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Fitness enthusiasts off, running in '08
By JOE SHAFRAN
The beginning of a New Year seems to be the time for people to resolve to become fit.
If this were not the case, why would a couple hundred runners and spectators flock to City Dock in Annapolis and other places early on New Year’s day morning for a 9 A.M. run. The one in Annapolis is a tradition started a few years ago by Mike Smith, formerly of Annapolis, now in Florida with Chico’s clothing, and carried on voluntarily by Adeline Welch, the lawyer and Ashley Halsey. This is a race where there is no registration and no fee. Welch and Halsey do a count by the number of free souvenir tee shirts they hand out, sometimes more than 150. Some of the runners are there with the hats, noisemakers and hangovers from the night before. It’s two miles out and two miles back. One year, I may have been seeing things, but I swear Annapolis lawyer Gil Cochran ran in a red jump suit. Or was it orange? To this day he vehemently denies it and says he was wearing his usual Armani blue and white tailor made running outfit, but that the main thing was, he did the run. In Baltimore, the directors of a New Years Day run at Patterson Park have a bit more compassion. They start at 2 P.M.
Also in this fitness mode, Evan Thomas of Annapolis, doesn’t seem to have trouble filling up his winter running classes. Last Sunday morning, along with his helpers, he hosted a nice crowd at Bates Athletic Complex, the start of a 5K training class that graduates at a Valentine’s Day race. It’s a twice a week session Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. This is a man who says he’s retired from his day job and now devotes almost full time to teaching people how to run. Last weekend, also, he began a twice weekly course at Jonas Green Park on running a half marathon. And he and others do a beginning runners’class in the spring. I think I see what Thomas’ teaching trick is. He starts his students off with a nice easy walk around the stadium track, then all of sudden he pulls out this bright orange referee’s whistle, gives a blow and suddenly has you running. You can reach Thomas at 410.451.4155
Also, as for training for distance races, there are Ron Bowman and Ken Mierke who will kick off a training session the first of February for a Zooma Women’s Half Marathon and 10K, June 1st in Annapolis. Bowman reports also that he will be working with the people at Westfield Annapolis to do more 5K runs on the Mall’s Ring Road as they did in November ,one of the few runs in this area on private property with registration, awards and food at the food court. Reach Bowman at 410.573.1929
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Another thing that tells me people need the New Year to resolve to be fit, Marcie Parke Canine, whose husband Sky is one of my fitness trainers and at Premier, and is a trainer herself, says she has twenty of the region’s top fitness trainers coming to her Fitness for Life Night at South Shore Elementary School at Crownsville at 6 P.M. Wednesday night, January 16tth. Canine is an art instructor at the school but has a concern about childhood obesity and wants to do something about it, and with the help of the principal and some of her associates at the school has set up this clinic to which the public is invited. The school is on Fairfield Loop Rd. off General’s Highway, (Md. 178) and I-97. Call Canine at 410.596.8709
Runner of the week is Ben Moore of Annapolis, in his eighties . It seems that any time one talks about running in these parts, the name Ben Moore is mentioned. Hundreds of runners credit Ben with getting them started. Until recently he has been running the track and using a bike at the Halsey Field House at the Naval Academy but his wife Betty tells me he’s a bit under the weather and at home. Ben was a Marine Colonel, a graduate of the Naval Academy back in the late forties and was a star halfback on the Navy football team. I mentioned in a recent column about the midshipmen who ran the game ball from Annapolis to the Army-Navy football game. That was to the game. There is a story they tell that Ben Moore once ran the game ball back to Annapolis. Later, as a young marine, he ran from the top of Mt. Hood to the Oregon coast.
Race of the week: The Disneyworld Marathon in Florida a week from Sunday. It’s mostly a flat course through the theme park, with the temperature in the 70’s .At the fluid stops, you can get ice cold orange juice, and you can have your picture taken with Mickey, Minnie or Goofy.
Tip of the week from Evan Thomas, the runner who coaches many of the starting running classes around here. Eat a bagel or a piece of toast before you run. Don’t run on an empty stomach and hydrate. Thomas personally lugs gallons jugs of water to each of his classes and furnishes the paper cups.
Running Calendar
Sunday, Jan. 13. Disneyworld Marathon, Buena Vista, Florida
Sign up at www.disneyworldmarathon.com.
Sat. Feb. 9th. 10:A.M. . Valentine 5K . ( 1st leg of champion series)
Kinder Farm Park, Severna Park. 26th year. www.annapolisstriders.org
Sun. Mar. 2, 7:30.A.M.. B&A Trail Marathon & Half Marathon…
Severna Park High School. www.annapolisstriders.org
A new web site is under construction, so be patient. It’s the 17th year for the marathon and the 13th for the half.
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If you have a suggestion for the runner of the week,
please e-mail me with a contact number.
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