Baltimore Running Festival

I finished the Baltimore 1/2 marathon in 2 hours and 6 minutes.  Despite all the excitement, I was able to hold myself back a little and kept within my training pace of about a 9 min 40 second mile.  I finished strong and felt great at the end.  My wife Vayia and my oldest kids Jack and Sophie, met me at the finish line.  It was an awesome experience that I will remember forever.

The entire Baltimore Police Team finished.  Deputy Major Eric Russell, Lieutenant Scott Mezan, and Detective Thomas Bender all finished the full marathon and a team of officers from the Police Academy won the Commissioner's Cup Relay.

Close to 500 Baltimore police officers worked the event, directing traffic and controlling intersections.  All the officers did an outstanding job.  The officers along with all the volunteers and event staff were incredible ambassadors for the City of Baltimore.

In less then a week, I leave for Athens. I will be updating my blog daily once I arrive in Athens, so check back often.

Its getting closer

Most of the hard training is now behind me.  Last Wednesday was my final training day with the Baltimore Police Marathon Team and we ended it with a 21 mile run.  Keeping at a slow and steady pace, we finished in about 3 hours and 30 minutes.  The distance was a huge confidence lift for me and I feel ready.  Our final training run was covered by a local news network and the story can be found at:  

http://www.wbaltv.com/r-video/25359517/detail.html.

Tomorrow is the Baltimore Running Festival.  The Baltimore Police Marathon Team (comprised of 60 officers) has raised over $10,000 for the Signal 13 Foundation, a charitable organizations that provides financial support to police families during times of crisis.  A special thanks to Corrigan Sports and Under Armour for supporting the Baltimore Police Department and for designing awesome team racing shirts. I am looking forward to running the 1/2 marathon tomorrow and will be using the day as a dress rehearsal for Athens.   

Good luck to all the runners participating in the Baltimore Running Festival!

4 weeks to go

With only 4 weeks left before the Athens Marathon, the pressure is really on.  I am working on my endurance by extending my long runs and running on steep hilly terrain.  The Athens Marathon Course is considered one of the most challenging marathon races.  From mile 6 to mile 18 the course runs all uphill with some very steep sections.  It is often recognized as one of the toughest uphill climbs of any major marathon. 

Last Friday, I started out at 4:00 am and after 3 hours 20 minutes of continuous running, I finished 19 miles.   I am finding that these long runs challenge you mentally as well as physically.  Earlier this week, I was out running with the Police Team in our final training run before the Baltimore Running Festival. 

Sports Illustrated

Yesterday morning, I was interviewed by Sport's Illustrated.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that the worlds most popular sports magazine would want to interview an every day guy like me.  They are writing an article on the historical significance of the Athens Marathon and are interviewing a number of people who will be participating in the race.  They saw my press release and were interested in learning the background story that is taking me to Athens.  The article is scheduled to publish shortly after the race. 

The interview reinforced to me what an incredible honor it is to be given the opportunity to represent the City of Baltimore, the Baltimore Police Department, and my family in this historic event.  I am extremely grateful to Diane Homberg and the entire Baltimore-Piraeus Sister City Committee for this amazing opportunity. 

With 4 weeks left, I am training hard. I was out at 4 am this past Sunday running 15 miles and then back out again yesterday for 5 more miles. I have a few more moderate distance runs this week and my next long run coming up this weekend for 20 miles.  

I continue to run

Last week I met up with a group of police officers who are also training for the Baltimore Marathon for our weekly training run. 

We ran down the Gywnns Falls Trail, with half of the team finishing 13 miles.  I continued around Fort McHenry and ran a total of 17 miles.  It was a great day to run and everyone did exceptionally well.  The last 2 miles for me were tough, but I was able to gut it out. 

I am really pushing myself to build my physical endurance and after 1 day of rest, I went back out and ran a 5 mile interval / hill course.  The next morning, I was back out again starting at 5 am for 5 more miles at a steady 10 min mile pace.  

Training Update

I have about 6 weeks left to train before the marathon.  I am currently training 5 days a week (running 4 and cross training 1 day.)  I am averaging about 30 to 35 miles per week...with 3 moderate distance runs and one long run.  Last week my long run was 16 miles. I usually train in the early morning, starting at about 5 am because of family and work obligations.

Some history

In 2009, The Baltimore Police Department partnered with Corrigan Sports in the Baltimore Marathon. Twenty members from the Baltimore Police Department participated in the Marathon. Five relay teams competed against one another for the Commissioners Cup prize.

In October of 2010, we have recruited sixty members from the Baltimore Police Department to participate in the Baltimore Marathon. Corrigan Sports agreed to waive the entry fee and in return, every member will donate $50 to the Frank J. Battaglia Signal 13 Foundation. The purpose of the Signal 13 Foundation is to provide financial assistance to Baltimore Police Department personnel, both civilian and sworn, who unexpectedly suffer extreme personal emergencies.

Participation in the Baltimore Marathon promotes physical fitness and camaraderie amongst officers within the Baltimore Police Department.