|
On trail of expanding exercise opportunities
By JOE SHAFRAN
A funny thing happened one recent morning on one of my runs near the Mall in Annapolis. I was going around the big lake (it’s a storm water management pond the length of a couple football fields) between Nordstrom and the Anne Arundel Medical Center when I see a couple of fellows with hard hats on one of the banks. One was driving stakes into the ground, the other was looking at a set of plans unfurled over the hood of his pickup. I say funny, because when I asked the one with the plans what was happening, he said, “We’re going to build a personal running track for you”, and I said, “Surely, you jest”. Turns out he was partially jesting but mostly serious. These fellows were from Jones of Annapolis, the earth movers, hired by the County to put in a running, biking, walking trail along, not all the way around, that body of water and that particular morning, perhaps two weeks ago, they were two of those behemoth Caterpillars already digging ... I didn’t doubt Jones of Annapolis, but I did put in a call for Dave Dionne, the Superintendent of Trails in the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks, and he confirmed that this was yet another link in what will be called the South Shore Trail, part of a massive and ever expanding intricate trail system in the County for runners, bikers and hikers and on certain trails for horseback riders, once the overhead branches are trimmed. Last Saturday morning, the off-day for Jones of Annapolis, I tried out what is still a gravel surface and I say it’s pretty neat. Dionne is also deeply involved in what is called the Greenway, a long-term national effort to build a trail coast to coast. Dionne is the guy who Hillary Clinton came to see a few years back when she wanted to learn more about trails.
In this area of Annapolis and nearby counties, there is now a web of new trails or sidewalks built in the last few months. A trail parallels part of the new U.S 50 and MD 2 highway interchange near the Anne Arundel Medical Center and the other, a just completed sidewalk, allows you to run, bike or hike from the City Dock in Annapolis along Rowe Boulevard onto Bestgate Road to the Mall, a distance of almost five miles. The new sidewalk, along Rowe was put in by the State Highway Administration as part of the new bridge construction job. The sidewalk isn’t a straight shot however at this time. There are a few crossovers along the way, but to make it safer, the State has moved several hundred yards of guide (guard) rails to enclose the sidewalks.
Across the Bay Bridge at Stevensville, the Kent Island community hard by the bridge, the Queen Anne’s County Department of Parks and Recreation has built a 6 mile trail for runners, bikers and dog walkers adjacent to north-south route 8 that connects with Romancoke on the water. My good friend Mike Murphy, who bikes over there, wonders why some bikers still stay on the highway when they can have the safety of the new paved trail just a few feet away. The trail has been completed for several weeks, but maybe those bikers don’t notice the symbols or read the newspaper.
* * *
Another funny thing happened in running at a July race in Annapolis. A man, in disguise, ran part of the Women’s Distance Festival 5k in West Annapolis the Saturday after the 4th that was strictly for women only. He’s been identified to this column as, of all people, Dr. William Tham, of Annapolis, a Strider, a marathoner, an orthopedist, who possibly dispenses more free advice to runners than anyone else on the east coast. I was at that race and I did see a runner in a Superman costume at the very tail end of the women’s race but didn’t make much of it. There was a lot going on. Right after the women’s 5k, there was one for men. I didn’t think much of it until Penny Goldstein of the Striders, suggested I look into the situation which I did and came up with this expose. Came to find out last Monday, Penny said she ran that short distance with Superman. Come to find out the Doctor, in his 40’s, has a sense of humor and is not new to running in a get-up. At a New York Marathon, on live television for the world to see, he ran as Sponge Bob and I see on the internet that did the recent Dog Days 8k on the Earl Scott Trail coming, in 118 out of 231 in 42:32. The winner of that one was 32 year old, Pamenos Ballantyne, who did it in 28:35 and of course in that race also, there were the Walsers of Lusby, father and son, and it was the same old story, the “old man” trying to beat “the kid” - and again not able to do it. The kid, 24 year old David, who in this race registered using the middle initial “J” came in number 36 in 34:41, beating his father, David, age 47, who didn’t use a middle initial and who came in number 58 in 35:59. And I see also that my former neighbor, Jerry Judd, 49, is back in form, running some of the recent races, doing the 8K in 1:05, as number 223.
* * *
RACE RESULTS
The Striders Dog Days 8K
Overall: 1. Pamenos Ballantyne, 32, 28:35. 2, Brian Goldberg, 20, 28:45. 3. Larry Contrella,19, 28:51. 4. Matthew Llano,18, 28:52. 5. Scott Koehler, 22, 28:54.6. Joshua Okoniewski, 19, 29:05. 7. Max Lockwood, 36, 29:07. 8. Matt Deragon, 22, 29:07. 9. Christopher Moody, 17, 29:40. 10. Danny Siebenhaar, 14,29:57.
Top women: 30 Sheryl Kline, 43, 33:52 . 37. Indira Garcia, 23, 34:41. 54. Holly Marcum, 40, 35:40.
RUNNING CALENDAR
Aug. 27: Annapolis, 7:45 a.m., 10 Miler. Volunteers can apply. Call Lisa at 410.991.7339
Sept. 24: Severna Park, 8:15. Victims Fund Run 5K and 2 Mile Walk 410.222.1740, ext. 3829
Previous Article Next Article
|
|
