2010 Racing Synopsis

Mile 11

January 17, 2010
Chevron Houston Marathon
3rd time running (first was in 2007 and was my first marathon ever)
8 min distance PR (over NYC in 2008)
43 min course PR
4:48 chip time
You know what happened (and if you dont you can go back and read)...sucks too, but it was what it was on that day...Cant complain about a PR, especially 8 minutes but it was supposed to be sub 4:30...and I was trained...

10K: 1:04
13.1: 2:17

Finishing!

30K: 3:19

Hometown marathon; definitely will run again; just not in 2011 since I dropped to the half (if you read regularly you know why)







 January 30, 2010
Texas Med Center 5K
4th year running
No distance PR
No course PR
28:43 (2009 Texas Med Center 5K was 28:31)
Not surprising since it had only been 12 days since the marathon.  I took a total of 2 days off after the marathon...This coupled with the extreme cold on this day (wind chill of 27), and the head wind...not a good combination to equal a good race...but I do this race every year...they did change the course and while has always been a bit long, this year it was spot on 3.1 miles.  What???  Amazing.

Didnt like the new course this year due to construction but it was actually accurate on distance as opposed to the old course, which ALWAYS seemed to be long, so I dont think it was 'just me'.  Doubtful to do this one in 2011, as with the Houston Marathon being late in January next time, doing the Texas Med Center 5K might be outtie for me...Not a huge fan of it to be honest anyway.   Doubtful I ever do it again.  Not a fan.

Around mile 2ish

March 14, 2010
Inaugural Dallas RnR Half Marathon
Distance PR
Course PR
2:11:10
10:01 Avg pace for 13.18

Me and Crystal

Didnt have a signal first mile of course, so a 9:53 avg pace for 12.18 according to Garmina.  Hilly course through 8; no hill in first mile, but a nice decline right off the bat.  Hills started in mile 2, with the worst being in mile 6 and mile 8.  Leveled out flat for rest of distance.  Great course to me!  Great weather this time around, although a bit windy but manageable.   Looked to be an excellent post race, but I was too busy finding and visiting with friends!  Only drawback to this race was that it was point to point, and the Finish was 4 miles away from the Start, and regardless of that, you still had to walk 2 miles to get to the DART, which included an uphill.  Not cool.  :o)   Learned my lesson about the DART by doing Dallas White Rock.

Me and Melissa after finishing!

Would definitely do this race again!!!  But not in 2011 as its the same weekend as Angies Crazy Half Marathon here just outside of town and going to stay close to home.  Always wanted to do this one, it was just always later in the Spring, and was generally hot weather...maybe with it being in March it wont be so bad.  :o)








 March 27, 2010 - Law Week 8K
Course/Distance PR by 7+ min (2007: 56:XX 2008: 53:06)
Garmin showed 5.08 miles; just about 1/10th over; prob due to some extra steps to try and stay on tangent

Garmin/Chip time: 45:58

9:02 avg pace (per Garmin)

Was soooo tired all week from Mom having a stroke on Monday and me not getting a lot of sleep the whole week and honestly recovering from Dallas and from the week following (high mileage accidentially due to losing car key!  Remember that?)

Humidity returned, it is late March after all.  Had trouble in mile 4 due to finishing both sides of AP and the 'hills', but managed to pull out a 8:33 5th mile, and closed out the .08 in 8:32 pace.  Really didnt expect to do this well, but very happy with the outcome!

I do like this race, while I hate the course.  Will do again definitely in 2011.

April 10, 2010

Bellaire Trolley 5K
Course/Distance PR    1:30/2:00
Garmin showed 3.10 miles; 2nd time this year the distance showed perfect.  Someone told me as I was getting faster and becoming a better 'racer' I am starting in the right spots and looking ahead for openings as opposed to just dodging around...I am able to find a better 'line' they said...thats a compliment right?Garmin/Chip time: 27:04/27:11
8:44 avg pace (per Garmin)
Top 10 of AG!!!  85th overall!!!
We were supposed to have perfect weather.  We did not.  It was humid and warm.  Splits were 8:29/8:45/8:55; closing out the .1 at 8:30 pace.
While I am happy about an official 5K PR and a big one at that, it should have been bigger (thats what she said!)...All previous races and speed work pointed to at least a 26:30...twas not to be...This was the last 'short' race of the Spring season...at least as of the actual inclusion of this on my 2010 overall race commentary.

Love this race.  Loooooooooove this course.  Definitely doing next year.

October 10, 2010
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
No distance PR, but a course PR  :O)...not that I am going to do this race again.  You can read about Chicago vs NYC here, but it has nothing to do with it being a Fall marathon persey but because I am just not going to train in the Texas summers ever again FOR a Fall marathon.  Nope.

The weather sucked...You can read the bullet points of the marathon experience here...and some pictures can be found here...









October 24, 2010
Koala/Lukes Locker Half Marathon (Relay; Leg 1)
Course/Distance PR  (new course/new distance)  Gotta love those!  Garmin read just about .01 longer than what 1/2 of a 1/2 would be, coming in at exactly 6.7 miles for my leg
Weather:  Brutal.  mid 70's at the start at 7am with over 90% humidity.  Thank God I was only doing the relay being only off of Chicago exactly 2 weeks to the day.
Average Pace: 10:12

Splits:  9:03, 9:37, 10:06, 10:16, 10:56, 10:53, last .7 10:23pace

Race report along with all the drama of this one can be found here:  http://bostondreampie.blogspot.com/2010/10/koalalukes-locker-half-marathonrelay.html

The new course for relayer's is awesome.  Start, Switch runners and Finish all in one place.  Years past it was a bear to have the 2nd leg have to go out over a mile and then of course the 1st leg having to come in over a mile after they were done.  Only bad thing is that  the relay (1st leg) you get sucker punched with the AP hills one right after another.  At least the 2nd leg and the runners doing the entire 1/2 course have a bit of a reprieve in between :O)  We came out 25th out of 50 in our division, thanks to my partner who took up the slack and ran her part in just under an hour...now if only I could have held up my end of the bargain... :o/

 Look forward to running the full course next year, weather permitting.  Definitely will remain a race I decide the week of due to the on again off again temps we get here in October...

One of my fav finishing pics ever!

December 5, 2010
Dallas White Rock Half Marathon
Course PR - never did this one, so its automatic :)

Distance PR (2:06:58) - I dont generally do a lot of half's but obviously thats going to be changing in 2011...anyway, in March I pr'd in Dallas at the RnR Half Marathon with a 2:11:10, previous PR was 2:24ish.  So twice this year I pr'd at the half distance with almost 18 mins overall for 2010.  Awesome.

Conditions were cold as hell!  And windy, but the wind didnt seem to be a factor on the run itself.  Was just awful waiting for the Start.  I vaguely remember a point, which was minimal, where I hit a bit of a headwind.  It was full sun though and just freaking perfect.

This race is awesome.  There was a couple of miles that followed the RnR route, but it started in Fair Park and ended at Fair Park, so for the first few miles there were no hills at all.  Then there were some rolly ones and then a long slow incline at around mile 8 and then it was done.  There were a couple of fast downhills where you didnt even have to go up to reap the benefits!  Loved that.  From mile 8.5 or so it was flat, fast and a net downhill.  Loved.  I hope they keep this course, but even if they dont (and I doubt they change it) I will DEFINITELY be signing up for this one again in June (registration opens June 1).

Splits can be found here
Pictures can be found here.
Full race experience overview can be found here, here and here.

Now on to 2011!  USAFit Half Marathon in 2 weeks, Aramco Houston Half Marathon at the end of January and then Angie's Crazy Half Marathon at the end of March.  I am planning on running the popular Bayou City Classic 10K mid-March as well.