The Athletic Annapolitan

Annapolis Athletes Express Gratitude

Local runners, triathletes, and cyclists share what they are thankful for with Patch readers.

Over the past year, I have spent a good deal of time getting to know the local runners and triathletes in Annapolis. I have watched Annapolis Striders members cross the line of their first 5K, 10K and even marathon. I have watched as Annapolis Trail Runners trained for their first ultra marathon. And I have watched dozens of Annapolis Triathlon Club members cross the finish line at Ironman races across the country. I am grateful to have been a witness to these life changing events in so many people’s lives. Fitness does change people’s lives. Crossing the finish line for the first time is not just a momentary glory. It is something that sticks with us forever. More than that, the training that goes into these events leaves all of us with a…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (8)

The Athletic Annapolitan

Ben Moore's Legacy

More than 1,200 runners ran their first marathon with the help of Ben Moore, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and retired Marine.

When I decided to run my first marathon, I knew just who to go to: Ben Moore, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and retired Marine. Since I had moved to Annapolis three years before, people had told me about Moore’s Marines, a first-time marathon training program.  According to Ron Bowman of Bluepoint Timing, Moore is one of the founders of the Annapolis Striders and had encouraged his friends and family to run for years before he created the first marathon training program in Maryland in 1979. The first group consisted of 15 runners, primarily friends and family.  At the end of the training season, all of the members completed the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC. Over the years, runners from all over the state went through Moore’s …

• Photos (2)

The Athletic Annapolitan

Fun and Fit Summer Activities

Five fit and fun summer activities for the whole family.

As the economy continues to stagnate and gas prices continue to hover around $4 a gallon, more and more parents are forgoing summer camps for their children in the hopes of saving a little money. As one of those parents, it has been a struggle to find fit and fun activities for my children throughout the summer months. So this year I am planning ahead. Over the past eight months I have been on a personal mission to find more ways to stay active as an adult. In the process I have come across several free and inexpensive activities that work for the entire family. As a family I am sure there will be plenty of days spent lazing beside the neighborhood pool. I am sure there will be evenings spent watching movies. And whether I like to admit it…

• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)

The Athletic Annapolitan

The ABC's of Open-Water Swimming

The Arundel Breakfast Club shares their open-water swimming experience with new and veteran swimmers alike.

When I completed my first triathlon almost a decade ago, I was shocked. I had grown up swimming in the ocean. Every one of my three-day-a-week swims over a period of six months leading up to the race had been great. I loved the water. I was ready. Except, I wasn’t. I stepped into the water in my wetsuit for the very first time, put my head down and took off. Without warning I found myself in a full panic. When I tell this story to more experienced open-water swimmers they nod and smile. “Yep,” they say. “That sounds about right.” An organized open-water swim, whether it is as a leg of a triathlon or the Great Chesapeake Bay swim, is a whole other animal compared with pool swimming. First the wetsuit takes a lot of getting used to. Second, …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (9)
• Videos (1)

The Athletic Annapolitan

This Mom's Life is a Balancing Act

Michele Murphy has the key to a happy healthy family.

Michele Murphy’s life is all about balance. It has to be. With three kids in two sports each and her husband, Bill, who trains for Ironman triathlons she has her hands full. But throw into the mix that four years ago she took up competitive tennis and her house could easily be chaos. It’s not chaos though, because somewhere along the way she and Bill found balance. Each week the two of them sit down with their calendars and work it out. Who will cover the practices, who will get the kids to the games and how will they both manage to be at the games? They do this because they have accepted the importance of leading a balanced life. As parents our first thoughts always run toward our children. That is as it should be, but in the process it …

• Photos (4)

The Athletic Annapolitan

Corporate Fitness

A local company takes a proactive approach to improving the health and fitness of its employees.

Peggy Shepard and Lewis Tuttle love their personal trainer. They love the boot camp Dan Cross of Fitness Studio of Annapolis has created for them and they love the facilities that are available to them on a daily basis. But what they said they are most appreciative of is that the facilities and the personal training services are provided to them as a perk from their employer. Telecommunications Systems Inc. is among only a handful of employers in Annapolis that offers this perk. The trend toward offering personal training and other health and fitness perks began in earnest in 2008. Studies on the negative effects of obesity in the work place made companies sit up and take notice. From healthcare costs to workplace conflicts to more …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (5)

Beating Our Way to Fitness

New drumming class adds rhythm and fun to fitness.

Ryan VanBrackel shares my love of variety in fitness, so when Drums Alive became a part of the program at Premier Fitness I was one of the first people he called. Currently Premier Fitness is the only fitness club in Annapolis offering the class full-time, but master instructor Mitzi Logan hopes to see this change soon. In May, Logan and Premier Fitness will hold its first certification workshop for the program. Logan is certified to teach more than 25 disciplines, but is an advocate for adding Drums Alive to your fitness routine because of the added element of brain connectivity. Logan said the program stimulates both sides of your brain. Pointing me to the research shown on the Drums Alive site, she said it improves creativity and …

• Photos (3)
• Videos (1)

The Athletic Annapolitan

America's VetDogs 5k Run/Walk

Families and their dogs invited to join in the fun at Quiet Waters Park.

Since I was a child I have loved World War II history. While the politics and battles still hold interest for me, I was always pulled to the culture surrounding the war. It was a time when heroes walked among us, but better than that it was a time when our country recognized and appreciated those heroes. Today, we are still surrounded by heroes, but I am not sure how often we recognize them and appreciate what they have sacrificed for us. On April 3 at Quiet Waters Park we have an opportunity to do both. Midshipman Ari Schiff, the youngest member of the Board of Benefactors for America's VetDogs, and Chelsea Tafarella are working together to present the First Annual America's VetDogs 5k Run/Walk. The event is to benefit our soldiers who …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (5)

The Athletic Annapolitan

Routine Trumps Willpower

Using a personal trainer to develop a routine can take the need for willpower out of the fitness formula.

Study after study touts the benefits of leading an active life. A regular fitness routine reduces blood pressure, lowers cholesterol and reduces our chances of becoming diabetic, suffering from heart disease and even getting several types of cancer. Still, making fitness a priority isn’t easy to do. Even though I make my living as a fitness writer, there are days when I am tempted to let my workout take a backseat to my work. Luckily, I have almost 20 years of routine to fall back on in these situations. Many people who are on the fence about starting a fitness routine don’t start because they believe they lack the willpower to stick to a fitness routine. I understand this point, but have a different take on the need for willpower. I …

• Photos (2)

The Athletic Annapolitan

Face of America Ride

Annapolis resident combines her love of fitness with her compassion for our soldiers in completing the Face of America Ride.

Kathleen Peddigree grew up as a military brat. Her sister is a member of the Navy band. And Kathleen has been a military wife for most of her adult life. She is comfortable around soldiers. She understands them. Because of this she is a perfect Soldier's Angel. The Soldier’s Angels is an organization of volunteers who support our soldiers. They organize care packages and letters, they arrange flights for families who need to get to their wounded soldiers, they make sure the soldiers have the Kevlar they need to stay safe in the field and they sit by wounded soldiers’ beds while they wait for their families to arrive. Kathleen’s history gives her a unique opportunity to bond with the soldiers and their families. She understands what it is …

• Photos (3)
• Videos (1)