The weather leading up to The Baltimore Marathon was abysmal. The remnants of Tropical Storm Karen combined with an early season Nor’easter had dropped over 6 inches of rain in some areas of the city over the two days prior to the marathon. There was a possibility that the race would be contested during some kind of rain event. I woke up at 5:45 on Saturday morning and checked outside as I was letting the dogs out and it wasn’t raining. That’s a good start. I had a little oatmeal, took care of some personal business and headed out the door. I had put everything I would need in the car the night before so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it on race day morning. Continue reading Baltimore Marathon →

I hit the “Submit” button and sent my credit card number swirling off into cyberspace. This was January 31^st, 2012. And so began my nearly 9 month journey to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I was registering for the Baystate Marathon, which was to be run on October 21^st, 2012 in Lowell, MA. I choose this marathon from a handful of other possibilities because of its relative proximity to home, its reputation for producing Boston qualifying times and my friend Jim lived nearby and had volunteered to put me up and show me around. All that was left to do now was get to work. Continue reading Baystate Marathon →

The Hidden Treasure Half Marathon is a small, quaint race that is run in Salisbury, MD, home of Salisbury University, considered to be one of the best college educations available for the cost. This was the third year for this event. I ran the inaugural event as well. The race is growing, but only by a dozen or so runners each year.  For 2012, there were 180 finishers. Continue reading Hidden Treasure Half Marathon →

The St. Michaels Half Marathon was one of 3 races in the inaugural St. Michaels Running Festival, located in St. Michaels, MD on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Nestled against the Chesapeake Bay, the old fishing township is now a favored tourist destination for the more mature crowd that is looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. The quaint main street is lined with upscale clothing boutiques, art galleries and antique stores, all interspersed with impeccably decorated bed and breakfasts. Wonderful little restaurants abound, many featuring seafood brought in at the docks across the street. I choose to run this race because it was touted as “fast, flat and USATF certified”, a perfect combination for a huge PR attempt. Continue reading St. Michaels Half Marathon →

This year is the second time I have done the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon in Wilmington, DE. The last time was in 2009 when I left the house without my Garmin (oh no, the horror!) and I ran a respectable 1:38:51. This is a storied race with great history, this being the 49th running of the event. Delaware State Senator Tom Carper was the guest of honor prior to the race. He was competing in his 30th consecutive Caesar Rodney Half Marathon. The weather this day was cool and windy with temperatures at race time hovering around 53°F with the threat of rain in the air. Continue reading Caesar Rodney Half Marathon →

The Tim Kennard 10 Miler is probably my favorite race. This is the 3rd consecutive year that I have done the race. It’s located in Salisbury, MD, a small town on the Eastern Shore, which is the home of Salisbury University, the Alma Matter of both my wife and my mother. The course starts and ends at the University and winds through the flat, pine tree lined streets of the town. This race has the best post-race food of any that I have done. Chicken noodle soup, Jambalaya, chicken salad and egg salad sandwiches, fresh popcorn, pizza, fruits, subs and other things I just can’t remember. Continue reading Tim Kennard 10 Mile River Run →

The Under Armour Baltimore Marathon at the Baltimore Running Festival was to be my second marathon. The only point of reference that I had was my effort at the Marine Corp Marathon last year where I faded pretty hard over the last 6 miles. I still finished running, but much slower than the first twenty miles. I kept telling myself “You’ve put in a lot more miles since then and you have run a marathon before” to keep myself calm and on an even keel. Continue reading Baltimore Marathon →

I awake from a dead sleep at 4 AM on October 31st. The best, most restful night of sleep I have ever had the day before a race, a nice solid 6 hours. This is starting out to be a pretty good day. I start the complimentary coffee that I had prepped the night before and check the weather on my phone. Its 45 degrees, so it should be about 50 at the start; nearly perfect. I eat a granola bar and drink my coffee and take care of the morning necessities. I pack up my bag for the car and get my check bag ready. I’m traveling light this morning. I have my Gu, a few dollars, a fleece and my fare card for the Metro. I check out of the hotel, throw my clothes in the car and I head off to the Metro station, Continue reading Marine Corps Marathon →

The alarm went off at 4:30 AM on race morning. Start time was 7 AM in Columbia, MD, about a 40 minute drive from my house. The first thing I did after shuffling downstairs and starting the coffee pot was check the weather. The forecast for race day was calling for the possibility of showers for the entire time period of the race. I turned on the deck lights and took a look outside. Damp, but not raining at the moment. Maybe the rain would hold out. I piddled around the house, had a bagel and some coffee, got dressed and headed out the door. There was a light mist in the air, mixed with some fog, as I drove to the site of the race. Continue reading Blossom’s Half Marathon →

It was a perfect day for racing today. It was 36°F and sunny at 8:30 AM for the start with a bright sun shining in the cloudless sky. The Tim Kennard 10 Mile River Run starts and finishes on the Salisbury University campus in Salisbury. This is a great D III school with fantastic academics and a long history of athletic excellence. This campus is a half hour from the beach, so it’s very popular. My wife’s undergrad is from the school as well as my mother’s MBA. They have dropped millions of dollars into the facilities over the last couple of decades. The campus is beautiful. Continue reading Tim Kennard 10 Mile River Run →