2009 Pikesville 5K Photos

The Pikesville 5K photos are now available.

Bizarro World...

Everything was perfect for our run on Saturday morning. Friday night we'd eaten big plates of pasta as usual. We had gotten up right on time at 3:45am in order to make it to the trail by 5:00. I ate two pieces of toast, Kim ate her usual PB&J, and we were all dressed and ready to go. That is when Kim noticed the rain, and then that it wasn't just raining, it was storming.



We headed down to the trail anyway (had to, we are group leaders), and as we headed down it proceeded to pour and huge streaks of lightning went across the sky. We listened to the weather report and it certainly did sound like this was going to last all day.



The trail was chaotic and disorganized. We ran around to everyone's cars in the dark and pouring rain, trying to figure out which people were members of our group and which people were not. Each group ended up making our own decision about what to do - some groups chose to wait. Kim and I ended up postponing the run due to weather for the first time in the 2 1/2 years we've been in the program.



We're fairly used to getting up that early to run, so the time was not a big deal. What we are not used to is getting up that early and then not running. We tried to sleep, and we did fall asleep for an hour or so. We ended up discovering that we need those endorphins from running to keep us sane. Saturday was a bizarro world of feeling jet-lagged, bickering with each other, and just plain feeling miserable. We were not the same Todd and Kim that people are used to.



Fast forward to Sunday. Again, we were awake at 3:45am, went down to the trail and this time ran. It was beautiful weather, cooler than it had been on Saturday, clear and beautiful. I ran an easy 20 miles. After the run, we were totally normal, feeling great, and had a wonderful day. It's amazing what a change a little endorphins will make.

Pikesville 5k Race Photos...

As part of the Fleet Feet Galloway program, today was the annual Pikesville 5K. Having already completed my mileage for the week, I decided to not run the race and take photographs instead. Oddly enough, some of the runners thought I was part of a professional group that sells race photos. LOL!






All the pictures from the Pikesville 5K are now available at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/krebsTodd/2008Pikesvillle5k

All are welcome to use any of the photos from the Pikesville 5K. If you want the image in full resolution (10 megapixel), just email me and I will send them to you. If you ran the race and you like what you see, just leave a comment. :-)

A really rough run...

I remember the old US Army slogan, "We do more before 9am than most people do all day." It was a good commercial that I never really gave it much thought to. Well, this morning I awoke early, determined to get my long run in for this week - I too felt like an army of one.

It was really hot - even in the early morning and the hills didn't help much. Oh well, another ten miles down.

:-)

Run Forrest Run

Since I have been running, I have heard a lot of comments - some good, some bad. I guess it comes with the territory. Some people have been ultra supportive while others think you are crazy for running so much. A lot of people like to call me "Forrest Gump" because of all the running that he does in the movie, and again, some say it as a compliment and others as an insult. Personally, I take it as a compliment. Forrest Gump, although not being a very smart was true to himself. He was simple and did what he felt in his heart. I have learned (and still am learning) that life isn't all about material possesions, or being the best at something, or even being smart. It is about being true to yourself and learning from your experiences. I say that I am still learning because I always think there is more to garner from our experiences and so we are all on a path. Anyway, to all those that have called me "Gump", thank you... whatever your intent, it only serves to remind me to be true to myself. If I live a life like Forrest Gump, it would be a life fulfilled.

Inspiration

Every once in a while you come along a story that moves and inspires you, this article did that for me. While running is a choice for me, for others it is just a way of life. What I do as a hobby and for my health, others do for necessity.

They say you can go through every emotion when you run a race as long as a marathon. Personally, I can relate with that statement. After reading that article I cannot help but feel overwhelmed for the amazing pride these six runners will have when they complete their goal. It is just amazing and it goes to show you with the right attitude and determination anything is possible. Here is a link to their website (which contains a blog) in case you are interested further and maybe want to help.