Up, up and away...

Lining up at the start line near the break of dawn, looking out over the bay, maybe taking a selfie or two, and planning the best strategy for a swift 10k....those are all the characteristics of the beginning to the 2nd Across the Bay 10k.

Many a driver finds the Chesapeake Bay Bridge intimidating.  In fact, it has been called one of the scariest bridges in the world.  Spanning the 4.3 miles across the Bay from the Broadneck Peninsula to the Eastern Shore and soaring 189 feet above the water, even my own mother refuses to drive across this bridge.  So why run over?  Why the heck not?  And now I've done it twice.

First things first, I need to recap the parts of this race that leave a lot to be desired.  I admire the race team's ability to secure the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium for packet pick up, but they don't use the space efficiently.  While you go to one side to pick up your bib (with plenty of blank space left on that side), runners are then directed to the other side of the stadium for the crowded and not very useful expo....then must walk up to the second deck to pick up the race shirt.  Carrying a 21 month old the whole time did not leave me feeling warm fuzzies for the race team.

Then there's race morning.  I get why runners can't park at Northrop Grumman.  There is literally no where to put cars.  That said, if you live just a mile or two from the start (like I do) it is a bit of a pain to have to travel 6 miles in the opposite direction to park at the community college and catch a bus back to the start near my house.

Ok, rant over.

So, beautiful morning, fresh legs, a fantastic day break and thousands of my closest friends gathered for the singing of the Star Spangled Banner and the official start to the race.  Technically I was supposed to run in wave two, but as I arrived, no one was stopping folks from joining wave one.  When the gun went off, I settled in for the 10k run. 

The start is crowded and narrow, so it's hard to hit your pace right of the bat.  But once you clear the Northrup property and reach route 50, it became smooth sailing.  I could choose my path up and over the bridge and happily settled into a swift pace.

I planned to really run this race....see what I had in me at this point in the season.  What I never expected was just how everything worked together to deliver my best 10k ever.  My legs felt strong, my lungs felt open, my muscles were loose, and the temperature was right.  Combine those factors and you've got one hell of a good race ahead of you.

The first mile was smooth, and then came the incline up the bridge beginning at mile two.  That's when I started to feel myself pull back a bit...grrr and why?  I've got no answer.  Perhaps I felt like I didn't have enough to maintain the pace all the way up to the top of the bridge.  Or maybe I just had a mental break in my confidence.  Mile two took me 8:34.

After that, however, just try to stop me.  Something fell into place and I started to see the pace tick lower and lower as I crossed the top span of the bridge (fantastic views....and it barely feels like you're at the top of a bridge).  As we began to pass the Athletes Helping Athletes teams, I felt even stronger for the grit these kids show in just coming out for the event.  I was re-energized every time I passed one of those teams and cheered for the athlete in the jogging stroller.

As the road leveled out on the other side of the bridge, I had to keep my head in the game and maintain pace.  It was a war between one side saying I was slower on a flat stretch and the other side screaming "YOU GOT THIS."  Luckily, the enthusiastic side, and legs that still felt like they had miles in them, won out.

I was cruising into the finish for a 49:10 finish when....whoops, it happened.  I had to turn around and go back to pick up my iphone, which went flying out of the back pocket of my running belt (my fault totally since I had just unzipped it for easier access after crossing the finish).   And hey, wouldn't you know the race photographer caught that delovely race snafu for me to cherish for all eternity :)

Blooper aside, I had an amazing race.  Crossing the finish at 49:17 (averaging 7:56/mile) still put me at my fastest 10k finish ever.  Overall, I finished in the top 6% of all runners and in the top 2.5% of all female runners.  Sorry for the personal back patting, but I've got to be proud of that one.

Now, as I cruise into the Richmond marathon this weekend, my last scheduled race of the season, I've got two new pr's in my pocket (10K and marathon), a good base of training, and one of my best running buds alongside me to look forward to.  Nothing's stopping me from finishing 2015 on a high note and blazing into 2016.  Happy trails!!!

2015 miles to date:  1130.3 miles

Observations: Though my training early this year had fits and starts, getting into a strong rhythm and incorporating a variety of different activities (mostly paddleboarding with the diva and yoga) to take the focus off my running muscles, seems to be the right combination to ensure results.

Geese and vultures...

Generally they have very little to do with running, except when that's what you see at nearly every turn along your running path.  Yup, and turkey vulture eyes completely creep me out.  Upside?  They make you run faster...at least momentarily. 

Today I wanted to stretch my legs a bit more and see what I could do.  It's been a while since I've run more than 4-5 miles.  In fact, my last 9-miler was back in November.  So I decided today I was going to take the loop that runs both sides of route 50 out near my house. 

Perhaps it was a bit much after 5.75 miles on Friday night and a barre class yesterday that totally kicked my butt (why do people pay to be tortured?), but when have I been known to shy away from something because it's a bit too much. 

 

 

I chose this route today so that I couldn't bail out when it started getting tough.  How do you get better?  You push beyond your limits until its no longer beyond your limits.  Once I cross the bridge over 50 (which by the way offers an awesome view to the Bay Bridge) there is no going back.  While it's not half way on the loop, it is sort of that mentally half way point.  Like "if I cross to the other side of 50 I'm closer if I keep going up to the next bridge."  It's not true, but it's a good mental trick. 

 

There were many points along the way that I just wanted to stop and walk (except for those darn vultures and their beady eyes I may have considered it for more than a second or two), but there were more reasons to keep pushing.  My mind, my goals, being able to tell my kids that you never give up no matter how hard - even when your legs are mush less than 1/2 mile from your home and you hit the pavement (yep, that happened) - all are reasons I pushed my body through the 7 miles.

 

No the moral to the story...7 miles may not be the smartest thing in the world after the tough arm workout I had at barre yesterday.  My right arm ended up stuck in the running position because it was too sore.  My husband had to bend it back out and then OUCH!  Let me tell you, that hurt like a you know what.  Next time?  Well I plan on being stronger next time, so that hard arm workout won't impact my run in the end.

 

That's my goal for the next year - be stronger next time.  Each next time will add up and then I'll look back on the effort at the end of the year and have something to be proud of...though vulture eyes will still be creepy.  Happy trails!!!

 

Stats -

Miles:  5.75 Friday, 7.02 Sunday

Time:  1:00:00 Friday (average pace of 10:26 minutes per mile), 1:21:35 (average pace of 11:37 per mile)

Location:  Greater Annapolis Y, Broadneck Peninsula

Feeling:  Friday all was good but by Sunday night just about every muscle in my body ached like a mother

 



A morning cup of running...

This morning while most folks were still snuggled into the warm folds of their beds, my buddy Kristen and I were greating the rising sun in an early morning six miles to get the adrenaline pumping.  No crazy hills or turning down the wrong street type of adventure like last time, just a nice paced out and back on the B&A trail.

I'm not a great morning runner, I think I've mentioned that a gazillion times, but there is always something about having someone making the effort beside you to make it all bearable.  In Kristen's case, our kids are roughly the same age, so that provides endless amusement, but I think this time we spent a good half of the run talking about food.

Yes, food.  While running.  After all, running all those miles means you can eat food.  We talked about the best brunches, the best lunches and the best dinners to be had across Annapolis.  Her favorites, my favorites, new ones to try.  What prompted this line of conversation seemingly incompatible with an activity like running?  We both had plans today that revolved around food - mine was brunch with a group of good friends and hers was dinner with her husband.

Talk of food makes the time go by fast and soon enough we were back at the start.  I wish I could have joined Kristen and her friends for the next ten miles of their morning run, but alas, that brunch at Metropolitan was calling my name. 

Because it was yet another fine day, I'm excited to say that I spent the day with my family down at our house in southern Maryland.  We've recently turned it over from a recent set of renters and were taking inventory and deciding how to spend our summer down there.  We introduced the diva to the neighborhood - the beaches, the private airfield, the stables - before coming home.  An exhausting, but thoroughly fulfilling day.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  6.0
Time:   54:45 (average pace of 9:07 per mile)
Feeling:  Good day, but ended the run with a minor sprain to my right ankle...


 

Bayootiful....

Credit goes to my buddy Lara for this photo.  I didn't have my
phone with me, but she recently posted a photo from this
particular route through Bay Ridge...beautiful, right?
 

Can a Saturday get better than spending it do all your favorite things?  No.  Especially when the weather is in the 60s and the sun is shining.

After taking the diva to her gymnastics class today I offered to take her for a long run in the jogging stroller so that I could get in a few sunny miles.  My husband counteroffered.  He recommended we go to Quiet Waters Park so the diva could ride her bike and expend vast amounts of energy on the playground while I expended vast amounts of energy pounding the pavement.  Who can argue with that? 

So, dressed with my best "I can't wait for this" smile, I waved as I left them in the parking lot and hit the perimeter trail leading for the front gate to the park.  Oh no, no running in circles around the perimeter trail for me today.  With the sun shining, this running gal was heading out to Bay Ridge to enjoy the sun sparkling on the bay.  Yes, it was a totally zen day for running.

My goals for the day were to see if I could slow my pace down.  Just last night I agreed to volunteer as a pacer for the Zooma Annapolis half marathon in June.  I'll be pacing the 2:10:00 group.  How hard can it be to slow down?  Ummm, a lot harder than you think.  I set off thinking to myself that I was ambling along, only to look down at the Garmin and realize I needed to slow down by about 45 seconds per mile to hit the right pace. 

That's going to take practice, so instead I just decided to slow down a little and enjoy the scenery (I like window shopping the houses in the Bay Ridge neighborhood and imagining myself sitting on my front porch looking out to the Bay Bridge or the eastern shore over my morning cup of coffee) over the next 11 miles...a lot of it stretching out along the bay.  People were out and about prepping lawns for spring, walking their dogs, riding their bikes, enjoying a glass of wine on the picnic tables lining parts of the beach.  It was that kind of day.

I was both happy and sad to turn back toward the park to complete my run.  Happy to play in the sun on the playground with my kid, feeling awesome from my run.  And sad that there wasn't more time in the day to enjoy the serenity of my thoughts and my running shoes.

I reached the park to see a smiling face swinging high above the playground on her swing.  We played a little longer, letting the diva show me her new found rock climbing skills, before heading off to buy preschool safety scissors so she could cut her way through all the construction paper her little heart desired.  Yeah, I could take days like this everyday.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  11.01
Time:   1:43:25 (average pace of 9:23 per mile)
Feeling:  Completely at home

The best intentions...

I had big plans this weekend.  I was in Ohio for a family funeral, with lots of unscheduled time on my hands before the funeral Saturday and Sunday before I planned to return home.  I was going to run 10 or so miles on each day.  Yep, the best of intentions always have a way of turning into the worst executed plans out there.

Saturday I woke up to a light, beautiful snow falling.  If you've read my blog in the past, you know I love running in this type of snow.  I was stoked.  And then I looked at the temperature (much lower than Maryland) and thought to myself - "I can leave earlier Sunday and run super long at home."

Sunday, the diva and I got on the road as planned....which was awesome because I was going to run 15ish miles upon returning home.  All was going well until we hit a little snag at the PA/MD border when the diva got (a) car sick and then (b) played on my sympathies and begged for chocolate milk.  SO...I promised to go to the next McDonald's and buy her a chocolate milk.  Only problem?  The next McDonald's had a big indoor playground and she had been sitting in her carseat quietly for almost 4 hours.  Okay, a few minutes on the playground won't hurt...but 30 minutes later I knew my plans were on the rocks.

Back in the car I cut a deal with the diva.  She could play in her playroom once we got home for as long as it took me to run 10 miles on the treadmill.  She agreed and all was at least sort of on track. 

Then we got home and I told my husband I was running to the commissary and then I'd be back to take Ainsleigh down to the playroom.  Surprise!  He said he would stay with Ainsleigh and play while I shop and then get in a 5 mile run out at Greenbury Point so I only had to do 5 miles on the treadmill.  So I threw on the running clothes and headed out. 

Now, I'm standing at my car, ready to head down to the Greenbury Point trail and the ipod is dead.  Great...can nothing swing in my favor today?  Life goes on.  At least the Garmin wasn't dead...I'm not sure life goes on when that happens.

If you remember this afternoon, you know the temperature was nice (in the upper 30s) and the air was calm.  I basically had the road to myself, well me and a few random die hard golfers out for 18 holes on a brisk winter Sunday who criss crossed the road from hole to hole.  But then it was on my own as I passed the Brigade Sports Complex.  Me, my feet and my thoughts.  A great way to spend an hour.

As I got down near the point and took in the bare masts at the Mill Creek marina, I was hitting my stride.  I know I had a good brainstorm around this time, but for the life of me its gone now.  The best part of the Greenbury Point run, is undoubtedly the bay views.  I love this stretch of landing hugging the shore with the Bay Bridge in the distance.  There's something about it that puts a spring in your step and helps you maintain your pace and motivation when that REALLY nasty head wind hits you on the North heading section of the trail. 

Being a Sunday (with no rain falling from the sky) there were a lot of walkers out on the trail.  I gotta say, the old man with his dog who took the time to say "looking good" as I beared down on the wind and pushed forward, was just the cheering I needed.  It's also great to have a cheering section where you least expect it.

So as I'm headed back toward the car, I look at my watch.  I'm bearing down on about 6 miles if I go straight back, but what the heck?  My legs are good, I've been out for less than an hour and surely the husband and diva can survive another 10-15 minutes without me, so I decide to head up to Providence to put me at a good 7 mile run.  I like the neighborhood.  It's not busy and its got some small hills to stretch and push your legs.  Plus I like the houses. 

Anyway, I hit the 7 mile mark (just over) when I returned to my car and was looking forward to finishing up with only 3 miles to go on the treadmill.  Why do you ask, then, did I not get those last 3 miles in?  Yeah, I was soaked to the bone and could NOT heat back up.  I spent the rest of the night shivering to my skeleton in front of a roaring fire that the diva kept calling "too hot." 

Lesson of the story?  Don't wimp out when the temperature looks uncomfortable and don't stop to wash the salt off your car after you just ran 7 miles in sub-40 degree weather without changing into dry clothes first.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  7.03
Time:   1:02:29 (average pace of 8:53 per mile)
Feeling:  my muscle groups were great, the hamstring insert twinges a bit

Trotting for the turkey...

Ah, the holiday season is upon us.  Eating, drinking, being merry, and eating some more, possibly drinking some more.  Yes, I mark the beginning of this season with the first turkey trot I run and don't look back until ringing in the new year.  Today is that day and I'll be starting the season with the Naval Support Activity Annapolis MWR Turkey Trot 5k...it also marks the first time running with Brie since the end of September.

I headed over to Greenbury Point a little early to get in a couple extra miles (trying to tick away at that goal as much as possible).  Eh, hold on, first I had to turn around (I was only a mile from home) and head back home to grab the tire pump (really just grabbed the whole running stroller) because Brie's was't working.  Then I headed to Greenbury Point.

I was surprised to see the number of runners already gathering when I arrived around 8:20am.  Usually these races are very small so I am happy they are finally getting the word out, though that doesn't help me in my quest to finally win one of their great door prizes.  But I disgress....since I was a little later than intentioned, I decided I would just run a mile and a half or so.  I tend to forget how long the Greenbury Point trail is. 

So, at 8:30ish, I hit the trail at a nice clip...my nicest clip all week, almost back to normal.  And settled in for a pounding warm up against the head winds coming off the bay.  Yowzer, were they something.  As I approached the "short cut" route, I looked at my watch and realized that if I wanted to catch up with Brie before the run, that I couldn't take the whole path.  So I headed back and screeched into the parking lot at about 8:45am in time to see Brie just getting the jogging stroller out of her vehicle. 

We pumped up her tires, with a little help from her little one, made a last trip to the restroom and headed to the starting line.  Sort of.  We actually missed the start, but who cares, its a fun run.  Once we had the jogging stroller situated, we headed out onto the course.  Since we missed the start, we didn't feel compelled to back track that .05 miles to the actual starting line and just began from where we were.

While catching up on the latest and greatest news, we noticed that runners were already doubling back toward the starting line which would mean these guys were super super (like world record) fast unless they changed up the 5k course some.  And yes, they did.  Rather than going all the way up Greenbury Point Road and turning around at Kincaid, we looped back to the trail and finished up there.  The wind was still brisk, but it was a beautiful day out on the bay...and I love the Bay Bridge.  We even passed a few runners. 

All was good until we rounded to the finish line.  Brie's little one wanted to race the last little bit, so we stopped, got him out of the stroller and waited for him to say "go."  Not five feet after the last little burst, the poor guy trip, fell and broke open his lip on the pavement.  He's a tough one though and we were soon eating the turkey sandwiches, waiting to learn that once again we didn't win the random prize drawings.

In all, it was another fun event, with great folks and the opportunity to exercise.  Who can complain about that?  It also meant a great start to a fun filled day of volunteering, tailgating and Navy football.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  4.93
Time:   48:23 (average pace of 9:49)
Location:  NSA Annapolis, Greenbury Point
Feeling:  finally getting back on track

Eating and running...

Blah.  Those two things don't mix.  Does that stop me from doing it however?  That would be a big fat no.  Of course not.  I rarely learn from past mistakes.  In this case, though, I was semi-limited in my choices.  Oh yeah, I still had choices, but I chose the one that appealed more to my brain than my physical being.  Yep, I scarfed down my dinner and immediately ran out the door to pound the pavement rather than waiting a little while, missing the sun and hitting the treadmill.  I just couldn't help myself.

Here's what happened.  I really wanted to be outside for today's run - no, needed to be outside to feel the fresh air in my lungs, smell the slightly salty air running along the shore of the Chesapeake and not be confined by four walls.  Today I spent the day working (the kind that pays the bills) while running after a toddler, cleaning up after dog spills and a chocolate milk spill all over the dining room table and dining room...and then some.  It was a stressful day and running relieves my stress, so I didn't listen to my body when it reminded me I can't run immediately after eating.

Even though my stomach was less than happy with me, my legs were ecstatic.  I ran and stretched with glee along the roads of the Broadneck Peninsula and revelled in the late afternoon view of the haze building over the bay while clearing my mind and my muscles of more than a day of build up.  It was fantastic, if not horribly fast.  The roads were quiet, few sounds but the birds overhead and the thunder rolling across the bay as a storm dumped rain on the eastern shore.  It was my time.  Well, mine and the three deer that nearly scared me to death (or did I nearly scare them to death?) as they crunched through the woods. 

Tomorrow I must hit the trail with the little diva and the jogging stroller to add more road miles.  Today was really much better than last week's treadmill workouts.  I can suffer one more run with the bad jogging stroller before the new one comes in, can't I?  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  6.26
Time:   54:23 (average pace of 8:41 per mile)
Location:  Broadneck Peninsula - Bay Head to Log Inn
Feeling:  My legs were singing with joy

Home turf...

Happy National Outdoors Day!!!  While I did not make it to one of the state and national parks that were free today, I can truly say I did this one up in style.  Starting out with my morning run. 

This may be the first Saturday that was entirely mine, with no specific obligations or things I absolutely had to do before sundown.  So then what was I doing up at 6am?  I did not want to waste the beautiful day. After walking the dogs and eating a bit of breakfast, I hit the pavement on my home turf for the first time in, oh, probably at least a month - basically I started my run from home.  Since I was looking for a longer (though not ginormously long) run (yeah, still got that 500 mile goal in my sights), I headed toward Podickory Point to watch the sun rise over the bay and cruise by the waterfront homes picking out my next house (assuming I finally win that megamillions lottery).  Too bad I'm not rolling in the money yet, I found at least a half dozen that were just waiting for my couch to grace the living room and my feet to perch on the porch railing with a glass of wine.

The bay is meditative, and makes a run move by quickly, but this particular route - up Log Inn Road - is like running through a private tunnel formed by the trees.  Its quiet and perfect for thinking, or in my case, run dancing to the tunes flowing out of my ipod in relative privacy.  It was early enough that I wasn't even competed with boaters heading out to the yacht club yet to hit the water.  Goodness I love running on my home turf.

The rest of the day was equally productive and relaxing.  After my run, I spent about an hour trying to find the garden I know I have in the backyard under the weeds...success!  And then I spent more time outside with the dogs before heading out to my friend, Ann's, house to head out on the water for the afternoon.  It was fantastic on the water - snacks, conversation and Margaret Mitchell's house.  What a wonderful day!  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  8.04
Time:  1:11:58 (average pace of 8:57 per mile)
Location:  Broadneck Peninsula - Bay Head to Sandy Point
Feeling:  Loose and good, though really sweaty

Reasons to love Annapolis...

There are so many reasons why Annapolis is, to me, one of the absolute greatest places on the planet...and I get to live here. Today reminded me of just a few of the most important. First and foremost, Annapolis has amazing people, like my great running buddy Brie. She keeps me laughing and motivated over the long runs and can always be counted on to run head first into a challenge. Also, I love the bay - sailing, beach, outdoors, sparkling water, serenity, amazing views - those are all things I associate with the bay. Further, big town amenites but super small town feel - you escape into amazing pockets of solitude but still be close enough to catch an afternoon college football game at a BCS school (shoot me a message if you don't know what that is...we've got some educating to do and I don't want to embarass you publicly).

Today, I got all three of the aforementioned reasons to love Annapolis. The day started with a fantastic run through Greenbury Point and Naval Station Annapolis with Brie. It was a pretty easy run...okay, let me rephrase...it was a comfortable run, though we were cruising a bit. We did take the time to bask in some of the amazing views from the Naval Station, including across Mill Creek and the Severn to the Chesapeake Bay bridge and the sailboats docked at the Mill Creek marina on base. We also took a moment to look across the Severn into downtown Annapolis. In fact, it was here that even a 30+ year resident of Annapolis can still say "I really love this town." We finished up through the Naval Station proper where we passed a number of groups of midshipmen getting in their Saturday PT. We ended our run by checking out the new collection of Vineyard Vines clothing at the exchange...I've got my eye on that navy blue with white starfish wrap skirt.

The afternoon continued the streak of all things amazing about Annapolis, with the spring Blue-Gold football scrimmage at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. I'll tell you, we've got a decent quarterback coming up, but the defense still leaves a little to be desired. Hopefully come the fall season, the boys will have figured out how to stop the other team from scoring. Anyway, it was a great day all in all, including the peanut butter froyo at Menchie's and dinner at Mexican Cafe. Couldn't ask for anything more! Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles: 10.79
Time: 1:35:58 (average pace of 8:53 per mile)
Location: Greenbury Point at Naval Station Annapolis
Feeling: Loved it - great weather, great company, great feeling legs

Luck o' the Irish...

Happy St. Patty's Day to ya! If you're lucky enough to be Irish (which I am) then you are lucky enough. Today however, I think my luck was amazing. No I didn't win the $240 million megamillions lottery - though I tried. And no I didn't stumble upon a pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow - though I looked. Instead, I was blessed with a great husband, wonderful friends and another amazing day by the Bay.

The morning started out with a nice little jaunt down the street with Jay. He grumbled at first, just like he always does when he has to rise before, oh, say 10am on a Saturday. It was a pretty fast 4 miles by my average running day standards, but it was all good. Logged another non-injurious run in the new shoes, enjoyed the heavy fog burning off as the sun rose. Then enjoyed a pancake breakfast team cooked with Jay.

The rest of the day was about spending time and dirnking beer with friends. First was little Emma's acro meet...in which she did an amazing job. Then we headed over to Brie's house for a bit o' blarney telling...and wearing o' the same green (uh, is now a good time to spill the news that I am actually what one would call orange Irish? Go look it up if you don't know what that means). Then we rounded it off with a ninth birthday party for the little leprechun herself - Emma that is. So, really, who can complain about such a fantastic day?! Now I've got to hit the water a bit before bed to counter the beer before tomorrow's long run with Brie :) Happy trails!!!!

Stats -
Miles: 4.01
Time: 33:07 (average pace of 8:15 per mile)
Location: Woods Landing to Log Inn Road
Feeling: Fast and sweaty

Ahhh, the bay...

I'm blessed to have many great friends, some of whom inspire me to run. This morning I took in a longish run with a group of women training for the Zooma half marathon, led by my great friend Lara. Lara is the woman who conned me into trying my hand at the 50k distance a few years ago. She's also a woman who can keep you entertained over many miles of quiet, boring, busy, or exciting roads. Today she led our group of ladies through the Bay Ridge community of Annapolis. If you know Annapolis, you know this neighborhood probably has the best views of the bay in the area. At any of a great number of houses, one could imagine taking in the morning coffee on the front porch watching the sun rise over the bay. This morning, the day was so clear that the sun was virtually sparkling on the glass surface of the bay. The stretches of bay were so inspiring that you could almost forget the strong wind coming down from the Severn. The beaches were so clean you wanted to sink your toes into the sand. Amazing!

Instead of getting to take in my coffee overlooking the water, or sticking my toes into the sand, I pushed out 7 miles through the rolling hills of Annapolis Cove, Bay Ridge and Anchorage. I changed shoes back into the old ones today to check on whether the shoes were creating the bakc issues - quite likely. It was a great run and I met some great new ladies. They even helped me regulate my speed a bit which I am not very capable of on my own....I'm a bit of a speed demon. I hope that I will be invited to run with this group again and I wish them all luck as they prepare for Zooma this year (I'm not fond of this race, so I'm more likely found at a water stop handing out liquid life). Thanks again to Lara, Gloria and my new friend Natalie (who hung out for the last 4 miles or so). Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles: 7.2
Time: 1:08:02 (average pace of 9:26 per mile)
Location: PAL Park down through Bay Ridge and back
Feeling: Very strong.

Happy world water day....

Happy World Water Day!!!

You may or may not know that each March 22 since 1993 the globe has celebrated World Water Day. This year's theme for the global observance is water quality, aimed at raising awareness that even seemingly water secure areas may in fact be water-deprived. Think of the magnificent flowing rivers that upon further reflection are too contaminated from sewage, bathing, manufacturing, and other harmful practices to provide a safe water source for the villages that depend on the river for survival.

The UNEP World Water Day site states "Every year, more people die from the consequences of unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war. Every year, the contamination of water resources within natural habitats affects us all directly by destroying fresh water fisheries, affecting food production and spreading sickness and disease. Clean, safe, and adequate freshwater is vital to the survival of all living organisms and the smooth functioning of ecosystems, communities, and economies. However, the quality of the world’s water is increasingly threatened as human populations grow, industrial and agricultural activities expand, and climate change threatens to cause major alterations of the hydrologic cycle."

Please take a few minutes today to think about what you have done recently to promote clean water sources in your community.

On a related note, as many of you know, this year I have pledged to do my part to help improve access to clean water supplies in developing countries by running with Team Blue Planet. This past Saturday I pounded the pavement around Annapolis for four miles towards my goal to encourage friends and family to donate $3000 this year to Blue Planet Run Foundation who then invests 100% of the donations in providing clean water access to the developing world. The run was ironically called the Four Rivers Four Mile Maryland Day Run. While most of Maryland enjoys access to safe drinking water, we are not without our own problems in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed thanks to harmful environmental practices. I encourage you to visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation website at www.cbf.org to learn more about the challengese our own water resources face and ways you can make a difference locally.

Thank you to all of you who have so far donated to this cause! WATER IS LIFE, PASS IT ON!!!