Anne Arundel County Officers Run

Jogging: Officers pursue fitness as well as criminals
By Joe Shafran

Anytime I talk about running by law enforcement, fire fighting or ambulance crews, I think of a couple of stories former county policeman, Joe Hatcher, once told me. Hatcher, a seasoned runner, retired as a corporal a couple of years ago only to enter another branch of law enforcement.

His story goes like this: While on patrol as a county officer, he had made a traffic stop. The driver of the stopped car jumped out of the car and started running - fast. But this guy picked the wrong cop run away from. Hatcher, in uniform, street shoes and wearing his flak jacket, took off after the driver. Two minutes later, a half-mile away, the fleeing man gave up, completely out of breath. At that point, Hatcher said, he was just getting his second wind.These days, you'll still find Hatcher running any race that he sees on the calendar.

And then there's the story of present Deputy County Police Chief Emerson Davis. About three years ago - 25 years after his recruit days - he was shocked when he glanced down and saw the high number on the tape used to measure his waist for a new uniform. After that, Davis took up running and began to watch his diet. Today, he does his daily early-morning runs through his Broadneck neighborhood and is almost down to his rookie weight.Speaking of rookies, one of the more awesome sights last Sunday at the Victim's Fund Run at Severna Park was the 20 or so recruits from the county's police training academy - all clad in a uniform blue, all running the race, one of them holding the class flag. Along with them ran several veteran police officers.That race, the 10th annual, is put on by the State's Attorney's Office and the lawyers belonging to the County Bar Foundation, with the proceeds going to the fund.

RACE OF THE WEEK: The 5th annual 5K Heartsmart Run and Walk at Kinder Farm Park, Oct. 7 put on by the Cliff R. Roop Cardiac Support and Education Foundation and Comcast Cable.It's a race/walk where you don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to be at the starting line. It begins at 10 a.m., after warm-up exercises. The proceeds from this race will be used to promote the use of the AED, the somewhat-new defibrillator device now found in many public places that could have saved the life of Cliff Roop, the member of county council member who collapsed and died at the Arundel Center in Annapolis just after a meeting a few years ago.Also, there's the Junior League of Annapolis' Volunteers on the Run 5K at Quiet Waters Park Saturday at 8:30 a.m. If you jog or drive there, turn into the Red Maple Pavilion. The organizers have made sure the race course affords you a look of all the grandeur of the Park, including the South River promenade and overlook, something often missed if you just take a stroll through the park from the entrance and get tired and turn around after a couple of miles. Lara Mish is race director.HINT OF THE WEEK: On Kent Island, the Queen Anne's County Department of Recreation and Parks has begun an aggressive trail-building program the past few years and has criss-crossed the county with several miles of trails,On each trail, the county has erected large signs urging bikers and joggers/runners to give a warning when overtaking someone ahead of them. For bikers, using a bell or horn is suggested. They don't spell out a warning to be used by runners or joggers, so let me give you one that I find helpful ... It's three simple words yelled out from behind: "On your left/right!" Just belt it out. Don't be bashful. For a person ahead, walking or running slowly, the sound of a runner/jogger coming up unannounced from the rear can be frightening. A startle runner, hearing the approach of a stranger, might whip out a container of pepper spray and let the passing runner have it. So, Try "On Your Left/Right !"

CALENDAR Sunday: Quiet Waters Park. Red Maple Pavilion. 8:30 a..m. 5K run. Volunteers on the Run. Junior League Of Annapolis. Register and get information on active.com.Sunday: BWI Thurgood Marshall Midfield Cargo Complex, Linthicum. 8:30 a.m., 21st Annual four-mile run and two-mile family walk. Benefits children with Down Syndrome at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Call 410-993-RUNN.Oct. 7: South River Colony, Edgewater. 9 a.m. Fourth Annual Jodi Reitz 5K fun run/walk.

Proceeds go to Anne Arundel County CASA. www.aacasa.org***Running results and items of interest can be mailed to Joe Shafran at the Capital , P.O.Box 911, Annapolis MD 21404.,faxed to 410-280-5953 or e-mailed to joggingjoe@letsshapeup.com. Joe is the host of Let's Shape up on radio and television and is a member of the Maryland State Advisory Council on Physical Fitness.

Published 09/29/07, Copyright © 2007 Maryland Gazette,Glen Burnie, Md.

Copyright © 2007 Maryland Gazette