The project may be over but this page gives me a chance to gather some post-run (jog) thoughts and share some memories. This section includes posts about my inspiration to run (all of) every street, the people I met and saw along the way, my self diagnosis of Rosie Ruiz Syndrome and more.
THE INSPIRATION
I always seem to be holding a newspaper. At the coffee shop, backstage at the Meyerhoff. And I’m talking newsprint. It’s just a part of my routine.
And whenever I head out of town, I pick up local papers to bring back home. I view them much like souvenirs.
Of course I know that local newspapers do not have the power they once had. But I still feel they play a crucial role and are a necessity. At least to me.
As somebody who was born in Camden and raised in Cherry Hill, I am always eager to pick up a Courier Post whenever I pass through the area. Since the Courier’s local stories are limited, I tend to read all of them. And the cover story from June 25, 2023 really spoke to me.
It was about a man who took up running as an adult and wanted to run the entire Camden County in memory of his father, a former teacher at my high school. Jack Witzig saw his father, Donald, succumb to Lewy Body Dementia and he wanted to take on a project that could raise funds and awareness for the horrible disease.
So I got to think, can I run all of Baltimore? It seemed possible. After all, I’ve run every day for over 4900 days. I had no idea what I had in store or how long it would take.
The Courier Post article says many things about Jack’s experiences that I now feel, after the fact, especially regarding running the city of Camden. (That would be quite cool.)
I am not Jack Witzig. And I was able to find time to devote many hours to this every day. But most importantly, Jack did this for a wider cause. I only did this for myself.
If you are interested in reading more about Jack, check out his Instagram page here. https://linktr.ee/CamCoRunner?fbclid=PAAabVJlrpP4UeBl-rPahgH8a7Ts7pUFtG5U0ybXZWurhNjOIT3WFL-NIeZc0_aem_ATH3WsUcsdpO6ayRzwjh5wBLNi0nnzI_cBVJfoEgZiNlQ6lorcokhus_XHXEPVOiC5oIf you want to learn more or donate to Lewy Body Dementia research, visit http://www.lbda.org.
See, local newspapers can still serve a purpose. Thank you, Courier Post. To subscribe to the Courier Post, visit http://www.courierpostonline.com.
THE FRIENDS I MADE, THE FRIENDS I SAW – February 18
I certainly didn’t go around telling everybody I passed on the street about what I was doing. I barely told friends and colleagues. This was my secret little thing that I didn’t necessarily want to share. Besides, if you say you are running all of Baltimore, and you are only two weeks into it, it sounds like a tall order than could likely fizzle. And as we would mumble back in New Jersey, Um-hm….
There were some people that, for one reason or another, I told after the initial greeting. I often met them within some of the real nuts and bolts of Baltimore. For whatever reason, I just wanted to tell them. It’s more of a testament to them, not me.
And when November came along and some news reports got out, I was occasionally stopped and recognized. It’s fun, humbling and everything in between. These people knew what I was doing in their neighborhood and they seemed pleased that they had made my list. Of course they would be on my list. I was hitting every street and running its length.
I am fairly sure I will always remember these people and the stories behind meeting them. They kept me going.
Then there are the friends I know. Either they were in their car, outside their house, or simply nearby. I frequently referred to them as “witnesses.” They often found me running the smaller roads, the ones that were never overlooked.
I guess my favorite story was when a symphony colleague asked me, “did I see you running in the median of Perring Parkway today?” That would have made a crazy photo.
I rest my case.
ROSIE RUIZ SYNDROME – February 19
If you were reading newspapers or watching network TV in 1980, you may have heard the name ‘Rosie Ruiz.’ She became a household name seemingly overnight. On April 22, 1980, Ruiz became the fastest woman to ever run, and win, the Boston Marathon and she did it so effortlessly. Her superlative run in the New York Marathon qualified her for Boston.
Ruiz’s star quickly became tarnished. As a teenager, I recall hearing how she didn’t really win the Boston Marathon. She took a cab and bust through the crowd close to the finish line. (There’s more to that drama but that’s how this teenage mind remembered it.) Nobody really saw her run and she seemed barely tired at the finish line. People commented that her legs didn’t even have proper muscle tone.
It didn’t take long for Ruiz to lose her winner’s crown. And it didn’t take long for her New York Marathon finish to be disqualified. There’s more to that story but I remember hearing that she took the subway part of the way.
Rosie Ruiz became part of 1970s-1980s lore. She almost seemed like she belonged to a ‘fall from grace’ club that included the kidnapped fugitive Patty Hearst and Marilyn Chambers (the Ivory Snow girl turned soiled actress.)
So as a product of this generation, I get defensive when people question if I really did this. All of it. And that’s when I honestly think of Rosie Ruiz. I have Rosie Ruiz Syndrome.
You can read prior stories that described my path and strategies. You will learn that I spent at least 3 hours every day on this, probably adding up to at least a 10K a day. My feet took a beating, especially my toes. But only once did I get stuck. On Lohrs Lane. #neverforget
So I will try to move forward and enjoy the extreme positives that I’ve received. I’ll have to accept and ignore that some feel I’m an “out of shape” “idiot” who was motivated by “dodging bullets” and “running for (my) life.” Or the naysayers who “didn’t see (me) or (their) street.”
I feel haunted by the Rosie Ruiz saga. I may be an idiot but I’m not Rosie Ruiz.
BALTIMORE PHOTOS – Part One
YOU SHOULDN’T GO THERE
I’m not entirely sure this entry is necessary but this is what some people want to see. They expect to see Baltimore at its worst; its hardest, its most challenged. They said that I shouldn’t go there, or couldn’t possibly have.
That’s why the concept of running every street didn’t sit well with some people. Was I trying to put myself in danger or was I trying to look danger in the face and say, ‘Hah!’ The answer was neither. The more I ran Baltimore the more I wanted to run all of it.
I chose when to run certain areas just as I do anywhere. Of course I didn’t run at night in unfamiliar areas, just as I do anywhere. And my eyes, ears, and common sense were fully functional. And the longer I got into this, the more those concerns lessened. I said lessened, not disappeared.
So here are some photos that I took that shows Baltimore not at its best. Yes, we are a gun happy city but some of these photos can be of any city. I post them not to make fun or light of serious social conditions. I post them because, after being in these neighborhoods, I can talk more educatedly about them.
Baltimore does a very good job at turning its head on issues that it doesn’t want to deal with. (You can add the Morris Mechanic Theatre site to this commentary.) But I didn’t turn my head. I visited respectfully and throughout these areas I looked for positives and often found them, large or small.
And if you ask me, we need to identify those small positives and build and feed off of them. They are a good place to start, not these large grand unrealized destructive dreams. (You can add the former Poppleton neighborhood to this commentary.)
BALTIMORE PHOTOS – Part Two
FINDING IT ANYWHERE
I’m not going to post Part One without posting Part Two. That photo above is of Hyde Park, located between Park Heights Avenue and Pimlico Road, just north of W. Cold Spring. It felt like an oasis during a hot summer run. It’s a proud neighborhood and any city would be proud to have a Hyde Park anywhere within its limits. Something is working in Hyde Park.
Something is working in many parts of the city. The trick is to fill in the gaps between what’s working. That’s a tall order but start small and feed off of what’s working. (It also wouldn’t hurt to start some type of mobile grocery truck service to places like Curtis Bay, Brooklyn, and Cherry Hill. And move debris off of all sidewalks. And build more sidewalks, especially in South Baltimore. Oops, I’m losing focus now.)
The beauty in Baltimore is not just found in Roland Park, Guilford, or Poplar Hill, even though they are quite attractive. You can find it in the most intimate and personal ways.
Here are some images that made me smile, that kept me wanting to see more.
NOW WHAT – February 22
I’m not going to lie. It’s been over a week since the project ended and it hasn’t always been easy getting motivated.
Don’t worry. That doesn’t mean that I’ve ended my running streak. But there’s something to be said for having a daily goal and a long term plan. And running every street was quite a plan.
A certain depression has set in. (I know the signs.) But once I do get running, I feel better. It’s just that getting out the door isn’t as interesting as it was, for lack of a better term.
I have found a strategy that helps. When my wife Sandy needed to go to Hampden, I went with her and started my run there, not from home. And it worked much better. Not only was I revisiting a less familiar area, I wasn’t staring at my phone, trying to hit every little street. I just ran and I ran for fun. That felt good.
So maybe I hit a whole new phase. I know I couldn’t keep going the way I did. I can’t devote 3 hours a day to running, 7 days a week. But I can devote one hour and can now feel comfortable going to a different neighborhood without a strict goal.
It certainly gives this sense of freedom to just run for fun but I’m not going to lie, going back to my old ways is harder than I thought. I’m keep running.
NIGHT RUNS – March 4
No, I’m not referring to a medical condition but I’ve heard and read comments that said, “I bet (you) didn’t run at night!” If you wagered money on that comment, you likely won big!
No, I did not run at night. Why would I? I’m not the biggest fan of nighttime running anywhere unless I exactly know the route.
But I will run at night if I have to. It’s hard to run for 4900+ days and not run at night. And over the past 13+ years, I’ve started more than a few runs as late as 10:30pm, in the city or anywhere I am.
In regard to this project, I was careful to time everything by the sun. Besides, I wanted to see things. Fear did not dictate this policy.
Now, let’s come clean. I did run at night. Twice. Once was not my choice, the other was.
I planned every day’s run carefully around my work and family schedule. And if I had a rehearsal at the Meyerhoff that ended at 4pm, I quickly bolted out and drove to nearby areas like Reservoir Hill and Remington. I intentionally saved those neighborhoods for this purpose. And I often changed clothes in the car, sometimes at lengthy quiet red lights.
On November 15, I had a rehearsal that lasted until 3:30 and I felt that if all the stars were in line I could make it to the far Southeast neighborhood of Graceland Park, that meets the county line near Dundalk. I raced to beat the dark, I kind of lost.
What didn’t I like? Rush hour. Trying to cross busy Dundalk Avenue, trying to hit every small street, was not a safe feeling. The back roads to the east of Dundalk Ave, the little acknowledged parts of Baltimore city, served as rush hour cut throughs. I also hated those faulty LED streetlights that burn blue. There’s an awful one near Graceland Park Elementary.
What did I like? Seeing some of the first Christmas lights in the city burning bright along with the ability to cross more streets off the map when I got home. Oh, and stumbling upon the imposing Hebrew Free Burial Society cemetery building at sunset was damn cool.
The other time was in Hampden. I kept that area available because it was close to work, for such a purpose. But I decided that a night run would be great time for the Miracle on 34th Street. Oh what fun it is to run… However, Hampden still has a rush hour.
So, as I go about my post-project life, I decided to run at 9pm, through the heart of East Baltimore last week. McElderry Park. Read the news, you would think I’m nuts.
And what did I see? Not much. It was dark. I knew the route and knew to be alert. But what did it prove? Nothing. I even got a handful of hellos.
I know that Baltimore, like every large or small city or community anywhere, is a different place at night. Most residents stay home and sleep at night; others are active. Are those who are out and about at night have the worst intentions? As I said before, never assume. Be alert but constantly assuming the worst of all people is wrong.
So I will not take on the task of running all of Baltimore at night, just to show that it can be done. I saw and experienced everything that I wanted to and it was nice to see every positive while the sun was still shining.
If you do chose to run all of Baltimore, please let me know. I’d love to hear your story. I’m sure it’d be a kick. But do watch out for cars, and debris.
AWARD WINNING – March 7
I’m not sure that I should be considered “award winning” but I can be called “finishing medal worthy” This is not meant to brag or boast but, before 2010, I never expected or considered that any of this was possible. Never thought of it, never truly exercised.
I ran my first 5K (Fell’s Point Fun Run) in December 2010. It was my first attempt at an organized race but it wasn’t fun. I just wanted to try it. It was hard to keep up with all of that testosterone flying around everywhere but I finished. I was a personal big deal.
Over the next years, I took on the 2011 Baltimore Half Marathon, the 2012 Baltimore (full) Marathon, a Baltimore Relay, the 2016 Anchorage Half Marathon (I wanted that medal!), and several Turkey Gobbles, 10Ks, and 5Ks.
What I’m getting at is that I was afraid to start running. I didn’t want to be embarrassed or have others judge me. And with every day, I ran just a little bit more than the previous day, however long or short. And what I learned was that people don’t tend to stare or judge. You are putting yourself out there physically but it’s OK. If I can, and if your feet allow, so can you.
I’m not about speed. (Come on, look at me) but I grew fond of distance and inclines. When I found myself in Chicago in 2023, I noticed an Easter 5K was being held nearby in downtown.
I said that I don’t particularly like 5Ks, but I wanted to see if I could still hold my own and make a respectable finish and I was more than pleased when I came in a little under 11 minutes a mile. And I was even more pleased when a middle-aged gentleman thanked me for keeping my pace. That meant a lot. I didn’t know that I wasn’t alone or was a part of someone else’s positive energy.
Ultimately, my advice is to just keep moving. That’s important. And when it comes to “fun runs” don’t worry. You won’t come in last, despite your fear. Don’t turn around on the course. That’s what the walkers are for. So congratulations to you, and those walkers.
Michael Runs Baltimore 