Summary

I ran the Fort Howard 5k in just under 27 minutes. It wound up being a “reverse progression” run. My splits were approximately 8:30, 9:00, 9:20. Somehow this was good enough for 1^st in my AG.

Long Version

I picked this race for one reason—20-ish feet of total elevation gain. I live in Baltimore County. East of US route 40 gets close to the Chesapeake Bay and is flat. Most races are west of there, so when I saw something in the flat area, I signed up.

It was really sticky when I walked outside Sunday to get the paper. On the drive over to the race, it was sprinkling lightly, but nothing major. I got there a little later than I wanted to. I saw someone from an agency we work with, so I talked to her for a bit. I got in about a 10 minute warm up.

The course was 2 loops through Fort Howard Park and North Point State Park. Fort Howard was not what I was expecting. Prior to the race, the only thing I knew of Fort Howard was that there was a scene in season 2 of The Wire where PDAs got chucked into the water from the sea wall while the cops watched from a fishing boat. So I was expecting maybe a boat ramp and some open spaces or a smaller, less important version of Baltimore’s most famous fort (Ft. McHenry). Not quite. While both parks played a role in the War of 1812 and have historic markers around, Fort Howard was also a military base in the early 1900s and later was a VA Hospital.  Now the buildings are abandoned. From what I read later, some were torn down, but many remain, giving it a rather eery feel.  The race started & ended in front of what looks like it was the main hospital building. On the road in, there were some larger houses, water front, those were likely the general’s quarters.

Loop 1

I felt ok in the early part of the first loop. We ran towards the back of Fort Howard and crossed into North Point Park. There was an ever so slight incline on the road out of North Point Park. By the time I was finishing the first loop, I could feel myself slowing and was miserable.  I was seriously considering going back to my car. However, the only road in was on the same road as the race, so not like I’d be going anywhere.

Loop 2

Was I running through molasses? I just could not make myself go any faster. I was running behind a women in purple who had her hands held straight, I kept telling myself stay with blade women. Towards the end of this loop, we ran into the walkers, who started after the runners, at the end of their 1 loop. There was a little weaving, but nothing major. Blade women stopped the water table, then in the span of the last ½ mile (if that) caught me and finished 30 seconds ahead of me. I knew she wasn’t in my AG, but was stunned when she won the 60+ AG.  Running= fountain of youth?

Thoughts

The weather has been all over the place, so I probably started way too fast for the conditions. It wasn’t until I got home that I saw the dewpoint was 70. Or at least that I what I hope happened.  Otherwise it is a but demoralizing to be running more miles and having slower times.

On a brighter note, this would make a great Halloween course. The skies opened up after I finished, so I wasn’t able to get pictures. Here are some I pulled from the web.

Some days are just like that... and those weather conditions couldn't have helped.  But hey, congrats on the AG!

Sign up for a 5k in Buffalo, I hear they have cooler days this time of year

Don't fret over the slower times.  It is still a good workout where you pushed yourself and also get a chance to train your brain to ignore the pain.  That is perhaps the hardest breakthrough, to realize that if we accept the pain and push through, surprising things happen.

"Reverse progression."  I have run a few of those!  Congrats on the AG win. Those pictures do seem to make Fort Howard a bit eery. Well done and I'm glad you missed the rain.

Well now I don't feel so bad that the Wire and Serial are the only ways I know anything about the area myself.   Although my mom did go to high school in the area (graduated from Woodlawn) and my grandma lived there for quite some time.

I couldn't even imagine going back past my car after 1 mile of a 5K.  That must have been a serious temptation to bail!  Nice job sticking with it, and it sounds like you gave it all you had.  Congrats on the AG win too!

Thanks all.

LRB, it was a really gradual fade. Although Garmin graphs is in a ridiculous manner, I really don't need 0-30 minutes on the axis. Just graph it 6-12 minutes.

Zelanie, when The Wire was being filmed, there were many times I saw all the production trailers during my commute.  So then when DH and I watched it, I would try to pick out those places. It took me a while to realize that every morning I look directly at the bar that Butchy ran while I wait at a red light.

 

 

It was really sticky when I walked outside Sunday to get the paper. 

BTW, what the heck is this "paper" that you speak of?

 

My Sunday newspaper. I'd rather get the hard copy with coupons than pay for the crap the Baltimore Sun has online.

You and I might be the only people who still get a paper.