|
Son provides nice finishing touch
By JOE SHAFRAN
Want to hear something touching ? In my previous column, I made mention of the death of Mandy Falk, of Annapolis, who collapsed and died over this past Memorial Day weekend after running a race in Delaware. It's now known that Mandy had full intention of running the Zooma half-marathon Sunday, June 1st in Annapolis. She had sent in her check for registration. And the manifest of finishers in that run shows Mandy winning in her 55-58 age group in a few seconds less than two hours. I now find that her 28 year old son, Danny, did the race in her memory, using her registration. Danny then got hold of the second place woman and told her that she actually won in that age category. I'm told that Danny became hooked on running in recent months and had run some races with his mother.
There are sayings, "betwixed and between" or "you can't win for losing". That's me. Here I am a columnist on running, having done the unbelievable, endorsing the legislation in Maryland that made walking the state exercise. And perhaps people are taking it to heart. Last week in the news there was the story of the woman who was attacked as she walked on the Poplar Trail in Annapolis. The report indicates she had dropped her car off at a West Street dealership and rather then taking the complementary shuttle, decided to walk to her job. She was alone, it was a bright morning, in a wide open area near some homes and with people around. She was within shouting distance of Germantown Elementary School, the Phoenix Center and the Poplar Street entrance to the West Street library when she was attacked. She resisted and screamed and her attacker, a man, took off in his car which went off the road and came to a stop . Some people held him for the police. So, I'm betwixed. Did this woman note my mention in this column and take up walking? Thank goodness she escaped with no serious injury. While that was enough of a bummer, there is a plus side to this walking legislation. I see the Annapolis Department of Recreation and Parks, noting that more people might be walking the trails, did a massive Spa Creek cleanup in recent weeks and corrected some signage that will help with directions on that Trail.
And speaking of the police, I repeat again to the bad guys: Don't try to outrun them. Many of the cops and firefighters are accomplished runners. I tell the story of County Police Officer Joe Hatcher, who a couple of years ago, in full uniform, wearing a bullet- proof vest and in street shoes, chased a fleeing subject half his age and caught him a half-mile away. And one of the County Deputy Chiefs, Emerson Davis, is out running every morning long before we all get up. The other day I saw a picture in the paper of County Police Sergeant L. Gonzales leading the pack of officers from many departments on a relay run for Special Olympics.
Last week, when I stopped by the Annapolis Police Department to get some facts on the attack on the woman walker, I was directed to Officer Hal Dalton, the Public Information Officer. He gave me the story and then reminded me that for more years that he can remember, he ran the Naval Academy perimeter most mornings until five years ago when his back started to give him some problems. I looked at Dalton and would imagine that if he had to, the adrenaline would kick in, and he could still outrun the bad guys.
It was the front page mention in the newspaper that got a runner to the M.R.E. bridge race last Saturday,... The third place finisher was a weekend visitor from Chicago, Alicia Roberto, a rugby player. She said her boyfriend of this area saw mention of the race in the Capital and took her downtown to sign up. This was the .05k run over the Spa Creek drawspan that was hyped to start at the "Crack O' Noon", but water traffic has priority in the U.S. and the bridge went up at the "crack 'o noon" The race didn't start until 12:10. .And yes, I did run the race but stopped for water half- way across and finished in a minute and a half. A minute more than the winner..This is a race that allows dogs, strollers and walkers, the race that I say it is the shortest sanctioned race in the world. It has a pace car, a Smart Car, right out of the showroom of its own at Annapolis Mercedes-Benz in Eastport.
Race of the Week. The MARC Train 5 miler, at The Odenton train station, where on a Saturday, you get your choice of hundreds of parking spaces. It's been run for 13 years for the Kiwanis. A one mile fun walk, also.
Hint of the week. I mention about the woman attacked on the Poplar Trail in Annapolis last week. This woman may have observed all my suggestions, keeping alert and continually looking to see what's going on around her And I repeat both for women runners and walkers, learn to live life without those buds in the ears .There are some normal looking men who become perverts when they see a woman, no matter where and with music pounding, one cannot hear movement.
Runner of the Week... the 91 year old woman, who must have run in college, now pushed in a wheelchair, got the prize for being the oldest runner at the MRE bridge run on Saturday.
Race Results
Zooma Half-Marathon, Annapolis, June 1
1. Molly Pritz, 20, Lewisburg, Pa., 1:22; 2. Sheryl Kline, 45, Arnold, 1:31:47; 3. Rebecca Nathan, 42, Arlington Va. 1:31.50.
10-kilometer
1. Dr. Christina Morganti, 43, Severna Park, 40:18; 2. Andrea Williams, 37, Annapolis, 41:44; 3. Melanie Bryant, 29. Annapolis, 43:44.
Running Calendar
Saturday: 8 a.m. Odenton train station. Marc Train 5-miler and one-mile fun walk, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Odenton.
Go to active.com for registration and information.
Saturday: 8 a.m., Dewey Beach, Del. 4-mile race as part of the Seven Sisters and Four Brothers series.
Call 302.654.6400 for more information.
Sunday: 8 a.m. Baltimore. 33rd Annual Women's 5K at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.
Call 410.928.8007 for more information.
* * *
Previous Article Next Article
|
|
