon") starts at 8, with other races starting earlier.

- NCAA cross country regionals will be spread around the country today as well.

One person I know has children at both of the cross country events. I don't have a dilemma of that scope, but there's nonetheless a scheduling conflict that means I won't be at any of the meets listed above. That said, you can expect good high school coverage from our sports staff. See the "Varsity" section of the site for updated high school cross country polls, among other interesting updates. For Richmond marathon info, click here. For NCAA regional meet info, try this link.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 6:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I was so excited when I heard this news that I almost forgot to blog about it:

Falls Road Running Store is hosting a Turkey Trot in Baltimore this Thanksgiving. The race promises to be much more convenient for those who live in the city and don't want to have to drive out to the suburbs for a Turkey-day race. 

Seems like running a race before eating Thanksgiving dinner is a good idea for those worried about over indulging later on.

The Gobble Cobble Turkey Trot, which is a 7k, will start at the MAC in Harbor East at 8:30 a.m. (not too early!) and head to Fell's Point.

Registration info is here. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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I just received an e-mail reminder that registration for the Frederick Running Festival opens on Monday, with early-bird discounts.

From the e-mail:

For the first 13.1 days-- no secret as to why we picked that amount of time -- we are giving additional $5 off the early bird registration rates.

And this:

Set your alarm a little early on Monday and be one of the first ones to register. Something tells me, if you log on on Nov 15th even earlier than the so called early birds at 8am, there might be some added surprises in your nest (and your wallet) that morning.

Remember, this year there will be no full marathon, just the half, a 2-person relay, and a 5k. The races are scheduled for Saturday, May 7, 2011 at the Frederick Fairgrounds.

Corrigan Sports had said they were canceling the marathon to focus on the half distance -- which is growing in popularity -- and to be able to give runners a better experience. It will be interesting to see if more people sign up for the half next year, and if does turn out to be a better race.

Posted by Anica Butler at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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James T. Smith started the rebuilding of this pedestrian bridge in Baltimore County. It will now be up to Kevin Kamenetz to finish it.
Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox.

Last week's gubernatorial election results will influence a bunch of well-documented transportation issues, including construction of the red and purple lines and the completion of the ICC. Michael Dresser wrote about the transit part of that last week, and he covered the ICC topic in today's paper.

On a more local level, here are a few projects that are likely to be influenced by election results:

Continue reading "A week after election, Maryland walking issues remain" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bicycling, Politics, Running, Walking
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I can't remember exactly how it came up, but some time ago, Jerry, our resident cyclist, Leeann, my swimming mentor, and I started talking about doing a triathlon. Wouldn't it be fun to stretch ourselves and try to get better in sports that we don't think of as our "main" sport? 

Well, the day of reckoning is upon us. Today, Jerry, Leeann, Patrick and I are planning to sign up for Columbia's Celebration sprint triathlon. 

I can't speak for the whole crew, but for me, this will be my first triathlon, and I realize I may be in over my head. (I just started taking swim lessons two weeks ago!) But it's fun to have a goal to work toward.

Often, during the winter, I feel myself losing much of the fitness gains I've made during the summer and fall. It's easy to hibernate, eat too much, and cut back on working out. Even though the triathlon isn't until June 2011, I'm hoping that just knowing I have such a daunting event coming up will keep me motivated during the colder months. It'll keep me in the pool, that's for sure!

So, at some point early next spring, expect us to blog about our training, and of course, about the event itself. We're kicking around some ideas to include readers in our training. If you have any ideas let us know!

Posted by Anica Butler at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Ethiopian marathon legend Haile Gebrselassie has decided to retire after disappointment in the 2010 New York City Marathon. The retirement overshadows today's win by marathon rookie and fellow Ethiopian Gebre Gebremariam, who ran alone at the end, according to the New York Times, and who had studied Gebrselassie in school. From the Times piece:

Running effortlessly and alone in the final two miles, Gebremariam, 26, cruised to a victory in 2 hours 8 minutes 14 seconds. His only competition late in the race, Emmanuel Mutai of Kenya, had dropped back in the 25th mile in Central Park with pain in his leg. Gebremariam looked back several times, then stormed ahead to the tape.

“I can’t believe it,” he said moments after winning. “I am so happy. It’s my first marathon, and I wasn’t sure I could win, but now I’m sure.”

Read article >>

While last year's winner, California-based star Meb Keflezighi, finished sixth in 2:11:38, there was still an American within the top three on the women's side as Shalane Flanagan of Oregon finished second, running 2:28:40 behind Edna Kiplagat's 2:28:20.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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Yesterday's big MIAA meet between local private high schools set the stage for this afternoon's public-school regionals, which will be held simultaneously at multiple locations.

To provide some context for today's high school events, here a look at a few recaps of recent local league/county results:

Continue reading "HS cross country: Who will make it to Hereford?" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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A study published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that my penchant for exercise may have a lot to do with me making it to work on a daily basis.

Dr. David Nieman, a professor in the College of Health Sciences at Appalachian State University, says, "Exercise is probably the most powerful thing you can do to reduce your sick days this winter.”

According to a news release from ASU, Nieman and his colleagues have spent more than 20 years studying the effects of exercise, diet, weight, gender and education levels on one's health. Regular exercise was shown to have the greatest influence.

Posted by Jerry Jackson at 7:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Bicycling, Media, Running, Swimming, Walking
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Chilean mine survivor Edison Pena will be running in New York, Chuck Schilken reports for the Los Angeles Times. Pena famously managed to jog a bit during the more than two months in the collapsed mine, running through the unblocked tunnels for up to six miles per day. From Schilken's article:

Pena has sent word through the Chilean consulate that he is accepting an invitation to run in Sunday's New York City Marathon, New York Road Runners Club President Mary Wittenberg said at a luncheon Monday.

The club, which organizes the annual race, had extended the invitation to Pena upon hearing of his dedication to the sport. The invitation was for Pena to participate in some capacity -- maybe riding in a lead car or holding the finish tape -- if he wasn't up for the grueling 26.2-mile run.

I won't be in New York this year, but I'll have a handful of posts and tweets about the race over the next few days, since many Maryland runners will compete there.

Read the whole article here >>

Related: Baltimore Running Fest coverage | Marine Corps Marathon coverage

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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IT band issues usually come in the form of knee pain. You don't have to be a professional athlete to run into the problem, though lots of intervals and track work are often cited as contributing factors. (AP photo by Michael Probst)

Kelly Barten, a community blogger at RunOregon, recently had a reader with an issue that may sound familiar:

Listen IT Band, if you want my children and husband to survive, I suggest you heal up FAST! I rested last week but couldn't pass up running a few miles (six, okay?!) to watch the Portland Marathon on Sunday.

I don't have a husband or kids, but my wife and pets expressed a good bit of incredulity a few weeks back, when I was regularly using foam rollers, packing ice on my knees, doing strange stretches and walking backward down stairs.

Continue reading "Give Angela some IT band advice" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Injuries, Running, Walking
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What I’m doing: I'll be spending Saturday morning churning out the longest of my pre-Philadelphia runs. This will likely be followed by a painful Sunday with as little movement as possible.

Why: With Philadelphia coming up on the 21st, it's time to start tapering down.

What I recommend for others: I really enjoyed last year's Down's Park 5 Miler, as it's a perfect way to view the changing leaves near Gibson Island. I was a big Joe Shafran fan when I worked in Annapolis, so if I feel inclined to get up on Sunday, I'll probably go talk to people at the Joggin' Joe Memorial 5K.

Other options:
Tuerk House Annual 5K/1 Mile Walk, Down's Park 5 Miler , Frizzellburg 3-mi XC @9AM, Feronia Funrunium, 5-Mile Trail Run for Healthier Babies, Cardinal 5K, MCCA-Colombo 5K, Jug Bay 5K/10K for Wildlife and 3K Fun Walk, Be True to Your School 5K, RASAC distance training run, 10th Annual Step-by-Step 5K, One Step Closer Autism Walk

Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events, Running, Walking, Weekend, Weekly roundups
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Continue reading "Top marathon finishers" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Marine Corps Marathon, Running, Washington
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Jacob Bradorsky of Centerville, Ohio has won the 35gth Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.

More updates to come.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Marine Corps Marathon, Running, Washington
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The 2010 Marine Corps Marathon has now passed the halfway point, with the 10K having been completed.

The male and female winners of that event, Mark Pepple and Alemtsehay Misganaw, respectively, are both originally from other areas: Misganaw was registered as a Howard County resident but labels herself a New Yorker, and Pepple came here from New Mexico, where he recently moved after going to school in Gainesville, Fla.

The differences between the two are rather extreme: Misganaw is a seasoned road runner at distances from the 10K to the half-marathon and is sponsored by Adidas, while this is Pepple's first road 10K. Pepple enjoyed the conditions on the course: Though the last hill was "rough," he said the temperature and running conditions were agreeable.

In the marathon itself, Gurmessa Megerssa, who is also listed as a Howard County resident, is in third place as of the halfway mark. Leading is Alexander McGregor of Woodbridge, Va, followed by Kurt Michaels Bozeman of Montana.

Continue reading "Marine Corps Marathon update" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Marine Corps Marathon, Running, Washington, Weekend
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Karla Bruning, the Washington Times' running blogger, wrote a nice piece today about maintaining perspective when goals get delayed. Specifically interesting was how she compared her own problems to those of Ryan Hall, who's in the area right now for the Marine Corps Marathon expo. From Bruning's post:

My doctor postulated that I had a meniscus tear, tendonitis or a pinched fat pad. First, all I could think was, “What? My knees are fat?” Sheesh! And then, “Oh no! Am I going to be able to run the marathon?”

If a pro like Ryan Hall could pull the plug on the big goal in the big race that he’d been training for his entire career, perhaps I could conceive of missing the marathon.

To find out whether Bruning is still planning to run in New York, read her whole post >>

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events, Injuries, Marine Corps Marathon, Running
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While not offering specifics, U.S. Marine Col. Dan Choike called the measures -- being developed in conjunction with the FBI and local authorities -- "robust" and said there would be no delays to the race schedule.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Marine Corps Marathon, Politics, Running, Safety, Washington
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I'll be doing sporadic updates from Washington on Sunday, giving a few glimpses of how the big race is going.

We won't exactly go nuts on marathon coverage this week, since the Marine Corps event is much less of a local spectacle than mid-October's Baltimore Running Festival. However, I couldn't resist the idea of going down and watching a few friends as they ran this year's race, with a family visit planned after that. If I'm feeling spunky, there might even be some pictures.

See my twitter feed and check back in our Marine Corps Marathon category for my perspective from the Sunday marathon.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Marine Corps Marathon, Running, Washington
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It's not the newest news, but thought I'd share this tidbit in time for shopping for cold-weather workout clothes:

Lululemon, maker of yoga and running clothes, has opened a showroom in Baltimore.

I came across this information by accident while on their website looking for the address of the Annapolis location.

I went to the Fell's Point showroom, which is open just Thursdays through Saturdays, a few weeks ago and found it cute and the employees friendly. While they don't carry the company's entire line, they had plenty of apparel and accessories to choose from.

The store has also been holding FREE YOGA in Patterson Park near the pagoda every Saturday at 9 a.m. I haven't been yet, but maybe I'll check it out this weekend before the swim lesson.

If you've been already, let me know.

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Apparel, Deals, Outdoors, Running, Yoga
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When you go on vacation, do you also take a vacation from your fitness routine? I always have the best intentions of at least working in some kind of exercise beyond just walking from one tourist attraction to the next. Earlier this month I went to visit friends in New York. I packed everything I needed for a run. They live less than a block from Prospect Park, which has miles of gorgeous, tree-lined paths. When one gin and tonic turned into two and then two turned into...well, you get the idea. The next morning I had no ambition for running. Two weeks later...

Continue reading "Exercising on vacation" »

Posted by Leeann Adams at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Running
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If you are in the market for a GPS for running Amazon has the Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS Receiver and Sports Watch on sale for $99 with free shipping. Regular retail is $268.

It can also be used as a bike computer with Garmin's bike mount.

Amazon also has the Garmin Forerunner 305 with a heart rate monitor for $144.

 Update: Amazon has sold out of the 205 but still shows the 305 in stock.

Posted by Jerry Jackson at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Apparel, Bicycling, Deals, Running
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Mountain biking in the Loch Raven watershed has become a hot button issue again with reports that rangers have begun enforcing a 1998 plan restricting access to the single track trails.

MORE (Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts) will hold an informational meeting Thursday night at 7 P.M. at the Timonium Fairgrounds in the Fasig-Tipton building.

All trail users, bikers, hikers, runners, bird watchers, and fishermen are invited to attend.

Posted by Jerry Jackson at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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What I’m doing: Checking out the Marine Corps Marathon (as a spectator).

Why: While the Suntrust National Marathon is growing, it's a spring race, and the Marine Corps event is what my running buddies all get excited about.

What else I recommend: I'm very curious about the Fire on the Mountain 50K. If it weren't for family being in town, I would almost be tempted to take a trip to Allegany County.

Other options:

Teach, Learn, Play 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run, Miles for Megan 5K and Family Fun Walk, Fire on the Mountain 50K, Seaside 10, Turkey Trot training, KidsPeace 5K run and 1 mile walk , The Calverton School 2nd Annual 5K Halloween Run, Ghost Runners 5k - Walkersville, MD, Big Vanilla 5k for St. Judes, Headless Horseman 5K/1K, Mustang 5K Stampede and Scream & 1 Mile Zombie Walk, Baltimore Crossroads Cross Country Challenge, RASAC Run to Mamma, Pumpkin Pursuit 5K, Kemptown Elementary Fall Festival 5K, Halloweeny Fat Ass Ultra
at Spookhill, Union City Grill Halloween 5K, Field of Screams 5K Run/Walk, Teach Learn Play 5K, Monster Dash, St. Michael's School 5K Fun Run & 1.5 mile Walk

Susie's Cause 5K Run and Family Walk, Middletown High School Field Hockey Team 5K Run / Walk, Seawitch Fall 5k Classic & 1 Mile Walk, Harford Community College Ecology 5K & 1 mile walk

Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: National Marathon, Running, Walking, Weekend, Weekly roundups
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Cincinnati will be one of several spring options for runners who were shut out of Boston. (AP Photo)

After Boston filled up in just over 3 hours last week, a lot of people are looking for spring alternatives.

Since I met my wife in Wood County, Ohio -- and since my original home state of Michigan lacks any large spring races of more than 20 miles -- I thought I'd take a shot at Toledo's Glass City Marathon. While a date conflict made that impossible, Ohio thankfully has two other big options in the spring: Cincinnati's Flying Pig takes off in early May, followed by the Cleveland Marathon on the weekend of the 15th. Here are some other prominent spring options around the country:

Continue reading "Other choices for 2011" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: National Marathon, Running, Walking, Weekend
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I dutifully filled out my Baltimore Running Festival post-race survey this afternoon, and made sure I noted what I felt was an outrageously long line for food at the end of the race.

My other complaint: the lack of bathrooms at the half marathon start.

I know that the race organizers have already addressed these issues as vendor communication problems, but the survey is an opportunity to note any issues you may have had on race day or at the expo.

It's also a chance to tell the organizers about what they did well.

On that front, I was really pleased with the pre-printing of the e-registration. It definitely made my packet pick-up go more smoothly.

Posted by Anica Butler at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running
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What I’m doing: Probably catching up with some buddies in Anne Arundel County. Maybe interviewing people at a race on Sunday.

Why: Last weekend was the running festival, and next weekend will be the Marine Corps Marathon, so this weekend is the best week to take things easy and meet for a relaxed Saturday run/brunch.

What else I recommend: If you just ran the marathon or half-marathon, I recommend not racing at all. Assuming that's not the case, I like the student-public-hybrid nature of the Raven Classic Cross Country 5K (in list below). I would also be interested in how the Goddard Running and Orienteering Club Fall 10K turns out, especially for anyone using it as an offbeat tune-up for the Marine Corps 10K. For a Friday option, there's the MPRC 5K Walk/Run.

Continue reading "Weekly walking/running roundup" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Events, Marine Corps Marathon, Running, Triathlon, Walking, Weekend, Weekly roundups
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Congratulations to everyone who ran in the Baltimore Running Festival Saturday! I hope that everyone accomplished their goals, whatever they were.

For me, my goal was simply to finish my first-half marathon. Training for the race gave me the incentive to finally quit smoking. Now, at five-months (and counting) without a cigarette, I felt like I'd accomplished something before I even got to the starting line Saturday.

I also not only finished the race, but finished it faster than I'd hoped. And, based on how I'm feeling today, I think I could have run it even faster, which makes me even more excited about training for the next one.

So how about you? I'd love to hear how your race went, and how you're feeling today. What did  you think of the course? The organization? The spectators? The shirts?

I've heard there were lots of complaints about the food at the end. I didn't even try to get any, as the lines were so long. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running
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Preparing for a race distance that's sometimes blamed for deaths can be tough, but what comes after the race is almost as important. Once the celebrations have died down, runners have to figure out a way to reconcile their previous training with whatever comes next.

Thankfully, a blog hosted by our sister paper in Chicago has gone over some options for recovering from the conveniently timed marathon in that city. Most of it can apply equally to recovery from the Under Armour Baltimore Marathon (more coverage here). Here's what they've posted:

>> Immediate recovery

>> Recovery: Day 2

>> Recovery: Weeks 2-16

I wish I had followed this advice more thoroughly after last year's marathon. By not cross-training, I risked injury, but just as importantly, I stopped enjoying what I was doing for a period of a few months. Sometimes a controlled deviation into other interests can be a good thing, especially if you've just had a huge dose of one thing.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Walking, Weekend
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The marathon course is now scheduled to be closed, as are the finish line facilities.

Congratulations to everyone who ran today.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Several lengths of street that had parking restrictions for today's run are scheduled to come back shortly. Among them are pieces of Eastern Avenue, Linwood Avenue, Boston Street and Lancaster street.

View a full list of race-day restrictions at Getting There >>

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride, Traffic
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With the largest chunk of marathoners -- those who run between 3:30 and 5:00 -- now moving through the finsh area at Camden Yards, things are getting a bit squeezed in.

In order to see over all of those people, a few people decided to repurpose some vending stalls.

Getting a good spot was less likely to be a problem for Suann Valentine, with whom I spoke near the start line this morning. Valentine was in town from Ocean City to watch her son, James, as he ran his first marathon, and her plan was to go straight from the starting line to the finish area after the runners took off. She described the energy of the event as being "Like Black Friday."

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Sun photographers have been uploading pictures throughout the morning. Here are some scenes from today's races.

To upload your own running photos, click here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Most of the four-hour marathoners are now somewhere near the territory of Eye of the Tiger Guy. A brief description of the experience from colleague Jill Rosen:

Sweeney first cheered at a race in 2003, when one of his good friends entered the Milwaukee marathon. He traveled there with some buddies who all wore T-shirts with a tiger logo — he brought the boom box and a recording of "Eye of Tiger" ready to play on repeat mode.

When he got back to Baltimore, it was time for the city's own marathon, so he slipped on the shirt and walked the boom box a few blocks from his home to the mile 23 marker, where he found a spot on the corner, turned the music on and stayed there until the last runner huffed past.

"We played that song over and over and over and over again," Sweeney says. "It's the best running song ever and one of the most fun things you could possibly do."

For more details, read Jill's whole story here >>

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Here are the top 5 finishers for each gender in the 2010 Baltimore Under Armour Marathon.

Men:

DAVID RUTOH - 2:13:11
JUAN CARDONA - 2:13:29
KENNEDY KEMEI - 2:13:43
JOSEPH MUTINDA - 2:14:31
EDWARD TABUT - 2:14:46

Women:

OLENA SHURKHNO - 2:32:17
IULIIA ARKHIPOVA - 2:33:52
NAN KENNARD - 2:35:49
SALOME KOSGEI - 2:36:26
YUNILESH DELELECHA - 2:37:06

More results are available here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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An early version of sports reporter Mike Miller's marathon story is up now.

Miller rode in the truck with the leaders, so he's had a unique perspective on this race. From his story:

Rutoh defeated fellow Kenyans Alfonsi Yatich and Julius Keter, who won the last two marathons here. Yatich, 26, won the race last year and Keter, 21, set the event record in 2008, finishing in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 56 seconds.

Read the whole story here >>

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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The main awards ceremony for the running festival is set to begin in one hour.

While several past winners continue to run in the festival, others have moved onto other things. Over the last three days, we took a look at the half-dozen most recent marathon winners.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Olena Shurkhno has won in the female division of the marathon in two hours, 32 minutes and 17 seconds. 2009 champion Iuliia Arkipova finished second, with a time of 2:32:09 2:33:52.

In the 5K, which finished earlier today the first ID'd runner to finish was Tristram Thomas, who finished in 15:51 (UPDATE: A runner previously identified only as "Unknown runner" in the results has been named as Matt Straughm, a 30-year-old from Glendale). The female winner for that race was Cara Wettlaufer, who finished in 19:32. Full 5K results are available here.

In the team relay, results are available -- sort of. As of posting time, they're just a rather random series of numbers/ I'm looking forward to providing more details soon.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Recent winners, Running, Stride by Stride
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David Rutoh has won the Under Armour Baltimore Marathon. Rutoh paid his own way to the race, according to marathon organizers.

See the "stride by stride" category and follow BowieMike on Twitter to view other race updates.

Rutoh won after the two earliest contenders slowed down at miles 18 and 22.

Rutoh's time of 2:13:11 is the second fastest in the marathon's history, behind only Keter's 2008 record of 2:11:56, which was run on a slightly different course.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Recent winners, Running, Stride by Stride
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The anthem is now being sung for the half marathon

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Mike Miller has tweeted that the lead of Alene Reta* over Julius Keter has increased near mile 18, and it appears that at mile 19, Reta has widened the gap.

This appears to be leading to a repeat of last year's situation, when Keter started strong but lagged (slightly later) against Alfonsi Yatich.

*@baltrunfest is spelling it Rita. I'm avoiding a decision for now.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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The half-marathon route's first segment goes east from downtown through Butcher's Hill before merging with the marathon near Patterson Park.

From there, the race follows the same course as the marathon.

The men's record for the running fest half-marathon is 1:03:45, set in 2006 by Valentine Orare. The women's record is 1:13:14, set in 2008 by Belainesh Gebr.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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The CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half-Marathon* is scheduled to begin at 9:45.

A half marathon was a new addition for the running festival in 2003, but it quickly grew to be incredibly popular: This year's half-marathon sold out its 10,000 spots by mid-August, according to materials released by the event's planners.

---

* Three camelCase sets in a corporate sponsorship is fine, but four is my limit, darn it: "Half-Marathon" gets hyphenated. That's how we roll.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Near the 13 mile mark, spectator numbers are a bit thinner than at the giant chute on Light Street, where pedestrian bridges make cheering convenient.

The people here are mostly waiting for relay teams. One of those people is Mark Middlebuscher, who's here to run a relay leg in support of his Laurel church.

The church has had a presence in the relay for all 10 years of the festival, Middlebuscher says, and while they ran as a lark the first time, "it's been a big deal since then."

The congregation sometimes has runners in other events as well.

They've had as many as "one full marathoner, one relay team of men and a family of four in the 5K -- It's ebbed and flowed," Middlebuscher said, interspersing his description with cheers for the elite runners as they passed the area. "But we always try to do at least one marathon team to keep the streak alive."

As handoffs for the third relay leg continue, participants closer to the exchange zone are bouncing up and down on Key Highway, waiting to see whether their teams' second-leg runners will come through or leave them disappointed.

"Good luck, man," a rail-thin guy says to the Howard County Striders competitor, who's hopping just in front of the handoff point.

By the time I look up again, he's gone, getting ready to bolt around the corner onto Light Street.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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A pair of runners with touristy crab-eye hats goes by mile two just ahead of a troup of people wearing minimalist, "barefoot"-style shoes at the 2 mile mark. There are lots of conversational people running by at this point, with many calls of "good morning." The elite athletes arrived just a bit before me, so I only managed to set up the laptop in time for the four-hour pace group, which is now long-gone. The 4:45 group, meanwhile, is going by as I type this. The group leader shouts "how y'all doing," with frenzied yells in response from the cluster of 30-40 people behind him. The group has the feel of one of Baltimore's now-defunct Ride the Duck tours.

The pacers are an interesting collection of people. Read more about one of them here.

Meanwhile, up front, Mike Miller has tweeted that Julius Keter has a strong lead at mile 5.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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The festival's 5K race is scheduled to start at 8:30.

The 5K course goes north on Paca Street, following the marathon course until just after the first mile. It then loops sharply to the right, doing a brief eastward spur before coming back on Eutaw Street.

While a 13:53 run by Abiyot Yohanes two years ago came close, no one has yet broken the inaugural event's winning time: 13:47, run by Aurelio Handanga in 2001. On the women's side, however, Julie Culley managed to set a new mark in 2008 with a time of 15:34.

---

See the organizer's 5K course map here.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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As the starting chute fills, spectators are beginning to move toward Pratt and Lombard street, anticipating the 8:02 start.

The announcers are struggling to compete with a horn that's beeping repeatedly.

While the wheelers are warming up, the elite runners are also starting to be more visible: Three were still carrying their shoe bags and in sweats while running up Paca at 7:46, two minutes ago.

A musical-chairs medley of speakers is warming up the crowd, with the microphone getting handed off roughly every two minutes, so far.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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This year's marathon will have runners from 25 countries and all 50 states, with a record number of participants in the festival as a whole.

As a Sun race preview by Mike Miller shows, the elite field has also grown. Luka Cherono's 2:19.46 win at the inaugural event would have been the fifth-place finish in last year's race. While this may be partially because of course/condition changes, it can also be seen as evidence that Baltimore's front groups have become stronger over the years.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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While the Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival* brings intense concentrations of cash and positive attention to the area, I can see why specific residents might choose to get out of town for the weekend of the event.

Continue reading "A sense of event" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride, Traffic
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Welcome to the Exercists live-blogging of the 10th Annual Under Armour Baltimore Marathon.

For mobile coverage, see stride-by-stride posts at mobile.baltimoresun.com.

Desktop users can go to baltimoresun.com/exercists to see a blend of our live blog coverage and tweets from people around the course. To contribute, use hashtag #baltrunfest.

For background information and follow-ups, visit baltimoresun.com/marathon.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running, Stride by Stride
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Name: Julia (Iuliia) Arkhipova

Gender: Female

Won in: 2009

Continue reading "Recent Winners: Julia (Iuliia) Arkhipova" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Recent winners, Running
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Name: Maria Portilla

Gender: Female

Won in: 2008

Continue reading "Recent Winners: Maria Portilla" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Recent winners, Running
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Name: Julius Kipyego Keter

Gender: Male

Won in: 2008

Continue reading "Recent Winners: Julius Kipyego Keter " »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Recent winners, Running
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Fall is almost perfect for a walk, run, hike, skate -- just keep moving -- on a trail, where you can see the foliage change color and the temperatures are moderate. I say "almost" because biting and stinging insects still want a piece of you. Some advice:

Wear light-colored clothing. It's easier to see insects that land on your clothes. Cover as much skin as you comfortably can, tucking in pant-leg bottoms, having sleeves fit snugly at the wrist, etc. Obviously, if you're running, you'll probably want to be less covered, but we're beginners here, so we'll move more slowly and be more covered.

Some tips from Dr. Mark Landrum, chief of infectious diseases at Howard County General Hospital:

Watch out for ticks. Lyme disease gets publicity, but the tick has to be attached for at least a day to get you sick. "If it's less than 24 hours, there's no real risk," he says. Far less common, but potentially very serious, are tick-borne bacterial diseases are in the ehrlichia family. Sometimes a black dot appears at the bite site a week or so after the bite, and often there are flu-like symptoms to go along with what's called "Spotless Rocky Mountain
Spotted Fever." Ehrlichiosis is detectable through a blood test and responds to antiobiotics, he says. Online reports say ehrlichiosis can be, but is not usually, life-threatening.

Most important: Check your clothing, your body and your fitness companion for insects. "If you find attached tick, the most important thing to do is give a call to your physician," Dr. Landrum says. Some may suggest a preventive dose of antibiotics.

Watch out for mosquitoes. The good news is that doctors don't see as much West Nile virus as they did a few years ago, he says. But it's better not to get bitten and scratch.

Stay out of tall grasses, brush and overhanging branches, he says. Stick to the trails. If you're on a broad, paved trail, like the B&A Trail Park, there's less in the insect department to worry about than at woodsy Patapsco Park. Know your trail and insect repellents. You may need none or hardly any in a wide-open, fairly dry area.

Apply repellent before you go and keep it with you. He recommends a product with a low concentration of DEET to last a few hours. I tried a high concentration in a towelette and it took my nail polish right off, and yes, I know there have been some health concerns about pouring on DEET. You also can use a permethrin-based repellent on clothes, and you can buy permethrin-treated clothing, Dr. Landrum says. I've gone with the "natural" and permethrin repellents. The bottom line for me: They all stink, and they all sort-of work, and you have to know if and when to reapply. I usually put more on the sides of my shoes -- the non-canvas part. Other suggestions?

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Newbies, Outdoors, Running
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Name: John Itati

Gender: Male

Won in: 2007, 2004

Running Baltimore marathon in 2010: No.

What he remembers: The speed. He ran a 2:14 in Baltimore, which stood for years as the course record.

In free time: When at home, Itati tends a small farm.

On broken records: At 36, Itati has been complementing his running with mentoring work for awhile now, instructing and acting as an example for other runners. As for having the best time, “it comes and goes.”

Location: Currently living in Kenya, Itati hopes to be in America next March, leading toward a possible Baltimore appearance in 2011.

Diet since Baltimore: Corn meal, honey and beans are the staples Itati relies on most.

Extra: Itati and Asiba shared a Pennsylvania training site, coach and promotions manager at the time of their 2007 wins.

About these posts: We'll be taking a look at the half-dozen most recent marathon winners as the Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival approaches. The Exercists blog will be showing live blog posts and tweets during all Saturday running festival events, with expanded coverage in the baltimoresun.com marathon section. Check back on the blog frequently for updated Baltimore marathon news.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Recent winners, Running
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Name: Gladys Asiba

Gender: Female

Won in: 2007

Running Baltimore marathon in 2010: No.

What she remembers: The finish.

In free time these days: At 33, Asiba recently gave birth, so free time is short -- especially considering that she's actively working on getting back into shape for a possible Olympic run in 2012. “Since I'm doing my training, it's been good looking to the future,” she says. “You can feel the way my body's responding.”

Recent location: Kenya. Asiba grew up in Kisii Land, then moved to Nairobi, where she has lived and trained since 1994.

Diet since Baltimore: “Right now, I can take rice, with beans and some fruit,” Asiba said during a midday interview last Thursday. “When I come from training, I have to take something.” Lunch is usually rice and beans, with occasional meat. Dinner is frequently bread, meat, and greens, along with fruit sometimes.

Extra: Asiba says her training group is widely dispersed, with runners in Kenya, Germany, Canada and the United States. and that her main coach is not always available on-site.

About these posts: We'll be taking a look at the half-dozen most recent marathon winners as the Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival approaches. Exercists will be showing live blog posts and tweets during all Saturday running festival events, with expanded coverage in the baltimoresun.com marathon section. Check back on the blog frequently for updated Baltimore marathon news.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Recent winners, Running
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For all of you running the marathon this weekend, here's a funny little video. I don't need to run the marathon to feel like this. My interval instructor does this to me on a weekly basis.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Running
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The Frederick News Post is reporting that there may not be a marathon in Frederick next year, though the organizer of the race said there will still be a Frederick Running Festival.

Lee Corrigan, of Corrigan sports, which also organizes the Baltimore Running Festival in addition the the Frederick event, told the paper that the marathon is a much more expensive race to put on than the half and the 5k. Sounds like it's much less popular, too.

Here's some of the story:

In this year's marathon, 729 people completed the distance and 800 people took part in four-person marathon team relays. The most popular event was the half-marathon, which 2,629 runners completed.

The 5K race, which takes place the evening before the marathon and half-marathon, had 816 finishers this year.

Corrigan said race organizers will consider whether to scrap the marathon and may also consider changing the race from Sunday to Saturday.

Click here to read the rest of the Frederick News Post's story. 

*Thanks to Patrick for spotting the story!

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Running
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Yesterday morning I woke up in a panic. I'd dreamed that it was race day, but I'd failed to get my clothes & shoes & other stuff together the night before, so a frenzied rush ensued, which included a lot of running up and down the stairs of my house.

Once I finally arrived at the race in my dream, I couldn't find the starting line. I woke up at the point I was looking at my watch and realizing the race was just about to start. Without me.

In real life, I am really excited to be running my first half-marathon this weekend in the Baltimore Running Festival. In fact, I kinda wish it was tomorrow instead of Saturday! But I guess that somewhere in my psyche, I'm a little nervous about being prepared. 

In recognition of that, I'll be posting some last-minute tips throughout the rest of the week. So, if you're running this weekend, let me know if there's anything you'd like to know or anything you're feeling nervous about. If you send me your last-minute race questions, I'll do my best to get them answered by experts (not me!).

Check back around noon: We'll have a post from a University of Maryland Medical Center nutritionist on race-day fueling. She also discusses what and how we should be eating in the days leading up to the race. There are even tips for 5-k'ers.

Posted by Anica Butler at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, City of Baltimore, Events, Running
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Andrea wrote Monday evening about a walker on the B&A trail who was robbed late at night. (A suspect has been caught.)

It was interesting to compare the comments on that story with the thoughts Exercist readers expressed regarding after-dark runs.

To be honest, I found the comments more similar than I had expected. As the person who staffed our old comment-approval system before it was upgraded, I generally find blog comments to be both more positive and more thoughtful than comments on the newspaper site at large. That doesn't seem to be the case here, as I was happy to see productive dialogue in both places.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bicycling, Running, Safety, Walking
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Elite marathoner Deena Kastor, who recently decided to drop plans for an attempt at a New York City Marathon win, is still hoping to be back in shape in time to run at London's 2012 Olympics, NBC has reported. Kastor's pregnancy will reduce her training window significantly, but she states that she expects the pressure to help her. In the interview, Kastor confirms that the baby is expected to be a girl.

As another NBC piece notes, Kastor is part of a string of elite marathoners taking time for births. On September 25, Kara Goucher had a baby boy, while Paula Radcliffe gave birth to a son on the 29th.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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By default, I make an effort to list all advertised, Maryland-based running and walking events that are open to the general public within a given week, usually posting most listings on Mondays.

How to submit an event

If you want to highlight a race outside of Maryland (or just want to make sure your race is included), please use the red "Submit an event" link below AFTER reading the rest of this paragraph. To be included on my lists, the submission must be made at least two weeks before the event, and it must include at least one of the following words/phrases in the title field: "5K," "10K," "mile," "miler," "run," "walk" or "race."

Upload race photos | Submit an event

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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What's officially labeled as the Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival will remain just that: An Under Armour-sponsored event.

Read all about the sponsorship over at  Picture of Health >>.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Events, Running, Under Armour
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Most days, I set my alarm for 5:23 a.m. (Getting up at 5:23 seems so much better than getting up at 5:20.) In the summer, it's a great time to run. It beats heading out in the afternoon when the temperature is hovering near 95 degrees. As a native Minnesotan, I have a low tolerance for heat. Just when the temps start to dip, so does the amount of sunlight.

Now if I'm out the door at 6 a.m., it's still dark. I run through residential neighborhoods in the city. I hardly ever see anyone at that hour. Even the dog walkers seem to sleep in.

In the past few weeks, I have skipped my morning runs. It makes me uneasy to run in the dark with no one around. Not just because I am more likely to fall into a pothole that I can't see or trip over a fallen tree branch, but because I'm a woman running alone in the dark.

Am I just being paranoid or practical?

Posted by Leeann Adams at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: City of Baltimore, Running
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Yesterday I received an e-mail for what sounds like a fun idea for a race, playing off Sunday's date of 10/10/10. Here's the info:

Ten - Ten - Ten Run on 10/10/10

Well, someone had to have this crazy idea on short notice, so here it is:

Meet at Canton Waterfront Park across the street from DuBurns Arena between 8:30 and 9:30 AM on Sunday October 10, 2010 for a 10K run. The rules are as follows:
Distance: 10 Kilometers (6.2 miles)
Entry fee: $10.10 (bring the dime, since all change will be given in the coin of the realm, not bills!!!!!)
Free Entry: To all runners bringing a drivers license that proves that their birthday is 10/10/XXXX.
Starting time: Variable, you pick between 8:30 AM and whenever.
Winner(s): Runners finishing closest to 10:10:10 AM. If no runner finishes exactly at 10:10:10 AM, then the closest finisher to that time will be declared the winner. If two people are identically spaced on either side of the target finish time, then there will be two first prizes!
Winner -.10 + $10 + 10 x $10 bills
- If the winning time is within TEN seconds of the target (10:10:05 to 10:10:15) then the winner will also receive a Timex Ironman Watch.
- If the winning time is within 1.0 seconds of the target time (10:10:095 to 10:10:105) then the winner will also receive the brand newTimex GPS Speed /Distance system with an MSRP of $300.
-If the winning time registers to depart at exactly 9:07:00 AM and maintains a 10:10 pace to finish at exactly 10:10:10, then in addition to the ten cents plus $10 + 10 x $10 bills, Timex Ironman Watch, and Timex GPS system, that person will also receive a free pair of shoes from the Falls Road Running Store.
Rules: ABSOLUTELY NO WATCHES, HEADSETS, or ELECTRONIC DEVICES (iPHONE etc) of any kind. This is so you have to judge your pace based on your training year to date. No help from watches or smartphone apps.. Leave your electronic devices at home or in the car. Anyone wearing a watch, iPod, smartphone, GPS system or other potential timing aid will need to tag the device and leave it at the registration TENt. Determine the time

Race day registration only. Maps and water on the course. If planning to come, please rsvp a heads up to baltimorerunning@yahoo.com so we have plenty of refreshments for all.

Posted by Anica Butler at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Running
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What I'm doing: Going down as a spectator to check out Bita's Run for Wellness.

Why: Everything I've seen leads me to believe it is a well-organized event that's likely to attract a big, interesting crowd.

What else I recommend: Vibrant Life 5K in Hagerstown, Little Bennett's Revenge in Derwood, Berg-Man Triathlon in South Germantown.

Other options: Celebrate Your Style 5K, Bowie Run for a Cause 5K, Marian House 5K run, Walk and Talk, SMHS Run for the Bathroom 8K, Race for the Ribbon 5K, Crop 5K, IMA World Health 5K Run/Walk for Haiti, Autumn Glory 5K Run & 2 Mile Walk, Arundel 5K and fun run/walk, Pink Ribbon 5K, Clemens Crossing Cougarthon 5K fun run, IOCC 5K Run/Walk, Riverfest 5K Run & 2 Mile Walk, Caribbean Sounds 5K Walk/Run 10K Race, Lightning Running Club YOUTH Cross Country 4K/3K/2K/1K, Ellen's Run 5K, 4 mile 5 hill run Legends of the Fall #3, Lower Potomac River Ten-Mile Run, Renie Amoss 5K Memorial Run/Walk, Dimes for Lyme's 5K & 1-mi

(Added later: 10.10.10 run)

What are you thinking about doing this weekend? Leave a comment, or upload last weekend's race photos here.

About this list: By default, I make an effort to list all advertised, publicly accessible Maryland running and walking events within the next week. If you want to highlight a race outside of Maryland (or just want to make sure your race is included), please send me an e-mail with the subject line “Race listings.” The message must include a direct link to your race’s webpage, and it must be submitted at least two weeks before the event.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Baltimore Running Festival has sent out this message:

Later today we'll announce our final contest for the 2010 Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival. Today's contest will take place of tomorrow's Trivia Tuesday. We will not have any promotions next week (race week). Today's prizes will be 3 free entries to the 2011 Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival....stay tuned.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Baltimore Running Festival, Events, Running
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Any time an event involves Druid Hill Park's meandering back roads, there's bound to be some worry about navigation. The organizers of today's Falls Road 15K, in which I ran, took this into account: While the pre-race instructions were a little bit scary, those instructions got us thinking about directions, and the course was full of people pointing us along the way.

Continue reading "Participant's perspective: Falls Road 15K" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: City of Baltimore, Events, Running, Walking, Weekend
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Seems like races in the Baltimore Running Festival sell out faster every year. But, if you're looking for a last minute spot, I just received this e-mail from the Baltimore Women's Classic:

Contact Tom Amatucci THIS WEEKEND for your LAST CHANCE to participate in the closed-out races of the Baltimore Running Festival. BWC charity spots are available in the marathon, half marathon, team relay and 5K. Join the fun on October 16 at the largest running event in Baltimore!
Contact information: tom@baltimorewomensclassic.com or 443-928-8007

I'm not sure if this is for women only, but worth checking out if you're dying to run.

Posted by Anica Butler at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Running
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I'm sure I'm not the only one who's looking forward to somewhat drier weather this weekend. So, with a gorgeous fall forecast, at least for Saturday, what do you have planned?

Are you riding in the Tour du Port? Running the Fall's Road 15k? Taking a hike with the family? Komen Race for the Cure? Something else? 

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Mike Dresser over at the Getting There blog has written about a 5k run/walk that will be held Oct. 17 on the Intercounty Connector.

The event will be a fundraiser for Special Olympics Maryland.

Check out Mike's post for more information.

Posted by Anica Butler at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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On Tuesday, I admitted that I don't run when it's raining outside.

But after getting so many encouraging and inspirational replies, I decided that I'd give running in the rain a shot today, when I was scheduled to run 5 miles.

But once I saw that the forecast called for heavy rain, flooding, and the possibility of tornadoes and/or hail, I again stayed in bed, and packed my gym bag for hitting the treadmill later.

So, for those of you who regularly run in the rain, did you brave today's weather? I'm curious about other people's cutoff -- at what point is there just too much rain/snow/cold/hazardous weather conditions?

UPDATE: I'm especially curious about those training for one of the Baltimore Running Festival races. It's making me nervous that my schedule is getting thrown off so close to the race!

photo by Sun photographer Jed Kirschbaum

Posted by Anica Butler at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Running
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While other runners measure their success based on minutes per mile, I've always based my feelings of accomplishment on whether I could run from my house to Druid Hill Park, around the lake and back without stopping for anything but traffic. While biking, it's not the miles per hour, but how far I go past Monkton on the NCR trail. In the pool, I'm not trying to keep up with the masters swimmers in the lanes next to me. I'm trying to get as close to a mile as a I can before I reward myself with time in the hot tub.

A few years ago, while training for a sprint triathlon, everyone's first question was, "what finish time are you hoping for?" I was just hoping to finish. My goal was to cross the finish line at a pace still considered at least a jog.

It's not that I don't push myself. I do. I get my heart rate up. I get good and sweaty. But my lack of speed does keep me from doing certain things. I'm reluctant to join a running group or even run with neighbors and friends. I don't want to hold them back. And I really don't want to be the last one to finish a training run. But I also don't want to try to shave 3 minutes off my per-mile time. That sounds too ambitious and painful. I haven't joined masters swimming because I don't want to be the bottleneck in the lane or, worse yet, have people trying to swim over me. For now, I can still beat my six-year-old in a bike race. That's good enough for me.

Posted by Leeann Adams at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Running
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My training schedule called for me to run an easy 4 miles this morning. But when my alarm went off, it was not only still dark outside, but damp and rainy too, which made it easy for me to get back under the covers.

Training is a must-do at this point, with only 18 days (eek!) until the Baltimore Running Festival. Which means, I'll packing my gym bag and hitting the treadmill later -- one of my most hated chores.

I know I'm supposed to still run when it's raining. After all, it could pour on race day. But it's the one thing that will almost always keep me inside. So, if anyone has any tips to help me motivate (or keep dry!) I'd love to hear them. Anyone else hitting any bumps in these last few weeks before the big race? If so, I'd love to hear about them.

Posted by Anica Butler at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Running
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I’m Patrick Maynard, and I’ll be writing about running and walking for this blog. At 501 N. Calvert Street, I twiddle knobs and switches on the Baltimore Sun’s cluster of related sites. While I have writing experience with other papers and have written a few briefs and short pieces for the Sun, I’ve mainly been a tech and presentation guy during my time here.

I enjoy racing occasionally, but I’m no Maurice Pointer, so if you have a favorite hike, race or other on-foot topic to rave about, there’s a good chance that it’s new and interesting to me: Send me a note about it, or leave a comment. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Introductions, Running, Technology, Walking, Working
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