Resurrection Run - Clear Lake - 29:47 (PR)

Of course, as usual, I was apprehensive this morning before the run. Of course the 29:30 was my goal, but really just another sub-30 and I would have been fine, even 29:59 and I would have been happy.

Now that I have that first sub-30 I don't want to go back ya know?

This was another non-chip timed event, and with so few people there, it was easy to just be up front and go without worrying about getting in anyones way.

I won't go into a mile by mile synopsis, other than the fact that at the first 1/2 mile I was at 4:06 and I was like oh hells bells. Then somewhere towards the end of mile 3 I was at something like 27:30 and I knew I had it, unless I just fell apart. I did a bit, but held on for yet another 5K PR. It was only 5 seconds off the Conoco Rodeo Run (29:52), but another PR just the same.

I had a couple of other goals, which I did indeed hit, so overall I am very pleased with today's race. I hate that hairpin turn at the end, and of course as you can see, my watch shows 3.22, which a couple of other people also said they ended up with 3.2 but you know, its all relative I guess.

Here are the splits:

Mile 1: 8:55
Mile 2: 9:34
Mile 3: 9:27
and because somehow I jacked my Garmin to where it shows speed now, instead of pace, I only know that the last bit was covered at a 7.5 mph pace. Not bad. Not bad at all.

I wanted to just try and go faster the first mile, and the one mistake I made in the 3rd mile, was to go faster the first 800m instead of the last. Well, maybe not a mistake, as my intent was to put some more room in between myself and a couple of other runners that I knew were behind me ;o)

I am pretty excited about this: 4th in my age group...94th overall...and 26th overall female, as it stands now. But given what I said below, that would put me really at 91st overall and 25th female if OTR corrects the results page.

I have 2 weeks before Bellaire, where hopefully the 29:30 or better will surface. I am more than likely going to skip Law Week 8K, and run long with Kenyan instead and work on my speed and losing these last 4 lbs in prep for Bellaire.

Peace.

p.s. Only a 1/2 mile warm up and a mile cool down in addition to the race itself today. Also the results site shows me at 30 flat, but what happened was that after crossing the finish, I stopped and 3 people went in front of me and had their tags pulled before me. Even after both Sam and I told the guy that, he didn't correct the slips, but hopefully an email to OTR will correct that.

Bayou City Classic 10K aka The Race That Almost Wasn't

Temps: low 40's
Winds: 5mph (thank God they calmed down from yesterday!!)

Time: 1:02:35 (Garmin time)
Last 10K time was 1:08:52

PR difference: 6 minutes, 17 seconds
Average pace: 10:05

Splits:
Mile 1: 10:15
Mile 2: 9:52
Mile 3: 9:34; at this point, there was a water station just past the 3 mile marker and I took Powerade and walked to drink it
Mile 4: 10:16
Mile 5: 10:01
Mile 6: 9:53
.2... whatever it is to make it to 1:02:35

The splits I had to lap on my watch as for the first mile there was no signal, and it never caught up either, as my distance on the watch only comes in at 5.84 miles. I am not completely sure the splits are right on, but they are within seconds I know that.

I was shooting for 10:30's and well as you can see I managed to blow that out of the water, with my average pace being 10:05 for the 6.2 miles. At the Park to Park which was a 5 mile race I averaged 10:01, so I am damn happy about this race.

And as scared as I was about the route, with the rolling 'hills' I have to say that once you are on it, running, its not that bad. The worst part really is that last hill as you approach the 6 mile marker.

It certainly helped that it was so, so cold out there. I just run so much better when its cold. I shed the gloves by the 2nd mile, handing them off to Sam's brother, Rob, who ran with me the first 2 miles, before I dropped him ;o) and went on my merry way.

Congrats to Coach (Sean Wade) again, for a 1st place overall, and to Sam on yet another age group win, plaque, 16th overall and a 10K PR!!! And congrats to Rob on his first 10K, but I still beat him ;o)

Like I said, I'm on a roll it would seem.

Next up: Law Week 8K, last weekend in March. We'll see if I can PR that, as I have run that race the past 2 years. I PR'd it last year, so I'm shooting for another one.

Conoco Rodeo Run 5K

Well so much for overcast and humid. What we did have were sunny skies, 70+ deg temps, and not so much on the humidity side.

The challenge to trying to PR at the 5K with this particular race is because well, its a 5K/10K which start together, and there are approximately 9,000 runners. And of course you know no one lines up where they should according to pace and whether or not they are walking. So going into it I knew I had to get as close to the front as I could, making sure that I didn't get in anyones way. It was apparent from the Start that I made the right choice, and I was never in anyones way (nor was anyone in mine) as I stayed to the right.

Sam and I ran from mi casa to the Start (1.5 m), got his chip (the 5K has no chip), and just waited around for a bit for the start.

I was worried due to the heat factor, but I was bound and determined to do what I could to PR. I don't do well in the warmer temps. I didnt have a signal on the Garmin for about the first 1.5 miles, but at the mile 1 marker I hit the lap button and it was 9:37. At the second mile marker I hit the lap button but it says something crazy like 7:? and I know thats not right but the girl calling the splits said 19:5? and I was like AWESOME!! 1.1 more to go...1.1 more to go.

At what I figured was about 800m left to go, I again reached back to the 800m repeats 2 weeks ago, and just ran as fast as I could without collapsing (the heat was getting to me now)...

Final time?

29:52!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally the ever elusive sub :30!!! And in not so great conditions. Hot, and the course with a LOT of turns which usually will slow a person down, especially when its really crowded. Since it wasnt chip timed all I have for proof is a picture from the Garmin.

What's even sweeter is that Sam won 2nd in his age group for the 10K, and those trophies are schweeet! I was so excited to see his name on the list (even if he missed it), because I know how badly he wanted to place today. I couldn't be more happy about it!!! Keep chasing down those on that list of yours... :o)

I tell ya, no way would I have survived that 10K today, the route is much harder and the weather would have killed me, so to everyone that did it, whether you placed or not kudos to you!!! Rough stuff man. Rough stuff. Oh and Coach SW, of course, won overall male in the 10K with a time of 31:24!!!

Woohoo! I am supercalifragilisticexpealidocious happy happy!!

Next up: Bayou City Classic 10K next Saturday. Maybe...I HATE the 10K...and its not an easy course. I'm going to be a wimp and wait till mid-week to see how the weather is supposed to be ;o)