The Low Down On Surfside

Clute, Texas. La Quinta. Not Spanish for anything other than horrible sheets! I'm an one spoiled puppy when it comes to my sheets dammit! Ugh, we didn't sleep solid for more than an hour + at a time I don't believe...But you know, it was cheap and it was close to the race...

We headed out to scope out where we had to go in the morning so as not to get lost. Good thing. I still ended up calling both Erica and SteveB for information and finally we knew what we had to do the following morning. I don't think Surfside has enough money for street lights. Its really dark there, hard to get your bearings, but we were close enough to know what was what.

We drove 'around' Clute looking for food. We ended up at a taqueria and DAYUM GINA if the food wasn't freaking awesome. We did wonder 'hmmm, should we be eating this the night before? Eh. Sure we should!!



After getting back to the no-tell mo-tel, I needed chocolate. I walked out to the truck knowing I had a stash in my book bag. As I was in the truck I heard a wail!! JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNEEEE!!! As I rushed back in, there was Suzy, crap sprawled all over the room, with the exception of............are you ready? Shoes. Yes. Shoes.....Panic set in. We are in the middle of NOWHERE I tell you...thankfully I am one smart cookie, picked up my cell phone and called information begging for any sports related place in the vicinity of 1/2 hour or so..it was getting late. The nice dude told me there was an Academy in Lake Jackson!! Whoohoo! Lake Jackson? Thats like 5 miles from here!! So me in my pjs freezing my ass off, and Suzy take off for Lake Jackson. Shoe crisis averted...

We made it to the pavilion way too early but at least it was warm in there, they had food, but we both had had our pre-race nana's and I had a mini Clif bar as well, so we just sat around, talked to her Bay Area Fit folks and I ran into quite a few Striders that I actually knew!! Yay for Striders!!! We ended up missing the photo op at the beginning; you had to walk about 1/4 mile to the start, but whatever. And then we were off!



The first 2.5 miles were fine. Wind at our back and our first mile was 10:42 which I was shooting for 11:30's till mile 9 or 10 then I wanted to pick it up. Suzy and I ran together through mile 10 I guess, maybe just past that before I said my goodbye and went on my way. At that point I thought I had a chance at breaking 2:30 but it would not be. At the 2.5 we turned to run the opposite direction, and thats when the wind was bad. Coming at you, against you one way, and then it would switch. This went on until the 9 mile turnaround to head back. Lord oh Lord I was so happy to turn back at 9!!!


It was weird because then it felt LIKE NO WIND..where's the wind? Why isn't it PUSHING me now? Stupid wind. :o) I made up some of the time I lost on that long stretch and I was pulling in 10:50 and 11:00..but then as I said at the start of mile 13 I knew that the sub 2:30 would not be.

But you know that run, as afraid of it as I was, I felt damn good the whole freaking way and pulled out some miles that I was proud of today. At the end, I waited for Suzy to bring it on home, we took some photos and headed inside for the bbq...no beer. Seriously? Beer. People. Beer. :o)

All in all a GREAT run today for me. I am very pleased with my time and effort, and really thought I was going to come in like 15 minutes behind my PR due to the conditions. I will tell you this much...It obviously took alot more out of me than I thought. My body hurts like a muther.... Oh and can you guess who got herself a new camera?? Expect more photos from here on out! I know how some of you looooooove your pictures!

Total Distance: 13.24 Time: 2:32:11