Running with the Annapolis Striders

Man, I gotta tell you - running with this group is tough!

Yesterday, I finished in 6:16. This was 23rd out of 35 in our age group. This is about an equivalent result to my 21:50 5k that I ran last Sunday in Pikesville. There, I finished 8th out of 67 in men's 40-49 group.

My conclusion - there are a bunch of tough, middle aged male runners in the Striders!

C Ya later!

Barry

One Mile Race Today

For the first time ever today, I ran a race on a track. My running club (annapolis striders) has an annual 1 mile event...with 7 heats, self seeded.

I ran in the 6:00 - 6:30 heat, and ran a strong 6:16. This is a pace much faster than I've ever run on the track - I don't think I had much more in me, so I can't complain.

Coming up - the cross country 8k on August 2nd. I've only run this distance one time, and I was just back from an injury, so this will be an easy PR.

Barry

New 5k PR!

I ran a 5k today in Pikesville, MD. Weather was a bit hot, but the course was flat. I got in in 21:50, which beats my old PR by more than 15 seconds!

It was very crowded at the start, so my first mile was the slowest of the 3 (at 7:09). This probably helped keep me under control, so I didn't come out too fast.

For the first time in my running career I was really able to keep pace even with alot of discomfort for the last half mile.

A great day today!
Barry

Wimbledon

Wow! We're at 7-8 in the 5th set. What a great match!

Home Watching Wimbledon

Home after the run this morning...watching Federer vs. Roddick....as we near the end of the first set, it is looking like it could be a great match.

Why Do I Run?

Just back from an 8+ mile cruise tempo run this morning - with Speedway. This is a picture of how Speedway looks after a good run.

Anyway, I was thinking today....why do I like to run? Some quick thoughts...

1. General fitness and weight loss. When I started running (and got off of the couch of doom), I weighed 304 pounds. This was January of 2007. Since then I have been between 215 and 225#.

2. The competition. I have to admit, since my first race (10k in June of '07), I have just gotten a big kick out of competing. This kind of surprised me - I was not an athlete in high school or college. I get good butterflies before every race, and am now starting to get a good feel for the pacing and strategy of racing.

3. The chance to stay informed. I listen to podcasts when I run (except for very hard tempo or interval runs). I listen to NPR and BBC podcasts, as well as any interesting politics and business podcasts. I feel really on top of what is going on in the world. This feeds the political junkie in me.

4. Perhaps most importantly - I just get a kick out of it. Running is the highlight of my day. Given that I run almost exclusively early in the morning, it gets my day off to a great start.

So, that's what I think!

OK, Here Come Some Posts

Well...I am trying to get into this blogging thing...I guess that it is evident that I haven't gotten the hang of it yet. So, here goes.

It's Saturday, July 4. Just finished an easy 11 mile run, on some roads that I haven't run on before. Hot and humid this morning (big surprise in suburban Baltimore). This is following 18 miles on the trails yesterday, so I am happy to say that the legs felt good and strong today.

Back home this morning watching the Williams sisters at Wimbeldon. I watched the Andys (Murray and Roddick) yesterday - one of the best matches I've seen in years.

Anyway, I hope that I can get to doing some regular postings...

Barry