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| It's all about the shirt |
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| Temporary tat |
13 January 2013
1 Corinthians 9:26
5th time's a charm. Despite the rain, the wind (20 mph gusts), and the cold (41 at start), I successfully navigated the streets of Houston and crossed the finish line under my own power. A really nasty run. Windy and cold at the start and, just when they fired the starting canon, it started pouring. Rained hard on us for the first 1/3rd of the course, then let up for a while only come come back harder on the second half of the course. I was warm, if not soaked. I dressed in layers with an inner shirt, some arm warmers and gloves. No ear muffs, just a hat to keep the rain out of my face. Wore my disposable rain jacket for the entire race. Was going to ditch it like a lot of people did along the course but it cut the wind and the rain came back out past mile 7. A lot of the elite runners were running in singlets and shorts. Made me cold just looking at them.
So, in spite of these challenges, how'd I do? While I didn't bring home any trophies, and I didn't train as much as intended, I was happy with my final time. 2:21.55 Tied for PR. I may not be as fast as some of you serious runners, but not too bad for an old fat man. Typical run for me - started out with a 9:50 pace and lost steam on the back half and wound up with an overall 10:50 pace. Would have like to pull a 10:00, but I'll live with it. Maybe next year? Not sure if I am going for number 6. My legs and I are not on speaking terms right now. I'm feeling every bit of 55 right now (sore & stiff), but otherwise ok. The real test will be how I wake up tomorrow.
Now, let me say that I am not a very biblical guy. I could never quote scripture from the bible verbatim. So what's with 1 Corinthians 9:26? When running that distance, you tend to look for distractions (I do) to take your mind off the course or the rain or the cold. Listen to music. Read the road signs for encouragement. Listen to the different bands. Throughout the race, I try to find someone close to my same pace. I would match pace with someone only to have them slowly pull away. There was one young lady who held the same pace as I throughout the entire race. We must have passed each other at least a dozen times along the course. Normally, I don't pay attention to my fellow runners (too much into my own world) but this woman had this particular passage stenciled on her running pants on her backside and, every time she passed me I would see it again. They say if you see or repeat something three times, it gets stuck in your head and this one did. When I got home after the race, I had to Google it just to see what I was reading for 13.1 miles.
12 January 2013
No turning back now
Got my packet. Got my bling. A few hours from now I will be huddled downtown on Crawford with all of my running buddies awaiting the starting gun.
Expo was excellent. Lots of stuff to see/buy. I broke down and got a new pair of ASICs for next year (the price was too good to pass up). Picked up some new waterproof socks (planning ahead) and some new ear buds.
And, of course, lots of cool shirts/slogons...
Planning an early wake up call in the morning to head downtown. Weather is still warm but the storms are supposed to roll in later tonight.
Expo was excellent. Lots of stuff to see/buy. I broke down and got a new pair of ASICs for next year (the price was too good to pass up). Picked up some new waterproof socks (planning ahead) and some new ear buds.
And, of course, lots of cool shirts/slogons...
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| Geared up |
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| Begin with the end in mind |
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.
Down to the wire
51°
Less that 24 hours to go now.
I am down the final prep. I am still trying to figure out what to wear. Forecast is not looking good. Right now it is is 71 degrees, 97% humidity (welcome to Texas winter). Those conditions would make for a hot/humid run. However, this is Texas and, as the expression goes: "If you don't like the weather now, just wait a minute, it'll change." Cold front is coming through today and is supposed to drop the temps by 20-30 degrees and bring the rain. So tomorrow is looking to be a wet and chilly run. They will hold the run, rain or shine. Lightening however, is another story. There is talk that, if there is lightening, they may postpone the start, postpone the race or even cancel it. They may even pull runners off the course is they detect lightening during the race. We heard that back in 2011 when we were lined up at the start and the weather was threatening - not a popular decision by a lot of runners (lots of boos, catcalls). Everyone is watching the weather today and crossing their fingers. We really won't know until race time tomorrow.
I like the 50 degree temperatures, but running in the rain will be a pain. No matter how much you prep or try to avoid it, you are going to get wet. I may try to Camp Dry my shoes to stave off the wet, but, after 13.1 miles and 2.5 hours in the rain, I figure it is pretty much inevitable. I am just trying to dress for the weather. Some people run in rain gear or ponchos but I'm not one of those. I've done if a few times and I usually wind up sweating more than actually getting rained upon. On top of the rain, we may be facing a stiff breeze (15 mph). That usually affects my times more than a few raindrops.
Heading downtown now to hit the expo and pick up my packet. Time to pick up some more race swag. New shirt, shorts, more energy gel packs, another cowbell, race towel. One group has set up a collection bin for shoes for the homeless. Runners are encouraged to donate their old shoes. I forgot to take mine last year so I plan to drop off my old New Balance shoes that got demoted to yard duty a few years ago. I do have another set of New Balance trail shoes that I used for Philmont that have "seen better days". Not sure if they will take those. I also plan to take time to scope out (drive) the course one more time just to see any changes.
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| Yard shoes - they helped my do my first 1/2 marathon |
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09 January 2013
PreRace penumbra
Forecast for Sunday:
Cloudy with rain (70% chance). Highs in the mid-50s and lows in the upper 40s.
A little over 3 days till we step off. At this point, I am getting my game plan in order. This ain’t my first rodeo, so I sort of know what to expect.
Don’t really need the course map anymore. It’s the exact same route they have been doing for years. I even have the mile markers etched in my mind from memory. I know where to park, where the starting line is, which corral I am assigned into, where the water breaks are, where the timing chip marks are (every 5k), where the course goes uphill, where is the turnaround point, where to layup, where to kick it up a notch, which bands are playing where, where are the energy zones, and more importantly, where are the porta potties. From my previous trips I think I could run it in in my sleep.
I have a system. You want to get downtown early because close in parking gets harder and they start closing streets around 0530. My plan is to be downtown by 0500 at the latest. Last year I scored a primo parking spot just off the course within the last 200 yards. Made it nice to have the truck close by after I finished. Will shoot for that spot again this year, if it is not taken.
The Health Expo opens Friday and runs through Saturday. I have to go down to pick up my packet with my race packet with bib, shirt, hat, and all sorts of swag. The expo is a great place to see/sample/buy/taste/try on the latest running accessories. You can get the latest moisture wicking apparel in some really wild colors, you can get a utility belt that would make Batman proud to carry your water pods, energy shots, iPod/iPhone, etc.. You can score a really good deal on shooz (1/3 off store prices) if you are willing to dig through the pile of boxes. My problem is that then never seem to carry my size (12). I usually get some new shorts and shirts cuz they are dirt cheap. I don’t plan to get any new shooz at this time because something about breaking in new shoes on a half marathon doesn't seem to be a smart move. I will spend a few hours cruising the expo for the latest gear/bling. Some people throw down big $$$ for one of those high tech watches that will tell you every little detail about your run (time, temp, elevation, pace, split times, GPS location, heart rate, calories burned). Some devices will even post updates to your smart phone/PC along the course. I’m prefer my old Timex Marathon watch with lap timers. I always pick up a pace band – sort of a low tech way to track your pace throughout the race. It is essentially one of those bands you get for a concert or state fair that grants you admission but they actually print out your estimate back with the various mile markers so that you can track your progress along the course. Been using one of those for years.
Everyone has different ways of getting amped up for this run. Some are out doing sprints, some are doing LDS (long slow distance) runs in Memorial park. At this point, I have throttled back on my runs. Every other day try to get in 3-5 mile runs just to stay limber/keep from getting rusty. It’s too late to try and go for the longer distances to make any difference and I am afraid I will injure myself like I did 4 years ago. Looks like this weekend will be a wet & cold run. I will run in the rain (not preferable) but I don’t want to really push my luck on catching a cold before the run. Speaking of colds, I am skirting one right now. My bride already has the zombie flu and doing her darnedest to pass it along to me. I am taking lots of vitamin C and Zicam to avoid the inevitable I definitely do NOT want to add that to my race routine.
This year I am making an effort to carb load. Eating a lot more pasta this week. Laying off red meat. There are different philosophies on eating before the race as well. Fruit and oatmeal a couple of hours before are supposed to provide more energy (than bacon and eggs). Some food combinations do not do well in a long distance race. I've seen the results from eating heavy meals the morning of or the night before and it ain't pretty.
A few other tips I've learned over the years:
Don’t really need the course map anymore. It’s the exact same route they have been doing for years. I even have the mile markers etched in my mind from memory. I know where to park, where the starting line is, which corral I am assigned into, where the water breaks are, where the timing chip marks are (every 5k), where the course goes uphill, where is the turnaround point, where to layup, where to kick it up a notch, which bands are playing where, where are the energy zones, and more importantly, where are the porta potties. From my previous trips I think I could run it in in my sleep.
I have a system. You want to get downtown early because close in parking gets harder and they start closing streets around 0530. My plan is to be downtown by 0500 at the latest. Last year I scored a primo parking spot just off the course within the last 200 yards. Made it nice to have the truck close by after I finished. Will shoot for that spot again this year, if it is not taken.
The Health Expo opens Friday and runs through Saturday. I have to go down to pick up my packet with my race packet with bib, shirt, hat, and all sorts of swag. The expo is a great place to see/sample/buy/taste/try on the latest running accessories. You can get the latest moisture wicking apparel in some really wild colors, you can get a utility belt that would make Batman proud to carry your water pods, energy shots, iPod/iPhone, etc.. You can score a really good deal on shooz (1/3 off store prices) if you are willing to dig through the pile of boxes. My problem is that then never seem to carry my size (12). I usually get some new shorts and shirts cuz they are dirt cheap. I don’t plan to get any new shooz at this time because something about breaking in new shoes on a half marathon doesn't seem to be a smart move. I will spend a few hours cruising the expo for the latest gear/bling. Some people throw down big $$$ for one of those high tech watches that will tell you every little detail about your run (time, temp, elevation, pace, split times, GPS location, heart rate, calories burned). Some devices will even post updates to your smart phone/PC along the course. I’m prefer my old Timex Marathon watch with lap timers. I always pick up a pace band – sort of a low tech way to track your pace throughout the race. It is essentially one of those bands you get for a concert or state fair that grants you admission but they actually print out your estimate back with the various mile markers so that you can track your progress along the course. Been using one of those for years.
Everyone has different ways of getting amped up for this run. Some are out doing sprints, some are doing LDS (long slow distance) runs in Memorial park. At this point, I have throttled back on my runs. Every other day try to get in 3-5 mile runs just to stay limber/keep from getting rusty. It’s too late to try and go for the longer distances to make any difference and I am afraid I will injure myself like I did 4 years ago. Looks like this weekend will be a wet & cold run. I will run in the rain (not preferable) but I don’t want to really push my luck on catching a cold before the run. Speaking of colds, I am skirting one right now. My bride already has the zombie flu and doing her darnedest to pass it along to me. I am taking lots of vitamin C and Zicam to avoid the inevitable I definitely do NOT want to add that to my race routine.
This year I am making an effort to carb load. Eating a lot more pasta this week. Laying off red meat. There are different philosophies on eating before the race as well. Fruit and oatmeal a couple of hours before are supposed to provide more energy (than bacon and eggs). Some food combinations do not do well in a long distance race. I've seen the results from eating heavy meals the morning of or the night before and it ain't pretty.
A few other tips I've learned over the years:
- Eat lite before the race. Think protein. Yogurt and oatmeal are good starts a few hours before the start. Bananas provide good energy. Save the gel shots and energy drinks until the start. I typically toss back one of those energy packs at the start and then another every 30-45 minutes.
- Prep the areas that will get the most wear & tear – feet, legs, chest – in my first year I started chafing around mile 6 and almost rubbed myself raw in a very sensitive location. Had to apply a strategically placed band aides (while running I might add) to prevent further chafing. Now I tape up before each run to avoid a repeat.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I tried running with a bottle of energy drink last year and it really didn't help. Carrying a bottle for ½ the race distracted me, and I tossed it to my brother on the sidelines as I passed. I also found that drinking too much water may have an ancillary effect. If you are sweating tons, that is one avenue. If it is cold and you don’t sweat as much, you might have to make a pit stop (or two) along the course.
- And, if you must go, here’s a tip: Avoid the first set of potties.
- Listen to your body. It will tell you when you've had enough.
06 January 2013
5th time's a charm
27018
Once again, it's official. The course is set, the registration paid, spot confirmed, start time is less than a week away. For some insane reasons I cannot explain, I keep going back for this abuse each year. Come next Sunday, I will be but one of 25,000 really crazy people crammed onto the cold, dark, downtown streets at the crack of early awaiting the starting gun. Got a notice of my bib number this morning. Will pick up my official race packed next weekend at the expo.
Am I ready? Nope. I haven't run as much as I had planned, not built up the mileage like I intended to. I could list several excuses, but they'd just be excuses. I have been running over the past few weeks and building the miles/distance, just not up to 13.1. Just like last year, I feel confident I can make the total 13.1 miles, I just won't be breaking any records (except perhaps my own). Would like to break a 2:00 course total but, given my lack of prep, that is not in the cards. For an old fat fart, I just hope to clear the course in under 2.5 hours without croaking on the trail (considered really bad form).
It is about this time I start monitoring the weather for the upcoming week. Right now the weather is typical for south Texas this time of year. Cold and rainy yesterday, clear and cold today (low 40s), but we're looking to dry out this week and may hit the low 60s during the week. The long range forecast if for rain and cold next weekend (starting temp forecasted to be in the low 40s) but, to me, that is too far away to start layering up. Still, it does make it planning your race day attire challenge - pants or no pants?
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| Ready to hit the streets |
A man's home is his castle
Or so the expression goes.
During our New Year's Rally, the hosts typically try to plan for events to keep everyone entertained/busy. We've done tours, shows, museums and the like. This past weekend's rally had something different. We attended a dinner show in a local castle. Now, if I was over in Germany or England, visiting a castle wouldn't seem so out of place, but in a small Central Texas town of barely 4000 people? Turns out that we do have a few, if you know where to look.
Several years back, the owner of a bakery in downtown Bellville, bought 20 acres of land just outside of town. He was going to build a house on it but nothing really struck his fancy. Then one day, he came up with the idea to build a castle. He spent eight years erecting a 3,400-square-foot castle - and then he moved in. He surrounded the turreted structure with a moat and installed a working drawbridge, portcullis, and a trebuchet that can shoot big rocks about 100 yards. He opens the castle for tours and various events (weddings, receptions, dinners). In 2010, he began working with Murder by Chocolate, a Houston group that stages [dinner theater] murder mysteries on weekends. There’s a mock siege of the castle, and someone is kidnapped and murdered. People can participate and get into costumes and follow scripts. For dinner, he serves a medieval feast with a whole roasted pig and all the fixings.
Was a very interesting/fun event, if not a bit cold. It turns out that central a/c and heating were not part of the old medieval architecture. I had taken a few pictures of the event but it was at night and many did not come out well. Besides, I was knighted (Sir Cuss) to stand guard over the drawbridge. At least I wasn't named Sir Circumcision. Everyone got to play a part in the play and entertainment. Kind of a campy play, but it was very entertaining.
During our New Year's Rally, the hosts typically try to plan for events to keep everyone entertained/busy. We've done tours, shows, museums and the like. This past weekend's rally had something different. We attended a dinner show in a local castle. Now, if I was over in Germany or England, visiting a castle wouldn't seem so out of place, but in a small Central Texas town of barely 4000 people? Turns out that we do have a few, if you know where to look.
Several years back, the owner of a bakery in downtown Bellville, bought 20 acres of land just outside of town. He was going to build a house on it but nothing really struck his fancy. Then one day, he came up with the idea to build a castle. He spent eight years erecting a 3,400-square-foot castle - and then he moved in. He surrounded the turreted structure with a moat and installed a working drawbridge, portcullis, and a trebuchet that can shoot big rocks about 100 yards. He opens the castle for tours and various events (weddings, receptions, dinners). In 2010, he began working with Murder by Chocolate, a Houston group that stages [dinner theater] murder mysteries on weekends. There’s a mock siege of the castle, and someone is kidnapped and murdered. People can participate and get into costumes and follow scripts. For dinner, he serves a medieval feast with a whole roasted pig and all the fixings.
Was a very interesting/fun event, if not a bit cold. It turns out that central a/c and heating were not part of the old medieval architecture. I had taken a few pictures of the event but it was at night and many did not come out well. Besides, I was knighted (Sir Cuss) to stand guard over the drawbridge. At least I wasn't named Sir Circumcision. Everyone got to play a part in the play and entertainment. Kind of a campy play, but it was very entertaining.
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| The royal couple |
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| Fairy Godmother and Godfather |
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| Just desserts |
05 January 2013
Storming the New Year
I meant to post an update before we high-tailed it out of town last week before the weekend.
Christmas came and went as planned. Kids came done for a few days, we celebrated only two Christmases this year with them and my family. Was fairly quiet/uneventful (aka drama free). Everyone got new toys to play with (including the dogs).
Last weekend we loaded up the wagon and headed west of town for our annual New Year’s Eve rally in a small campground out in the country. Nice, quiet affair. Good way to ring in the New Year with friends and family in the country. 3rd time out in the new trailer with momma and the dogs. The more I use it, the more I learn how to make things work or, more importantly, what doesn't work. A 16 year old trailer is going to have a few quirks/hiccups – my parents have been cruising the country in their trailers for over 30 years and they have pretty much seen & done it all. From flat tires, melted power lines, lost wheel, refrigerator quits, a/c problems, water leaks, broken hitch, and even rolling their trailer has not dimmed their thirst for the road.
My old trailer was always having one problem or another. The A/C was built like a tank – it would run, but it was noisy, vibrated all night long but it would put frost on your pumpkin. I was always chasing leaks in the trailer, the floor needed replacing, and I won’t even begin my diatribe on tambour doors. The new rig is light years ahead of our old one. 5 feet longer, 3 feet wider, lots of room, lots of storage, bigger holding tank capacity, quieter a/c, great shower. Makes the trek a lot more enjoyable when we have the room. We are still learning how to operate the trailer and some of its quirks. Last trip I deemed I needed a sway control/stabilizer. On this outing we came up with a few new challenges that made the trip interesting (lost a sky light, the furnace didn't work). Arrived late Friday evening only to find my sky light in the bathroom had not made the trip out of Houston, so now I had a 2 foot hole in the top of the trailer (much foul language ensued). Spare sky lights are not something I normally keep in the tool bag, so I had to improvise a cover from some cardboard, garbage bag and duct tape. After all that drama, I wasn't really in the mood for Mexican food at a local restaurant. Maybe the mini-crisis put me in a bad mood, but the food wasn't appetizing at all to me (or perhaps it was the 3 hour wait). The furnace never came on and I called in a local repair guy that specializes in RV repairs (handy when you live next to an RV park). He figured out that the relay was shot and needed to be replaced. Of course, he didn't have that part and would have to order it (remember it is the weekend before New Year’s) but it would probably not be in until Tuesday (the day we go back). This did not really pose a major problem since we had a heat cube (small ceramic heater that will pretty much cook you out of the trailer) and electric blankets. New Year’s Eve we had plans for a lot of activities but the front hit early and it was pretty much nonstop rain all day. Normally I don’t mind the rain but camping with two very hairy dogs that love to walk, I envisioned chaos inside my new rig. No matter how much I tried to dry them off and lay down towels, it was a mess. I was also worried that my jury rigged sky light would not hold up well in the rain, but it held up quite well.
Despite those challenges, the rest of the rally went well. Saturday morning we had biscuits on a stick - cooked over an open fire (or heater). Saturday night we attended a local dinner theater - "Murder By Chocolate" in a local castle (yes, I said castle). I was going to cover that trip here but it would make the post way too long so I'll go into detail in one of my next posts. Sunday night we cooked turkeys Scout style (in a foil tent with charcoal) but the cooks were having problems getting the turkeys to the right temperature so we "rigged" up some of our propane heaters and created an outdoor oven. Not exactly per the manual, but it did the trick. (Improvise, Adapt, Overcome)
One good outcome was that my sky light repair job held up on the trip back home. Had fears that it was going to blow off on the ride and the inside of the trailer would be soaked. Never underestimate the power of duct tape.
And just to tease you on the castle visit, there was an actual working trebuchet that we got to operate. To give you an idea of how it operated, I snagged this clip...
And for anyone keeping count, 7 days until liftoff...
Christmas came and went as planned. Kids came done for a few days, we celebrated only two Christmases this year with them and my family. Was fairly quiet/uneventful (aka drama free). Everyone got new toys to play with (including the dogs).
Last weekend we loaded up the wagon and headed west of town for our annual New Year’s Eve rally in a small campground out in the country. Nice, quiet affair. Good way to ring in the New Year with friends and family in the country. 3rd time out in the new trailer with momma and the dogs. The more I use it, the more I learn how to make things work or, more importantly, what doesn't work. A 16 year old trailer is going to have a few quirks/hiccups – my parents have been cruising the country in their trailers for over 30 years and they have pretty much seen & done it all. From flat tires, melted power lines, lost wheel, refrigerator quits, a/c problems, water leaks, broken hitch, and even rolling their trailer has not dimmed their thirst for the road.
My old trailer was always having one problem or another. The A/C was built like a tank – it would run, but it was noisy, vibrated all night long but it would put frost on your pumpkin. I was always chasing leaks in the trailer, the floor needed replacing, and I won’t even begin my diatribe on tambour doors. The new rig is light years ahead of our old one. 5 feet longer, 3 feet wider, lots of room, lots of storage, bigger holding tank capacity, quieter a/c, great shower. Makes the trek a lot more enjoyable when we have the room. We are still learning how to operate the trailer and some of its quirks. Last trip I deemed I needed a sway control/stabilizer. On this outing we came up with a few new challenges that made the trip interesting (lost a sky light, the furnace didn't work). Arrived late Friday evening only to find my sky light in the bathroom had not made the trip out of Houston, so now I had a 2 foot hole in the top of the trailer (much foul language ensued). Spare sky lights are not something I normally keep in the tool bag, so I had to improvise a cover from some cardboard, garbage bag and duct tape. After all that drama, I wasn't really in the mood for Mexican food at a local restaurant. Maybe the mini-crisis put me in a bad mood, but the food wasn't appetizing at all to me (or perhaps it was the 3 hour wait). The furnace never came on and I called in a local repair guy that specializes in RV repairs (handy when you live next to an RV park). He figured out that the relay was shot and needed to be replaced. Of course, he didn't have that part and would have to order it (remember it is the weekend before New Year’s) but it would probably not be in until Tuesday (the day we go back). This did not really pose a major problem since we had a heat cube (small ceramic heater that will pretty much cook you out of the trailer) and electric blankets. New Year’s Eve we had plans for a lot of activities but the front hit early and it was pretty much nonstop rain all day. Normally I don’t mind the rain but camping with two very hairy dogs that love to walk, I envisioned chaos inside my new rig. No matter how much I tried to dry them off and lay down towels, it was a mess. I was also worried that my jury rigged sky light would not hold up well in the rain, but it held up quite well.
Despite those challenges, the rest of the rally went well. Saturday morning we had biscuits on a stick - cooked over an open fire (or heater). Saturday night we attended a local dinner theater - "Murder By Chocolate" in a local castle (yes, I said castle). I was going to cover that trip here but it would make the post way too long so I'll go into detail in one of my next posts. Sunday night we cooked turkeys Scout style (in a foil tent with charcoal) but the cooks were having problems getting the turkeys to the right temperature so we "rigged" up some of our propane heaters and created an outdoor oven. Not exactly per the manual, but it did the trick. (Improvise, Adapt, Overcome)
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| Home sweet home (before the rain set in) |
Sadly, our planned New Year's Eve parade was cancelled due to the rain so I will just pass along some of the pictures from last year's festivities.
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| The 2011 Toilet Bowl Parade |
One good outcome was that my sky light repair job held up on the trip back home. Had fears that it was going to blow off on the ride and the inside of the trailer would be soaked. Never underestimate the power of duct tape.
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| Now quite an official "Airstream" approved modification |
And just to tease you on the castle visit, there was an actual working trebuchet that we got to operate. To give you an idea of how it operated, I snagged this clip...
And for anyone keeping count, 7 days until liftoff...
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